The Union County Board of Education awarded 46 commendations to Union County teachers for excellence with regards to the state assessments at the December board meeting. Educators were recognized for achievement above the state average, growth scores of 4 or 5, and attainment of Level 5 overall.

At the Plainview Board of Aldermen meeting in December, Mayor Lynn Beeler announced “the Plainview truck has the snow plow attached and is ready to go” to clear the streets when winter weather makes its debut.

What in the world is going on? Sorrow upon sorrow, it seems like everyplace we look in the world something terrible is going on. Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters are happening worldwide. Terror in many forms is seemingly on every corner of the world. In the last two weeks, individual Terrorist attacks with vehicles have occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana and Magdeburg, Germany. School shootings are happening worldwide at unprecedented rates, especially here in the United States. Various wars of different scales are going on across the globe. According to the Global Peace Index there are currently 56 countries engaged in military conflicts. Those 56 countries in conflict does not include other countries aiding these combatants with financial or other types of military support. Such as, the United States supporting Ukraine.

I have never outgrown my love of a fresh snowfall, which takes a bleak winter scene and transforms it into a wonderland. The quiet that snow brings is both eerie and wonderful, and a walk in the snow on a moonlit night is something you simply must experience. A lot of folks think that snow begins as rain that freezes on its way down and turns into snow. It's usually the other way around, with rain beginning as snow, which melts as it falls.

I’m not a farmer. Never claimed to be a farmer. Yes, I’ve done some farm work. Back in my youth (50-60 years ago) I worked every hay season for a neighbor farmer in exchange for free hay for my horses and goats. This was back when you picked up the bales from the field and tossed them up into the hay truck. Then later picked them up from the truck and tossed them up to the hay loft. I did have a one-acre organic garden for many years, trading my produce for things I did not grow. Eventually, though, I grew tired of starting each day by picking bugs off plants.

I receive many emails. At least half of them are what I call email “commercials.” They pretty much immediately go to my trash folder. Several months ago, I received one of those emails, and though it went to the trash folder, the subject line did give me something to think about—expectations versus desires. As we enter the unknown wonderland to be known as the year 2025, this week’s article will focus on desires.

Winter is a good time to prune most trees because they are dormant and their leaves are off, making it easier to see how the branches are laid out. Here are some general guidelines to help keep your trees healthy and more attractive.

1. This is the most important tip I can give. DO NOT LEAVE STUBS when you prune. Trees are wired to heal at branching intersections, so always, always prune where branches or twigs meet. That is where the tree will properly scab over, but if you leave a stub, it will totally screw up the healing process and lead to decay. End twigs should be pruned back just above a bud.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain. In large skillet, cook ground beef and chopped onion over medium heat. Break up beef into crumbles until meat is no longer pink and onions are tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain and return mixture to pan. Stir in evaporated milk, whole milk and soup mix.

The Union County Opry's annual Christmas show was a whole lot of fun and a great success. The set was beautiful and the performances by the kids from Big Ridge Elementary School and Southern Taps Clogging were excellent. The house was packed as the enthusiastic audience filled almost every seat. The Union County High School was full of the spirit of Christmas. And in that spirit, almost $900 was donated by the various audience members to the Union County Lions Club to help them continue providing free eye exams and glasses to all who cannot afford them and do not have insurance.

Low back pain treatment guidelines by the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommend first using non-invasive, non-drug treatments before resorting to drug therapies.

These new guidelines by the American College of Physicians support a growing body of research as well as increasing recognition in the health care community regarding the value and effectiveness of non-drug approaches, such as spinal manipulation, for acute and chronic low back pain.