Community
Viox finds missing pieces through Louisiana relations
February 1, 2023 by Tammy Cheek
Farragut resident Candace Viox’s quest to find the parents who gave birth to her has finally been accomplished.
Last week, Jan. 21-28, she went to Monroe, Louisiana, to find the missing piece — her father — and met her siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins. With a broad smile. but a crack in her voice, she said, “They are amazing.
“I don’t know how to explain the love,” Viox added. “They just accepted me immediately … they just acted like they knew me my entire life.
“They’re just a good, hard-working, loving family.”
Viox, who owns Water Into Wine bistro & lounge, said “the really cool part was meeting the uncles (Jeff and Damon). Uncle Jeff has the biggest heart you’ll ever meet. He’s 5-(foot)-7. He smiles big as sunshine, loves everybody.
“Uncle Damon owns his own roofing business,” she added.
Viox also has another uncle, Gary Hemphill, a car salesman who lives in Alabama, and had an aunt, Donna, who died in 2018.
Most of the family still lives in the same area of Monroe, Louisiana.
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Wilfert’s life-changing diagnosis can teach us all about health, life, faith
February 1, 2023 by Cindy Wilfert
Sherry Wilfert received an unusual gift for the Christmas of 2022 – a new “interstate system” for her heart.
On December 23, she had CABG. The acronym stands for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft. In other words, she had a triple bypass open heart surgery.
It was unexpected. Sherry, a 66-year old Farragut resident, had never experienced cardiac issues before. She’d been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes only a few months prior; it was a borderline case that did not even require daily blood sugar testing. Overall, she was in good health. She ate a healthy diet and was not overweight. She exercised most days and was very active, often getting over 15,000 steps each day.
Sherry taught three- and four-year olds for over twenty years and now works as Curriculum Specialist at Concord Christian Preschool. Friends were shocked when she needed heart surgery, expressing that she was the healthiest among them.
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February 1, 2023 by Staff reports
Two Knox County master gardners — Mike Smith, who leads the Community Garden at Concord United Methodist Church in Farragut, and John Butler — received annual awards in January for exceptional service.
Smith, a master gardener since 2015, received the KCMG Meritorious Service Award. He is project leader of the Community Garden at Concord United Methodist Church.
The garden regularly provides more than 10,000 pounds of organic produce annually to multiple area food pantries.
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February 1, 2023 by Staff reports
For some, the best season of the year has arrived.
“It’s Girl Scout cookie time in Tennessee,” said Lynne Fugate, CEO of the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians. “A beloved tradition for Girl Scout troops, their supporters, families and cookie lovers across East Tennessee, the Girl Scout Cookie Program is sweeter than the standard fundraiser.
“Girl Scouts utilizes cookie sales to teach young women about business management, sales and e-commerce, financial literacy, logistics, technology, marketing and communications,” Fugate added. “All proceeds from cookie sales stay local to help fund life-changing programs and experiences throughout the year.”
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