There are those who will say that dogs and cats are always natural enemies. That may have been true hundreds of years ago when canines and felines were competing for the same prey, but I contend the relationship today is much more complex. I give, as example, the friendship of Boots and Butch.

Boots was an orange Tabby kitten, with huge white polydactyl paws. He was a neighborhood stray, being cared for temporarily by friends who suddenly had to move. As the last box of dishes was being loaded in the rental truck, my friend asked, "What are we going to do with Mittens?"

Do you like pumpkin pie? Then you will like sweet potato pie. Sweet potatoes are a favorite of mine. Every October a farmer from the Carolinas brings a truck load of sweet potatoes to the parking lot in front of Janet's Hair Salon. I buy a big box of them, about 20 pounds. It takes me all year to eat them,. Thank goodness they store well at room temperature. Come August, there are a few green sprouts, but the sweet potatoes are still fine. This recipe is a good way to use up those from last year as you wait for the new crop.

Union County High School seniors were honored for their exceptional devotion and work for the Patriots at the UCHS football game on October 25. The Patriots faced the Sullivan South Cougars in a cold pouring rain. Luckily, UCHS pulled off the win in an 18-12 final score.
Football, cheer, band and color guard seniors marched onto the field at 7 p.m. accompanied by their parents and family members. God Bless America played as the Patriots and families filled the field. Football teammates were carrying American flags in the presentation, creating a beautiful patriotic scene.

Mayor Jason Bailey reported that he had received complaints of harassment from some county employees and public officials. Since County Attorney David Myers is a contracted employee, he could not offer advice due to a conflict of interest.
Bailey consulted H. Stephen Gillman, attorney from Pryor Priest Harbor, who is also representing the county in the lawsuit brought by the Union County Historical Society.

The Union County Board of Education met on October 3.
The elementary schools will be participating in a bullying prevention and child abuse prevention program called Child Safety Matters. The program is funded by a grant and is recommended by the Coordinated School Health Program. The board unanimously approved the program on Union County School Superintendent Jimmy Carter's recommendation.

This year, Union County is ringing in the holiday season with many family-friendly events offered to the community and visitors. While the leaves of a late autumn season are peaking, the county is beautiful, and now that the fall carnivals, hayrides, and visits to the pumpkin patch are wrapping up, it is time to mark your calendars for some spectacular Christmas events.
Cut your own tree

Most joints in the body are lined with cartilage—a firm but pliable tissue that covers the surfaces of the bones that make up the joint. Cartilage within a joint is nourished by synovial fluid, which is “forced” into the joint cartilage through a process called imbibition. The pressure within the joint providing nourishment to the cartilage occurs only when joint movement happens. And this is why movement is critical to joint health.

Commitment, complexity, flexibility and sternness are all features you will find in a beef cattle farmer. American cattle farmers are working harder today than ever to be successful in their industry, and it does not come easy. The devotion is met with long hours, rain when you don’t need it and drought when do. Broken fences, leaky barn roofs, breech calves, and flat tractor tires are nails found in the road of cattle farming.

This story begins August 6, 1945, on Black Fox Road in upper Union County, Tennessee, where the cries of a baby newly born to Clyde and Kate Thomas Nicley echoed through the hollows and hills.
This child’s name was Richard Nicley. It was late summer and at night you could hear the katydids and whippoorwills while enjoying the cooling night air. Life was changing in the mountains as World War II was spinning down and soldiers were returning home to their families.

On October 23, the Tennessee District Attorney's General Conference awarded Eighth Judicial District Victim Witness Coordinator Lana Frogge the prestigious Tony Clark Award. This award was established in memory of late First District Attorney General Tony Clark and is given annually to a non-prosecutor staff member of the Tennessee District Attorney's General Conference who exhibits the highest character and demonstrates exceptional compassion, caring and dedication to crime victims.