FRIDAY MARCH 14
WOMAN CHARGED IN OVERDOSE DEATH OF CARTER CO MAN
A MARYVILLE WOMAN WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY FOR HER ROLE IN THE OVERDOSE DEATH OF A CARTER COUNTY MAN. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE CARTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, 46 YEAR OLD MISTY DENTON BOBADILLA IS CHARGED WITH 2ND DEGREE MURDER AFTER AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEATH OF 41 YEAR OLD ELLIOTT SCRUGGS. SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO A HOME ON CEDAR GROVE ROAD ON SEPTEMBER 30TH 2021, REGARDING A POSSIBLE CARDIAC ARREST. IT WAS DETERMINED SCRUGGS’ DEATH WAS DUE TO FENTANYL. AN EXAMINATION OF HIS CELL PHONE FOUND TEXT MASSAGES BETWEEN SCRUGGS AND BOBADILLA, AND CONFIRMED THAT SHE HAD PURCHASED NARCOTICS FOR SCRUGGS BEFORE HIS DEATH. BOBADILLA WAS ARRESTED IN BLOUNT COUNTY WEDNESDAY AND TRANSFERRED TO THE CARTER COUNTY DETENTION CENTER.
JOHNSON CITY MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER SHOOTING POLICE OFFICER
A JOHNSON CITY MAN IS FACING AN ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE AFTER ALLEGEDLY SHOOTING A JOHNSON CITY POLICE OFFICER WEDNESDAY EVENING. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, JOHNSON CITY POLICE OFFICERS RESPONDED TO THE 100 BLOCK OF WOODLAWN DRIVE ON AN UNRELATED CALL. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THAT WHILE ON THAT CALL, OFFICERS HAD A BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH A RESIDENT IN THE 400 BLOCK OF SOUTH BARTON STREET BEFORE THE MAN WENT BACK INSIDE HIS HOME. JUST BEFORE 9:30 PM, A SHOT WAS FIRED FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE HOUSE ON SOUTH BARTON STREET, HITTING AN OFFICER. AN INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT TIMOTHY D BLAIR ALLEGEDLY SHOT AT THE OFFICER. THE TBI SAID NO OFFICERS RETURNED FIRE. BLAIR IS BEING HELD ON 250,000 DOLLAR BOND. THE OFFICER WAS REPORTED INS TABLE CONDITION.
KINGSPORT POLICE INVESTIGATING REMAINS FOUND IN WOODED AREA
KINGSPORT POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING AFTER HUMAN REMAINS WERE DISCOVERED OFF EAST STONE DRIVE THURSDAY. OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES RESPONDED AROUND 5 PM TO THE 3700 BLOCK OF EAST STONE DRIVE WHERE THE REMAINS WERE FOUND IN A WOODED AREA. THE REMAINS ARE BELIEVED TO BE THAT OF AN ADULT MALE. FORENSIC EXAMINERS FROM EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ARE ASSISTING THE DEPARTMENT IN THE INVESTIGATION.
JOHNSON CITY BOE PICKS NEW SUPERINTENDENT
THE JOHNSON CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION SELECTED A NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS THURSDAY. BOARD MEMBERS VOTED 6 TO 1 TO OFFER THE POSITION TO ERIN SLATER. SLATER IS CURRENTLY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE FORT MADISON COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN IOWA. 21 PEOPLE INITIALLY APPLIED FOR THE JOB, AND THE TENNESSEE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDED A TOP THREE OF SLATER, SCIENCE HILL PRINCIPAL JOSH CARTER, AND ROSS ROBINSON MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL CORY GARDENHOUR. SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ULTIMATELY DECIDED ON SLATER BECAUSE OF HER EXPERIENCE OF HAVING MANY DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP ROLES IN EDUCATION. SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WILL VOTE ON FINALIZING A CONTRACT AT THEIR APRIL 7TH MEETING. IT’S HOPED SHE CAN START ON OR BEFORE JULY 1ST.
WOMAN CHARGED AFTER MAN IS STABBED IN PARK
THE BRISTOL VIRGINIA POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO CUMBERLAND SQUARE PARK THURSDAY AFTERNOON, AFTER REPORTS THAT A MALE HAD BEEN STABBED. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE BRISTOL VIRGINIA P[OLICE DEPARTMENT, OFFICERS ARRIVED AT THE PARK AT 4:20 PM AND DISCOVERED A MALE VICTIM WITH A STAB WOUND TO THE CHEST. AFTER WITNESSES GAVE POLICE INFORMATION ABOUT THE STABBING SUSPECT, THEY LOCATED JESSICA BURKER WALKING ON MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD. SHE WAS CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF AGGRAVATED MALICIOUS WOUNDING. SHE WAS JAILED WITH NO BOND. THE VICTIM WAS LISTED IN STABLE CONDITION AT A NEARBY HOSPITAL.
ELIZABETHTON CITY COUNCIL APPOINTS MUNICIPAL JUDGE
THE ELIZABETHTON CITY COUNCIL APPOINTED A NEW MUNICIPAL JUDGE AFTER JUDGE JASON HOLLY’S LAW LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED. THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED THURSDAY TO APPOINT THERESA SMITH AS NEW MUNICIPAL JUDGE. JUDGE STACY STREET HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN APPOINTED TO SERVE AS INTERIM MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE UNTIL A PERMANENT REPLACEMENT COULD BE CHOSEN.
POLICE OFFICER INJURED DURING MOBILE HOME, CHURCH FIRE IN ERWIN
AN OFF DUTY OFFICER WITH THE ERWIN POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS INJURED WHILE RESPONDING TO A FIRE INVOLVING TWO MOBILE HOMES AND A CHURCH WEDNESDAY. ACCORDING TO THE TBI, A FIRE STARTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AT A MOBILE HOME IN THE 1200 BLOCK OF WEST PARK STREET. THE FIRE REPORTEDLY SPREAD TO AN ADJACENT MOBILE HOME AND THE WEST PARK STREET BAPTIST CHURCH FELLOWSHIP HALL. THE OFFICER WAS INJURED WHILE ASSISTING FIREFIGHTERS. HE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
CARTER CO MAN ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGED KIDNAPPING, ASSAULT
A CARTER COUNTY MAN WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING AND TWO COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE CARTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, 51 YEAR OLD DAVID JOE VELARDE WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY FOR HIS ROLE IN TWO SEPARATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENTS. THE INCIDENTS REPORTEDLY HAPPENED ON FEBRUARY 8TH AND MARCH 11TH. IN ONE INCIDENT, VELARDE REPORTEDLY CUT THE VICTIM WITH A KNIFE AND ALLEGEDLY HELD THEM AGAINST THEIR WILL INSIDE A SHED FOR TWO DAYS. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE REPORTED THE VICTIM TOLD POLICE VELARDE ALSO HIT THEM WITH PIECES OF WOOD AND THREATENED TO KILL THEM. AS OF THURSDAY VELARDE WAS BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND.
KINGSPORT WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY AFTER CLAIMING COVID-19 TAX CREDITS UNDER FAKE BUSINESSES
A KINGSPORT WOMAN PLEADED GUILTY WEDNESDAY TO CONSPIRING TO COMMIT WIRE AND MAIL FRAUD THROUGH HER ALLEGED ROLE IN SUBMITTING FALSE CLAIMS TO RECEIVE COVID-19 EMPLOYMENT TAX CREDIT REFUNDS. A RELEASE FROM THE U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR EAST TENNESSEE SAID 35 YEAR OLD AYLISSA GLIDEWELL ENTERED A GUILTY PLEA WEDNESDAY IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT IN GREENEVILLE. SHE FACES A MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF 20 YEARS IN PRISON. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE, GLIDEWELL AND OTHERS CONSPIRED TO FILE FALSE TAX RETURNS SEEKING FRAUDULENT REFUNDS BASED ON THE EMPLOYEE RETENTION REFUNDS BASED ON THE EMPLOYEE RETENTION CREDIT AND PAID SICK AND FAMILY LEAVE CREDIT, BOTH OF WHICH WERE CREATED BY CONGRESS TO AID STRUGGLING BUSINESSES DURING THE COVID-19 GLOBAL PANDEMIC. TOTAL REFUNDS CLAIMED BY GLIDEWELL WERE MORE THAN 3.4 MILLION DOLLARS, OF WHICH THE IRS PAID AROUND 1.8 MILLION DOLLARS TO HER. GLIDEWELL’S SENTENCING HEARING WILL TAKE PLACE IN GREENEVILLE ON JULY 9TH.
MAN TO SERVE 100 YEARS FOR DEATH OF BIG STOEN GAP POLICE OFFICER
MICHAEL DONIVAN WHITE WILL SERVE 100 YEARS OF ACTIVE IMPRISONMENT FOR THE DEATH OF BIG STONE GAP POLICE OFFICER MICHAEL CHANDLER. WHITE APPEARED IN A WISE COUNTY COURT THURSDAY FOR SENTENCING. IN FEBRUARY WHITE WAS SENTENCED TO 100 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER PREVIOUSLY PLEADING GUILTY TO MULTIPLE CHARGES RELATED TO CHANDLER’S DEATH IN NOVEMBER 2021, AND HIS ROLE IN A METH CONSPIRACY. CHANDLER WAS KILLED AFTER RESPONDING TO A KNOWN DRUG HOUSE IN BIG STONE GAP.
JOHNSON CITY MAN CHARGED WITH INTRODUCTION OF CONTRABAND
WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF KEITH SEXTON REPORTED THAT DEPUTIES DISCOVERED A SMALL BAG CONTAINING A WHITE POWDER WHILE BOOKING 33 YEAR OLD ROBERT MICHAEL TAYLOR INTO THE WASHINGTON COUNTY DETENTION CENTER. THE SUBSTANCE WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS A MIXTURE OF METH AND FENTANYL. TAYLOR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DETENTION CENTER BY ANOTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR SIMPLE ASSAULT. HE WAS CHARGED WITH INTRODUCTION OF CONTRABAND INTO A PENAL FACILITY. HE’LL APPEAR IN COURT MARCH 26TH.
TN RANKS 5TH NATIONALLY IN HWY PERFORMANCE, HIGH FATALITY RATES A CONCERN
THE REASON GROUP RELEASED ITS ANNUAL REPORT ON HIGHWAY PERFORMANCE AND COST EFFECTIVENESS, SLOTTING THE VOLUNTEER STATE 5TH IN THE NATION. THAT’S A DROP FROM THE NUMBER 3 SPOT LAST YEAR. THE REPORT LOOKS AT THE CONDITION, SAFETY AND COST PF ROADS AND BRIDGES ACROSS ALL 505 STATES. SOME OF THE SUBCATEGORIES AREN’T AS PROMISING THOUGH. THE REASON GROUP PUTS TENNESSEE MIDDLE OF THE PACK FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SPENDING AT 28TH AND CONGESTION, CITING DRIVERS SPEND 20 HOURS PER YEAR IN TRAFFIC. TENNESSEE IS AT 13TH IN THE REPORT FOR MAINTENANCE SPENDING, WHICH COVERS THINGS LIKE PAVING AND POTHOLE REPAIR. ONE WORRISOME CATEGORY IS THE URBAN FATALITY RATE, COMING IN AT NUMBER 43, AND OTHER FATALITY RATE, MEANING MINOR ROADS IN BOTH URBAN AND RURAL AREAS, COMING IN AT 42 OUT OF 50.
