I recently spoke to Jack Rhyne to learn his story and it is a fascinating one! Like most little boys growing up in a Roy Rogers world, Rhyne hoped to grow up to be a cowboy. That didn’t quite work out, but he has lived an adventurous life. Rhyne grew up in Anderson County, enlisted in the Army as a young man, and married Marie Merritt from Grainger County, who served as Rutledge’s City Recorder.

As we continue in this time of uncertainty and fear, life must go on in some ways. A part of that is that children need an education. There are many aspects of a child’s education that go beyond a classroom or basic learning. These things include but are not limited to sports, band, music lessons, dance lessons, fundraisers, and community support. All of these and more contribute to a child’s education in ways many cannot see.

If you’re suffering from chronic lower back pain, a new review of existing research finds that spinal manipulation—the kind of hands-on regimen that a chiropractor might perform on you—is just as helpful as other frequently employed treatments, like pain killers. Spinal manipulation is also safe, researchers found.

Reindeer are always of interest at Christmas, famously known as the mode of transportation for the Big Fellow on his annual trip around the world. But they are interesting enough animals to talk about for other reasons, so let me provide some interesting facts that you can impress your friends with at Christmas parties.

The Christmas Dance was my favorite high school dance. I saw it as a special evening full of beautiful decorations, friends, and fun. And, to be honest, a little innocent romance was nice too. Fortunately for me, the Christmas dance of 1982 had a little unexpected surprise.

I was especially excited about that dance. Tim agreed to take me even though he had graduated in June of that year. While there, we had the best time with our friends. The slow dances were nice too.

One of the benefits, sometimes the best benefit, and for some the only benefit, of marriage is the occasional free humor it can provide.

This particular tale goes back to the blissful premarital years when I was dating my wife. My wife throughout our entire relationship has seemed to have an uncanny knack of being the living example of “if it can happen to anybody it can happen to her”. In this particular case she contracted cellulitis. Cellulitis, without referencing Google, is an affliction that can turn to gangrene and cause loss of limbs and even death in some cases.

I like cookies with walnuts or pecans. Peanuts, not so much. But most everybody likes Rice Krispies. I thought, “Why not substitute Rice Krispies for nuts in a recipe.” When making my Christmas cookies one year, I came up with this recipe. There is another surprise tucked in that cookie, too. Cayenne pepper. It gives a little zing to the cinnamon spice. You will wonder why the cinnamon tastes so good: cayenne pepper. When you try this recipe, I hope it will become a favorite. Don't tell anyone about the cayenne. Let's keep it our secret.

You won't find any rice in this dish. Spinach is the star here. Use rice or potatoes any way you like in another side dish. Of course, you could use frozen chopped broccoli instead of the spinach. Makes a good meatless supper.

CRIMINAL COURT JURY PROCEEDINGS SUSPENDED THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2021, NON-JURY PROCEEDINGS TO BE CONDUCTED VIRTUALLY

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Tennessee Supreme Court and the Criminal Court for the Eighth Judicial District have altered the schedule for the Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court through January 31, 2021.

Jury Proceedings: There will be no jury proceedings, trial or grand jury, through January 31, 2021. New dates for jury proceedings will be established when in-person meetings are allowed to resume.

The Union County Arts Council (UCAC) was originally birthed within the Chamber of Commerce, started by Julie Graham and Cindy Taylor with the first Art in the Park event held at Paulette Elementary School soon after its construction. Today’s board consists of President Carol Pratt, local artist Betty Bullen, Randy Turner, Eric and Gloria Holcomb, and Susan Boone. The council operates as a 501c3 organization and has successfully applied for and received grants for Arts, Culture, and Humanities.