Business

Love is in the air at Kingston’s Whitestone Country Inn.

The inn, at 1200 Paint Rock Road, and its 360 picturesque acres along Watts Bar Lake make it an easy choice for those wanting to make an escape with a special someone.

Now, Whitestone has an official place among the nation’s most romantic settings.

American Historic Inns and its iLoveInns.com website have named Whitestone as one of its “10 most romantic” inns in 2014.

Representatives of Kingston’s Daniels, Uselton and Clay, P.C. have signed a merger agreement with Collinsworth, Bright and Co., P.C., of Nashville.

The accounting firms will now operate as Uselton, Clay and Bright, P.C. — or UC&B.

UC&B is a full-service accounting firm able to provide comprehensive tax, accounting and financial services that encompass nearly every aspect of business and personal finance, including taxation, accounting and auditing, valuation, business management and other such services.

Roane County maintained a 7.2-percent unemployment rate through November and December, according to statistics released late last month by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

That’s down from the 7.5-percent rate the county registered in December 2012.

The latest figures show that 24,500 in the county’s 26,410-strong workforce were employed during December.

The state rate, at 7.3 percent, and the national 6.5-percent national rate fell 0.1 percent during the month.

“I drove 12,000 miles to enjoy my fourth time to eat at China New Buffet in Rockwood,” Bobbi Abbey said.

“I’ve been so impressed with the food and prices.”

Bobbi grew up in Rockwood and now lives in Wisconsin.

On our recent “Out to Lunch” adventure, she and her parents, Bob and Jonell Cundiff of Rockwood, were seated in a booth across the aisle from my wife, Carol and me.

Bob is a retired salesman, who called on East Tennessee auto body shops for their replacement parts needs.