THURSDAY JUNE 5

BRISTOL LIFE SAVING CREW TO CONTINUE SERVICE

ACCORDING TO BRISTOL VIRGINIA CITY MANAGER RANDALL EADS, THE BRISTOL LIFE SAVING CREW IS SET TO CONTINUE SERVICE AFTER A MEETING TUESDAY. EADS SAID THE MEETING WAS PRODUCTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE, WITH BOTH PARTIES COMMITTING TO CONTINUING THE SERVICE OF THE BRISTOL LIFE SAVING CREW. IT WAS ADDED THAT DISCUSSIONS LIKE FINANCIAL PLANNING WILL TAKE PLACE IN JULY AT A LATER MEETING IN JULY.

DRIVER ARRESTED AFTER PURSUIT THROUGH GREENE CO & JOHNSON CITY

ONE PERSON WAS ARRESTED AFTER A HIGH-SPEED PURSUIT THROUGH GREENE COUNTY AND JOHNSON CITY TUESDAY MORNING. ACCORDING TO THE TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL, AROUND 10:30 AM, A CHEVY SONIC WAS SPOTTED DRIVING 90 MILES PER HOUR NEAR MILE MARKER 47 ON INTERSTATE 81 IN GREENE COUNTY. THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO STOP FOR TROOPERS AND FLED NORTH. AS THE PURSUIT CONTINUED, A CITIZEN REPORTEDLY USED THEIR VEHICLE TO BLOCK THE FLEEING CHEVROLET AROUND MILE MARKER 17 ON I-26. THE CHEVY THEN DROVE AROUND THE VEHICLE AND CONTINUED TOWARD EXIT 19, WHERE MULTIPLE JOHNSON CITY POLICE UNITS AND THP TROOPERS WERE SET UP WITH TIRE DEFLATION DEVISES. THE DRIVER IDENTIFIED AS 52-YEAR-OLD TONYA RICHARDS WAS CHARGED WITH FELONY EVADING ARREST, SPEEDING, AND 3^RD OFFENSE DRIVING ON A REVOKED LICENSE.

WASHINGTON CO TN BOARD OF EDUCATION TRYING TO CLOSE $6M GAP IN 2026 BUDGET

THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MET TUESDAY TO DISCUSS HOW IT WILL TRY TO CLOSE A MORE THAN 6 MILLION DOLLAR GAP IN FUNDING ON ITS FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET. SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT JERRY BOYD SAID THE BOARD HAD TO REVISE AND REWORK THE BUDGET AFTER IT WAS SENT BACK FROM THE WASHINGTON COUNTY BUDGET COMMITTEE, WITH AN OVER 6 MILLION DOLLAR FUNDING GAP BETWEEN REVENUE AND EXPENSES. BOYD SAID THE BOARD DECIDED TO USE 2 MILLION DOLLARS IN CURRENT FUNDS ATO APPLY TO THE BUDGET.

Q..JERRY BOYD-GAP

BOYD SAID HE INTENDS TO REQUEST AROUND 3 MILLION DOLLARS IN BUDGET HELP FROM THE COMMISSION AT ITS NEXT MEETING.

TREE TRUNK PLOWS INTO CARTER CO HOME

A TREE TRUNK TORE THROUGH THE WALL OF A CARTER COUNTY HOME TUESDAY. THE HOME ON LICK SKILLET ROAD IN STONEY CREEK SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. ACCORDING TO THE CARTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, A 911 CALLER ALERTED 1^ST RESPONDERS TO A POSSIBLE EXPLOSION THAT DAMAGED A HOME TUESDAY MORNING. WHEN OFFICERS ARRIVED ON SCENE, THEY SAW THAT A LARGE TREE TRUCK HAD ROLLED DOWN THE HILLSIDE BEHIND THE RESIDENCE AND STRUCK THE HOME. THE TREE BROKE THROUGH AN EXTERIOR WALL AND CAME TO REST INSIDE THE RESIDENCE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. DEPUTIES LEARNED A CONSTRUCTION CREW FURTHER UP THE HILL BEEN MOVING LARGE TREE TRUNKS WITH A BULL DOZER WHEN ONE BROKE LOOSE AND ROLLED DOWN THE HILL. THEY SAID THEY WERE UNAWARE THAT THE TREE TRUNK HAD STRUCK A HOUSE.

MOUNTAIN CITY BMA APPROVES $750 TO SEND GROUP TO TOUR BITCOIN MINE IN GEORGIA

THE TOWN OF MOUNTAIN CITY’S BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMAN VOTED TUESDAY TO SPEND 750 DOLLARS ON TWO RENTAL VANS TO TRANSPORT CITIZENS TO A CLEANSPARK BITCOIN MINING FACILITY IN GEORGIA FOR A TOUR, AMID PUBLIC OUTCRY AGAINST THE COMPANY SETTING UP A SIMILAR FACILITY WITHIN THE TOWN. THE NEVADA- BASE COMPANY IS TRYING TO BUILD ON 50 ACRES OFF HIGHWAY 421 NEAR JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL. RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN OUTSPOKEN PRIMARILY CONCERNING NOISE POLLUTION THEY SAY WOULD COME FROM THE OPERATION. CLEANSPARK HOWEVER SAYS A NEWER COOLING TECHNOLOGY THAT SUBMERGES THE COMPUTERS IN WATER IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS NOISY. THIS IS WHY HE WANTS RESIDENTS TO VISIT THE GEORGIA FACILITY TO SEE WHAT HE’S SEEN.

KINGSPORT MALL & MILL PROJECTS ADDRESSED IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD MEETING

UPDATES WERE GIVEN TO THE KINGSPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD TUESDAY ABOUTPROJECTSAT THE DOMTAR PACKAGING MILL AND THE FORT HENRY MALL.DOMTAR’S VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC CAPITAL PROJECTS CHARLIE FLOYD, GAVE A PRESENTATION EXPLAINING THE PROCESS DOMTAR HAS MADE IN BRINING AN ANAEROBIC DIGESTER SYSTEM INTO THE MILL, WHICH FLOYD SAID WILL HELP WITH THE ODOR COMING FROM THE MILL.  JOHN MULHERIN, VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AT HILL PROPERTY GROUP, UPDATED THE BOARD ON THE PROGRESS OF INSTALLING AN IMAX THEATER AT THE FORT HENRY MALL. HE SAID OBSTACLES DUE TO THE PROJECT GOING OVER BUDGET HAS DELAYED THINGS, BUT THEY’RE TRYING TO GET IT BACK IN THE BUDGET, SAYING THEIR 99% SURE THEY CAN DO THAT.

LOCAL FARMER OWNED MEAT PROCESSING FACILITY BEGINS OPERATIONS AHEAD OF GRAND OPENING

MORE THAN THREE YEARS AFTER PLANS FIRST BEGAN FORMING FOR A LOCAL FARMER-OWNED MEAT PROCESSING FACILITY, THAT FACILITY IS NOW OPEN. THE 16,000 SQUARE FOOT APPALACHIAN PRODUCERS COOPERATIVE COST MORE THAN 10 MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD. GENERAL MANAGER MARK ZINNANTI SAYS THE FACILITY IS 99% COMPLETE. ALL THAT’S LEFT IS A FEW ITEMS OUTSIDE THE BUILDING AND A USDA INSPECTION IN A FEW WEEKS. THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO EXPAND FROM PROCESSING MEAT FOR FARMERS’ PERSONAL USE TO START SELLING WHOLESALE BEEF TO A WHOLESALE COMPANY, RESTAURANTS OR GROCERY STORES. THE FACILITY HOPES TO HAVE A GRAND OPENING IN MID-JULY, AND HAVE A STAFF OF 25 ONCE THEY REACH FULL PRODUCTION.

NEW HAPPY VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND ASST PRINCIPAL NAMED

A NEW PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR HAPPY VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL HAVE BEEN NAME FOR THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR BY CARTER COUNTY SCHOOLS. TODD CALDWELL WILL BE PRINCIPAL, AND DANILE W CARDER II WILL BE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL. CALDWELL IS A 2010 GRADUATE OF MILLIGAN UNIVERSITY, AND ALSO RECEIVED A MASTER’S DEGREE FROM OKLAHOMA STATE IN 2020. CARDER IS A 2003 GRADUATE OF ETSU AND RECEIVED HIS MASTER’S FROM LINCOLN MEMORIAL IN 2019.

GREENEVILLE APPROVES BUDGET ON 1^ST READING AMID QUESTIONS ON USE OF HOTEL/MOTEL TAX

THE GREENEVILLE TOWN COUNCIL APPROVED ITS PROPOSED 2025-26 BUDGET ON FIRST READING TUESDAY, BUT THE VOTE CAME WITH A SIGNIFICANT CAVEAT, A POTENTIAL VIOLATION OF STATE LAW. FINANCE DIRECTOR LORA YOUNG TOLD COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT DURING A CONVERSATION WITH THE TENNESSEE COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE ON MONDAY, SHE WAS INFORMED THAT GREENEVILLE MAY HAVE MISALLOCATED HOTEL/MOTEL TAX FUNDS OVER RECENT YEARS. BY LAW, THOSE REVENUES MUST BE USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR PROMOTING TOURISM AND TOURISM RELATED DEVELOPMENT. STATE STATUTE PROHIBITS USE OF THE REVENUES TO FUND PROGRAMS THAT WERE ALREADY IN PLACE BEFORE THE TAX WAS ADOPTED, WHICH YOUNG SAID IT APPEARS GREENEVILLE HAS DONE. SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE BUDGET COULD COME AT THE COUNCIL’S NEXT MEETING.

$110M KINGSPORT BUDGET PASSED ON 1^ST READING

A PROPOSED 110 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF KINGSPORT’S 2026 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET WAS PASSED ON FIRST READING AT THE BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMAN MEETING. THE ORDINANCE PASSED 5 TO 1 AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING. ACCORDING TO THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET REQUIRES A 33 CENTER PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE WILL GO TOWARDS RESTORING LOSSES FROM THE 2024 FISCAL YEAR, COMPETITIVE PAY FOR EMPLOYEES, AND CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS ROADS, BRIDGES, AND SCHOOL FACILITIES. THE BUDGETS 2^ND AND FINAL READING IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 17^TH AT 7 PM. THE NEW FISCAL YEAR BEGINS JULY 1^ST.

COMPANY TO INVEST $22.6M, CREATE 170 JOBS IN HAMBLEN CO

SUMMERTOWN METALS ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY THAT IT PLANS TO EXPAND OPERATIONS IN MORRISTOWN, INVESTING 22.6 MILLION DOLLARS AND CREATING 170 JOBS. SUMMERTOWN METALS IS A CUSTOM-BUILDING MATERIALS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME IT HAS EXPANDED OUTSIDE OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. THE COMPANY SAID EXPANDING INTO EAST TENNESSEE WILL GIVE THE COMPANY ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR METAL ROLL FORMING, STEEL AND WOOD TRUSS MANUFACTURING, WAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTION. ACCORDING TO ITS WEBSITE, THE INVESTMENT IS PLANNED TO COME OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.