This week I sat down with Dr. Joe Cannon and his lovely wife Laurie at their event center on U.S. 72, next to Valley Imaging. It is also in the same building as Eastside Pharmacy, owned by his nephew, Billy Cannon Jr.

Joe was born in Decatur and graduated from Athens High School, where he played the trumpet in the marching band from grades 9-12. J.L. Cowart was his first band director, but he was later replaced by Dan Havely.

As a young boy, Joe worked for his maternal grandmother, Ruby Lindsay Murphy, on her farm. He would milk cows, haul hay, pick and chop cotton. His great-grandaddy on his mother’s side was George Lindsay. Joe has two siblings — Billy Cannon and Jackie McGuire.

His father owned an auto parts store next to what was then Greenhaw’s Moving Company in Athens. His mother, Elizabeth Ann Cannon, taught school for 33 years at Owens Junior High School. His maternal grandfather was the biggest cotton farmer in North Alabama in his day.

Joe earned a degree from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in science and biology. He earned his general medicine degree at UAB and interned as an OBGYN. After delivering babies, he then worked in the emergency room.

He went back to school for four more years for radiology training and worked as a radiologist at Athens-Limestone Hospital for 25 years. He has spent his whole life in Athens with the exception of the years he spent in college and medical school.

Joe started Valley Imaging in 1998, which was the first walk-in clinic in Athens. I had my annual mammogram done there last year, which came back negative. I would like to encourage women to have a mammogram as their doctor recommends because early diagnosis can save a life.

The Cannons have a very close family. Joe’s stepson Michael is the oldest, and the couple also have two children, Jordan and Lacey. Jordan is a farmer, too, and grows soybeans, wheat and corn. Lacey and her husband Justin Smith have one child, Anna Lace.

Joe says Laurie is such a good cook they never go out to eat. They enjoy having family and friends over to eat with them. They also enjoy dancing together. The couple attends First Baptist Church.

Elsewhere, keep in mind this Monday will be a fifth Monday of the month, so there will be no pickup of recycling until the first Monday in September.

Upcoming events include:

• The arena at 26155 Thach Road will host a barrel racing event from noon to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The show begins at 3 p.m. and the cost is $5;

• The Alabama Veterans Museum &Archives will host the monthly coffee call at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3, at the museum;

• Downtown Athens will host a cruise-in from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3; and

• Central Church of Christ will host the second annual “Run Like a Boss” 5K for cancer awareness on Saturday, Sept. 3. Register online for $25 at runlikeaboss.org.

If you have any news to share or a special event in your life, please email me at agibbs@my.athens.edu or write to me at P.O. Box 553 Athens, AL 35612-0553. I hope to hear from you soon.

One more thing — when you finish reading this article please call your mother and tell her you love her. I sure wish I could call mine.