WEDNESDAY APRIL 23

WCSO RELEASE IDENTITY OF BOY FOUND IN NOLICHUCKY RIVER

THE WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS IDENTIFIED THE BODY FOUND IN THE NOLICHUCKY RIVER ON APRIL 11^TH, AS THAT OF 53 YEAR OLD DION BURNS. SHERIFF KEITH SEXTON SAID EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE INDICATED THAT THIS WAS NOT A FLOOD RELATED DEATH. BURNS BODY WAS RECOVERED BY EMS FROM THE NOLICHUCKY RIVER OFF ARNOLD ROAD. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.

DEPUTY, SUSPECT SHOT AFTER JOHNSON CO PURSUIT

A DEPUTY WITH THE JOHNSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND A SUSPECT WERE EACH SHOT TUESDAY AFTERNOON, AFTER A PURSUIT. ACCORDING TO JOHNSON COUNTY SHERIFF CLIFTON WORLEY, A DEPUTY WAS IN THE AREA OF HIGHWAY 421, WHEN AUTHORITIES FROM WATAUGA COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA NOTIFIED THEM OF AN ARMED ROBBERY AT A CONVENIENCE STORE IN VILAS. ACCORDING TO THE WATAUGA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, THE ROBBERY TOOK PLACE AT 12:53 PM, AND THE CLERK SAID A MAN IN A BLACK MITSUBISHI HAD ROBBED THE STORE. SHERIFF WORLEY SAID THE DEPUTY ENCOUNTERED THE SUSPECT VEHICLE NEAR THE STATE LINE, AND A PURSUIT FOLLOWED THAT EXCEEDED SPEEDS OF 100 MILES PER HOUR. OTHER DEPUTIES WERE ABLE TO BLOCK THE HIGHWAY, AND THE SUSPECT GOT OUT OF HIS VEHICLE AND STARTED FIRING AT OFFICERS NEAR A ROCK QUARY, WITH OFFICERS RETURNING FIRE. ONE OFFICER WAS STRUCK, AND THE SUSPECT WAS ALSO STRUCK. WORLEY SAID THE OFFICER WILL BE FINE. THE CONDITION OF THE SUSPECT WAS NOT KNOWN.

MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN BULLS GAP MOTEL ROOM

MOSHEIM POLICE HAVE CHARGED A MAN WITH MURDER, AFTER A WOMAN WAS FOUND DEAD IN A MOTEL ROOM IN BULLS GAP. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE, 61 YEAR OLD KENDLE NEWSON OF MEMPHIS IS CHARGED WITH 1^ST DEGREE MURDER. THE CHARGES STEM FROM AN INVESTIGATION THAT BEGAN SATURDAY, WHEN MOSHEIM POLICE ALONG WITH THE TBI FOUND 51 YEAR OLD NICOLE TERRY OF LAS VEGAS DEAD IN A MOTEL ROOM ALONG SPEEDWAY LANE. THE RELEASE SAID THAT NEWSON WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR TERRY’S DEATH. HE’S BEING HELD IN THE GREENE COUNTY JAIL.

PROPOSED POGA RETREAT FACES SETBACK AT PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING

A PROPOSED COUPLES RETREAT IN CARTER COUNTY SUFFERED A SETBACK DURING A CARTER COUNTY PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING TUESDAY. THE PROPOSED RETREAT CALLED HIDDEN HARMONY IS DESCRIBED BY BASTIAN AND MARISOL YOTTA AS A SPIRITUAL COUPLES RETREAT. THE RETREAT WOULD BE MADE UP OF 11 DOMES ON PROPERTY IN POGA (POGEE) FOR COUPLE TO STAY IN. THE PROPOSED RETREAT HAS BEEN MET WITH OPPOSITION FROM CARTER COUNTY RESIDENTS, WHO POINT TO MARISOL YOTTA’S POSTING ON ADULT WEBSITES AS A SOURCE OF INCOME. THE PLANNING COMMITTEE VOTED TO DISAPPROVE THE PLAN, CITING STEEP AND SHALLOW COIL CONCERNS, AND SAID THE WANTED A BETTER SITE PLAN BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. COMMITTEE DIRECTOR CHRIS SCHUETTLER ASLOS SAID NOT ALL REQUIREMENTS TO RECEIVE A CAMPGROUND PERMIT HAD BEEN MET, AND ALSO POINTED TO WATER QUALITY ISSUES, AND THE NEED FOR LAND  EVALUATIONS.

NEW CARTER CO EMA DIRECTOR & DEPUTY DIRECTOR INTRODUCED

THE NEW ELIZABETHTON/CARTER COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR WERE INTRODUCED AT MONDAY’S CARTER COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING. CATHY UMRICHEN IS THE NEW EMA DIRECTOR, AND HAS BEEN SERVING IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE SINCE SHE WAS 16. SHE EVEN HELPED RESPOND DURIN G THE 9/11 TERROR ATTACKS IN NEW YORK CITY. LUCAS GRAGG IS THE NEW EMA DEPUTY DIRECTOR. HE’S SERVED IN MULTIPLE FIRST RESPONDER ROLES, MOST RECENTLY BEING A RESCUE LIEUTENANT FOR THE WASHINGTON COUNTY/JOHNSON CITY EMA.

TCAT-ELIZABETHTON HELPS HAMPTON HIGH REBUILD AUTOMOTIVE PROGRAM

THE TENNESSEE COLLEGE OF APPLIED TECHNOLOGY ELIZABETHTON HAS HELPED PAVE THE WAY FOR HAMPTON HIGH SCHOOL’S AUTOMOTIVE STUDENTS AFTER HURRICANE HELENE. THE SCHOOL WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY HELENE, AND ITS AUTOMOTIVE PROGRAM WAS AFFECTED. ACCORDING TO TCAT-ELIZABETHTON, THE AUTOMOTIVE PROGRAM WAS SUCCESSFULLY RELOCATED TO THE CARTER TECH CENTER. RECOGNIZING THE STRUGGLES AND IMPORTANCE OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, TCAT-ELIZABETHTON STEPPED IN TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT, PURCHASING AND INSTALLING A FOUR POST LIFT, AND COORDINATED WITH SNAP-ON TOOLS TO REPLACE TOOL BOXES AND EQUIPMENT THAT WERE DAMAGED IN THE FLOOD.

CHILD DIAGNOSED WITH MEASLES, FIRST CONFIRMED CASE IN VA

AFTER MULTIPLE EXPOSURES IN THER STATE, THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS FOUND THE FIRST CASE OF MEASLES IN THE STATE, AFTER A CHILD TRAVELED INTERNATIONALLY AND WAS DIAGNOSED. THE CHILD, WHO IS FOUR YEARS OR YOUNGER, LIVES IN THE STATE’S NORTHWEST REGION. VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST LAURIE FORLANO URGES VIRGINIANS TO TALK TO THEIR DOCTOR ABOUT POTENTIAL EXPOSURE.

PERSON EXPOSED GENITALS TO SEVERAL DRIVERS

THE KINGSPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING, AFTER SOMEONE ALLEGEDLY EXPOSED THEMSELVES TO OTHER MOTORISTS ON TWO CITY ROADWAYS OVER THE WEEKEND. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SAID DETECTIVES ARE LOOKING INTO A SERIES OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING AN INDIVIDUAL EXPOSING THEIR GENITALS TO OTHER MOTORISTS ON NORTH EASTMAN ROAD AND ON EAST STOEN DRIVE AROUND 6 PM SATURDAY. SEVERAL VICTIMS HAVE COME FORWARD, BUT DETECTIVES WANT TO SPEAK TO ANYONE ELSE WHO WAS VICTIMIZED. THOSE WISHING TO CONTACT DETECTIVES MAY DO SO BY CALLING 423-229-9429.

2025 TN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDS

AS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE 114^TH TENNESSEE GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMES TO A CLOSE TUESDAY, HOUSE AND SENATE LEGISLATORS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE SPOKE ABOUT THE SESSION AS A WHOLE, TOUCHING ON SOME LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS. LAWMAKERS, INCLUDING SENATOR RANDY MCNALLY ADDRESSED SEVERAL KEY PIECES OF LEGISLATION, INCLUDING SCHOOL CHOICE, CALLING THE SCHOOL VOUCHER LAW ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ACCOMPLISHED DURING THIS SESSION, IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE ADDRESS FROM SENATOR RAUMESH AKBARI, WHO SAID STATES THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED VUCHERS HAVE NOT SEEN THEIR STUDENTS BE ANY MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN STUDENTS WHO HAVE REMAINED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

THP RESPONDS TO TWO WRECKS IN GREENE CO MONDAY MORNING

THE TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL INVESTIGATED TWO WRECKS IN GREENE COUNTY MONDAY MORNING. THE FIRST OCCURRED AROUND 7:15 AM ON INTERSTATE 81 AT MILE MARKER 23 IN THE NORTHBOUND LANES. A FORD F150 DRIVEN BY 34 YEAR OLD JOHN MENNELLA JR OF NEW JERSEY WAS TRAVELLING IN THE RIGHT LANE, WHEN HE STRUCK A CHEVY COLORADO DRIVEN BY 58 YEAR OLD RANDY SAMS OF TENNESSEE THAT WAS INFRONT OF HIM. MENNELLA WAS CHARGED WITH FAILURE TO EXERCISE DUE CARE. NO INJURIES WRE REPORTED. THE SECOND WRECK OCCURRED AROUND 8:30 AM ON DOTY CHAPEL ROAD. A DUMP TRUCK DRIVEN BY 34 YEAR OLD JESSY MASSEY WAS TRAVELING WEST, AND RAN OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OVERTURNED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED IN THAT WRECK EITHER.

BRIGHTRIDGE GETS BRIDGE CLOSER TO ITS GOAL

A 150,000 DOLLAR COMMITMENT FROM BRIGHTRIDGE HAS HELPED BRIDGE GET CLOSER TO ITS GOAL TO BRING NEW AIRLINE SERVICE TO TRI CITIES AIRPORT. BRIDGE HAS BEEN RAISING FUNDS FROM COUNTY AND CITY GOVERNMENTS, AS WELL AS LOCAL BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS, IN THE HOPES OF ENTICING AN AIRLINE TO BRING SERVICE TO THE AIRPORT. BRIDGE HOPES TO RISE 2 MILLION DOLLARS AS A MINIMUM REVENUE GUARANTEE FOR AN AIRLINE. THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE USED TO BRING A LOW COST AIRLINE TO TRI CITIES AIRPORT TO PROVIDE NON-STOP SERVICE TO TOW MAJOR MARKETS. ON TUESDAY BRIDGE ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS 90 PERCENT TO ITS GOAL THANKS TO THE BRIGHTRIDGE COMMITMENT. BRIDGE DID NOT MEET ITS INITIAL FUND RAISING DEADLINE FO APRIL 7^TH, BUT HAS CONTINUED GETTING MORE COMMITMENTS.