When Tim first told me he wanted to go into taxidermy, I was excited. I thought it was going to be a fun adventure. Ooh boy! I got the adventure part correct.

“Hey, that squirrel looked like it was in pretty good shape.” We had just driven by a dead squirrel lying on the road.

“Uh, it’s dead.” My mind had yet to grasp the full extent of Tim’s new endeavor.

“Yeah, I know.” Tim pulled over to the side of the road and turned on the hazard lights.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

I’ve bragged about our areas plant diversity in the past. The mountainous terrain dissected by rivers and streams creates an incredible variety of habitats that supports more plant species than anywhere but rain forests. One example of this species richness is a tree that is not only growing far out of its normal range but has a most peculiar growth habit that helps it survive.

When as a child you first learned to cook, what was the first recipe you tried? For me, it was cookies. It is hard to mess up a cookie recipe. Pies can be tricky and cakes have a multitude of things that can go wrong. Cookies are more forgiving. You might have had your mother squeeze the lemon for this recipe, but that would be the only hard part. Or for your first time making cookies, your mother could stir up the dough and then let you prepare the cookies for baking.

Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc. (JAM) has announced its partnership with South Arts of Atlanta, Georgia. The two non-profit organizations will be collaborating on In These
Mountains: Central Appalachian Folk Arts & Culture, a special project that will focus on developing seven new after school JAM programs throughout Eastern Tennessee.

The very nature of their jobs puts soldiers at an increased risk for developing chronic pain. The regular demands and stress are often multiplied when the tough-it-out mentality causes them to avoid seeking medical attention until serious, chronic pain results—and it often does. Cumulative stress, single-event trauma, and surgery are all contributing factors. Although these will likely remain a constant of military service, chiropractic care may be a very helpful solution.

Operation Christmas Child by Samaritan's Purse, that yearly effort to pack shoeboxes full of necessities for children in some of the world's most threatening situations, is a blessing for the recipients and donors alike.

Just ask Amie Winstead, Area Coordinator for the Operation Christmas Child Cumberland Pathway Team. She's been packing shoeboxes for nine years, and she says the effort "allows us to be foreign missionaries without leaving our hometowns."

Savannah Jones is running for Union County High School's homecoming queen, representing the Horace Maynard Chapter of Future Farmers of America. But she's not in the competition for the glory or the crown. She's in it because she believes in the FFA and the benefits it gives students. The money she raises as a homecoming candidate will go right back into the FFA program.

The Norris Lake Project Team is looking for volunteers to help with the Fall Five County Norris Lake Cleanups on September 22nd, 29th and October 6th. “Since 2011, volunteers from the counties surrounding Norris Lake have picked up over 200 tons of trash,” said Stephanie Wells, Director of the Anderson County Tourism Council.

Written by Marilyn Toppins and recorded by Chantay Collins.

From the opening remarks to the vacant chair adorned with a white wreath, it was evident that the recent passing of Commissioner J. M. Bailey weighed on the minds of everyone who attended the Monday night Union County Commission Meeting. After a moment of silence, Chairman Gary England paid tribute to Commissioner Bailey by saying that he had lost a colleague and a friend. “No matter what you may have thought of his views, J. M. never voted on an issue that he did not understand. You could always count on him to ask a question, and I'll miss him,“ stated Mr. England.

It is common knowledge that 4-H is a club for kids to learn valuable skills and get their hands dirty. This summer, fifteen Union County 4-Hers were busy carrying water, cleaning cages, and gathering eggs as they indulged in the 2018 Poultry Project. They each received twenty chicks in early March and raised the birds from one day old to young laying hens at twenty six weeks old.