Periodic absences for various reasons continue to cause the Union County Board of Education to barely have a quorum.
At the November school board meeting, Chairman David Coppock and Vice Chairman Marty Gibbs were absent along with Brad Griffey from Luttrell. Dr. Jimmy Carter, Director of Union County Schools, chaired the workshop and oversaw the election of Andrew Reed, who represents District 6 (Paulette), as the Chairman Pro Tem to preside at the November meeting.

Aaron Russell and Shannon DeWitt are Man and Woman of 2021
Union County Business & Professional Association named Aaron Russell and Shannon DeWitt as Man and Woman of 2021 at its Annual Banquet on November 19, at Hubbs Grove Fellowship Hall.
Aaron Russell, publisher of Historic Union County News, was praised by Robbie Corum, the 2020 Man of the Year, for Aaron's “out of the box thinking.” With this “tackle the unknown attitude,” Aaron has given Union County its first online newspaper, as well as a printed monthly edition.

Last month, Olivia Howard joined the UT Extension Office here in Union County as the full-time 4-H agent. Olivia was born in Kansas, lived in Michigan and moved to the Knoxville area when she was in 4th grade where her love for agriculture started.
This led her to pursue a degree in Animal Science at the University of Tennessee. Olivia’s experience in Extension started when she completed an internship with the Knox County Extension Office in summer of 2020 where she worked in agriculture and natural resources.

New research from Boston medical Center identifies elevated mortality risk for women with back pain when compared to women without back pain. Back pain was not associated with mortality among men, indicating long-term consequences of back pain may differ by sex. The overall findings suggest that mild back pain (pain that does not keep a person from exercising or doing daily activities) is unlikely to impact the length of one’s life, but risk of mortality was increased among adults with more severe back pain.

Happy Holidays from Union County Farmers Market!
We are really excited to offer a Holiday Market once again this year. We can’t wait to see you there!
At the Holiday Market, you will find some of your favorite market vendors and be able to support your community by shopping local.

Over 300 children will have presents under the tree this Christmas thanks to the dedicated volunteers of Union County Children's Charities.
Gina B. Gilbert, Tammie George, Brooke Simpson and Pam Tolbert serve as the leaders of the 501(c)3 nonprofit to organize the effort while Carol Pratt, Janet Holloway and friends shop and assemble the bags.
At least eight area churches gave away socks, toiletries, laundry detergent, books and paper products. Another church supplied hams, and the Family Resource Center contributed gift cards from a grant for teenage siblings.

By Beth Bergeron

Once again, 4-H members in each elementary school are collecting pop top tabs for their community service project and the first full jug has been turned in. All tabs will be donated to our local Ronald McDonald House for recycling.

In the process of collecting these tabs, the students learn the importance of recycling and are encouraged to recycle the entire aluminum can.

By Alyshia Victoria
Union County FCE members gathered on November 18 to celebrate thanks for one another and for our community. Family & Community Education (FCE) clubs are located across the state, and we have a great group here in Union County.
The goal of FCE clubs is to strengthen the home and community by improving the quality of life of individuals and families through continuing education, leadership development and community service.

By Mary Johnson
Sharps Chapel residents have been meeting at the Sharps Chapel Senior Center once a month to share the latest news, research and concerns regarding the new Mexican-owned Sanfer SPF egg production factory farm. The facility will eventually house 72,000 chickens in eight concrete block buildings on the historic Sharp family farm on Sharps Chapel Road.

By Jeff Brantley
I represent the 5th District of Union County (Sharps Chapel and Speedwell side). A controversy has arisen about the location of a chicken/pharmaceutical farm in Sharps Chapel. Some are complaining about property values, odor, contamination, etc. Most of the resistance comes from lake lot property owners who are approximately a mile away from the proposed business.