After a filling breakfast of eggs, sausage, biscuits, and a variety of fruits, Adjutant Norman Gillen (U.S. Navy) welcomed the crowd of Veterans to the July monthly get-together. He acknowledged all the branches of the military and asked if any of them knew which one was created first. There were a lot of guesses, but the correct answer is that the U.S. Army was officially established by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775.

The Union County Farmers’ Market celebrated Healthcare Day, and several local agencies participated with free information.

Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Wolfe Road at Tazewell in Plainview will be closed for road repair at 395 Wolfe Road. This section will be COMPLETELY blocked. You will be able to access the Convenience Center from the HWY 370 side. The road should be reopened by 5:00 PM. The City of Plainview apologizes for any inconvenience and hopes to complete the work in one day.

Tim and I had a party at our house this weekend. It wasn’t just any ol’ party.
Back in February, we were so excited to receive the news that another grandchild was on its way. Our first grandchild, Maverick, will be two in August, so we saw it as perfect timing. By the way, God’s timing is always perfect. Of course, we all immediately began to wonder whether it would be a girl or another boy. While that is a natural thing to do, either way, we are going to love it and pray that it’s healthy.

Due to an overwhelming level of community interest, Union County 4-H recently hosted two sessions of its Culinary Science Day Camp at the Union County Extension Office, giving even more youth the opportunity to explore the exciting connection between science and cooking. Throughout the camp, participants discovered that cooking is much more than simply following a recipe—it is a hands-on science experiment.

The Union County Board of Education will conduct a workshop on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Library of the Old Horace Maynard Middle School to discuss potential future usage of the Old Horace Maynard Middle School.

The July 4th morning was forecast to be dangerously hot and humid. But around 10 am the heavens opened up, rain poured down, and a light breeze started, cooling off the area, and the Market was quite comfortable. The rain on the metal roof was extremely loud, making conversation challenging. But it was so needed that no one really minded.

Nothing seems more vulnerable than children, the disabled/elderly, and pets. They so often have such limited ability to defend themselves. It is a truly evil person who intentionally mistreats defenseless people and animals.

The Union County 4-H Grill Team invites the community to attend the Beef Backer Event on Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Union County Farmers Market, located at 115 Durham Drive, Maynardville.

Union County 4-H Grill Masters will be showcasing their grilling skills while promoting Tennessee's beef industry through this fun, family-friendly event.

Do you have a favorite tree? As for me, I love any Christmas tree, but my other favorite one stood close to my grandparent’s carport. To me, it was a wonderful place to play and use my imagination as a child. In case your wondering, I didn’t ever climb it. The bottom branches were too high for me to grasp. Believe me, I jumped several times and couldn’t grasp a strong enough limb. The only trees that short enough for me to climb were apple trees at Papaw Janesway’s house. But he stopped me because he didn’t want me to hurt them.