Walk 4 Water Union County’s third annual fundraiser is coming to the UC Farmers Market at Heritage Park on Saturday, June 7.

“We invite all Union County residents to come together to celebrate the blessed life we have here and to help spread the blessings to others suffering from extreme poverty and lack of access to clean, safe water in Uganda,” said Desiree Hensley, Walk 4 Water UC chair.

Assistant District Attorneys General Apryl Bradshaw and Lindsey Cadle attended training on April 3 and 4th, 2025 in Sevierville. The training was conducted by the Zero Abuse Project which partnered with the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Tennessee, Safe Harbor of the Smokies, and the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. Seasoned prosecutors lead the two-day training with essential material focused on trauma-informed investigations and prosecutions when dealing with child abuse.

On Friday, March 28, 2025, District Attorney General Effler and staff, in partnership with the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, hosted Cops in Court for all law enforcement agencies who work within the 8th Judicial District (composed of Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott and Union Counties). Cops in Court is a training that focuses on impaired driving detection and prosecution. Officers who attended this training completed a mock trial presentation where they experienced court room scenarios in direct and cross examination.

Office of District Attorney General Jared Effler March 20th, 2025

District Attorney General Jared Effler is pleased to announce the successful completion of specialized training sessions aimed at equipping employees of financial institutions with the skills necessary to detect and prevent elder abuse. The District Attorney General’s Office partnered with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to conduct these trainings across the Eighth Judicial District, emphasizing the importance of community collaboration in protecting our most vulnerable citizens. TBI Special Agent Ramona Smith conducted these training sessions.

District Attorney General Jared Effler is pleased to announce that ADA Joe Duncan and Domestic Violence Prosecutor Chelsea Hatcher attended the 2025 Tennessee District Attorney General's Conference Trial Advocacy course at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Memphis, Tennessee. The comprehensive program, designed to enhance the trial skills of prosecutors across the state, provided invaluable training and professional development.

Horace Maynard Middle School Principal Dr. Tobi Kilgore and Union County Elementary Middle Alternative Center Principal Laura Jones are participants in the Tennessee Rural Principals Network.

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) established the Tennessee Rural Principals Network in 2018 to provide development opportunities to school leaders in rural communities around the state.

Local educator selected to statewide consulting body to help determine the best resources to combat learning loss in students
Dr. Lauren Effler, Union County Schools K-12 Curriculum & Instruction Supervisor and Pre-K Director, has been named to Governor's Early Literacy Foundation's (GELF) 2022-2023 Executive Council, a group of 28 educators from rural, urban, and suburban communities across Tennessee who will help GELF determine the resources to best meet the needs of students statewide.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — State Rep. Dennis Powers, R-Jacksboro, and State Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, today announced $36.8 million has been awarded in broadband expansion grants that include Anderson, Campbell and Union counties. The funds were made available through a portion of Tennessee’s American Rescue Plan funding from the federal government.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — State Rep. Dennis Powers, R-Jacksboro, and State Sen. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains, announce that construction of the final phase of a State Route 33 widening project in Union County is scheduled to begin in April.

The 5.2-mile project will widen a portion of the highway from two lanes to five lanes from the Knox County line to south of State Route 144 in Union County, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).

Dr. Justin Rhinehart currently serves as a professor and beef cattle specialist in the UT Department of Animal Science. A native of Loudon County, his family managed a diversified farming operation growing livestock, tobacco and nursery crops with family in Jefferson County.