Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SEPT. 25

• Mobile Lifehouse will hold its Free Mobile Food Pantry, sponsored by United Healthcare and the Second Harvest Food Bank, on Sept. 25, beginning at 11 a.m. while supplies last. There will be a free hot meal, free haircuts and the Taylor’s Closet will be available. The location for the drive thru pick up is the Jefferson Middle School entry at the front of the school. Clothing, toiletries and school supplies will be collected during the event. The website is: www.themobilelifehouse.weebly.com.

SEPT. 27 – NOV. 1

• Reversing Diabetes 6-Wk Seminar will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 11, Oct. 18, Oct. 25 and Nov.1 at 1731 Main St. in Tazewell, across from the Claiborne Chamber of Commerce. There is a $10 charge per person or $15 per couple for the program. Arrive a few minutes early each week for a blood pressure check, weigh-in and tasty food samples. This program is based on the latest scientific research and is physician supervised. Presented by the U. T. Claiborne County Extension, the Change Claiborne Health Committee and the Claiborne County Health Council. For more info and to pre-register, call: 423-626-3742 or email: cbrandon@utk.edu.

SEPT. 30-OCT. 3

• Mountain Fiesta will be held on Sept. 30 through Oct. 3 in Cumberland Gap, celebrating Appalachian and Latin American cultures with a plethora of events. The Thursday kickoff will include an all-female songwriter round robin and ends on Sunday with a bluegrass and gospel “super jam.” A street festival will take place on Saturday with food vendors, family activities and games, art and cultural exhibits, free professional dance classes, plenty of music and vendors of all kinds. For more info, call 865-58501710 or email: zachary.greene@lmunet.edu.

OCT. 1-OCT. 3

• Mt. Zion Baptist Church will hold revival services Oct. 1 through Oct. 3 with two services on Saturday and Sunday (morning and evening). Morning services will begin at 10 a.m. Friday evening service will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday evening services will begin at 6 p.m. The Rev. Kenny Williams, pastor, invites everyone.

OCT. 3

• Sunrise Missionary Baptist Church will hold its monthly singing on Oct. 3 beginning at 6 p.m. Special singers will be Chris Holder & Journey Home. Everyone is welcome.

OCT. 4-9

• The Claiborne County Library Fall Book Sale will be held the week of Oct. 4-9 in the basement of the building. Hardbacks, audio books, puzzles, movies and music will be on sale for $1 each. Paperbacks and magazines will be sold for 10 cents each. Trade back books will be sold for 50 cents each and Bibles are free. Hours: Mon-Wed from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thur-Fri from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sat. from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. All items are sold “as is.”

OCT. 22-23

• Candlelight Tour of the Old Tazewell Jail will be held on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. each night. In case of COVID-19 contingencies, daylight tours will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. These tours are presented by the Claiborne County Historical & Genealogical Society. For more info, call 423-526-5737.
• 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 is now open 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 practicing the use of masks and social distancing of 6 feet apart from one another. The society is located at the intersection of Hickory and Old Knoxville Roads, across from the Library. For more info, call the office at: 423-526-5737. 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.
• 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.