Plainview says no to tiny homes, yes to heavy trucks on Wolfe Road

Alderman Josh Collins explains why Plainview City can enforce weight limits on Wolfe Road.

Plainview City will not allow tiny homes to be built inside the city limits due to the passage of Ordinance #157 on its second reading at the September 12 meeting.
The ordinance does allow homes of at least 401 square feet, which is only one square foot more than the definition of a tiny home at 400 square feet.

2023 Heritage Festival art evokes fond memories of Grandma

Stitched With Love, Remembering Grandma by Betty Bullen

"Stitched with Love, Remembering Grandma" is the 2023 Union County Heritage Festival Limited Edition Collectible Print. The inspiration for the 2023 Limited Edition Collectible Print by noted artist Betty Bullen was her own memories of grandmothers who lovingly stitched quilts for their grandchildren. This year’s festival theme is “Going to Grandma’s.”

Luttrell Music Festival

Left to right: Sawyer Blankenship, Chase Nicely, Bobby Mink, and Canaan Blankenship.

The Luttrell community enjoyed an evening of great local musicians and delicious local food last month. Admission was free and the event is sponsored by the City of Luttrell and The Tennessee Arts Commission. The goal of this event is to showcase local musicians in a fun-filled, festive family atmosphere.

Lions Club elects Kathy Chesney president

Jim McFarland is officially inducting Debbie Sylvia-Gardener and Shirlee Grabko as new Lions Club members.

The Union County Lions Club held elections for officers for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Kathy Chesney, pastor at both Miller’s Chapel UMC and Irwin’s Chapel UMC, was elected president. Vice-president is Bill Sexton; Treasurer, Dr. Ronnie Mincey; Secretary, Debbie Sylvia-Gardner; and Publicity, Shirlee Grabko.

Shooting Hunger Donates to FFA Backpack Program

Ag partners pictured with FFA members Jared Barbee and Trent Jones holding a $2,700 donation to Horace Maynard FFA’s Food for Kids Program. Left to right: Ben Bradley with Farm Credit Services, Pam Phipps of Union Farmers Cooperative, and Eddie Thompson, Cody Brown, Ava Padgett, Logan Browne, and Ashley Mike representing Farm Bureau.

Union County High School’s Horace Maynard FFA Chapter is diligently active in community service work amongst members. One of their projects is the backpack program or Food for Kids. Members, alongside Advisor John Fugate, provide backpacks to 160 students at all five of the county’s elementary schools, as well as the middle school, on a weekly basis to subside food shortages over the weekend to students who may have the need.

Union County represented at Young Farmers, Ranchers Conference

Union County Young Farmers and Ranchers Chairman
Jordan Campbell pictured with scholarship recipient
Savannah Jones at YF&R Summer Conference in
Lebanon.

This summer, Tennessee Farm Bureau hosted the Annual Tennessee Young Farmers and Ranchers Summer Conference in Lebanon at the Farm Bureau Exposition Center. During the conference, there was an array of events including collegiate discussion meets, an awards banquet, educational breakout sessions, and even an ice cream social with cornhole games.

Chick Chain Auction big success

The Annual Union County 4-H Chick Chain Show and Sale was held at Jones Farm and Livestock this year. With a great success at this location, we want to thank owner and 4-H supporter Trevor Jones for offering us this opportunity.
In the spring of each year Union County 4-H orders one-day old baby chicks. The 4-H members choose one of the three breeds that they wish to raise. They make a deposit for the 20 chicks they chose, promising to bring six of the grown hens back to auction off in the fall. With this promise, when they return their six chickens, they are refunded their deposits and get to keep the remainder of the hens.

Enter your pie in the Heritage Festival Pie Baking Contest

Flag Fruit Pie baked by Elizabeth Tindell, a former Hertage Grand Champion Pie Baker

Flag Fruit Pie baked by Elizabeth Tindell, a former Hertage Grand Champion Pie Baker

Union County Heritage Festival Pie Baking Contest
• Grand Prize is $100
• Pies are due on Thursday Oct. 5, 4 to 5 p.m. or Friday Oct. 6, 8 to 11 a.m. at the new Extension office at 2721 Maynardville Hwy.
• Categories are Fruit, Nut and Other.
• First prize in each category is $50 each category and the total prize money is $250.
• The contest is open to all ages and there is no entry fee.
• Pies must be homemade.
• Pie pans will not be returned to contestant.
• The FCE Club will have the final say on acceptability of pies.

Researchers Describe Hands-On Treatments For Patients With Low Back Pain After Lumbar Spine Surgery

In a recent study, researchers found that patients who have recurrent or ongoing pain after lumbar spine surgery may seek out a therapy called spinal manipulation, which targets the joints of the spine. The study, published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, found that those providing spinal manipulation for these patients typically use gentle techniques.

Gibson Calfee's PA educational journey

Gibson Calfee

The motto I live my life by is hard work pays off. Going into college, I knew I wanted to be in the medical field, but I did not know what role that I wanted to be within the field itself.
My cousin Jennifer Manaker was the first person to introduce me to the Physician Assistant (PA) profession. She brought up the profession when she and I were talking about my plans after college.

I’ve got love in my tummy

“Yummy, yummy, yummy, I’ve got love in my tummy” is the first line of the 1968 pop single by the bubble gum band Ohio Express. Time magazine included the song in its 2011 list of songs with “silly lyrics.” I often use various memory devices to aid my recall of scripture concepts. One of the memory devices I use is association. Since silly song lines are easy to remember, one can use something silly to help recall something serious.

The Wedding and the Rainbow

I think there’s one thing we all have in common: We’ve all prayed for something that we wanted. Something wasn’t what we needed. Recently, the Lord answered a prayer like that in a way that only He can do. Actually, somebody else also prayed for the same thing too.
A week before my daughter Sara’s wedding, I began to check the weather forecast every day, since the ceremony was to be held outside. At first, that Saturday was predicted to be nice and pleasant. But as it drew closer, the forecast changed to not only rain, but a chance of storms as well.

Chubby Beeler has left the stage

We are now in high school and it’s Wednesday, October 14, 1959. The Wednesday morning chapel has begun and there’s two boys, one freshman and one sophomore on stage ready to perform.
I know the sophomore. He is Don Kiser, with whom I attended Rose Hill grammar school. The other young man with the electric guitar was L. J. Beeler. After high school he became a professional musician backing lots of big stars from Nashville.

Plainview Elementary reunion is November 25

Over the past several months I have had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of a fine gentleman, Mr. Ted Green. He came to the Union County Board of Education offices to find information on Plainview School. He and I have examined the registers from teachers who taught at that school from 1932 until the school’s closing in 1970.
I am including below the body of an email Mr. Green sent to me regarding a planned gathering for anyone connected with Plainview School. This email is intact (with minor editing) as sent to me.

Fudge Cupcakes

Cupcakes are so popular nowadays. And why not? They are individual portions that can be eaten out of hand. I remember when heavily frosted cakes were the norm. They needed to be eaten quickly before they dried out. Cupcakes stay soft inside their icing and paper wrappers.

The hills are alive with the sound of nature

The pleasing sound of a running stream is an example of geophony, the non-biological sounds produced in nature.

When appreciating the natural world, getting out and seeing it is mostly how it’s done. We go on vacations or road trips to see beautiful things like forests, mountains, rivers, oceans and canyons.
This makes sense, since we are wired to perceive the world mostly through the sense of sight. Thirty percent of the neurons in our brain’s cortex is devoted to vision. For comparison, eight percent is used for smell, and only two percent is used for hearing.

KidsSight Outreach

A great deal of childhood early learning occurs through the eyes. Healthy vision is important for children’s early development. Lions Club KidSight’s screenings detect vision problems early. The program helps parents get their children treatment before it’s too late to avoid the permanent vision loss that can result from some eye conditions.

Agent Represents Union County 4-H at Statewide Showcase in Nashville

TSU Agent Ann Ramsey represents Union County 4-H in Nashville, TN

4-H Youth Development Agent Ann Ramsey represented Union County in Middle Tennessee earlier this month when she attended the Agent Showcase and Small Farm Expo on the main campus of Tennessee State University (TSU).

Grill Master Challenge – Accepted!

Senior Grill Team members Shelby Adkins and Gracie, Jeremiah, and Jonathan Tindell show off their first and second place prizes for winning the Grill Master Challenge in Maryville, TN.

The Union County Senior Outdoor Meat Cookery Team strutted their stuff at the Eastern Region 4-H Grill Master Challenge held on Tuesday, September 19, in Maryville, Tennessee. Sporting new team shirts and armed with aprons and tongs, they fired up their charcoal grills as the competition kicked off midday at the Blount County 4-H office. Teams from counties all across East Tennessee crowded the grounds with their tents and grills and entourages of coaches and sponsors, vying to earn bragging rights as the best grillers in four categories: beef, pork, chicken, and lamb.

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