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• Claiborne County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, scheduled for Sept. 10, is cancelled. The agency has decided that, with the number of active COVID-19 cases and for the safety of its members, staff and board of directors, the event must be cancelled. A spokesperson for the agency says the decision was a very hard one since this is a showcase event for members.
• SEPT. 3
• MEDIC First Responders Celebration Week 9/11 Remembrance Claiborne County will be held at the Claiborne County Justice Center on Sept. 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All donors will receive a free tee, a Texas Roadhouse coupon and will be automatically entered in a $1,000 E-card giveaway. All first responders will receive a commemorative pin and tee.
• The City of Harrogate Planning & Zoning Committee meeting time has changed. The meetings will now begin at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month instead of 6:30 p.m.
• The Claiborne County Historical & Genealogical Society will be reopening to the public on Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for research and inquiries. Due to COVID-19 the organization will be taking it very slowly and will be practicing social distancing. The organization is looking for volunteers to help prepare for this fall’s Candlelight Tour of the OLD JAIL. The society is located at the intersection of Hickory and Old Knoxville Roads, across from the Library. For more info, call the office at: 526-5737. Email your research questions to: cchgs_info@yahoo.com. CCHGS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history of Claiborne County. Please mail your tax deductible contributions or annual membership dues to: CCHGS; PO Box 32, Tazewell, TN 37879.
• The Claiborne County Hunger Ministry is open at its new location of 1199 Cedar Fork Road in Tazewell. Food distribution occurs each Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

AUG. 25

• Mobile Lifehouse will hold its next free mobile food pantry sponsored by Second Harvest Food Bank on Aug. 28 beginning at 11 a.m. while supplies last. Free hot meal, free haircuts and Taylor’s Closet will be available. Location- Jefferson middle School-ENTER AT FRONT OF SCHOOL-drive thru pick up. The organization will be collecting clothes, toiletries and school supplies as well. For more info, log onto: www.themobilelifehouse.weebly.com

SEPT. 11

• The CCHS Class of 1956 will hold its 65^th Reunion at 1 p.m. on Sept. 11 at the Duncan Hall, located on First Ave. in New Tazewell. The menu will be pizza and memories. Discussions will include memories, successes, failures, life and grandkids (not medicines or surgeries). All are welcome, including other class members who wish to see how young the ’56 class members have remained. For further info, contact Edith McAfee Collingsworth at 865-586-5898.
• The East TN Human Resource Agency (ETHRA) is accepting applications for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for residents of Claiborne County. Applications can be mailed or taken by appointment at the ETHRA Office in Tazewell. To schedule an appointment, call 423-973-3669. To have an application mailed, call 865-691-2551. PLEASE NOTE: if you have received assistance since Oct. 1, 2020, you cannot apply again at this time. Sponsoring this program is the TN Housing Development Agency (THDA).
• Seeking those homebound elderly and/or dependent adults wanting to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccination: Tennessee is contracting with home health agencies to identify those who qualify and to provide this service. If you are truly homebound and have not yet received or are not yet scheduled to receive the vaccination, you are eligible to be put on the list to receive it at home. To be added to the list, contact Becky Pierce at: 865-705-9675 or email her at: bpierce@ethra.org. For more info about the vaccine or how to obtain it, call: 866-836-6648.
• Stand in the Gap Coalition has changed the day for its START (Support Transition and Recovery Training) group meetings. These weekly meetings will now be held each Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. with refreshments served at 6 p.m. Location: 325 Straight Creek Rd. in New Tazewell, inside the old Powell Valley Electric office. Pastor James Shoffner officiates these meetings.
• The Shepherd’s Closet is now open each Wednesday from noon to 5 p.m. The nonprofit is located behind Thompson’s Chapel at 1015 Old Hwy. 33 near DeRoyal. For more info, call Diane at: 423-626-3913.
• G.L.O.S.S. (Girls Loving Ourselves Seriously Sober) is helping those with addictions to find their way back to sobriety. The organization offers those without rides to probation appointments, court, rehabilitation and other destinations a way to get there. There are on-site recovery coaches and one-on-one counseling. The organization is currently accepting donations of money and items like clothing, hygiene products and food to help the homeless, whose population includes many recovering addicts. For more info, call Kelly at: 423-489-2689.
• Live Free Recovery Program at the Hill Church is a state-certified program that collaborates with organizations like Metro Drug and the TN Dept. of Health & Substance Abuse. Program participants meet each Tuesday at 6 p.m. with a different speaker each evening. Weekly recognition of recovery milestones are discussed prior to the participants splitting into small groups depending on individual needs. Groups include such diverse subjects as substance abuse, self-care, anger control and ‘Adulting 101’. For more info, call Pastor Kyle Prichard at: 423-526-5655. The Hill Church is located at 1216 Cedar Fork Road in Tazewell. The website is:

www.loc8nearme.com/tennessee/tazewell/the-hill-claiborne/6148721.

• Need Help with FAFSA? Free services are still available online and by phone. In Claiborne, Grainger and Hancock counties, contact Melanie Powell at: 423-748-4634 or mpowell@douglascherokee.org.
• NARCONON New Life Retreat: With the spread of COVID-19, many families are struggling. Added to this stress, some have realized the extent of their loved ones addiction. Narconon would like everyone to know that this essential business is open and servicing clients. Fentanyl has been making headlines recently, this is because the incredibly potent chemical has been contributing to the increase in overdose deaths across America. Most people however do not know much about the chemical. For instance many don’t know that one of the things that makes fentanyl so dangerous is the fact that it can be absorbed into the system through skin contact. Meaning getting it on your skin could cause a potentially fatal overdose. To learn more about Fentanyl visit:https://www.narcononnewliferetreat.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-fentanyl.html. ADDICTION SCREENINGS Narconon can help you take steps to overcome addiction in your family. Call today for free screenings or referrals. 1- 800-431-1754. For more information visit: https://www.narcononnewliferetreat.org/blog/how-does-covid-19-effect-treatment.html.