MAN CHARGED IN FEB FATAL CRASH

A BRISTOL TENNESSEE MAN WAS ARRESTED  THURSDAY IN REFERENCE TO A FATAL CRASH THAT OCCURRED ON HIGHWAY 394 ON FEBRUARY 16^TH. A SULLIVAN COUNTY GRAND JURY INDICTED TRAVIS JACKSON ON MAY 15^TH, CHARGING HIM WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE, RECKLESS VEHICULAR HOMICIDE, CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE, TWO COUNTS OF RECKLESS AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, VEHICULAR ASSAULT, DUI WITH BLOOD ALCOHOL OVER .08, VIOLATION OF OPEN CONTAINER, AND FAILURE TO DRIVE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY. HE’S CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN THE SULLIVAN COUNTY JAIL ON 50,000 DOLLAR BOND.

SALTVILLE MAN DROVE WITH DEAD WOMAN IN VEHICLE FOR OVER 8 HOURS

A SALTVILLE VIRGINIA MAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER AUTHORITIES CLAIM HE DROVE AROUND WASHINGTON COUNTY VIRGINIA FOR HOURS WITH A DECEASED WOMAN IN THE BACK SEAT OF HIS VEHICLE. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAID DEPUTIES WERE CALLED AROUND 2 PM THURSDAY, ABOUT A MAN DRIVING AROUND WITH A BODY IN HIS VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE, 57 YEAR OLD SANDERS CHAD BARRETT WAS FOUND IN THE PARKING LOT OF A BRISTOL VIRGINIA STORE WITH THE WOMAN’S BODY IN THE BACK SEAT. THE RELEASE STATED THAT BARRETT HAD DRIVEN TO SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN THE COUNTY WITH THE DEAD WOMAN IN THE VEHICLE FOR OVER 8 HOURS. CAUSE OF THE WOMAN’S DEAD IS NOT KNOWN. BARRETT IS CHARGED WITH FELONY POSSESSION OF METH, FELONY TRANSPORT OF A DEAD BODY WITH INTENT TO PREVENT DETECTION OF AN UNLAWFUL DEATH, OR TO PREVENT THE DETECTION OF THE DEATH OR MANNER OR CAUSE OF DEATH.

AAA SAYS 2024 TO BE 2^ND HIGHEST MEMORIAL DAY TRAVEL FORECAST SINCE 2000

TRIPLE A RELEASED DATA LAST WEEK WHICH ESTIMATES NEARLY 44 MILLION AMERICAN TRAVELERS WILL LEAVE TOWN, IN WHAT WILL BE THE 2^ND HIGHEST MEMORIAL DAY TRAVEL FORECAST SINCE 2000, WHEN DATA WAS 1^ST AVAILABLE. PAUL TWIDALE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF TRIPLE A TRAVEL SAID IN A RELEASE, THEY HAVEN’T SEEN MEMORIAL DAY TRAVEL NUMBERS LIKE THESE IN ALMOST 20 YEARS. TRIPLE IS PROJECTING 43,8 MILLION TRAVELERS WILL GO 50 MILES OR MORE FROM HOME OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, A 4 PERCENT INCREASE OVER 2023. AND COMES CLOSE TO MATCHING THE RECORD 44 MILLION MEMORIAL DAY TRAVELERS IN 2005. GAS PRICES ARE EXPECTED TO BE SIMILAR TO ;AST YEAR WHEN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE WAS AROUND 3.57 A GALLON.

300+ HOUSING UNITS IN DEVELOPMENT NEAR TRI CITIES AIRPORT

MORE THAN 300 HOUSING UNITS WITHIN A 3 MILE RADIUS OF TRI CITIES AIRPORT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE. AMONG THOSE PROJECTS IS A PROPOSED 120 UNIT SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AT THE INTERSECTION OF TN 75 AND AIRPORT PARKWAY. THURSDAY EVENING THE KINGSPORT REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF A REQUESTED REZONING FOR THE PROJECT FROM MIXED USE TO PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION SULLIVAN NETWORKS RECENTLY SOLD LAND ALONG HAWLEY ROAD FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

ONE DEAD AFTER LEE CO CRASH

ONE PERSON IS DEAD AFTER A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH IN LEE COUNT VIRGINIA FRIDAY. ACCORDING TO VIRGINIA STATE POLICE, TROOPERS RESPONDED TO A CRASH ON VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY AND TOWN BRANCH ROAD AROUND NOON. ACCORDING TO REPORTS, A CHEVY SUV WAS HEADING WEST ON ROUTE 58 A NEAR TOWN BRANCH ROAD, WHEN IT WENT OFF THE ROAD TO THE LEFT AND HIT A TREE. STATE POLICE SAID THE FEMALE DRIVER DIES AT THE SCENE. SHE WAS REPORTEDLY NOT WEARING A SEATBELT.

1 INJURED, 1 ARRESTED AFTER WISE CO SHOOTING

ONE PERSON WAS INJURED AND ANOTHER ARRESTED, AFTER A FRIDAY MORNING SHOOTING IN WISE COUNTY. THE WISE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE STATED IN A RELEASE, THAT DISPATCHERS RECEIVED A 911 CALL AROUND 10:30 AM, FROM 63 YEAR OLD RANDALL POTTER OF COEBURN. POTTER REPORTEDLY TOLD DISPATCHERS HE HAD SHOT ANOTHER PERSON DURING AN ARGUMENT OVER MONEY. DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND FOUND THE GUNSHOT VICTIM HAD ALREADY DRIVEN HIMSELF TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL. AFTER INTERVIEWING POTTER AND THE VICTIM, POTTER WAS CHARGED WITH MALICIOUS WOUNDING, RECKLESS HANDLING OF A FIREARM, AND USE OF A FIREARM IN THE COMMISSION OF A FELONY. AS OF FRIDAY EVENING, THE VICTIM REMAINED HOSPITALIZED WITH NO LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES.

FORMER ASST POLICE CHIEF’S LAWSUIT AGAINST GREENEVILLE DISMISSED

A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE TOWN OF GREENEVILLE FILED BY A FORMER ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF WAS DISMISSED ON WEDNESDAY. MICHAEL CRUM FILED THE LAWSUIT AFTER HE WAS TERMINATED IN DECEMBER 2021, FOLLOWING A DEPARTMENT REVIEW. CRUM INITIALLY SOUGHT MORE THAN 1.25 MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES, CLAIMING HIS RIGHTS HAD BEEN VIOLATED BY THE CITY WHEN HE WAS FIRED. IN APRIL A TRAIL DATE OF JUNE 11THJ WAS SET. HOWEVER IN A MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGEMENT FILED BY THE TOWN OF GREENEVILLE, JUDGEMENT WAS GRANTED AND THE CASE WAS DISMISSED BY U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE THOMAS VARLAN.

REP DAVID HAWK CITED AFTER ALLEGEDLY LEAVING THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVID HAWK WAS CITED AFTER ALLEGEDLY LEAVING THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT ON MAY 11^TH. ACCORDING TO GREENEVILLE POLICE, AN OFFICER RESPONDED TO A CRASH AT THE GENERAL MORGAN INN, REGARDING A HIT AND RUN PARKING LOT CRASH THAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT OF MAY 10^TH. UPON ARRIVAL, THE VEHICLE’S OWNER TOLD POLICE HE NOTICED HIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN HIT SOMETIME DURING THE NIGHT. SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE SHOWED HAWK GETTING INTO HIS VEHICLE, AND HIT THE BUMPER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE AS HE WAS BACKING OUT. HAWK THEN LEFT THE SCENE. ON MAY 12^TH, HAWK WENT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND TOLD OFFICERS HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS UNDER HIS VEHICLE AS HE BACKED OUT. HE REPORTEDLY TOLD POLICE HE HAD GOTTEN OUT TO LOOK AND DID NOT THINK HE HIT ANYTHING DUE TO DAMAGE BEING THERE FROM A PREVIOUS INCIDENT. HE WAS CITED FOR LEAVING THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT.

NO INJURIES FOLLOWING COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE FIRE IN CLINTWOOD VA

NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AFTER AN INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE FIRE IN CLINTWOOD VIRGINIA FRIDAY NIGHT. THE CLINTWOOD FIRE DEPARTMENT AND SEVERAL OTHER DEPARTMENTS RESPONDED TO THE FIRE NEAR THE HAPPY VALLEY AREA ABOUT 10:20 PM. ACCORDING TO REPORTS, NO OTHER STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED.