TUESDAY APRIL 29
MAN SENTENCED IN JOHNSON CITY FENTANYL OVERDOSE CASE
A MAN CONVICTED OF 2ND DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF A 23 YEAR OLD JOHNSON CITY MAN, WAS SENTENCED TO 33 YEARS IN PRISON ON APRIL 17TH. ACCORDING TO THE OFFICE OF 1ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY GENERAL STEVE FINNEY, A WASHINGTON COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT HEARD PROOF AND ARGUMENTS RELATED TO THE SENTENCING OF CHRISTOPHER BRIAN JONES. ULTIMATELY, THE COURT SENTENCED JONES TO SERVE 33 YEARS IN PRISON, WITH THE TOTAL SENTENCE CONSISTING OF 20 YEARS TO SERVE AT 100 PERCENT, 10 YEARS TO SERVE AT 30 PERCENT, AND THREE ADDITIONAL YEARS TO SERVE 100 PERCENT. JONES WAS FOUND GUILTY OF 2ND DEGREE MURDER ON JANUARY 16TH RELATING TO THE OVERDOSE DEATH OF ISAIAH BEATTY.
$2.6M APPROVED FOR ROAD, CULVERT REPAIRS IN ERWIN
MORE THAN 2 MILLION DOLLARS HAS BEEN APPROVED TO REPAIR PORTIONS OF SOUTH INDUSTRIAL DRIVE IN ERWIN. MONDAY THE STATE OF TENNESSEE AND FEMA ANNOUNCED THAT 2.6 MILLION DOLLARS HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR ROAD REPAIRS AND CULVERT REPLACEMENTS IN THE AREA. FEMA’S PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WILL COVER ELIGIBLE COSTS TO REPAIR CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO PORTIONS OF SOUTH INDUSTRIAL DRIVE. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE, THE ROAD REPAIRS AND CULVERT REPLACEMENTS WILL FOLLOW BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES, AND MEET APPLICABLE CODES ANS STANDARDS. FEMA WILL CONTRIBUTE 1,991,244 DOLLARS AND NONFEDERAL SHARE IS 663,748 DOLLARS.
BALLAD HEALTH ANNOUNCES COLONIAL HEIGHTS, ELIZABETHTON URGENT CARE CLOSURES
TWO LOCAL BALLAD HEALTH URGENT CARE CENTERS WILL CLOSE ON MAY 3RD. BALLAD HEALTH CONFIRMED THAT THE COLONIAL HEIGHTS URGENT CARE, AND THE ELIZABETHTON URGENT CARE WILL CLOSE. ACCORDING TO BALLAD, THE DECISION WAS MADE AFTER A RECENT EVALUATION OF THE FACILITIES. BALLAD SAID IT’S WORKING WITH EMPLOYEES AT THE COLONIAL HEIGHTS AND ELIZABETHTON LOCATIONS TO FIND NEW OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. BALLAD SAID IN A STATEMENT, IN BOTH MARKETS THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE URGENT CARE OPTIONS.
KINGSPORT FIREFIGHTERS CALL FOR BETTER PAY
THE KINGSPORT FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION IS CALLING ON THE CITY OF KINGSPORT TP PROVIDE BETTER PAY FOR FIREFIGHTERS. ACCORDING TO A SOCIAL MEDIA POST, THE ASSOCIATION SAID THE KINGSPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THE LOWEST PAID DEPARTMENT IN TENNESSEE FOR A CITY KINGSPORT’S SIZE. STARTING PAY FOR A KINGSPORT FIREFIGHTER IS OVE 38,000 DOLLARS. STARTING PAY IN JOHNSON CITY IS OVER 42,000 DOLLARS. CHRIS LOWE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE KINGSPORT FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION SAID THEY’VE BEEN TALKING WITH THE CITY. ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATION, THE CITY HAS PAID OVER 4.5 MILLION DOLLARS FOR TRAINING OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, BUT MANY FIREFIGHTERS HAVE GONE TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS DUE TO THE LOW PAY.
MISSING BRISTOL GIRL MAY BE WITH OTHER TEEN
THE BRISTOL VIRGINIA POLICE DEPARTMENT SAID MONDAY NIGHT, THAT A MISSING GIRL MAY BE WITH ANOTHER TEEN. 13 YEAR OLD JELLE JOHNSON IS BELIEVED TO BE WITH 17 YEAR OLD PAUL “CJ” FEDEROW. POLICE SAID FEDEROW WAS LAST SEEN BY FAMILY AT THEIR BRISTOL HOME ON APRIL 20TH. FEDEROW IS 5 FOOT 3 AND WEIGHS AROUND 150 POUNDS. HE HAS BROWN EYES AND BLACK HAIR. JOHNSON IS 5 FOOT 10 AND WEIGHS 125 POUNDS. SHE HAS BROWN EYES AND BLACK HAIR. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON FEDEROW OR JOHNSON’S WHEREABOUTS IS ASKED TO CALL POLICE AT 276-645-7400.
$25M APPROVED FOR HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF IN NETN
STATE REPRESENTATIVE TIMOTHY HILL SECURED 25 MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE FUNDING FOR NORTHEAST TENNESSEE COUNTIES IMPACTED BY HURRICANE HELENE. HILL SAID IN A RELEASE THAT AFTER THE SPECIAL SESSION, HE REMAINED COMMITTED TO BRINGING TRUE GRANT RELIEF TO COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY HELENE. THE GRANTS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO JOHNSON, UNICOI, WASHINGTON, CARTER, GREENE, HAMBLEN, SULLIVAN AND HAWKINS COUNTIES FOR GENERAL EXPENSES AND RECOVERY EFFORTS BY SEPTEMBER 1ST. THE FUNDING COMES FROM THE GOVERNOR’S RELIEF AND RECOVERY FUND, WHICH WAS APPROVED IN JANUARY TO PROVIDE STATE ASSISTANCE AFTER DISASTERS.
KINGSPORT HOSTS EVENT TO PROMOTE CHILD PROTECTION
HEALTHY KINGSPORT HOSTED A LUNCH N LEARN EVENT AT THE CHAMBER ON FRIDAY, FOCUSING ON CHILD PROTECTION AND HONORING THOSE WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE. THE EVENT IS PART OF A BROADER INITIATIVE ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS TO WEAR BLUE EACH FRIDAY IN APRIL TO SUPPORT CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION. RESIDENTS ACROSS THE TRI CITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO DONATE TO LOCAL ISAIAH 117 HOUSES.
STATE ROUTE 81 BRIDGE IN WASHINGTON CO SCHEDULED FOR OPENING BY JUNE 23
ANOTHER MAJOR THOROUGHFARE DESTROYED BY HURRICANE HELENE FLOOD WATERS IN SEPTEMBER IS SCHEDULED FOR A JUNE OPENING. THE DECK POUR FOR THE STATE ROUTE 81 BRIDGE BEGAN JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT MONDAY MORNING. THE BRIDGE, LOCATED NEAR THE HIGHWAY 107 INTERSECTION, IS A MAIN CONNECTOR FOR WASHINGTON AND UNICOI COUNTIES. MARK NAGI WITH TDOT SAUS THE NEW BRIDGE IS SCHEDULED FOR OPENING BY JUNE 23RD, AROUND THE SAME DATE THE KINSER BRIDGE IN GREENE COUNTY IS SCHEDULED FOR OPENING.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY GOV LEE MAKE INVESTMENTS AT ETSU
EAST TENNESSEE STAT EUNIVERSITY IS ONCE AGAIN THE RECIPIENT OF SUBSTANTIAL STATE SUPPORT, AS THE TENNESSEE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND GOVERNOR BILL LEE HAVE INCLUDED TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR ETSU IN THE RECENTLY PASSED 2025-26 BUDGET. THE ALLOCATIONS INCLUDE 53.4 MILLION DOLLARS TO COMPLETE PHASE II OF THE BROWN HALL RENOVATION, 3 MILLION DOLLARS FOR CRITICAL SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT AT ETSU’S QUILLEN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, AND 5 MILLION DOLLARS FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT THE ETSU/EASTMAN VALLEYBROOK CAMPUS. THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES 3.5 MILLION DOLLARS TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN FACILITIES ACROSS CAMPUS.
WASHINGTON CO COMMISSIONERS VOTE TO BORROW $75M FOR HELENE RECOVERY
WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY MONDAY NIGHT TO BORROW 75 MILLION DOLLARS TO PAY FOR HELENE RECOVERY PROJECTS. THE MONEY WILL FUND EVERYTHING FROM BRIDGES TO FLOOD MITIGATION TO COUNTY SERVICES THAT WERE WASHED AWAY. THE COUNTY HAS GOTTEN FEMA FUNDING APPROVAL FOR THE REPAIRS, BUT THAT FUNDING COMES AS A REIMBURSEMENT. THAT’S WHY THE COUNTY NEEDS LOANS TO PAY FOR THE UP-FRONT COSTS. MAYOR JOE GRANDY HOPES NEWLY APPROVED STATE GRANTS WILL COVER THE 5 PERCENT THAT REMAIN. GRANDY ALSO SAID THE STATE WILL ALSO PAY INTEREST ON THE LOANS.
