What do a new playground, a drunk driving simulator and exercise for seniors have in common?

They're all coming to Union County with state grants applied for by the Union County Mayor's office.

Each year, every Tennessee county applies for Three-Star, a program that gives counties extra points on grant applications. According to Debra Keck of the mayor's office, for the past two years Union County has won competitive Three-Star grants. In 2007, funds were used for new computers in the Union County Finance Office and Chamber of Commerce, along with new exercise equipment for Wilson Park, which was delivered last week.

This year, Union County received a $25,000 Three-Star grant from the state, the bulk of which will be used to purchase a Simulated Impaired Driving Experience (SIDNE) vehicle for the Union County Sheriff's Office. The vehicle allows drivers to learn first-hand what it's like to drive drunk. The Sheriff's Office will use the vehicle for education and awareness training at local schools and events. For more information, visit https://fatalvision.com/sidne.html.

The rest of this year's Three-Star grant, about $3,600, will be used for nutrition and exercise programs for Union County's seniors at local senior centers and other locations.

And Union County's parents will rejoice to hear that an Access to Health grant from the Tennessee Department of Health for $30,000 will pay to replace the playground equipment at Wilson Park. Keck said the goal is to have the new equipment in place before the Thunder in the Park festival set for Labor Day. The previous playground equipment has already been removed with help from the Union County Highway Department and Maintenance Department.

"It was over 20 years old," said Keck. "We were told by an attorney to move it. He said, 'You're sitting on a time bomb. This is an accident waiting to happen.'"

The new equipment will be ADA compliant so all children can play regardless of disability. The whole playground will be moved back towards the walking trail to provide for less of a drop-off near the swings. Mulch will provide cushioning, and a local business is donating railroad ties for the border. The new layout also gives space to add equipment later, said Keck.

"I'm thankful for what we got," she said. "I would get phone calls from families saying that the old equipment was unsafe, that the swings were broken, that there was profanity written under the slides. This will give us a safe playground where all children can play."

She said in the past year, with help from the East Tennessee Development District, an estimated $100,000 in grant funding has come to Union County through applications submitted by the Union County Mayor's Office.