Union County Veterans News ~ September 2026

The American Legion Post 212 had a special guest attending this Veterans breakfast. Commander Tonya Launsby, a U.S. Navy veteran and department commander of all 154 Posts of the Tennessee American Legion, stopped by to distribute American Legion pins to the Veterans. This Navy Veteran served for 20 years, with deployments on six ships during Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Throughout her military career, she earned several commendations, including the Navy Commendation Medal and three Navy Achievement Medals, and was awarded the first Kosovo NATO medal while serving overseas.

Union County Board of Education

SPECIAL CALLED MEETING

The Union County Board of Education will meet in Special Session on Monday, September 14, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the Sharps Chapel Community Center to discuss/approve/disapprove construction of a new EMS building on the Sharps Chapel Elementary School site.

What Prevention Really Means—and Why It Works

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 This Harvest Moon

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.

2026 Labor Day Farmers' Market

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!

Tech Neck: The Symptoms Most People Overlook

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.

UCPS Hosts TSBA Fall Meeting

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 High Energy Eastern Chipmunk

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.