POSTAL CUSTOMER
VOL. 9 NO. 18 NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Spring concert is Thursday The Union County High band spring concert will be 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8, in the school’s auditorium. Director Rodney Brown says the group will perform a wide range of works they’ve been concentrating on for the entire semester.
IN THIS ISSUE Grads prepped for health care jobs Beth Edmondson and Debbie Sharp are very (VERY) proud of their graduates in health occupations. They are ready for real-world careers, although most are planning for higher education in nursing. Read about the program and meet the grads.
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See story on page 7
FFA soars at state Future Farmers of America at Union County High School earned the highest honor obtainable at the state level. “They earned this by meeting several requirements, such as earning a minimum of $1,000 in supervised ag work on landscaping, farming and lawn maintenance; doing community service; and attending career development events,” says instructor Linda Baxter.
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See story on page 6
The art of hiring a basketball coach You think Dave Hart’s hiring of Donnie Tyndall was tough? A previous AD worked even harder to hire Jerry Green.
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Read Marvin West on page 5
Mr. Lynch and the electric paddle As a student at Maynardville Elementary School in the 1970s I never heard the term “corporal punishment,” but I sure knew about principal Charles H. Lynch Jr.’s electric paddle! While the Supreme Court debated capital punishment by electric chair, my classmates and I feared corporal punishment from Mr. Lynch’s electric paddle. I would have feared electrocution no more than a paddling from that reputed instrument of torture.
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May 3, 2014
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New building for
Commercial Bank
By Sandra Clark
Commercial Bank will soon begin construction on a new branch building in Maynardville. The existing building at 2600 Maynardville Highway, which is over 40 years old, will be torn down to make way for the new facility. It’s a bittersweet moment for the staff, especially branch manager Brenda Sweet who has worked there since high school. During construction, Commercial Bank will operate from a temporary unit at the edge of the property near Rite Aid and will continue to offer full-service banking without interruption, she said. “We are excited to be bringing a beautiful, modern new building to the community. And customers can expect to conduct business as usual during the project.” Sweet offered a glimpse behind the scenes Tuesday, a tour that showed both why a new building is needed and historic artifacts that will fade into county lore once the building is gone. To page 3
Commercial Bank staff at the Maynardville Branch: Brenda Sweet, Leslie Hill, Billie McClure, Christine Tharp and Pam Keck. Not pictured are Pam Middleton, Mary West and Melissa Stormer. Photo by S. Clark
Commercial Bank in Maynardville will be rebuilt by fall. This is an artist’s rendering of the new branch.
Luttrell joins
Great American Cleanup Volunteers in Luttrell picked up 425 pounds of trash in and around the city park last weekend, and hundreds of plants were given away to community members. Mayme Taylor says, “All of us in Luttrell want to thank Keep Union County Beautiful and the city of Luttrell for sponsoring this event. A big thank you goes out to our plant donors who were Union County High School, Tater Valley Nursery, Oakes Daylilies and Kinsey Nursery. “The sheriff’s office came out and kept us safe during the road pickup along Tazewell Pike and Highway 61.” Winners of the beautification competition are Pearlene Sizemore for Most Improved Residence, Lynda Ruth for Long Standing Beauty, and Mountain View Church of God for Most Improved Business. Mayor Johnny Merritt treated the volunteers with breakfast.
Enhancing the farm Cost share application period is June 1-7 By Libby Morgan The deadline to qualify for a state cost share program for Tennessee farmers is June 7, and Shannon Perrin, Union County Extension agent, has scheduled several one-session Beef Quality Assurance certification classes in May. “The class goes over the Tennessee Cattlemen Association’s best practices to ensure beef enters the food supply as a safe, whole-
Read Ronnie Mincey on page 4
7049 Maynardville Pike 37918 (865) 922-4136 NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark Libby Morgan | Bonnie Peters ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Shannon Carey Jim Brannon | Tony Cranmore Brandi Davis | Patty Fecco
THE VOL CARD PHARMACY SAVINGS See inside
Lynda Ruth wins the Long Standing Beauty award in the beautification contest. More photos on Page 7
Don Ruth and his companion, Jenny the dog, in the doorway of his new hay storage building in Tater Valley. He received a cost share of more than $6,000, half the cost, through the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program. Photo by Libby Morgan
some, tasteful high quality beef. It is needed to apply for Tennessee Ag Enhancement Program funding,” says Perrin. The list of cost-share opportunities from TAEP covers a broad scope of farm-related items, not only related to cattle farming. A farm with a corn maze, for instance, could receive cost share for restrooms and signs. A nursery could cost share with carts and a soil mixer. A beekeeper can get money to pay for more hives or pollination services. Different educational requirements will apply to separate categories of cost
share available. “Last year, we brought in over $170,000 to farmers in Union County who had gone through the Master Beef Producers class. I hope we can get it over $200,000 this time,” says Perrin. On Monday, May 5, during a TAEP Workshop at Union Farmers Co-op, Perrin is offering the BQA session and assistance in filling out the applications. She is offering the class again on Monday, May 12, at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and on Friday, May 30, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Info: Extension office at 865-992-8038 and www. tn.gov/teap
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