For nearly 20 years now, Union County High School has taken time each Veterans Day to welcome and honor Union County's veterans with a program prepared, produced and performed by the students themselves with coordination from Union County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Clerk Barbara Williams.

Williams is slow to take credit for the program, but guest speaker retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Dooley Buckner recognized her from the podium, saying, "She has worked tirelessly for almost 20 years to coordinate this event for the students, the veterans and the community."

John Fugate and Linda Baxter come from different backgrounds, but when it comes to agriculture education at Union County High School, their philosophy is the same. They want to prepare students for the reality of today's careers while preserving the rich legacy of Union County agriculture.

"We don't just grow plants and animals," said Fugate. "We grow kids."

Baxter is originally from Colorado, but she attended high school in California, and her family later moved to Memphis. She attended UT Knoxville for pre-vet and changed to agriculture education.

Career and Technical Education, that block of high school programs that some of us used to call "vocational," is not just for shop class anymore. These days, students are using CTE at Union County High School to launch themselves into skilled, technical jobs right out of high school, and the fields represented may surprise you.

Union County High School football coach Larry Kerr and son Joseph Kerr came to Union County with one mission: to rebuild the Patriots football program. And they'll be the first to tell you it's going to take some time.

Spirits were high Friday evening at Union County High School for the homecoming football game. The parade, held before the game, had drawn people in and showed the young women who were running for homecoming queen, as well as, the cheerleaders and members of the band. The Patriots played the previously undefeated Hancock Indians, beating them 35-14. This is Union County's second win this season. Student moral is high and the team is in high spirits as they are determined to erase the previous two seasons with the next two.