I grew up on the Knox County side of the Union County line, which kind of made me a double agent. I went to Halls High School but spent a big part of my life on my Papaw’s farm in Union County, and plenty of time on Norris Lake, mostly at Hickory Star Marina.
I was saved at Milan Baptist Church in Maynardville and later received the call to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I had no idea what I was doing but I made a commitment to God that if He would open the doors, I would go through them. That was several years ago.

Are you old school about anything?
For me, it’s cartoons. I was fortunate enough to grow up with the classic ones: Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo (original) and Peanuts. Out of these, my favorite is the Looney Tunes series with Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.
My friends in high school were well aware of this fact. If one of them spent a Friday night with me, they knew I would be up early to watch the Coyote and Roadrunner. If they didn’t wake up in time, I would wake them up so they could watch it with me.

By Steve Roark
Volunteer, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
It’s nice to think that plants produce fruit for our pleasure and that of other creatures. They do want us to eat them, but they have an ulterior motive of coaxing us into dispersing their seeds to other places.

July is here and that means it is Tennessee Beef Month and National Grilling Month – a match made in heaven and it sounds like it’s time for a celebration at the Union County Farmers Market! Please take a moment this month to appreciate the hard work of our beef farmers and savor the flavors they bring to our tables.

During your first visit to a doctor of chiropractic you will likely discuss your present condition and health history, and then undergo a physical examination. Your chiropractor might order imaging or lab tests to determine what may be causing your issue(s). They may refer you to a different medical professional if necessary for your condition.

Your chiropractor will then explain your condition, develop a treatment plan, and review the risks and benefits of the treatment.

One of the best things about turning sixteen is getting your driver’s license. It’s a huge step toward adulthood. After I got my license, I wanted to drive everywhere my family went. After a few weeks, the newness wore off and I didn’t want to drive unless I just had to. I am still like that. If Tim and I travel anywhere, he usually drives unless something is wrong. Unfortunately for Tim, that recently happened.

My paternal grandmother was by all accounts a saintly woman. During her life she raised or partially raised twenty children—six from her husband’s previous marriage, six from her own marriage, and eight from my father’s first marriage. I was told that she was at one time staying with a family member in Knoxville who lived in a shotgun house. For the less enlightened, a shotgun house was narrow and had a door in front and a door in back, arranged so that a bullet fired from a shotgun could go in the front door and out the back without hitting anything.

Small potatoes are the first ones from the garden in the summertime. You can also find them at the Farmer's Market if you don't have a garden.

Back in my mom’s day folks only had access to a few flavored drinks, like milk, coffee, and water. To make things more interesting, they would seek and use native plants that provided a nice change of taste. The more common ones used were sassafras tea, teaberry, spicebush, and my topic today, Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.). It’s easy to find along roadsides and woodland edges and makes a pretty tasty mint tea that also has medicinal value.

In the June 26th meeting the Union County County Commission funded all budgets and set the tax rate at 1.8999. The EMS increases, the solid waste contract, the general fund, and the building of a new middle school were all in the tax levy for FY 24. The compromise took at least 8 votes. Votes were taken on proposals that spanned from 1.8990 to 1,9310. The vote was never tied so Mayor Bailey was not able to vote.