The commons area at Union County High School was filled with love, compassion and the drive to do what's right Dec. 9, as volunteers gathered to help with the Union County Children's Charities Under the Tree gift distribution, formerly known as Union County Toys for Tots. Union County Trustee Gina Buckner, who has chaired the effort for many years, said 492 children were signed up to receive toys this year, up from 480 last year.

Norris Dam was finished in 1936 and the waters of Norris Lake flooded the homeland of many Union County folk who had to find farms and homes elsewhere. Many chose to relocate to the banks of rivers other than the Clinch and the Powell. Some 75 years later, Union County has not regained the population lost to the Norris Dam project. It has gained many measures of prosperity including electric power, technical assistance from Tennessee Valley Authority staff, access to many jobs, and a growing tourism industry.

Maynardville State Bank was chartered in 1922, the second bank to be chartered in Union County. The first was Luttrell Union County Bank in 1909. The Luttrell Bank was robbed shortly after it opened and its losses were significant enough that it was forced to close. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) had not been created yet and if a bank failed, for whatever reason, depositors lost their money.

Ok, so this doesn't look like my dad. If I hadn't said that, you might have thought my dad had a full beard and was portly, as they said back in the day. He really was skinny as a rail. Dad passed away on Armistice Day, what we now call Veteran's Day, November 11, in 1951. Armistice Day was to commemorate the signing of the end of World War 1. When I was growing up, that was a very important day in our house. After all, Dad was a veteran.

In 2 Timothy 2:15, the Apostle Paul charged Timothy to … “rightly divide the word of truth.” Every Christian Church quotes that passage and yet we disagree on the interpretation of many scriptures. Sometimes these disagreements are so vast that professing Christians simply cannot get along. Proof for this statement is plentiful, all you have to do is look at all the different denominations.

It is the time of year when we are counting down days until Christmas, finalizing shopping lists, spreading tinsel, and tying bows. As quickly as December sneaks up, June peaks around the corner. As we transition from snowflakes to sunshine, Union County 4-H is preparing for the upcoming 2018 4-H Camp! This December we have a special stocking stuffer that would be the perfect surprise for that special child, grandchild, niece or nephew that has it all.

As I lined up for the Christmas Parade in Maynardville, winning a trophy was the farthest thing from my mind. My purpose for being there was simply to take part in the event and enjoy the day with my wife, Frances. However, my wife loves to decorate, so she put together a theme as though we were heading on a trip to visit friends with a huge bag of toys stuffed in the rumble seat and packages tied on the back with ribbons and bows. I’ll have to admit, when she was finished and we were traveling the parade route, shouts of Merry Christmas came throughout the entire parade.

Congratulations, to Union County on your newest grant from The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Thank you, Mayor Williams for allowing me to celebrate with you today. The Clean Tennessee Energy Grant will help your community reduce costs, increase savings, waste less energy and promote clean air. These grants continue to make Tennessee a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

“Actions speak louder than words.”

“You’ve got to put your money where your mouth is.”

Those were just some of the values instilled in Marilyn Toppins by her mother, and they’re words she lives by to this day.

Clean-cut, honest, hardworking, competent, accommodating–these are all adjectives used to describe Sheriff Swan Kitts. There was a sense of presence about him that said, “Sheriff.” But his moment of fame perhaps came with the death of country singer, Hank Williams. I’ve heard and read several accounts of this event, but I’ll only touch on the event involving Patrolman Kitts. Writer Wayne Bledsoe wrote a good piece entitled “Hank’s Final Journey,” which was published in the Knoxville News Sentinel on December 30, 2002.