News

By Luke Britt/Editor A portion of Scotts Hideaway Road that was resurfaced less than a year old has begun to deteriorate and last week the Union Parish Police Jury sent the contractor who built the road a letter formally requesting that the company repair the road at its own expense. The jury sent Dreher Contracting, LLC of Bastrop the letter …

Mary Barrios, Community Outreach Director for the Town of Farmerville, is a 2023 recipient of the prestigious Angel Award presented annually by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation to Louisianians who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and service tothe state’s children. Mary Barrios A press release announcing the award said, “The Angel Award specifically recognizes people who have …

Durrett accepts responsibility for approving unauthorized projects  By Luke Britt/Editor An emergency meeting of the Union Parish Police Jury’s road committee Tuesday became heated when Police Juror Ben Bridges accused fellow juror Dewayne Ramsey and Public Works director Tommy Durrett of orchestrating two recent projects in Ramsey’s district that violated Policy Jury policy and state law. According to Bridges, a …

By Luke Britt/Editor The attorney for former Louisiana State Trooper Kory York, one of three defendants charged in the 2019 beating death of Ronald Greene, asked Third District Judge Thomas Rogers on Tuesday to dismiss the charges against his client because he believes an expert witness’s grand jury testimony was tainted by an internal LSP report the expert should not …

By Luke Britt/Editor Spearsville Mayor Karen Black seldom gets three phone calls a month from people looking to invest in her quiet corner of Northeast Louisiana, so when she recently received three such calls in a single afternoon she said she knew something was up. “Someone called about economic development in the area, then someone who wanted to purchase some …

By Luke Britt/Editor The muses, those nymphs of Greek mythology believed to inspire all art and knowledge, have been whispering in the ears of Union Parish’s legislative delegation, and fortunately, Rep. Chris Turner and Sen. Stewart Cathey were listening. On Tuesday, Turner and Cathey were on hand to announce a $500,000 capital outlay for the Union Museum of History and …

By Luke Britt/Editor A Marion man is suing three men linked to a Union Parish Facebook page that published a post he says wrongly accused him of making a political contribution in exchange for favorable treatment from Union Parish Sheriff Dusty Gates and that the post also revealed private information, including his social security number, to the public. The lawsuit …

Six candidates claim victorybefore a single vote is cast Staff Report The qualification period for the October primary elections ended Thursday, and six local races appear to have already been decided. Incumbent Clerk of Court Dodi Eubanks and incumbent Tax Assessor Lance Futch are unopposed, giving them de facto victories for those offices. Coroner Renee Smith chose not to seek …

By Luke Britt/Editor The Town of Marion will soon have a new park, a public computer lab, a new Family Dollar store and new security cameras in the downtown area, according to members of the Town Council who met for their regular monthly meeting Tuesday. Mayor Danny Smith also announced that the Marion office of the Union Parish TRIAD program …

 Staff Report A suspected drunk driver crashed into a fallen tree that two Union Parish firefighters were in the process of removing from LA Highway 2 near Crossroads early Sunday morning. The firefighters were not injured, but the vehicle’s driver – Carlos Mata, 24, of Sealy, TX – was arrested and booked into the Union Parish Detention Center on multiple …