Andrew Edmondson, Union County High School Class of 2021 Graduate, applied for every scholarship he found available, including one offered by the Union County Opry, and his efforts truly paid off. Edmondson received several scholarships to cover most of the expense of attending college in the Fall. When asked what the requirements are for receiving scholarships, he chuckled, “I don’t really remember, I just took one of every scholarship application available and followed the instructions! It’s not really that hard; it tells you exactly what to do, you just have to do it.”

Last year on March 1st I was so happy to share the exciting news of the Union County Opry with our readers! I concluded the article with the news that I had a copy of their schedule on my refrigerator and was looking forward to catching some of their shows, inviting you to join me. Then the Coronavirus hit. Our world seemed to stop spinning as the pandemic raged on. I confess that it was an unreasonably long time before I could bear to remove that show lineup, well into the Fall, long after any hope was gone.

County Commissioner Debra Keck enlightens us regarding the Joint Economic Community Development Board (JECDB) and their current and upcoming plans and projects. I have known Debra Keck for years as Mayor Mike Williams’ assistant, and we interacted often, especially when working together on functions of the Chamber of Commerce and as members of the JECDB. Recently, Keck and I discussed the progress being made in Union County.

It's another first for Union County, and a win for Union County's canine companions. The county is one of 37 statewide winners of the Boyd Foundation's 2018 Dog Park Dash grant, aimed at creating pet friendly spaces throughout Tennessee. Fifty communities applied for the grant.

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.