Did you ever slide down into a desk during class? I most certainly did. Whether it was called an English or Language Arts class, I tried to hide from the teacher. Why? Because they had asked for volunteers to diagram a sentence on the board. Surprised? Generally, people think writers are experts in grammar. I’m sure most are, but this one isn’t. Even though I have been writing stories most of my life, I am not a grammar girl.

Too cold for the porch. So, I am sitting in our bedroom looking out the glass doors remembering Thanksgiving this year and reminiscing about Christmas and New Years of the past. I had dinner with the crew of our world-wide Country Connections Radio Show which concluded four years ago. The crew included David Farmer, Dr. Bob Wyrick, Professor Tim Johnson, Don Bell, Lawyer Roger and myself. The show aired on Sunday nights from 6:00 pm ‘til 10:00 pm EST. We had hits from all over the USA, Australia, Latin America, England, Spain, Portugal, Helsinki, Canada and Ireland. Our radio show was on WYSH, WQLA based in Clinton, Tennessee and broadcast all over the “internet’ world-wide. We were helped around the world by Charlie Pride and his right-hand man, Danny Hutchins who worked for Charlie Pride for forty-two years. On his tours to foreign countries Charlie and Danny would mention and talk about our show during Charlie’s performances on stage. Our show had an enormous audience in Australia. Sunday nights here would be Monday mornings in Australia.

Though the original Sharps Chapel Fall Festival date in September had to be postponed due to weather, our community spirit remained strong, and we were blessed with perfect weather in November for an unforgettable day.

By Debbie Dodds Boeck

If you’ve been on Big Valley Rd in Sharps Chapel lately, you may have noticed a flurry of activity at Croweville City Hall. This friendly little bar and grill has now fully reopened after a refresh. The kitchen will be open starting at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday – Thursday and at noon on Friday and Saturday and will stop taking orders one hour before close each day.

How Easy Is It To Quit Sinning

In order to succeed at being a Christian, it is necessary to quit some things that we used to do. Specifically, in order to be a Christian it is necessary to quit sinful habits! Let me point blank tell any young Christian, it ain’t always easy to quit old sinful habits. The Bible often calls quitting “repentance”. Being a Christian starts with repentance. When Jesus told Nicodemus “You must be born again” it wasn’t a suggestion, it was a command. Being born again is Jesus’s metaphorical way of saying, start over, quit your old ways and relearn everything about how to live life. In John 15, Jesus told his disciples “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

Short term missionaries Mark and Desiree Hensley of Sharps Chapel, along with Melanie Hurst of Maynardville recently returned from an 18 day mission trip to Uganda. It was Melanie’s first mission trip. Melanie plans to go on more mission trips and return to Uganda in the future. The trio joined a Hope 4 Kids International team comprised of 26 individuals from churches across the U.S. While there, they had the privilege of celebrating the opening of a borehole in the remote village Buwasyeba in Manafwa District that was funded with donations raised by the Walk 4 Water Union County event of May 2024.

As with many rural areas, agriculture and trades are a way of life. This statement holds true in our small community. Both adults and young workers alike seek careers locally with specific trade skills in mind. At Union County High School (UCHS) the volume of students enrolling in programs of study to prepare for skilled trades occupations correlates with the high demand for careers in the area and offers some insight to the future workforce of these industries in our region.

Union County churches, groups and individuals want children in need around the world to receive a gift this Christmas season and to experience the love and hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

The Union County Board of Education approved multiple items to comply with state and federal regulations as well as proceeding as planned for the new middle school construction at the November meeting.