Get ready for a decorated Union County Christmas

This year, Union County is ringing in the holiday season with many family-friendly events offered to the community and visitors. While the leaves of a late autumn season are peaking, the county is beautiful, and now that the fall carnivals, hayrides, and visits to the pumpkin patch are wrapping up, it is time to mark your calendars for some spectacular Christmas events.
Cut your own tree

Movement is critical to joint health

Most joints in the body are lined with cartilage—a firm but pliable tissue that covers the surfaces of the bones that make up the joint. Cartilage within a joint is nourished by synovial fluid, which is “forced” into the joint cartilage through a process called imbibition. The pressure within the joint providing nourishment to the cartilage occurs only when joint movement happens. And this is why movement is critical to joint health.

Beef producers graduate master program

Commitment, complexity, flexibility and sternness are all features you will find in a beef cattle farmer. American cattle farmers are working harder today than ever to be successful in their industry, and it does not come easy. The devotion is met with long hours, rain when you don’t need it and drought when do. Broken fences, leaky barn roofs, breech calves, and flat tractor tires are nails found in the road of cattle farming.

Country Connections

This story begins August 6, 1945, on Black Fox Road in upper Union County, Tennessee, where the cries of a baby newly born to Clyde and Kate Thomas Nicley echoed through the hollows and hills.
This child’s name was Richard Nicley. It was late summer and at night you could hear the katydids and whippoorwills while enjoying the cooling night air. Life was changing in the mountains as World War II was spinning down and soldiers were returning home to their families.

Lana Frogge receives Tony Clark Award

On October 23, the Tennessee District Attorney's General Conference awarded Eighth Judicial District Victim Witness Coordinator Lana Frogge the prestigious Tony Clark Award. This award was established in memory of late First District Attorney General Tony Clark and is given annually to a non-prosecutor staff member of the Tennessee District Attorney's General Conference who exhibits the highest character and demonstrates exceptional compassion, caring and dedication to crime victims.

8th District AG Jared Effler and staff raise $48,000 for children’s centers

On September 27, the 8th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office hosted the Fourth Annual Clays for Children Sporting Clays Tournament at Chilhowee Sportsman’s Club in Maryville in an effort to raise money to support the children’s centers of the 8th Judicial District, comprised of Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott, and Union counties.
The event grew from 66 teams last year to 82 teams this year and featured 328 shooters. According to the Chilhowee Sportsman’s Club, this event has grown to one of the area’s largest benefit shoots.

Oakes Farm wraps up fall festivities

A favorite fall attraction in East Tennessee is located just over the hill in Corryton. Oakes Farm is a successful family business, entertaining families for 19 years.
The farm has been in Corryton for three generations of the Oakes family, beginning with the growing of tobacco and raising of beef cattle. In the 1970s the family branched out into growing daylilies as a hobby. That business began to thrive and is now an extremely popular nationwide mail order nursery business.

November fishing on Norris Lake

November is one of the best times to fish in East Tennessee. The water temperatures are heading towards a magic range, which is 58° to 62° F, and the fish can sense this decrease in water temperature.
Typically this temperature range is reached in the low- to mid-sections of Norris no later than Thanksgiving. In the upper Powell and Clinch Rivers this magic water temperature can be reached much earlier in the month.

Red and Green Casserole

I haven't met a vegetable I didn't like, from asparagus to zucchini and everyone in between. It is hard to choose a favorite. Of course, potatoes are a special category all by themselves.
For this recipe, let's look at the lowly green bean. It is easy to only consider 'em boiled with onions or combined with a cheese sauce. This recipe is a little different. Try it and see what you think.

Dare I do it?

When I was small, the closest I came to a body of water was when we drove across the bridge over Bull Run Creek.
My mother was terrified of water, so I was surprised when one day she agreed to go to the Norris pool with our neighbor. I was 12 years old at that time. To this day, I remember clinging on to the side of the pool with one hand while peering into to the clear water. I wanted to overcome my own fear of the water so I could learn how to swim and join my friends playing in the pool. Who wants to stay on the sidelines and watch the world go by? Not me.