One of the greatest hindrance is that we have a county seat consisting of only court house, jail and two ordinary country stores. There being no town or public spirit, or no one to back up a single undertaking, Union County really isn't a county. It is just branches of Knox, Campbell and Claiborne counties. The larger part of the county will not support the county seat, on this I have worked quite a lot ...

Being a southern farm girl, one of my favorite types of bread is cornbread baked in an iron skillet. As soon as it’s pulled out of the oven, I cut out a big piece, slice it open, lay a small pat of butter in it, and lay the top back on it. It’s best if you let it sit like that for a couple of minutes to let the butter melt. I also loved my Mamaw Jo’s rolls. When I was a little girl, I would place a spoonful of her mashed potatoes onto the roll itself and eat it that way. It was as messy as it was delicious.

Are you late in starting supper? What could be quicker to prepare than this recipe? Your pantry has it all. Takes a few minutes to stir up, then to bake it. It's a good recipe to go to when you forget to pull something from the freezer earlier in the day.

Raffles are activities organized to help non-profits raise money for their organization. In some cases, a winning ticket may receive a door prize. Participants buy tickets with different numbers on them, and winners receive prizes ranging from something small, like a potted plant, to a large prize, such as a car. Other raffles may offer a pre-set amount of money as a prize. One of the more popular raffles is a 50-50. The winning ticket holder receives 50% of the money collected in ticket sales and the organization keeps 50% of the total monies raised.

Being the graceful person that I am, nothing is truly safe from my feet . Let me put it to you this way, if it’s on the floor, I will eventually step on it. Or if it’s large like a space heater, I may kick it, knock it over, and then trip over it. Yes, I have done that. Actually, I like to brag that not many people can top my “step on it” abilities. That being said, my Mamaw Jo had a “step on it” occurrence that was unlike anything I had ever achieved.

Back in my working days, i would try to think of what i would fix for supper before I left for home. A little late, you say? Ok, but I did have a few "go-to" menus to dork from. This is one of them.

On a cold January morning in 2007 the Washington Post conducted an experiment. They invited Joshua Bell, one of the most famous classical violinists of our time, to play music at the Washington DC Metro Train Station. No introductions, no fanfare, simply stand on a busy walkway and play. He did six famous pieces written by J.S. Bach on a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Our new Tennessee U.S. Congressman, Tim Burchett, who represents our voice in D.C. is visiting Union County on Monday, March 27 at three different locations. This is an opportunity to meet Mr. Burchett face-to-face and share your concerns and ideas. These “Mobile Office Hours” make it easier for constituents to pass on opinions and get federal agency assistance. Appointments are not necessary. Mark your calendar today and plan on bringing two friends!

When I was an undergraduate English major at Lincoln Memorial University, I took a class in Appalachian literature. One of the books we read for that course was Lee Smith’s Oral History. By definition, oral history is a study of the past relayed through the spoken, not the written, word. The transcriptions then are written down for posterity.

Use the last of the leftover ham in this recipe. It is a simple recipe, but good. In saucepan, heat milk slowly over low heat, Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered, for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Over 25 years ago, an elderly man living remotely had a house fire. Members of the Hines Creek Baptist Church banded together to gather food and to help rebuild his house.
That’s when the congregation began to realize that there was a need in the Union County community for food assistance—and the Hines Creek Food Pantry began.

The Union County Board of Education discussed maintenance, buses, employee sick leave, substitute pay and legislation at its February meeting.
Union County High School is now nearly 26 years old and needs a new roof.
Insurance has paid $73,000 for some storm damage. But the new roof will cost $203,000, according to the estimate received by Vernon Weaver and Mike Johnson and verified by the bid from Henley Roofing Company, Inc.

The National FFA Organization held their convention in the fall.
Several Horace Maynard FFA chapter members made the trip to Indianapolis, Indiana.
While there, two outstanding graduates of Union County High School and current students at The University of Tennessee Knoxville received their America FFA Degree.
This degree is the highest honor an FFA member can receive and is only awarded to those members who have continual outstanding agricultural endeavors and community service beyond high school.

Examining the spines of Neanderthals, an extinct human relative, may explain back-related ailments experienced by humans today, a team of anthropologists has concluded in a new comparative study.

Neanderthals have long been thought to have a different posture than modern humans. A good part of this perspective derives from the wedging of Neanderthals’ lumbar, or lower, vertebrae — their spines in this region curve less than those of modern humans studied in the U.S. or Europe.

Sometimes, someone unexpected comes into your life out of nowhere, makes your heart race and changes you forever. For some, this someone is a cop. This was not true in my case (at least, not until I got my first traffic ticket).
I suppose I was a somewhat sensitive child. Occasionally I would get my feelings hurt by a sharp word of criticism or correction. Luckily, I had a true pal who never failed to comfort.

Here is an easy carrot recipe. The carrots come out of the package ready to go. Just combine everything and boil them up. What could be easier?
In large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Transfer to serving bowl and serve with slotted spoon. 4 servings.

On Friday, November 21, 1952, East Tennessee awakened to a gray, overcast day like many early winter mornings in the hills of East Tennessee.
Some people went to work at the few mills and factories in and around Knoxville, others to school and the University of Tennessee. Travel was normal on this Friday morning with no idea that their lives would change in a few short hours.

A pastor friend of mine was developing a sermon about being rooted in spiritual maturity and wanted to know about tree roots and their importance to the tree in order to make some analogies to emphasize his message. It was such a good idea that I thought I would do the same thing here.

A new study suggests that a combination of physiotherapy alongside psychological interventions can be effective for improving physical function and pain intensity — findings that can help improve the clarity of guideline recommendations to better support patients and clinicians in treatment decision making.

Adults with chronic low back pain (lasting for more than 12 weeks) not only experience physical disability but can also suffer psychological distress in the form of anxiety, depression and fear avoidance (avoiding movement for fear of pain).

People who only see me at work or church are used to seeing me wear ties. Back in the fall I was at a Union County High School football game. As my nephew and I were planning to sell Italian ice to raise funds for the Union County Lions Club at that game, I was dressed in blue jeans. Hunter Collins, the new band director, commented, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without a tie.” I’ve known Hunter for many years through our mutual attendance at the First Baptist Church of Maynardville. Hunter had just never had the opportunity to see me outside of a church service or on a Saturday.

Humans seem to have wanderlust hardwired into their psyche. Our ancestors from countless generations have always moved on to new places. Even in modern times we still yearn for new territory. An average American will live in five homes in a lifetime, and in between we take vacations to see new places. We have the advantage of road maps and high-tech toys like GPS that can tell us exactly where we are and show us how to get to anyw here we wish, but in earlier times direction had to be determined through observing nature.

Recently the Union County Farmers Market held a winter market in the Maynardville Elementary School gymnasium.
Although winter is the “off season” for most of our local farmers, there was still a large turnout of vendors. Unfortunately, the customer turnout was dismal.
However, those who missed out on this event will have the opportunity to catch the spring Farmers Market on March 18 at the Union County Farmers Market Pavilion.

A person’s head is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body that can be injured during an auto accident. Symptoms of a head injury may be subtle. Headaches and dizziness after an auto accident can be signs of a more serious head injury. Headaches have been known to mentally and emotionally disrupt a person’s life, and dizziness can turn normal activities into fairly difficult tasks.

I recently saw an episode of The Andy Griffith Show that I must have seen dozens of times. A Google search will tell you that this was Season One, Episode 13, “Mayberry Goes Hollywood”.
In that episode, the town decided to really “put on the show” for the film crew. Everybody dressed up in false finery, and the storefronts spiffed up their window displays. I never noticed it before, but the window of the funeral parlor advertised its convenient “layaway plan”.