The average American diet includes one of three meats, either beef, pork, or chicken. I always thought we ate more beef than anything, but chicken has of late given beef a run for its money. And if you look at it on a global scale, it turns out that beef is often not “what’s for dinner”.

Play a guessing game with me. Take a minute and jot down what you think are the top 10 land animals butchered for food on the planet, based on the number of animals, not pounds of meat. You got it? So, what’s your number one? If you picked chicken, give yourself a drumstick. A staggering 50 billion chickens are consumed annually. Considering how many ways you can eat chicken in a Chinese restaurant, that’s not surprising. How about your number two? The surprising answer is duck, coming in a 2.6 billion. Pigs come in 3rd at 1.3 billion, so take that, McDonalds! 4th place goes to another surprise: rabbits at 1.1 billion. Next is turkeys at 630 million, sheep are 6th at 520 million, and goats are 7th at 400 million. So where’s the beef? Eighth place at 293 million cows, followed by water buffalo, and finally camels.

Beginning July 1, 2026, kratom will become illegal in Tennessee under a new state law known as Matthew Davenport's Law (HB 1649). The legislation was signed by Governor Bill Lee in May and will prohibit the possession, sale, manufacture, and distribution of kratom throughout the state.

Big Ridge Elementary School BETA is partnering with Hoss Pizza in Halls for a fundraiser on August 31, 2026.
From 5:30 to 7:30, you can eat the buffet for $15 and the BRES BETA Club will receive $5. Proceeds help fund BETA projects including state and national conventions.
So skip the cooking, eat out, and support the kids in BETA Club.

Have you ever given a quick answer during Sunday School and then thought: “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that?” In our class, we’ve been studying the book of Zechariah. Our teacher was reading over the first chapter when he stopped to discuss the verse 1:20 (KJV): “And the Lord shewed me four carpenters.” He also used the term craftsmen and asked what we thought of when we heard that word. I immediately pipped up: “Sears!”

Soft tissue injuries are some of the most common car accident injuries, but many people tend to think of them as “just run-of-the-mill soreness.” A soft tissue injury is any damage done to the body’s soft tissues, like muscles, fascia, tendons, and ligaments. Injuries including bruises, contusions, stretched muscles, facial injuries, stretched and torn ligaments, and sprains are all associated with soft tissues. Unfortunately, these injuries are not only painful, but they can be long-lasting.

🎉🐾 You're Invited to a Barn Party! 🐾🎉

Mark your calendars for June 20 and join us at the Appalachian K9 Training Center for a Barn Party benefiting the Union County Humane Society!

Come enjoy a fun evening filled with great food, good company, and plenty of opportunities to support the homeless animals in our community. Every dollar raised helps provide shelter, medical care, vaccinations, spay/neuter services, and loving second chances for the dogs and cats who depend on us.

Shower trailer, hygiene kits, clean clothing, and information on resources to those struggling will be available for free.

Free Breakfast Saturday June 13 8:00 am.

Saturday, May 30, began as a dark, damp, dreary, drizzly day, but it was dry under the roof at the Farmers’ Market! Several families arrived at the same time I did, and we were greeted by upbeat music and the Union County Line Dancers. Dancers were grapevining and pivoting in unison, and they were fun to watch. Line dancing requires executing synchronized, choreographed steps together, and these ladies got it down!

(The Heritage Culinary Center in Union County’s Heritage Park on Durham Drive is comprised of a Culinary Teaching Kitchen and a standard Commercial Kitchen. The building was constructed by Union County. The county leases a portion to the non-profit Union County TN Farmers Market. The Farmers Market operates the Heritage Culinary Center). Patrick Hurley and Shirlee Grabko