International Overdose Awareness Day: Honoring Lives, Inspiring Hope
By: Rebecca Hughes, Executive Director, ICARE Union County
Each year, communities around the world come together on August 31 to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day—the world's largest campaign dedicated to ending overdose, reducing the stigma surrounding substance use, and remembering the lives lost to overdose.

Perhaps by the time you read this article you will have already voted in the
August 6, 2026 Republican/Democrat/general election. There will be another opportunity to vote in the state/federal election on November 3, 2026.

Mayor Bailey, working with representatives from the Union County TN Farmers Market Board and the Union County Opry contracted with the East Tennessee Community Design Center in 2022 to develop conceptual drawings for Heritage Park to include the Music Heritage Wall. In 2023, members from the Farmers Market Board wrote a Tourism Enhancement Grant for $100,000.00 going towards a total budget of $135,815.00 to complete the Music Heritage Wall.

Over the years, I have discovered professionally and personally that anxiety has a way of becoming intensely personal. No one else really feels exactly what you feel. They may know the facts of your situation, but they cannot fully experience the weight that is pressing against your heart. The sleepless nights, the racing thoughts, the constant "what ifs," and the quiet fears that no one else sees; those are carried in the deepest places, personal to the soul of the anxious one.

The Farmers’ Market Annual Corn Festival is a community celebration honoring the local harvest. Peak corn harvesting in Union County is the perfect time to celebrate fresh, locally grown corn. Over 548 local residents and visitors attended this fun event.

Union County 4-H youth spent part of their summer exploring the exciting world of animal science through two educational day camps that combined hands-on learning, fun activities, and opportunities to interact with livestock and industry professionals.

The summer began with the 4-H Bleat Street Bootcamp, where participants spent the day learning all about goats. A special highlight of the camp was the visit from Dr. Sam of Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) and a team of veterinary students, who shared their knowledge and enthusiasm for animal health and livestock care.

Union County 4-H member Hadley Headrick represented the county well at the Hamblen County Sheep Show held on July 11 at the Walters State Expo Center.

Hadley competed in the Southdown breeding sheep show, exhibiting two breeding-age ewes. In addition to her success in the show ring, she demonstrated her livestock knowledge by earning 2nd place in the Sheep Skillathon among 12 competitors. She also received 2nd place honors in the Junior Division, making it a successful day of competition.

When you read the title, did you think of a group of dentists forming a band or some kind of choir? Actually, this article is about a recent and painful situation where I wasn’t sure whom to call for help. It started a few months ago when a lower molar began to bother me. I knew I needed to have a dentist examine it, but I didn’t have a regular dentist at that time. Why? Because I had played musical dentists.

Sitting here listening to Bobby Helms singing “Special Angel” with the Anita Kerr Singers providing background vocals recorded at Bradley Studios in Nashville July 9, 1957. It hit #1 on the country charts and #7 on the Billboard Pop Charts. This beautiful song by Bobby Helms brings back in my memory my appointment with Dr. Edmunds on March 12, 2026. My son, Joel drove me to the appointment. On entering Dr. Edmund’s office, walking up to the reception cubicle I noticed a large poster behind the lady sitting there. She introduced herself as Edith and asked how she could help me. I stood there for at least one minute staring at the poster. It had a large picture of a large black jaguar on it. Edith had a faint smile watching me as I guessed this happened with most new patients on their first visit. After I gave Edith my name and appointment time I asked her about the jaguar. Edith told me her uncle had ran an animal rescue and rehab center in Largo, Florida. Edith helped her Uncle Vernon Yates when she was a young lady at the animal rescue and rehab center. While helping her uncle a mature black jaguar was rescued and placed there. Edith made a pet of the jaguar and was the only person who the jaguar would allow close, and would even lick Edith’s hands. Edith guessed the Jaquar was eight years old.

Klondike Bar! Remember that old commercial?
What would you give to look younger? Some might consider facial creams, diets, or Botox® injections.
On my way to work yesterday, the morning show hosts were talking about a procedure being done in South Korea that involves injecting skin from cadavers into living people’s faces to make them look younger. It was touted as the mythical Fountain of Youth. One of the hosts asked, “Is that from dead people?”
Duh! The last time I checked, there are no living cadavers.