Squirrels as Foresters

An ecologist named Joseph Grinnell way back in 1936 once asked how it was that oak trees could colonize the tops of hills and ridges. Acorns are too heavy for wind to disperse them, and gravity tends to make them travel downhill rather than up. He concluded that animals must be responsible for getting acorns to high places.

Five Family Conversations That Can Help Prevent Youth Substance Use

November is a month filled with family gatherings, school activities, holidays, and opportunities to reconnect with the people who matter most. It is also an excellent time for parents and caregivers to strengthen one of the most powerful prevention tools available: communication.

A Poem as Lovely

In July 1971 I turned six years old. That year was filled with a lot of changes for me. One was moving to a new house. For the first time I entered the old Burl Warwick farmhouse, which my father had just rented from Jack Warwick.

A Shoebox of Hope: Union County Invited to Share the Gospel Around the World Local residents encouraged to pack Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes November 16–23

MAYNARDVILLE, Tenn. — What if one simple shoebox could bring a child joy, offer hope to a family, and open the door to hearing the greatest story ever told?

This November, residents of Maynardville and the surrounding Union County community have an opportunity to make that kind of difference through Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse that delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to children around the world while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Navy Junior ROTC Dinner and Auction

November 13, 2026. 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Come enjoy a spaghetti dinner prepared specially for you by NJROTC Master Chief Jacob Streufert and Master Gunnery Sergeant Bobby Hampshire! The UCHS Navy Junior ROTC is holding a fundraiser Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction on Friday November 13 at the UCHS from 5:00 – 7:00. Meal tickets are only $5 (cash or check only!) and kiddos under 2 eat free.

A New Me

As you were growing up, did your momma or daddy have a special nickname for you? My mom did and I used it to my advantage. Or so I thought.

Veterans Day 2026

This Federal holiday started as Armistice Day on November 11, 1919. It marked one year since World War I ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

Congress made it a legal holiday in 1938. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially renamed it Veterans Day to honor American service members from all wars, not just World War I. Veterans Day is observed annually on November 11 to honor all U.S. Armed Forces veterans.

Bands Appreciate Veterans

Bands Appreciate Veterans
November 7, 2026, Wilson Park, Noon – 4:00

Sponsored by the American Legion Post 212, this FREE event is Saturday, November 7, from noon to 4:00, for all Veterans, their families, friends, and anyone who appreciates Veterans! Free BBQ dinner and toe-tappin’ music.

11th Annual Dixie Roofing Clays for Children Sporting Clays Tournament Nets $137,000 for Local Children’s Centers

On Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2, 2026, District Attorney General Jared Effler and staff, in partnership with the Children’s Centers of the 8th Judicial District, hosted the Eleventh Annual Dixie Roofing Clays for Children Sporting Clays Tournament at Iron Mountain Sporting Clays in Kodak, Tennessee. The purpose of the event was to raise money to support the Children’s Centers of the 8th Judicial District, comprised of Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott, and Union counties. With 159 teams and 592 individual shooters participating, this year’s tournament was one of the largest such events in the nation!

Heavy Fruit Years

By Steve Roark
Volunteer Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

This fall looks to be a good year for nut producing trees, especially walnuts, and it’s a plentiful harvest for persimmon trees. Fruit and nut production varies from year to year, and the reasons are many.