WEDNESDAY JULY 30

BICYCLIST DEAD AFTER SULLIVAN CO CRASH

A BICYCLIST WAS KILLED AFTER A CRASH INVOLVING A VEHICLE PULLING A TRAILER IN SULLIVAN COUNTY SATURDAY. ACCORDING TO THE SULLIVAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, A GROUP OF BICYCLISTS WERE TRAVELING EAST ON GUM SPRINGS ROAD, WHEN A BICYCLE OPERATED BY 59-YEAR-OLD ANDREW SHAW OF KNOXVILLE PASSED THE GROUP RIGHT AT A CURVE. WHEN SHAW ROUNDED THE CURVE, HE WAS REPORTEDLY OVER THE CENTER LINE, AND HIT A VEHICLE PULLING A TRAILER THAT WAS DRIVING IN THE WESTBOUND LANE. SHAW WAS TRANSPORTED TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD.

TIF APPROVED FOR BURLINGTON PARK PROJECT

THE WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMISSION APPROVED A TAX INCREMENT FINANCING PLAN FOR THE BURLINGTON PARK REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. THE PROJECT WOULD INVOLVE RETAIL SPACE, MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, PARKING, AND A COMMUNITY PARK. THE JOHNSON CITY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BOARD APPROVED AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN MAY. COUNTY MAYOR JOE GRANDY SAYS THE PROJECT WILL HELP ADDRESS THE AREA’S HOUSING SHORTAGE. GRANDY SAID THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO TAKE SIX TO SEVEN YEARS.

NON-STOP FLIGHTS TO DC & ORLANDO FROM TRI REVEALED
TRAVELERS FROM THE TRI-CITIES WILL SOON HAVE ACCESS TO NON-STOP FLIGHTS TO WASHINGTON DC AND ORLANDO FLORIDA THROUGH BREEZE AIRWAYS. THE DC ROUTE WILL FLY INTO WASHINGTON DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AND THE ORLANDO ROUTE INTO ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. GENE COSSEY, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TRI CITIES AIRPORT AUTHORITY, SAID A NEW AIRLINES COMING INTO THE TRI HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ATTRACT OTHER AIRLINES.

Q..GENE COSSEY-GET ON BOARD

THE FLIGHTS TO DC AND ORLANDO WILL BE ON FRIDAYS AND MONDAYS, WITH FARES FROM 49 DOLLARS ONE WAY TO ORLANDO AND 39 DOLLARS ONE WAY TO DC. BREEZE WILL BEGIN TO FLY TO ORLANDO DECEMBER 12^TH AND TO DC ON DECEMBER 15^TH.

JOHNSON CITY APPLIES TO MAKE BUFFALO MOUNTAIN PARK A DESIGNATED NATURAL AREA

BUFFALO MOUNTAIN PARK IS A JOHNSON CITY STAPLE. COMMISSIONER JENNY BROCK SAYS ITS DIVERSE SPECIES AND SCENIC TRAILS MAKE IT AN AREA PEOPLE WANT TO PROTECT. BROCK SAID A COMMUNITY SURVEY CAME BACK THAT PEOPLE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE IT STAY A NATURAL AREA FOR HIKING AND LOW INTENSITY ACTIVITIES. SO JULY 23^RD CITY COMMISSIONERS WENT TO NASHVILLE AND BEGAN AN APPLICATION WITH THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION. CURRENTLY THERE ARE 84 NATURAL DESIGNATED AREAS IN TENNESSEE, ONLY 3 IN NORTHEAST TENNESSEE. BROCK SAID THE CITY IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH REGIONAL TDEC ON THE APPLICATION, HOWEVER THERE MAY HAVE TO BE MORE TRIPS TO NASHVILLE BEFORE EVERYTHING IS DONE.

ETSU & VCHH SIGN AGREEMENT

EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY AND VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAVE REACHED AN AGREEMENT THAT WILL CREATE SMOOTHER TRANSITIONS FOR STUDENTS IN THE REGION. A MEETING TOOK PLACE MONDAY AT ETSU, WHERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH INSTITUTIONS SIGNED PAPERWORK TO START THE PROCESS FOR STUDENTS PURSUING CAREERS IN 10 DIFFERENT AREAS. THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES COURSES THAT CAN BE TAKEN AT BOTH INSTITUTIONS TO SATISFY DEGREE REQUIREMENTS AT BOTH PLACES. ETSU PRESIDENT DR BRIAN NOLAND SAID THIS CAN HELP STUDENTS GET INTO HIGH END POSITIONS WITH JOBS IN HIGH DEMAND.

REOPENING OF BIRD’S BRIDGE DELAYED

THE REOPENING OF BRID’S BRIDGE IN GREENE COUNTY HAS BEEN DELAYS AS A RESULT OF A TDOT INSPECTION EARLIER THIS SUMMER. A NOTE FROM TDOT TO ROAD SUPERINTENDENT KEVIN SWATSELL INDICATES FOLLOWING A REVIEW OF THE BRIDGE EVALUATION REPORT FROM TDOT, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT ADDITIONAL REPAIRS ARE NECESSARY BEFORE THE BRIDGE CAN BE SAFELY REOPENED. SWATSELL SAID THE REPORT INDICATED THAT DAMAGE TO THE INTERMEDIATE DIAPHRAGMS CAUSED BY DEBRIS AND FLOODWATERS, WAS NOT VISIBLE DURING THE INITIAL INSPECTION. AT THIS TIME A COMPLETION DATE HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED DUE TO ONGOING DISCUSSIONS RELATED TO CONTRACTUAL REPAIRS.

OVERDOSE SPIKE IN GREENE CO

THE GREENE COUNTY ANTI-DRUG COALITION REPORTS THAT OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS THE LOCAL COMMUNITY HAS EXPERIENCED A SPIKE IN NON-FATAL AND FATAL OVERDOSES. THE ANTI-DRUG COALITION AND GREENE COUNTY RECOVERY COURT WARN THAT A MAJOR CHALLENGE AT THIS TIME IS FENTANYL BEING LACED WITH OTHER DRUGS, A LETHAL COMBINATION. 9 NON-FATAL AND 2 FATAL OVERDOSES WERE CONFIRMED IN GREENE COUNTY IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS, INDICATING A POTENTIAL HOTSPOT IN GREENE COUNTY.  

CHIEF NUCLEAR OFFICER LEAVING TVA

THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY WILL SOON BE SEARCHING FOR A NEW CHIEF NUCLEAR OFFICER, AFTER THE CURRENT ONE SHARED HE INTENDS TO LEAVE BY SPRING 2026. ACCORDING TO TVA RECORDS, TIMOTHY RAUCH INFORMED PRESIDENT AND CEO DON MOUL ON JULY 14^TH, THAT HE INTENDS TO LEAVE BY MARCH 1^ST 2026. RAUSCH HAS SERVED AS THE CHIEF NUCLEAR OFFICER AT THE TVA SINCE OCTOBER 2018. PER THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION, THE CHIEF NUCLEAR OFFICER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING, CONTROLLING, AND SUPERVISING THE TVA’S NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAMS, AND EXECUTION OF NUCLEAR PROGRAMS, POLICIES AND DECISIONS THE TVA’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVES OR ADOPTS.

COCKE CO OFFICIALS AWAIT FEMA FUNDS TO REPLACE FLOOD DAMAGED JAIL

TEN MONTHS AFTER COCKE COUNTY WAS HIT BY MAJOR FLOODING, LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE STILL WAITING ON FEMA FUNDING TO BEGIN BUILDING A NEW JAIL FACILITY. THE COUNTY’S EXISTING JAIL WAS CLOSED DUE TO WATER DAMAGE, FORCING THE COUNTY TO HOUSE INMATES AT FACILITIES AROUND THE REGION AT AN ESTIMATED ANNUAL COST OF 2 MILLION DOLLARS. THE PREVIOUS COCK COUNTY JAIL ANNEX HAD A BED COUNT OF 88, BUT OFFICIALS SAID THAT A FACILITY WITH A MINIMUM OF 216 BEDS MUST BE BUILT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE STATE CERTIFICATION. COCKE COUNTY MAYOR ROB MATHIS SAID THAT FEMA CURRENTLY SEEKS TO FUND A NEW 88 BED FACILITY, SAYING THE LAST WORD THEY HAVE FROM FEMA, IS THAT THEY’RE BACKTRACKING ON THE BED COUNT FROM 216 TO 88.

SPEEDWAY CLASSIC AT BMS TO SET ATTENDANCE RECORD FOR SINGLE REGULAR SEASON MLB GAME

THE MLB SPEEDWAY CLASSIC WILL BREAK THE LEAGUE’S RECORD FOR REGULAR SEASON SINGLE GAME ATTENDANCE. IN A NEWS RELEASE, BMS STATED MORE THAN 85,000 TICKETS HAVE BEEN SOLD SO FAR, FOR THE FIRST MLB GAME TO BE PLAYED IN THE VOLUNTEER STATE. THE MLB SPEEDWAY CLASSIC WILL SEE THE ATLANTA BRAVES FACE OFF AGAINST THE CINCINNATI REDS, WITH FIRST PITCH SLATED FOR 7:20 PM SATURDAY AUGUST 2^ND. PLENTY OF FESTIVITIES ARE PLANNED BEFORE THE GAME, INCLUDING A CEREMONIAL 1^ST PITCH THROWN BY CHIPPER JONES TO JOHNNY BENCH. TIM MCGRAW AND PITBULL WILL PERFORM A PREGAME CONCERT AT 6 PM. DURING THE GAME, THE REDS AND BRAVES WILL WEAR SPECIAL UNIFORMS HONORING NASCAR.

SENIOR HEALTH FAIR TO FOCUS ON ALZHEIMER’S IN ERWIN NEXT MONTH

AN UPCOMING HEALTH FAIR IN ERWIN WILL FOCUS ON A VARIETY OF HEALTH TOPICS FOR SENIORS, BUT PARTICULARLY ALZHEIMER’S CARE. GOVERNOR’S BEND RETIREMENT AND ASSISTED LIVING IS HOSTING THE HEALTH FAIR ON AUGUST 9^TH, FROM 10 AM TO 2 PM. THERE WILL BE MORE THAN 30 VENDERS COVERING A WIDE VARIETY OF HEALTH CARE TOPICS, PLUS DISCUSSIONS WITH FEATURED SPEAKERS.