housed on the site of the old school building, and a park-like area placed between the campus and main-road as an aesthetic addition. After the anticipated additional influx of traffic added to the school by the closing of Appalachia Elementary School in June 2017 and to resolve traffic issues already present, a modern mini-roundabout was added at the intersection of Two Champions Avenue, Shawnee Avenue E, and north and south-bound traffic on Powell Valley Road (State Route 610). The project was completed just in the nick of time for the 2017-2018 school year to begin and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was conducted on August 1, 2017 with the first day of school scheduled for August 3, 2017. A group of UHS students played a big part in the project, built with $125,000 in county coal and gas severance tax funds. Under the guidance of UHS teacher and FCCLA Leader Connie Carico, the UHS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) members researched driver safety issues at the school, conducted traffic count and pattern assessments, and were both organizers and participants in committee meetings with community partners, an effort that gave rise to the roundabout project. Those students won an FCCLA 2017 National FACTS: Roadway Safety Achievement (RSA) Award for their efforts and traveled to Washington, D.C. on August 8, 2017 to provide a presentation on the project. Athletics Union High School has been highly successful in athletics. The Bears have won state championships in boys' cross country, golf and boys' basketball while having numerous individual champions in swimming, wrestling and track field and field. The football program is consistently one of the better teams in the area as well. Union has won over 75 percent of its games since opening while twice appearing in the state semifinals under coach Travis Turner. The school's most recent state title was in boys' basketball where coach Zack Moore's Bears defeated East Rockingham 62-47 for the 2021 Class 2 State Title. In girls' basketball, Union has made two final four appearances and has a state runner up to its credit in the short time the school has been open. Arts The Union High School Marching Bears also saw a successful first season under the direction of former Appalachia director, Kimberly Sturgill. Averaging at 96 members, the band went on to win numerous awards at the four festivals they participated in during the season, including