As Emily Cooke walked into her storefront for the first time she was overjoyed as she had been waiting for this day for over a year. She was excited to fill the Buttercup Bakery with the sweet smells of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and pies.
“Opening day was very surreal and like a dream come true,” said Cooke. “The anticipation for the first couple of customers to walk through the door was so great! I could barely sleep more than an hour the night before the grand opening.”

August, an exciting time for all. Back-to-school shopping is well underway and school buses are not the only yellow thing on the community’s mind as the annual Youth and Corn Festival is right around the corner.
On August 6 from 10 o’clock to 1 o’clock, families can swing by the farmer’s market for a special treat. Everything from, farmer’s market vendors, a cooking demonstration, fair entries and history of corn exhibits there is a little bit for everyone.

As friends, family, and neighbors joined together to enjoy a summer harvest, the new farmer’s market pavilion was truly a place “Where Our Community Meets.”
The previously held Summer Harvest Dinner was the first farm-to-table dinner hosted by the Union County Farmer’s Market, but certainly not the last.

Internationally known and award-winning Bluegrass group Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers are heading to Union County. The group will perform for the Union County Opry August 20 at Patriot Auditorium in Union County High School.
Named Entertainers of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in 2019, Joe Mullins and The Radio Ramblers have consistently delivered chart-topping radio hits and energetic performances for nearly 15 years.

Mayor Gary Chandler administered the oath of office and seated two aldermen at the Plainview Board of Aldermen meeting in July. Josh Collins and Richard Phillips were re-elected to four-year terms. Collins is the owner of Collins Insurance and Phillips is retired and serves as the vice mayor of Plainview.
During the business session, the board approved the purchase of a new 90 hp John Deere Tractor with four wheel drive, an air conditioned cab, and a five-foot side mowing deck. The new tractor will make mowing the roadsides much easier according to Phillips.

The Leadership Union County Class of 2022 enjoyed Industry Day on July 21. The day began with coffee and a quick breakfast at the Union County Museum. From the museum, facilitators Robbie and Gail Corum chauffeured the group to Clayton Homes in Maynardville. Bill Monroe and other Clayton employees summarized the history of manufactured home building and then provided a tour of the completely climate-controlled manufacturing facility.

Dr. Jimmy Carter, Union County Director of Schools, introduced Dr. Tobi Kilgore as the new HMMS Principal at the July Board of Education meeting. Kilgore related that he has a wide array of experience in administration at the middle and high school level in Knox County.

Chiropractic colleges accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) offer Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree programs. (CCE is the agency certified by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit chiropractic colleges in the United States.) Admission to a chiropractic college requires a minimum of 90 semester hour credits of undergraduate study, mostly in the sciences.

UT Extension Union County will be offering a series of gardening workshops in August and September on Wednesday mornings in Maynardville.
Topics will include planning, soils, mulch, water efficiency, fertilizers, pests, reducing waste, pollinators, reducing pollutants and wildlife. The curriculum will come from the Tennessee Yard Smart program.

The Union County Farmers Market is in full swing and celebrating the fruits of the summer. Fruit is seasonal and best eaten when it is freshly harvested, not shipped hundreds or thousands of miles. Join us at the market as we gather and bring people together to celebrate our harvests and our community.
Our market has been blessed this year as we saw strawberries and rhubarb earlier in the season, but now the fruits of the summer have arrived!