The Union County Board of Education elected Jimmy Carter as Chairperson and Harold Cooke as Vice Chairperson at its meeting on September 10 in a 4 to 3 decision. Danny Wayne Collins nominated Jimmy Carter, and Charlie Hamilton nominated Terry Washam to continue as chairman. Jimmy Carter, Harold Cooke, Danny Wayne Collins, and Scott Bates voted for Carter. Charlie Hamilton, Jessica Buck, and Washam chose Washam. For vice chairperson, Charlie Hamilton nominated Washam. Danny Wayne Collins nominated Harold Cooke.

The Farmers Market Committee, chaired by Commissioner Cheryl Walker, met in the large courtroom on September 21. Two members of the Union County Farmers Market addressed the committee. One accused the committee of creating distrust and division regarding the market and the other maintained that the market had operated for 16 years without being county managed and questioned if starting fresh would cost taxpayers more money. A former Union County Commissioner, Larry Lay, commented that the buildings were built with taxpayer money and should be managed by a county paid individual.

The theme of this year’s Union County Heritage Festival is “Celebrating Country.” One thing country that has all but disappeared is the country store. There was one or more in every community. The country store carried everything from food to feed. You could use the feed sacks to make a dress or buy the finest linen or silk for a special occasion. It was the place to shop, socialize, or maybe just sit on the porch and enjoy a Pepsi Cola or an R. C. and a Moon Pie. Some people bought peanuts and a Coke. Children and some adults ate Kitts candy or slurped a banana popsicle.

My aunt, Fleetie Mincey Thomas, lived at 2110 Hoitt Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a great part of her life.
Fleetie was my dad’s sister. Our portion of the Mincey family was raised in the Thomas Holler (now listed as Black Fox Hollow Road) in Grainger County, very close to the Union County line. Dad was born in 1914, and Fleetie, the youngest child, was born in 1922.

Mayor Lynn Beeler installed newcomer Austin Collins and veteran Richard Phillips as aldermen for the city of Plainview before the Mayor and Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
Collins was elected to represent the aldermen on the Plainview Planning Commission, and Phillips was elected vice mayor. Both will serve four-year terms.

On September 8, the Plainview Metropolitan Planning Commission discussed Ordinance 171, which addresses the inclusion of M-1, a light industrial zone, and amends Section 1 of Article VII, Provisions Governing Use Districts. The zone requires a minimum of five contiguous acres and defines permitted uses. Commissioners then recommended passage of the ordinance by the Plainview Board of Aldermen.

The Union County Heritage Festival will once again celebrate the community’s baking traditions with its Pie and Cake Contest. Bakers of all ages are invited to showcase their favorite homemade recipes and compete for cash prizes, with no entry fee required.

The Pie Contest will feature three categories: fruit, cream and nut/other. The Cake Contest will include layered cake, sheet cake and Bundt cake categories.

Beat butter at medium speed with a stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add Cheddar cheese spread and beat until combined. Stir together flour salt and 1/4 and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to cheese mixture, beating on low speed until combined. Transfer to a cookie press or a large piping bag fitted with a small star tip.

Pipe 3-inch-long strips onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Leave 1/2 inch between the straws.

Chill 15 minutes. Bake in 350 F. preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until edges are light brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Makes about 10 dozen straws.

Deer are social creatures and so there is a need to communicate with one another. Sometimes it’s one on one trash talk, while other times it’s an alarm to an entire group.

There are several ways a deer communicates that it is alarmed about something. Stamping one hoof several times shows mild alarm. Next it may snort, which sounds like someone blowing their nose very hard, and has a high pitch sound. Lastly, when disturbed enough they will run, flipping their tail straight up and exposing the bushy white underside. This is called tail flagging, and it tells the other deer to get the heck out of Dodge.

It’s become an annual boat trip for a sweet group of ladies that love the Low Country. This year we took a day trip to Savannah, Georgia. First off, we had a boat driver, we’ll call Captain, who knows the waters, tides and watches the weather closely. On a side note, that is important, because the tides rise and fall by about 8 ft on any normal day every 6 hours, and the weather can change quickly. You don’t want to be caught out on the water in a recreational watercraft with nowhere to go or at low tide that could run aground. Safety first―now to the fun stuff.