fgazette.com Community news site for Union Parish Louisiana

State, parish and community leaders, forced inside due to rain, held a groundbreaking ceremony at the Willie Davis Jr. Recreation Center Friday to mark the beginning of construction on a tournament quality Mega Boat Ramp on Lake D’Arbonne. The ramp is being constructed on Highway 33 across from D’Arbonne Lake Motel. (At right) During the ceremony, Farmerville Mayor John Crow …

By Luke BrittEditorThe Lake D’Arbonne Watershed Commission intends to stock the lake with 40,000 Tiger Bass later this year, an investment that commissioners said should result in a steady increase over the years in the average size of largemouth bass pulled from the lake.Tiger bass are a hybrid cross between a strain of aggressive Northern largemouth and a “pure strain” …

Glynn HarrisGlynn Harris is a long-time outdoor writer from North Louisiana and has won more than 50 writing and broadcasting awards during his 47 year career. BUSSEY BRAKE – Bass fishing continues to improve with some big fish in the 10-11 pound range being caught flipping jigs and soft plastics around brush. Crappie are beginning to move to the shallow …

Glynn HarrisGlynn Harris is a long-time outdoor writer from North Louisiana and has won more than 50 writing and broadcasting awards during his 47 year career. It’s time for the arrival of the scourge of the south, pine pollen, as evidenced by swollen buds on pines. This past Sunday I saw it for the first time. At first, I didn’t …

The Louisiana legislature just finished the special session on crime spending several million dollars to come up with more ways to reduce the violence that continues to plague the Bayou state. Their solution seem to be to stick it to the convicts currently serving time, but ignoring the growing wave of juvenile crime that continues to spread throughout both big …

We all live our lives, feed our families, worship as we want and enjoy a life that is envied by people around the world. Turn on television and we watch leaders that we either love and extol or that we hate and admonish. We, as Americans, can do this freely. Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor …

The following was written by Jon McKinney, President of the Union Parish Chamber of Commerce, who has traced his family’s Irish heritage back 600 years. Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day.St. Patrick’s Day originated as a religious feast day honoring the patron saint of Ireland. He died on March 17 in the year 461. Today he is honored not only as …

Dana Estes’s meticulous collage took Best of Show at the 12th Annual Union Arts Council’s Competitive Art Exhibition Saturday.Estes was one of dozens of local artists who submitted work in one or more of seven categories, including amateur and professional photo, professional and amateur painting , professional drawing, professional two-dimensional fine art and amateur three-dimensional fine art. A separate category …

A Civil War reenactor felled from mock rifle fire held his death pose for nearly an hour without moving during the Battle of D’Arbonne Landing held at D’Arbonne State Park Saturday and Sunday. The reenactment portrayed the Battle of Chicksaw Bayou that took place during the finals days of 1862. About 200 reenactors gathered in two camps – one blue, …

Gov. Jeff Landry opened the regular session of the state Legislature by challenging lawmakers to do “great things” for Louisiana. BATON ROUGE — Under new Republican leadership, Louisiana’s GOP-dominated Legislature gathered at the Capitol Monday to convene their three-month regular session, pushing conservative priorities that could reshape education policies, toughen certain criminal penalties, reduce regulations on the property insurance industry …