UNION COUNTY www.ShopperNewsNow.com
|
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Budget ready for Monday vote The Budget and Finance Committee approved the school board’s budget before adjourning on Tuesday, and County Commission can vote on the budget and tax rate on Monday, July 30, at 7 p.m. “We’re in a position to vote on a budget Monday,” said County Mayor Mike Williams. “It’s a budget without a property tax increase.” Meanwhile, the school board called an emergency meeting for 6 p.m. Monday, July 30, at the auditorium at Union County High School to vote on further budget revisions. School officials discovered a $60,000 expense had been recorded twice. “It’s more of a housekeeping measure,” Williams said.
IN THIS ISSUE Union County at the Alamo According to a 1967 writing by Louise Davis of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, 32 Tennesseans died at the Alamo, which was the largest number of any state that participated in the Siege of the Alamo. Union County historian Bonnie Peters even found an early family member fought there. See Bonnie’s story on page 6
New wastewater treatment plant for Maynardville Smelly no more is the sewage treatment process in Maynardville. City Manager Jack Rhyne and staff led community tours last week to show off the new facility. Cindy Taylor also reports on a donation by the city of Luttrell to the Tri-County Honor Guard and updates the Farmers Market.
➤
|
twitter.com/shoppernewsnow
A great community newspaper
VOL. 7 NO. 30
➤
www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow
POSTAL CUSTOMER
July 28, 2012
A day in the country, or,
‘Are we having fun yet?’ By Cindy Taylor A Saturday in the country means different things to different people. To folks in Union County it still means work with a bit of fun thrown in on the side, and July 21 was a great Saturday to be working or playing in Union County. There was milling and threshing and gnashing of teeth. Well, most of the teeth gnashing was around an ear of corn or finishing off a slice of watermelon. Let’s start at the Farmers Market. Perry Washam brought a 1920 portable grist mill with a 1918 motor for a corn grinding demonstration. Dried corn is taken off the cob and then poured into the top of the mill. Ground meal is produced and comes out at the base. “Around 1958 bagged cornmeal came to stores,” said Washam. “A lot of grist mills stopped producing, and my dad, E.P. Washam, bought this mill about that time.” Washam hopes to bring the mill back to the Farmers Market later in the season. Now let’s move on to Hickory Valley where oats and wheat are being processed by Alco Cox and family. Folks have been coming to the Loy property for almost 20 years for the event. Friends like David Nevin come to shoot the breeze, join in the work or just watch others work while sipping tea or enjoying watermelon and cantaloupe. A lot of tall tales are shared and there is plenty of tobacco spittin’ and porch sittin’ going on. “I grew up in Pennsylvania and this kind of work is some of what I used to do when I was a teenager,” said Nevin. A tractor show is part of the event, and you may get to see some antique cars. These may come complete with a moonshine running story. After all, it is Union County; part of the White Lightning Trail. A portable grist mill found its way to this event, as well and a John Deere tractor which is connected to
Tyler Gray, 12, enjoys riding in his Uncle Bill’s old Ford moonshine truck. a threshing machine by pulley and handles the processing of the wheat and oats. “I have lived in Union County and farmed all my life,” said Cox. “The combine replaced the threshing machine years ago but I found a 1941 threshing machine about 20 years ago and started doing it this way again.” The Cox Threshing Festival helps raise money by donation for upkeep of the Butcher Cemetery and is always the third weekend in July. Son Keith, Brother Tim Cox and nephew Noah Sexton are on hand to help make this a family-run operation, but friends take part as well. A free meal is provided by the family followed by more work. Neighbors
Alco Cox works on the portable grist mill during the threshing festival. Photos by C. Taylor
are welcome and visitors have come usually have,” said Cox. “I’m wringfrom as far away as Louisiana for a ing with sweat and dirty as a hog, so day of fun. It may be fun for them, are we having fun yet?” but for Cox it’s all in a day’s work. More photos on A-2 “This is a smaller crowd than we
See Cindy’s wrapup on page 3
Index Business Community Government/Politics Marvin West Dr. Bob Collier Bonnie Peters Lynn Hutton Kids
2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8-9
4509 Doris Circle 37918 (865) 922-4136 news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com GENERAL MANAGER Shannon Carey shannon@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Sandra Clark sclark426@aol.com UNION COUNTY REPORTER Cindy Taylor brentcindyt@gmail.com ADVERTISING SALES Brandi Davis davisb@ShopperNewsNow.com Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at 4509 Doris Circle, Knoxville, TN, and distributed to 11,000 homes in Union County.
Committee OK’s new jailer, 4 PT county workers By Sandra Clark Union County will hire an additional corrections officer if the full County Commission accepts the recommendation of its Budget and Finance Committee. Administrative Sgt. Mike Butcher made a compelling case for adding four corrections officers and a maintenance employee for the Sheriff’s Office at a cost of $123,000, but committee members cut that request to one additional officer and voted to recommend hiring a 20-hour per week maintenance worker under the direction of County Mayor Mike Williams. It was slow going at Thursday’s meeting which recessed after two hours without finishing the first item. The regular commission meeting is 7 p.m. Monday, July 30, at the Courthouse. A budget and tax rate could be adopted then, but not if the Finance Committee con-
Mike Butcher, administrative sergeant for the Union County Sheriff’s Office. Photo by S. Clark tinues to debate each budget line. Butcher said the state jail inspector strongly recommended four additional corrections officers (jailers). The Sheriff’s Office operates two divisions, patrol and jail, with three officers on duty
in each division for each 12-hour shift. To allow for time off, there are four shifts for a total of 12 patrol officers and 12 jailers. An additional jailer per shift is necessary, he said, as the inmate count increases. But commissioners balked at the cost, and Commissioner J.M. Bailey noted that the positions are merely recommended, not mandated. The committee approved Butcher’s request to purchase identifiable inmate clothing and one videoconferencing unit to allow video visitation and “keep civilians out of the jail.” It also OK’d $3,500 to pay for one-time psychological exams for Sheriff’s Office staff, a state mandate. Butcher said the Sheriff’s Office hopes to offset some of these expenses through an inmate telephone card which could generate up to $54,000 this year. In other action, the Finance Committee zeroed four nonprofits which had not requested funding – United Way, Union County Historical Society, Red Cross and
Red Man Chewing Tobacco $38.99/carton
Red Man Gold Blend $38.99/carton
School board approves ‘balanced’ budget Union County will receive an unexpected $500,000 from the state to relieve budget pressures. The school board voted Monday to amend the $21 million budget already submitted to County Commission. Interim Director Dr. Jimmy Carter recommended increases to these budget lines: ■ $35,000 more for maintenance ■ $33,000 for a chorus position, shared by high and middle schools ■ $20,000 for a psychologist in special education ■ $15,000 for the board’s attorney ■ $15,000 for step raises for the school resource officers ■ $15,000 for adult basic education. The board’s previous budget was short by about $340,000. With the increase in state funding, the budget is balanced between expenses and expected revenue.
To page A-4
Abundant Health & Wellness Jennifer Savage & Emily Harless
Star Chewing Tobacco
Family Nurse Practitioners
$17.99/carton
• Health care delivered in a compassionate & caring manner to patients of all ages • Medicare & most insurance plans accepted Monday thru Friday 8-5; Saturday 8-12
2945 Maynardville Hwy • Suite 3 • 745-1258
992-0785
• 1784 Maynardville Hwy.
Next to Union Discount Pharmacy