THURSDAY JULY 10

STORYTELLER BIL LEPP SPINS TALL TALES AT JOHNSON CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY

JOHNSON CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY IS HOSTING A FREE PERFORMANCE BY STORYTELLER BIL LEPP ON FRIDAY JULY 25YH AT 6 PM IN THE LIBRARY’S JONES MEETING CENTER. LEPP IS A NATIONALLY-RENOWNED AND AWARD WINNING STORYTELLER, AUTHOR AND RECORDING ARTIST, WHO HAS APPEARED AT THE NATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL 19 TIMES. HIS HUMOROUS, FAMILY FRIENDLY TALL TALES AND STORIES HAVE EARNED APPRECIATION FROM LISTENERS OF ALL AGES AND WALKS OF LIFE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HIS PERFORMANCE AT THE LIBRARY ON JULY 25^TH, CALL 423-434-4454.

KINGSPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD RECEIVES UPDATES ON IMAX, DOMTAR PROJECTS

TUESDAY MORNING THE KINGSPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD RECEIVED UPDATES ON TWO ONGOING PROJECTS IN THE CITY. JOHN MULHERIN, VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS WITH HULL PROPERTY GROUP ANNOUNCED THAT A CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN HIRED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN IMAX THEATER AT FORT HENRY MALL. WORK IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN THE WEEK OF AUGUST 18^TH. AND THE THEATER IS EXPECTED TO OPEN IN LATE JUNE 2026. CHARLIE FLOYD VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC CAPITAL PROJECTS AT DOMTAR SAID THEY GOT A TDEC AIR PERMIT APPROVED RECENTLY WHICH IS A GOOD STEP FORWARD IN INSTALLING AN ANAEROBIC DIGESTER TO HELP CURB ODORS AT THE MILL. THE NEXT STEP IS GETTING A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT.

CITATIONS ISSUED AT ROMANTIC ESCAPADES

TWO EMPLOYEES AT ROMANTIC ESCAPADES ADULT SUPER STORE IN KINGSPORT WERE CITED AFTER AN INVESTIGATION INTO COMPLAINTS OF ALLEGED PROSTITUTION AND SEXUAL ACTS. ACCORDING TO A REPORT FROM THE SULLIVAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT, AN INVESTIGATION REGARDING THE STORE BEGAN AFTER NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT ALLEGED PROSTITUTION AND SEXUAL ACTS WERE OCCURRING IN THEATER ROOMS, WHERE PORNOGRAPHIC CONTENT WAS BEING SHOWN DURING BUSINESS HOURS. ON MONDAY TWO EMPLOYEES WERE ISSUED CITATIONS FOR PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES. 

FORMER CATER CO CORRECTIONS OFFICER CHARGED, HAD SEXUAL CONTACT WITH INMATE

A FORMER CARTER COUNTY CORRECTIONS OFFICER WAS INDICTED ON MONDAY AFTER ALLEGEDLY HAVING SEXUAL CONTACT WITH AN INMATE. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE TBI, AGENTS BEGAN INVESTIGATING ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT INVOLVING MATTHEW GRAY IN DECEMBER 2024. THE INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT GRAY HAD SEXUAL CONTACT WITH AN INMATE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. GRAY WAS REPORTEDLY FIRED ONCE THE ALLEGATIONS SURFACED. ON MONDAY A GRAND JURY RETURNED AN INDICTMENT CHARGING GRAY WITH TWO COUNTS OF SEXUAL CONTACT WITH INMATES.

WOMAN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IN WASHINGTON CO VA FOLLOWING PURSUIT

A JOHNSON CITY WOMAN WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY TUESDAY FOLLOWING A PURSUIT IN WASHINGTON COUNTY VIRGINIA. WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES WERE NOTIFIED BY THE TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL AND THE TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, THAT THEY WERE PURSUING THE SUSPECT’S VEHICLE AROUND 1:30 PM. THE PURSUIT BEGAN AFTER THE DRIVER NEARLY STRUCK AN AGENT. DEPUTIES INTERCEPTED THE PURSUIT AT EXIT 13 OF I-81 NORTH. SPIKE STRIPS WERE DEPLOYED AT EXIT 14, AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED UNTIL IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT EXIT 17. THE DRIVER 41-YEAR-OLD CYNTHIA BOWMAN IS CHARGED WITH FELONY ELUDING, AND BEING HELD IN THE SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA REGIONAL JAIL.

TWO ARRESTED FOLLOWING SIMPLE ASSAULT CALL

TWO PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED TUESDAY AFTER BEING FOUND IN A CAMPER ON PROPERTY IN THE 700 BLOCK OF CUMBERLAND DRIVE IN GREENE COUNTY. RESPONDING INITIALLY TO A SIMPLE ASSAULT CALL, A WARRANT CHECK LET TO 40 YEAR OLD ASHLEY SOTO BEING TAKEN INTO CUSTODY WITHOUT INCIDENT. 53 YEAR OLD BILLY ANDERSON BEGAN SCREAMING AND MAKING THREATS FROM INSIDE. AFTER A SHOT TIME HE CAME TO THE FRONT DOOR WITH A METAL LOCK IN HIS HAND AND REFUSED TO EXIT. WHEN OFFICERS TRIED TO ARREST HIM, HE BECAME PHYSICALLY COMBATIVE. SOTO IS CHARGED WITH VIOLATION OF PROBATION. ANDERSON IS CHARGED WITH VIOLATION OF PROBATION, 4^TH OFFENSE FAILURE TO APPEAR, AND ADDITIONAL CHARGES RELATED TO THE INCIDENT TUESDAY.

KINGSPORT CAROUSEL TO CELEBRATE 10^TH ANNIVERSARY NEXT WEEK

IN JUST A DECADE, THE KINGSPORT CAROUSEL HAS BECOME AN ICON OF THE MODEL CITY. THE CITY IS CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF THE KINGSPORT CAROUSEL WITH A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION ON SATURDAY JULY 19^TH, FROM 3 TO 5 PM. THERE WILL BE FREE CAROUSEL RIDES, ACTIVITES, CRAFTS, GAMES AND MORE. ALSO, THERE’S AN EXHIBIT ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND HISTORY OF THE CAROUSEL OPEING NEXT WEEK AT THE KINGSPORT RENAISSANCE CENTER.

SULLIVAN CO ANNOUNCES NEW REGIONAL HEALTH DIRECTOR

SULLIVAN COUNTY RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT HANNAH TAYLOR WOULD BE THE SUCCESSOR OF FORMER REGIONAL HEALTH DIRECTOR GARY MAYS. TAYLOR GRADUATED FROM EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY IN 2018, AND LATER RECEIVED HER MBA IN HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION FROM KING UNIVERSITY. TAYLOR WAS NAMED THE SULLIVAN COUNTY REGIONAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT’S OPERATIONS MANAGER IN 2021. WHILE IN THE POSITION, SHE OVERSW DAY TO DAY LOGISTICS AND THE NURSING AND CLERICAL STAFF.

SWVA COMMUNITY COLLEGES AWARDED $804K IN FEDERAL GRANTS

TWO COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THROUGH FEDERAL TRIO GRANTS. IT WAS ANNOUNCED TUESDAY THAT MOUNTAIN EMPIRE COMMUNITY COLLEGE RECEIVED 358,413 DOLLARS AND VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE RECEIVED 445,963 DOLALRS IN TRIO GRANTS. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM CONGRESSMAN MORGAN FRIFFITH, TRIO GRANTS SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF COLLEGE. THE FEDERAL TRIO PROGRAMS AIM TO IDENTIFY AND ASSIST PEOPLE FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKROUNDS.

JOHNSON CITY PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS ADOPTION OF HORIZON 2045 PLAN

JOHNSON CITY’S PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED TUESDAY TO SEND THE CITY’S HORIZON 2045 GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN ON TO THE FULL COMMISSION, THAT WILL GUIDE GROWTH MANAGEMENT IN THE CITY FOR THE NEXT TWO DECADES. HORIZON 2045 MUST STILL GO TO THE FULL COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL ON THREE READINGS, BEFORE BEING APPROVED.

GRAND JURY INDICTS 10 AFTER FENTANYL INVESTIGATION

THE CARTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAID 10 PEOPLE WERE INDICTED ON DRUG CHARGES FOLLOWING AN INVESTIGATION TARGETING FENTANYL TRAFFICKING. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE, THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN IN MARCH, WITH THE GRAND JURY ISSUING INDICTMENTS ON MONDAY. 20-YEAR-OLD NOAH WILLIAM COOPER OF KINGSPORT WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE HEAD OF THE OPERATION, AND ALONG WITH 27-YEAR-OLD DYLAN LEE MESSER OF JOHNSON CITY IS IN FEDERAL CUSTODY. 22-YEAR-OLD JESSE CALVIN FELTS III OF ELIZABETHTON IS BEING HELD IN THE CARTER COUNTY DETENTION CENTER ON AN INDICTMENT, AS WELL AS A CHARGE OF 2^ND DEGREE MURDER IN CONNECTION WITH THE OVERDOSE DEATH OF A JUVENILE AND OTHER CHARGES.

JC SCHOOLS ADDING GRADES TO VIRTUAL SCHOOL PROGRAM

JOHNSON CITY SCHOOLS IS EXPANDING ITS VIRTUAL LEARNING PROGRAM BY ADDING MORE GRADES STARTING IN THE FALL. PRINCIPAL HOLLY CORWIN SAID THE VIRTUAL LEARNING PROGRAM WILL NOW BE ITS OWN SCHOOL CALLED MARKET STREET SCHOOL. THEY’LL BE ADDING GRADES 1 THROUGH 5 TO GO ALONG WITH GRADES 6 THROUGH 12 THEY’VE HAD THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. COWEN SAID THE PROGRAM WILL GIVE PARENTS MORE CHOICES IN THEIR CHILD’S SCHOOLING. ENROLLMENT FOR MARKET STREET SCHOOL IS NOW OPEN AND WILL CLOSE ON JULY 20^TH.

MAN CHARGED WITH ABDUCTION FOLLOWING PURSUIT THAT BEGAN IN SWVA

A MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH ABDUCTION FOLLOWING A PURSUIT THAT BEGAN IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA ON TUESDAY MORNING. WASHINGTON COUNTY DEPUTIES WERE ALERTED TO A RED NISSAN SUV CONNECTED TO AN ONGOING JOINT NARCOTICS INVESTIGATION. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN LEAVING MOTEL 6 ON CLEAR CREEK ROAD IN BRISTOL AND FAILED TO STOP FOR DEPUTIES FOLLOWING A TRAFFIC VIOLATION. A PURSUIT ENSUED BEFORE THE DRIVER EVENTUALLY STOPPED. THE PASSENGER 44-YEAR-OLD JONAS THOMPSON OF HIGH POINT NORTH CAROLINA WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. HE’S CHARGED WITH ABDUCTION, USE OF A FIREARM IN THE COMMISSION OF A FELONY, AND POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A CONVICTED FELON.