Follow your heart on October 1 to the Union County Heritage Festival. The 18th Festival expands to four venues in 2022. Visitors can park at Union County High School and enjoy the main event in Wilson Park or board the free shuttle (the big yellow bus) sponsored by Monroe Bus Lines, State Farm Insurance, and City of Plainview to travel to the Farmers Market Pavilion for produce and the Ice Cream Bar, the Union County Museum for the Heritage Day Quilt Show, and the Myers Building (formerly Ailor/Byrd Funeral Home) for the Art Show. All venues are open from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m.

Jacob is at it again! Selling pumpkins that is. He has a variety of pumpkins this year, including all the old favorites and has added a few new ones such as the yellow cushaw and many others.
Jacob is a senior at Union County High School where he studies with Mr. John Fugate and is his teacher’s assistant. Mr. Fugate has been a big influence on him by encouraging him to participate in the TVA Fair where he has won several ribbons. This year he took 17 first place ribbons in different categories, one being the tallest corn stalk at 15’7”. Jacob will also take place in the competition land judging on October 6.

By Helina Bailey
Did you know that wild horses can double their herd sizes every four years? According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), wild horses and burros have no natural predators and current population estimates are above 80,000.
Because of this, these majestic, free-ranging animals must be removed by the thousands in order to “control herd sizes ... to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands.” The BLM removed 13,666 mustangs and burros last year alone.

TVA tests have gaps of years; NLPA will test year-round
By Helina Bailey
With over 800 miles of shoreline, Norris Lake is an Appalachian aquatic treasure trove. Nestled in our backyard, this beautiful lake breathes life into the region and attracts both weary travelers seeking to enjoy the great outdoors as well as locals. Anglers, boaters and vacationers flock to the water during the summer, but locals can be spotted all year long.

The Union County School Board continued its community-based meetings by conducting its September business at Maynardville Elementary School. The board elected a new chairman, a new vice chairman, and a new interim director.

Local educator selected to statewide consulting body to help determine the best resources to combat learning loss in students
Dr. Lauren Effler, Union County Schools K-12 Curriculum & Instruction Supervisor and Pre-K Director, has been named to Governor's Early Literacy Foundation's (GELF) 2022-2023 Executive Council, a group of 28 educators from rural, urban, and suburban communities across Tennessee who will help GELF determine the resources to best meet the needs of students statewide.

Leadership Union County celebrated with dinner at Pete’s Bar and Grill to host its graduation ceremony on September 20. Graduating were Donna Riddle, Rebecca Lock and Sheila Varner.
President Wayne Toppins presided over the ceremony for the Leadership Union County Class of 2022. Board member and past president Colleen Beeler awarded the plaques while secretary Pearl Coffey extended her congratulations. The class attended sessions on government, health, industry, agriculture & tourism and education & technology in addition to their orientation.

This year our County Farm Bureau Board, Farm Bureau Women, and the new agents and staff have been busy in the Union County. The Farm Bureau has always been more than ready to help out the community and support positive projects and there is much opportunity. Through community outreach, our local Farm Bureau is doing its best to promote the importance of agriculture as well as support other needs when possible.

A car accident or other serious trauma, like a fall, are likely causes of back pain. But back pain can develop from a variety of sources that are not quite so obvious. Here are a few of the conditions that can play a role in creating back pain:

Spinal stenosis: a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord. It’s a condition often caused by arthritis. In the narrowed chamber, pressure can build on the spinal cord.

Submitted by Sharon Hansard, Big Ridge FCE Reporter
The Big Ridge FCE Club of Union County had an eventful month in September. To kick off the month, a regular meeting was held to elect officers. Congrats and thank you to those who are serving to keep the club doing great work in our community.
In September, members also attended “FCE Day at Tennessee Valley Fair” where they got to reconnect with members across the region. Neal Denton spoke all about beef. Members learned a lot and even won a few prizes in the trivia contest!