Teena Venable graduated from the University of Tennessee in May of 1977 and moved to Maynardville that August to start a band program for the schools. She discovered that there was a lot of musical talent in Union County.
At that time, the high school band was open to all grade levels. When she was starting out, Ms. Venable had eight students who already knew how to play and a small group of beginning musicians. Those eight students proudly marched in the 1977 Homecoming Parade.

The Union County Business & Professional Association will host its 27th Annual Prayer Breakfast on Good Friday, March 29, at First Baptist Church on Main Street.
Buttercup Bakehouse will cater a full hot breakfast of bacon, eggs, biscuits with gravy, fruits, cinnamon rolls, pastries, coffee, and juice. Pastor Corey Carroll of First Baptist will offer the warm welcome and caring invocation and Pastor Kathy Chesney of Miller's Chapel UMC and Irwin's Chapel UMC will close with the inspirational benediction.

Union County Mayor Jason Bailey addressed the Union County Business & Professional Association on February 13, at the First Bank Conference Room. He shared information on the more than $20M in active grants that his office has secured mostly in the past three years.
He also noted that his office will be applying for over $2.2M more in grants this year. Part of the grants were gifts from the federal or state government. The majority of the other grants have no local tax money needed to match the grant.

Union County 4-H would like to celebrate National Pig Day with recognition for the 4-H Swine Project. Union County 4-H Swine Project wraps up the 2023-24 season with seven participants. The Swine Project consists of 4-H members who raise weaned feeder pigs to an ideal weight of 250 pounds. Swine projects provide youth with opportunities to expand their knowledge of swine production and, more importantly, develop the life skills that are needed to be positive contributors to society.

We are living longer and, if you play your cards right and have taken care of yourself, this is a wonderful thing. Good genes certainly help, but healthy lifestyle practices are just as important in continuing to live a productive life. Here are some tips the American Chiropractic Association recommends for aging with grace and health:

In Tennessee, March is Extension month. I thought I would share a story about the first woman to begin the Home Demonstration clubs here in Tennessee, specifically within our university. The woman I am talking about is Virginia Pearl Moore. We are going to dive into her life and accomplishments to see what all she has done for the University of Tennessee and the Home Demonstration Clubs, now known as Family and Community Education Clubs or FCE for short.

Buying and selling a home should be a fun adventure! When you have real estate professionals dedicated to helping you before, during and after your transaction, anticipating bumps in the road or issues, and working to bring out best outcomes of every stage of the process, you can focus on what matters the most—whether that’s finding your next dream home, finding that amazing second home, or selling a property for top dollar.

John “Coon” Miller smiled as he mounted the chestnut drawn buggy bound for his homestead on the Bull Run Creek. He was finished spending the day at his tavern on the Cumberland Gap Road. Long ago, he had had the log structure constructed for the weary travelers who came from Knoxville on their treacherous journey to the Upper Cumberlands. It was now a popular overnight lodging for passersby and a great place to catch up on the local news. Today had been a long day and he was past ready to relax for the rest of the evening.

The song of Eddy Arnold’s “Christmas Can’t Be Far Away” reminds me that spring can’t be far away. We’ve had a rough winter with the biggest snow (which started January 14) since the blizzard of 1993.
The snowstorm of this past January left ten inches on our deck. The temps went down below zero for two nights, but we made it through, and now let’s hope we have a long spring this year.

2 Corinthians 4-7 is actually a continuation of Paul’s expression of true love to the Church at Corinth. The Apostle is serving the Corinthians by sacrificing his worldly fame to tell the whole truth of the Gospel. As many commentators before me have already said the message of the Cross of Christ is a paradox. Jesus told the brothers James and John in the presence of their Mother that Greatness in Heaven is obtained via becoming a servant. Jesus ushered in his Kingdom, by becoming a servant obedient to a death of crucifixion. God’s love for the world is his good news.