This was my first attempt at using giant pasta shells. This recipe is easy to do. The results are spectacular. What a beautiful dish, tasty, too.

Nothing says Springs-a-comin’ like seeing Daffodils spotting the countryside. They are of particular interest to me because I’m a mountain history nerd, and they often point to old cabin sites that I like to check out when I’m out exploring

Alder Springs Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate their 175th Anniversary on Sunday April 7, 2024. The celebration will be during the 11:00 am worship service with lunch to follow. All former Pastors and past and present members are welcome.
Alder Springs Church was established March 31, 1849 by a group of people who gathered under a Pear Tree. The name Alder Springs came from a spring where an alder bush grew. This land was on the corner of Hickory Star and Little Valley Road. The alder bush was still there until some clearing was done several years ago.

At the February 24 Union County Commission Meeting, Mayor Jason Bailey explained that the Healthy Built Environment Grant through the Tennessee Department of Health has increased its funding to $100,000 and can be used to build multi-purpose sports fields. These fields could increase the opportunities for recreation on property at the back of Wilson Park.

Teena Venable graduated from the University of Tennessee in May of 1977 and moved to Maynardville that August to start a band program for the schools. She discovered that there was a lot of musical talent in Union County.
At that time, the high school band was open to all grade levels. When she was starting out, Ms. Venable had eight students who already knew how to play and a small group of beginning musicians. Those eight students proudly marched in the 1977 Homecoming Parade.

The Union County Business & Professional Association will host its 27th Annual Prayer Breakfast on Good Friday, March 29, at First Baptist Church on Main Street.
Buttercup Bakehouse will cater a full hot breakfast of bacon, eggs, biscuits with gravy, fruits, cinnamon rolls, pastries, coffee, and juice. Pastor Corey Carroll of First Baptist will offer the warm welcome and caring invocation and Pastor Kathy Chesney of Miller's Chapel UMC and Irwin's Chapel UMC will close with the inspirational benediction.

Union County Mayor Jason Bailey addressed the Union County Business & Professional Association on February 13, at the First Bank Conference Room. He shared information on the more than $20M in active grants that his office has secured mostly in the past three years.
He also noted that his office will be applying for over $2.2M more in grants this year. Part of the grants were gifts from the federal or state government. The majority of the other grants have no local tax money needed to match the grant.

Union County 4-H would like to celebrate National Pig Day with recognition for the 4-H Swine Project. Union County 4-H Swine Project wraps up the 2023-24 season with seven participants. The Swine Project consists of 4-H members who raise weaned feeder pigs to an ideal weight of 250 pounds. Swine projects provide youth with opportunities to expand their knowledge of swine production and, more importantly, develop the life skills that are needed to be positive contributors to society.

We are living longer and, if you play your cards right and have taken care of yourself, this is a wonderful thing. Good genes certainly help, but healthy lifestyle practices are just as important in continuing to live a productive life. Here are some tips the American Chiropractic Association recommends for aging with grace and health:

In Tennessee, March is Extension month. I thought I would share a story about the first woman to begin the Home Demonstration clubs here in Tennessee, specifically within our university. The woman I am talking about is Virginia Pearl Moore. We are going to dive into her life and accomplishments to see what all she has done for the University of Tennessee and the Home Demonstration Clubs, now known as Family and Community Education Clubs or FCE for short.