Career Trend, an online resource that discusses duties of elected and appointed city officials (for anyone entertaining the notion of serving), describes small town mayors as the Chief Representative of the People.
That description is quite fitting of the Mayor of Plainview, Gary D. Chandler. Having an interest in making his community better, Chandler began serving as Plainview City Alderman in 2003. He was elected Plainview City Mayor 10 years ago and is currently serving his third term. Chandler is the third mayor to serve the City of Plainview in its 28-year history.

Do you remember seeing School House Rock between Saturday morning cartoons as a kid? Those animated short films offered tidbits in three- to five-minute helpings, introducing otherwise sophisticated concepts of civics, economics, grammar, history, and mathematics to young minds in a way kids could easily digest them. One of my favorite episodes was The Preamble (Season 4, Episode 4 - Nov.

On Saturday, August 25, 2018, the Union County officials were sworn in before officially taken office on September 4th. Their friends and family, as well as the general public, filled the commons area at Union County High School to witness the ceremony. For some this ceremony marks a new chapter in their life and for others it is a continuing of their legacy and service to Union County and its citizens. All officers took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the State of Tennessee and the Constitution of the United States to the best of their ability with God's help.

The results are in and the winners are the citizens of Union County. Why? This election was decided on the issues; the important issues facing all of Union County.

Did you vote on August 2nd in the Primary Election? I did. They say all politics is local. I agree and the Primary Election is where you can make some of the greatest differences. My dad was a stanch Democrat. I remember as a child listening to FDR giving his Fireside Chats. My dad always voted. He said he didn't have the right to complain if he didn't vote. Boy, oh boy, could he complain. He instilled the Democratic Party's ideals in me that remain today.

A common theme for candidates running for office in Union County this year is unity. Several candidates have incorporated unity in their campaign slogans. Martin Shafer’s campaign slogan is “The Unity Community”. Charlie Hamilton’s campaign slogan is “The Voice of Unity”. During early voting, the Reverend Gary Beeler led all the candidates in a unity of prayer each morning. Viewed more than 7,000 times over the past 10 days on Facebook, this prayer circle has become somewhat of a social media phenomenon.

Historians will record 2018 as the second year in a row of a balanced budget for Union County; likely the most significant legislative accomplishment of the County Commission in a generation. Union County’s budget is one of the most important pieces of public policy the Commission enacts every year.

Economic growth for Union County will be the topic of conversation at the 10 July Candidate Forum at the Union County Senior Citizens Center. Sponsored by the Union County Business and Professional Association, State and local candidates have been asked to respond to a number of questions at the 12 Noon forum.

U. S. Representative Diane Black says that hard work and accountability are Tennessee values she learned from her parents. Black, a registered nurse, small businesswoman, and former educator, is a candidate in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

Black recently took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for Historic Union County. Below are our questions with her direct and unedited responses.

The turn of the century has brought many changes to American culture and the common-sense world we once enjoyed. One of the most controversial and large-scale changes is the political correct landscape that everyone must cultivate. Political correctness is everywhere. It drives the media, and the media drives it. It determines what flags we fly, when we fly them and how we fly them. Political correctness attempts to censor entertainment, dumb down education and criticize patriotism and religion.

On February 14, 2018 another tragedy took place at the hand of a psychopath with a gun. 14 students, on the cusp of life, and 3 teachers were brutally gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Landmark, FL, during school hours. Before the funerals could even take place, insensitive idiots on both sides of the gun control debate began running their mouths. Gun control is obviously a touchy and complicated issue; hence the reason that it has not been solved yet.

Dixie Stampede in Branson, MO, Myrtle Beach, SC and Pigeon Forge, TN has a new name…. Dolly Parton’s Stampede. There was much talk about a name change, but the reality hit home after observing the new signage in Pigeon Forge; all remembrances of the supposed offensive word “Dixie” have been removed. This decision was made and quickly implemented after an August, 2017 Slate.com article was published. Dolly Parton has millions of fans, and many defend her by stating all the things she has done for literacy, her community and Sevier County during the 2016 fires.

Tuesday, January 29, 2018 at 9:00pm President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union Address. The State of the Union Address is given to fulfill rules in Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution for the president to “give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient”. President Trump will have the unique opportunity to speak, in the House Chamber, before Congress, the Supreme Court Justices, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Joint Chiefs and extinguished guests.

It looks like the government shutdown, otherwise known as Schumer Shutdown, has come to an end (for now); however, Congress has only temporarily fixed the budget until February 8, 2018. The American people could potentially watch our military, border patrol agents, national park rangers and other government workers be auctioned off AGAIN so the Democrats can force tax payers to support illegal immigrants and their children. Why do the Democrats care so much about granting illegal immigrants amnesty, and what needs to happen next month to avoid another possible shutdown?