By: Rebecca Hughes, Executive Director, ICARE Union County

October is a special month for communities working to prevent substance use. It is a time to recognize that prevention is not simply about telling young people what not to do. True prevention is about creating the conditions that help children, teens, families, and adults make healthy choices and thrive.

On October 26 be sure to look to the east at sunset and behold the most famous of all full moons, the Harvest Moon. Its nostalgia goes back to the days before electricity, when it was used as a night light by farmers to work longer in the fields to get the fall crops in, hence the name. But the Harvest Moon stands out for other reasons as well.

The Market on Labor Day had a lot of competition. School is back in session, football games were everywhere and folks were looking forward to Thunder in the Park and fireworks. The market routinely sees over 500 marketgoers and there were not as many as usual today.

Harlynn Zielinski of Zee Farm was busy selling eggs and carefully counting money under the watchful eyes of parents Camden and Mari. Their eggs are very popular and often sell out at the farm before they can even take some to the market. Harlynn was a Best Egg Competition winner at the Corn Festival!

Have you ever cheated on anything? I dare say most of has us have a time or two. But as for me, I cheated at cards.

Tech neck often starts subtly and is easy to dismiss. The first signs aren’t always sharp pain. It’s usually stiffness, tension, or fatigue in the neck and shoulders that people ignore until it becomes more persistent. Common early symptoms include ongoing stiffness or tightness in the neck and upper shoulders; headaches caused by muscle tension; discomfort that spreads to the upper back or arms; and eye strain and difficulty focusing after long screen use.

UNION COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
WORKSHOP
Union County High School
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026
6:00 p.m.

The Union County School Board will host the Tennessee School Board Association Eastern District Fall Meeting on September 15, 2026, at Union County High School at 150 Main Street in Maynardville. The Board will welcome directors and school board members from across East Tennessee. Registration starts at 4:30, and the meeting begins at 5:00 with an awards ceremony to recognize an outstanding student, a school volunteer, and various levels of board member accomplishments.

The eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is a member of the squirrel family and very common in our area and locally called ground squirrels. They are the little reddish-brown squirrels you see scurrying about in the woods. The average chipmunk is only 5-6 inches long with a narrow bushy tail. When they run, note that their tail is held straight up.

The 2026 Eastern Region 4-H FCS Skill-A-Thon Contest was held Friday, August 28, in McMinn County, Tennessee. Union County 4-H was well represented this year, with two members competing and showcasing their knowledge and skills in Family and Consumer Sciences.

In the Junior Division, Coral Davis earned an impressive 2nd place finish as an individual. In the Junior High Division, Aspen Davis also represented Union County well, earning 4th place as an individual.

Are you a fan of somebody famous? If so, are they still alive? Or better yet, were they alive during your lifetime?
When Tim and I first started dating in 1982, his little sister Penny was 12 years old. The first time I saw her bedroom, I was a little speechless for a few seconds. The first thing I noticed was a rather large velvet poster of Elvis Pressley hanging on her wall. The image was of him from the 1970s. He was wearing his white jump suit while holding a microphone and singing. As for my 12-year-old bedroom, I had Shawn Cassidy posters, but that’s another story.