fgazette.com Community news site for Union Parish Louisiana

It all started for us this past Thursday after listening to weather reports about the upcoming weather event. Our plan initially was to head to our daughter’s in Minden Friday morning before the storm hit; they have generators and there should be no problems there.  My small generator, that had sat without being run for several months was dead as …

As I write this article our region is digging out of a tremendous Arctic blast that hit with the ferocity of a steam train burying many in ice, cold and downed trees while leaving major transportation arteries clogged and shut down. It is cold, for many it has been miserable, we have witnessed death but at the same time we …

Twenty-six years ago, Tom Brokaw wrote a book about what he called “the greatest generation.” Now, there is a new best seller out calling America today “the dumbest generation.” And since Louisiana is at the bottom of the barrel on most comparative national lists, you can imagine how folks in the Bayou State are viewed. But with all the tools …

Antioch Baptist Church  3501 Hwy 828  Farmerville  318-368-3591  Early Worship – 8:30 a.m.  Sunday School – 9:45 a.m.  Morning Worship – 10:45 a.m.  Bethel Temple Pentecostal Church  2144 Hwy 33 N.  Marion  Sunday School -11 a.m.  Sunday Worship -12 p.m.  318-608-6766  Canaan Baptist Church  502 Canaan Church Rd.  Spearsville  Sunday School -10am  Sunday Worship -11am  870-312-3440  Bro. Brian Williams  Conway …

HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH  “Trafficking in persons,” “human trafficking,” and “modern slavery” are umbrella terms—often used interchangeably—to refer to a crime whereby traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of adults or children by compelling them to perform labor or engage in commercial sex. When a person younger than 18 is used to perform a commercial sex act, it is …

 INDICTMENT UPGRADES CHARGES IN SIMPSON JUVENILE SEX CASE  In October 2025, the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office received a report of a sexual assault involving a juvenile victim. UPSO Criminal Investigations Division (CID) detectives initiated an investigation into the allegation. Forensic interviews and evidence collected during the investigation provided detailed accounts of the crimes. 

 Ice Storm Tests Region, but Claiborne Electric Keeps Outages Limited  A severe ice storm swept across multiple states during the last week of January 2026, tightening its grip on north Louisiana as temperatures hovered around the freezing mark. Freezing rain coated trees, power lines, bridges, and roadways with a hard glaze of ice, turning routine travel into a hazardous gamble …

(With the promise of cold icy weather upcoming this weekend, I dug through the archives and found an article I wrote 17 years ago about making the most of cold weather.)  With last weekend’s cold weather with snow flurries fluttering around, the logical spot for most of us was a warm spot by the fireplace with mitts wrapped around mugs …

Our country has become more polarized than at any time since the onset of our tragic and bloody civil war. Americans are killing Americans for political ideology; killings that are never justified. It is so important that we stand back and realize that we have a nation of laws and these laws are based on Federal and State constitutions and …