The Liberty Tree

By Steve Roark
Volunteer, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

It interests me how trees are so often intertwined with our culture and history. The 250th July celebration of our Independence is a good time to review the history of the Liberty Tree, a symbol for individual liberty and resistance to tyranny.

The Late Great America Series Finale Part 6

Since the first part of this series which was printed in the December issue we have made prophecy of America’s future which looks bleak. America’s main enemy as of now is China. China has Russia and North Korea as allies against America, did have Iran but Iran has now been rendered at present as harmless by the current American administration, their fortitude and the rebuilding of America’s military. But the snake is not dead, still has fangs and if not exterminated will heal and come back to bite and rejoin China as an ally. Remember China built the great wall of China which is 13,107 miles long and took over 2,000 years to complete. It took many Chinese dynasties to build it. China is in no hurry and they believe that China has a manifest destiny to rule everything on earth covered by the sky. China today exports up to 33% of America’s products

Meet a Veteran - Jackie Benham

(All our Veterans have different backgrounds, different lives and different stories. The one thing that they have in common is their service to our country. Some served 2 years, some 4, while others made a career of the military. Many Veterans saw battle or supported battle troops; others spent a good deal of their service in one place. There are Veterans from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard and now, the Space Force).

6/20/2026 Farmers' Market

Eddie Ramirez hails from a long, rich family history of farming. His parents spent most of their lives working tomatoes and, in 2002, bought a farm in Rutledge. Eddie and his wife Lizbeth have strong ties to Union County. They were married at St. Teresa of Calcutta in 2019 and celebrated their union with a reception at Red Gate Farm. They now have 3 active children who all love being on a farm. Although Ramirez Tomatoes does grow other vegetables, about 98% of their crop is tomatoes. They are fairly new to the general public; the majority of their business has been wholesale.

Preparing for Alaska

We have finally booked our bucket list trip to Alaska. We booked an inside passage cruise with a pre-cruise extension. Why the pre-cruise extension? To acclimate to the four-hour time difference as well as sightseeing Anchorage.

Understanding the time zone changes for booking flights and knowing the airport rules for checking bags and carry-on: Quick tip – Often the airlines request checking your carry-on at the gate for space saving and waive the bag fee. I did this for my second bag and saved $45. They check it to the final destination for free.

The Curse of Revelation 22

Spoiler Alert: The conclusion of the Bible ends with a curse! Most Christians describe the Bible as a great book of hope, which portrays Jesus as the embodiment of that promised hope. If that is the case, it may seem very strange that the closing sentences of the Bible contain a curse.

Revelation 22:18-21 KJV
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: [19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. [20] He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. [21] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

BOE revises policies, awaits middle school opening

Board policy revisions caused some discussion at the Union County Board of Education meeting on June 18. At issue was Board Policy 2.805 Purchasing. The policy revision was not on the agenda. However, Rebecca Lock from Plainview offered a revision to the purchasing policy along with other policy revisions for discussion.

FCE learns about fraud, plans July field trip

The Union County Family and Community Education (FCE) club gathered in June for an informative and enjoyable meeting at the Extension Office. Members welcomed guest speakers from FirstBank of Maynardville, who presented a program on financial fraud and scams. Attendees learned about common fraud tactics, warning signs to watch for, and ways to protect personal and financial information.