Mask mandates continued to be a concern for the parents who addressed the Union County Board of Education at the September 9 meeting.
The closure of the system within a month of the opening apparently rekindled the fear of a mandatory mask mandate. Mask wearing has been and remains to be optional. But Dr. Jimmy Carter, Director of Schools, did alert the board to the fact that the policies regarding the pandemic were under review.

Big bags — hobos, totes, messengers, the names change over years — are always in style. They’re functional, too, because they can hold a lot of, well, stuff. But that’s precisely where the risk can come in. Slung over one shoulder, they can eventually cause neck and shoulder pain similar to the kind of problem chiropractors see in kids who carry ill-fitting heavy backpacks. Women — and men — carrying such bags are contorting their posture to counterbalance a heavy bag that is pulling on one side. This can wreak havoc with muscles and with the spine.

There is nothing that can compete with the smell of fresh baked biscuits!
Biscuit baking is a tradition in this region and there are many who will share fond memories of baking biscuits with their family. However, there are many who have never baked biscuits and would like to learn! Every year, 4-H combines education and the nostalgic reminder of baking biscuits with family by setting up a booth at the Tennessee Valley Fair.
Groups of students come in shifts to learn how to make biscuits and pass them out to patrons visiting the fair. It is a hit!

In August, four Union County 4-H members participated in Tennessee 4-H Congress: Rheagan Collins, Kaleb Hanna, Jacie Hawkins, Jeremiah Tindell and Jonathan Tindell. They served as a delegates and competitors at the 2021 Tennessee 4-H Congress in Nashville.
This will be the 74th anniversary of this event. Since its beginning in 1948, 4-H Congress has given some 32,400 4-H-ers and volunteer leaders firsthand experience in state government.

Would you like to purchase farm fresh products all year? You can!
You won’t have to miss any of that farm fresh beef and pork, dairy products, eggs, honey, soaps, balms and other products from your favorite vendors. You’ll also be able to order some of those late peppers, potatoes, winter squashes, greens as they are harvested, and, be the first to purchase fresh spring produce!

Kaleb Hanna of Union County was one of 83 4-H members recently recognized with the Vol State award at the University of Tennessee at Martin during State 4-H Roundup.
The Vol State award is the highest level of recognition a Tennessee 4-H member may achieve. The award is presented to high school juniors and seniors in recognition of excellence in all phases of 4-H work, as well as service and leadership rendered in their communities.

Every August, on a bright and sunny summer morning, students from across East Tennessee load up their grills and meet at the Appalachian Gray Fair in Gray, Tennessee, between Kingsport and Johnson City.

A frequent question I hear is “Can I use an electric multi-cooker, such as the Instant Pot®, for canning?” Well, the answer is simple. No. Why? Below are some of the reasons:

John 21:12 KJV:
[12] Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.
It’s the third meeting Jesus is hosting for some of his disciples after his Resurrection. Like any good host, Jesus wants everyone to be relaxed before they really get into the serious business at hand for them. So he starts his meeting with a fish fry as it were. Fish sandwiches to be exact or at least their version of a fish sandwich, which was simply bread and fish—a highly appropriate meal for a meeting with a bunch of fishermen, cooked by someone that once said, “man does not live by bread alone.” (Matthew 4:4)

The state of Tennessee is the greatest place on earth. I have not lived anywhere else so I might be a little partial but most that live here, or visit will agree it’s a pretty great place.
Tennessee has a list of things that are symbolic to the state. One of the most recognizable symbols is our state flag. The flag has the iconic three stars that represents the three parts of the state that have their own qualities due to geographical and cultural differences. Those differences come together to make a state like no other.