An ongoing effort by the Town of Farmerville to upgrade the town’s water system got a big assist last week when the Environmental Protection Agency approved a $560,000 grant to purchase state-of the-art, “smart” water meters.Coupled with the $140,000 the town has committed to the project, Farmerville will be able to purchase and install $700,000 worth of new meters over …

Parents in Louisiana would receive from $5,000 to $15,000 in state money to send their children to private schools under a Landry administration bill that is moving through the State Legislature.The Louisiana GATOR Scholarship program passed the House Appropriations Committee in a 13-8 vote Tuesday despite concerns over cost and implementation.The bill, proposed by Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, would create …

Detention Center audit costing parish thousands in lost TWP revenue By Luke BrittEditorThe Union Parish Police Jury on Tuesday hired a reserve sheriff’s deputy and former U.S. Marine to head the parish’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, replacing the former director who resigned in January.Matthew A. Ford of Farmerville, one of five applicants for the position, was recommended …

Glynn Harris BLACK BAYOU – Bass are improving fishing spinners and jigs around the trees. Crappie are starting to move shallow and fishing is improving on shiners or jigs. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information.BUSSEY BRAKE – Bass fishing is good with some really nice fish to 11 pounds caught flipping the trees with jigs, using spinners …

If you hunt or fish, you’ll find there are some activities that are more highly revered than others, at least they are by zealots of the sport. Take quail hunting, for example. While quail in our part of the country have basically gone the way of the Studebaker, there are those who still keep a brace of pointers and seek …

Jim BrownJim Brown is a former Louisiana state senator, Secretary of State, Commissioner of Insurance and a regular contributor to The Gazette. Are you all fired up and into March madness? It’s my favorite sports time of year. Now I understand you may disagree, but I’ll take the college basketball tournament over any other sporting event, even the Super Bowl. …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. I normally don’t like to call out an individual for criticism or accolades. Instead I prefer to let the facts speak for themselves and allow the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. It is realized this is …

Editor’s note: The following is a commentary published by Louisiana Illuminator.The Louisiana House Education Committee on Wednesday approved a bill offered by Rep. Kathy Edmondston, which would apply to public and private schools. Edmonston, a Baton Rouge Republican, has insisted her legislation is needed, although a process has long existed for parents to exempt their children from required vaccines.Just as …

A Louisiana House committee advanced a bill Wednesday to expand who can access a financial aid program for high-demand workforce education programs.The House Education Committee unanimously approved House Bill 728 by Rep. Paula Davis, R-Baton Rouge. It would allow people convicted of violent crimes to access the M.J. Foster Promise Program, a financial aid program that allows students to pursue …

A proposal that would allow families to steer Louisiana public education dollars to private schools — regardless of their income — is expected to cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars, with a wide gap between legislative calculations and a good government group’s projections.As an education savings account bill from Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, advances through the Legislature, its …