Union County Family and Community Education (FCE) held its August meeting at the Union County Extension Office. This month’s meeting featured a yard sale fundraiser, which proved to be a great success.

Members brought a wide variety of items including clothing, jewelry, children’s items, home décor, and household goods. Community members showed up in wonderful support, browsing the sale and helping raise funds to support our FCE programs. A special clothing deal at noon added excitement, allowing shoppers to fill a grocery bag with clothes for just five dollars.

Save the date for the Union County Business and Professional Association's 34th Annual Banquet to be held on Friday, November 7, with the program starting at 6:45 p.m. and dinner at 7:15.
The dinner will be catered by Pete's Place and the cost is $40.
This year's Man and Woman of the Year will be announced. Proceeds fund the UCB&PA Scholarship Program.

Fred Gibson addressed the Union County Historical Society at the August meeting. He shared pictures and information on the Lost Creek Reunion of 2024 and the Nicholas Gibbs Reunion of 2025.

A new study led by researchers at University Hospitals Connor Whole Health found that adults with newly diagnosed sciatica who initially received chiropractic spinal manipulation (CSM) were significantly less likely to experience opioid-related adverse drug events (ORADES) such as overdose and poisoning over a one-year follow-up, compared to those receiving usual medical care.

Vice Mayor Richard Phillips presided over the Plainview Board of Aldermen at the August meeting at the Plainview Community Building. Prior to the meeting, the board held a public hearing on Ordinance 168 to rezone Parcel 064.00 on Map 78 from R1 to AR1. During the meeting, the ordinance was approved on the second reading.

You may have noticed trees with end branches covered with a gaum of spidery webbing. The cause is a pesky little caterpillar called Fall Webworm, whose population seems to be up this year.

Seems like whenever I write about a tree pest it involves a foreign invader that got loose on us. But Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea) is actually a native species that shows up this time of year. The simplest way to describe them is to go through their life cycle.

Horace Maynard Middle School has been named a 2024-2025 National Beta School of Merit. The school earned this recognition by offering National Beta to all eligible grade levels on campus.
The National Beta School of Merit Award honors clubs that show outstanding dedication to academic excellence. To receive this distinction, schools must include members from all eligible grades in their Beta program.

It’s not easy being me. For one, I struggle to do anything that’s simple. It’s as if my brain says: “Don’t worry. You’ll find a way to make it harder than it’s supposed to be.”

On Wednesday, September 10. from noon until 5 p.m., the Union County Health Department will hold a Health Clinic at Heritage Park on 115 Durham Drive in Maynardville. Services include testing for syphilis, HIV, and Hepatitis C.
Visits for PrEP, DoxyPEP, and Hepatitis C treatment are also available. For more information, please call the Health Department at 865-995-3867.

Picture it—Knoxville, Tennessee, 2025. My nephew, that woman I married and I were eating in a popular local restaurant. As part of her meal, that woman ordered pancakes and asked for syrup to go with them.
Remember that we are in the Appalachian area. While noisy restaurants can make it difficult to hear, local dialect can add to the problem.
Consider—how do you pronounce the word “Syrup”? (Sir-up”? “Surp”?
“Seer-up”?)
As the waitress flew by on one of her busy treks, the woman hailed her and asked for more “surp”. She was even holding the container in her hand.