My fun and my work for decades has involved walking over rough terrain, so finding practical but comfortable shoes or boots has been critical. They’re so important to me that I end up emotionally attached to them and mourn when they finally wear out and I must let them go to shoe heaven. I’m teary eyed right now just thinking about it, so today’s article is advice on choosing footwear that will be your close friend.

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.

Physical activity is considered to have both detrimental and beneficial effects on LBP. On one hand, a common view among individuals with lived experience of LBP is that activities can trigger the onset or worsening of LBP (flares), and some occupational health studies attribute harmful effects to activities such as lifting and bending. On the other hand, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have found that exercise and activity-based interventions are generally beneficial for LBP prevention and treatment when studying longer-term outcomes up to 1 year after intervention.

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.

I’d heard of Dog Days all my life but only knew that it referred to the sweltering heat of late summer when dogs laid around more and were prone to go mad (with rabies). I had a request from a reader to write on the subject in more depth, so if you’re curious as well, read on.

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.