Two special called county meetings occurred on July 24, that will keep the jail construction timeline on track. The jail committee workshop listened to an in depth presentation by Spirit Architects itemizing the process for the new jail. Spirit Architects have made several visits to determine the specific and unique needs of Union County. After Spirit consulted with all stakeholders from the sheriff's department and elected officials to concerned citizens and non-profits serving inmates, Jim Langford and Mark Hammer addressed the budget, schedules, site, and scope of the project.

Plainview City approved the rezoning request by Douglas Curtis from R-1 to AR-1. There will be a public hearing at 7:00 at the next meeting of the Board of Aldermen on August 12 for Ordinance 168 which addresses this change.

The board also approved routine budget transfers and heard reports from officials. Resolution 92 was approved to transfer money between accounts. Chief of Police Kenny Crider reported 88 calls for service that resulted in 10 citations for 17 offenses.

The Union County Youth Talent Show is an event of the Union County Heritge Festival on Saturday, October 4, 2025. The show is not a contest. There is no entry fee. There are two shows and participants need to choose only one show. Show times are 11 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2 p.m. at Woods Music Heritage Theater, 1768 Maynardville Hwy.

To register, visit Woods Music Heritage Theater, 1768 Maynardville Hwy., or download a form at unioncountyheritagefestival.com. Spaces are limited so register soon.

The Union County Heritage Festival Quilt Show is Saturday, October 4, at the Union County Museum. All quilters are invited to bring their quilts to the museum on Thursday, October 2, between 1:30 and 6 p.m. Ellen Perry and Patricia Campbell will be at the museum to accept entries. Quilts will be judged, ribbons placed and displayed for viewing during museum festival hours of 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Get your paintbrush, camera, carving tools, lathes, potters’ wheel, stitching needles or any other artistic tool ready to create a piece to enter the Union County Heritage Art Show on October 4.

A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to Nineveh

The book of Jonah is the sixth shortest book found in the Old Testament, which makes it a quick read. The literary style of Jonah’s story is a satire. Literary satire aims to make fun of a person, idea, or institution. An author’s motive for using satire is typically deeper than mere entertainment. The book of Jonah is different from all the other Old Testament prophetic books bearing a prophet’s name, because it is not by Jonah but about Jonah. The Jonah narrative uses irony to expose some deep character flaws in this reluctant prophet.

Wild Blue Yonder headlines the Union County Heritage Festival on the Emily Link Gazebo Main Stage on October 4 at Wilson Park behind the high school. Acoustic mountain gospel, old-time, and bluegrass songs in Appalachian style are heart and soul of Wild Blue Yonder. With a home base practically in spittin’ distance of Union County, WBY honors the rich musical traditions that have echoed from our ridges for centuries. The trio includes classical cellist/fiddler/vocalist Kristiana McCombs Arnwine, 2022 winner of the Mountain Soul vocal competition in Sevier County.

It began with a barely noticeable hairline crack in the dam that was easy to overlook. The man who owned the land saw it, but convinced himself it wasn’t urgent. Repairs would be expensive, and besides, the dam had held for years. So, he decided to ignore it. Year after year, the pressure slowly built behind the wall until one night, long after the man had passed, the dam gave way. His son, who was now living on the land, woke to a roar of water sweeping through the valley, destroying crops, homes, and everything in its path.

By Alice Hamilton, HCA board secretary

A 2nd “Gathering of the Generations” sponsored by the Hamilton Cemetery Association is set for Sept., 13, 11:00 a.m., at the Union County Museum and Genealogical Library, 3824 Maynardville Hwy., Maynardville, Tn. The first Gathering was last held in Sept. ’23. Ancestry displays and updates about the Hamilton Cemetery will be shared.

Occasionally you pay a price for being in the woods, especially if you go off trail as I often do. I recently got hammered with chigger bites, especially around my ankles and feet. They are almost microscopic yet pack a wallop of misery.

Chiggers are a species of mite in the larval stage. They are too small to see with the naked eye, and under a microscope look sort of like tiny ticks. The adults, which can be seen, feed only on plants and are not a problem for us, except for their laying eggs that make more baby chiggers.