As with many rural areas, agriculture and trades are a way of life. This statement holds true in our small community. Both adults and young workers alike seek careers locally with specific trade skills in mind. At Union County High School (UCHS) the volume of students enrolling in programs of study to prepare for skilled trades occupations correlates with the high demand for careers in the area and offers some insight to the future workforce of these industries in our region.

Union County churches, groups and individuals want children in need around the world to receive a gift this Christmas season and to experience the love and hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

The Union County Board of Education approved multiple items to comply with state and federal regulations as well as proceeding as planned for the new middle school construction at the November meeting.

Three votes and a recess transpired before the Union County Commission agreed on new building permit fees at the regular meeting in November. The building permit fees were originally set by a private act of the Tennessee General Assembly, and to increase the fees takes another state legislative act. To meet the December 1 deadline required that action be taken at the November meeting in order to file the bill and receive action in the legislative session that begins in January 2025. The first two proposals failed by large margins.

My church celebrates the beginning of Advent around the first of December by sometimes carrying out the “hanging of the green” tradition of decorating the church sanctuary for the Christmas season. Our pastor explained the meaning of the Advent tradition, which was good because while I had heard of it, I didn’t really know what it was about. I’m all about old traditions, and so it sparked my own research which I thought I would share.

This is a great way to prepare fresh mushrooms for a relish tray. Use the small button mushrooms from the produce department at Food City. You wouldn't think that fresh mushrooms would have much flavor, but they do. If you never have tried them this way, it will be a treat for you, plus another recipe to add to your holiday collection.

In the 1973 Extension reports I found this in the Agents Report. It was titled “Facelift for Dolly”.

An all day Candle Making Workshop was held one day last Fall by a Homemakers Club. Since time would be taken for simply allowing the candles to harden, each member brought other hand work to do. One member (Mrs Graves) who belongs to a doll club was making doll clothing for her antique dolls she collects, renovates, dresses and sells. She showed us a doll dating 1848, that she had purchased in Nashville for $65.00. The doll was rare because of its wax head.

Did you discover there is no Santa Claus? How old were you when you found out there was no Santa Claus? When in her eighties, my Aunt Duskie said Christmas had never been the same since she learned there was no Santa Claus.

Just how sure are you there is no Santa Claus?

I believe the year I was seven I still truly believed in a real, tangible Santa Claus. By the next year, I suspected that perhaps Santa was a myth. I learned for definite sure when I was nine.

Due to the bad storms, it was not a good harvest year for the pecan season. Pecans are scarcer and their price has gone up. But worry not! The Union County Lions Club snagged some really good ones again this year. And with rising food prices everywhere, where else can you get a pound of Mammoth Pecans, Chocolate Amaretto Pecans or Chocolate Covered Peanuts for $10 each?
The time is now to stock up. If you buy too many, pecans freeze well and the Lions Club will run out soon.

A new research review published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies suggests that patients with spine-related musculoskeletal pain who see a chiropractor first may have lower overall healthcare costs compared to those who receive initial medical management. Spine pain is a significant burden in the United States, with annual costs estimated at $134.5 billion. Patients with this condition have various treatment options, each with potentially different cost implications.