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Election Takeaway: Dems Lose Ground

By Luke BrittEditor If the 2023 election season is any indication, parish voters are happy with any elected official who isn’t a member of the Union Parish Police Jury. Voters re-elected incumbents Sheriff Dusty Gates and Sen. Stewart Cathey to another four years in their respective offices, while Clerk of Court Dodi Eubanks, Tax Assessor Lance Futch and Rep. Chris …

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Finally, political legitimacy for Louisiana

I was born in Louisiana and growing up I couldn’t have been prouder.  We went to the local theater, attended a local church and after lunch on Sunday drove around the streets of our town in a car loaded with friends.  Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email …

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Celebri-tease headlines: a trivial fixation

The news item that started it all had this headline: “Kendall Jenner Struggles to Climb Stairs in Fitted Dress at Kourtney’s Wedding.” Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. I just had to take a screenshot of that “news story” when it appeared in my …

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School choice back in play

School Choice Will Soon Find Another Opportunity in LouisianaAll the way back to the administration of Governor Bobby Jindal, Louisiana has viewed private-school choice statewide as very positive public policy that needed to be enshrined in state law to improve the quality of education of poor and minority children, and to provide the same educational choice enjoyed by children from …

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The Metz is History

The Metz Motel in Farmerville is no more. Workers  demolished the motel this week and next week will  haul the debris to the landfill, bringing the motel’s 80-year history to an end. Built during World War II, for years the Metz was Union Parish’s only motel, advertising rooms at “$4 a day” in The Gazette in 1950. At left is …

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A deer in the headlights is less common in LA than other states

It may surprise you to learn that Louisiana drivers have a much lower chance of striking a deer than drivers in other states. That’s a statewide fact, but this time of year in some of our rural communities it probably seems completely bogus. The insurance company State Farm tracks vehicle-animal collision rates nationwide, and the company estimates that Louisiana drivers …

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Winter weather requires extra caution by older adults

Baby, It’s Cold Outside! When the temperature drops, older adults run a higher risk of health problems and injuries related to the weather, including hypothermia, frostbite, and falls in ice and snow. Like most things in life, it is better to be prepared. Here are a few precautions everyone should take, especially older adults, during the winter. Hypothermia Hypothermia occurs …

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When Marion Played Sports – Laying a Foundation 

By Jackie HuntContributing Writer Editor’s Note: This is the ninth installment of the When Marion Played Sports series. Click the link to see all the articles in the series. The early to mid-1970s was a time of program building for Marion High School. Although the school was just a small lower classified school, it did not take long to see there was …

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