What do you do with overripe bananas? I make banana bread, banana pancakes or banana cookies. I have good recipes for all three. Let's talk about bananas.

All the prophets in the Old Testament prophesied of the coming of Christ. Matthew chapter 4 verse 23 refers to Jesus in this way: and Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

You still have time to enter a Heritage Festival contest. All registration forms are available at unioncountyheritagefestival.com and at the Union County Extension Office (4H) or Maynardville Public Library.

Hay Bale Contest-Decorate your business or yard by October 3. Must use a hay bale.

Pie Baking- Bake your favorite pie and bring to UT Extension on Friday, October 6.

Photo – Photograph a Union County person, place, or scene that shows coming home. Take your photos to the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, October 4, by 4 pm.

Union County High School football coach Larry Kerr and son Joseph Kerr came to Union County with one mission: to rebuild the Patriots football program. And they'll be the first to tell you it's going to take some time.

Russell Burnett, son of George and Clara Russell Burnett and brother to Cila, Clinton and Bertha, grew up in Big Valley. Like so many other families, their 45-acre farm and home was purchased by TVA for $1,100 in 1934 for the Norris Dam project. He is one of those persons who holds no hard feelings against TVA. He says his dad was able to purchase a better farm between Maynardville and Luttrell, the Goldie Tharp farm, for $800–and that TVA even paid his dad for the Sarvis (Serviceberry) trees on his farm.

In the early years of my marriage, in the 1940's, Egg Salad was all the rage. Every lady in the neighborhood had a favorite recipe. It was cheap to make. In a farming community everyone had chickens, so we all had eggs.

It's been a long road, and there are still some finishing touches to add, but the new Luttrell City Hall is open for business. Mayor Johnny Merritt and the staffers at the city of Luttrell opened their doors for a Union County Chamber of Commerce meet-and-greet last week, with food and fellowship offered to Chamber members.

Spirits were high Friday evening at Union County High School for the homecoming football game. The parade, held before the game, had drawn people in and showed the young women who were running for homecoming queen, as well as, the cheerleaders and members of the band. The Patriots played the previously undefeated Hancock Indians, beating them 35-14. This is Union County's second win this season. Student moral is high and the team is in high spirits as they are determined to erase the previous two seasons with the next two.

As Jesus taught His disciples to pray, it’s important for us to realize the depth and sincerity of the prayer. Unless we realize the difference between reciting the Lord's prayer and praying the Lord's prayer, our efforts are in vain. When we simply recite the Lord's prayer, although reciting is good, we are just calling words. On the other hand, when we pray the Lord's prayer, we are sincerely desiring that God will hear us.

I enjoy cooking and do a fair bit of it. One of the recipes my wife and I like is Homemade Baked Fries.

Potatoes are loaded with potassium and when I was on dialysis a few years ago I was on a low potassium diet. One trick we used to lower the amount of potassium in potatoes was to soak them in water. While this did not remove all the potassium, it did allow me to have some potatoes while on dialysis. Come to find out later, soaking potatoes in water for two hours is a key step in making homemade fries.