Advertise Subscriber Services eJCPress Mobile Tablet Coupons Contact Us
Search Results Articles | Celebrations | Columns | Obituaries
  • Man rejuvenates life through two-wheeled adventure
    Posted May 19, 2013 9:41 PM
    About three months into his second Johnson City residency, some people have realized Marc Alessandria is someone who may have a hard time going unnoticed.
  • Tornado levels homes in Oklahoma City trailer park
    Posted May 19, 2013 9:11 PM
    EDMOND, Okla. — One of several tornadoes spawned by a powerful storm system rumbling through the Plains and Midwest has leveled several mobile homes in an area southeast of Oklahoma City.
  • Haslam to highlight bills during ceremonial signings in East Tennessee
    Updated May 19, 2013 8:53 PM
    NASHVILLE — Gov Bill Haslam officially signed scores of bills into law last week, ranging from a $32.8 billion state budget to an overhaul of liquor manufacturing laws, and this week he will take part in ceremonial signings on the road to focus attention on selected legislation.
  • Obama urged to make economy a bigger, bolder topic
    Posted May 19, 2013 8:43 PM
    WASHINGTON — Five months into President Barack Obama's second term, allies and former top aides worry that his overarching goal of economic opportunity has been diminished, partly drowned out by controversies seized upon by Republicans in an effort to weaken him.
  • Israeli seeks interim deal with Palestinians
    Posted May 19, 2013 8:26 PM
    JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's senior coalition partner says that reaching a final peace agreement with the Palestinians is unrealistic at the current time and the sides should instead pursue an interim arrangement.
  • Syrian troops push into strategic rebel-held town
    Posted May 19, 2013 8:22 PM
    BEIRUT — Syrian troops pushed into a rebel-held town near the Lebanese border on Sunday, fighting house-to-house and bombing from the air as President Bashar Assad tried to strengthen his grip on a strategic strip of land running from the capital to the Mediterranean coast.
  • US gas prices up 11 cents over past two weeks
    Updated May 19, 2013 6:52 PM
    CAMARILLO, Calif. — The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has jumped 11 cents over the past two weeks.
  • AP CEO calls records seizure unconstitutional
    Updated May 19, 2013 7:03 PM
    WASHINGTON — The president and chief executive officer of The Associated Press on Sunday called the government's secret seizure of two months of reporters' phone records "unconstitutional" and said the news cooperative had not ruled out legal action against the Justice Department.
  • Fate of LA marijuana shops left to voters
    Posted May 19, 2013 6:41 PM
    LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles politicians have struggled for more than five years to regulate medical marijuana, trying to balance the needs of the sick against neighborhood concerns that pot shops attract crime.
  • Man charged with attempting to steal metal from building
    Posted May 19, 2013 4:49 PM
    A city man was charged Saturday with burglary after police discovered him inside a building tearing down and removing metal from it for scrap without the owner’s knowledge or consent, police said in a news release.
  • After graduation: Local college grads are landing jobs, campus surveys say
    Posted May 19, 2013 1:35 PM
    If you finally got your bachelor’s or associate’s degree recently, chances are you are looking for a job now.
  • North Knox County man charged with murder of his brother
    Posted May 19, 2013 1:09 PM
    KNOXVILLE - A North Knox County man is being charged with the murder of his brother, who was found lying in a pool of blood early Saturday morning, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
  • WWE's Kane challenges Lt. Gov Ramsey to debate on Internet sales tax legislation
    Posted May 19, 2013 8:48 AM
    The Internet is awesome, right?
  • Maryville ends Hilltoppers' season
    Posted May 18, 2013 10:00 PM
    Maryville is suddenly a futbol school.
  • Four’s fab fashions help children in need
    Posted May 18, 2013 9:23 PM
    Rather than just writing about fashion, four Indian Trail Intermediate School students decided to put knowledge to use and design their own line of clothing, which will be donated to kids in need.
  • Town hosts fruitful Wayne Scott Strawberry Festival
    Updated May 18, 2013 9:26 PM
    The town of Unicoi’s annual Wayne Scott Strawberry Festival was held just as Scott Strawberry Farm berries were ripening up this year.
  • Police: Johnson City man tattoos, has sex with Kingsport juvenile
    Posted May 18, 2013 8:15 PM
    A Johnson City man has been arrested after allegedly having sex with a Kingsport girl, 15, and giving her three tattoos.
  • Hoilman puts diamond life behind him
    Posted May 18, 2013 7:50 PM
    Paul Hoilman has always had another game of baseball to look forward to.
  • Hershey leads Bucs to sweep of Jacksonville
    Posted May 18, 2013 7:47 PM
    Mason Hershey made his last weekend at Thomas Stadium one to remember.
  • Update: Official deems Trail Days parade crash unintentional
    Updated May 19, 2013 12:52 PM
    DAMASCUS, Va — Authorities believe the driver who plowed into dozens of hikers marching in a Virginia mountain town parade suffered from a medical condition and did not cause the crash intentionally, an emergency official said Sunday.
  • First lady visits Nashville high school
    Posted May 18, 2013 3:52 PM
    NASHVILLE — First lady Michelle Obama has some advice for some Tennessee high school graduates: strike your own path in college and life and work to overcome inevitable failures with determination and grit.
  • Official: 'Amazing' no one died in Connecticut train crash
    Updated May 18, 2013 3:40 PM
    FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Officials described a devastating scene of shattered cars and other damage where two trains packed with rush-hour commuters collided in Connecticut, saying Saturday it's fortunate that no one was killed and that there weren't even more injuries.
  • Syria's Assad says he won't step down
    Posted May 18, 2013 3:24 PM
    BEIRUT — Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a newspaper interview Saturday he won't step down and will instead "face the storm," raising new doubts about a U.S-Russian effort to get Assad and his opponents to negotiate an end to the country's civil war.
  • Elizabethton going to state for first time since 1958
    Posted May 17, 2013 11:46 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A team that reached the sectional with unconventional baseball grabbed a state tournament berth in the most basic of ways.
  • UH headed back to state softball tournament
    Posted May 17, 2013 11:39 PM
    Neither rain, nor lightning, nor one inning of shaky defense could keep University High from delievering the goods against Coalfield in Friday’s Class A softball sectional at Betty Basler Field.
  • Sidewalks removed as Erwin project gets off to quick start
    Posted May 17, 2013 9:45 PM
    ERWIN — Construction on the first phase of Erwin’s downtown revitalization project has begun, as sidewalks along Main Avenue have been demolished to make way for infrastructure improvements.
  • Plans to move Boys and Girls club, extend road not complete
    Posted May 17, 2013 9:30 PM
    The dynamics at play regarding completion of the Lark Street Extension Project are far reaching, but construction of a two-lane road through the now-rundown Optimist Park and across the current animal shelter property on Sells Avenue remains a perceptually distant accomplishment for stakeholders.
  • Jury convicts Kentucky man in torture murders
    Posted May 17, 2013 9:10 PM
    KNOXVILLE — A Kentucky man who was retried on murder charges was convicted Friday for his role in the torture and murder of a Knoxville couple in a case that has been described as one of the most heinous crimes in the history of Knox County.
  • Nearly 50 injured as Conn. commuter trains collide
    Posted May 17, 2013 9:02 PM
    FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Two commuter trains serving New York City collided in Connecticut during Friday’s evening rush hour, injuring about 50 people, authorities said. There were no reports of fatalities.
  • New lawsuit filed in Pilot Flying J probe
    Posted May 17, 2013 8:52 PM
    KNOXVILLE — A new lawsuit has been filed against Pilot Flying J, a little more than a month into a continuing federal probe of rebate-fraud accusations.
  • Kingsport shooting victim released from hospital, booked into jail
    Posted May 17, 2013 8:46 PM
    One of the two individuals shot at a Kingsport apartment complex on Tuesday night has been released from the hospital and booked into jail, held on felony drug charges, ID theft, and failing to register as a sex offender.
  • Man's wife says he tried to run her off road
    Posted May 17, 2013 8:13 PM
    A man was arrested after he allegedly tried to run his wife’s vehicle off the road twice between Okolona Road and University Parkway on Friday morning, according to Johnson City police.
  • Police receive multiple missing gun reports
    Posted May 17, 2013 8:08 PM
    Four guns have been reported missing to Johnson City police this month.
  • Entertainment, featured artist announced for annual Boones Creek Day
    Posted May 17, 2013 5:47 PM
    From gospel and bluegrass music to a variety of food and art vendors, this year’s 4th Annual Boones Creek Day is sure to impress newcomers, as well as bring back regular patrons of the daylong festival.
  • Traffic stop results in burglary, theft charges
    Posted May 17, 2013 2:52 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — An investigation of a home burglary and the theft of jewelry and a laptop computer was completed when the computer and some of the jewelry was found inside a car during a routine traffic stop, police said.
  • Siege, Native American Festival set for Sycamore Shoals
    Posted May 17, 2013 2:04 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area will be hosting two large festivals in the next few weeks. Each festival celebrates life in this area more than 200 years ago, but from two different perspectives.
  • Alexander: TVA plan to help keep Erwin Fish Hatchery open at least 3 years
    Posted May 17, 2013 12:21 PM
    U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander announced Friday that the Tennessee Valley Authority is participating in a three-year agreement with state and federal wildlife agencies that will keep the Erwin National Fish Hatchery open for at least the next three years.
  • Updated with photos: Knox County students escape unharmed from burning bus
    Posted May 17, 2013 11:32 AM
    KNOXVILLE — About 30 students from Powell High School and Powell Middle School this morning escaped serious injury after the bus carrying them caught fire.
  • Town Wide Yard Sale gearing up in Jonesborough
    Posted May 17, 2013 9:08 AM
    The town of Jonesborough is getting set for Saturday’s Town Wide Yard Sale, a Jonesborough Area Merchants & Services Association event that helps pay for special downtown happenings throughout the year and is one of the largest stops on the 500-mile US 11 Antique Alley sale that runs through Monday from Mississippi to Bristol.
  • Elizabethton High School students honor Vietnam War veterans
    Posted May 17, 2013 8:49 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — In a ceremony overflowing with tears and emotion, a new generation of Elizabethton High School students said thanks and welcome home to the school’s Vietnam War veterans on Thursday.
  • 10 things to know today at a glance
    Posted May 17, 2013 6:58 AM
    1. HOUSE TO GRILL OUSTED IRS CHIEF
  • Johnson City man charged with 4th DUI
    Updated May 17, 2013 8:45 AM
    A Johnson City man was jailed Thursday on his fourth DUI charge.
  • 'Toppers edge Tribe for region title
    Posted May 16, 2013 10:47 PM
    KINGSPORT – Indian Highland Park has become a barren region for homestanding Dobyns-Bennett.
  • Reynolds, Doane lift Bucs to win
    Posted May 16, 2013 10:34 PM
    Alex Reynolds helped Jacksonville get its first run, but he spent the rest of the night making up for it.
  • Man charged with taking piping from company
    Posted May 16, 2013 10:03 PM
    A Johnson City man was arrested Tuesday after a witness said he loaded metal piping that didn’t belong to him into a pickup truck and then drove off, according to a police report.
  • Pregnant teen charged with DUI after traffic stop
    Posted May 16, 2013 10:01 PM
    A pregnant teenager from Wise, Va., was arrested Wednesday on a drug paraphernalia and DUI charge after officers noticed and stopped her vehicle that was weaving in and out of traffic on Interstate 26, according to a police report.
  • Brothers arrested in Mother's Day parade shooting
    Posted May 16, 2013 9:54 PM
    NEW ORLEANS — Two brothers with a history of drug arrests and suspected ties to a neighborhood gang each face 20 counts of attempted second-degree murder in a shooting spree that brought a sudden bloody end to a Mother's Day parade in a New Orleans neighborhood.
  • Newly elected Mayor Ralph Van Brocklin lays out priorities
    Posted May 16, 2013 9:45 PM
    That’s Mayor Ralph Van Brocklin.
  • Newly elected Mayor Ralph Van Brocklin lays out priorities
    Posted May 16, 2013 9:44 PM
    That’s Mayor Ralph Van Brocklin.
  • Strother's homer punches Unicoi ticket to state
    Posted May 16, 2013 9:16 PM
    ERWIN — A team rewriting the softball state record book with every home run made reservations for Murfreesboro on the wings of a walk-off blast.
  • Knox Catholic sweeps ’Toppers in team tennis
    Posted May 16, 2013 8:26 PM
    The Science Hill boys’ and girls’ tennis teams felt good about their chances against Knox Catholic once they got to doubles play.
  • Governor signs virtual schools legislation
    Posted May 16, 2013 8:26 PM
    NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam has signed into law a measure to tighten enrollment requirements at privately run online schools.
  • Lady Devils fall to CAK in team tennis
    Posted May 16, 2013 8:23 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — All even through doubles, the Unicoi County girls’ tennis team couldn’t keep pace with Christian Academy of Knoxville in singles play on Thursday afternoon at Milligan College.
  • Boones, Cyclones eye state berths
    Posted May 16, 2013 8:20 PM
    Elizabethton’s baseball team is one win away from a first while Daniel Boone’s softball squad is shooting for a second chance.
  • Powerball jackpot prompts local ticket sales
    Posted May 16, 2013 5:26 PM
    As the Powerball jackpot value increased from $475 to $550 million Thursday, many locals in the area rushed out to convenience stores to get their hands on a ticket of their own for Saturday’s drawing.
  • ETSU student held at gunpoint while fraternity house burglarized
    Updated May 16, 2013 5:02 PM
    An East Tennessee State University student was held at gunpoint while his fraternity house in the Tree Streets was burglarized early Wednesday morning, according to a police report.
  • A late fade on Wall Street; Wal-Mart, Disney slump
    Posted May 16, 2013 4:52 PM
    NEW YORK — Signs of a slowing economy combined with comments from a Federal Reserve official helped pull the stock market down Thursday.
  • Convicted sex offender accused of stalking 3 underage girls in Johnson City
    Updated May 16, 2013 4:55 PM
    A convicted sex offender with a history of exposing himself to children was arrested Thursday on charges that he stalked three teenage girls as they walked home from an east Johnson City community youth center.
  • Powerball jackpot soars to $550 million
    Posted May 16, 2013 2:15 PM
    NASHVILLE—According to a news release from the Tennessee Lottery, Powerball officials have increased an already staggering jackpot from $475 million to $550 million for Saturday’s drawing. Sales were skyrocketing around the country as people join the excitement of a chance to win such an incredible prize.
  • New Mexico mom chases down 4-year-old daughter's abductor, rams car
    Posted May 16, 2013 2:11 PM
    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A mother whose 4-year-old was being abducted chased the suspect down and crashed her vehicle into his car, triggering a manhunt, Albuquerque police said Thursday.
  • 'Ghost' hunt: Big Stone Gap man has been missing a week
    Posted May 16, 2013 1:31 PM
    BIG STONE GAP — The mystery of what has become of a missing Big Stone Gap man stretched into a week today, and his family and friends are racked with worry.
  • Update: ETSU Foundation commits $1M to ETSU arts initiative
    Updated May 16, 2013 7:14 PM
    Nearly half the $9.5 million in fundraising needed to secure state dollars for a fine and performing arts center at East Tennessee State University has now been given to the school.
  • Escaped convict captured in Kingsport
    Posted May 16, 2013 12:41 PM
    KINGSPORT — A man who escaped from a medium to minimum security correctional facility in Kentucky more than two years ago has been apprehended in Kingsport, with federal authorities saying he also faces burglary charges in Washington County.
  • Update: Telford couple charged in "severe" child abuse case
    Updated May 16, 2013 9:15 PM
    The bruises to a 2-year-old boy who investigators say was beaten extend from his “head to his knees,” and it’s some of the worst injuries one Washington County Sheriff’s official said he’s ever seen.
  • Kingsport man charged in Johnson City home invasion set for hearing
    Posted May 16, 2013 9:17 AM
    A Kingsport man accused of threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint in a north Johnson City home invasion was arraigned in a Washington County courtroom earlier this week and has a preliminary hearing scheduled Monday.
  • Cigarette butts
    Posted May 16, 2013 8:50 AM
    The other day I was walking down State of Franklin Road on my way to class, enjoying the beautiful spring weather, the blue sky and the gentle breeze in my face.
  • Mountain States facilites are LEED certified, eco-friendly
    Posted May 16, 2013 8:47 AM
    I read a letter to the editor from two people in Unicoi County concerned about Mountain States Health Alliance being good stewards to their Nolichucky River area.
  • Governor correct in vetoing ag gag bill
    Posted May 16, 2013 8:43 AM
    We commend Gov. Bill Haslam for his veto of legislation that would have made criminals out of Tennesseans who attempt to expose cases of animal abuse.
  • Sensible gun laws
    Posted May 16, 2013 8:43 AM
    While my children are grown and one has a child of her own, I agree with the points of a recent letter concerning the Senate’s inaction on background checks. Congress has no excuse.
  • Australian hiker of Appalachian Trail dies in Carter County
    Posted May 16, 2013 8:41 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — A hiker on the Appalachian Trail from Australia died in Carter County this week.
  • Police arrest Johnson City man in Eastman Credit Union robbery
    Posted May 16, 2013 7:13 AM
    Johnson City police Wednesday charged a man with the robbery of an Eastman Credit Union branch in Boones Creek earlier this month.
  • Lady 'Blazers fall at Seymour
    Posted May 15, 2013 10:28 PM
    SEYMOUR — Daniel Boone was up for the road challenge, but Seymour was one run better.
  • Tenth-inning rally gives Cyclones region title
    Posted May 15, 2013 10:16 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — For all Greeneville could figure out, Elizabethton must have looked a lot like Freddy Krueger.
  • Sexual abuse cases put Pentagon under fire
    Posted May 15, 2013 9:53 PM
    WASHINGTON — One after another, the charges have tumbled out — allegations of sexual assaults in the military that have triggered outrage, from local commanders to Capitol Hill and the Oval Office.
  • Unicoi claims Region 1-AA softball crown
    Updated May 15, 2013 10:03 PM
    GREENEVILLE — In a battle of the Devils, the ladies from Erwin had the last laugh.
  • Google's products dig deeper into people's lives
    Posted May 15, 2013 9:46 PM
    SAN FRANCISCO — For Google CEO Larry Page, happiness is a warm computer.
  • Elizabethton City Council discusses hopes for utilities board, athletic complex
    Posted May 15, 2013 9:41 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A possible creation of a utilities board for Elizabethton and funding for some classroom expansions and an athletic complex for Elizabethton High School were key items for discussion during a workshop session of the Elizabethton City Council on Wednesday.
  • Unicoi resident says he thinks cat’s injury resulted from shooting range
    Posted May 15, 2013 9:39 PM
    UNICOI — Unicoi resident Jimmy Hinshaw said his home’s proximity to the Scioto Shooting Range has been a cause for some concern since he moved there around two years ago. But after an incident he said occurred last week, Hinshaw’s level of concern has been elevated.
  • Plans in works for major bridge, connector linking State of Franklin and Boones Creek
    Posted May 15, 2013 9:28 PM
    A five-lane bridge and additional roadwork linking North State of Franklin Road northwest to Boones Creek Road is back on the table.
  • NW Wisconsin wildfire consumes 8,700 acres
    Posted May 15, 2013 8:52 PM
    MILWAUKEE — Authorities are investigating whether logging operations may have sparked a massive wildfire in northwestern Wisconsin that destroyed dozens of buildings and forced at least 60 people from their homes, state officials said Wednesday.
  • Petraeus email objected to Benghazi talking points
    Posted May 15, 2013 8:07 PM
    WASHINGTON — Then CIA-Director David Petraeus objected to the final talking points that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used five days after the deadly assault on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, because he wanted to see more detail publicly released, including a warning issued from the CIA about plans for a break-in at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, a newly released email shows.
  • Pilot CEO to answer trucking execs questions
    Posted May 15, 2013 6:58 PM
    Jimmy Haslam will take questions from trucking executives from around the country today, one month after the federal raid on his company’s Knoxville headquarters and in the midst of more than a half-dozen lawsuits filed by trucking companies.
  • Obama: IRS acting commissioner has resigned
    Posted May 15, 2013 6:45 PM
    WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced the resignation of the top official at the Internal Revenue Service following a controversy over the agency's targeting of conservative political groups.
  • Tenn. senator: Sale idea cost TVA $500 million
    Posted May 15, 2013 6:22 PM
    WASHINGTON — Sen. Lamar Alexander says President Barack Obama's plan to consider selling the Tennessee Valley Authority has already cost hundreds of millions of dollars — even if the nation's largest public utility is never sold.
  • Dolphins coming to ETSU with A-Sun fate unsettled
    Posted May 15, 2013 6:17 PM
    The East Tennessee State baseball team doesn’t have to play its way into the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament on the final weekend of the regular season.
  • Update: Second hospitalized man may be involved in Kingsport shooting
    Posted May 15, 2013 4:45 PM
    KINGSPORT — Preliminary investigation of a Tuesday night shooting and drug arrest has revealed that two people may have been involved in an exchange of gunfire at a Kingsport apartment complex — one who police found bleeding at the scene, another who later drove to the hospital with gunshot wounds.
  • Court denies US asylum to German home-schoolers living in Morristown
    Posted May 15, 2013 4:38 PM
    NASHVILLE — A federal appeals court has denied asylum to a Christian family that fled Germany so they could home-school their children, after ruling that U.S. immigration laws do not grant a safe haven to people everywhere who face restrictions that would be prohibited under the Constitution.
  • Scheduled maintenance may temporarily reduce or eliminate water pressure for some Johnson City customers
    Posted May 15, 2013 3:54 PM
    Johnson City water customers in the areas of Sharon Drive, Kay Court, Philip Court, Douglas Drive, Steven Drive, and Stonecrest Court may experience low pressure or possibly no water service starting at 11:30 p.m. Thursday.
  • South Side Elementary students enjoy poetry with a 'pop'
    Posted May 15, 2013 3:24 PM
    It’s always a big deal whenever a visiting author comes to visit and read to students at South Side Elementary School, and Tuesday was no different when the school welcomed retired educators as celebrities for a day.
  • Cannes film fest opens with DiCaprio, Spielberg
    Posted May 15, 2013 2:07 PM
    CANNES, France — The art of the blockbuster took center stage on the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival, with Steven Spielberg presiding over the festival jury and Baz Luhrmann presenting his big-budget "The Great Gatsby."
  • Woman from Cleveland, Tenn., slain in Raleigh, found by 8-year-old daughter
    Updated May 15, 2013 12:23 PM
    A 30-year-old woman who recently moved from Cleveland to Raleigh, N.C., was found by her 8-year-old daughter slain and covered in blood this week.
  • Johnson City/Washington County Chamber of Commerce seeking youths for leadership program
    Posted May 15, 2013 12:06 PM
    Washington County and Johnson City high school students who will be sophomores, juniors or seniors this fall are invited by the Johnson City/Jonesborough/Washington County Chamber of Commerce to participate in the 2013-14 Youth Leadership 2015 Program.
  • Prizes to be awarded at Unicoi’s annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday
    Posted May 15, 2013 10:00 AM
    UNICOI — Plants are in bloom and harvesting has commenced, making now the ideal time to celebrate the small fruit that has a large number of local fans.
  • Jury finds man guilty of charges from chase
    Posted May 15, 2013 9:47 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — A Carter County jury found Travis Grover Richardson, 30, guilty Tuesday on all seven charges stemming from a robbery and pursuit that went through four police jurisdictions in 2011. The jury reduced a charge of attempted second-degree murder of Elizabethton Police Officer Matthew Taylor to reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.
  • Kingsport man charged with threatening to kill ex-girlfriend in Johnson City home invasion
    Posted May 15, 2013 9:08 AM
    A Kingsport man accused of threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint in a north Johnson City home invasion was arrested this morning.
  • Gridlock is good
    Posted May 15, 2013 8:46 AM
    \In political matters, gridlock is your friend. Bipartisan means that they are ganging up on you.
  • Student safety
    Posted May 15, 2013 8:43 AM
    I have grandchildren in the Washington County School System, and have been paying attention to our local authorities on security of our schools. A few months back it was suggested that an independent consultant was to come in to assess the schools. Harrell Strategic Group was brought up in this newspaper in a board meeting.
  • Teachers, principals, staff deserve credit for test scores, not Dykes
    Posted May 15, 2013 8:39 AM
    The Washington County Board of Education recently approved a budget that was $3.4 million out of balance.
  • This morning's top things to know from across the nation and around the world
    Posted May 15, 2013 7:27 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Man shot multiple times at Kingsport apartments
    Posted May 15, 2013 7:16 AM
    KINGSPORT — Detectives are investigating a Tuesday night shooting at a Kingsport apartment complex, where the victim was found with multiple gunshot wounds and a large amount of crack cocaine was allegedly located in a refrigerator.
  • Georgia police apprehend two Johnson City men
    Posted May 14, 2013 10:24 PM
    CALHOUN, Ga. — Two Johnson City men were charged this past week in Georgia with drug trafficking.
  • Williams lifts UH past Doak
    Posted May 14, 2013 10:11 PM
    Three weeks ago, Connor Williams was on the ground writhing in pain with an injured ankle, wondering if his high school soccer career was over.
  • Carter County schools director presents balanced budget
    Posted May 14, 2013 9:59 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Carter County Director of Schools Kevin Ward kept his promise to deliver a budget for the school system for the next fiscal year that is balanced without an increase in property taxes.
  • Decision to remove Elizabethton principal confirmed
    Updated May 14, 2013 9:56 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The controversial recommendation by Elizabethton City School Superintendent Ed Alexander to not rehire Doug Mitchell as principal at West Side Elementary School went through without any controversy at Tuesday’s meeting of the Elizabethton School Board.
  • Science Hill beats West in region semi
    Posted May 14, 2013 9:23 PM
    MORRISTOWN — Science Hill was leaps and bounds behind Dobyns-Bennett in the regular season.
  • More than 1,200 degrees, certificates awarded at Northeast State graduation
    Updated May 14, 2013 10:13 PM
    Waiting patiently in line to graduate from Northeast State Community College Tuesday in the Mountain State Health Alliance Athletics Center at East Tennessee State University was the highly decorated Anne Rowell, who wore a sash for her affiliation and leadership with Phi Theta Kappa, as well as two other medals –– one for having a 4.0 GPA and another for being selected as an All-Tennessee Scholar.
  • 2013 deficit estimate lowered to $642 billion
    Posted May 14, 2013 9:00 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — The budget deficit for the current year is projected to come in well below what was estimated just a few months ago, a development that could further curb the already slowing momentum for a budget pact this year.
  • Tougher drunken driving threshold recommended
    Updated May 14, 2013 9:04 PM
    WASHINGTON — States should cut their threshold for drunken driving by nearly half— from .08 blood alcohol level to .05_matching a standard that has substantially reduced highway deaths in other countries, a federal safety board recommended Tuesday. That's about one drink for a woman weighing less than 120 pounds, two for a 160-pound man.
  • Lawyer: Axed Tennessee official denies allegations
    Updated May 14, 2013 8:49 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Tennessee officials say they fired Jenny Wright as director of the school's office of student judicial affairs for refusing to cooperate with a university investigation into whether she had inappropriate relationships with student-athletes.
  • Soldier in sexual assault office accused of abuse
    Updated May 14, 2013 8:49 PM
    WASHINGTON — The Army says the coordinator of a sexual assault prevention program at Fort Hood, Texas, is under investigation for "abusive sexual contact" and other alleged misconduct. He has been suspended from all duties.
  • Chains grapple with how to improve safety
    Posted May 14, 2013 8:38 PM
    NEW YORK — While several more global clothing chains on Tuesday were announcing that they agreed to a historic pact to improve factory conditions in Bangladesh, U.S. retailers were scrambling to come up with their own safety plans.
  • Convicted Pa. abortion doctor gets life in prison
    Posted May 14, 2013 8:36 PM
    PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia abortion doctor convicted of killing three babies born alive at his rogue clinic dodged a possible death sentence Tuesday in a hasty post-verdict deal with prosecutors.
  • Convicted Pa. abortion doctor gets life in prison
    Posted May 14, 2013 8:33 PM
    PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia abortion doctor convicted of killing three babies born alive at his rogue clinic dodged a possible death sentence Tuesday in a hasty post-verdict deal with prosecutors.
  • Minnesota Gov. Dayton signs gay marriage bill
    Updated May 14, 2013 8:27 PM
    ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday signed a bill making gay marriage legal in Minnesota, the 12th state to take the step, as thousands of onlookers cheered.
  • Try college for free this fall at ETSU
    Updated May 15, 2013 9:05 AM
    If you’ve ever wanted to earn that bachelor’s degree but were afraid to commit to a full-fledged degree program, now you can try out college for free at East Tennessee State University.
  • SH's McCoy heading to S.C.
    Posted May 14, 2013 7:49 PM
    Cross country is taking Martha McCoy out of state.
  • 'Topper trio headed to Walters State
    Posted May 14, 2013 7:46 PM
    Science Hill baseball is beginning to produce as many Senators as Super PACs do.
  • Southern 500 produced a trio of winners
    Posted May 14, 2013 7:44 PM
    Podium finishes aren’t featured in NASCAR the way they are in Formula One.
  • Potter having fun at local level
    Posted May 14, 2013 7:27 PM
    There are no illusions for Mike Potter at this stage of his life.
  • Eastman names new CEO to take over Jan. 1
    Posted May 14, 2013 7:08 PM
    KINGSPORT — Eastman Chemical Company announced Tuesday that the Board of Directors has appointed Executive Vice President Mark J. Costa President effective immediately and Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2014. The Board also appointed Costa as a director, effective immediately, to serve until the Annual Meeting of Stockholders in 2014.
  • Local Boy Scout Council to vote against lifting gay ban
    Posted May 14, 2013 6:37 PM
    The Boy Scouts of America Sequoyah Council, which governs Boy Scout units in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, announced Tuesday its plan to vote against national efforts to allow people who are openly gay to join or be involved in the organization.
  • Jury drops attempted murder charge in Carter Co. police chase verdict
    Updated May 14, 2013 5:20 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A Carter County juror decided against an attempted murder charge today for a man involved in a police chase through four jurisdictions in 2011, opting instead for a reckless endangerment conviction.
  • Man hits boulder with car near Austin Springs Road
    Posted May 14, 2013 3:10 PM
    Deputies with the Washington County Sheriff's Office responded to an accident Tuesday afternoon where a man ran his car into a boulder on the side of Knob Creek Dock Road.
  • Eviction fears haunt Haiti camps after attacks
    Posted May 14, 2013 3:03 PM
    PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Attorney Reynold Georges showed up with a judge and a police officer on a recent afternoon at Camp Acra, a cluster of tents and plywood shelters scattered across rocky hills dotted with trees in the heart of the Haitian capital.
  • Man charged with punching, attempting to stab ex-girlfriend
    Posted May 14, 2013 2:00 PM
    A man was arrested after he allegedly punched and attempted to stab his ex-girlfriend Saturday around 5 p.m., according to Johnson City police.
  • Police: Kingsport babysitters let child, 11, drive car, crash into home
    Updated May 14, 2013 1:42 PM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport couple face multiple charges after allegedly letting an 11-year-old they were babysitting drive a vehicle on city streets, eventually crashing into a home.
  • Big 4 cellphone carriers unite on anti-texting ads
    Posted May 14, 2013 12:55 PM
    NEW YORK — The country's four biggest cellphone companies are set to launch their first joint advertising campaign against texting while driving, uniting behind AT&T's "It Can Wait" slogan to blanket TV and radio this summer.
  • Prince Harry tours storm-damaged NJ shore
    Posted May 14, 2013 12:34 PM
    SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. — Britain's Prince Harry toured two New Jersey shore communities devastated six months ago by Superstorm Sandy, viewing destroyed homes, walking on a rebuilt boardwalk and shaking hands with emergency personnel and construction workers who have been racing to get the resort towns ready for the summer.
  • Applications being accepted to replace retiring 1st Judicial District Chancellor Johnson
    Posted May 14, 2013 9:42 AM
    The process to replace Chancellor G. Richard Johnson, who announced his retirement late last week, is basically the same as what occurred to select a new Criminal Court judge just last month, according to a spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the Courts.
  • Trial of Carter Co. man involved in police chase begins
    Posted May 14, 2013 8:55 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — A Carter County jury heard testimony from officers of the Elizabethton Police Department and deputies from the Carter County Sheriff’s Department on Monday who said they were involved in a pursuit of Travis Grover Richardson, 30, through four jurisdictions on Aug. 2, 2011.
  • Costs waylay plan to ease dump truck traffic near Carter Co. quarry
    Posted May 14, 2013 8:35 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — What appeared to be a possible solution to large dump truck traffic on Judge Ben Allen Road last month is apparently off the drawing board this month.
  • Russian FSB detains US diplomat accused of spying
    Posted May 14, 2013 8:30 AM
    MOSCOW — Russia's security services say they have caught a U.S. diplomat who they claim is a CIA agent in a red-handed attempt to recruit a Russian agent.
  • ETSU student charged with having loaded handgun in dorm
    Posted May 14, 2013 7:38 AM
    An East Tennessee State University student was arrested Sunday after campus police responded to a call about possible drug use and found a loaded handgun, according to court and school records.
  • NE Tennessee mother faces child neglect charges
    Updated May 14, 2013 7:26 AM
    MOUNT CARMEL — Two children ages 3 and 6 were removed from a Mount Carmel home last week after police allegedly found unhealthy living conditions — including bugs, maggots, rotting food, trash and dirty diapers — throughout the residence.
  • 10 things to know today at a glance
    Posted May 14, 2013 7:04 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Angelina Jolie says she had double mastectomy as preemptive strike against cancer chances
    Posted May 14, 2013 6:58 AM
    LOS ANGELES — Angelina Jolie says that she has had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that made it extremely likely she would get breast cancer.
  • Jonesborough board approves new tourism logo
    Posted May 13, 2013 10:33 PM
    With two unanimous votes of approval from Jonesborough’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Monday, Tennessee’s oldest town adopted a new tourism logo and moved one step closer to the opening of a Dunkin’ Donuts shop on US Highway 11E at Boone Street.
  • 'Toppers season ends in region semis
    Posted May 13, 2013 10:30 PM
    It seemed like Science Hill had nine lives Monday. Unfortunately, for most of the large crowd at Cardinal Park, the Hilltoppers needed 10.
  • Carter County Rescue Squad deal still elusive
    Posted May 13, 2013 10:25 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — For the second time in a week, a committee of the Carter County Commission has failed to reach a recommendation on a one-year franchise agreement for the Carter County Rescue Squad to provide services for county residents outside the Elizabethton corporate limits.
  • MSHA officials: Federal payments a better measure of hospital prices
    Updated May 14, 2013 6:55 AM
    While the amount hospitals charge for various treatments varies dramatically from facility to facility, the amount the federal government pays hospitals for treatment of Medicare patients represents a closer look at the price of actual treatment, an official with Mountain States Health Alliance said Monday.
  • Car on its top after single-vehicle crash in Unicoi County
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:16 PM
    According to emergency radio traffic, a vehicle flipped on its top in Unicoi County around 9 p.m. tonight.
  • Boone’s Carmody act stuns Jeff County
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:16 PM
    Jenna Carmody had five RBIs, including a two-run home run in the fifth inning to lead Daniel Boone to a 7-2 victory over Jefferson County in Monday night’s Region 1-AAA softball quarterfinal.
  • Unicoi's Jackson, Holkova reach state
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:14 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Unicoi County's international duo took care of business.
  • Science Hill boys take down West
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:13 PM
    Science Hill’s Colin Ice and Thomas Young were still stinging from the disappointment of losing in the finals of the region individual tournament when they had to take the court for a Region 1-AAA team championship match against Morristown West.
  • Big retailers back safety accord in Bangladesh
    Posted May 13, 2013 8:43 PM
    NEW YORK — Some of the world's largest retailers have agreed to a first-of-its-kind pact to improve safety at some of Bangladesh's garment factories following a building collapse that killed more than 1,100 workers in the country last month.
  • Unicoi gets past Grainger in region
    Posted May 13, 2013 8:42 PM
    ERWIN — The Big Blue locomotive keeps trudging along throughout the softball season.
  • SH's Deal, Forbush, headed back to state
    Posted May 13, 2013 8:41 PM
    Science Hill’s dynamic duo of Katie Deal and Hope Forbush are headed back to Murfressboro with a goal of one-upping their performance of last season.
  • Cyclones whip South Greene in region
    Updated May 13, 2013 10:25 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Elimination games don't offer second chances, so Elizabethton didn't take any.
  • Tennessee fires student judicial affairs director
    Posted May 13, 2013 5:20 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Tennessee has fired Jenny Wright, the director of the school's office of student judicial affairs, for failing to cooperate with a university investigation into whether she had inappropriate relationships with student-athletes.
  • Obama slams GOP focus on Benghazi as politics
    Posted May 13, 2013 5:15 PM
    WASHINGTON — House Republicans pushed ahead Monday with their investigation of the deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, last year as President Barack Obama asserted that GOP charges of a cover-up are baseless.
  • Update: Vehicle goes off road twice during fatal Johnson City crash
    Updated May 13, 2013 8:35 PM
    Johnson City police on Monday released the name of a woman killed Sunday in a crash on College Heights Road and asked for the public’s help for information about events leading to the crash.
  • Justice Dept. secretly obtains Associated Press journalists' phone records
    Posted May 13, 2013 4:30 PM
    WASHINGTON — The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news.
  • Philly abortion doctor guilty in 3 babies' deaths
    Posted May 13, 2013 3:18 PM
    PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia abortion doctor was found guilty Monday of first-degree murder and could face execution in the deaths of three babies who authorities say were delivered alive and then killed with scissors at his grimy clinic, in a case that became a flashpoint in the nation's debate over abortion.
  • NATO: 3 troops killed in Afghanistan attack
    Posted May 13, 2013 3:13 PM
    KABUL, Afghanistan — A truck bombing Monday killed three coalition service members in southern Afghanistan, NATO said in a statement. A local official said the attack targeted a base operated by troops from Georgia.
  • Putin and Netanyahu to discuss Syrian conflict
    Posted May 13, 2013 2:31 PM
    MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin's talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Russia on Tuesday will focus on the situation in Syria, the Kremlin said, amid growing concerns that Moscow may soon provide Damascus with an advanced anti-aircraft weapon.
  • Update: Jonesborough shooting death investigation leads to hallucinogenic mushrooms discovery; drug charges placed against one man
    Updated May 13, 2013 5:27 PM
    An investigation near Jonesborough Sunday into the death of a woman from a gunshot wound led to the discovery of a large growing operation for hallucinogenic mushrooms, according to Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal.
  • Walters announces her retirement on 'The View'
    Posted May 13, 2013 2:20 PM
    NEW YORK — Barbara Walters said Monday that retirement from her epochal television career is near, but it's not happening right away.
  • Memphis test fraud ringleader gets 7 years
    Posted May 13, 2013 1:53 PM
    MEMPHIS — A federal judge in Memphis has sentenced a longtime Memphis educator to seven years in prison in a test-taking fraud scheme.
  • Police identify 2 women killed in wrong-way Kingsport crash on I-26
    Posted May 13, 2013 12:44 PM
    KINGSPORT — Two Kingsport women have been identified as the victims of a fatal head-on collision from Saturday night, triggered by one of the drivers traveling the wrong direction on Interstate 26.
  • Pakistan's Sharif wants good relations with US
    Posted May 13, 2013 12:27 PM
    RAIWIND, Pakistan — Pakistan's presumptive new prime minister said Monday that Islamabad has "good relations" with the United States, but called the CIA's drone campaign in the country's tribal region a challenge to national sovereignty.
  • Haslam vetoes Tennessee 'ag gag' bill
    Updated May 13, 2013 12:47 PM
    NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday vetoed a bill that would require images documenting animal abuse be turned over to law enforcement within 48 hours, saying his main concern is its constitutionality.
  • Haslam vetos 'ag gag' bill
    Posted May 13, 2013 12:05 PM
    NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday vetoed a bill that would require images documenting animal abuse be turned over to law enforcement within 48 hours, saying his main concern is its constitutionality.
  • Town of Unicoi planners set to debate two liquor store applications
    Posted May 13, 2013 11:00 AM
    UNICOI — So far, two retail liquor store applications have been turned back in to the town of Unicoi and, this Monday, the town’s planning commission will consider both of these applications.
  • Sheriff: Stranded motorist ruse used to commit robbery in Greene County
    Updated May 13, 2013 10:47 AM
    GREENEVILLE — Good samaritans were robbed at gunpoint Saturday in Greene County after stopping to help someone posing as a stranded motorist, according to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Should Boy Scouts revoke ban on openly gay members?
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:42 AM
    The Boy Scouts of America will vote on a resolution to partially rescind its ban on openly gay Scouts at a meeting in Texas on May 20. The wording of the proposed policy change is direct. It states that no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America “on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.”
  • Visiting with a Queen Anne
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:38 AM
    Fifteen years ago Kathy and Mark Serago moved into the 1909 Queen Anne Victorian at 700 W. Locust St., with the goal of returning it to its original grandeur. With that goal accomplished, they will open their home to visitors Sunday, May 19, from 1 to 4 p.m.
  • Visiting with a Queen Anne
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:29 AM
    Fifteen years ago Kathy and Mark Serago moved into the 1909 Queen Anne Victorian at 700 W. Locust St., with the goal of returning it to its original grandeur. With that goal accomplished, they will open their home to visitors Sunday, May 19, from 1 to 4 p.m.
  • Education system
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:19 AM
    The education system has become an experiment for politicians and they seem to be having a problem getting education going in the right direction. We have kindergarten, No Child Left Behind, home-schooling, voucher programs and alternative schools.
  • Think on happy memories and visit Mom if you still can
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:19 AM
    I fully imagine that our mother is poking around in her heavenly attic and living up to one of my favorite nicknames — the “Princess of Pack Rats.” Like so many of her generation who lived through the hardships of the Great Depression, she hung on to things that we today would toss aside with yesterday’s newspaper. She always thought she might need them.
  • Earth isn’t warming
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:17 AM
    Climate alarmism is giving way to climate realism. The Daily Mail (United Kingdom), Der Spiegel (Germany) and The Economist magazine recently discussed graphs showing how the Earth hasn’t warmed as the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted.
  • Chancellor Johnson, presiding judge of First Judicial District, to retire from ‘dream come true’ June 30
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:16 AM
    Chancellor Richard Johnson wanted to be a lawyer since high school.
  • It was cowardly not to vote for background checks
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:16 AM
    U.S. Sen. Bob Corker should be ashamed of himself. He lacked the courage to stand up to Wayne LaPierre (of the NRA) and the rest of the gun manufacturing lobby. Instead, he voted against 97 percent of America (including those who are strong supporters of the Second Amendment) who want to see background checks on gun sales at gun shows and over the Internet — just as those who buy from reputable gun dealers are required to do.
  • State accepting applications for 1st Judicial District Chancery Court chancellorship
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:13 AM
    The Tennessee Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications for the judicial vacancy in the 1st Judicial District Chancery Court, which includes Carter, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties.
  • Encourage mom to take care of herself
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:10 AM
    Don’t forget to tell mom today how much she means to you. And as we’ve said many times before on this page, Mother’s Day is also a good time to urge all the women in our lives to take better care of themselves.
  • Honoring moms
    Posted May 13, 2013 9:10 AM
    Abraham Lincoln expressed the reason to celebrate Mothers’ Day eloquently: “All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to my angel mother.”
  • Government report shows region's hospitals' charges vary for same treatments
    Updated May 13, 2013 2:47 PM
    Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article misstated the average amount Johnson City Medical Center charged for simple pneumonia. The errant figure was taken from an adjacent line on the report regarding more complex pneumonia treatment. The Johnson City Press apologizes for the error.
  • Minutes jog Washington Co. Zoning Administrator Rutherford's memory of budget amount
    Posted May 13, 2013 8:48 AM
    Washington County Zoning Administrator Mike Rutherford said Wednesday he was never told what the amount of his department’s building permit revenue line item was going to be this fiscal year.
  • Don’t unknowingly invite bears and other wildlife
    Posted May 13, 2013 8:45 AM
    The Knoxville News Sentinel reported last week that black bears are thriving in and around the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. The bears were reintroduced to the area two decades ago after their numbers were decimated by unregulated hunting and adverse habitat changes.
  • TBI says 18 arrested on drug charges in 3 Tennessee counties
    Posted May 13, 2013 7:39 AM
    JACKSON — Authorities say 18 people have been arrested on drug-related charges in three counties.
  • Haslam decision due this week on 'ag gag' bill
    Posted May 13, 2013 7:36 AM
    NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam must decide this week whether he will allow a bill to become law that would require images documenting animal abuse to be turned over to law enforcement within 48 hours.
  • 4 children, 2 adults die in Eastern Pennsylvania house fire
    Posted May 13, 2013 7:25 AM
    POTTSVILLE, Pa. — Four children and two adults were found dead in a house fire in eastern Pennsylvania early Monday morning and authorities were searching for the cause.
  • OJ hoping for new trial in return to Vegas court
    Posted May 13, 2013 7:23 AM
    LAS VEGAS — The last time O.J. Simpson was in a Las Vegas courtroom, he stood next to defense attorney Yale Galanter before being handcuffed and hauled off to prison for up to 33 years.
  • The top 10 this morning from across the nation and around the world
    Posted May 13, 2013 7:12 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • One Acre Cafe makes progress
    Posted May 12, 2013 9:44 PM
    Work to open the nonprofit One Acre Cafe is off and running.
  • Local researcher aims to protect bison in Southwest
    Posted May 12, 2013 9:42 PM
    As it stands, the Grand Canyon National Park considers bison to be non-native species to the Southwest, but Jeff Martin, graduate student in the East Tennessee State University department of geosciences, hopes to prove them wrong.
  • Local diners provide setting for Mother’s Day celebrations
    Posted May 12, 2013 9:34 PM
    There are many ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, but one of the most popular in Johnson City is taking mom to visit one of her favorite local eateries.
  • Women rescued in Cleveland happy to be home
    Posted May 12, 2013 8:59 PM
    CLEVELAND (AP) — The three women allegedly imprisoned and sexually abused for years inside a padlocked Cleveland house asked for privacy Sunday, saying through an attorney that while they are grateful for overwhelming support, they also need time to heal.
  • Girl slain on Kan. farm, body was moved
    Posted May 12, 2013 8:46 PM
    OTTAWA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities believe that a slain 18-month-old girl whose body was found over the weekend was killed on the eastern Kansas farm where her mother and two men were killed, and that the child's body was later disposed of in the next county.
  • Exit polls: No clear winner in Bulgarian vote
    Posted May 12, 2013 8:40 PM
    SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria's center-right party and its main challenger, the Socialists, finished first and second in Sunday's parliamentary election, with neither one winning a majority needed to form a government, two exit polls indicated.
  • 'Toppers, Indians again in region final
    Posted May 12, 2013 7:57 PM
    By Douglas Fritz
  • Bodies found after NJ standoff; suspect killed
    Posted May 12, 2013 7:47 PM
    TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Police stormed a New Jersey home early Sunday and fatally shot a registered sex offender who had held his girlfriend's three children hostage, ending their 37-hour ordeal and recovering the bodies of the captives' mother and another sibling, authorities said.
  • Fatal crash reported in Johnson City; 80-year-old woman dies from previous wreck
    Posted May 12, 2013 5:28 PM
    Johnson City police today reported that a driver was killed in a crash on College Heights Road after striking a tree. Police also announced that an 80-year-old woman died from injuries from another crash earlier in the week.
  • Review by newspaper turns up more DCS problems
    Posted May 12, 2013 5:15 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Many of the recently released case files of children who died or nearly died after being under the supervision of the state Department of Children's Services were not filled out until months after a child's death or lacked required information, according to a newspaper's review.
  • Authorities search for man who jumped in lake
    Posted May 12, 2013 5:00 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities are continuing to search for a man who jumped into Percy Priest Lake.
  • Tenn. hospital treats drug-dependent babies
    Posted May 12, 2013 4:58 PM
    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — He's less than two weeks old, but he shows the telltale signs of a baby agitated and in pain: an open sore on his chin where he's rubbed the skin raw, along with a scratch on his left check. He suffers from so many tremors that he's been placed in a special area so nurses can watch him around the clock in case he starts seizing —or worse, stops breathing.
  • Update: Police vow to solve shootings of 19 in New Orleans
    Updated May 13, 2013 7:10 AM
    NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans police say they've obtained video showing a possible suspect in the shooting that wounded 19 people at a Mother's Day parade.
  • Brother, 12, arrested in fatal Calif. stabbing of 8-year-old girl
    Posted May 12, 2013 8:40 AM
    VALLEY SPRINGS, Calif. — Authorities have arrested the 12-year-old brother of an 8-year-old girl who was mysteriously stabbed at her home in a rural Northern California community last month.
  • I-26 collision in Kingsport leaves two dead
    Posted May 12, 2013 8:39 AM
    KINGSPORT — Eastbound traffic on Interstate 26 in Kingsport was shut down for nearly two hours Saturday night following a multiple-car wreck that left two people dead.
  • Body found in Kansas, believed to be missing toddler
    Posted May 12, 2013 8:26 AM
    OTTAWA, Kan. — A body recovered amid an intensive search is believed to be that of a missing 18-month-old girl whose mother was found dead along with two men on a Kansas farm days ago, authorities said Sunday.
  • Police say NJ standoff resolved, 3 children safe
    Posted May 12, 2013 8:19 AM
    TRENTON, N.J. — A standoff with an armed man who took multiple hostages inside a Trenton home has ended, and three children are safe, police said early Sunday.
  • Tri-Cities captures another state title
    Posted May 11, 2013 11:20 PM
    An up-and-down season that included two losses to Temple didn’t keep the Tri-Cities Christian soccer team from believing it could win its third state title in four years.
  • Former ETSU linebacker Smith has Falcons soaring
    Posted May 11, 2013 11:03 PM
  • Milligan honors spring 2013 graduates
    Posted May 11, 2013 10:00 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — When Kelly Devault walked across the stage at Milligan College’s Seeger Memorial Chapel on Saturday afternoon to receive her degree with one of Milligan’s largest graduating classes, she also became the sixth generation of Milligan graduates from her family.
  • 1,792 ETSU graduates ready to take next step
    Posted May 11, 2013 9:47 PM
    When David Blackley decided to come to East Tennessee State University to pursue his doctoral degree in public health with a concentration in epidemiology, he said the opportunity to work with a slew of researchers focusing on Appalachian health issues, as well as living in the region, sold him on attending.
  • Flag Pond Ruritan cooks up 28th Ramp Festival
    Posted May 11, 2013 9:23 PM
    FLAG POND — Flag Pond Ruritan Club President Richard Waldrop said the 28th annual Ramp Festival was timed perfectly with ramp-growing season in the mountains of Flag Pond this year.
  • North Knox woman injured in pit bull attack
    Posted May 11, 2013 9:15 PM
    A North Knox County woman was taken to Physicians Regional Medical Center this afternoon after a pit bull mauled her, officials said.
  • Sullivan school budget still more than $3 million short
    Posted May 11, 2013 9:08 PM
    BLOUNTVILLE — Even if Sullivan County’s school system cut 24 teaching positions and allocated $2 million in unallocated fund balance toward its budget, its 2013-14 budget still would be more than $3.2 million short.
  • Woman rescued from Bangladesh rubble recovering
    Posted May 11, 2013 8:57 PM
    SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) — A seamstress who survived 17 days before being rescued from a collapsed garment factory building outside of Bangladesh's capital was panicked, dehydrated and suffering from insomnia as she recovered in a hospital Saturday, but was in generally good condition, according to her doctors.
  • Pakistan's Sharif declares election victory
    Posted May 11, 2013 7:03 PM
    ISLAMABAD (AP) — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared victory following a historic election marred by violence Saturday, a remarkable comeback for a leader once toppled in a military coup and sent into exile.
  • Tenn. nuke protesters to stay in jail until fall
    Posted May 11, 2013 6:54 PM
    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A judge has ruled that a nun and two other protesters must remain in jail until they are sentenced in September for breaking into a nuclear weapons plant in Tennessee.
  • Knox sheriff creates dangerous dog map
    Posted May 11, 2013 3:26 PM
    KNOXVILLE — The Knox County Sheriff's Office has created a map that displays the locations of dogs deemed dangerous by a court order.
  • Watchdog report: IRS officials knew agents targeted Tea Party groups
    Posted May 11, 2013 3:17 PM
    WASHINGTON — A federal watchdog's upcoming report says senior Internal Revenue Service officials knew agents were targeting tea party groups in 2011.
  • Former Tennessee cop indicted in crash that killed 2
    Posted May 11, 2013 3:17 PM
    MEMPHIS— A former Memphis, Tenn., police officer who was involved in a fatal crash that killed two Mississippi residents has been indicted.
  • Police charge man after gun discharges in apartment
    Posted May 11, 2013 3:10 PM
    BRISTOL — A bullet traveled through several walls of an apartment complex on Volunteer Parkway without injuring anyone early Saturday morning.
  • Obama hails courage of nation's police officers
    Posted May 11, 2013 3:05 PM
    WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Saturday praised the nation's police officers for everyday acts of courage, saying they often rush into danger to do "some really tough stuff."
  • Strawberry harvesting begun; bountiful crop being delivered to stands, stores now
    Posted May 11, 2013 10:13 AM
    UNICOI — Friday marked the first day of strawberry harvesting at Unicoi-based Scott’s Strawberry and
  • Lady Junior Bucs win 1-A title
    Posted May 10, 2013 11:22 PM
    It took a mercy-rule slap in the face to awaken University High, and nobody was more ready to go than Tanner Horton.
  • Junior Bucs lose despite no-hitter
    Posted May 10, 2013 11:19 PM
    Despite a pair of University High pitchers combining for a no-hitter, the Junior Bucs lost 1-0 to Unaka in the losers’ bracket final of the District 1-A baseball tournament at Cannon-Gouge Park.
  • Vandy denies Bucs NCAA tennis win
    Posted May 10, 2013 10:06 PM
    NASHVILLE -- Vanderbilt, the 16th-ranked tennis team in the country, beat East Tennessee State 4-0 Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
  • Lady Bucs drops back at NCAA golf
    Posted May 10, 2013 10:05 PM
    AUBURN, Ala. -- The East Tennessee State women’s golf team dug itself into a hole on Friday.
  • ETSU honors graduate headed to Harvard
    Posted May 10, 2013 9:53 PM
    Harvard University is among the most renowned educational institutions in the world, and come fall, an East Tennessee State University graduate will be researching physics at that centuries-old school.
  • Watauga homeowners say high water spurring erosion
    Posted May 10, 2013 9:52 PM
    Some homeowners in Butler have seen their shorelines recede more than the high water at Watauga Lake that continues to saturate their property.
  • Amanda Berry's relatives Ohio bound
    Posted May 10, 2013 9:41 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The first contingent of Amanda Berry’s Tennessee relatives to make the trip to Ohio to see her left Friday afternoon.
  • Dollar rises above 100 yen for 1st time in 4 years
    Posted May 10, 2013 9:17 PM
    TOKYO (AP) — The dollar soared above 100 yen for the first time in more than four years Friday, driven by aggressive credit-easing aimed at reviving Japan's sluggish economy and improved U.S. economic figures.
  • Davidson County judge orders release of DCS records
    Updated May 10, 2013 9:13 PM
    Davidson County Chancellor Carol McCoy on Friday released the records of 42 children who died or nearly died under the supervision of the Department of Children’s Services, comprising the first 1,600 pages of records that The Tennessean and other media groups have sued the department to review.
  • Man arrested after stealing ambulance in Chattanooga
    Posted May 10, 2013 8:53 PM
    A man has been arrested after stealing an ambulance from Erlanger hospital this afternoon, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office officials say.
  • Vietnam veteran aims to educate at 4th Annual Veterans Homecoming
    Posted May 10, 2013 7:50 PM
    “This is all of my stuff,” Norman “Butch” Petit said as he listed the various military items –– clothing, weapons, canteens, currency and medals –– included in the large wood and glass cases on display at the Appalachian Fairgrounds on Friday.
  • NASA: Spacewalk planned to fix space station leak
    Posted May 10, 2013 7:45 PM
    WASHINGTON — Two astronauts will make a hastily planned spacewalk Saturday to try to fix an ammonia leak in the power system of the International Space Station.
  • Greenhouse gas milestone; CO2 levels set record
    Posted May 10, 2013 7:45 PM
    WASHINGTON — Worldwide levels of the chief greenhouse gas that causes global warming have hit a milestone, reaching an amount never before encountered by humans, federal scientists said Friday.
  • DNA test confirms alleged abductor fathered Amanda Berry's child
    Posted May 10, 2013 7:42 PM
    CLEVELAND -- A DNA test confirmed another dark twist in the story of three women imprisoned in a house for about a decade: Kidnapping and rape suspect Ariel Castro is the father of a 6-year-old girl who escaped from the house along with the women, a prosecutor said Friday.
  • State Dep't sought to change Libya talking points
    Posted May 10, 2013 7:35 PM
    WASHINGTON — Political considerations influenced the talking points that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used five days after the deadly Sept. 11 assault in Benghazi, Libya, with State Department and other senior administration officials asking that references to terror groups and prior warnings be deleted, according to department emails.
  • Pet-5-10-13
    Posted May 10, 2013 4:41 PM
    Mao is a 6 month old neutered male DSH. He is a very loving and playful boy. For more information about Mao or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week
  • Woman hit cop to go to jail to quit smoking
    Posted May 10, 2013 4:11 PM
    SACRAMENTO — Think you've heard of every way possible to quit smoking? Etta Mae Lopez came up with a new one: slap a cop so you'll go to jail, where smoking isn't allowed.
  • 9-year-old girl Tennessee accused of lying about abduction
    Posted May 10, 2013 2:41 PM
    JACKSON — Jackson police say they will pursue charges against a 9-year-old girl accused of lying about being abducted.
  • Tennessee DCS had involvement before baby died
    Posted May 10, 2013 2:37 PM
    MURFREESBORO — State officials have acknowledged that social workers with the Tennessee Department of Children's Services had been involved with a mother and infant before the 1-year-old died in November. The mother now stands accused of killing her child by endangerment and neglect. A spokeswoman for the agency said DCS had contact with the mother one time before the child died.
  • Uncle says Boston Marathon bombing suspect buried in Virginia
    Updated May 10, 2013 2:18 PM
    DOSWELL, Va. — Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been buried in a cemetery in Virginia, infuriating some members of the area's Islamic community who say they weren't consulted and flooring at least one neighbor who said she didn't even know she lived near a burial ground.
  • IRS apologizes for targeting conservative groups
    Posted May 10, 2013 1:44 PM
    WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service inappropriately flagged conservative political groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status, a top IRS official said Friday.
  • Report: Erwin woman leads police on search for bogus Kingsport 'bombs'
    Posted May 10, 2013 1:44 PM
    KINGSPORT — It's not a good idea to fabricate stories when speaking to police — especially if you're already booked into jail for stealing a rental vehicle.
  • FBI: No human remains among evidence from captive women case
    Posted May 10, 2013 11:43 AM
    CLEVELAND — The FBI says it did not recover human remains in its search of a Cleveland house where a man is accused of holding three women captive for a decade.
  • Bangladesh collapse survivor rescued after 17 days
    Posted May 10, 2013 11:12 AM
    SAVAR, Bangladesh — A seamstress buried for 17 days in the wreckage of a collapsed garment factory building in Bangladesh was rescued Friday, a miraculous moment set against the unimaginable horror of the more than 1,000 bodies recovered so far.
  • Accused Ohio rapist, kidnapper's ex-relatives say he is a 'monster'
    Posted May 10, 2013 11:08 AM
    CLEVELAND — The man accused of holding three women captive for a decade in his home terrorized the mother of his children, frequently beating her, playing twisted psychological games and locking her indoors in the years before their relationship disintegrated, her relatives say.
  • Elizabethton police say Johnson City woman left infant alone in car
    Posted May 10, 2013 9:50 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — A woman who police said left her infant alone in a car in the Walmart parking lot Monday evening was arrested on several charges.
  • May 24 opening targeted for new McKinney Center in Jonesborough
    Posted May 10, 2013 9:07 AM
    While renovations at the McKinney Cultural Arts Center at Booker T. Washington School are expected to continue at least through early summer, the center will open as scheduled May 24 with the return of the locally renowned Jonesborough Open Juried Art Show.
  • Factories in Bangladesh
    Posted May 10, 2013 8:57 AM
    Thanks for printing the column by Connie Schultz under the headline, “In wake of another factory fire: Calling all women.”
  • Hands all need to be where we can see them
    Posted May 10, 2013 8:55 AM
    Here’s why I think our country is currently conflicted to a standstill. A little mor than 32 years ago a right-wing demagogue named Ronald Reagan said, “Government is not the solution, it’s the problem.”
  • Mosquitoes are a nuisance and a public health threat
    Posted May 10, 2013 8:49 AM
    As the days grow longer and warmer, so are the chances we will soon have some unwelcome visitors. They’re not here yet, but you can bet they will be buzzing around our neighborhoods by late spring.
  • Unbalanced punishment
    Posted May 10, 2013 8:48 AM
    It happened again. I don’t know the circumstances, but I can guess. I read recently that a young woman from Portland, Maine, was tried for a number of misdemeanors relating to her participation in a prostitution scheme, and was sentenced to 20 months by a judge after she pleaded guilty to some of the charges.
  • Lopez’s partisanship
    Posted May 10, 2013 8:40 AM
    Kathryn Lopez’s column is called “The Conservative View,” but “The Radical Wacko Far-Right View” might be more appropriate. One of her latest has her drooling over the words spoken by George W. Bush at the grand opening of his monument to anti-intellectualism.
  • Where is help for our elders?
    Posted May 10, 2013 8:40 AM
    Where do I turn? When I was growing up, my mother taught her children to always be kind to babies, our elders and animals. So now we need to ask our government why our elders are no longer important.
  • Surgeon: Stonewall Jackson death likely pneumonia
    Posted May 10, 2013 7:54 AM
    Historians and doctors have debated for decades what medical complications caused the death of legendary Confederate fighter Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, felled by friendly fire from his troops during the Civil War.
  • Man accused of making courthouse bomb threat — a felony — to avoid appearance on misdemeanor offense
    Posted May 10, 2013 7:50 AM
    JONESVILLE, Va. — A Blackwater man is facing felony charges after he allegedly phoned in a bomb threat to the Lee County Courthouse Tuesday to avoid an appearance in court.
  • News in a glance today from around the globe
    Posted May 10, 2013 7:42 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Hilltoppers sweep D-B for crown
    Posted May 9, 2013 10:27 PM
    CHURCH HILL — Some baseball coaches have a lucky rabbit’s foot. Science Hill’s Ryan Edwards has a Lucky Rabbitts.
  • Feds in NYC: Hackers stole $45M in ATM card breach
    Posted May 9, 2013 9:52 PM
    NEW YORK — A worldwide gang of criminals stole a total of $45 million in a matter of hours by hacking their way into a database of prepaid debit cards and then draining cash machines around the globe, federal prosecutors said Thursday — and outmoded U.S. card technology may be partly to blame.
  • Elizabethton beats Unicoi for 1-AA title
    Posted May 9, 2013 9:36 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Elizabethton caught fire at midseason, and hasn't slowed down yet.
  • ETSU student to graduate with perfect attendance
    Posted May 9, 2013 9:27 PM
    Byron Barnes never missed a day of school in his life, not even while attending East Tennessee State University, which will become his alma mater when he graduates Saturday.
  • Proposed Johnson City methadone clinic hearing scheduled for late May
    Updated May 10, 2013 9:22 AM
    A fact-finding public hearing is scheduled for May 28 on a proposal to locate a methadone clinic in Johnson City.
  • Rain puts TVA’s reservoirs at summer levels
    Posted May 9, 2013 9:18 PM
    A wet weather system that unexpectedly rolled up from North Carolina did produce Watauga Lake’s highest water level on record, but it also has set in place what Tennessee Valley Authority officials said Thursday will be a first-rate fill for summer recreation.
  • AG: Tenn. 'Ag-gag bill' constitutionally suspect
    Posted May 9, 2013 9:14 PM
    NASHVILLE — Legislation that would require anyone recording images of animal abuse to submit unedited footage or photos to law enforcement within 48 hours is "constitutionally suspect," according to an state attorney general's opinion Thursday.
  • UT, city talk future of Clarence Brown Theatre
    Updated May 9, 2013 8:57 PM
    Overhauling the existing Clarence Brown Theatre or building a new venue near World’s Fair Park are among the proposals discussed in “very early conversations” between University of Tennessee and city of Knoxville officials about the future home of the school’s theater department.
  • Boone shuts out D-B for 1-AAA crown
    Posted May 9, 2013 8:51 PM
    BRISTOL -- Daniel Boone kept streaking as Jaclyn Jenkins added to her remarkable freshman season on Thursday night at Rotary Park.
  • Brown, Mariani were in Tennessee state of mind before Titans
    Posted May 9, 2013 8:38 PM
    Tennessee Titans players Zach Brown and Marc Mariani volunteered to travel around Tennessee meeting and greeting a state that needed no introductions.
  • NASA: Space station power system radiator leaking
    Posted May 9, 2013 8:38 PM
    WASHINGTON — The International Space Station has a radiator leak in its power system. The outpost's commander calls the situation serious, but not life-threatening.
  • Metal singer charged with soliciting wife's murder
    Posted May 9, 2013 8:22 PM
    VISTA, Calif. — A heavy metal singer gave an envelope containing $1,000 in cash to an undercover agent with instructions on how to kill his estranged wife along with her photograph, address, security gate code and dates he would be with their children to give him an alibi, a prosecutor said Thursday.
  • Baseball begins crucial A-Sun series
    Posted May 9, 2013 5:47 PM
    A pivotal weekend is coming up for teams at the top of the Atlantic Sun Conference baseball standings.
  • Bucs takes on Vandy in NCAA tennis
    Posted May 9, 2013 5:44 PM
    The East Tennessee State men’s tennis team has won NCAA tournament matches before, but never as a 4-seed facing the regional host in the first round.
  • Company orders recall of ice cream produced in NC
    Posted May 9, 2013 5:14 PM
    WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A dairy company is voluntarily recalling ice cream produced in Winston-Salem and distributed to 10 states that don't identify possible allergens because the product is packed in the wrong containers.
  • Dog remains missing from family of autistic child
    Posted May 9, 2013 4:44 PM
    The family of the lost Basset hound, Rudy, previously mentioned in a Johnson City Press article on April 26, said Thursday their four-legged friend is still missing.
  • Chainsaw stolen from Carter County Sheriff's Department
    Posted May 9, 2013 4:36 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Carter County Sheriff's Department was the victim of a crime recently.
  • Minnesota House approves same-sex marriage bill; state would be 12th in nation to allow
    Updated May 9, 2013 4:44 PM
    ST. PAUL, Minn. — A pivotal vote Thursday in the Minnesota House positioned that state to become the 12th in the country to allow gay marriages and the first in the Midwest to pass such a law out of its Legislature.
  • Mother charged with neglect in Carter County
    Posted May 9, 2013 4:32 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A Carter County woman has been arrested by the Carter County Sheriff's Department on charges she has failed to supervise and control her teenage son.
  • Prosecutor may seek death penalty for man accused of raping, imprisoning 3 women, forcing miscarriages
    Updated May 9, 2013 4:31 PM
    CLEVELAND — An Ohio prosecutor said Thursday he may seek the death penalty against Ariel Castro, saying the man accused of raping and imprisoning three women in his home forced them to suffer miscarriages.
  • State, feds raid West Knox clinic and weight-loss center
    Posted May 9, 2013 2:52 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Authorities served two search warrants today at a West Knoxville clinic and a weight-loss center.
  • Kerry hopes Russia won't sell missiles to Syria
    Posted May 9, 2013 2:35 PM
    ROME — Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday the transfer of advanced missile defense systems from Russia to Syria would be a "destabilizing" factor for Israel's security.
  • Sullivan committees OK 2 percent raise for county employees
    Posted May 9, 2013 2:34 PM
    BLOUNTVILLE — A 2 percent pay raise for all non-sheriff’s, non-school employees of Sullivan County — retroactive to April 1 — moved two steps closer to reality Wednesday.
  • Busy Kingsport intersection set to reopen
    Updated May 9, 2013 2:24 PM
    KINGSPORT — The Sullivan and Clinchfield intersection was scheduled to re-open for traffic at 2 p.m. today.
  • Weekend event at Appalachian Fairgrounds honors veterans
    Posted May 9, 2013 11:30 AM
    Veterans from all wars and anyone who wants to recognize them are welcome to attend the fourth Veterans Homecoming event at the Appalachian Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday.
  • Wash. Co. zoning administrator weighing run for county mayor’s seat
    Updated May 9, 2013 10:07 AM
    Mike Rutherford has been doing some thinking.
  • Cleveland man arraigned on rape, kidnap charges
    Posted May 9, 2013 8:37 AM
    CLEVELAND (AP) — A Cleveland man has been arraigned on charges of rape and kidnapping days after three women missing for about a decade were found alive at his home.
  • Chinese film director investigated for allegedly fathering 7 kids despite 1-child policy
    Posted May 9, 2013 8:04 AM
    BEIJING — Authorities are investigating whether one of China's top film directors fathered seven children in violation of the country's strict family planning laws, state media and a local official said Thursday.
  • Man wanted in Greene County arrested in Johnson City traffic stop
    Posted May 9, 2013 7:49 AM
    An alleged seat belt violation led Johnson City police to arrest a man under the habitual motor offender law on Wednesday.
  • News in a glance from across the nation and around the globe
    Posted May 9, 2013 7:43 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Elizabethton man accused of bashing Johnson City bar employee with beer bottle
    Updated May 9, 2013 5:17 PM
    Johnson City police chased down a bar patron accused of hitting a nightclub employee’s head with a beer bottle Wednesday, according to a police news release.
  • Unicoi captures 15th district softball title in 16 years
    Updated May 8, 2013 10:34 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Elizabethton was up to play the role of spoiler, but Cheyenne Dellfs stole the show.
  • Boone, D-B reach 1-AAA softball final
    Posted May 8, 2013 10:31 PM
    BRISTOL -- Jaclyn Jenkins did it again for Daniel Boone.
  • Former Jackson defender now says singer abused him
    Posted May 8, 2013 10:00 PM
    LOS ANGELES — A TV choreographer who testified that Michael Jackson never abused him as a child has now filed a claim against the singer's estate claiming years of abuse by the pop superstar.
  • 'Toppers rally to reach AAA title game
    Posted May 8, 2013 9:55 PM
    CHURCH HILL — Headed into the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday night, a berth to the Region-1 AAA baseball tournament was Daniel Boone’s to lose.
  • Charges placed after parents alert police to son's drug activity
    Posted May 8, 2013 9:50 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — For the second time during the past weekend, parents alerted the Carter County Sheriff’s Department on their suspicions that their son was manufacturing methamphetamine on their property.
  • Blue Devils go long to beat Warriors
    Posted May 8, 2013 9:44 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Nothing like a little Blue Thunder to break up another rainy day — and continue a three-decade tradition.
  • Students charged in pellet gun shootings
    Posted May 8, 2013 9:20 PM
    BRISTOL, Va. –– Two students from Virginia High School were arrested Wednesday as suspects in a series of shooting incidents involving Airsoft pellet guns last week, according to a Bristol, Va., police news release.
  • Woman charged with embezzling from store
    Posted May 8, 2013 9:19 PM
    A Johnson City woman was arrested for embezzlement Wednesday following an investigation by a department store’s loss prevention department in The Mall at Johnson City, according to a police news release.
  • Jury finds 3 guilty of weapons plant break-in
    Posted May 8, 2013 9:13 PM
    KNOXVILLE — An 83-year-old nun and two fellow protesters were convicted Wednesday of interfering with national security when they broke into a nuclear weapons facility in Tennessee and defaced a uranium processing plant.
  • State offering teacher bonuses to recruit talent
    Posted May 8, 2013 8:47 PM
    NASHVILLE — The state Department of Education has rolled out a new package of incentives to help bring the best teachers to Tennessee's worst schools.
  • Funeral underway for referee who died after punch
    Posted May 8, 2013 8:44 PM
    SALT LAKE CITY — A funeral service is underway to honor the memory of a Utah soccer referee who was punched by a player and later died.
  • Jury finds three guilty of injuring Washington County deputy
    Posted May 8, 2013 7:41 PM
    The three people accused of running down a Washington County deputy last year as they were fleeing from other officers for a robbery incident were convicted of attempted aggravated robbery and felony reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon — a lesser included charge of the original attempted murder they had faced.
  • DOE: Breach at Tenn. nuclear plant 'unacceptable'
    Posted May 8, 2013 7:32 PM
    WASHINGTON — A breach in which an 82-year-old nun and two other protesters sneaked into a Tennessee nuclear weapons plant last year is "completely unacceptable" and an "important wake-up call" for the government, the head of an agency charged with safeguarding the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile said Wednesday.
  • Former US official describes Libya attack
    Posted May 8, 2013 6:06 PM
    WASHINGTON — A former top diplomat in Libya on Wednesday delivered a riveting minute-by-minute account of the chaotic events during the deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi last September, with a 2 a.m. call from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and confusion about the fate of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.
  • Ezell era begins at ETSU
    Updated May 8, 2013 6:08 PM
    Brittney Ezell had a good thing going as the third-year Belmont women’s basketball coach, but she couldn’t resist the temptation to rebuild the program at East Tennessee State.
  • Gay marriage momentum expands to 2 Midwest states
    Posted May 8, 2013 6:04 PM
    ST. PAUL, Minn. — Just six months after Minnesota voters turned back an effort to ban gay weddings, lawmakers are poised to make the state the first in the Midwest to pass a law allowing them.
  • Cleveland man charged with rape and kidnapping in captive women case
    Posted May 8, 2013 5:49 PM
    CLEVELAND — A Cleveland man arrested after three women missing for a decade were found alive at his home was charged Wednesday with kidnapping and raping them. Prosecutors brought no charges against his brothers, saying there was no evidence they had any part in the crime.
  • Sen. Henry won't seek re-election in 2014
    Posted May 8, 2013 4:49 PM
    NASHVILLE — Lawmakers reacting to word that longtime Sen. Douglas Henry won't be seeking re-election next year said Wednesday that the 86-year-old Nashville Democrat will be missed for his charm and wealth of political knowledge.
  • Jury finds Jodi Arias guilty of first-degree murder in death of ex-boyfriend
    Posted May 8, 2013 4:48 PM
    PHOENIX — The jury has found Jodi Arias guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her one-time boyfriend in Arizona. Arias initially denied involvement and later blamed the killing on masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, she said she killed Travis Alexander in self-defense.
  • Revitalization project in downtown Erwin begins
    Posted May 8, 2013 4:35 PM
    ERWIN — From addressing stormwater issues to spurring economic growth, town officials and those who do business in the area have high hopes for Erwin’s downtown revitalization project, the first phase of which is now under way.
  • Cleveland councilman says captive women were sexually abused, had miscarriages
    Updated May 8, 2013 4:39 PM
    CLEVELAND, Ohio — A Cleveland councilman says three long-missing women found alive at a home were subjected to sexual abuse for a prolonged period and had miscarriages.
  • Former US official describes Libya attack
    Posted May 8, 2013 4:31 PM
    WASHINGTON — A former top diplomat in Libya on Wednesday delivered a riveting minute-by-minute account of the chaotic events during the deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi last September, with a 2 a.m. call from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and confusion about the fate of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.
  • Soap queen Jeanne Cooper dies at 84
    Posted May 8, 2013 4:09 PM
    LOS ANGELES — Jeanne Cooper, the enduring soap opera star who played grande dame Katherine Chancellor for nearly four decades on "The Young and the Restless," has died. She was 84.
  • 31 detained in probe of $50M Belgium diamond heist
    Posted May 8, 2013 4:08 PM
    BRUSSELS — Unlike the brilliant thieves in "Ocean's Eleven," it appears that those behind the clockwork-precision, $50 million diamond heist at Brussels Airport may not get a Hollywood ending.
  • Rescue crews investigating report of drowning in South Knox quarry
    Posted May 8, 2013 3:52 PM
    KNOXVILLE — The Knoxville Volunteer Emergency Rescue Squad is scouring a South Knoxville quarry Wednesday afternoon searching for a swimmer who did not surface after diving into the water.
  • Buc basketball assistants leaving
    Updated May 8, 2013 9:41 PM
    Two of the fixtures on the East Tennessee State basketball bench for the last decade will be missing next season.
  • Pedestrian killed after being struck twice in Greeneville
    Posted May 8, 2013 3:38 PM
    GREENEVILLE — A Greeneville woman was struck and killed by a truck Sunday night on U.S. Highway 11E only minutes after being hit in the arm by another motorist, according to a crash report.
  • Water remains high at Watauga Lake
    Updated May 8, 2013 9:45 PM
    HAMPTON — The highest water level in the history of Watauga Lake, 1,966 feet above sea level, has proven to be more of an inconvenience than a disaster, with picnic areas closed and marinas having to shuffle boats and extend docks. The level exceeds the previous high water mark by 3 feet.
  • Butler father charged with abuse of infant daughter
    Posted May 8, 2013 1:11 PM
    A Butler father has been indicted for injuring his child back in March.
  • 3-year-old boy fatally shoots self with gun from uncle's backpack
    Posted May 8, 2013 12:42 PM
    TAMPA — Authorities say a 3-year-old Florida boy has died after shooting himself with a gun he found in his uncle's backpack.
  • Report: Woman held at gunpoint in Johnson City home invasion, cash stolen from bedroom
    Updated May 8, 2013 1:01 PM
    A Johnson City woman was held at gunpoint while her apartment was burglarized Tuesday, according to a police report.
  • Former captive Amanda Berry returns home
    Updated May 8, 2013 12:54 PM
    CLEVELAND — Around 100 neighbors and a pack of journalists were outside Amanda Berry's sister's house as she returned home in a police motorcade after a decade in captivity.
  • 33,000 across U.S. sign petition opposing Tennessee 'ag gag' bill
    Posted May 8, 2013 11:34 AM
    NASHVILLE — More than 33,000 people nationwide have signed an American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee petition urging Gov. Bill Haslam to veto a so-called "ag gag" bill that critics charge is designed to curb animal abuse investigations, the group says.
  • 90-year-old Florida man trapped in car 3 days after fall in supermarket
    Posted May 8, 2013 11:28 AM
    TRINITY, Fla. — A man walking by a Pasco County home saw a hand waving to him from the window of a car parked in the garage. As he walked up the driveway, he heard a muffled voice.
  • 3 charged with gambling in building owned by East Tennessee judge
    Posted May 8, 2013 11:23 AM
  • DCS investigating actions after Tennessee teen accused of killing classmate
    Updated May 8, 2013 11:21 AM
    NASHVILLE — The Department of Children's Services is reviewing its actions after a 17-year-old boy the agency was supervising gunned down a fellow high school student.
  • Most military sexual assault cases go unreported
    Posted May 8, 2013 10:56 AM
    WASHINGTON — They are young, often low-ranking service members out on the weekend in the late night and early morning hours. Sometimes they've been drinking. Often those who sexually assault them are in the armed forces, too.
  • Police ask state to help find burial site for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev
    Posted May 8, 2013 10:51 AM
    BOSTON — The chief of the police in Worcester (WUS'-tur), Mass., says the department has been reluctantly dragged into the efforts to find a burial plot for dead Boston Marathon suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev (TAM'-ehr-luhn tsahr-NEYE'-ehv), and a deal for the state prisons department to take the body has fallen through.
  • Erwin railroad overpass finally taking shape
    Posted May 8, 2013 10:20 AM
    ERWIN — Work on the long-awaited solution to delays and backups caused by trains crossing Second Street is now under way.
  • Dead Washington County inmate had been identified as ETSU student’s assailant
    Posted May 8, 2013 9:33 AM
    A Washington County Detention Center inmate who died last week was clearly identified in a lineup by a witness Thursday as the assailant of an East Tennessee State University student.
  • Verdict: 3 accused of hitting deputy guilty of attempted aggravated robbery, felony reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon
    Updated May 8, 2013 5:50 PM
    Editor's Note: Press Staff Writer Becky Campbell is reporting live from the trial at the Jaynes Justice Center in Jonesborough. Follow her on Twitter @CampbellinCourt.
  • Man pleads guilty to homicide in Gray crash that killed woman, injured 6-year-old
    Posted May 8, 2013 9:12 AM
    A Mountain City man pleaded guilty this morning to vehicular homicide and assault charges from a 2010 crash that killed a woman and injured her daughter in Gray.
  • Kingsport woman sentenced in Mace attack on mother-in-law
    Posted May 8, 2013 9:01 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Kingsport woman who attacked her mother-in-law with Mace earlier this year, which caused the chemicals to get on her four children as well, accepted a plea bargain Monday to avoid felony prosecution.
  • Health care
    Posted May 8, 2013 8:43 AM
    If the cost of having a sore throat is too costly, the patient defers being treated. Then when it gets worse in the form of pneumonia and sepsis, they go for treatment and get a much more expensive product that they get whether they pay or not. I want a Ford, but I can’t afford it so I’ll just wait until they have to give me two Ferraris and I will not have to pay for them.
  • Will MSHA be a good neighbor, proper steward to environment?
    Posted May 8, 2013 8:38 AM
    If the new Unicoi hospital is built at the property at Exit 40 of Interstate 26, we will be a close neighbor.
  • Indian Trail Intermediate School teacher accused of biting student
    Posted May 8, 2013 8:24 AM
    The parents of an 11-year-old Indian Trail Intermediate School student are requesting the termination of a teacher accused of biting the girl for incorrectly answering a question.
  • Man jailed in captive women case helped neighbors look for missing
    Updated May 8, 2013 12:22 PM
    CLEVELAND, Ohio — In the years after his friend's daughter vanished while walking home from school, Ariel Castro handed out fliers with the 14-year-old's photo and performed music at a fundraiser held in her honor.
  • THP: One killed, one injured in East Tennessee crash
    Updated May 8, 2013 7:00 AM
    BEAN STATION — Authorities say charges are pending in a two-vehicle crash that killed a Grainger County man and injured a second person Tuesday.
  • Across the nation and around the world today at a glance
    Posted May 8, 2013 6:52 AM
    Ten things to know today:
  • Dobyns-Bennett blows out 'Toppers
    Posted May 7, 2013 10:59 PM
    KINGSPORT — Once again, rain forced the District 1-AAA baseball tournament to J. Fred Johnson Stadium. While light rain fell early Tuesday, it was the storm that blew in late that led Dobyns-Bennett to soak Science Hill 13-2.
  • Huskies down Hampton in 1-A
    Posted May 7, 2013 10:57 PM
    ELIZABETHTON -- Tyler Bailey was North Greene’s not-so secret weapon against Hampton in the District 1-A baseball tournament on Tuesday night.
  • Unicoi's Davis shuts down East
    Posted May 7, 2013 10:56 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Jonathan Davis was like an Exxon tanker truck Tuesday night. He was bringing the gas.
  • President Assad says Syria able to face Israel
    Posted May 7, 2013 10:12 PM
    BEIRUT (AP) — In his first response to Israel's weekend airstrikes, President Bashar Assad said Tuesday that Syria is capable of facing Israel, but stopped short of threatening retaliation for the strikes near the Syrian capital of Damascus.
  • Deputy wasn’t sure he ‘was going to make it’
    Posted May 7, 2013 9:37 PM
    Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Gary Daugherty testified Tuesday that he wasn’t sure he “was going to make it,” last year after a fleeing robbery suspect mowed him down as the officer attempted to throw out a spike strip.
  • Company faces $24,000 in penalties in Knoxville electrocution
    Posted May 7, 2013 8:54 PM
    KNOXVILLE — State officials have proposed a $24,000 penalty on a company whose temporary employee was electrocuted last year while working at a wastewater treatment construction site on Neyland Drive.
  • Prosecution rests in Tenn. nuclear plant break-in
    Posted May 7, 2013 8:05 PM
    KNOXVILLE (AP) — Federal prosecutors have rested their case in the trial of an 83-year-old nun and two follow nuclear weapons protesters accused of intruding at a Tennessee plant.
  • Internet sales tax bill faces tough sell in House
    Posted May 7, 2013 7:57 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Traditional retailers and cash-strapped states face a tough sell in the House as they lobby Congress to limit tax-free shopping on the Internet.
  • Kingsport man allegedly shoots estranged wife's dogs, killing one
    Posted May 7, 2013 7:44 PM
    A Kingsport man has been arrested on multiple charges after allegedly shooting his estranged wife's two poodles — killing one of the dogs — while bragging to her over the phone that they were "suffering."
  • Lady Bucs looking for breakthrough
    Posted May 7, 2013 7:11 PM
    Stefanie Shelton wants her East Tennessee State women’s golf team to act like it belongs when the NCAA East Regional begins on Thursday, mostly because she knows it does.
  • Ragan’s victory has plenty of local ties
    Posted May 7, 2013 7:09 PM
    David Ragan’s victory in Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway was more than a win for the underdogs. The NASCAR Sprint Cup victory was one to be celebrated by the local community.
  • Brown scores first EnduroCross win
    Posted May 7, 2013 7:08 PM
    Mike Brown continues to outrun both his fellow riders and Father Time.
  • Parking garage, green space work will close portion of ETSU campus this summer
    Posted May 7, 2013 5:37 PM
    Navigating the campus of East Tennessee State University may be a bit tricky beginning next week because of some necessary road closures to accommodate continuing work on a massive 1,200-space parking garage and central green space.
  • Update: Watauga Lake flooding its shores
    Updated May 7, 2013 9:53 PM
    HAMPTON — In the 60 years that Watauga Lake has been in existence, the water has never been as high as it is right now.
  • Accused in Colorado movie theater massacre to plead insanity
    Posted May 7, 2013 5:20 PM
    DENVER — Lawyers for the man accused of killing 12 people and injuring 70 in a Colorado movie theater said Tuesday he wants to change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.
  • Delaware to become 11th state with gay marriage
    Updated May 7, 2013 5:17 PM
    DOVER, Del. — By a slim margin, a divided Delaware state Senate voted Tuesday to make its state the 11th in the nation to allow same-sex marriage.
  • Elizabethton family of Amanda Berry celebrates her rescue from captivity
    Updated May 7, 2013 9:52 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Ten years of worry and anguish in the Berry household has given way to joy and happiness when the family learned that family member Amanda Berry was safe and sound after escaping 10 years of captivity.
  • Johnson City police: Man tossed 2 bags of 'weed' under car during traffic stop
    Posted May 7, 2013 4:18 PM
    A 30-year-old Johnson City man tossed two bags of marijuana under his car during a traffic stop on Monday, resulting in his arrest, police said in reports.
  • Defense argues against death penalty in Tennessee post office shootings
    Posted May 7, 2013 4:01 PM
    MEMPHIS — A former prison guard charged with killing two Tennessee post office workers should not face the death penalty because the punishment is unconstitutional, court documents filed Tuesday said.
  • Dow closes above 15,000 for first time
    Updated May 7, 2013 4:07 PM
    NEW YORK — The Dow Jones industrial average is punching through another milestone: its first close above 15,000.
  • Mother's Day letter home captures Eliz. soldier's feelings as he prepares to fight in WWII
    Posted May 7, 2013 3:41 PM
    Being a member of the military means being away from family members and those you love on holidays and special occasions. It goes with the job.
  • Johnson City’s downtown scavenger hunt going on now
    Posted May 7, 2013 3:13 PM
    May is Historic Preservation Month, and there’s a scavenger hunt starting today in downtown Johnson City rife with history.
  • Peace protesters told by security guard to leave but continue their Y-12 trial vigil
    Posted May 7, 2013 1:31 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Peace protesters were told to leave the courtyard of the federal building this morning where they had gathered before opening statements at the federal trial of three Y-12 protesters.
  • Kingsport man allegedly shoots estranged wife's dogs, killing one
    Posted May 7, 2013 12:36 PM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport man has been arrested on multiple charges after allegedly shooting his estranged wife's two poodles — killing one of the dogs — while bragging to her over the phone that they were, "suffering."
  • US senator says military plagued by sexual assaults
    Posted May 7, 2013 12:00 PM
    WASHINGTON — The sexual battery arrest of the Air Force officer who led the service's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response unit underscores how far the Defense Department has to go in addressing the plague of sexual crimes in the military, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Tuesday.
  • Update: Most CenturyLink subscribers service restored after disruption
    Updated May 7, 2013 3:44 PM
    Customers of communications provider CenturyLink had experienced a disruption in service this morning, but according to city officials around 1 p.m. the service had been restored.
  • Times-News Editorial: Godsey made wrong remarks at wrong time
    Posted May 7, 2013 11:38 AM
    The theme for Thursday’s 62nd annual National Day of Prayer, according to the event’s website, was “Pray for America.”
  • Letter Carriers food drive rolls Saturday
    Posted May 7, 2013 11:27 AM
    Notices have been delivered and grocery bags are in the mail for the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, the largest one-day food drive in the nation and the largest food drive of the year for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee.
  • British comedian faces child sex allegations
    Posted May 7, 2013 10:57 AM
    LONDON — British media say comedian Jimmy Tarbuck has been arrested and questioned about alleged child abuse — the latest in a long list of British entertainers to face sex crime allegations.
  • Limo driver, survivor offer differing accounts on fire that killed 5 including bride
    Posted May 7, 2013 10:55 AM
    REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — As smoke thickened and a fire grew in the back of a limousine, Nelia Arellano desperately tried to squeeze through a 3 foot by 1 1/2-foot partition.
  • Defense presents case in deputy hit case; two defendants take stand.
    Updated May 7, 2013 4:47 PM
    Editor's Note: Press Staff Writer Becky Campbell is reporting from the trial at the Jaynes Justice Center in Jonesborough, Internet troubles at the center have prevented her from posting live updates today.
  • Johnson City schools to offer info with free app
    Posted May 7, 2013 9:28 AM
    If you’re looking for information about Johnson City Schools, look no further, because there’s an app for that.
  • How many beers? Hawkins County man tells police '12, 14, 24 or 48'
    Posted May 7, 2013 9:17 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Rogersville man who told police Saturday he’d had as many as 48 beers to drink that day may have been exaggerating, but he did allegedly drink enough to earn charges including DUI fifth offense.
  • Handcuffed man runs from Johnson City police
    Posted May 7, 2013 9:07 AM
    A man wanted in Georgia briefly escaped in handcuffs from Johnson City police Monday before being recaptured in a foot chase, police said in a news release.
  • Carter County Committee doesn’t act on Rescue Squad’s agreement request
    Posted May 7, 2013 8:59 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — After a lengthy discussion Monday evening, the Health and Welfare Committee of the Carter County Commission could not reach a decision on entering into a franchise agreement with the Carter County Rescue Squad.
  • Trial resumes for 3 accused of running down Washington County Deputy
    Updated May 7, 2013 9:01 AM
    Editor's Note: Press Staff Writer Becky Campbell is reporting live from the attempted murder trial for three people accused of running down a Washington County sheriff’s deputy more than a year ago. Follow her on Twitter @CampbellinCourt.
  • $400K of undisbursed collections found in Carter Circuit Court Clerk account
    Posted May 7, 2013 8:47 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Carter County’s new Audit Committee is working with state and local officials to correct several long-term accounting problems in the Circuit Court Clerk’s office, including listings showing nearly $400,000 has built up in undisbursed collections.
  • 10 things to know today at a glance
    Posted May 7, 2013 7:02 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Update: 3 brothers charged after 3 Ohio women rescued from 10 years in captivity; child, 6, found
    Updated May 7, 2013 11:53 AM
    CLEVELAND — The woman's voice was frantic and breathless, and she was choking back tears. "Help me. I'm Amanda Berry," she told a 911 dispatcher. "I've been kidnapped and I've been missing for 10 years and I'm, I'm here, I'm free now."
  • Boone sets up meeting with Toppers
    Updated May 7, 2013 12:07 PM
    BRISTOL – Driving to Bristol apparently gives Daniel Boone’s Kaylin Conkin a powerful urge.
  • Faulkner one-hits 'Landers
    Updated May 6, 2013 10:04 PM
    Youth and experience — University High had the best of both worlds in a 10-0 victory over Cloudland on Monday night in the District 1-A softball tournament.
  • Testimony to continue in deputy hit case
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:35 PM
    After several hours of jury selection Monday, testimony started in the trial of three people accused of running down a Washington County deputy during a pursuit from an alleged robbery.
  • Lady Devils set HR record in win
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:29 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Cheyenne Delffs helped Unicoi County make history, and the Lady Blue Devils crunched Elizabethton.
  • Senate passes bill letting states tax online sales
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:19 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate sided with traditional retailers and financially strapped state and local governments Monday by passing a bill that would widely subject online shopping — for many a largely tax-free frontier — to state sales taxes.
  • Nuclear protester trial gets underway this week
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:04 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — An octogenarian nun and two codefendants used bolt cutters to cut through fences and spent about two hours inside a Tennessee national security plant that has had a hand in making, maintaining or dismantling parts of every nuclear weapon in the country's arsenal, federal authorities allege.
  • Israel airstrikes loom over US diplomacy on Syria
    Posted May 6, 2013 8:59 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel's willingness to hit Syrian targets it sees as threats to its own existence has complicated the Obama administration's internal debate over arming President Bashar Assad's foes and may change the way U.S. approaches allies as it tries to boost the rebels, including with possible military aid.
  • Johnson City hosts official inauguration
    Updated May 6, 2013 9:45 PM
    Johnson City’s newly elected city commissioners and Board of Education members were sworn in Monday at the 38th Inaugural Ceremony at the Municipal & Safety Building as about 200 onlookers gathered to witness the event.
  • Utah prosecutor weighs charges in soccer ref death
    Posted May 6, 2013 5:31 PM
    SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah prosecutor says he plans to decide within a day or two what charges to file against a teenager accused of punching a soccer referee who later died after slipping into a coma.
  • NE Tennessee men killed in Morristown wreck
    Posted May 6, 2013 5:31 PM
    MORRISTOWN — Police have identified two Hawkins County men who were killed when their vehicle lost control and collided with an oncoming SUV in Morristown on Sunday.
  • Want to see bad boys on 'Cops'? Don't look on Fox next fall
    Posted May 6, 2013 5:16 PM
    NEW YORK — The "bad boys" are on the move. The Saturday night television fixture "Cops" is leaving Fox after 25 years and will be shown on the Spike network.
  • Program may benefit local farmers, landowners with wetlands
    Posted May 6, 2013 4:35 PM
    A new program aimed at protecting and preserving Tennessee’s wetlands could end up being profitable for qualifying local farmers and landowners with wetlands on their property.
  • Man charged with stealing Hoveround from Kingsport grocery store
    Posted May 6, 2013 4:06 PM
    A Kingsport man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a Hoveround from a city grocery store, then attempting to return it as police were taking a report on the incident.
  • Update: Motorcyclist crashes, avoids collision with car
    Updated May 6, 2013 8:20 PM
    Two Johnson City residents were possibly injured after swerving on a motorcycle to avoid hitting a sedan at around 3:40 p.m. on South Roan Street, police said.
  • Activists: Israeli strike kills 42 Syrian soldiers
    Posted May 6, 2013 1:48 PM
    BEIRUT (AP) — Israel's weekend airstrike on a military complex near the Syrian capital of Damascus killed at least 42 Syrian soldiers, a group of anti-regime activists said Monday, citing information from military hospitals.
  • More charges expected against teens in sexual exploitation case
    Posted May 6, 2013 1:44 PM
    SPRING HILL — Police anticipate more charges will be brought against four teen Spring Hill boys accused of distributing nude photos sexted by teen girls who attended their high school and using them in some cases to extort the girls for more photos.
  • Jury selection begins today for Y-12 protesters
    Posted May 6, 2013 1:40 PM
    Sister Megan Rice, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed have told their story many times over the past nine months, in forums large and small. They’ve shared details of their July 28, 2012 intrusion at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant at potluck dinners with friends and supporters, before church and school audiences, in countless interviews with the news media.
  • Kingsport teen charged in alleged arson, vandalism spree
    Posted May 6, 2013 1:33 PM
    A bizarre and apparently unprovoked sequence of vandalism and arson has prompted the arrest of a Kingsport teen, who police say damaged property at several residences before breaking into a woman's home and resisting officers.
  • Special Olympics track games bring big crowd to ETSU Mini-Dome
    Posted May 6, 2013 12:53 PM
    The largest crowd of Special Olympics athletes, volunteers, parents, friends and classmates in recent memory filed into the mini-dome at East Tennessee State University on Friday for the 2013 Area 3 Track and Field Games.
  • New Washington County Dem chairman encourages dialogue on issues
    Posted May 6, 2013 12:45 PM
    Frederic Poag grew up in a Republican household, but the reality of war, the study of history and a thorough philosophical re-examination of the world gradually moved him in line with the Democratic Party and the intentions and outcomes of liberalism.
  • Scouts showcase skills at annual Expo gathering
    Posted May 6, 2013 12:20 PM
    Sequoyah Council Cub and Boy Scouts woke up Saturday morning ready to showcase scouting skills at the regional Boy Scout Expo at the Appalachian Fairgrounds.
  • Floods cause little damage in south end of county
    Updated May 6, 2013 8:57 PM
    The Nolichucky River spilled over onto roads and farmlands that lie along its banks in southern Washington County on Monday morning.
  • Gun group targets Ramsey, other lawmakers who don't 'understand the Constitution'
    Posted May 6, 2013 10:33 AM
    NASHVILLE — John Harris, executive director of the Tennessee Firearms Association, has listed five state legislators — along with House Speaker Beth Harwell and Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey — as legislators “who do not understand the Constitution” as it applies to gun rights.
  • Should the county Planning Commission be changed?
    Posted May 6, 2013 10:01 AM
    A plan to revamp the Washington County Planning Commission has been snubbed by county commissioners. Washington County Mayor Dan Eldridge wanted to reduce the total number of members serving on the planing board from 15 to nine. That change would have included reducing the number county commissioners that serve on the Planning Commission from six to four.
  • Elderly fisherman reported missing in Washington County spends night on island
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:59 AM
    After spending the night on Jackson Island, an elderly fisherman reported missing Saturday night was found Sunday morning by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.
  • 20-year-old shot to death in Chattanooga
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:59 AM
    CHATTANOOGA — A 20-year-old man is dead after a shooting in the Lupton City area of Chattanooga last night.
  • Jonesborough’s disc golf course officially open
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:40 AM
    Jonesborough leaders cut a ribbon Friday to officially open the town’s new nine-hole disc golf course at Persimmon Ridge Park.
  • Jury selected for 3 accused of running down Washington County deputy
    Updated May 6, 2013 4:44 PM
    Editor's Note: Press Staff Writer Becky Campbell is reporting live from attempted murder trial for three people accused of running down a Washington County sheriff’s deputy more than a year ago. Follow her on Twitter @CampbellinCourt.
  • Rebuilding the Tweetsie
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:27 AM
    Fred Alsop says the beloved Tweetsie Railroad holds a special place in our area’s history.
  • Gas fuel lifestyle
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:17 AM
    There is no way the American public will refuse to buy gas, even when it costs so much. We are locked into a lifestyle that requires gas regardless of the price.
  • Veto ag gag: We have to be the voice for animals
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:16 AM
    I am writing to urge Gov. Bill Haslam to veto the “ag gag” bill. Educating the public about what is really going on in factory farms and slaughterhouses is an important step in creating a more compassionate and cruelty-free society.
  • Higher standards in preparing our students are very important
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:12 AM
    Over the past few years, Tennessee has taken important steps to improve public education. While we have made significant progress, and student achievement in our state is improving, there is still a lot of work left to do before every student graduates high school prepared for college and the workforce. There may be some people who are satisfied with Tennessee’s current academic performance. Yet, there is still room for improvement, and I am confident that Tennessee will achieve and exceed our expectations.
  • Roosevelt used cars to prove his capability to lead
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:08 AM
    Two levers on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s car may have influenced the history of the world. The levers enabled FDR, whose legs had been paralyzed by polio, to drive his car with hand controls.
  • Market, real world should help frame education system
    Posted May 6, 2013 9:05 AM
    Dr. Eric Glover of East Tennessee State University contributed an extraordinarily thoughtful column to this newspaper (“Assembly line schools: Responsible or accountable?”) on March 3 dealing with education. His insights on the development of our current system are spot-on and his criticisms of the “factory model” of education are well-founded. Yet, I find that his analysis of what ails education and some of the proposed fixes left me with more questions than answers.
  • Properly dispose of prescription drugs
    Posted May 6, 2013 8:49 AM
    What to do about those unused or out-of-date prescription drugs in the medicine cabinet? Flushing pills down the toilet is not the way to get rid of them. Studies indicate that traces of some pharmaceuticals often find their way back into your drinking water.
  • Peanut's Mecca Lounge,longtime downtown Johnson City bar sets up anew along Spring Street
    Posted May 6, 2013 8:49 AM
    Peanut’s Mecca Lounge may have moved from its longtime location at the corner of East Main and Buffalo streets, but the iconic downtown Johnson City bar is still serving up ice-cold beer and good times at its new, bigger location along Spring Street.
  • Online petition targets superintendent of Elizabethton schools
    Posted May 6, 2013 8:40 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — A group of citizens have begun an online petition drive to urge the Elizabethton City School Board against rehiring Superintendent Ed Alexander when his contract expires in September.
  • Today's U.S. and world news at glance
    Posted May 6, 2013 7:36 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Man on probation for Johnson City nightclub shooting charged with assaulting fiancée
    Posted May 6, 2013 7:18 AM
    A Johnson City man convicted in a 2011 nightclub shooting was arrested again Sunday on a charge that he assaulted his fiancée.
  • Work begins to give Love Chapel students new space
    Updated May 5, 2013 8:58 PM
    ERWIN — Nearly three months after the Unicoi County Board of Education voted to permanently shut down Love Chapel Elementary School due to sinkhole concerns, construction necessary to provide the school’s students and staff with a place of their own is now under way.
  • Flag Pond's 28th annual Ramp Festival set for Saturday
    Posted May 5, 2013 8:44 PM
    FLAG POND — Things are typically quiet around the old Flag Pond School, but the school’s grounds will soon be teeming with masses of hungry folks looking to get a plateful of fried potatoes and wild leeks.
  • Attacks in Iraq kill 9, wound 33
    Posted May 5, 2013 8:34 PM
    BAGHDAD (AP) — A series of attacks including a blast near an Internet cafe in a Sunni area of Baghdad killed nine people and wounded dozens on Sunday in and around the Iraqi capital.
  • Elizabethon beats HV to earn region berth
    Posted May 5, 2013 8:32 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Rain fell throughout the game, and Elizabethton rained runs on Happy Valley.
  • Soccer referee punched by player in Utah dies
    Posted May 5, 2013 8:22 PM
    MURRAY, Utah (AP) — Ricardo Portillo's daughters had begged him to stop refereeing in a soccer league because of the growing risk of violence from angry players.
  • Longtime Sullivan County commissioner dies
    Posted May 5, 2013 5:40 PM
    Sullivan County Commissioner Wayne McConnell died Saturday at Bristol Select Specialty Hospital.
  • Morristown crash kills two
    Posted May 5, 2013 5:33 PM
    Two people were killed Sunday in a car crash after the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to slid across a raised grassy median on East Morris Boulevard in Morristown and collide with an SUV, according to police.
  • Future of Memphis emissions testing up in the air
    Posted May 5, 2013 5:29 PM
    MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis City Council voted last year to stop funding a vehicle emissions program, but with less than two months left before inspections stop, neither the county nor the state seems willing to take over.
  • 5 women die in limo fire on Calif. bridge
    Posted May 5, 2013 5:20 PM
    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A limousine taking nine women to a bachelorette party erupted in flames, killing five of the passengers, including the bride-to-be, authorities and the mother of one of the survivors said Sunday.
  • Top Tenn. GOP fundraiser changing roles
    Posted May 5, 2013 3:58 PM
    NASHVILLE (AP) — The man who has successfully helped Republican candidates in Tennessee bring in donations for more than four decades is stepping away from the prominent role.
  • Uncle arranging Boston bomb suspect's burial rites
    Posted May 5, 2013 3:54 PM
    WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — The uncle of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect killed after a gun battle with police says he is arranging for his nephew's burial because religion and tradition call for him to be buried.
  • Kingsport bans all forms of smoking at school games
    Posted May 5, 2013 3:49 PM
    KINGSPORT — There’ll be no more blowing smoke at Dobyns-Bennett High School football games, even if it is water vapor from an electronic cigarette.
  • Noland: ETSU facilities to boost on campus involvement
    Updated May 5, 2013 3:53 PM
    More than 5,000 rock music fans, including non-students, recently lined up to see Train in East Tennessee State University’s Mini Dome, and the school president hopes more community members will discover or rediscover the school.
  • ETSU facilities to boost on campus involvement
    Posted May 5, 2013 3:00 PM
    More than 5,000 rock music fans, including non-students, recently lined up to see Train in East Tennessee State University’s Mini Dome, and the school president hopes more community members will discover or rediscover the school.
  • Bangladesh building-collapse toll tops 600
    Posted May 5, 2013 2:06 PM
    DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — More than 600 bodies have been recovered from the garment-factory building that collapsed well over a week ago, police said Sunday as the grim recovery work continued in one of the worst industrial accidents ever.
  • Y-12 worker suffered chemical burns in accident
    Posted May 5, 2013 2:00 PM
    OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) — A Y-12 worker received chemical burns to his face and eyelids while checking a problem with a system in the nuclear weapons plant's Beta-2 facility.
  • Collectors uncap wears at fairground show and sale
    Posted May 4, 2013 11:04 PM
    Kingsport resident Richard Begley saw the 2013 State of Franklin Antique Bottle and Collectibles Association show and sale as an opportunity to display a friend’s rare antique Mountain Dew bottle on Saturday.
  • Dealers uncap collections at fairground's show and sale
    Posted May 4, 2013 11:04 PM
    Kingsport resident Richard Begley saw the 2013 State of Franklin Antique Bottle and Collectibles Association show and sale as an opportunity to display a friend’s rare antique Mountain Dew bottle on Saturday.
  • Trial set to begin in deputy hit case
    Posted May 4, 2013 10:52 PM
    The attempted murder trial for three people accused of running down a Washington County sheriff’s deputy more than a year ago while they were allegedly trying to evade arrest from a robbery is scheduled to begin with jury selection Monday.
  • Orb comes from behind to win Kentucky Derby
    Posted May 4, 2013 10:01 PM
    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Way back in the pack heading into the final turn, Orb was calm even if his jockey wasn't.
  • PERFECT: Sullivan South junior aces ACT
    Posted May 4, 2013 9:54 PM
    KINGSPORT — Taylor Pinto made a 34 out of a possible 36 ACT score his sophomore year of high school.
  • Boone loses close one to D-B
    Posted May 4, 2013 8:46 PM
    CHURCH HILL -- In what has become an annual tradition, Daniel Boone pushed one of the top teams to the limit at the District 1-AAA baseball tournament.
  • Cyclones rally past Patriots
    Posted May 4, 2013 8:42 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — After a season with a flair for the dramatic, Elizabethton staged its most daring act so far.
  • Warriors knock off Unicoi
    Posted May 4, 2013 7:50 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Happy Valley is no longer taking baby steps.
  • ETSU Hall of Fame: Smith was a hit long before coaching called
    Updated May 4, 2013 7:46 PM
    Mike Smith had a nose for the football, a head for the game and an undersized body willing to shoulder the load at middle linebacker.
  • NRA, gun control advocates say fight far from over
    Posted May 4, 2013 7:23 PM
    HOUSTON (AP) — National Rifle Association leaders told members Saturday that the fight against gun control legislation is far from over, with battles yet to come in Congress and next year's midterm elections, but they vowed that none in the organization will ever have to surrender their weapons.
  • Bicyclist dies in Chattanooga after collision with car
    Posted May 4, 2013 7:22 PM
    Chattanooga police have confirmed that a cyclist in the 3 State, 3 Mountain Challenge bike ride was hit by a car and killed on Ochs Highway today.
  • Hilltoppers crush Vikings
    Posted May 4, 2013 7:21 PM
    CHURCH HILL -- Kyle Wilson led off with a home run and the hits kept coming for Science Hill in a 16-1 blowout victory over Tennessee High in the District 1-AAA baseball tournament at Volunteer High School.
  • 7 American service members killed in Afghanistan
    Posted May 4, 2013 4:48 PM
    KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Seven U.S. service members were killed on Saturday in one of the deadliest days for Americans in Afghanistan in recent months, as the Taliban continued attacks against foreign troops as part of their spring offensive.
  • Nashville bus stop killing suspect was under DCS supervision
    Posted May 4, 2013 3:50 PM
    The Department of Children’s Services was supposed to be keeping an eye on Eric Goodner on April 11, the day police say he fatally shot a fellow Pearl-Cohn High School student.
  • Israel enforces 'red line' with Syria airstrike
    Posted May 4, 2013 3:38 PM
    BEIRUT (AP) — With a second airstrike against Syria in four months, Israel enforced its own red line of not allowing game-changing weapons to reach Lebanon's Hezbollah, a heavily armed foe of the Jewish state and an ally of President Bashar Assad's regime, Israeli officials said Saturday.
  • Philly abortion murder trial has national impact
    Posted May 4, 2013 3:33 PM
    For weeks, jurors in Philadelphia heard grim testimony about deaths and squalor at Dr. Kermit Gosnell's inner-city abortion clinic. While they listened, the murder case reverberated far beyond the courtroom, changing — at least for the moment — the tone of the national debate on abortion.
  • Former Virginia police officer sentenced for sending sexual messages
    Posted May 4, 2013 3:28 PM
    GATE CITY — A former police officer for the town of Coeburn will spend the next year in prison after he was sentenced Friday in Scott County Circuit Court for using Facebook to solicit sex from a minor.
  • $120 million water plant to capture Y-12 mercury
    Posted May 4, 2013 3:20 PM
    OAK RIDGE — A water treatment plant in the heart of a nuclear weapons complex is the cornerstone of a new strategy to keep the toxic element mercury from seeping into a creek that flows through Oak Ridge.
  • Woman found dead in car outside Knox County motel
    Posted May 4, 2013 3:17 PM
    A woman was found dead in her car this morning at a Motel 6, 5640 Merchants Center Blvd., according to a Knoxville Police Department report.
  • Unicoi, Elizabethton advance in 1-AA
    Posted May 3, 2013 11:12 PM
    ELIZABETHTON -- Known for its hitting, Unicoi County relied heavily on its pitching and defense to earn a 6-1 win over Happy Valley in Friday’s District 1-AA softball tournament at Elizabethton High School.
  • Science Hill slides past Cougars
    Posted May 3, 2013 11:09 PM
    Longshot Sullivan Central had begun to make Science Hill fans nervous until Will Craig’s long shot.
  • Festival promotes Latin art and culture
    Posted May 3, 2013 10:51 PM
    Pamela Delgado and Ivan Ramirez, who are spending two years away from their homes in Costa Rica to study mathematics at ETSU, said the 2013 Corazón Latino Festival surprised them.
  • Suspect sought in local credit union robbery
    Posted May 3, 2013 10:22 PM
    A North Main Street bank closed temporarily Friday after a man demanded money from a teller and ran away, Johnson City police said.
  • Update: Suspect sought in local credit union robbery
    Posted May 3, 2013 10:22 PM
    A North Main Street bank closed temporarily Friday after a man demanded money from a teller and ran away, Johnson City police said.
  • Update: Suspect sought in local credit union robbery
    Posted May 3, 2013 10:22 PM
    A North Roan Street bank closed temporarily Friday after a man demanded money from a teller and ran away, Johnson City police said.
  • Relative wants answers in WCDC inmate’s death
    Updated May 3, 2013 10:49 PM
    A relative of a Johnson City man who died while custody at the Washington County Detention Center this week wants answers about his death.
  • Townsend's one-hitter lifts Warriors
    Posted May 3, 2013 9:50 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Happy Valley's baseball revival is coinciding nicely with the improvements of pitcher Hunter Townsend.
  • Longhorns’ Bellamy wins 1-A/AA tennis title
    Posted May 3, 2013 9:47 PM
    ELIZABETHTON -- Timmy Bellamy’s strong serve served him well in Friday’s District 1-A/AA individual tennis championships at Elizabethton High School.
  • SoCon to visit ETSU
    Updated May 3, 2013 7:39 PM
    CHATTANOOGA — During a conference call that lasted about 20 minutes, the Southern Conference made major progress toward adding new members to replace the departing College of Charleston, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.
  • Mister stands tall among all ETSU greats
    Posted May 3, 2013 7:27 PM
    Keith “Mister” Jennings will officially become a Hall of Famer at East Tennessee State this weekend, but he’s been a legendary figure in these parts for as long as many can remember.
  • ETSU student on road to recovery after being beaten, hospitalized
    Updated May 3, 2013 7:21 PM
    An East Tennessee State University student remained hospitalized Friday after being assaulted in his off-campus apartment last week.
  • 2 teens charged with Carter County house burglaries
    Posted May 3, 2013 5:08 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Two men were arrested by the Carter County Sheriff’s Department recently on charges of aggravated burglary and theft stemming from burglaries allegedly committed April 15. One of the men was already awaiting trial on previous burglary and theft charges.
  • NRA official: 'Culture war' more than gun rights
    Posted May 3, 2013 4:57 PM
    HOUSTON — The National Rifle Association kicked off its annual convention Friday with a warning that its members are engaged in a "culture war" that stretches beyond gun rights, further ramping up emotions surrounding the gun control debate.
  • Air Force experimental aircraft reaches 5X speed of sound
    Posted May 3, 2013 4:55 PM
    LOS ANGELES — An experimental unmanned aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force went hypersonic during a recent test off the Southern California coast, flying at more than five times the speed of sound.
  • More rain coming to Tennessee as soggy spring slogs on
    Posted May 3, 2013 4:40 PM
    NASHVILLE — A damp weekend is on tap for Tennessee, which is already slogging through a soggy spring from Memphis to Bristol.
  • Update: Johnson City police release bank robbery details
    Updated May 3, 2013 3:25 PM
    A white male about 6 feet tall and between 150-160 pounds demanded money from an Eastman Credit Union bank teller today at about 10:30 a.m., a Johnson City Police official said in a press conference this afternoon.
  • Appeals court affirms Kingsport murderer's conviction
    Posted May 3, 2013 11:07 AM
    The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals has affirmed the conviction and sentencing of a Kingsport murderer.
  • Dow tips over 15,000 for first time in history, closes just under
    Updated May 3, 2013 4:26 PM
    NEW YORK — After weeks of conflicting signals about the strength of the economy, a big gain in the jobs market gave Wall Street reason to celebrate Friday.
  • Outgoing JC commissioner Myron has no regrets
    Posted May 3, 2013 10:29 AM
    Though she finished a distant fifth in this year’s race to seat two new city commissioners, Jane Myron on Thursday — just hours before she received her ceremonial plaque and well wishes in the commission chambers — said she had no regrets about her service to the city.
  • Mountain States, Vanderbilt to work together in NE Tennessee, SW Virginia
    Updated May 3, 2013 5:11 PM
    Officials with Mountain States Health Alliance and Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center announced Friday an affiliation agreement between both health care providers, which leaders believe will bring a greater level of patient care to people in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
  • Telford woman faces charges in Ga.
    Posted May 3, 2013 10:09 AM
    A Telford woman facing drug and theft charges out of Georgia was taken to jail Thursday by Johnson City police.
  • Unemployment falls to 4-year low after US employers add 165K jobs
    Posted May 3, 2013 10:01 AM
    WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in April, and hiring was much stronger in the previous two months than the government first estimated. The job increases helped reduce the unemployment rate from 7.6 percent to a four-year low of 7.5 percent.
  • JC police: Two face meth charges after routine traffic stop
    Updated May 3, 2013 10:34 AM
    A routine traffic stop ended with methamphetamine charges for two people.
  • Carter County water woes
    Posted May 3, 2013 8:41 AM
    This is addressed to all Carter County and Elizabethton residents. If you find your water heater is making a humming sound and has a rotten egg odor, I would strongly suggest you take action as soon as possible to flush out your water heater and replace the heating elements.
  • No help for low income
    Posted May 3, 2013 8:38 AM
    I read the letter on April 19 about Johnson City Power Board’s plans for peak time billing. I, too, am on a fixed income and because my bill is so high, for the next month I will be washing my clothes in the bathtub. I will have no money on the first of the month after paying my bills.
  • Use of drones
    Posted May 3, 2013 8:36 AM
    I am writing in response to some of the recent letters about the use of drones over our skies here in Tennessee. I go on record as being opposed to the type of general surveillance they are commonly used for. I feel they could be used in only a limited, controlled program, that quantifies their use by way of a judge-signed warrant with specific goals and time limitations.
  • Parents: be parents; students: don’t drink
    Posted May 3, 2013 8:33 AM
    Prom season is a time when the thoughts of many high school students turn to rented limousines, tuxedos and evening dresses. Students at Science Hill High School will be putting on their dancing shoes for prom Saturday night.
  • Vaccinate pets yearly against rabies virus
    Posted May 3, 2013 8:32 AM
    It’s time to get your dogs and cats vaccinated against rabies. Doing so could protect both your pets and your family from a disease that is spreading across the region.
  • Ginormous rubber duck makes splash in Hong Kong harbor
    Posted May 3, 2013 8:07 AM
    HONG KONG — A six-story-high rubber duck is making a big splash in Hong Kong.
  • Today's national and world news at a glance
    Posted May 3, 2013 7:58 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Faith group joins opposition to 'ag gag' bill
    Posted May 3, 2013 7:58 AM
    NASHVILLE — Members of the faith community are expressing their opposition to a bill that would make it a crime to video record animal abuse if it isn't turned over to law enforcement authorities within 48 hours.
  • Sullivan mayor 'preaches' against Obama, gay NBA player
    Posted May 3, 2013 7:41 AM
    BLOUNTVILLE — To mark National Day of Prayer, Sullivan County Mayor Steve Godsey took to a makeshift pulpit Thursday, feet from his office in the Sullivan County Courthouse, to preach against President Obama for “embarrassing us” with a “disgraceful” telephone call to National Basketball Association player Jason Collins.
  • DeChellis built a champion the hard way
    Posted May 2, 2013 10:30 PM
    Ed DeChellis knew he wasn’t the people’s choice when he took the East Tennessee State basketball job in 1996.
  • Happy Valley holds off East
    Posted May 2, 2013 10:29 PM
    The great experiment paid off for Happy Valley in opening game of the District 1-AA softball tournament on Thursday evening at Elizabethton High School.
  • In Myanmar, living in fear amid religious violence
    Posted May 2, 2013 10:08 PM
    YANGON, Myanmar— They have seen how trouble starts from the smallest things. They have seen the police powerless before mobs fired with religious zeal and armed with bricks and swords. They have seen on TV and in newspapers the burning homes of people just like them light up the night. And so they have erected rusted barbed-wire barricades and volunteered to sit on street corners, 10 men at time, watching through the night.
  • ETSU initiative hopes to bring more veterans to campus
    Posted May 2, 2013 10:05 PM
    If you are a veteran, chances are you can attend East Tennessee State University debt-free, or with very little expense, depending on your benefits.
  • Bittersweet end for missing in Bangladesh collapse
    Posted May 2, 2013 10:04 PM
    JURAIN, Bangladesh— As Farida knelt beside the linen-wrapped body and looked at the dress that she herself had purchased, her sobs of sorrow turned to tears of painful relief. She called her husband to speak the words she had been praying for during her week of searching: "I got her. I got her."
  • City Commission gives go ahead to Sinking Creek Wetlands Project
    Posted May 2, 2013 9:58 PM
    An agreement between Johnson City and Boone Watershed Partnership to pursue the first phase of the Sinking Creek Wetlands Project received a thumbs-up Thursday from commissioners after a safety report on the 28-acre environmental education park off King Springs Road revealed no need for heightened concern or expenditures.
  • Corker says TVA needs better management during ETSU visit
    Updated May 3, 2013 8:39 AM
    U.S. Sen. Bob Corker thinks a possible sale of the Tennessee Valley Authority will not help solve the nation’s debt problems, but thinks the utility should be reviewed as called for in President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget.
  • Unity found at Jonesborough's National Day of Prayer Service
    Posted May 2, 2013 9:56 PM
    The crowd gathered around the steps of Washington County Courthouse in downtown Jonesborough Tuesday clapped and rejoiced in a unified “Amen” as speaker Helen Conger gave her testimonial of prayer during the National Day of Prayer Service saying, “God answers prayers. It’s not always like you want it and it’s not always on time. He’s not in a hurry sometimes.”
  • Till family calls for meeting with Lil Wayne
    Posted May 2, 2013 9:25 PM
    NASHVILLE — The family of Emmett Till says a letter from Lil Wayne fell short of an apology for his crude reference to the civil rights martyr, and they want a meeting with the rapper and representatives from PepsiCo to discuss their commercial partnership.
  • Alcoa expansion targets auto market, adds 200 jobs
    Posted May 2, 2013 9:12 PM
    Alcoa Inc. plans a $275 million expansion of its Blount County operation that officials said will help insure the company remains a key player in the local economy for decades.
  • Tennessee cites job performance in firing of coach
    Posted May 2, 2013 9:09 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Tennessee officials are citing unsatisfactory job performance as their reason for firing Lady Vols associate strength coach Heather Mason, who sued the university last fall.
  • Decades-old question: Is antibacterial soap safe?
    Posted May 2, 2013 8:10 PM
    WASHINGTON — It's a chemical that's been in U.S. households for more than 40 years, from the body wash in your bathroom shower to the knives on your kitchen counter to the bedding in your baby's basinet.
  • Obama, Mexican president talk economy, security
    Posted May 2, 2013 7:17 PM
    MEXICO CITY — Acknowledging uncertainty ahead, President Barack Obama said Thursday the U.S. will cooperate with Mexico in fighting drug-trafficking and organized crime in any way Mexico's government deems appropriate. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto emphasized that the security relationship must be expanded to focus on trade and commerce.
  • Man charged with stealing property at social function
    Posted May 2, 2013 5:06 PM
    A Gray man was arrested Wednesday after reportedly stealing more than $10,000 worth of property while at a social function, police said in a new release.
  • One charged with domestic assault, vandalism
    Posted May 2, 2013 5:03 PM
    Police arrested a Gray man Wednesday on charges that he assaulted his girlfriend, according to a news release.
  • Seventh annual ‘Trail Angels’ was ‘trail magic’
    Posted May 2, 2013 2:43 PM
    FLAG POND — Hiking season is in full swing, and a group of local Appalachian Trail enthusiasts took some time Wednesday to bring a little bit of “trail magic” to a number of weary and hungry AT hikers.
  • SHHS classmates honor the late Tim Jones
    Posted May 2, 2013 2:40 PM
    To Science Hill High School’s graduating classes of 1959, 1960 and 1961, Tim P. Jones, their classmate and former Johnson City Press general manager, was someone special and worthy of being remembered.
  • Update: 2nd Washington County inmate dies in custody this week
    Updated May 3, 2013 9:21 AM
    A second inmate has died in a matter of days while in the custody of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Middle TN commissioner apologizes for Facebook post about Muslims
    Posted May 2, 2013 1:44 PM
    A Coffee County commissioner under fire for a Facebook post suggesting the best way to wink at a Muslim is from behind a shotgun barrel issued a public apology Wednesday.
  • Investigators: Suspended Tennessee deputy slept in bed with girl in Explorer program
    Updated May 2, 2013 12:19 PM
    CHATTANOOGA — Investigators at Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office could not prove Deputy Justin Tabor had sex with a girl in the Explorer Post program before she turned 18, only that he provided alcohol to several juveniles, an internal affairs report states.
  • Agents seize guns, cash, coke and 40 pounds of pot from Johnson City man
    Posted May 2, 2013 12:11 PM
    Undercover drug agents arrested a Johnson City man during a drug investigation Wednesday and seized more than 40 pounds of marijuana, several ounces of cocaine, guns and more than $8,000 cash from the Washington County home where he lived.
  • Calhoun's, Smoky Mountain Brewery among tenants announced for Bristol, Va., development
    Posted May 2, 2013 11:05 AM
    BRISTOL, Va. – City officials announced today that three restaurants and a travel center will join the anchor store, Cabela’s, at The Falls Development at Exit 5 off Interstate 81.
  • Revitalization project in downtown Erwin begins
    Posted May 2, 2013 10:45 AM
    ERWIN — From addressing stormwater issues to spurring economic growth, town officials and those who do business in the area have high hopes for Erwin’s downtown revitalization project, the first phase of which is now under way.
  • Second Harvest Food Bank wins $45K for kids program
    Posted May 2, 2013 9:11 AM
    Second Harvest Food Bank’s Facebook friends have done it again, winning the regional food bank a $45,000 grant for its Food for Kids food backpack program in the Walmart Foundation’s most recent Fighting Hunger Together Facebook campaign.
  • Abortion in media
    Posted May 2, 2013 8:51 AM
    Very few of us would have ever believed that a finish line at the Boston Marathon and an abortion mill in Philadelphia would have anything in common. Unfortunately, in America, 2013, they do.
  • Don’t sign, Haslam
    Posted May 2, 2013 8:51 AM
    I think Gov. Bill Haslam should definitely veto the “ag gag” bill. This bill is an atrocious way to continue to inhumanely treat animals, while letting the abusers get away with it.
  • Shame on Rep. Holt
    Posted May 2, 2013 8:50 AM
    The governor should veto the “ag gag” bill. Not to veto it would show a lack of concern for the treatment of animals.
  • Consumers have rights
    Posted May 2, 2013 8:48 AM
    Despicable, unconstitutional, ridiculous, immature and idiotic. And that’s just how Tennessee newspapers characterized the “ag gag” bill now awaiting the governor’s signature.
  • Ag gag bill essentially makes stopping animal, worker abuse criminal
    Posted May 2, 2013 8:47 AM
    The factory farming and slaughterhouse industries are working hard to keep the public from learning about widespread abuse in meat, egg and dairy production. Under pressure from these industries, “ag gag” bills have recently been introduced in 11 states. If these bills become law, anyone would be blocked from exposing animal cruelty, food safety issues and substandard working conditions by banning the use of photos and videos of these actions.
  • We all have role in keeping pedestrians safe downtown
    Posted May 2, 2013 8:43 AM
    As Press staff writer Madison Mathews reported in Sunday’s newspaper, Johnson City officials are trying to improve pedestrian safety in the revitalized downtown area. There is a lot of work that still needs to be done in this regard, including educating both pedestrians and drivers on key safety tips.
  • Veto ag gag bill
    Posted May 2, 2013 8:42 AM
    Gov. Bill Haslam should absolutely veto the “ag gag” bill. There should be no reason to hide anything that happens on farming operations. To stop the undercover videotaping of unexcused cruelty is cruel in itself.
  • Softball kicks off districts
    Posted May 1, 2013 10:47 PM
    It’s time for the best teams to prove their postseason worth.
  • Adams, Devotie make college choices
    Posted May 1, 2013 10:47 PM
    Will Adams and Megan Devotie revealed their college choices on Wednesday at Science Hill.
  • ETSU Hall of Fame: Power has fond memories of ‘Irish Brigade’
    Posted May 1, 2013 10:43 PM
    When Seamus Power was preparing for his first cross country race as a freshman at East Tennessee State University in 1991, coach Dave Walker offered up a little last-second advice.
  • Fingerprint helps Church Hill police close 11-month-old burglary case
    Posted May 1, 2013 9:50 PM
    CHURCH HILL — Fingerprint technology might not solve crime as often as depicted on TV police dramas, but on Tuesday it helped the Church Hill Police Department close an 11-month-old burglary investigation.
  • Unidentified victims of Bangladesh collapse buried
    Posted May 1, 2013 9:39 PM
  • Legislature leaves open question about judges
    Posted May 1, 2013 9:37 PM
    NASHVILLE — When the Legislature failed to extend the life of the Judicial Nominating Commission, it effectively ended merit-based selection of judges in Tennessee. It also left open the question of whether there is any mechanism to replace a Tennessee judge who steps down, retires or dies.
  • Immigration debate gives life to annual rallies
    Posted May 1, 2013 9:36 PM
    LOS ANGELES — Demonstrators demanded an overhaul of immigration laws Wednesday in an annual, nationwide ritual that carried a special sense of urgency as Congress considers sweeping legislation that would bring many of the estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally out of the shadows.
  • Fireworks, music to highlight Fourth show at Freedom Hall
    Posted May 1, 2013 9:25 PM
    For 28 years, the annual Pepsi Independence Day Fireworks Celebration at Freedom Hall Civic Center has entertained many across the region, and organizers hope to continue that trend with this year’s Fourth of July event.
  • By-laws for trail’s task force on agenda for City Commission
    Posted May 1, 2013 9:21 PM
    City commissioners Thursday will continue their careful and measured steps toward its rails-to-trails project by settling on a general set of by-laws that will guide a five- to 15-member task force in its quest to fund and construct what is commonly known as the “Tweetsie Trail.”
  • Washington County Sheriff’s Office foils indoor marijuana growing operation
    Posted May 1, 2013 9:13 PM
    The Washington County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday shut down an extensive indoor marijuana growing operation following a one-week investigation, seizing drugs worth an estimated $52,000, according to officials.
  • Justice Department appeals morning-after case
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:59 PM
    WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Wednesday appealed a federal judge's order to lift all age limits on who can buy morning-after birth control pills without a prescription.
  • Texts, TV, then trouble for bombing suspect's pals
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:57 PM
    Dias Kadyrbayev was driving back to his apartment when he got a call from a college buddy. A clearly anxious Robel Phillipos told him authorities had released photos of the alleged Boston Marathon bombers — and one of them looked very familiar.
  • PepsiCo pulls Mountain Dew ad after criticism
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:17 PM
    NEW YORK — PepsiCo is once again learning the risks of celebrity partnerships after an ad for Mountain Dew was criticized for portraying racial stereotypes and making light of violence toward women.
  • Sheriff's budget seeks $9.7M boost in funding
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:17 PM
    BLOUNTVILLE — As promised, Sheriff Wayne Anderson has submitted an amended budget request for the fiscal year that begins two months from today — and now he’s seeking about $9.7 million in new funding.
  • Police: Rogersville woman brought granddaughter, 8, to drug deal
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:09 PM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County grandmother is facing drug and child neglect charges after allegedly bringing her 8-year-old granddaughter to make a drug deal Tuesday evening at a Rogersville restaurant parking lot.
  • UT custodians allege 'verbal abuse' and 'unsafe working conditions'
    Posted May 1, 2013 7:45 PM
    Melissa Murray was worried that she would lose her job for speaking against her employer, the University of Tennessee.
  • SD tribe faces ultimatum on sale of massacre site
    Posted May 1, 2013 7:16 PM
    SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A small patch of prairie sits largely unnoticed off a desolate road in southwestern South Dakota, tucked amid gently rolling hills and surrounded by dilapidated structures and hundreds of gravesites — many belonging to Native Americans massacred more than a century earlier.
  • Summitt to remain Lady Vols' head coach emeritus
    Posted May 1, 2013 6:25 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Pat Summitt will continue in her role as the Tennessee head coach emeritus on Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick's staff next season.
  • FBI: 3 removed backpack from Boston suspect's room
    Posted May 1, 2013 3:44 PM
    BOSTON — Three college friends of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were arrested and accused Wednesday of removing a backpack containing fireworks emptied of gunpowder from Tsarnaev's dorm room three days after the attack to try to keep him from getting into trouble.
  • Gov. Haslam's former boss to oversee Pilot probe
    Posted May 1, 2013 3:25 PM
    Brad Martin, the newly appointed interim president of the University of Memphis who once hired Gov. Bill Haslam as an executive at Saks Inc., has been named by Pilot Flying J to oversee an internal investigation into FBI allegations of fraudulent business practices involving rebates to trucking customers.
  • ETSU draws Vanderbilt for regional
    Posted May 1, 2013 1:01 PM
    It’s a tradition that East Tennessee State tennis coach Yaser Zaatini says he’ll never take for granted.
  • Johnson leads, but not much else is normal
    Posted May 1, 2013 1:00 PM
    Already a quarter of the way over, very little has been predictable about the 2013 NASCAR season.
  • Washington County Sheriff’s Office foils indoor marijuana growing operation
    Updated May 1, 2013 9:20 PM
    The Washington County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday shut down an extensive indoor marijuana growing operation following a one-week investigation, seizing drugs worth an estimated $52,000, according to officials.
  • Lady Devils power past Boone again
    Posted May 1, 2013 12:58 PM
    ERWIN — Lady Blue Thunder filled the Erwin skyline Tuesday, tying state records and ending with a walk-off masterpiece.
  • 'Voice of Bucs' has just about seen it all
    Posted May 1, 2013 12:53 PM
    Not that the humbly understated Norm Davis ever lobbied for it, but he spent 50 years talking his way into the ETSU Hall of Fame.
  • 'Toppers secure top speed
    Posted May 1, 2013 12:40 PM
    An infield sprinkler came on during Science Hill’s game against Daniel Boone on Tuesday at Cardnal Park, and a couple of innings later the Hilltoppers sprouted a No. 1 seed.
  • Two charged in marijuana grow operation investigation
    Posted May 1, 2013 12:39 PM
    Two arrests have been made after a week-long investigation into an indoor marijuana growing operation, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
  • Boston police: 3 more suspects in custody in bombings
    Updated May 1, 2013 11:34 AM
    BOSTON (AP) — Boston police say three more suspects have been taken into custody in the marathon bombings.
  • $320,000 cyberheist sparks lawsuit against Kingsport-based bank
    Posted May 1, 2013 9:32 AM
    KINGSPORT — A nearly $328,000 cyberheist from a local contractor’s bank account has resulted in a lawsuit filed in Sullivan County Circuit Court against a Kingsport-based bank.
  • Johnson City Power Board makes changes to employee vacation time, education
    Posted May 1, 2013 9:19 AM
    The Johnson City Power Board’s board of directors on Tuesday approved a number of changes to the utility’s employee handbook, including an effort to provide vacation time for newly-hired employees.
  • IBM makes tiny movie by pushing molecules around
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:58 AM
    WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Scientists have taken the idea of a film short down to new levels. Molecular levels.
  • Historic Jonesborough building sale, renovation approved
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:52 AM
    The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia has accepted a bid for the purchase, renovation and future use of the Old Sweet Shop building in downtown Jonesborough.
  • False information
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:49 AM
    OK, let me get this straight — East Tennessee State University football is the same as losing local mail processing operations in the 376 and 242 zip codes. I think not, so people of the Tri-Cities area need to quit bringing up this football nonsense when they want to complain about things going bad in this area.
  • Fundraiser time
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:44 AM
    The West Carter County Volunteer Fire Department will begin mailing out its spring fundraising letter on Wednesday.
  • Leave TVA alone
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:41 AM
    My God, sell Tennessee Valley Authority? The best working piece of the government and President Obama wants to sell it? Give me a break.
  • Postal Service
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:40 AM
    As a citizen of Johnson City, I feel terrible for those postal workers who would be affected by sending mail processing to Knoxville.
  • TVA shouldn’t be private and shouldn’t be president’s concern
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:35 AM
    Should Tennessee Valley Authority be sold to private-sector buyer?
  • Gray man accused of buying car with worthless check
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:19 AM
    A Gray man was Tuesday in connection with buying a car using a worthless check as a down payment, according to a news release.
  • Project brings needed improvements to Johnson City's Cardinal Park
    Posted May 1, 2013 8:05 AM
    Work is under way to create a new plaza and other improvements in front of Cardinal Park that should make access much easier, create room for family activities and events and offer fans a new, covered ticket office and concession area.
  • Expo showcases summer programs
    Posted April 30, 2013 10:19 PM
    When Landon Willis is out of school for the summer, Laura, his mother, likes to keep him busy.
  • FDA: Morning-after pill OK for ages 15 and up
    Posted April 30, 2013 8:57 PM
    WASHINGTON — The government is moving the morning-after pill over the counter but only those 15 and older can buy it — an attempt to find middle ground just days before a court-imposed deadline to lift all age restrictions on the emergency contraceptive.
  • Parents of deceased Tenn. State player sue school
    Posted April 30, 2013 8:53 PM
    NASHVILLE — The parents of a Tennessee State football player who died after collapsing during a practice last fall are suing the university for wrongful death.
  • Music man in town: NPR composer BJ Leiderman backs WUOT
    Posted April 30, 2013 7:38 PM
    BJ Leiderman has tried to raise the spirits of National Public Radio listeners over the years with his catchy theme music for such shows as “Morning Edition.”
  • Children's Hospital gets $1 million from Wade Travis estate
    Posted April 30, 2013 7:30 PM
    East Tennessee Children’s Hospital got a big gift Tuesday from a one-time Big Boy owner.
  • Willem-Alexander becomes new Dutch king
    Posted April 30, 2013 6:09 PM
    AMSTERDAM — Millions of Dutch people dressed in orange flocked to celebrations around the Netherlands Tuesday in honor of a once-in-a-generation milestone for the country's ruling House of Orange-Nassau: after a 33-year reign, Queen Beatrix abdicated in favor of her eldest son, Willem-Alexander.
  • IBM pulls the stock market out of a morning slump
    Posted April 30, 2013 5:58 PM
    NEW YORK — News that IBM will buy back more stock and raise its dividend helped pull major stock indexes out of a morning slump Tuesday.
  • Johnson City man with outstanding warrants draws deputy's attention by speeding
    Posted April 30, 2013 5:05 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A Carter County deputy said a man who was wanted on outstanding warrants attracted her attention because he was driving at speeds reaching 70 miles per hour on Tenn. Highway 67 on Sunday night. As a result of the motor vehicle stop, the driver will now be serving 139 days in jail.
  • Officials say threatened FAA towers to remain open
    Posted April 30, 2013 4:37 PM
    WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has assured lawmakers the Obama administration will prevent the closure of 149 small airport towers as well as end furloughs of air traffic controllers nationwide as a result of legislation passed by Congress, according to officials involved in negotiations on the bill.
  • Curb Records sues Tim McGraw in federal court
    Posted April 30, 2013 3:20 PM
    NASHVILLE (AP) — Curb Records is suing Tim McGraw. Again.
  • Gov. Haslam no closer to decision on 'ag-gag' bill
    Posted April 30, 2013 3:19 PM
    SMYRNA (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam says he is no closer to making up his mind on whether to veto a bill that makes it a crime to video record animal abuse if it isn't turned over to law enforcement authorities within 48 hours.
  • Bangladeshis turn rescuers after building collapse
    Posted April 30, 2013 3:06 PM
    SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) — The heat in the rubble was sweltering. It closed in on his body like the darkness around him, making it hard to breathe. Working by the faint glow of a flashlight, he slithered through the broken concrete and spotted a beautiful young woman, her crushed arm pinned beneath a pillar. She was dying, and the only way to get her out was to amputate.
  • Obama: review of Boston attack information sharing
    Posted April 30, 2013 3:02 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said Tuesday that no stone will be left unturned in reviewing whether any sensitive intelligence was missed that could have stopped the deadly attacks on the Boston Marathon.
  • Sullivan police investigate fatal Monday evening crash
    Posted April 30, 2013 2:52 PM
    A two-vehicle collision in Sullivan County killed one driver Monday evening, with police saying both alcohol and the speed of her car may have contributed to the crash.
  • JCPB reroutes downtown power after outage
    Updated April 30, 2013 2:50 PM
    Power to the downtown Johnson City area was out for about 30 minutes on Tuesday afternoon.
  • Update: Son, mother charged in Jonesborough standoff
    Updated April 30, 2013 10:10 PM
    A mother and son were arraigned Tuesday in Washington County Sessions Court following an early morning non-emergency 911 call that led to a two-hour standoff with the SWAT team and both getting shot with a Taser.
  • Maria Shriver is coming back to NBC News
    Posted April 30, 2013 1:40 PM
    NEW YORK — Maria Shriver is coming back to NBC News.
  • FDA will investigate added caffeine in foods
    Posted April 30, 2013 1:28 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — For people seeking an energy boost, companies are increasing their offerings of foods with added caffeine. A new caffeinated gum may have gone too far.
  • Suspects gave detailed description of Rogersville veteran's murder
    Posted April 30, 2013 12:03 PM
    ROGERSVILLE — Two men accused in the March 16 beating and stabbing death of 52-year-old Roger Hawkins allegedly described for police in grisly detail what they did before, during and after the murder.
  • Update: Johnson City man charged in theft of SUV
    Updated April 30, 2013 5:31 PM
    A Johnson City man was charged Sunday with stealing a vehicle in March.
  • Obama: US still not sure who used chem weapons in Syria
    Posted April 30, 2013 11:28 AM
    WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama strongly suggested Tuesday he'd consider military action against Syria if it can be confirmed that President Bashar Assad's government used chemical weapons in the two-year-old civil war.
  • Smokies reopens trails damaged in 2011 tornado
    Posted April 30, 2013 11:22 AM
    The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reopened two trails that have been closed since an F4 tornado struck the western end of the park in 2011.
  • Johnson City pharmacist set to plead guilty in federal court
    Updated April 30, 2013 12:11 PM
    Former Johnson City pharmacist Thomas Patrick Rowan is scheduled to plead guilty in U.S. District Court in Greeneville today to drug possession charges.
  • Washington County GOP chairman talks charity, inclusiveness
    Posted April 30, 2013 10:30 AM
    Michael Hartman, who was elected as Washington County Republican Party chairman in February, said Monday he views his role as that of a public servant obligated to help others and give back to East Tennesseans.
  • Update: TBI investigating death of Washington County inmate
    Updated May 3, 2013 9:19 AM
    A Johnson City man arrested last week after pulling a gun on a woman died in the Washington County Detention Center Monday afternoon, and a state agency is investigating, a sheriff’s office official confirmed.
  • Kingsport men arrested after allegedly fleeing Hawkins authorities twice in one day
    Posted April 30, 2013 9:24 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — Two Kingsport men nabbed after a high-speed police pursuit from Rogersville to Morristown late Thursday night had allegedly been in another police pursuit earlier that day and had gotten away.
  • ETSU student bluegrass bands tune up, showcase talent
    Posted April 30, 2013 8:56 AM
    As each semester winds down, musicians in East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Studies program tune up to showcase their talent.
  • ETSU Hall of Fame: Reid enjoyed home-court advantage
    Posted April 29, 2013 10:52 PM
    The first female tennis player Dave Mullins tried to lure to East Tennessee State didn’t exactly break his recruiting budget.
  • Hardin to get college kicks at Milligan
    Posted April 29, 2013 10:51 PM
    Christine Hardin wasn't the average-every-day high school athlete, so Milligan College might be getting quite a bargain.
  • NRC review says NFS had safe, secure 2012
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:10 PM
    ERWIN — Aside from a few violations determined to be of “low safety significance,” Nuclear Fuel Services operated safely and securely in 2012, according to officials with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
  • VA withholds disability claims executives' bonuses
    Posted April 29, 2013 8:40 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs is withholding bonuses for senior officials who oversee disability claims, citing a failure to meet performance goals for reducing a sizable backlog in claims processing.
  • ETSU Police: Student attempts to grow illegal mushrooms
    Posted April 29, 2013 8:02 PM
    Some of the materials found in an East Tennessee State University students’ campus apartment and his car this weekend were for making hallucinogenic mushrooms, according to the school police chief.
  • FDA will investigate added caffeine in foods
    Updated April 29, 2013 8:43 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Trail mix. Potato chips. And now gum.
  • Investigation critical of former Knox County Schools security chief
    Posted April 29, 2013 6:56 PM
    KNOXVILLE — An in-house review of former Knox County Schools security chief Steve Griffin, released Monday evening, revealed Griffin did private consulting work for pay and attempted to get his son-in-law a job with a school contractor.
  • Boston suspect's defense team gets major boost
    Posted April 29, 2013 6:47 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — The defense team representing the Boston Marathon bombing suspect got a major boost Monday with the addition of Judy Clarke, a San Diego lawyer who has managed to get life sentences instead of the death penalty for several high-profile clients, including the Unabomber and the gunman in the rampage that injured former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
  • Lawyer: Former ricin suspect's home is unlivable
    Posted April 29, 2013 6:42 PM
    OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi man's house is uninhabitable after investigators searched it but failed to find evidence of the deadly poison ricin, a lawyer said Monday, arguing that the government should repair the home.
  • Brothers allegedly lead police on pursuit, dump stolen vehicle in Kingsport
    Posted April 29, 2013 6:20 PM
    GATE CITY -- A pair of brothers allegedly led multiple police agencies in a high-speed pursuit Monday, driving into oncoming traffic on U.S. Route 23 before dumping a stolen pickup truck in Kingsport.
  • ETSU administrator: Number of marijuana offenses on campus not excessive
    Updated April 29, 2013 6:12 PM
    Drug activity on the campus of East Tennessee State University is comparable to other state schools, an administrator said Monday.
  • ETSU ROTC cadets participate in prestigious Sandhurst competition
    Posted April 29, 2013 3:41 PM
    Adam Harrison organized his fellow cadets, and they ran several miles across wearisome mountainous terrain to their intended destination, donned gas masks and proceeded to properly assemble the parts of five weapons that had been piled in a heap.
  • Pilot lauds denial of witness tampering claim
    Posted April 29, 2013 3:15 PM
    NASHVILLE (AP) — A Knoxville judge's has denied a claim that Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam is tampering with potential witnesses in a lawsuit stemming from an FBI raid on the country's largest diesel retailer.
  • Preparations continue to drug-test for welfare
    Posted April 29, 2013 3:12 PM
    NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee authorities are preparing to test welfare recipients for drug abuse.
  • Ezell picked to revive Lady Bucs
    Updated April 29, 2013 11:00 PM
    East Tennessee State is turning to a former conference rival for its next women’s basketball coach.
  • Two shot, killed at Tennessee graduation party
    Posted April 29, 2013 12:27 PM
    JACKSON — Police in Jackson are investigating a shooting at a graduation party that killed two men and wounded two other people.
  • Lawyer: Items seized from ETSU student were spices, candy and herbs for 'religious purposes'
    Posted April 29, 2013 12:18 PM
    The lawyer for one man charged in a weekend incident at campus housing at East Tennessee State University said items seized in a search were cooking spices, sugar candy and herbs used for religious purposes.
  • Bristol man accused of stealing from teacher on field trip
    Updated April 29, 2013 12:03 PM
    BLOUNTVILLE — A Bristol, Tenn. man was arrested on theft charges late last week after he allegedly stole a Sullivan County teacher's debit card while she was on a field trip with her class at a local park.
  • Man charged in Albuquerque church stabbings
    Posted April 29, 2013 11:57 AM
    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Just as the St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church choir began its final hymn, a man vaulted over pews and lashed out at the singers, sending several churchgoers to the hospital with stab wounds, authorities said.
  • Johnson City Salvation Army's Flowers of Hope program goes worldwide
    Posted April 29, 2013 11:41 AM
    The Flowers of Hope program launched last year by the Johnson City Salvation Army has been adopted as a sanctioned Salvation Army program available to corps worldwide.
  • NBA center Jason Collins comes out as gay to Sports Illustrated; 1st in 4 major sports to do so
    Updated April 29, 2013 1:03 PM
    NBA veteran Jason Collins became the first active male player in the four major American professional sports to come out as gay.
  • Drugs, cash, guns, vehicles seized from Rogersville man accused of drug trafficking
    Posted April 29, 2013 11:20 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — Hawkins County deputies seized drugs, cash, guns and several vehicles Thursday from a Rogersville man accused of trafficking large quantities of pills.
  • Unicoi Co. doctor agrees to plea deal in DUI case
    Posted April 29, 2013 11:06 AM
    ERWIN — A Unicoi County doctor arrested in November 2011 and charged with driving under the influence entered a plea agreement in Unicoi County Sessions Court on Thursday.
  • Academic excellence pays off for Science Hill seniors
    Posted April 29, 2013 10:29 AM
    Excelling in academics is an important part of life for most high school students, and that couldn’t be more true for Science Hill High School seniors Katie Deal and Stephen Wang, the latest recipients of corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards.
  • Should Gov. Haslam veto the ‘ag gag’ bill?
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:51 AM
    Before leaving Nashville for the year, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a so-called “ag gag” bill that prohibits the secret videotaping of animal abuse cases. The measure is based on model legislation written by the American Legislative Exchange Council (a conservative, free-market advocacy organization) and would require anyone who records abuse to livestock to submit that evidence to law enforcement authorities within 48 hours.
  • A banking idea
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:35 AM
    The following suggestion is made by my friend Dr. P. Mallela, to resolve (not solve) some of our banking regulation and even government fiscal problems. It conforms to the tenets of indirect management of our free market economy:
  • Postal service change
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:32 AM
    Last call for full service postal operations in Johnson City.
  • County schools
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:29 AM
    I am responding to the letter to Forum on March 31 under the headline “School spending.” The question was what happened to the County Commission’s support for school safety? The County Commission is supporting the safety of our schools by hiring a consultant to look at the overall safety of our children from the time they step foot onto a school bus in the morning until they step off the bus in the afternoon. I am confident that our commissioners will take further action based upon those recommendations.
  • How many more will have to die before shelter is built?
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:25 AM
    I smell a rat. Literally. Nearby construction has forced them to relocate, and this is an animal shelter. I nearly stepped on one by the front door. Nice welcome mat, this rat, not quite dead ­— slowly being poisoned.
  • Mommy wars: One-size-fits-all idea will never be true
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:23 AM
    Sheryl Sandberg has been all over the news lately. The Facebook chief operating officer’s book, “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead,” has been heralded as a feminine manifesto for modern women.
  • Downtown Johnson City pedestrians lament on dangerous section of road
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:22 AM
    Although it’s just a short distance, the stretch of West State of Franklin Road from Buffalo Street to South Roan Street is considered by many who frequent downtown Johnson City to be one of the most dangerous places for pedestrians crossing to and from Cherry Street.
  • Open communication on annexation bills needed
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:17 AM
    A bizarre piece of political theater was staged at the Washington County Commission last week when midway through the proceedings, Commissioner Roger Nave rose to read a statement taking County Mayor Dan Eldridge to task. Specifically, Nave accused Eldridge of lobbying in Nashville against annexation bills he said were supported by a majority of commissioners.
  • Gift of life
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:12 AM
    National Donate Life Month in April highlights the critical need for organ donation. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, which tracks all donation and transplant events in the U.S. Candidates awaiting transplants total 117,849 as of April 15.
  • Johnson City officials say pedestrian safety a top priority
    Posted April 29, 2013 9:07 AM
    Pedestrian safety is a top priority of Johnson City officials, evidenced by a nearly-complete overhaul of a one-block section downtown, but other areas are also under consideration.
  • Is it a good idea to move mail processing to Knoxville?
    Posted April 29, 2013 8:48 AM
    After getting a near two-year reprieve, the United States Postal Service says it will soon move its outgoing mail processing operations from Johnson City to Knoxville. As Press staff writer Madison Mathews reported Tuesday, the switch is expected to begin in June or July.
  • Twin sisters, 47, die in West Tenn. house fire
    Posted April 29, 2013 7:23 AM
    ROSSVILLE — Authorities in West Tennessee say two women have died in a house fire.
  • One injured in South Knox home invasion
    Posted April 29, 2013 7:18 AM
    KNOXVILLE — Authorities are investigating a home invasion in South Knox County tonight that sent one person to the hospital.
  • Today's hot list from across the nation and around the world
    Posted April 29, 2013 7:08 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • 5 saved, 2 missing after hot air balloon falls into ocean off Peru
    Posted April 28, 2013 8:32 PM
    LIMA, Peru — A hot-air tourist balloon carrying seven people in Peru has fallen into the Pacific Ocean, and authorities say they have rescued five women while the craft's pilot and another man remain missing.
  • Opry to hold public funeral for George Jones
    Posted April 28, 2013 8:32 PM
    NASHVILLE — A public funeral will be held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville for country music superstar George Jones, who died Friday at the age of 81.
  • Search on for killer of 8-year-old girl found stabbed in her California home
    Posted April 28, 2013 8:19 PM
    SAN FRANCISCO — Residents of a rural Northern California county were being told Sunday to keep their doors locked and report anyone considered suspicious as authorities continued the search for the killer of an 8-year-old girl.
  • 5 things to know from around Tennessee
    Posted April 28, 2013 8:05 PM
    1) Dodgers prospect Yasiel Puig arrested in Tenn.
  • Update: ETSU building evacuated, 4 charged
    Posted April 28, 2013 5:25 PM
    Students at an East Tennessee State University apartment building were evacuated early Sunday morning after a drug investigation led to the discovery of propane canisters, fertilizers and other powders and liquids in a student’s apartment, which prompted a search that turned up a non-active pressure cooker in that student’s car.
  • Four arrested at ETSU after building evacuated
    Updated April 28, 2013 1:53 PM
    An apartment building at East Tennessee State University was evacuated Saturday night after a number of law enforcement officers were called in to check for explosive materials.
  • Tennessee dollar store manager won't be charged with killing robber
    Posted April 28, 2013 11:51 AM
    KNOXVILLE — A state prosecutor will not seek charges against a Dollar General store manager who shot and killed a fleeing robber in the back.
  • Heavy rains swell Tennessee rivers and streams
    Posted April 28, 2013 11:39 AM
    NASHVILLE — Flood warnings continue in several counties in Middle Tennessee after heavy rainfall swelled rivers and tributaries.
  • Hall captures most votes in municipal election
    Posted April 27, 2013 10:30 PM
    And the award for total votes received in Johnson City’s municipal election this year goes to ... incumbent Board of Education Chairwoman Kathy Hall at 2,923.
  • Dogwood and Cattails Ball helps the animals
    Updated April 29, 2013 2:33 PM
    Joel Burkey and Abilene, a rescued greyhound, showed up ready to strut around an elegant event hosted by the Washington County Humane Society called the Dogwood and Cattails Ball held at the Millennium Centre Saturday.
  • Rain doesn’t deter Fiddlers and Fiddleheads Festival fans
    Updated April 27, 2013 10:36 PM
    UNICOI — A light rain fell on the grounds of Farmhouse Gallery & Gardens Saturday, but that didn’t seem to slow down the caravan of cars entering through the covered bridge drive, eager to listen to some bluegrass music.
  • APNewsBreak: Russia caught bomb suspect on wiretap
    Posted April 27, 2013 10:17 PM
    WASHINGTON — Russian authorities secretly recorded a telephone conversation in 2011 in which one of the Boston bombing suspects vaguely discussed jihad with his mother, officials said Saturday, days after the U.S. government finally received details about the call.
  • 6 months after Sandy, thousands homeless in NY, NJ
    Posted April 27, 2013 9:57 PM
    MANTOLOKING, N.J. (AP) — The 9-year-old girl who got New Jersey's tough-guy governor to shed a tear as he comforted her after her home was destroyed is bummed because she now lives far from her best friend and has nowhere to hang her One Direction posters.
  • West Carter County woman killed in mobile home fire
    Updated April 27, 2013 9:51 PM
    A 60-year-old was killed early Saturday in a fire at her mobile home in western Carter County, according to both the Carter County Sheriff’s Department and West Carter County Volunteer Fire Department.
  • Unicoi County wins East Tennessee Classic
    Posted April 27, 2013 8:43 PM
    Unicoi County won the East Tennessee Classic softball tournament for a second straight year after rain forced the cancellation of Saturday’s championship-round games at Metro-Kiwanis Park.
  • Shulman has blazed familiar coaching path
    Updated April 29, 2013 5:41 AM
    John Shulman followed in mentor Alan LeForce’s footsteps with many similar feats, and they helped him walk away from Chattanooga with his head held high.
  • Rain dampens Rossini Festival
    Posted April 27, 2013 8:42 PM
    Despite the rain, fun was still to be had at the 2013 Rossini Festival International Street Fair on Saturday.
  • Mother, daughter forced to evacuate home because of flooding
    Posted April 27, 2013 8:40 PM
    Most of Middle Tennessee has experienced a break in the rain, but it won't last. More rain and the threat of severe weather is expected well into tonight, meteorologists say.
  • Freeman lifts Bucs to sweep
    Posted April 27, 2013 8:37 PM
    A day after he was chosen to the watch list for an award as the nation’s most versatile player, Clinton Freeman did it all for the East Tennessee State baseball team.
  • City can annex despite state moratorium
    Updated April 27, 2013 7:58 PM
    KINGSPORT — The Tennessee Legislature approved a measure last week restricting city-initiated annexations for the next 13 months to allow a committee time to review and evaluate current annexation laws and practices and return with recommendations next January. However, the measure does leave Kingsport with some wiggle room when it comes to the annexation of residential property.
  • Shadowy figures — one a mole — were key to federal raid on Pilot Flying J
    Posted April 27, 2013 6:51 PM
    The federal raid on Pilot Flying J’s headquarters was a stunningly public spectacle.
  • Miss. man charged in suspicious letters case
    Posted April 27, 2013 3:55 PM
    BRANDON, Miss. (AP) — Authorities have charged a Mississippi man with making and possessing ricin in the investigation into poison-laced letters sent to President Barack Obama and others.
  • FAA: Air traffic system soon at full operation
    Posted April 27, 2013 3:24 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration said it's suspended all employee furloughs and says air traffic facilities will begin returning to regular staffing levels over the next 24 hours.
  • Picture Perfect: Local teacher wins screenplay contest
    Updated April 27, 2013 3:14 PM
    KINGSPORT — Stephen Woodward of Kingsport is pursuing his dream of selling his screenplay in California this summer, thanks to winning a contest and his nearly lifelong interest in writing and music.
  • NKorea charges US man in plot to overthrow regime
    Posted April 27, 2013 2:42 PM
    PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korea announced Saturday that an American detained for nearly six months is being tried in the Supreme Court on charges of plotting to overthrow the government, a crime that could draw the death penalty if he is convicted.
  • NATO: 4 service members killed in plane crash
    Posted April 27, 2013 2:25 PM
    KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A plane crashed in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing four international service members on the same day the Taliban said they were gearing up to launch their spring offensive with attacks on military and diplomatic targets.
  • Heavy security on streets for Nashville marathon
    Posted April 27, 2013 2:15 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — With a SWAT team parked near the starting line, Scott Wietecha of Hendersonville, Tenn., won the St. Jude Country Music Marathon on Saturday after missing the Boston Marathon because of too much training.
  • Staff on strike at 7 prisons in western Canada
    Posted April 27, 2013 2:12 PM
    EDMONTON, Alberta — Employees at seven prisons Canada's Alberta province have walked off the job to protest the suspension of one of their colleague who complained about safety issues.
  • Local Shriner enjoys meeting donors
    Posted April 27, 2013 1:57 PM
    For five years, Washington County/Johnson City Jericho Shriners Club Treasurer Nick Simone has greeted donors cheerfully outside of local businesses as they give to the charity.
  • Police: Woman lied about burglary, sexual assault
    Posted April 27, 2013 8:24 AM
    A Johnson City woman lied when she reported a burglary and sexual assault on Friday, resulting in her arrest this morning, police said in a news release.
  • Kennesaw's Janas baffles Bucs
    Posted April 26, 2013 11:37 PM
    The anticipated duel of pitching aces didn’t happen, but Kennesaw State’s Stephen Janas lived up to his end of the bargain anyway.
  • Boston bomb suspect moved; FBI probe shifts focus
    Posted April 26, 2013 10:15 PM
    BOSTON — Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhohkar Tsarnaev was moved from a hospital to a federal prison medical center while FBI agents shifted the focus of their investigation to how the deadly plot was pulled off and searched for evidence Friday in a landfill near the college he attended.
  • More lawsuits filed against Pilot Flying J
    Posted April 26, 2013 10:11 PM
    Two additional class action lawsuits have been filed in federal courts in Alabama and Arkansas by trucking firm customers charging that Pilot Flying J secretly reduced promised rebates by as much as $5 million on diesel fuel purchases.
  • Students, public make tracks to see Train at ETSU
    Updated April 27, 2013 1:53 PM
    Beverly Matda and Melissa Richardson traveled from Southwest Virginia to stand in the front row for Train — the Grammy-award winning headliner for ETSU’s spring concert, which for the first time permitted public access.
  • ETSU Spring Gathering a time for celebration, looking toward future
    Posted April 26, 2013 9:55 PM
    If the slightly breezy, warm spring day wasn’t enough to entice people outside Friday, the bluegrass music echoing from East Tennessee State University’s outdoor amphitheater seemed to do the trick.
  • Elizabethton City Council discusses plan for football stadium
    Updated April 26, 2013 10:02 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A revised plan to finance a new football stadium at Elizabethton High School and classroom expansion at T.A. Dugger Jr. High School was discussed during a workshop session of the Elizabethton City Council on Friday.
  • Syrian rebels call on world to put words to action
    Posted April 26, 2013 9:36 PM
    BEIRUT — Syrian opposition groups called Friday for international action after the Obama administration said U.S. intelligence indicates President Bashar Assad's regime has used chemical weapons. The government likened the accusation to false U.S. claims of weapons of mass destruction used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
  • Tennessee Titans trade to draft Tennessee receiver Justin Hunter
    Posted April 26, 2013 9:29 PM
    Justin Hunter didn’t have to go far to find his NFL team.
  • After meningitis deaths, Alexander seeks clarity in FDA regulations
    Posted April 26, 2013 9:26 PM
    WASHINGTON — A deadly meningitis outbreak that killed 32 people, including 13 in Tennessee, and sickened more than 460 others last year has led to a push in Congress to regulate large compounding pharmacies that mass-produce drugs and ship them across the country.
  • Local family of autistic child needs help finding lost dog
    Updated April 26, 2013 9:02 PM
    Losing track of a beloved family pet is often a scary, and uncertain, situation.
  • Burger King 1Q earnings soar, revenue shrinks
    Posted April 26, 2013 8:11 PM
    Burger King's first-quarter earnings more than doubled even though revenue fell, as the fast-food chain trimmed several restaurant-related expenses.
  • Controllers to return; flight delays sway Congress
    Posted April 26, 2013 6:38 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Furloughed air traffic controllers will soon be heading back to work, ending a week of coast-to-coast flight delays that left thousands of travelers frustrated and furious.
  • Search on for man with NE Tennessee ties after escape from Kentucky prison
    Updated April 26, 2013 5:25 PM
    A man with ties to Kingsport and who escaped from a Kentucky prison was spotted in the area Thursday, but was apparently able to continue evading capture.
  • Video captures pedestrian being hit on State of Franklin
    Posted April 26, 2013 5:01 PM
    Video from a downtown business recorded a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle last week, but no charges have been filed.
  • Piece of landing gear from hijacked 9/11 plane found in NYC
    Updated April 26, 2013 6:28 PM
    NEW YORK — A rusted 5-foot-tall piece of landing gear believed to be from one of the hijacked planes destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks has been discovered wedged between a mosque site and a luxury high-rise apartment building near the World Trade Center.
  • Pet-4-27-13
    Posted April 26, 2013 4:54 PM
    Buddy is a 3 year old neutered male Pit bull/Akita mix. He is house-trained and good with kids, cats and dogs. This great dog does have separation anxiety. For more information about Buddy or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week
  • Hospital roof collapses in India, injuring 8
    Posted April 26, 2013 3:52 PM
    NEW DELHI — Part of a hospital building collapsed in central India on Friday after its roof came crashing down, injuring at least eight people, an official said.
  • Bodies of 12-year-old kayaker, father found in Lake Erie
    Posted April 26, 2013 3:49 PM
    NORWALK, Ohio — The body of a 12-year-old missing kayaker was recovered from Lake Erie this afternoon. Her father's body was found a few hours later.
  • Congress approves bill to end delays in flights
    Posted April 26, 2013 3:45 PM
    WASHINGTON — Congress hurried to approve legislation Friday that will end the furloughs of air traffic controllers that have delayed hundreds of flights daily, infuriating travelers and causing political headaches for lawmakers.
  • Coffee goes down wrong, causes Knoxville man to crash into building
    Updated April 26, 2013 11:44 AM
    KNOXVILLE — A Knoxville man says his coffee went "down the wrong pipe" as he was driving to work and he crashed through a building.
  • Police: Kingsport man tried to smother ex-girlfriend in plastic
    Posted April 26, 2013 11:15 AM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport man has been charged with attempted murder and kidnapping after allegedly trying to smother his ex-girlfriend with plastic and holding her against her will.
  • George Jones, country superstar, has died at 81
    Updated April 26, 2013 10:20 AM
    NASHVILLE — George Jones, the peerless, hard-living country singer who recorded dozens of hits about good times and regrets and peaked with the heartbreaking classic "He Stopped Loving Her Today," has died. He was 81.
  • Woman stabbed to death in SW Virginia
    Posted April 26, 2013 9:45 AM
    JONESVILLE, Va. — A Dryden man is facing murder charges after he allegedly stabbed a woman to death Thursday afternoon, Lee County authorities said.
  • Reputed NE Tennessee drug kingpin sentenced to 150 months
    Posted April 26, 2013 9:26 AM
    GREENEVILLE — Hawkins County Sheriff Ronnie Lawson credited a reduction in drug overdose deaths in the Beech Creek community of Hawkins County to a massive federal drug trafficking investigation that led to indictments and arrests last July.
  • Sequester and aviation
    Posted April 26, 2013 9:00 AM
    On Aug. 3, 1981, more than 11,000 of the 15,000 air traffic controllers went on strike, and within 48 hours, most were fired.
  • Unicoi police
    Posted April 26, 2013 8:57 AM
    The town of Unicoi has excellent police protection furnished by the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department for $90,000 a year.
  • State income tax
    Posted April 26, 2013 8:57 AM
    OK, let me get this straight. A state income tax is unconstitutional in Tennessee — right? So why did I get a receipt from the state of Tennessee today for my income tax form and payment?
  • MSHA gets grant to step up breast-feeding rate
    Posted April 26, 2013 8:54 AM
    After receiving a one-time grant of $2,500 from the Breastfeeding Support Funding opportunity through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health, the Johnson City Medical Center Family Birth Center implemented a trial program in March aimed at increasing breast-feeding rates among local expectant mothers.
  • Wash Co. Commissioner Phyllis Corso has long history in area
    Posted April 26, 2013 8:41 AM
    On March 25, Johnson City native Phyllis Corso took her seat on the 25-member Washington County Commission, replacing her husband, Joe Corso, after his death in January.
  • Gov. Haslam should veto ‘ag gag’ bill
    Posted April 26, 2013 8:36 AM
    Tennessee lawmakers have wrapped up their business for the year. It was one the shortest sessions of the legislature in recent memory, and its brevity is one of the few positive things you can say about the first half of the 108th General Assembly.
  • Cost of living
    Posted April 26, 2013 8:35 AM
    Recently, I wrote to U.S. Rep. Phil Roe and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker concerning their support for changing the way the cost of living adjustments (CPI) are calculated for many government benefits, including Social Security.
  • Why can’t sensible gun regulations be passed?
    Posted April 26, 2013 8:35 AM
    I simply can’t understand why a bill that requires identification and limits the type of gun that may be owned by a homeowner can’t be enacted.
  • Memphis teens rescue 2 kids from burning house
    Posted April 26, 2013 7:28 AM
    MEMPHIS — Neighborhood teenagers have rescued two children from a burning Memphis home.
  • This morning's top things to know from the Associated Press
    Posted April 26, 2013 7:23 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Death toll in Bangladesh building collapse passes 300
    Posted April 26, 2013 7:13 AM
    SAVAR, Bangladesh — More than two days after their factory collapsed on them, at least some garment workers were still alive in the corpse-littered debris Friday, pinned beneath tons of mangled metal and concrete. Rescue crews struggled to save them, knowing they probably had just a few hours left to live, as desperate relatives clashed with police in their anger and grief.
  • Man named in ricin mailing case goes into hiding but cooperating with investigators
    Posted April 26, 2013 7:02 AM
    SALTILLO — A Mississippi man whose home and business were searched as part of an investigation into poisoned letters sent to the president and others has dropped out of sight in order to escape the news media spotlight, but is cooperating with authorities, a friend and his attorney said.
  • Accused in Boston bombing out of hospital, in federal medical detention center
    Posted April 26, 2013 6:41 AM
    BOSTON — The surviving Boston Marathon bombings suspect has been released from a civilian hospital and transferred to a federal medical detention center in central Massachusetts.
  • Johnson City man faces assault, drug, gun charges after Milligan Hwy. attempted carjacking, police chase
    Updated May 3, 2013 9:25 AM
    Police arrested a 22-year-old Johnson City man early Friday morning after a series of incidents along the Milligan Highway involving a gun, attempted carjacking, drugs, a broken window and a foot chase, according to warrants filed in Washington County Sessions Court.
  • Unicoi County finishes perfect in Three Rivers softball
    Posted April 25, 2013 11:02 PM
  • Police say jealousy caused man to report false hostage situation
    Posted April 25, 2013 10:09 PM
    UNICOI — Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Frank Rogers said the green-eyed monster apparently got the best of a county man who was arrested Thursday morning for allegedly reporting a false hostage situation to get his girlfriend away from another man.
  • City-County Liaison Committee shows new life
    Posted April 25, 2013 10:03 PM
    Thursday’s City-County Liaison Committee meeting was by far the most productive gathering in more than a year, because it is the only time in that span anyone has showed up.
  • ETSU nursing students provide information about drink contents
    Posted April 25, 2013 9:58 PM
    Did you know that if you consume 3,500 calories and don’t burn it off properly you can gain a pound of fat? Or that a typical energy drink contains around 20 teaspoons of sugar?
  • Factories inside collapsed building in Bangladesh
    Updated April 25, 2013 10:01 PM
    The collapse of a building housing garment factories near Bangladesh's capital is renewing attention on the unsafe conditions in the country's $20 billion clothing industry that supplies retailers around the world. Here's a look at the factories in the Rana Plaza building and the global retailers they say they were working for.
  • Singer Currington charged with threats to Ga. man
    Posted April 25, 2013 9:46 PM
    SAVANNAH, Ga. — Police suspect country singer Billy Currington may have videotaped himself chasing a 70-year-old tour boat captain along a coastal Georgia creek and threatening to "finish him off" in a tirade filled with profanities, according to court documents filed Thursday.
  • Senate passes bill to ease FAA furloughs
    Posted April 25, 2013 9:28 PM
    WASHINGTON — With flight delays mounting, the Senate approved hurry-up legislation Thursday night to end air traffic controller furloughs blamed for inconveniencing large numbers of travelers.
  • One charge dropped against Y-12 protesters
    Posted April 25, 2013 9:27 PM
    The federal government Thursday filed a motion to drop one of three felony charges against the Plowshares protesters who broke into the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant on July 28, 2012.
  • Judge could rule Monday on restraining order sought against Pilot
    Posted April 25, 2013 9:23 PM
    The trucking company suing Pilot Flying J accused CEO Jimmy Haslam of obstructing justice and buying off cheated customers in a motion for a restraining order filed Thursday.
  • US applications for unemployment aid drop to 339K
    Posted April 25, 2013 8:55 PM
    WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to a seasonally adjusted 339,000, the second-fewest in more than five years. The drop suggests that layoffs have declined and that job growth may pick up from last month's sluggish pace.
  • Crossing a 'red line'? US says Syria used poison
    Posted April 25, 2013 7:15 PM
    WASHINGTON — The White House declared Thursday that U.S. intelligence indicates Syrian President Bashar Assad has twice used deadly chemical weapons in his country's fierce civil war, a provocative action that would cross President Barack Obama's "red line" for a significant military response. But the administration said the revelation won't immediately change its stance on intervening.
  • Obama consoles families, survivors of Texas blast
    Posted April 25, 2013 7:02 PM
    WACO, Texas — President Barack Obama consoled a rural Texas community rocked by a deadly fertilizer plant explosion, telling mourners Thursday they are not alone in their grief and they will have the nation's support to rebuild from the devastation.
  • Eastman reports 27 percent increase in 1Q sales revenue
    Posted April 25, 2013 6:49 PM
    KINGSPORT — Eastman Chemical Co. reported Thursday on first-quarter sales revenue of $2.3 billion, a 27 percent increase compared with 2012’s first quarter.
  • Trucking company files for restraining order against Pilot Flying J, accuses Haslam of obstructing justice
    Posted April 25, 2013 6:47 PM
    KNOXVILLE — The trucking company suing Pilot Flying J accused CEO Jimmy Haslam of obstructing justice and buying off cheated customers in a motion for a restraining order filed today.
  • Latest HIV vaccine doesn't work; govt halts study
    Posted April 25, 2013 5:50 PM
    WASHINGTON— The latest bad news in the hunt for an AIDS vaccine: The government halted a large U.S. study on Thursday, saying the experimental shots aren't preventing HIV infection.
  • 3 Daniel Boone students accused of writing bomb threat in bathroom stall
    Updated April 25, 2013 10:05 PM
    Three Daniel Boone High School students have been arrested following a bomb threat that resulted in the school's evacuation earlier this week, Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal announced Thursday in a news release.
  • Man, 18, and juvenile charged with burglarizing dead man's house
    Posted April 25, 2013 4:35 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Carter County Sheriff's Department made a quick arrest in a burglary that occurred late Wednesday night in Liberty Hollow.
  • Mexican newspaper photographer found dead
    Posted April 25, 2013 3:56 PM
    MEXICO CITY — The hacked-up bodies of a newspaper photographer and another young man have been found in the northern Mexico city of Saltillo, the newspaper Vanguardia reported Thursday. Photographer Daniel Martinez Bazaldua had recently been hired to cover social events for Vanguardia, the paper said in a story in its online edition. He was 22.
  • Chilean police arrest 4 accused of burning newborn baby alive in ritual
    Posted April 25, 2013 3:37 PM
    SANTIAGO, Chile — Chilean police on Thursday arrested four people accused of burning a baby alive in a ritual because the leader of the sect believed that the end of the world was near and that the child was the antichrist.
  • Environmental groups sue TVA over coal plant
    Updated April 25, 2013 6:56 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A coalition of environmental groups is suing the Tennessee Valley Authority over its decision to continue operating a coal-burning power plant in Gallatin.
  • Workers pinned in Bangladesh rubble cry for rescue
    Posted April 25, 2013 2:21 PM
    SAVAR, Bangladesh — "Save us, brother. I beg you, brother," Mohammad Altab moaned to the rescuers who could not help him. He had been trapped for more than 24 hours, pinned between slabs of concrete in the ruins of the garment factory building where he worked.
  • Police blotter: 8-year-old punches, bites school principal
    Updated April 25, 2013 2:23 PM
    Police were called to Holston Elementary School in Blountville, finding the principal had been punched, kicked and bitten by an 8-year-old. An educator and an officer had to restrain the boy in a chair, one holding his legs and the other his arms.
  • FBI: Details remain scant on weekend shooting at Watts Bar nuclear power plant
    Posted April 25, 2013 2:11 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Investigators are running down leads in an early Sunday shootout between a security officer at Watt Bar Nuclear Plant and an individual on who fired multiple shots from a boat on Chickamauga Lake near Spring City, Tenn., property.
  • Police: Boston suspects planned to attack New York
    Posted April 25, 2013 2:09 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Marathon bombing suspects intended to blow up their remaining explosives in New York's Times Square, New York officials said Thursday.
  • Coast Guard: Spark from cleaning caused explosion
    Posted April 25, 2013 1:47 PM
    MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Firefighters on Thursday extinguished a huge blaze that erupted hours earlier when two fuel barges exploded, leaving three people with critical burns and forcing the evacuation of crew from a nearby cruise ship.
  • Found: A floating giant head
    Posted April 25, 2013 12:14 PM
    POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — Anyone lose a giant head made of Styrofoam and fiberglass?
  • Elizabethton police: Man shot holes in his own truck
    Posted April 25, 2013 12:09 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Elizabethton Police responding to a call about shots being fired in the 700 Block of W. H St. on Monday arrested a man who admitted to shooting the side of his own pickup truck.
  • Boston suspects' father says he's returning to US; mother regrets living here
    Posted April 25, 2013 11:52 AM
    MAKHACHKALA, Russia — The father of the two Boston bombing suspects said Thursday that he is leaving Russia for the United States in the next day or two, but their mother said she was still thinking it over.
  • Alleged NE Tennessee child sex crimes result in indictments
    Posted April 25, 2013 11:22 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — The Hawkins County grand jury handed down indictments Monday against two men accused in separate, unrelated sexually related crimes against children.
  • Johnson City man sentenced to nearly 20 years on prescription drug charges
    Posted April 25, 2013 10:45 AM
    GREENEVILLE –– A Johnson City man was sentenced Tuesday after he pleaded guilty during an August 2010 federal indictment to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone pills, according to a district court press release.
  • Swedish police say drugs, stun gun found on Bieber tour bus
    Updated April 25, 2013 11:46 AM
    STOCKHOLM —The latest chapter in Justin Bieber's European tour escapade was added Thursday when Swedish police said they had found drugs and a stun gun on the pop singer's bus.
  • TBI investigating dismissed NE Tennessee police lieutenant
    Posted April 25, 2013 9:34 AM
    MOUNT CARMEL — A lieutenant with the Mount Carmel Police Department has been terminated from the force, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has confirmed he is included in an investigation the agency is currently conducting.
  • Today's hot stuff from across the nation and around the globe
    Posted April 25, 2013 9:32 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Annexation moratorium passed in Nashville may mean revenue loss
    Posted April 25, 2013 9:06 AM
    Legislation designed to reform Tennessee’s annexation laws succeeded in the House late last week and now awaits Gov. Bill Haslam’s signature which will put in motion a one-year moratorium on the annexation of any residential property or farmland across the state.
  • Four new businesses add to growing downtown Johnson City retail offerings
    Posted April 25, 2013 8:56 AM
    As the city continues its efforts to revitalize downtown through streetscaping and flood mitigation projects and the arrival of more and more restaurant options, progress in downtown Johnson City is growing.
  • Factory building collapse in Bangladesh kills 149
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:55 PM
    SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) — Rescuers tried to free people believed trapped in the concrete rubble of a building housing mainly garment factories that collapsed in Bangladesh a day after workers complained cracks had developed in the structure. The death toll jumped Thursday to 149 after searchers worked through the night.
  • Two women, juvenile facing theft charges
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:54 PM
    Two women and a juvenile were charged with one count each of felony theft over $500 from JC Penney, 2011 N. Roan St., on Monday about 4 p.m.
  • Man faces charges of taking motorcycle
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:41 PM
    A Johnson City man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly stole a motorcycle from a local shop and other items from Goodwill.
  • Phone call leads to additional charges
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:33 PM
    A Johnson City man already incarcerated in the Washington County Detention Center on stolen vehicle and burglary charges received more charges after calling a relative from jail to dispose of other stolen items, according to a police press report.
  • Man reportedly chokes, throws items at woman
    Updated April 25, 2013 8:30 AM
    A Johnson City man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly threw various items and choked a woman while holding her against a wall, according to a police press release.
  • Hawkins student accused of sending bogus school closure notices charged with criminal impersonation
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:23 PM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Cherokee High School student accused of emailing bogus school-closure announcements to three television stations in February has been charged with two counts of criminal impersonation.
  • Alleged child sex crimes result in Hawkins County indictments
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:15 PM
    ROGERSVILLE — The Hawkins County grand jury handed down indictments Monday against two men accused in separate, unrelated sexually related crimes against children.
  • HCSO seizes 100 pills, 40 syringes, car during traffic stop
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:04 PM
    CHURCH HILL — About 100 pills, 40 syringes and a vehicle were seized from a Bulls Gap woman Monday evening as a result of a traffic stop initiated by a reckless driver complaint.
  • Police’s popular drug drop-off program prompts need for bigger box
    Updated April 24, 2013 9:17 PM
    A drug drop-off box installed two years ago at the Johnson City Police Department for unwanted medications has been so successful that department will replace it with a bigger one.
  • Pro-To Club to honor founders during banquet
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:00 PM
    Hugh Collie and Willie Norris have dedicated the majority of their lives to the Johnson City/Washington County Pro-To Club Inc.
  • Families squabble at preliminary hearing for accused killer
    Posted April 24, 2013 8:58 PM
    Emotions ran high Wednesday outside a Washington County courtroom after a first-degree murder preliminary hearing, and law enforcement herded two families away from each other.
  • Sheriff: Investigation into Morgan County explosives ongoing
    Posted April 24, 2013 8:34 PM
    State and local authorities Wednesday are still investigating the source of a weekend fire on a rural Morgan County junk yard and how the owner came to possess several dozen military mortar shells that were found in the aftermath.
  • Boston bomb investigation extends to Russia
    Posted April 24, 2013 8:33 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — New information emerged Wednesday from U.S. officials that the name of one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects had been added to a U.S. government terrorist database long before the explosions. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, more than 4,000 mourners paid tribute to a campus police officer who authorities say was gunned down by the suspects.
  • Officials: Bomb suspect acknowledged role
    Posted April 24, 2013 8:29 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Two U.S. officials say the surviving suspect in the Boston bombings acknowledged his role in the attacks to FBI investigators. But the officials say this occurred before authorities advised him of his constitutional rights, including the right to consult with an attorney and not to incriminate himself.
  • Singer Billy Currington charged with making threat
    Posted April 24, 2013 8:27 PM
    SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Country singer Billy Currington has been indicted in Georgia on charges that he threatened bodily harm to a man over the age of 65.
  • Late-season surprise for Lady Bucs
    Updated April 24, 2013 9:23 PM
    Like lightning out of the blue, the East Tennessee State softball team struck an unsuspecting target Wednesday.
  • Boone-Unicoi showdown postponed again
    Posted April 24, 2013 8:12 PM
    ERWIN — Daniel Boone and Unicoi County have been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 throughout the softball season, but haven’t been able to get together to settle the issue on the field.
  • Measure to let cities form school systems
    Posted April 24, 2013 7:53 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam has signed legislation that clears the way for cities to begin forming municipal school systems.
  • Mail collection boxes to be blocked for marathon
    Posted April 24, 2013 6:25 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Access will be blocked to all mail collection boxes along the route of the St. Jude Country Music Marathon this weekend out of an abundance of caution, the U.S. Postal Service announced Wednesday.
  • Knoxville announces end to recycling incentive program
    Posted April 24, 2013 4:40 PM
    KNOXVILLE — The city of Knoxville expects to save $90,000 a year by ending an incentive program that encourages people to recycle, city staff announced in a news release Wednesday.
  • Haslams try to halt fallout from FBI raid on Pilot
    Posted April 24, 2013 2:49 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's Haslam family is furiously trying to control the damage following a federal investigation into the family business that could threaten to unravel decades of growing wealth and influence that spans business, sports and politics in the state and beyond.
  • Iraq: 51 dead in clashes, bombing as tensions rise
    Posted April 24, 2013 2:21 PM
    BAGHDAD (AP) — Clashes erupted Wednesday between the Iraqi army and armed Sunni tribesmen who sealed off two central Iraqi towns, leaving 38 dead, just a day after a bloody incident involving soldiers and protesters set off fighting that killed 56 people.
  • Georgia lawyer accuses Jimmy Haslam of witness tampering, to ask court to stop customer contact
    Posted April 24, 2013 2:03 PM
    KNOXVILLE — The lawyer for a Georgia trucking company accused Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam today of witness tampering and cheating customers once again as the fallout from a federal fuel rebate fraud probe continues.
  • Boston area honors slain MIT officer
    Posted April 24, 2013 1:52 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — As bagpipes wailed, more than 4,000 mourners paid their respects Wednesday to an MIT police officer who authorities say was ambushed in his cruiser by the Boston Marathon bombers, while U.S. investigators trying to get to the bottom of the plot looked for answers from the Tsarnaev brothers' parents in Russia.
  • Power outage forces Daniel Boone to dismiss early
    Posted April 24, 2013 12:02 PM
    Washington County school officials announced that Daniel Boone High School would be dismissing students today at 12:30 p.m. because of a power outage.
  • Research effort clears up grave confusion at Elizabethton's Green Hill Cemetery
    Posted April 24, 2013 11:53 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Two new Civil War cavalry veterans, one who fought for the North and the other who fought for the South, have been discovered at the Green Hill Cemetery as a result of a research effort conducted by the Watauga Historical Association to correct some records in the Find-a-Grave website.
  • Kingsport sixth-grader lands spot as extra on 'Nashville'
    Updated April 24, 2013 11:41 AM
    KINGSPORT — When ABC’s hit musical drama "Nashville" airs Wednesday night, May 8, Tiffany Reeves will be glued to the television screen.
  • Update: Settlement ends Sullivan Co. sheriff's lawsuit, gets raise for employees
    Updated April 24, 2013 11:25 AM
    BLOUNTVILLE — A settlement has been reached in Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson’s lawsuit seeking more funds for his department from the county, avoiding a trial that was set to begin Wednesday morning.
  • NE Tennessee man convicted in beating of 99-year-old woman now faces theft charge
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:47 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County man on parole for his part in the 2010 assault of a 99-year-old Rogersville woman during the burglary of her home is in trouble again, accused of stealing a Jeep the day after he sold it.
  • Permanent place sought for Unicoi County records
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:15 AM
    ERWIN — Unicoi County’s nomadic records will likely be on the move again soon, and the Unicoi County Records Commission intends to study potential permanent destinations for stacked pallets of papers that must be maintained.
  • Hazardous waste collection day to be held at Daniel Boone High School May 4
    Posted April 24, 2013 9:02 AM
    If you’ve been holding on to some old chemicals or medications and are not quite sure what to do with them, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation might have just the solution for you.
  • 2 Knoxville teens arrested after armed robberies, chase, police dog's bite
    Posted April 24, 2013 8:32 AM
    KNOXVILLE — Two teenage suspects are facing multiple charges after an alleged armed robbery spree and police pursuit in West Knox County on Monday night that ultimately ended with a K-9’s bite.
  • Memphis police shoot, kill man whose car hit them
    Posted April 24, 2013 8:26 AM
    MEMPHIS — Memphis police have shot and killed a man who authorities said struck two officers with a car.
  • Today's hot topics from the around the nation and the world
    Posted April 24, 2013 8:18 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Wednesday:
  • 4 incumbents, 1 newcomer land on Johnson City Board of Education
    Posted April 23, 2013 10:39 PM
    When the polls closed Tuesday night, voters sent incumbents Kathy Hall, Dick Manahan, Tom Hager and Sheila Cox to the Johnson City Board of Education, alongside newcomer John Hunter for his first term on the board.
  • Brock, Tomita easily win Johnson City Commission seats
    Posted April 23, 2013 10:15 PM
    Jenny Brock and David Tomita on Tuesday bested a field of seven candidates and will position themselves in chambers next month as the two newest members of the Johnson City Commission.
  • Napolitano: Immigration bill would boost security
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:49 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Sweeping immigration legislation would improve U.S. security by helping authorities to know who is in the country, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Tuesday, as supporters of an immigration overhaul marshaled arguments against opponents trying to slow it down in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.
  • Order of protection filed against Tennessee center
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:37 PM
    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Yemi Makanjoula, the Tennessee center who is transferring at the end of the semester, had an order of protection filed against him in February by an 18-year-old female student.
  • Former U.S. attorney general supports Plowshares actions at Y-12
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:27 PM
    Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark testified Tuesday that ongoing production of nuclear weapons at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge could be considered unlawful, if not illegal, because it violates some tenets of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty aimed at eliminating weapons. The treaty was signed in 1968 during Clark’s tenure at the Justice Department.
  • 3 Doors Down bassist out of jail on bond
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:23 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The bassist for rock band 3 Doors Down is out of jail after a fatal interstate crash in Nashville.
  • Tillinghast Invite part of JCCC’s centennial celebration
    Updated April 23, 2013 9:14 PM
    Johnson City Country Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and the eighth annual Tillinghast Invitational golf tournament will be a big part of the celebration.
  • Racing notes: Pressure already on for big names
    Updated April 24, 2013 2:51 AM
    Normally, it would be absurd to hit the panic button eight races into the 38-race Sprint Cup Series season.
  • Earth Day: Town celebrates upgrades to waste water treatment facility
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:18 PM
    Bobby Goode, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development in Tennessee, came to Jonesborough Tuesday for an Earth Day celebration of $10 million in waste water treatment improvements being accomplished in the town with help from the agency.
  • UH blanks Elizabethton
    Updated April 23, 2013 9:21 PM
    ELIZABETHTON -- University High scored four goals on its own and benefited from a pair of own goals from Elizabethton, romping to a 6-0 boys’ soccer victory on Tuesday night at Brown-Childress Stadium.
  • Devils tie Cyclones for league lead
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:14 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Unicoi County got its wake-up call Monday night, and then delivered one to Elizabethton on Tuesday.
  • Soccer sinkhole moves games, costs school system
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:04 PM
    OAK RIDGE — A small sinkhole that was first noticed on the soccer field at Oak Ridge High School during a practice April 8 has grown into a large headache that caused three home games to be relocated and will cost the school system more than $40,000.
  • ETSU’s vision for performing arts center grows larger
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:03 PM
    Land where an East Tennessee State University fine and performing arts center could be built has been appraised at around $1.7 million, and now includes a bank building.
  • 'Zombies' invade University of Michigan campus
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:01 PM
    ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — You can learn a lot from a zombie.
  • Students at Johnson University attempt to change official spelling of 'forty'
    Posted April 23, 2013 8:39 PM
    Kevin Tucker wants to change the spelling of a common English word. “The way we spell ‘forty’ has always been puzzling to me,” said Tucker, 21, a junior at Johnson University in South Knox. “Why don’t we spell it like other numbers associated with four, such as fourteen?”
  • Church Hill woman accused of stabbing son-in-law with fork
    Posted April 23, 2013 8:02 PM
    CHURCH HILL — A Church Hill woman was arraigned Friday on one count of aggravated domestic violence for allegedly stabbing her son-in-law last week with a fork.
  • Brock, Tomita tops in Johnson City Commission race; Hall, Manahan, Hager, Hunter & Cox win school board seats
    Updated April 23, 2013 9:57 PM
    Former school board member Jenny Brock led all candidates in the race for two open seats in today's Johnson City Commission election, finishing ahead of sitting Washington County Commissioner David Tomita by just 53 votes.
  • Governor signs beer tax measure
    Posted April 23, 2013 7:26 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A proposal to freeze the state's beer tax has been signed by the governor.
  • Surgoinsville man found drunk at high school pleads to P.I.
    Posted April 23, 2013 6:27 PM
    CHURCH HILL — A Surgoinsvile man pleaded guilty Friday in Hawkins County Sessions Court to one count of public intoxication following his arrest Thursday the at Volunteer High School parking lot during a soccer game.
  • Charges dropped against man in ricin letters case
    Posted April 23, 2013 6:22 PM
    TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Charges were dropped Tuesday against the Mississippi man accused of sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and others, while authorities searched at another man's home in connection with the case.
  • JCPD arrests second pizza store robbery suspect
    Updated April 24, 2013 9:49 AM
    A second Chattanooga man accused of being involved in a February pizza store robbery was arrested by Johnson City police on Monday.
  • DNA renews 32-year-old homicide probe
    Posted April 23, 2013 6:05 PM
    A 32-year-old homicide investigation got a boost this month when authorities used DNA to identify the victim.
  • Army, ATF lock down school, detonating WW II explosives in Morgan County
    Posted April 23, 2013 5:54 PM
    A military bomb disposal squad is control detonating several dozen World War II-era mortar rounds at a Morgan County junk yard Tuesday, two days after they were discovered during a fire on the property.
  • UN official hopeful about 2015 climate talks
    Posted April 23, 2013 4:20 PM
    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Governments are more serious and the impact of climate change is more dramatic, improving chances of a groundbreaking global warming pact in 2015 in contrast with the failure of such an effort in 2009, the U.N. climate chief said Tuesday.
  • Car bomb at French Embassy in Libya wounds 3
    Posted April 23, 2013 4:15 PM
    TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — A car bomb exploded Tuesday outside the French Embassy in Tripoli, wounding three people and partially setting the building on fire in the worst attack on a diplomatic mission in the North African nation since the U.S. ambassador was killed last year.
  • France legalizes gay marriage after harsh debate
    Posted April 23, 2013 3:53 PM
    PARIS — France legalized gay marriage on Tuesday after a wrenching national debate that has exposed deep social conservatism in the nation's heartland and triggered huge protests in Paris from both sides of the divide. Legions of officers with water cannon braced outside the National Assembly for possible violence on an issue that galvanized the country's faltering right.
  • Gov't warns of more flight delays as blame flies
    Posted April 23, 2013 3:21 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — A day after flight delays plagued much of the U.S., air travel is smoother Tuesday. But the government is warning passengers that the situation can change by the hour as it runs the nation's air traffic control system with a smaller staff.
  • Stocks briefly drop, recover, on fake bomb tweet
    Posted April 23, 2013 2:21 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market briefly dropped, then recovered, after the Associated Press' Twitter account was hacked and a fake tweet about an attack on the White House was posted.
  • Cops promise big presence for Nashville marathon
    Updated April 23, 2013 3:09 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Law enforcement authorities say they have no known threat for the St. Jude Country Music Marathon and that runners will see a strong presence of officers and security from start to finish Saturday.
  • Ricin suspect released from jail
    Posted April 23, 2013 1:24 PM
    OXFORD, Miss. — The Mississippi man charged with sending poisoned letters to President Barack Obama, a U.S. senator and a state judge was released from jail on Tuesday, federal official said, though the reason for the release wasn't immediately clear.
  • 3 of 8 murder charges against Pa. abortion doc tossed
    Posted April 23, 2013 1:19 PM
    PHILADELPHIA — Three of eight murder charges were thrown out Tuesday against a Philadelphia abortion provider whose clinic was called a "house of horrors," apparently because the judge had not heard sufficient evidence from prosecutors that the three babies were viable, born alive and then killed.
  • Carter County deputies report being bitten, kicked while trying to make arrest
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:54 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — One deputy of the Carter County Sheriff’s Department said he was kicked in the chest and a lieutenant said he was bitten on his left arm when they tried to serve outstanding arrest warrants last week.
  • Jonesborough's Jackson Theater funding on new track after state budget failure
    Posted April 23, 2013 9:18 AM
    The town of Jonesborough is seeking funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission to purchase and renovate the former Jackson Theatre in the wake of the state legislature’s failure to approve state budget funding for the project.
  • Today is Election Day; get out and vote
    Updated April 23, 2013 9:13 AM
    Johnson City voters go to the polls today to fill two seats on the City Commission and five seats on the city’s Board of Education. Judging by the light turnout for early voting (less than 1,941 have voted early by mail or in person), one of two things is going on:
  • Outgoing mail services moving from Johnson City to Knoxville
    Updated April 23, 2013 8:44 AM
    The United States Postal Service will be moving its outgoing mail services from the Johnson City area to Knoxville this summer, a USPS official said Monday.
  • Lawsuit claims Kingsport, Sullivan Co. governing boards violated Sunshine Law
    Posted April 23, 2013 7:12 AM
    KINGSPORT — Two Kingsport women have filed a lawsuit against the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Kingsport Board of Education and the Sullivan County Board of Education, claiming the elected officials have held meetings on school consolidation in violation of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act.
  • Woman injured in marathon blast faces challenges
    Posted April 23, 2013 7:08 AM
    BOSTON — As this shocked city observed a moment of silence, Heather Abbott was following through on a difficult decision — allowing doctors to amputate her left foot, which was mangled in the bombings that shattered the Boston Marathon.
  • Today's hot topics from the Associated Press
    Posted April 23, 2013 6:58 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Johnson City man accused of allowing child, 3, to wander off; was on probation for same thing
    Updated April 24, 2013 9:51 AM
    A Johnson City man on probation for letting his toddler wander off from their residence was arrested Monday after a similar incident.
  • Boone knocks off Science Hill
    Updated April 23, 2013 4:38 AM
    A tailor-made double-play ball didn’t suit Science Hill’s fashionable Big Eight Conference record.
  • Lady Toppers win 20th of season
    Updated April 22, 2013 10:44 PM
    ELIZABETHTON -- Science Hill got the best of an old rival for its 20th softball win of the season on Monday evening.
  • Watts Bar Nuclear Plant intruder, shooting under federal probe
    Posted April 22, 2013 9:53 PM
    The FBI has joined the TVA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigating a trespasser who exchanged gunfire with a security officer on the property of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant early Sunday morning.
  • Box by box, Pilot Flying J records shed more light on rebate-fraud probe
    Posted April 22, 2013 9:49 PM
    Even the purses and trash cans weren’t safe.
  • Lawsuit: Kingsport, Sullivan school boards, Kingsport BMA violated state Sunshine Law
    Posted April 22, 2013 9:41 PM
    KINGSPORT — Two Kingsport women have filed a lawsuit against the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Kingsport Board of Education and the Sullivan County Board of Education, claiming the elected officials have held meetings on school consolidation in violation of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act.
  • Hawkins mother, daughter charged with 68 counts of animal cruelty each
    Posted April 22, 2013 9:32 PM
    MOORESBURG — A Hawkins County mother and daughter were charged Sunday with 68 counts of animal cruelty after a large number and variety of animals were allegedly found to be malnourished living in “unfit” conditions.
  • Flood warnings for Tenn., Ky. near Miss. River
    Posted April 22, 2013 9:25 PM
    MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Flood warnings have been issued in Tennessee and Kentucky as the Mississippi River starts to slowly rise from northern floodwaters, but officials say the rising water should not have a significant impact.
  • Report: Crime up in city, down in county in 2012
    Posted April 22, 2013 9:13 PM
    Johnson City had slightly more criminal offenses reported in 2012 than the previous year while Washington County experienced a decrease, according to crime statistics released Monday by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
  • Wash. Co. Commission agrees to draw up contract with Waste Management
    Updated April 23, 2013 8:38 AM
    The Washington County Commission on Monday approved a $5.9 million, 10-year agreement with Waste Management to send its solid waste to Johnson City-owned Iris Glen Environmental Landfill.
  • Washington County planning commission set at 15
    Updated April 23, 2013 8:45 AM
    Washington County Commissioners on Monday set the number of members of the Regional Planning Commission at 15 after a verbal tussle over what some commissioners see as County Mayor Dan Eldridge’s lack of concern for rural areas.
  • Tournament time rapidly approaching
    Posted April 22, 2013 8:54 PM
    Just a week or two removed from a wintry early spring, area teams are already in the stretch run.
  • Officials: Bomb suspects appear driven by faith
    Posted April 22, 2013 7:39 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — The two brothers suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon appear to have been motivated by their religious faith but do not seem connected to any Muslim terrorist groups, U.S. officials said Monday after interrogating the severely wounded younger man. He was charged with federal crimes that could bring the death penalty.
  • Bucs sign all-state guard from Tampa
    Updated April 22, 2013 9:03 PM
    Getting a point guard was a high priority for the East Tennessee State basketball team during recruiting season. Getting this point guard was even a higher one.
  • Feds investigate shooting at Tennessee nuclear plant
    Posted April 22, 2013 5:32 PM
    NASHVILLE — An East Tennessee nuclear power plant has added security patrols after a weekend incident in which an officer exchanged gunfire with a man who then fled on a boat.
  • Green thinking ring, not record
    Updated April 22, 2013 9:03 PM
    Andrew Green has a chance to break East Tennessee State’s career record for stolen bases, but it’s not at the top of his list of things to do.
  • Bucs win seventh straight A-Sun tennis title
    Posted April 22, 2013 5:28 PM
    It never gets old for Yaser Zaatini.
  • Update: Possible wreck with injuries in I-81 construction zone
    Updated April 22, 2013 8:09 PM
    A rig has wrecked traveling southbound on Interstate 81 between the 47 and 48 mile markers in Greene County, according to a Greene County 911 dispatcher.
  • Police: 2 arrested in Canada terror plot
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:58 PM
    TORONTO — Two men were arrested and charged with plotting a terrorist attack against a Canadian passenger train with support from al-Qaida "elements" in Iran, police said Monday.
  • Woodstock singer Havens, 72, dies of heart attack
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:57 PM
    NEW YORK — Richie Havens, who sang and strummed for a sea of people at Woodstock, has died at 72.
  • Mourners say final goodbyes to Boston Marathon bombing victim
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:57 PM
    MEDFORD, Mass. — The church was already packed, so Saint Joseph School sixth-grader Michael Sanchez stood outside Krystle Campbell's funeral with his aunt and hundreds of others Monday to honor the Boston Marathon bombing victim.
  • Renovated Reece Museum
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:52 PM
    As with all renovations, there were minor hiccups and major inconveniences, but the nearly two-year $1.7 million renovation of East Tennessee State University’s Reece Museum is complete, and the museum will reopen Tuesday.
  • Police badge, gun, bullet proof vests stolen in Kingsport burglary
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:45 PM
    KINGSPORT — Police are investigating a string of early Monday morning auto burglaries in west Kingsport, including the theft of a Sullivan County Sheriff's Office lieutenant's badge, department issued weapon and bullet proof vests.
  • Should TVA be sold to private-sector buyer?
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:44 PM
    President Barack Obama unveiled a budget proposal this month that calls for a strategic review of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The budget section titled “Reform TVA” has some TVA leaders and officials on Capitol Hill worried that this might be the first step in selling off what is the U.S. government’s largest and best-known public utility.
  • Coming out of retirement for a good cause: Homeless vets
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:30 PM
    Back in February, I was sitting in my recliner by the fireplace thinking about how long it would be before I could drag the porch rocker out of the basement, touch up its paint and put it back in its prized place on the back porch. It wouldn’t be long before I would be watching the squirrels chasing each other in romantic circles around the old oak tree. The blue jays would soon be squawking at each other over the best nesting site and the flowers would be pushing their little heads out of the ground, seeking the early sunshine promised by the groundhog in his recent prediction.
  • No need for force
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:29 PM
    Unicoi does not need its own police force. The Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department is doing a fine job for far less money than would be required to equip a new police department.
  • Kansas woman meets circus tiger in bathroom
    Updated April 22, 2013 4:24 PM
    SALINA, Kan. — A central Kansas woman likely won't remember her first circus for the clowns or performances — it'll be the tiger in the bathroom.
  • $140,000 cost a dream
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:20 PM
    After reading the Johnson City Press story on the town of Unicoi officials’ statements on the need for a separate police force, I was surprised, to say the least. As a resident of Unicoi County and the town of Unicoi at the time the incorporation vote was taken, I was against incorporation. Incorporation inevitably breeds bureaucracy and increased taxes no matter what pledges are made otherwise.
  • Unicoi police
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:18 PM
    Your “Sound off” on April 17 hit a nerve with me and I felt compelled to respond. If a town wants to start up a police force, I don’t see a problem with that at all. I could not understand why whoever wrote this editorial would feel so negatively about it.
  • NE Tennessee mother, daughter charged with 68 counts of animal cruelty each
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:16 PM
    MOORESBURG — A Hawkins County mother and daughter were charged Sunday with 68 counts of animal cruelty after a large number and variety of animals were allegedly found to be malnourished living in “unfit” conditions.
  • Keep popular vote
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:12 PM
    Please do not change the current way to select our state’s nominees to the U.S. Senate, which is by the popular vote of the people. To do so would alter our system of government.
  • Roe is against Affordable Care Act, but he will profit from it
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:06 PM
    Now that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare” is law — and with intense focus on skyrocketing medical costs — companies, like Microsoft and Teradata, that sell “big data” software, anticipate significant profits. The reason — health care reform involves large amounts of information being used in new ways, to keep track of admission and re-admission patterns, diagnoses and medical outcomes.
  • Dr. Allen gave much to medical field in region
    Posted April 22, 2013 4:00 PM
    We were saddened to learn of the passing of one of the key leaders in the establishment of a medical school at East Tennessee State University. As you probably read in Friday’s edition of the Press, Dr. Charles Edward Allen died Wednesday at age 82. He was a giant in local health care, both as a gifted cardiologist and as a dedicated advocate for the creation of the James H. Quillen College of Medicine.
  • Let’s do our part to curb global warming on Earth Day and every day
    Posted April 22, 2013 3:49 PM
    Earth Day will observe its 43rd anniversary Monday. Founded by the late Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson, more than a billion people in 192 countries take part in Earth Day observances. Nelson’s motivation came from seeing the impact of an oil spill in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1969, after which he said “we must stem the tide” to avert what he called an “imminent environmental disaster.”
  • Clean water is a crucial and precious resource
    Posted April 22, 2013 3:48 PM
    Water is a primary ingredient for sustaining life on this planet. Without it, crops wither, animals perish and people die. Protecting its quality and conserving its quantity should be a chief concern of us humans who rely daily on water for our very survival.
  • Police: Man pulls knife on landlord, brother
    Posted April 22, 2013 3:36 PM
    Johnson City Police Department officers broke down a man’s door and removed him from his home after witnessing him pull a knife on his landlord and brother on Friday, according to court documents.
  • Johnson City man charged with beating, choking girlfriend
    Posted April 22, 2013 2:12 PM
    A Wheeler Street man was arrested Saturday after accusations that he beat and choked his live-in girlfriend and held blankets over her face.
  • Death penalty on table for accused Boston bomber, charged with using weapon of mass destruction
    Updated April 22, 2013 4:48 PM
    BOSTON — Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged in his hospital room Monday with using a weapon of mass destruction to kill, and he could get the death penalty.
  • Section of Antioch Road to be closed Wednesday
    Updated April 22, 2013 12:36 PM
    Antioch road, between the intersections with Beechwood Drive and Seminole Drive, will be closed Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. while water/sewer work is performed, according to a news release from the City of Johnson City.
  • Local strawberry crop looks promising
    Posted April 22, 2013 10:38 AM
    According to reports across the state, Tennessee strawberry growers are anticipating a strong crop this year thanks to cooperative weather.
  • Seattle-area shooting leaves 5 dead, including suspected shooter killed by police
    Posted April 22, 2013 10:17 AM
    FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Gunfire erupted at an apartment complex in a city south of Seattle and five people were shot to death, including a suspect who was shot by arriving officers, police said early Monday.
  • Police say Kingsport woman tried to sell neighbor's property in yard sale
    Posted April 22, 2013 10:11 AM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport woman has been arrested after allegedly stealing furniture and appliances from a vacant, neighboring home, then attempting to sell them in a yard sale outside her residence.
  • Washington Co. loses EMS pioneer 'Doc' Jones
    Posted April 22, 2013 9:08 AM
    One of the first paramedics in Washington County — and the first to use a defibrillator in the field to restart a person’s heart after she collapsed — has died.
  • See ETSU student films at Johnson City theater Tuesday night
    Updated April 22, 2013 11:56 AM
    Tuesday at Johnson City’s Real to Reel Cinemas, you have a chance to see films by students who may be the next Spielberg, Scorsese or Hitchcock.
  • Today's hot topics from the Associated Press
    Posted April 22, 2013 7:25 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Elizabethton woman charged with stealing from Johnson City stores
    Posted April 22, 2013 7:20 AM
    An Elizabethton woman was arrested this morning on charges that she stole items from a Johnson City outdoors shop and a Walmart last year.
  • Update: Tow truck driver finds baby in car towed from downtown Johnson City, parents charged with neglect
    Updated April 22, 2013 7:43 PM
    A tow truck driver found a surprise in the front seat of a vehicle he removed from the downtown Johnson City area early Sunday morning after he arrived at the impound yard — a baby.
  • New animal neglect probe under way in Northeast Tennessee
    Posted April 21, 2013 9:08 PM
    MOORESBURG — The Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office along with members of the Hawkins County Humane Society and Treadway Equine Animal Rescue Sanctuary (TEARS) responded to a Mooresburg residence just off of Route 31 Sunday on a complaint of a large number and variety of neglected animals in need of rescue.
  • Officials: At least 185 killed in Nigeria attack
    Posted April 21, 2013 8:58 PM
    BAGA, Nigeria — Fighting between Nigeria's military and Islamic extremists killed at least 185 people in a fishing community in the nation's far northeast, officials said Sunday, an attack that saw insurgents fire rocket-propelled grenades and soldiers spray machine-gun fire into neighborhoods filled with civilians.
  • Gunfire near Tennessee nuclear plant
    Posted April 21, 2013 7:20 PM
    SPRING CITY — A government agency says a security officer patrolling the area outside a nuclear power plant in East Tennessee exchanged gunfire with a person.
  • Parents of dead Boston suspect describe his Russia trip
    Posted April 21, 2013 7:16 PM
    MAKHACHKALA, Russia — The parents of Tamerlan Tsarnaev insisted on Sunday that he came to Dagestan and Chechnya last year to visit relatives and had nothing to do with the militants operating in this volatile part of Russia. But the Boston bombing suspect could not have been immune to the attacks that savaged the region during his six-month stay.
  • 'Walk the Line' Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon charged with disorderly conduct
    Posted April 21, 2013 7:02 PM
    ATLANTA — Police in Georgia say that actress Reese Witherspoon has been arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after a traffic stop involving her husband in Atlanta.
  • Five days of fear: What happened in Boston
    Posted April 21, 2013 11:54 AM
    BOSTON — In the tight rows of chairs stretched across the Commonwealth Ballroom, the nervousness — already dialed high by two bombs, three deaths and more than 72 hours without answers — ratcheted even higher.
  • Tennessee teacher facing rape charge involving student
    Posted April 21, 2013 11:08 AM
    JACKSON — A West Tennessee high school teacher and soccer coach is faces sex charges involving a student.
  • Demand for mental health services on rise at ETSU
    Posted April 21, 2013 11:08 AM
    Thirty-two after-hours emergencies. Eighty-seven during business hours. Eleven hospitalizations. Numerous interrupted suicide attempts.
  • Mass. gov: Video shows Boston bomb suspect dodging blast
    Posted April 21, 2013 10:41 AM
    WASHINGTON — Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says surveillance video from the Boston Marathon attack shows the suspect putting his backpack down and moving away in time to avoid being injured by the blast of the bomb inside it.
  • Sullivan County may have to consider teacher layoffs
    Posted April 21, 2013 10:25 AM
    BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County’s school board got a crash course in budget revenues 101 during a half-day work session Saturday morning.
  • ETSU men, women to face North Florida for A-Sun titles
    Updated April 21, 2013 4:53 AM
    Lyn Yee Choo didn’t double her pleasure and tie an East Tennessee State women’s tennis record Saturday, but bounced back for an impressive singles victory in the Lady Bucs’ Atlantic Sun semifinal win against Stetson at the ETSU Tennis Complex.
  • Strong quake jolts China's Sichuan, killing 160
    Posted April 20, 2013 9:07 PM
    YA'AN, China (AP) — Residents awoke Sunday after spending the night outdoors or in their cars in a town near the epicenter of a powerful earthquake that struck the steep hills of China's southwestern Sichuan province, leaving at least 160 people dead and more than 6,700 injured.
  • Lady ’Toppers win Tri-Cities Track Classic
    Posted April 20, 2013 8:59 PM
  • Man arrested after allegedly choking woman
    Posted April 20, 2013 8:56 PM
    A Johnson City man was arrested Saturday morning by police after he reportedly choked a woman at his residence.
  • Unicoi County Board of Education to consider Love Chapel site bid
    Posted April 20, 2013 8:43 PM
    ERWIN — The next step in the relocation of Love Chapel Elementary School could take place Monday when the Unicoi County Board of Education will meet to consider approval of a bid for site work necessary for the move.
  • Visitors to Gray Fossil Site event learn how fossils relate to conservation, environment
    Posted April 20, 2013 8:41 PM
    Fossils and Earth Day are not usually categorized together, but visitors at the East Tennessee State University and General Shale Brick Natural History Museum Visitor Center at the Gray Fossil Site on Saturday had plenty of activities and discussions to learn about the pair’s similarities.
  • Earth Day activities kick off Cleanup week in Jonesborough
    Posted April 20, 2013 8:36 PM
    The town of Jonesborough is inviting the public to join in an Earth Day celebration Tuesday morning at 9 at the Visitors Center on Boone Street to start Keep America Beautiful Spring Cleanup Week activities that continue through April 27.
  • Early voting total above 2011 turnout in municipal election
    Updated April 20, 2013 8:54 PM
    When early voting ended Thursday for Johnson City’s municipal election Tuesday, 1,941 ballots were tallied, besting the 2011 mark by about 100 votes.
  • GOP 'supermajority' rolls, but friction derails pet projects
    Posted April 20, 2013 8:23 PM
    NASHVILLE — Commenting on one of several pieces of legislation to gain national attention during the 2013 session of the Tennessee General Assembly, Gov. Bill Haslam blamed the failure of his education reform priority of the year on “infighting among advocates.”
  • Police: Shots fired at Colo. pot holiday gathering
    Posted April 20, 2013 8:15 PM
    DENVER (AP) — Gunfire erupted at a Denver park Saturday, injuring two people and sending tens of thousands gathered for an annual pot celebration fleeing the area, police said.
  • Sheriff: 5 snowboarders killed in Colo. avalanche
    Posted April 20, 2013 8:10 PM
    GEORGETOWN, Colo. (AP) — Authorities have recovered the bodies of five snowboarders who were killed in a backcountry avalanche on Colorado's Loveland Pass.
  • North Georgia trucking company files first lawsuit against Pilot
    Posted April 20, 2013 7:37 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Five days after federal authorities raided Pilot Flying J headquarters, a North Georgia trucking company has become the first client to file a lawsuit against the company.
  • Defense dominates Jones' first Orange & White Game
    Posted April 20, 2013 7:04 PM
    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — New Tennessee coach Butch Jones is making a favorable first impression off the field.
  • US providing Syrian rebels $123M more in aid
    Posted April 20, 2013 6:53 PM
    ISTANBUL (AP) — The United States is providing Syrian rebels with $123 million in new nonlethal aid that may include body armor and other types of supplies that haven't been part of the assistance package in the past.
  • Some residents allowed back home after Texas blast
    Posted April 20, 2013 4:39 PM
    WEST, Texas (AP) — After days of waiting, the first group of residents who fled their homes when a fertilizer plant exploded in a blinding fireball were allowed to go home Saturday to find out what remained.
  • Boston bomb suspect hospitalized under heavy guard
    Posted April 20, 2013 4:24 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev lay hospitalized in serious condition under heavy guard Saturday as people around the city breathed easier and investigators tried to piece together the who and why of the deadly plot.
  • Iraqis go to polls for first time since US pullout
    Posted April 20, 2013 2:57 PM
    BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq carried out its first election since the U.S. military withdrawal without major bloodshed Saturday in a major test for Iraqi security forces as they face a reviving al-Qaida insurgency. But delayed elections in two provinces wracked by anti-government protests and complaints about missing names on voter rolls overshadowed the vote.
  • Safety rules limited for small fertilizer plants
    Posted April 20, 2013 2:46 PM
    There were no sprinklers. No firewalls. No water deluge systems. Safety inspections were rare at the fertilizer company in West, Texas, that exploded and killed at least 14 people this week.
  • Midwestern river cities brace for floodwaters
    Posted April 20, 2013 2:43 PM
    CLARKSVILLE, Mo. (AP) — The fast-rising Mississippi River was making travel difficult Saturday, both on the river and for those simply trying to get across it.
  • Indian girl, 5, in serious condition after rape
    Posted April 20, 2013 1:30 PM
    NEW DELHI -- A 5-year-old girl was in serious condition Saturday after being raped and tortured by a man who held her in a locked room in India's capital for two days, officials said.
  • Update: Death toll from China quake tops 150
    Updated April 20, 2013 11:43 AM
    BEIJING — A powerful earthquake struck the steep hills of China's southwestern Sichuan province on Saturday, leaving at least 156 people dead and more than 5,500 injured, nearly five years after a devastating quake wreaked widespread damage across the region.
  • Kingsport police: Stone Drive driver rammed vehicle as part of continuing feud
    Posted April 20, 2013 8:57 AM
    KINGSPORT — An ongoing feud between several people — alleged to include phone harassment and threats of physical harm — reportedly spilled onto Stone Drive in Kingsport on Thursday, when a motorist intentionally hit another vehicle.
  • Boston: Unanswered questions remain after capture, celebration
    Posted April 20, 2013 8:36 AM
    WATERTOWN, Mass. — For just a few minutes, it seemed like the dragnet that had shut down a metropolitan area of millions while legions of police went house to house looking for the suspected Boston Marathon bomber had failed.
  • China's Sichuan hit by earthquake, killing 2
    Posted April 19, 2013 10:36 PM
    BEIJING (AP) — At least two people were killed Saturday when a powerful earthquake jolted China's Sichuan province near the same area where a devastating quake struck five years ago, with state media warning the casualty toll could climb sharply.
  • Boston bomb suspect captured, brother killed
    Posted April 19, 2013 10:34 PM
    WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) — A 19-year-old Massachusetts college student wanted in the Boston Marathon bombing was captured hiding in a boat parked in a backyard Friday night and his older brother lay dead in a furious 24-hour drama that transfixed the nation and paralyzed the Boston area.
  • Entertainer Ben Vereen speaks about disabilities in ETSU stop
    Posted April 19, 2013 10:29 PM
    Around 5:30 p.m. Friday Ben Vereen came walking into East Tennessee State University’s D.P. Culp University Center’s Martha Street Culp Auditorium with a smile on his face that was instantly contagious to those around him.
  • VFD chief suffers burns fighting apartment fire in Hampton
    Posted April 19, 2013 10:21 PM
    HAMPTON — Fire Chief Johnny Isaacs of the Hampton-Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Department suffered burns to his neck and back Thursday afternoon when part of the ceiling and insulation fell on him while he was fighting an apartment fire at 830 Deerfield Lane.
  • Showers hit area, bring colder weather
    Posted April 19, 2013 10:20 PM
    Quick, but at times, powerful rain showers moved through the area Friday, bringing cooler temperatures.
  • Ex-preacher has trial set on solicitation of minor charges; murder cases get new dates
    Posted April 19, 2013 10:15 PM
    A former preacher from Greeneville who’s accused of sending sexually suggestive text messages to a 15-year-old teen now has a trial date set on his charges.
  • Different shades of blue
    Updated April 20, 2013 1:18 AM
    Dale Ford and Will Little exemplify the gratification in finding your calling.
  • Marathon win highlights first day of A-Sun tennis
    Posted April 19, 2013 10:11 PM
    BRISTOL -- Just when the Stetson women’s tennis team seemed down, the bottom of its lineup picked it back up.
  • Boston police: Bombing suspect is in custody
    Posted April 19, 2013 8:45 PM
    WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) — Boston Police say a 19-year-old college student wanted in the Boston Marathon bombings is in custody after a manhunt that left the city virtually paralyzed and his older brother and accomplice dead.
  • Relay team leads Boone at TC Classic
    Posted April 19, 2013 7:57 PM
    The Daniel Boone Distance Medley Relay team had a performance to remember at the Tri-Cities Track Classic on Friday evening at Kermit Tipton Stadium.
  • Miller following dream to MTSU
    Posted April 19, 2013 7:54 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Thomas Miller got a taste of baseball as a six-year-old, and his whetted appetite carried his hunger to the college ranks.
  • Shots fired in Mass. as police seek bomb suspect
    Posted April 19, 2013 7:27 PM
    WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) — Gunfire erupted Friday night amid the manhunt for the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing, and police in armored vehicles and tactical gear rushed into the Watertown neighborhood in a possible break in the case.
  • Group educates students about possible prescription drug dangers
    Posted April 19, 2013 6:19 PM
    Like most people their age, Indian Trial Intermediate School fifth-graders Clayton McKenzie and Libby Story had no idea people could get hooked on prescription drugs.
  • Fox renews 'Glee' for 2 more years
    Posted April 19, 2013 4:53 PM
    LOS ANGELES — The Fox TV series "Glee" will keep on singing for another two years.
  • Supreme Court orders new murder trial for Tennessee man convicted of dismembering his mother
    Posted April 19, 2013 4:48 PM
    NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday ordered a new trial for a Gibson County man who was convicted of killing and dismembering his mother, after finding that his statements to police shouldn't have been used against him.
  • Black Keys manager won't be prosecuted for ticket offer
    Posted April 19, 2013 4:40 PM
    NASHVILLE — Davidson County District Attorney Torry Johnson says the manager of the Black Keys did not break the law by offering to give tickets to one of the band's performances to a lawyer opposed to a bill to crack down on ticket scalping.
  • Pro- and anti-Islamist protesters clash in Egypt
    Posted April 19, 2013 4:30 PM
    CAIRO (AP) — Supporters and opponents of Egypt's Islamist president battled in the streets near Tahrir Square on Friday as an Islamist rally demanding a purge of the judiciary devolved into violence.
  • Burgos, Madisons in Saturday bouts at Legion Rec
    Posted April 19, 2013 4:10 PM
    Jose Burgos and Tre and Mookie Madison headline a 30-bout boxing card today at Legion Street Rec.
  • Red Sox, Bruins postpone games during manhunt
    Posted April 19, 2013 3:55 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — The Red Sox and Bruins postponed their games on Friday night while authorities searched for a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings.
  • Nervous robber flees without the cash, his sandwich
    Posted April 19, 2013 3:34 PM
    KNOXVILLE — An apparently anxious robber on Friday ordered up a sandwich and all the money from the register but left without either.
  • Pet-4-19-13
    Posted April 19, 2013 3:04 PM
    Vinnie is a young adult hound mix. He is good with other dogs. For more information about Vinnie or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week
  • The stories of 2 brothers suspected in bombing
    Posted April 19, 2013 2:53 PM
    BOSTON — Tamerlan Tsarnaev practiced martial arts and boxing, even aspiring to fight on the U.S. Olympic team. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had been on the wrestling team at a prestigious high school and won a scholarship from the city to pursue higher education. Neighbors recalled the ethnic Chechen brothers, living on a quiet street in Cambridge, Mass., riding bikes and skateboards.
  • Boy Scouts proposing to lift gay ban for youth, but not leaders
    Posted April 19, 2013 2:48 PM
    NEW YORK — Under pressure over its long-standing ban on gays, the Boy Scouts of America is proposing to lift the ban for youth members but continue to exclude gays as adult leaders.
  • Young NKoreans train to seek 'revenge on US'
    Posted April 19, 2013 2:37 PM
    PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea's newest batch of future soldiers — scrawny 11-year-olds with freshly shaved heads — punch the air as they practice taekwondo on the grounds of the Mangyongdae Revolutionary School. Students and teachers here say they're studying harder these days to prepare for a fight.
  • Supreme Court orders new murder trial
    Posted April 19, 2013 2:00 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a Gibson County man who was convicted of killing and dismembering his mother. The unanimous opinion issued Friday said that statements David H. Climer Jr. gave to police should not have been admitted into evidence because prosecutors failed to show that he understood his rights and waived his right to a lawyer before being interrogated.
  • Bluff City man identified as victim of fatal Thursday crash in Piney Flats
    Posted April 19, 2013 12:34 PM
    PINEY FLATS — A motorcyclist who died Thursday evening after being struck head-on by an SUV has been identified as a Bluff City man, while the other driver involved claims to have fallen asleep behind the wheel.
  • Agriculture officials expect great strawberry crop across Tenn.
    Posted April 19, 2013 11:34 AM
    LASCASSAS (AP) — State agriculture officials are expecting an excellent crop of strawberries across the state this year.
  • Boston suspect's father says he's a 'true angel'
    Posted April 19, 2013 10:59 AM
    MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP) — In an anguished interview, the father of the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing described his fugitive son as a smart and accomplished "angel."
  • Dr. Charles Ed Allen, dedicated worker to establish ETSU medical school, dies
    Posted April 19, 2013 10:35 AM
    If not for Dr. Charles Ed Allen, there may not be a medical school at East Tennessee State University, according to the school’s former president.
  • 12 bodies recovered after Texas blast, 200 injured
    Posted April 19, 2013 10:21 AM
    WEST, Texas (AP) — The bodies of 12 people have been recovered after an enormous Texas fertilizer plant explosion that demolished surrounding neighborhoods for blocks and left about 200 other people injured, authorities said Friday.
  • Inmate rehabilitation
    Posted April 19, 2013 9:41 AM
    I am presently incarcerated in the Washington County Detention Center. I am writing to express my concerns as an inmate serving time for the Tennessee Department of Correction. I should have already been transported to Nashville so I could serve my time at the Tennessee Prison for Women. If I were housed there, I could receive proper and much-needed rehabilitation.
  • Low-income households barely get by with current electric bills
    Posted April 19, 2013 9:34 AM
    I am a concerned citizen who speaks for hundreds of neighbors, family members and friends who pay high-priced light bills. We do not believe “peak time” billing is fair to Johnson City Power Board customers. It seems like every month the bills go up.
  • Overweight nurses
    Posted April 19, 2013 9:34 AM
    Regarding Mountain States Health Alliance’s decision to no longer hire tobacco users, I’d like to ask a few questions. Although I’m just visiting here with a friend, I used to live here and had to be hospitalized at the Johnson City Medical Center. I observed several obese nurses.
  • Smokers’ rights
    Posted April 19, 2013 9:33 AM
    I am responding to an item in the Johnson City Press concerning Mountain State Health Alliance’s policy to not hire smokers. I do not agree that this will stop smokers. Everyone has a right to smoke if they choose to do so.
  • ‘Citizens’ junk mail
    Posted April 19, 2013 9:32 AM
    I receive a lot of junk mail, but today a piece of mail I received gave me pause. It had no return address, it wasn’t sealed, the letter inside had no person’s name, no contact information and had a computer-generated logo titled “Citizens for Sensible Government.”
  • Specialist instead
    Posted April 19, 2013 9:28 AM
    I saw in the paper where someone in Johnson City is trying to get a methadone clinic for people who are on drugs and who seem to think they have to travel to Knoxville or Asheville, N.C., for a disease these people have caused themselves.
  • Governor’s plan, backed by Roe, would hurt TennCare patients
    Posted April 19, 2013 9:24 AM
    As the former wife of a rural internist, I would like to point out a flaw in the argument Congressman Phil Roe made about one aspect of the Affordable Heath Care Act in his April 1 email update to constituents.
  • It’s the stormy time of year, so stay safe
    Posted April 19, 2013 9:21 AM
    This is a time of the year when it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the sky and an ear tuned for watches and warnings issued by the National Weather Service on our radios, TVs and smartphones. When it comes to severe weather, ignorance is definitely not bliss.
  • Would locks keep offenders from repeating DUI crime?
    Posted April 19, 2013 9:20 AM
    It seems no matter how tough state lawmakers make the penalties for drunken driving, some people still do it again and again. Check the “Charges Placed” section of this newspaper. Odds are you will see a few of the names of those charged with DUI today listed again for the same offense sometime in the next six months.
  • Uncle of bomb suspects confirms 2nd suspect's name
    Posted April 19, 2013 9:08 AM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. law enforcement official and the uncle of the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings are confirming that the name of the second suspect is Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother of Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a gun battle with police in Massachusetts overnight.
  • 7 East Tennessee teens busted in what police say was crime ring
    Posted April 19, 2013 6:12 AM
    ATHENS — A group of teenagers, who Englewood police say operated a crime ring, are due in McMinn County Juvenile Court Monday.
  • Update: 1 of 2 Mass. bomb suspects dead; suburbs shut down
    Updated April 19, 2013 9:53 AM
    WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) — The two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing killed an MIT police officer and hurled explosives at police in a car chase and gun battle overnight that left one of them dead and his brother on the loose, authorities said Friday as thousands of officers swarmed the streets in a manhunt that all but paralyzed the Boston area.
  • Carter County Board of Education votes to close Range Elementary
    Posted April 18, 2013 10:22 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Carter County Board of Education voted 6-1 Thursday to close Range Elementary School at the end of the year, but by a similar vote it rejected the Long Range Facilities Plan that recommended closing other schools.
  • Parents criticize Alexander over decision on West Side principal
    Posted April 18, 2013 10:19 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — It has been a few weeks since the recommendation by Superintendent Ed Alexander that Doug Mitchell should not be retained as principal at West Side Elementary School, but Thursday night was the first meeting of the Elizabethton City School Board since the controversy began.
  • Crowd packs Street's inauguration as Criminal Court judge
    Posted April 18, 2013 10:06 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — An overflow crowd consisting of most of the judges and attorneys in the region and many local officials attended the inauguration of Stacy Street as judge Thursday afternoon.
  • City Commission OKs U-Haul settlement
    Posted April 18, 2013 10:01 PM
    Attorneys don’t necessarily give their best performances in a courtroom.
  • Kelly Hunt, wounded diplomat with ET ties, back in U.S. but still recovering
    Posted April 18, 2013 9:59 PM
    Kelly Hunt, the U.S. State Department staffer and former News Sentinel employee wounded in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, has returned to the U.S.
  • Motorcyclist killed in collision with SUV in Piney Flats
    Posted April 18, 2013 9:57 PM
    PINEY FLATS -- A motorcycle driver died Thursday afternoon following a collision with an SUV driven by a teenager, Sullivan County authorities said.
  • Crews seek survivors, bodies after Texas blast
    Posted April 18, 2013 9:37 PM
    WEST, Texas (AP) — Rescuers searched the smoking remnants of a Texas farm town Thursday for survivors of a thunderous fertilizer plant explosion, gingerly checking smashed houses and apartments for anyone still trapped in debris while the community awaited word on the number of dead.
  • FBI: Pilot worker says Haslam knew of rebate fraud
    Posted April 18, 2013 8:34 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Pilot Flying J employee told investigators that CEO Jimmy Haslam, who is also the owner of the Cleveland Browns, knew about rebate fraud at the truck stop chain his family owns, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed Thursday.
  • Elizabethton lifters rack up at nationals
    Posted April 18, 2013 8:20 PM
    Even the coaches were caught off guard by this performance.
  • Bucs going for seventh straight A-Sun tennis title
    Updated April 18, 2013 10:21 PM
    The East Tennessee State men’s tennis team always wears the big target this time of year. That comes with winning six straight Atlantic Sun Conference tournament championships.
  • Police investigating East Oakland traffic fatality
    Updated April 18, 2013 10:59 PM
    Johnson City Police responded to an accident Thursday on East Oakland Avenue near Seventh Day Adventist Church in which a Johnson City man was killed.
  • FBI releases images of 2 men at Boston Marathon
    Updated April 18, 2013 5:44 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — The FBI released photos and video Thursday of two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing and asked for the public's help in identifying them, zeroing in on the two men on surveillance-camera footage less than three days after the deadly attack.
  • School security bill passes Senate
    Posted April 18, 2013 4:58 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A proposal that would allow school districts to allow people with police training to be armed in schools has passed the Senate.
  • Feds using photo analysis in Boston case
    Posted April 18, 2013 4:55 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — Using futuristic photo-analysis tools, federal agents on the Boston Marathon case pressed the search Thursday for one or more potential suspects seen on video and considered releasing the images to enlist the public's help in hunting down the bombers.
  • Carter Co. school board votes to close Range
    Updated April 18, 2013 10:25 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Carter County Board of Education voted 6-1 Thursday to close Range Elementary School at the end of the year, but by a similar vote it rejected the Long Range Facilities Plan that recommended closing other schools.
  • How'd that happen?
    Posted April 18, 2013 4:35 PM
    A dump truck wound up in a weird predicament Thursday afternoon on Boone Street in Johnson City.
  • Rescuers search ruins of Texas fertilizer plant
    Posted April 18, 2013 4:33 PM
    WEST, Texas (AP) — Rescuers searched the smoking remnants of a Texas farm town Thursday for survivors of a thunderous fertilizer plant explosion, gingerly checking smashed houses and apartments for anyone still trapped in debris or bodies of the dead. The accident killed as many as 15 people and injured more than 160 others.
  • Deputy says baseball bat attack resulted from NE Tennessee love triangle
    Updated April 20, 2013 12:29 PM
    CHURCH HILL — A Hawkins County man was allegedly beaten with a baseball bat after catching his estranged wife with another man early Tuesday morning.
  • Man arrested in SW Virginia chase that injured trooper faces additional charges
    Posted April 18, 2013 4:12 PM
    GATE CITY, Va. — A Kingsport man who allegedly led state and local police on a miles-long pursuit through Scott County that topped speeds of 100 mph is facing additional charges following an appearance in court this week.
  • Trooper injured in chase transported to Shepherd Center with spinal injury
    Posted April 18, 2013 4:03 PM
    ATLANTA -- A Virginia State Police trooper who was seriously injured during a high-speed pursuit in Scott County last week was transferred today to Shepherd Center in Atlanta for further treatment on a spinal chord injury he sustained.
  • Report: Johnson City police find marijuana, cash in East Main traffic stop
    Updated April 18, 2013 2:05 PM
    Johnson City police seized more than $1,000 in cash and a vehicle after finding four packages of marijuana in an East Main Street traffic stop Wednesday, resulting in a Mt. Carmel woman's arrest.
  • Obama honors bombing victims in Boston
    Posted April 18, 2013 12:15 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — President Barack Obama declared "there is a piece of Boston in me" as he paid tribute to a city shaken by what he has called an act of terror. He said: "Every one of us stands with you."
  • 10 things to know today from Johnson City, the region and around the world
    Posted April 18, 2013 11:59 AM
    1. Former Hampton teacher charged with statutory rape of ex-pupil; 2nd sex-related charge involving minor in week
  • Meningitis outbreak: 15th Tennessee patient dies
    Posted April 18, 2013 11:46 AM
    Another Tennessee patient has died from fungal meningitis after a four-month span when no deaths were reported in the state, officials said.
  • Homeland Security: Men of interest seen in Boston bombing video
    Posted April 18, 2013 11:17 AM
    WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the FBI wants to speak with individuals seen in at least one video from the Boston Marathon, but she says she isn't calling them suspects.
  • Obama to honor bombing victims in Boston
    Posted April 18, 2013 10:40 AM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is seeking to refocus a nervous nation's attention on those killed and gravely wounded in what he called an "act of terror" at the Boston Marathon.
  • Storms building, will sweep east across Tenn; locally tonight
    Updated April 18, 2013 10:40 AM
    NASHVILLE (AP) — Strong thunderstorms are expected to develop across Tennessee and some could become severe.
  • Ambulance service woes in the past for Unicoi County
    Posted April 18, 2013 9:55 AM
    ERWIN — A little more than two years ago, the Unicoi County Commission called upon MedicOne Medical Response to serve as the county’s ambulance service provider, and officials feel the choice has brought a sense of stability to what has been a fluid situation.
  • SW Virginia: Teenage daughter ruled competent for trial in father's murder
    Posted April 18, 2013 9:29 AM
    GATE CITY, Va. — A teenage girl who allegedly helped her mother murder her father last year at their Scott County home was ruled competent to stand trial during a brief appearance in court Wednesday.
  • Progress edition
    Posted April 18, 2013 9:00 AM
    I wanted to let you know I absolutely loved the March 31 paper, especially sections F through J.
  • Pollinators article
    Posted April 18, 2013 8:55 AM
    I want to thank Jan Hearne for her timely and well-researched April 7 story on pollination.
  • Indoor field hurt
    Posted April 18, 2013 8:55 AM
    In my opinion, the Mini-Dome was the downfall of football at East Tennessee State University. Who wants to go indoors to watch a football game — especially here in East Tennessee?
  • Unsupported program
    Posted April 18, 2013 8:50 AM
    When East Tennessee State University had football, the Mini-Dome was only one-third full for home games and almost no fans followed the team for road games. They gave tickets away and, still, no one came.
  • Rent a team proposal
    Posted April 18, 2013 8:48 AM
    Since Phillip Fulmer has before him the momentous task of advising East Tennessee State University in its forthcoming multi-million dollar football program, I should like to make a proposal, though modest, a rational one.
  • Does town of Unicoi need a police force?
    Posted April 18, 2013 8:45 AM
    We suspect our reaction was much the same as others when they read in this paper Tuesday that town officials in Unicoi are thinking of starting their own police department.
  • Voters should always be able to elect our leaders
    Posted April 18, 2013 8:44 AM
    Should the state change the way U.S. Senate nominees are selected? I say no.
  • College dorm living now requires proof of meningitis vaccine
    Posted April 18, 2013 8:33 AM
    Meningitis can be deadly, so vaccinations for the disease are encouraged at East Tennessee State University.
  • Police: 5 to 15 people killed in Texas explosion
    Posted April 18, 2013 7:37 AM
    WEST, Texas — Rescue workers searched rubble that witnesses compared to a war zone early Thursday for survivors of a fertilizer plant explosion in a small Texas town that killed as many as 15 people and injured more than 160 others. The blast left the factory a smoldering ruin and leveled homes and businesses for blocks in every direction.
  • Top stories today from the Associated Press
    Posted April 18, 2013 7:26 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Johnson City man accused of using stolen credit card at Walmart
    Posted April 18, 2013 7:25 AM
    A Johnson City man was arrested Wednesday on accusations that he stole a credit card in an auto burglary and used it at a city Walmart.
  • Former Hampton teacher charged with statutory rape of ex-pupil; 2nd sex-related charge involving minor in week
    Posted April 17, 2013 10:35 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Former Hampton Elementary School teacher Kelly Andrae Smith was arrested Wednesday by the Carter County Sheriff's Department on a charge of aggravated statutory rape. It was the second time in a week that Smith had been arrested.
  • American Airlines tries to catch up on flights
    Posted April 17, 2013 9:48 PM
    DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines played catch-up Wednesday, resuming most flights and even adding a handful that were not on the schedule to help passengers stranded by a massive technology failure that grounded the carrier's entire U.S. fleet.
  • BlueCross grants MSHA extension
    Posted April 17, 2013 9:27 PM
    Mountain States Health Alliance has been granted a 30-day extension to negotiate its contract with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee before the insurance provider terminates its network coverage at Mountain States facilities, officials confirmed Wednesday.
  • City Commission to consider U-Haul property deal
    Updated April 17, 2013 9:38 PM
    Though the dollar amount has not yet been revealed, the City Commission tonight will consider a property settlement agreement in which the city would pay U-Haul for its downtown property and litigation between the two would cease.
  • Jarrett, Kinch get appointments to county’s Election Commission
    Posted April 17, 2013 9:18 PM
    Washington County now has two new faces on its Election Commission.
  • Charter school authorizer bill advances
    Posted April 17, 2013 9:17 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The sponsor of a proposal that seeks to change the way certain charter schools are authorized said Wednesday the measure is needed to continue education reform in Tennessee.
  • Bill to change selection of Tenn. AG passes Senate
    Posted April 17, 2013 9:10 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A proposed constitutional amendment to give lawmakers the power to select the state attorney general passed the Senate on Wednesday, even though opponents argue there's no need to change the current process.
  • Aubrey earns NAIA character award
    Posted April 17, 2013 9:05 PM
    Character counts to Rich Aubrey and the longtime Milligan women’s basketball coach has been recognized for his contributions on and off the court.
  • Science Hill's Good, LeVeau to play at King
    Posted April 17, 2013 9:01 PM
    King University bolstered its perimeter shooting by signing a couple of Science Hill products on Thursday.
  • All quiet on basketball signing day
    Posted April 17, 2013 8:59 PM
    National signing day came and went without an official basketball commitment at East Tennessee State.
  • House, Senate adopt Haslam's $32.8B budget plan
    Posted April 17, 2013 8:58 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawmakers in both chambers of the General Assembly on Wednesday approved Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's $32.8 billion budget proposal.
  • Gun control loses: No expanded background checks
    Posted April 17, 2013 8:27 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans backed by a small band of rural-state Democrats scuttled the most far-reaching gun control legislation in two decades Wednesday, rejecting tighter background checks for buyers and a ban on assault weapons as they spurned pleas from families of victims of last winter's school massacre in Newtown, Conn.
  • House barely approves animal abuse reporting bill
    Posted April 17, 2013 8:24 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A bill to require anyone recording or taking photos of livestock abuse to turn images over to law enforcement within 48 hours has been approved in the House with 50 votes — the bare minimum needed to clear the chamber.
  • Man convicted of contempt in Tennessee sex trafficking case
    Updated April 17, 2013 8:57 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A man who repeatedly refused to testify in a sex trafficking case involving alleged Somali gang members has been convicted by a federal jury of contempt and obstruction charges.
  • FBI: Mississippi man accused of sending ricin letters to Obama, US senator
    Updated April 17, 2013 9:25 PM
    Update: FBI identifies suspect in ricin letters as Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, of Corinth, Miss.
  • Pa. abortion trial: Assistant gave anesthesia
    Posted April 17, 2013 7:43 PM
    PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A woman trained only as a medical assistant told jurors Wednesday that she gave anesthesia, set dosing amounts and performed ultrasounds when she worked at a now-shuttered abortion clinic whose owner is charged with killing a patient and seven babies.
  • Boston official: Video footage shows bomb suspect
    Posted April 17, 2013 7:36 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — In what could be a major break in the Boston Marathon case, investigators are on the hunt for a man seen in a department-store surveillance video dropping off a bag at the site of the bombings, a Boston politician said Wednesday.
  • American Airlines resumes most flights
    Posted April 17, 2013 6:21 PM
    DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines played catch-up Wednesday, resuming most flights and even adding a handful that weren't on the schedule to help passengers stranded by a massive technology failure that grounded the carrier's entire U.S. fleet a day earlier.
  • All is quiet on basketball signing day
    Posted April 17, 2013 6:18 PM
    National signing day came and went without an official basketball commitment at East Tennessee State.
  • Senate blocks expanded gun sale background checks
    Posted April 17, 2013 5:31 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans backed by a small band of rural-state Democrats scuttled the most far-reaching gun control legislation in two decades on Wednesday, rejecting calls to tighten background checks on firearms buyers as they spurned the personal pleas of families of the victims of last winter's mass elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn.
  • Feds: Four separate search warrants served on Pilot Flying J
    Posted April 17, 2013 4:45 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Federal prosecutors gave a few new details today on this week’s search of Pilot Flying J headquarters but still won’t say what the investigation’s about or where it’s headed.
  • Boston official: Video footage shows bomb suspect
    Updated April 17, 2013 7:40 PM
    BOSTON — In what could be a major break in the Boston Marathon case, investigators are on the hunt for a man seen in a department-store surveillance video dropping off a bag at the site of the bombings, a Boston politician said Wednesday.
  • Report: Roan Mountain man assaulted boss after being fired
    Posted April 17, 2013 4:16 PM
    ROAN MOUNTAIN — An employee who had just been fired was arrested by the Carter County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday morning on a charge of assaulting his boss.
  • Assad accuses West of backing al-Qaida in Syria
    Posted April 17, 2013 4:05 PM
    BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's president accused the West on Wednesday of backing al-Qaida in his country's civil war, warning it will pay a price "in the heart" of Europe and the United States as the terror network becomes emboldened.
  • Chinese grad student confirmed as Boston victim
    Posted April 17, 2013 3:53 PM
    BEIJING (AP) — She was a food fan, eager for culinary discoveries. In her last microblog update the morning before the Boston Marathon blasts, the Chinese graduate student identified as the attack's third victim posted a photo of ciabatta-like bread chunks and fruit.
  • Fed authorities charge 24 IRS workers with theft
    Updated April 17, 2013 4:59 PM
    MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Twenty-four current and former Internal Revenue Service employees have been charged with stealing government benefits, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
  • Wife of ex-judge confesses in Texas DA slayings
    Posted April 17, 2013 3:31 PM
    KAUFMAN, Texas (AP) — Authorities say the wife of a former judge has confessed to being involved in the shooting deaths of a North Texas district attorney, his wife and an assistant prosecutor.
  • Deal approved in Muslims' suit against McDonald's
    Posted April 17, 2013 3:28 PM
    DETROIT (AP) — A judge on Wednesday finalized a $700,000 settlement between McDonald's Corp. and members of Michigan's Muslim community over claims a suburban Detroit restaurant falsely advertised its food as prepared according to Islamic law.
  • Britain's Iron Lady laid to rest with full pomp
    Posted April 17, 2013 3:26 PM
    LONDON (AP) — Margaret Thatcher was laid to rest Wednesday with prayers and ceremony, plus cheers and occasional jeers, as Britain paused to remember a leader who transformed the country — for the better according to many, but in some eyes for the worse.
  • State must release information in 50 child deaths
    Updated April 17, 2013 4:49 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The state Department of Children's Services was ordered Wednesday to give the media records from the case files of 50 children who died or nearly died after the agency became involved with them.
  • Update: Feds deny reports Boston suspect is arrested
    Updated April 17, 2013 3:12 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — Police and reporters converged on the federal courthouse in Boston on Wednesday amid conflicting reports of whether a suspect was in custody in the marathon bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 170.
  • Former UT swimmer Nicole Gross injured at Boston Marathon
    Posted April 17, 2013 2:29 PM
    Nicole Gross, a former University of Tennessee swimmer, was not supposed to be on the cover of Tuesday’s New York Daily News or the Newark Star-Ledger.
  • Law enforcement official: Boston Marathon bomb suspect in custody, expected in federal court
    Updated April 17, 2013 2:08 PM
    BOSTON — A suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings was taken into custody Wednesday in a breakthrough that came less than 48 hours after the deadly attack, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said Wednesday.
  • US military deaths in Afghanistan at 2,070
    Posted April 17, 2013 12:26 PM
    As of Wednesday, April 17, 2013, at least 2,070 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.
  • Victims of the Boston bombing: Their stories
    Posted April 17, 2013 12:15 PM
    BOSTON — The twin bombs at the Boston Marathon killed three people and wounded more than 170 on Monday. Here are the stories of those killed and some of the injured.
  • 10 things to know today from Johnson City, the region and around the world
    Posted April 17, 2013 11:32 AM
    A bit of what people are reading today on JohnsonCityPress.com:
  • ETSU musical groups 10 Bucs Worth, 12 Times a Lady to give final performances this weekend
    Posted April 17, 2013 11:25 AM
    PINEY FLATS — Two of East Tennessee State University’s most well known musical groups will be giving their final concerts this weekend at Piney Flats First Baptist Church on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
  • Update: FBI says early test shows ricin in Obama letter
    Updated April 17, 2013 12:10 PM
    WASHINGTON — The FBI says preliminary tests on a letter sent to President Barack Obama indicate the presence of poisonous ricin.
  • Multiple Wash. Co. criminal cases reset, including murder cases
    Posted April 17, 2013 10:36 AM
    Two first-degree murder cases were scheduled for hearings in Washington County Criminal Court Tuesday, but the cases — and several others with recent media attention — were reset because of various reasons.
  • Johnson City Press readers react to Boston Marathon attacks
    Posted April 17, 2013 9:28 AM
    The Johnson City Press asked subscribers of our Facebook page Tuesday afternoon to comment on their thoughts of safety in America, as well as whether their fears of terrorism have increased and how Americans should respond to the tragedy of Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon.
  • Washington County may try incentive to improve worker health
    Posted April 17, 2013 9:20 AM
    Washington County is betting that by giving full-time employees $300 every six months, or a reimbursement of monthly gym fees of $50 per month, they will be freer to choose a more convenient location, start moving more and, in the long run, save the county on insurance claims.
  • Elect Sabri
    Posted April 17, 2013 8:47 AM
    It is an honor to write a letter of support for a dear friend and colleague who is running for the Johnson City Board of Education. I have worked with Mahmood Sabri for 10 years at Northeast State Community College, where Sabri and I teach. He has dedicated 25 years to teaching high school and college students.
  • Vote for Tomita
    Posted April 17, 2013 8:41 AM
    As a sitting Washington County commissioner, I’ve had the privilege of watching County Commissioner David Tomita represent the 4th District with intelligence and integrity. His commission district is entirely in Johnson City and David represents only city residents.
  • Choose Povlich
    Posted April 17, 2013 8:40 AM
    I have had the pleasure of knowing Jamie Povlich for nearly 20 years, and I admire his commitment to excellence in whatever he does. I am, therefore, asking the citizens of Johnson City to elect James “Jamie” Povlich to the Johnson City Board of Education.
  • Support incumbents
    Posted April 17, 2013 8:37 AM
    I want to thank the Press for sponsoring the candidates’ forum at the Johnson City Public Library on April 3. I would strongly encourage the public to take advantage of opportunities such as this to get acquainted with the candidates and to see how they present themselves and respond to questions pertaining to the important current issues facing our city government and school system.
  • Old time music plays in the Smokies this weekend
    Posted April 17, 2013 8:02 AM
    GATLINBURG — Mountain music will break out in four places this weekend in the Smokies.
  • Helicopter, dogs sent to help search for missing SW Virginia hunter, who was safe at home
    Posted April 17, 2013 7:33 AM
    DUFFIELD, Va. — A search crew organized to locate a hunter reported missing Monday afternoon in Scott County turned out not to be needed after the man was found to be safe at home.
  • Monetary settlement for U-Haul property to be recommended to JC Commission
    Updated April 17, 2013 8:29 AM
    An attorney representing Johnson City will recommend to the City Commission on Thursday a property settlement agreement with U-Haul which, if successful, would end about two years of litigation over possession of the company’s downtown location for use as a flood mitigation project.
  • Today's water cooler topics from the Associated Press
    Posted April 17, 2013 7:28 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • NE Tennessee parents facing charges after 3-year-old apparently overdoses on pills
    Updated April 17, 2013 7:30 AM
    CHURCH HILL — The mother of a 3-year-old boy who nearly died after apparently overdosing on her medication last month was formally charged Friday with child neglect/endangerment.
  • Senator: Police have suspect in ricin mailing
    Posted April 17, 2013 7:12 AM
    WASHINGTON — Police have a suspect in mind as they investigate a letter mailed to Sen. Roger Wicker that tested positive for poisonous ricin, a Senate colleague said.
  • Johnson City man, 18, accused of stealing vehicle
    Posted April 17, 2013 7:05 AM
    A Johnson City man was arrested Tuesday on a charge that he stole a vehicle last month.
  • Unicoi out-duels Elizabethton
    Posted April 16, 2013 10:33 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Hitters were in command Tuesday, and Unicoi County got more done at the plate.
  • Craig lifts ’Toppers past South
    Updated April 17, 2013 2:10 AM
    Will Craig isn’t carrying Science Hill baseball, but he seemingly gives it a lift every chance he gets.
  • Lady ’Blazers rally to beat ’Toppers
    Posted April 16, 2013 10:29 PM
    Jaclyn Jenkins delivered a walk-off, two-run single which lifted Daniel Boone to a 10-9 win over Science Hill and its fourth straight Big Eight Conference softball title. It left head coach Rick Wagner wondering how it happened.
  • US military defends Guantanamo prison raid
    Posted April 16, 2013 10:02 PM
    GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) — Top officials at the Guantanamo Bay detention center on Tuesday defended a raid that resulted in a violent clash with detainees, saying the operation was critical and the handful of injuries on both sides were minor.
  • American cancels all US flights for several hours
    Posted April 16, 2013 9:56 PM
    DALLAS (AP) — A computer system used to run many daily operations at American Airlines failed Tuesday, forcing the nation's third-largest carrier to ground all flights across the United States for several hours and stranding thousands of frustrated passengers at airports and on planes.
  • Washington County employees wait for BlueCross BlueShield, MSHA to renew contract
    Posted April 16, 2013 9:39 PM
    Washington County officials may or may not renew its health insurance with BlueCross BlueShield, depending on when, and if, negotiations between the company and Mountain State Health Alliance are worked out.
  • Local father watches Boston tragedy unfold, Johnson City cardiologist experiences event firsthand
    Updated April 16, 2013 9:59 PM
    When Richard Wesley Pectol Sr. watched the footage of the bombings at the Boston Marathon Monday, there were a few context clues that relaxed and reassured him that his son, one of the local runners in the race, was OK.
  • Long-time school volunteer asked not to return
    Posted April 16, 2013 9:31 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — One of the Elizabethton School System’s longest-serving volunteers and activists has been told to leave Harold McCormick Elementary School because her stance against the system’s administration was “dividing our faculty and staff.”
  • Unpaid rebates focus of Pilot investigation
    Posted April 16, 2013 9:19 PM
    Claims of unpaid fuel rebates apparently led to Monday’s raid on the West Knoxville headquarters of Pilot Flying J as part of a federal criminal investigation, the company’s CEO said.
  • U. of Evansville cancels game after Twitter threat
    Posted April 16, 2013 9:16 PM
    EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — The University of Evansville has cancelled a baseball game after a vague threat on Twitter.
  • Bomb fragment pictured in FBI report
    Posted April 16, 2013 9:11 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — An intelligence bulletin issued to law enforcement includes a picture of a mangled pressure cooker and a torn black bag that the FBI says were part of a bomb that exploded during the Boston Marathon.
  • Yankees play 'Sweet Caroline' in Boston tribute
    Posted April 16, 2013 8:46 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have paid tribute to victims of the Boston Marathon bombings by playing the Fenway Park favorite "Sweet Caroline" at Yankee Stadium.
  • News Sentinel entertainment writer Terry Morrow dead at 52
    Posted April 16, 2013 8:34 PM
    KNOXVILLE — News Sentinel entertainment writer Terry Morrow died Tuesday at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center from complications due to pancreatic cancer. He was 52.
  • Senate plans background check vote Wednesday
    Posted April 16, 2013 8:04 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has set a vote for Wednesday on a bipartisan plan for expanding background checks to more gun buyers, with supporters facing an uphill path to victory.
  • Letter with ricin sent to Miss. senator
    Posted April 16, 2013 8:01 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — An envelope addressed to Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi tested positive Tuesday for ricin, a potentially fatal poison, congressional officials said, heightening concerns about terrorism a day after a bombing killed three and left more than 170 injured at the Boston Marathon.
  • Bucs' Doane finishes what he starts
    Updated April 16, 2013 7:50 PM
    Kerry Doane came to East Tennessee State with designs on becoming a front-line college pitcher. It took awhile, but he’s certainly there now.
  • Virtual school cap passes; charter schools delayed
    Posted April 16, 2013 7:15 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee House has approved a proposal that caps enrollment in virtual schools.
  • Stock market rebounds after worst day of the year
    Posted April 16, 2013 7:06 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — A strong report on housing and good quarterly earnings from several major companies helped the stock market rebound after its worst day of the year.
  • Busch brothers may be the happiest in NASCAR
    Posted April 16, 2013 6:57 PM
    It’s not a joke, the happiest drivers in NASCAR these days may be the Busch brothers.
  • Pressure-cooker bombs suspected in Boston blast
    Posted April 16, 2013 5:55 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — The bombs that ripped through the Boston Marathon crowd appear to have been fashioned out of ordinary kitchen pressure cookers, packed with nails and other fiendishly lethal shrapnel, and hidden in duffel bags left on the ground, investigators and others close to the case said Tuesday.
  • Browns owner: Family company under criminal probe
    Posted April 16, 2013 5:03 PM
    NASHVILLE (AP) — Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said Tuesday the federal government has launched a criminal investigation into rebates offered by the truck stop chain owned by his family, including his brother, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.
  • Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood condemns Boston blasts
    Posted April 16, 2013 5:01 PM
    CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood condemned the Boston Marathon bombings Tuesday, but a senior member of the group painted them as part of a conspiracy aimed at undermining Muslims' moves toward democracy.
  • Diapers distribution program set for Washington County families
    Posted April 16, 2013 4:37 PM
    The River Ministry for Women is launching a new diaper subsidy program for Washington County families with small children in need.
  • American Airlines halts flights, passengers stuck
    Posted April 16, 2013 3:40 PM
    DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines grounded flights across the country Tuesday because of an outage of its main reservations system. Thousands of passengers were stranded at airports and on airplanes.
  • Restaurant manager, 8-year-old among bomb victims
    Posted April 16, 2013 2:35 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — A 29-year-old restaurant manager has been identified as one of three people killed in the bombing at the Boston Marathon.
  • Venezuela: Violent protests in Chavez home state
    Posted April 16, 2013 2:24 PM
    CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Violent protests have broken out in the provincial capital of the home state of the late President Hugo Chavez. Police have fired tear gas and plastic bullets at protesters demanding a recount of Sunday's contested presidential election.
  • County school board OKs budget that’s $3.4 million in red
    Posted April 16, 2013 2:21 PM
    The Washington County Board of Education on Monday unanimously voted to accept the 2013-14 school year budget, which is more than $3.4 million out of balance.
  • House passes watered down switchblade bill
    Posted April 16, 2013 2:18 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The state House has passed a watered down version of a bill that originally would have lifted a ban switchblades and knives with blades longer than 4 inches.
  • Boston bombs said to be made from pressure cookers
    Posted April 16, 2013 1:06 PM
  • Boston bombs said to be made from pressure cookers
    Posted April 16, 2013 1:06 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — The two bombs that ripped through the crowds at the Boston Marathon, killing three people and wounding more than 170, were fashioned out of pressure cookers and packed with shards of metal, nails and ball bearings, a person briefed on the investigation said Tuesday.
  • Boston bombs said to be made from pressure cookers
    Posted April 16, 2013 1:06 PM
    BOSTON — The two bombs that ripped through the crowds at the Boston Marathon, killing three people and wounding more than 170, were fashioned out of pressure cookers and packed with shards of metal, nails and ball bearings, a person briefed on the investigation said Tuesday.
  • Second search warrant executed against Pilot Flying J: 'It's ongoing'
    Posted April 16, 2013 12:55 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Federal agents have served a second search warrant as part of the investigation into Knoxville-based Pilot Flying J.
  • Gov. Haslam signs measures to protect students from concussions, meningitis
    Posted April 16, 2013 11:31 AM
    NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam has signed two bills that seek to protect the health of high school and college students.
  • Cruelty charges pending against Hawkins County man in horse neglect case
    Posted April 16, 2013 11:02 AM
    CHURCH HILL — A criminal summons was issued last week for a Hawkins County man accused of neglecting four horses on his property on AFG Road near Church Hill.
  • Street selected as new First Judicial District Criminal Court judge
    Updated April 16, 2013 12:03 PM
    Carter County-based attorney Stacy Street was selected Tuesday as the new First Judicial District Criminal Court judge, he confirmed in a phone interview.
  • Covered Bridge fest expands to four nights of entertainment
    Posted April 16, 2013 10:58 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The 47th Annual Covered Bridge Celebration will expand to four days this year, and feature some new opportunities to meet the entertainers.
  • Town of Unicoi studies costs of starting own police force
    Posted April 16, 2013 10:06 AM
    UNICOI — The town of Unicoi continues to experience growth, and it’s because of this growth that Mayor Johnny Lynch said town officials must look at the possibility of providing additional police protection to the town’s residents.
  • Neighbors recall Boston Marathon bombing's 8-year-old victim
    Updated April 16, 2013 10:05 AM
    BOSTON — A young victim of the Boston Marathon bombings is being remembered as a vivacious boy who loved to run and climb.
  • Former JC fire chief Buckles named Carter Co. election chairman
    Posted April 16, 2013 8:52 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Carter County Election Commission held a reorganizational meeting Monday morning, but the top spot is still held by a retired chief from the Johnson City Fire Department.
  • Prager’s gay marriage column full of arrogant, thoughtless declarations
    Posted April 16, 2013 8:44 AM
    Dennis Prager wrote in his March 30 column that gay marriage is wrong. He points out that U.S. Sen. Rob Portman had a change of heart when he learned his son is gay. Is a change of heart not that which leads us to a new awareness in our minds? Do not thinking, responsible people seek to learn, grow and change?
  • This morning's top things to know from the Associated Press
    Posted April 16, 2013 6:53 AM
    1. SEARCH FOR ANSWERS AFTER BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS
  • Political switch-up: Some Republicans blast Obama plan to sell TVA
    Posted April 16, 2013 6:43 AM
    WASHINGTON — In a political role reversal, Republicans are blasting President Barack Obama's plan to consider selling the Tennessee Valley Authority, an icon of the New Deal long targeted by conservatives as an example of government overreach.
  • EpiPen bill headed to Tennessee governor
    Posted April 16, 2013 6:40 AM
    NASHVILLE— Legislation that would authorize at least two epinephrine auto-injectors be placed in all public and private schools in Tennessee is headed to the governor for his consideration.
  • Feds seek suspects, motive in Boston bombings; 8-year-old boy among victims
    Updated April 16, 2013 7:01 AM
    BOSTON — The bombs that blew up seconds apart at the finish line of one of the world's most storied races left the streets spattered with blood and glass, three dead, including an 8-year-old boy, more than 140 wounded and gaping questions of who chose to attack at the Boston Marathon and why.
  • Foundation to launch free mobile health-care clinic
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:46 PM
    The St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation is preparing to launch a new mobile clinic to provide free medical care to low-income residents of underserved communities across East Tennessee.
  • Cupp recuses self after Johnson City murder conviction overturned
    Updated April 16, 2013 7:28 AM
    A Washington County judge recused himself from a murder case against a man whose 2011 conviction was overturned based on lack of evidence and judicial errors.
  • Senate panel OKs school security bill
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:43 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A proposal that would allow school districts to hire individuals with prior law enforcement experience to handle security is headed for a full Senate vote.
  • Boston tragedy delays immigration bill
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:32 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators are set to unveil a sweeping immigration bill this week to secure the border, remake legal immigration, boost workplace enforcement and put 11 million people here illegally on a path to citizenship.
  • Obama: Boston culprits to feel 'weight of justice'
    Posted April 15, 2013 7:58 PM
    WASHINGTON — A stony-faced President Barack Obama declared that those responsible for the explosions at the Boston Marathon "will feel the full weight of justice," but he urged a nervous nation not to jump to conclusions. Top lawmakers declared the deadly incident an act of terrorism, and a White House official said it was being treated that way.
  • Lady Cyclones, Devils face off for title
    Posted April 15, 2013 7:31 PM
    Three Rivers Conference softball fans have been waiting all season for this battle.
  • 'Total chaos': Kingsport runner describes scene at Boston explosions
    Posted April 15, 2013 7:23 PM
    Kingsport's Scott Horton, 50, has been running competitively for more than 20 years, and says it was a "dream come true" to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon.
  • Lawyer: Assaulted teen who committed suicide had drawings, name on body
    Updated April 15, 2013 7:20 PM
    SAN JOSE, Calif. — Awakening in a friend's bedroom after drinking too much at a sleepover, 15-year-old Audrie Pott looked down and realized she had been sexually assaulted and her attackers had written and drawn on intimate parts of her body, her family's attorney said Monday.
  • Jonesborough man charged with vandalizing ATM in Johnson City
    Posted April 15, 2013 5:46 PM
    A Jonesborough man recently was arrested on charges that he vandalized an automated teller machine in Johnson City.
  • Piney Flats man recounts explosions at Boston Marathon
    Updated April 15, 2013 5:17 PM
    Richard Meyers, a 46-year-old Piney Flats resident, was breathing a sigh of relief this afternoon after explosions rocked downtown Boston just after he’d crossed the finish line.
  • Unicoi Co. narcotics investigator resigns; investigation ordered
    Updated April 15, 2013 9:49 PM
    ERWIN — Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley has requested the District Attorney General’s office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation conduct an investigation of the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department’s drug funds and drug evidence following the resignation of one of the department’s narcotics officers.
  • Former Pratt's employee charged with embezzling nearly $140,000
    Updated April 15, 2013 3:49 PM
    KINGSPORT — A former office manager at Pratt's BBQ in Kingsport has been charged with embezzling nearly $140,000 from the business over a period of nine years.
  • Update: FBI locks down Pilot Flying J HQs
    Updated April 15, 2013 4:56 PM
    KNOXVILLE — The FBI locked down Pilot Flying J headquarters in West Knoxville today while executing a search warrant.
  • Update: 3 dead, 130+ injured in 2 explosions near Boston Marathon finish line
    Updated April 15, 2013 9:34 PM
    BOSTON (AP) — Two bombs exploded in the crowded streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing three people and injuring more than 130 in a bloody scene of shattered glass and severed limbs that raised alarms that terrorists might have struck again in the U.S.
  • Grand jury: Carter Co. woman used TennCare to get drugs sold to undercover deputy
    Posted April 15, 2013 2:38 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A Carter County woman was arrested over the weekend on a charge she used her TennCare benefits to illegally obtain a prescription drug and then sold the drug to an undercover officer.
  • Bristol school board member dies
    Updated April 15, 2013 1:42 PM
    BRISTOL — Bristol school administrators have announced the death of a Bristol Board of Education member.
  • Philadelphia doctor testifies against fellow abortion provider at murder trial over 8 deaths
    Posted April 15, 2013 1:17 PM
    PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia doctor has testified against a fellow abortion provider charged with killing a patient and seven babies.
  • Tennessee man with presidential pardon still can't have guns
    Updated April 15, 2013 1:21 PM
    CHATTANOOGA — An Athens man, who was pardoned by President Barack Obama of a petty crime committed more than a half-century ago still can't own guns.
  • Man killed when racing cars hit his vehicle in West Tennessee
    Updated April 15, 2013 12:51 PM
    MEMPHIS — Memphis police have arrested two men and seek a third driver in a fatal drag racing collision.
  • Tennessee governor signs bill requiring public notices on newspaper websites
    Updated April 15, 2013 12:01 PM
    NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a bill to require public notices to be published on newspaper websites.
  • US Supreme Court rejects challenge to NY gun law
    Posted April 15, 2013 11:45 AM
    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is staying out of the gun debate for now.
  • APNewsBreak: Haslam finance chief Emkes to retire
    Posted April 15, 2013 11:27 AM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — State finance chief Mark Emkes is retiring after presiding over three annual spending plans for Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's administration.
  • International rock star calls Johnson City home
    Posted April 15, 2013 11:16 AM
    Sarah Bettens believes she’s had some of the coolest jobs in the world — from international rock star to firefighter and to top it all off, she’s a mom.
  • Update: Johnson City woman dies from Sunday crash on I-81
    Updated April 15, 2013 2:28 PM
    A Johnson City woman died early this morning from injuries she got in a single-vehicle crash Sunday in Kingsport, according to a police news release.
  • 10 things to know today from Johnson City and around the world
    Posted April 15, 2013 10:47 AM
    1. Wreck at I-81, I-26 interchange leaves Johnson City woman 'battling' for her life
  • Should we have constitutional ban on state income tax?
    Posted April 15, 2013 10:16 AM
    Say “income tax” today and you are likely to get a earful from many Americans who have waited until the deadline to file their returns. Everyone thinks they pay too much in taxes, and the federal income tax (which a Tennessean, Cordell Hull, helped to create in 1913) is generally considered to be the most painful of all.
  • Student services evolving at ETSU
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:58 AM
    A reorganization in the way student services are delivered at East Tennessee State University will result in more opportunities for leadership, engagement and success, according to a recently named vice president at the school.
  • Not all cheers for ETSU football
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:56 AM
    Quoted costs are a dream
  • Don’t be led by lying cowards: Make your own informed choice
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:38 AM
    The best defense against tyranny is an active and informed citizenry. Simply, democracy works best when voters are informed and engaged.
  • Vote for Brock
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:36 AM
    During the four years I have known Jenny Brock, I have had the opportunity to observe her interact with employees, administrators and ratepayers as a member of the Board of Directors of the Johnson City Power Board.
  • Support Sabri
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:33 AM
    I would like to invite all residents of Johnson City who are registered voters to get out and vote.
  • Choose Cheek
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:33 AM
    Voters now have the opportunity to cast a crucial vote for Johnson City’s future during early voting for the City Commission.
  • Elect Tomita
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:31 AM
    I am writing to you as someone who has served for a full year on a nonprofit board with David Tomita, a man I believe is ideal for a position as Johnson City commissioner.
  • Elect Tomita
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:31 AM
    I am writing to you as someone who has served for a full year on a nonprofit board with David Tomita, a man I believe is ideal for a position as Johnson City commissioner.
  • Kansas woman charged with felony shoplifting from JC mall
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:30 AM
    A Kansas woman was charged Friday with felony shoplifting from Belk’s at The Mall at Johnson City, city police said in a news release.
  • State Senate made bad choice in closing records
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:24 AM
    We were disappointed last week to see Tennessee lawmakers deliver a severe blow to this state’s open records law. On Wednesday, the Senate voted to block citizens of this state from being able to see who has been issued a permit to carry a handgun.
  • Hampton man charged with desertion from Army
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:21 AM
    A Hampton man was charged with being a fugitive from justice Saturday after a records check showed he had a warrant issued by the United States Army charging him with desertion, Johnson City police said in a news release.
  • Still much to do in obesity fight
    Posted April 15, 2013 9:18 AM
    Things are looking up as far as Northeast Tennessee’s health rankings, but a recent report shows there are still problem areas. One, in particular, seems to be our waistlines.
  • Erwin Police Department provides peace of mind with free gun locks
    Posted April 15, 2013 8:58 AM
    ERWIN — Although he said interest generally ebbs and flows, Erwin Police Chief Regan Tilson said his department has received numerous calls recently from residents interested in obtaining gun locks from the Erwin Police Department.
  • Justin Bieber criticized for saying he hopes Anne Frank would have been a fan
    Posted April 15, 2013 7:22 AM
    AMSTERDAM — Justin Bieber wrote an entry into a guestbook at the Anne Frank House museum in Amsterdam, saying he hoped the Jewish teenager who died in a Nazi concentration camp "would have been a Belieber" — or fan of his — if history were different.
  • Today
    Posted April 15, 2013 7:14 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • Today's water cooler topics from the Associated Press
    Posted April 15, 2013 7:10 AM
    Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
  • UPDATE: Wreck at I-81, I-26 interchange leaves Johnson City woman 'battling' for her life
    Posted April 15, 2013 7:02 AM
    KINGSPORT — Police said a woman who was ejected from a Jeep in a single-vehicle rollover accident Sunday evening on I-81 was “battling” for her life Sunday night.
  • JC Power Board's peak-use billing explained through technology
    Posted April 14, 2013 8:31 AM
    As the Johnson City Power Board looks to the future of billing with its time-of-use policy, officials hope new technology will help break down the billing process as the utility moves forward with the program.
  • Daniel Boone senior achieves goal with Naval Academy appointment
    Posted April 13, 2013 10:01 PM
    Ever since Trevor Shropshire was a young child, he was always intensely interested in pursuing a career in the military.
  • Low election turnout raises questions about staffing
    Posted April 13, 2013 9:59 PM
    Early voting for Johnson City’s April 23 municipal election has now passed the halfway point, and the three voting sites have so far tallied 814 votes with five days remaining.
  • Ann Baker Furrow honored at new sorority village
    Posted April 13, 2013 9:54 PM
    The stoplight at the intersection of Neyland Drive and Ann Baker Furrow Boulevard subjects motorists to a long wait, said the woman for whom the street is named.
  • In White House, Newtown mom pleads for gun control
    Posted April 13, 2013 9:50 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — The mother of a 6-year-old boy killed in the Connecticut school shooting used the opportunity to fill in for President Barack Obama during the weekly radio and Internet address to make a personal plea from the White House for action to combat gun violence.
  • 5 killed in Idaho home fire after electrical short
    Posted April 13, 2013 9:42 PM
    BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An extension cord hooked to an electric grill on a porch shorted out and started a house fire that killed five people Saturday morning, a northern Idaho fire official says.
  • Suicide survivors help to shape prevention efforts
    Posted April 13, 2013 8:09 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — They look intently at the camera, some impassively, some with smiles, all of them aware that they've just shared with an online audience a most personal story: Why they tried to kill themselves.
  • Woods stays in contention despite 2-stroke penalty
    Posted April 13, 2013 6:49 PM
    AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods dropped two strokes at the Masters before he even hit a shot Saturday, and he still has a chance to wear another green jacket.
  • Seahawks’ Kelly: Beatty good fit for Buc football
    Posted April 13, 2013 6:27 PM
    Seattle Seahawks director of player development Maurice “Mo” Kelly says former East Tennessee State receiver Chris Beatty would be a great grab for a school looking to jump-start its football program with an attractive coaching hire.
  • Tri-Cities Amateur Tour draws near
    Posted April 13, 2013 6:20 PM
    The beginning of the local competitive golf schedule is more than a month away, but when it begins, it’ll be a whirlwind.
  • Bucs win fifth straight A-Sun game
    Posted April 13, 2013 6:16 PM
    Junior pitcher Logan Rice gave up two solo home runs, but little else to lead East Tennessee State to a 7-2 victory over Lipscomb on Saturday afternoon at Thomas Stadium.
  • Violence mars English soccer match; 10 arrested
    Posted April 13, 2013 5:14 PM
    LONDON (AP) — One of English soccer's showpiece tournaments was marred by violence at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, with Millwall fans fighting among themselves and with security officials. Police reported 10 arrests.
  • Family, friends honor fallen Oak Ridge soldier
    Posted April 13, 2013 4:47 PM
    OAK RIDGE — Staff Sgt. Chris Ward never hesitated when he believed he was right.
  • Goal of nuclear-free NKorea tests US, China ties
    Posted April 13, 2013 4:10 PM
    BEIJING (AP) — Bound by threats from North Korea, the U.S. and China agreed Saturday to rid the bellicose nation of nuclear weapons in a test of whether the world powers can shelve years of rivalry and discord, and unite in fostering global stability.
  • Clash over hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay
    Posted April 13, 2013 3:54 PM
    MIAMI (AP) — Guards clashed Saturday with prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay prison as the military sought to move hunger strikers out of a communal section of the detention center on the U.S. base in Cuba, officials said.
  • Lion Air jet crashes into sea in Bali; 45 hurt
    Posted April 13, 2013 3:42 PM
    BALI, Indonesia (AP) — All 108 passengers and crew survived after a new Lion Air jet crashed into the ocean and snapped into two while attempting to land Saturday on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, injuring up to 45 people.
  • Kobe: 'Frustration is unbearable' after injury
    Posted April 13, 2013 3:41 PM
    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant took to Facebook in the wee hours of Saturday morning to vent about the Achilles tendon injury that likely ended his season, writing the "frustration is unbearable" but the setback will not end his career.
  • Vols' QB battle likely to continue into summer
    Posted April 13, 2013 3:34 PM
    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The end of spring practice next weekend probably won't end Tennessee's quarterback competition.
  • Johnson City kindergarten classes learn to be safe in the water
    Posted April 13, 2013 9:24 AM
    Four sets of eyes were fixed upon the calm pool water Thursday at Memorial Park Community Center, as the classmates from Ms. Smithpeters’ kindergarten class at Fairmont Elementary School were waiting anxiously to jump right in.
  • Roommate: Defendant admitted being intoxicated after fatal crash
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:58 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Shortly after he fled a May 2012 crash that killed two adults and an unborn child, Curtis Scott Harper admitted in a phone conversation that he was intoxicated, according to testimony today in his Knox County Criminal Court trial.
  • Sugarlands visitors center opens with new renovations
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:54 PM
    GATLINBURG — With three men wielding super-size scissors and others with the smaller variety, the ribbon was snipped to pieces Friday morning to officially open a newly renovated Sugarlands Visitors Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  • Eldridge vetoes appointment resolution passed by Washington County Commission
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:37 PM
    Washington County Mayor Dan Eldridge has vetoed a resolution passed by the County Commission on March 25 that asks to change state law and remove him as the person responsible for appointing Planning Commission members.
  • More charges leveled at West Side Elementary principal
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:32 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The controversy in the Elizabethton City School System between Superintendent Ed Alexander and West Side Elementary Principal Doug Mitchell escalated on Friday afternoon when Alexander sent a letter to the members of the Board of Education in which he said “I now feel I must give more detail/evidence to support my recommendation.”
  • Boone slams door on 'Toppers
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:28 PM
    Daniel Boone didn’t clinch the Big Eight Conference softball title on Friday, but it left Science Hill with a good grip on it.
  • Aggravated rape charges dropped; man drops attorney
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:27 PM
    Three aggravated rape charges against a Johnson City man accused of shooting a woman and leaving her in a parking lot on Valentines Day last year were dismissed Friday in a Washington County courtroom.
  • D-B hammers Science Hill
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:25 PM
    KINGSPORT — Dobyns-Bennett left no doubt.
  • Even with 1-stroke penalty, 14-year-old makes cut
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:22 PM
    AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A weekend at the Masters was worth the wait for Guan Tianlang.
  • Coding boot camps promise to launch tech careers
    Posted April 12, 2013 8:15 PM
    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Looking for a career change, Ken Shimizu decided he wanted to be a software developer, but he didn't want to go back to college to study computer science.
  • Oil falls 2 percent, gas prices to keep dropping
    Posted April 12, 2013 7:12 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — Signs that the global economy isn't strong enough to quickly burn through the world's ample supplies of oil and gasoline sank crude oil prices for a second straight day.
  • Hampton Elementary teacher accused of inappropriate relationship with a minor
    Posted April 12, 2013 6:59 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A 30-year-old teacher at Hampton Elementary School has been accused of being involved in an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old student.
  • Navy officer in Conn. apologizes over affair
    Posted April 12, 2013 4:58 PM
    GROTON, Conn. (AP) — A former submarine commander who faked his death to end an extramarital affair is apologizing to the Navy, the sailors who served under him and his wife.
  • Mo. financial adviser guilty of stalking in Tenn.
    Posted April 12, 2013 4:19 PM
    MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A prominent Missouri financial adviser and campaign fundraiser for President Barack Obama pleaded guilty Friday to stalking and harassing her daughter's ex-boyfriend.
  • Eastman reports child porn on computer, employee arrested
    Posted April 12, 2013 4:18 PM
    Child pornography allegedly discovered on the computer of an Eastman Chemical Company employee has prompted the indictment and arrest of a Kingsport man.
  • Syrian troops widen offensive in border areas
    Posted April 12, 2013 4:17 PM
    AL-QASR, LEBANON (AP) — Syrian troops backed by warplanes battled rebels for control of strategic hilltop villages near the Lebanese border on Friday, as government troops step up counterattacks against opposition forces threatening regime supply lines on the country's frontiers.
  • APNewsBreak: Upper income seniors' Medicare hike
    Posted April 12, 2013 3:02 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's new plan to raise Medicare premiums for upper-income seniors would create five new income brackets to squeeze more revenue for the government from the top tiers of retirees.
  • Pet-4-12-13
    Posted April 12, 2013 2:47 PM
    Tallulah is an older adult spayed female Retriever. She is kennel trained and good with most dogs. She arrived at the shelter as a stray. For more information about this easy going girl or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week
  • Manning believes Jones will turn Vols around
    Posted April 12, 2013 2:26 PM
    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Peyton Manning is back at his alma mater this week endorsing new Tennessee coach Butch Jones and preaching patience from the Volunteers' fan base.
  • TVA contractor gets 6 ½ years in fraud case
    Posted April 12, 2013 2:17 PM
    CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — A Louisiana man convicted of lying about worker injuries at Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear facilities, allowing his company to collect $2.5 million in safety bonuses, has been sentenced to serve 6 ½ years in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
  • 3 teens arrested after girl's suicide in wake of sexual assault, online photos
    Posted April 12, 2013 1:52 PM
    SARATOGA, Calif. — Eight days after being sexually assaulted while passed out at a party, and then humiliated by online photos, 15-year-old Audrie Pott posted on Facebook that her life was ruined, "worst day ever," and hanged herself, the family's lawyer said.
  • Knoxville police say 3 killed in homeless camp
    Posted April 12, 2013 1:20 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Knoxville police say two men and a woman were killed at a homeless camp and three people have been arrested.
  • Driver in Texas bus wreck also drove in '98 fatal crash
    Posted April 12, 2013 1:17 PM
    DALLAS — The driver of the bus that swerved off a North Texas highway, leaving two passengers dead and dozens injured, was at the wheel in another fatal accident 15 years ago.
  • Comedian Jonathan Winters dead at 87
    Posted April 12, 2013 1:14 PM
    LOS ANGELES — Jonathan Winters, the cherub-faced comedian whose breakneck improvisations and misfit characters inspired the likes of Robin Williams and Jim Carrey, has died. He was 87.
  • 'Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead' — BBC in dilemma as anti-Thatcher song climbs chart
    Posted April 12, 2013 11:46 AM
    LONDON — The BBC is in a bind after opponents of Margaret Thatcher pushed the song "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" up the British charts in a posthumous protest over her divisive policies.
  • A weak start on Wall Street; energy stocks slide
    Posted April 12, 2013 11:40 AM
    NEW YORK — Energy companies led the stock market lower Friday as the price of oil sank 2 percent. Major indexes were still on track to end the week with strong gains.
  • Carter Mansion in Elizabethton to host big weekend of events
    Posted April 12, 2013 11:33 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — One of the most important houses in early Tennessee history will be open to the public this weekend, as a celebration of the Carter Mansion will include a wide variety of events and activities.
  • NE Tennessee phone scam threatened victim with jail
    Posted April 12, 2013 11:32 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — The Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a report of an apparent scam in which a Hawkins County man received calls from a person claiming to be an attorney and demanding money.
  • 10 things to know today from Johnson City and around the region
    Posted April 12, 2013 11:08 AM
    1. One Stop Wines and Liquors moving after 30 years on South Roan Street
  • Decision on Unicoi hospital sale in attorney general’s hands
    Updated April 12, 2013 9:48 PM
    ERWIN — Mountain States Health Alliance’s pending acquisition of Unicoi County Memorial Hospital is now in the Tennessee attorney feneral’s hands, as written notice of the sale has been submitted to the attorney general’s office.
  • Dawn exposes damage from possible tornado in East Tennessee
    Posted April 12, 2013 10:50 AM
    MADISONVILLE — Damage to homes, power poles and barns was visible this morning with the rising sun as officials surveyed the results of a possible tornado in Monroe County.
  • Consider Sabri
    Posted April 12, 2013 10:03 AM
    Most people know Mahmood (Michael) Sabri as an educator. I know him and his family as a neighbor of several years, and as a friend. They are fine hard-working people and good neighbors.
  • Lake Ridge Elementary second-graders bring history to life
    Posted April 12, 2013 10:02 AM
    History was alive Thursday at Lake Ridge Elementary School.
  • Funicello was the girl next door
    Posted April 12, 2013 10:00 AM
    Goodbye, Annette Funicello.
  • Common Core: badly designed program that guts student privacy, education
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:59 AM
    If Common Core is so good, why are states all over the country — from South Carolina to South Dakota — trying to withdraw from it? The more people learn about Common Core, the more concerned they become.
  • Obey ordinances on campaign sign placement
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:57 AM
    It’s important that candidates and their supporters know exactly where campaign signs can be placed. With the campaign for Johnson City’s April 23 election now in full bloom, political signs are popping up in places where they shouldn’t be.
  • Vote for Povlich
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:57 AM
    As a retired Johnson City educator, I am supporting James (Jamie) B. Povlich for the open two-year term on the Johnson City Board of Education. Jamie has shown a commitment to the youth of our community through the numerous services he has been involved with over the last 13 years.
  • Unsigned opinions
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:56 AM
    This past Saturday I received an unsigned letter from “Citizens for Sensible Government” without a return address and without a list of people responsible for generating this letter.
  • Vote for Bolus
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:51 AM
    Let’s be FRANK about this election. He will BOLUS over with his enthusiasm to make our city a better place for each of us.
  • Gutter politics has reared its ugly head in city election
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:50 AM
    The late U.S. House Speaker Thomas “Tip” O’Neill, Jr. once said, “All politics is local.” He forgot to mention that local politics can also be dirty.
  • Trust Tomita
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:50 AM
    I have known David Tomita since 1987. We both worked together for the same company when I lived in Tennessee. Our first meeting was as colleagues, but quickly we formed a friendship.
  • Support Brock
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:49 AM
    I just recently met Jenny Brock, but have been impressed with her grasp of the complexity with which our city operates. She has both public and private sector experience and is a fiscal conservative. I believe she is an excellent candidate for city commissioner.
  • Article on popular national website mocks Tennessee politics, including Campfield's school welfare bill
    Updated April 12, 2013 9:58 AM
    The popular website Salon.com has chosen as one of its main stories an article that, to put it mildly, is anything but favorable to Tennessee.
  • After lots of press and a little education, UT Sex Week wraps today
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:39 AM
    KNOXVILLE — The week of drag shows, condom hunts, sex trivia and other racy — and educational — events at the University of Tennessee wraps up today, but student organizers already have their sights set on next year.
  • Health issues tie up 2 Elizabethton school board members
    Posted April 12, 2013 9:23 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Two of the five members of the Elizabethton City School Board may not be able to make next week’s meeting because of medical problems.
  • One Stop Wines and Liquors moving after 30 years on South Roan Street
    Posted April 12, 2013 8:29 AM
    After more than 30 years anchored along South Roan Street, One Stop Wines and Liquors is moving its business to University Plaza near the East Tennessee State University campus.
  • Spring storm that killed 3 moving to the Carolinas
    Posted April 12, 2013 7:06 AM
    A powerful spring storm unleashed tornadoes, hail and high winds as it swept through the Midwest into the Deep South, leaving three people dead and thousands without power before heading for the Carolinas early Friday.
  • 3 die in spring storm packing ice, snow, tornadoes
    Posted April 11, 2013 9:53 PM
    SHUQUALAK, Miss. (AP) — A strong spring storm that socked the Midwest with ice and heavy, wet snow made its way east, raking the South with tornadoes Thursday, with three deaths blamed on the rough weather and thousands of people without power.
  • House adds exceptions to bill to banning drones
    Posted April 11, 2013 9:32 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The House has passed a bill to ban most warrantless surveillance by unmanned drones in Tennessee, but added a last-minute exemption for events featuring large crowds.
  • Looking like old pro, 14-year-old opens with 73
    Posted April 11, 2013 9:30 PM
    AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Guan Tianlang put off his homework for a few hours, grabbed the snack his mom had made and went out to play with his friends.
  • Elizabethton picks Kitchens as city manager
    Posted April 11, 2013 9:21 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — By a 6-1 vote, the Elizabethton City Council chose Jerome Kitchens on Thursday to be its next city manager. Steven Neilson, Johnson City’s development coordinator, was the runner up and received Councilman Bob Cable’s vote.
  • ‘New’ AAC creates a bit of confusion
    Posted April 11, 2013 9:17 PM
    The breakup of the Big East Conference has had ramifications throughout the world of college athletics, all the way down to Milligan College’s league.
  • Wallingford enjoys change of pace golf brings
    Posted April 11, 2013 9:16 PM
    Tony Wallingford needed a change of pace in his life and stepped away from coaching basketball at Milligan College four years ago.
  • Good comes ‘full circle’ at Crockett
    Posted April 11, 2013 9:15 PM
    John Good provided for his family before starting school, and years working at Coca-Cola helped make becoming a high school head basketball coach all the sweeter.
  • Washington County Rules Committee selects 15 as number of planners
    Posted April 11, 2013 9:14 PM
    Prediction: When the County Commission’s April 22 meeting has concluded, the number of members on its Regional Planning Commission will stand at 15.
  • Peyton Manning presents Pat Summitt's foundation with donation
    Posted April 11, 2013 8:59 PM
    KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee football great Peyton Manning signed a large, ceremonial check this afternoon and added a touching note at the Cherokee Country Club, officially gifting the Pat Summitt Foundation with its largest donation to date.
  • Prison company: Workers falsified staffing records
    Posted April 11, 2013 8:55 PM
    BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A private company that operates Idaho's largest prison acknowledged Thursday that its employees falsified nearly 4,800 hours of staffing records over seven months last year in violation of its contract with the state.
  • Japanese, other automakers hit with air bag recall
    Posted April 11, 2013 8:51 PM
    DETROIT (AP) — Six automakers, including Toyota, Honda and Nissan, are recalling nearly 3.4 million older-model vehicles worldwide because of defective air bags that can send shrapnel flying into the passenger compartment.
  • US unemployment aid applications plummet to 346K
    Posted April 11, 2013 8:47 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, signaling that the job market might be stronger than March's weak month of hiring suggested.
  • Johnson City man picks up multiple charges after police chase
    Updated April 12, 2013 11:04 AM
    A city man was charged Wednesday evening with gun and drug charges after a short foot pursuit, Johnson City police said in a news release.
  • Medgar Evers to be remembered 50 years after death
    Posted April 11, 2013 7:22 PM
    JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — It's well known that civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated outside his Jackson home by a white supremacist on June 12, 1963. But before his tragic death in front of his home while his family was inside, Evers dedicated his life to working for racial equality in Mississippi.
  • Dinner set Saturday to benefit Wounded Warriors Project
    Posted April 11, 2013 7:17 PM
    The brothers of Kappa Sigma will host the first annual benefit dinner for the fraternity’s philanthropy, the Wounded Warriors Project on Saturday, according to a press release.
  • A country song, assumptions and a racial outcry
    Posted April 11, 2013 6:45 PM
    Southern white men don't usually drive racial dialogue. For as long as race has riven America, they have been depicted more often as the problem than the solution.
  • Court date reset for Johnson City man charged in shooting death
    Posted April 11, 2013 5:07 PM
    The preliminary hearing for a man charged with murdering another man outside a Johnson City apartment complex last week was rescheduled because he has a new attorney.
  • Warrant says accused in mass Texas stabbing fantasized about cannibalism
    Posted April 11, 2013 5:04 PM
    HOUSTON — Officials say a man accused of stabbing more than a dozen people at a Houston-area college told investigators that he had fantasized about cannibalism and about cutting off people's faces and wearing them as masks.
  • 12 kids affected when Tennessee student uses pepper spray
    Posted April 11, 2013 4:57 PM
    MEMPHIS — Authorities say 12 students had to be decontaminated after a 10-year-old child used pepper spray at an elementary school in Memphis.
  • North Korea hints it will soon launch a missile
    Posted April 11, 2013 4:43 PM
    PYONGYANG, North Korea — Hinting at a missile launch, North Korea delivered a fresh round of war rhetoric Thursday with claims it has "powerful striking means" on standby. Seoul and Washington speculated that it is preparing to test-fire a missile designed to be capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam in the Pacific Ocean.
  • Memphis police say boy, 2, drowns in pool
    Posted April 11, 2013 4:42 PM
    MEMPHIS (AP) — Memphis police say a 2-year-old boy drowned in the swimming pool of a home.
  • Meth lab dump site found in Boones Creek
    Updated April 11, 2013 5:22 PM
    An inmate work crew found what turned out to be components of a meth lab on Rockingham Road Thursday, according to a Washington County Sheriff’s Department official.
  • Brush fires hit area, rain and thunderstorms on the way
    Updated April 11, 2013 4:47 PM
    Approximately six brush and grass fires have been reported in the Johnson City/Washington County area in a three-day period, according to Washington County 911.
  • Ohio man admits making more than 100 bomb threats
    Posted April 11, 2013 2:38 PM
    CLEVELAND (AP) — An ex-convict pleaded guilty Thursday to making more than 100 telephone bomb threats to courthouses and other public buildings in five states, and a judge promptly sentenced him to 51 months in prison.
  • Tennessee school progress welfare penalty dead this session; Campfield snubs 8-year-old
    Posted April 11, 2013 1:59 PM
    NASHVILLE — The sponsor of a proposal to dock the welfare payments of parents whose children fail school refused to listen to a little girl opposing the measure Thursday, saying she was being used as a prop.
  • Report: Walmart shoplifting attempt leads authorities to Bluff City man's meth lab
    Updated April 11, 2013 1:42 PM
    BRISTOL, Va. — A Bluff City, Tenn., man attempting to steal $2,000 in merchandise from a Bristol Walmart also faces drug charges, according to police, after a methamphetamine lab was found inside his vehicle.
  • 'Roots,' 'All That Jazz' star Ben Vereen coming to ETSU
    Posted April 11, 2013 11:41 AM
    Tony Award-winning actor and motivational speaker Ben Vereen will appear at East Tennessee State University next week in a public speaking engagement.
  • Tennessee man flees on tractor after running over friend
    Posted April 11, 2013 11:35 AM
    WESTMORELAND — Sumner County authorities say a man ran over his friend with a tractor, killing him, and then fled.
  • US Senate rejects GOP bid to shut down gun control debate
    Updated April 14, 2013 8:01 AM
    WASHINGTON — Gun control supporters have won the first Senate showdown over restricting firearms, rejecting an effort by conservatives to derail a package of gun curbs before debate could even begin.
  • UPDATE: 2 killed, dozens hurt when bus overturns in Texas
    Updated April 11, 2013 1:54 PM
    IRVING, Texas — At least two people were killed and about three dozen were hospitalized after a charter bus careened off a Texas highway and flipped onto its side Thursday, drawing a large emergency response as rescue crews struggled to reach victims inside, authorities said.
  • 10 things to know today from Johnson City, the region and around the world
    Posted April 11, 2013 10:53 AM
    Ten things to know today on JohnsonCityPress.com:
  • No damage, lots of rainfall as storms push east; heaviest rain locally comes after dark
    Posted April 11, 2013 10:27 AM
    NASHVILLE (AP) — A line of thunderstorms is expected to intensify as it moves slowly eastward Thursday across Tennessee.
  • Tenn. House speaker appoints Rep. Hill to powerful commission
    Posted April 11, 2013 8:49 AM
    State Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, was appointed this week to the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.
  • Improving Johnson City
    Posted April 11, 2013 8:42 AM
    Don’t be a part of our growing pathetic adult population that has gone through life thinking the world owes them a living and should only revolve around their age group.
  • Obesity rates among young are alarming
    Posted April 11, 2013 8:40 AM
    The article under the headline, “ETSU: County health rankings report indicates positive trend for Northeast Tennessee,” on March 20 highlighted where Washington County ranked in comparison to its neighbors and the rest of the state in terms of health. Amid all the numbers, I was struck most by the 29 percent obesity rate.
  • Unicoi County man facing multiple drug charges
    Posted April 11, 2013 8:39 AM
    ERWIN — A Unicoi County man is facing several drug-related charges following an anti-drug operation conducted by the 1st Judicial District Drug Task Force that led to his Tuesday arrest.
  • City finally may see better traffic patterns
    Posted April 11, 2013 8:35 AM
    Johnson City officials promise the much ballyhooed intelligent traffic system will soon be here. Honestly, traffic officials say, the $3.6 million project is nearing the implementation stage.
  • Promoting tourism to grow our economy is a group effort
    Posted April 11, 2013 8:34 AM
    The Johnson City, Jonesborough and Washington County Chamber’s stated value is a regional approach to doing business. We realize the overall success of the area comes from a diversified economy. Through the combined efforts of our hospitality industry, business and our Convention and Visitors Bureau, whose mission is to generate economic impact through hosting meetings/conferences, sporting events and leisure travels, we have seen a growth in visitor spending of 7.5 percent. The economic impact of that growth for 2011 was $210 million for Washington County.
  • Jonesborough committee picks new logo to represent town
    Posted April 10, 2013 10:00 PM
    Jonesborough’s yearlong search for a tourism logo to represent the town in marketing materials and downtown way-finding signs may be nearing finalization.
  • Goat's head delivered to Wrigley Field
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:56 PM
    CHICAGO (AP) — Goats that previously appeared at Chicago's Wrigley Field were alive and kicking.
  • AP Interview: Joan Baez returns to past in Vietnam
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:38 PM
    HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — At 72, Joan Baez is not short of events to anticipate: She has her mother's 100th birthday party, a tour of Australia and a new passion — painting — to explore. But the folk singer and social activist has spent a few days reliving her past, returning to Hanoi for the first time since December 1972, when American B-52s were raining bombs on it.
  • KPD: Shooting leads to car crash; one seriously injured
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:31 PM
    At least one person was seriously injured in a traffic crash that followed an exchange of gunfire near downtown Knoxville on Wednesday night, although police have yet to confirm whether anyone actually was shot.
  • Hearing in U.C. murder-for-hire case reset for July 19
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:18 PM
    ERWIN — An IQ test has been requested for the Unicoi County woman charged in August 2011 for allegedly attempting to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband.
  • Poor Richard’s Campus getting new life, will reopen May 3
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:17 PM
    Poor Richard’s Campus, the iconic West Walnut Street restaurant located next to East Tennessee State University, was a place that held many memories for customers throughout its nearly four decades in operation.
  • Budget Committee OKs Washington County’s waste plan
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:12 PM
    Washington County’s proposed $5.9 million, 10-year agreement with Waste Management to send its solid waste to Johnson City-owned Iris Glen Environmental Landfill sailed through the County Commission’s Budget Committee Wednesday and is headed for a vote by the commission on April 22.
  • Johnson City maintains franchise rights on construction containers
    Updated April 11, 2013 5:19 PM
    Johnson City narrowly averted losing the right to maintain its exclusive franchise to use city containers at construction and demolition sites on Tuesday in Nashville when legislation to do just that finally died after an hour-long debate, saving the city about $1 million a year.
  • Annual Coptic conference set April 19-21
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:05 PM
    From hypnotherapists and psychic researchers to motivational speakers and experts in the exploration of human consciousness, the annual Coptic Fellowship International & Tri-Cities Metaphysical Study Group will host a little bit of everything at this year’s conference.
  • Science Hill softball has winning formula against D-B
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:01 PM
  • Atmosphere, sellout crowd make for memorable evening
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:56 PM
    Hosting a festive, overflow crowd at Thomas Stadium for a Tuesday night baseball game against Tennessee was a shining moment for the East Tennessee State athletic department.
  • Device to scare birds causes Guard base lockdown
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:53 PM
    JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — After a report of gunfire, Air National Guard officials locked down a Mississippi base on Wednesday, but the noise thought to be shots turned out to be a device used to scare birds away from an airport runway, authorities said.
  • Beer vote: Tennessee to eventually drop claim to highest brew taxes
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:52 PM
    NASHVILLE — The House gave final legislative approval Wednesday to legislation intended to eventually end Tennessee’s status of having the nation’s highest beer taxes.
  • Obama budget request a mixed bag for Oak Ridge
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:40 PM
    The Obama administration’s proposed federal budget for Fiscal Year 2014, which begins Oct. 1, carried mixed news for the government operations in Oak Ridge.
  • Thousands rally across US for immigration bill
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:37 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Tens of thousands of immigrants and activists rallied nationwide Wednesday in a coordinated set of protests aimed at pressing Congress to approve immigration measures that would grant 11 million immigrants living here illegally a path toward citizenship.
  • Campbell, Humes leave Grizzlies' front office
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:19 PM
    MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies' president of business operations and chief revenue officer have left the team.
  • Gunman holding firefighters killed; 4 hostages OK
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:11 PM
    SUWANEE, Ga. (AP) — A gunman who held four firefighters for hours in a suburban Atlanta home was shot dead by SWAT members and all the hostages are slightly injured but should be OK, authorities said Wednesday.
  • Boost for background checks: Senators compromise
    Posted April 10, 2013 7:09 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative senators from both parties announced their support for expanding background checks for gun buyers Wednesday, giving a burst of momentum to advocates of stronger restrictions. But big questions remain about whether President Barack Obama can push significant gun controls through Congress.
  • Ga. opponent of border resolution cheered in Tenn.
    Posted April 10, 2013 7:08 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers gave rousing applause to welcome a Georgia senator who opposed a resolution calling for redrawing the border between the two states.
  • Flavor Flav felony case headed for trial in Vegas
    Posted April 10, 2013 7:04 PM
    LAS VEGAS (AP) — Entertainer Flavor Flav is facing a trial on felony charges that he threatened his longtime girlfriend's 17-year-old son with a butcher knife during a family argument.
  • Maine hermit living in wild for 27 years arrested
    Posted April 10, 2013 6:53 PM
    ROME, Maine (AP) — A man who lived like a hermit for decades in a makeshift camp in the woods and may be responsible for more than 1,000 burglaries for food and other staples has been caught in a surveillance trap at a camp he treated as a "Walmart," authorities said Wednesday.
  • Medication nation: Study shows antibiotic overuse
    Posted April 10, 2013 6:50 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. doctors are prescribing enough antibiotics to give them to 4 out of 5 Americans every year, an alarming pace that suggests they are being overused, a new government study finds.
  • Carter Co. deputies foil alleged escape via river
    Posted April 10, 2013 5:04 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A man wanted by the Carter County Sheriff's Department took advantage of the first warm days of spring to try to evade arrest by jumping into the Watauga River on Wednesday afternoon, according to Lt. Patrick Johnson.
  • Two men wanted for Middle Tennessee murder tied to white supremacist groups
    Updated April 10, 2013 4:56 PM
    NASHVILLE –– Two men were added to the state’s Top Ten Most Wanted list in connection with a Franklin County murder investigation, according to a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation news release.
  • United Way in Elizabethton/Carter Co. reaches fundraising goal for first time in more than decade
    Posted April 10, 2013 4:39 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — For the first time in 12 years, the Elizabethton/Carter County United Way has reached its goal.
  • Reward offered after circus elephant shot in Mississippi drive-by
    Updated April 10, 2013 4:47 PM
    TUPELO, Miss — A circus veterinarian says the Asian elephant wounded in a drive-by shooting in Mississippi should be fully recovered within a few weeks.
  • Carter Co. man charged in theft of uncle's money
    Posted April 10, 2013 4:32 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A Carter County man was arrested Tuesday on charges he entered the home of his uncle and stole about $2,200 in cash from him.
  • Obama budget hints at sale of TVA
    Posted April 10, 2013 4:16 PM
    NASHVILLE — The Obama administration's 2014 budget is calling for a strategic review of the Tennessee Valley Authority, opening the possibility that the largest U.S. public utility could be sold.
  • Police: Home so filthy, Kingsport boy stuffs ears to 'keep the bugs out'
    Posted April 10, 2013 3:33 PM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport couple have been arrested after a child was found living in their allegedly filthy home with paper stuffed into each ear, telling an officer he did so to, "keep the bugs out."
  • Stolen from county mayor's office: 9 $100 bills
    Posted April 10, 2013 2:26 PM
    There is a thief in the City County Building.
  • Sheriff: Knife attack at Texas college was random
    Posted April 10, 2013 2:08 PM
    CYPRESS, Texas (AP) — A man accused of stabbing more than a dozen people at a suburban Houston community college randomly selected his victims and told investigators he had been fantasizing about conducting such an attack since he was 8 years old, authorities said Wednesday.
  • Former judge Baumgartner gets six months in prison
    Posted April 10, 2013 2:01 PM
    GREENEVILLE — A federal judge today ordered a disgraced former Knox County Criminal Court judge jailed for six months for lying to cover up his pill-supplying mistress’ drug dealing.
  • Tennessee Senate votes to block access to gun carry records
    Posted April 10, 2013 1:38 PM
    NASHVILLE — Before last year's elections, the executive director of the Senate Republican Caucus obtained a copy of the entire database of handgun carry permit holders in the state. On Wednesday, the GOP-controlled chamber voted to block public access to those records.
  • Police in Middle Tennessee seek identities of teen girls shown nude in boys' email
    Posted April 10, 2013 1:34 PM
    SPRING HILL — Police in Spring Hill are still trying to identify four or five teenage girls whose nude photos were found in an email account.
  • Knoxville police find dead man in homeless camp
    Posted April 10, 2013 12:58 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Knoxville police have found a dead man in a tent at a homeless camp.
  • Police: Nearly $15,000 in bath salts seized from Kingsport home
    Posted April 10, 2013 11:57 AM
    KINGSPORT — For the second time this year a Kingsport mother and son have been arrested after bath salts were allegedly seized from their home — with police estimating the latest haul's street value at nearly $15,000.
  • Obama proposes 94-cent federal tax hike on cigarettes
    Posted April 10, 2013 11:29 AM
    WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's budget plan would increase taxes by $580 billion over the next decade, but it relies on many proposals that have been repeatedly rejected by Congress.
  • US Postal Service backs off plan to end Saturday mail delivery
    Posted April 10, 2013 11:22 AM
    WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service says it will delay plans to cut Saturday mail delivery because Congress isn't allowing the change.
  • Obama sends Congress $3.8 trillion spending plan
    Posted April 10, 2013 10:58 AM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is sending Congress a $3.8 trillion spending blueprint that seeks to achieve an elusive "grand bargain" to tame runaway deficits by raising taxes further on the wealthy and trimming popular benefit programs such as Social Security.
  • Democrat, GOP Senators reach deal on gun background checks
    Posted April 10, 2013 10:31 AM
    WASHINGTON — A Senate aide and a lobbyist say two senators have struck a bipartisan deal on expanding background checks to more firearms purchases. The agreement could build support for President Barack Obama's drive to curb gun violence.
  • Woman falls into elevator shaft in Chattanooga
    Posted April 10, 2013 10:15 AM
    CHATTANOOGA — Chattanooga firefighters rescued a woman from an elevator shaft late Tuesday night, according to a news release.
  • 10 things to know today in Johnson City, the region and around the world
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:43 AM
    Here are 10 things to know today from around the region and the world on JohnsonCityPress.com:
  • Disabled American Veterans donates flag, pole to vets’ transitional center
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:39 AM
    Members of Disabled American Veterans Washington County Chapter No. 9 came to the Salvation Army shelter Tuesday to present a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol for the new flagpole the chapter recently purchased for residents of the shelter’s transitional program for homeless veterans.
  • Pumps to start soon at Wilbur Lake water plant in Carter County
    Posted April 10, 2013 9:06 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — One of the final pieces of the Watauga River Regional Water Authority’s water plant at Wilbur Lake will be coming on line in two weeks.
  • Borla granted five more years of payments in lieu of taxes
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:58 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Carter County Industrial Development Bond Board unanimously gave the go ahead Tuesday to allow another five years of payments in lieu of taxes for the Borla properties, which occupy the former Texas Instruments facility at the Okolona Road exit off Interstate 26.
  • Support Tomita
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:49 AM
    I am writing in support of David Tomita in the City Commission election. With Commissioner Phil Carriger not seeking re-election, the board needs a person who is particularly savvy in financial affairs, and Tomita would serve that role very well.
  • Sabri correction
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:47 AM
    This is to clarify a typographical error in my statement published on April 4 related to the security question asked during the forum held by the Johnson City Press. First of all, I would like to thank the Press for holding the forum.
  • Brock misrepresented
    Posted April 10, 2013 8:45 AM
    It is not customary for a sitting commissioner to speak to the qualities of a City Commission candidate. And yet, I must.
  • Couple accused of kidnapping kids returned to US
    Posted April 10, 2013 7:30 AM
    MIAMI — A Florida couple accused of kidnapping their two young sons and fleeing by boat to Cuba were handed over to the United States and their children were returned to the maternal grandparents who have official custody, authorities said Wednesday.
  • NE Tennessee high school student's mother says girl received suggestive messages from teacher
    Updated April 10, 2013 8:54 AM
    CHURCH HILL — The mother of a 17-year-old Hawkins County student says a teacher who made sexually suggestive communications to her daughter received a slap on the wrist from the school for what should have been considered a criminal offense.
  • Trailblazers leave nothing to chance this time
    Posted April 9, 2013 10:59 PM
    The Daniel Boone baseball team wasn’t about to let up this time around.
  • Craig’s slam lifts ’Toppers
    Posted April 9, 2013 10:56 PM
    KINGSPORT — Pitching around Will Craig with the bases loaded can’t be a grand plan. But not doing it can be a grand slam.
  • Bucs can’t deliver win in sellout
    Posted April 9, 2013 10:56 PM
    With a record crowd and a tremendous atmosphere at Thomas Stadium, the East Tennessee State baseball team offered up a few early thrills. But the Bucs couldn’t keep it up.
  • Baxter reaches rare coaching milestone
    Posted April 9, 2013 10:53 PM
    Respect is earned, and Charlie Baxter got his by simply outworking other people.
  • Oak Ridge Council votes to end recycling rewards program
    Posted April 9, 2013 9:58 PM
    OAK RIDGE — While a rewards program for recycling is ending, the actual recycling program using familiar brown carts will remain following a 5-0 City Council vote Monday, officials said.
  • FBI investigating recording of McConnell talks
    Posted April 9, 2013 9:52 PM
    FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The FBI has been asked to look into whether Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's campaign headquarters was bugged after a recording of a private campaign meeting surfaced in a liberal-leaning magazine.
  • One Acre Cafe finds home on West Walnut
    Posted April 9, 2013 9:49 PM
    One Acre Cafe has signed a five-year lease and is on track to open this fall in the building at 603 W. Walnut St. formerly occupied by the Dessert Rose Mexican restaurant.
  • Memorial Park’s East Main Street component nearing completion
    Posted April 9, 2013 9:45 PM
    Construction of Johnson City’s East Main Street component at Memorial Park is expected to wrap up in a matter of days, which means residents and visitors will soon have a place to honor veterans, hear a concert, attend an outdoor class, toss a Frisbee or simply stretch their legs.
  • NC father says he tried to save kids from dirt
    Updated April 10, 2013 7:29 AM
    STANLEY, N.C. — The North Carolina father who was working in a two-story-deep hole that collapsed said Tuesday that he worked frantically to save his daughter and her cousin from the wall of falling dirt that killed them.
  • Diversity of downtown Johnson City dining grows
    Updated April 10, 2013 6:46 AM
    In downtown Johnson City alone, there are more than 10 eateries that cater to just about every taste, including coffee shops, comfort food, Mexican cuisine, seafood and German dishes, and a new restaurant is joining the ranks.
  • ETSUThomas Stadium sells out game against Vols
    Posted April 9, 2013 9:39 PM
    Fans gathered at East Tennessee State University’s Thomas Stadium will remember, for a while at least, April 9, 2013, when the sun was shining, the temperatures hovered around 80 degrees and the words “Sold Out” were posted on ticket office windows for the first time for Tuesday night’s game against the University of Tennessee Volunteers.
  • ETSU's Thomas Stadium sells out game against Vols
    Posted April 9, 2013 9:39 PM
    Fans gathered at East Tennessee State University’s Thomas Stadium will remember, for a while at least, April 9, 2013, when the sun was shining, the temperatures hovered around 80 degrees and the words “Sold Out” were posted on ticket office windows for the first time for Tuesday night’s game against the University of Tennessee Volunteers.
  • Action expected soon on Love Chapel move
    Posted April 9, 2013 9:38 PM
    ERWIN — The Unicoi County Board of Education did not take any action on the relocation plan for Love Chapel Elementary School at its meeting on Tuesday, but Director of Schools Denise Brown said she anticipates movement on the plan to take place soon.
  • Terrific Tuesday: Milligan students get on-campus spring break
    Posted April 9, 2013 9:28 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Sometimes a mental break is all you need to finish a project, or a semester of college.
  • Brad Paisley-LL Cool J draw ire with song on bias
    Posted April 9, 2013 8:17 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country singer Brad Paisley says he was trying to foster an open discussion of race relations when he collaborated with rapper LL Cool J on "Accidental Racist."
  • Budget cuts ground Air Force, Navy aircraft
    Posted April 9, 2013 7:38 PM
    NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The U.S. Air Force plans to ground about a third of its active-duty force of combat planes and a top general warned Tuesday that the branch might not be able to respond immediately to every event when needed.
  • Student arrested in Texas college stabbing attack
    Posted April 9, 2013 7:27 PM
    CYPRESS, Texas (AP) — A student went on a building-to-building stabbing attack at a Texas community college Tuesday, wounding at least 14 people — many in the face and neck — before being subdued and arrested, authorities and witnesses said.
  • Student arrested in Texas college stabbing attack
    Posted April 9, 2013 7:27 PM
    CYPRESS, Texas (AP) — A student went on a building-to-building stabbing attack at a Texas community college Tuesday, wounding at least 14 people — many in the face and neck — before being subdued and arrested, authorities and witnesses said.
  • Local drivers score big
    Posted April 9, 2013 7:27 PM
    A pair of Washington County drivers captured big victories at local tracks this past weekend.
  • Up to 500 Ohio inmates restricted after fights
    Posted April 9, 2013 6:00 PM
    CONNEAUT, Ohio (AP) — Nearly 500 inmates have been restricted to their bunks following two weekend fights, while a report Tuesday criticized the privately operated prison for overcrowding it says is causing an increase in fights and attacks on guards.
  • Charter panel bill stalls in Senate
    Posted April 9, 2013 5:15 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawmakers questioned a proposal to create a special panel to authorize charter schools in several Tennessee counties during debate at the state Legislature Tuesday, while a nonprofit group criticized the governor's decision to withdraw his school voucher program.
  • Iran says 37 killed in earthquake in south
    Posted April 9, 2013 5:09 PM
    TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A 6.1 magnitude earthquake killed at least 37 and injured hundreds more in a sparsely populated area in southern Iran on Tuesday, Iranian officials said, adding that it did not damage a nuclear plant in the region.
  • Burned-through water line helps put out Carter Co. trailer fire
    Updated April 9, 2013 4:26 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A weekend fire at a mobile home on Rockhouse Road was easily brought under control because the fire burned through a water line before the fire was discovered.
  • Tennessee boy charged with murder, arson in Memphis fire that killed his mom
    Posted April 9, 2013 4:15 PM
    MEMPHIS — Prosecutors say they want the case of a 14-year-old boy charged with setting a house fire that killed his mother because he was upset with her transferred to adult court.
  • Man kills 13 people in Serbian shooting rampage
    Posted April 9, 2013 4:10 PM
    VELIKA IVANCA, Serbia (AP) — He went from house to house in the village at dawn, cold-bloodedly gunning down his mother, his son, a 2-year-old cousin and 10 other neighbors. Terrified residents said if a police patrol car hadn't shown up, they all would have been dead.
  • 4 indicted, 2 caught in Tennessee cornfield slaying related to white supremacist groups
    Posted April 9, 2013 3:58 PM
    WINCHESTER — Franklin County authorities say they have arrested two suspects in the beating death of a man near Cowan and are searching for two others.
  • Drugs, 10 guns seized from Kingsport residence; one charged
    Posted April 9, 2013 3:50 PM
    KINGSPORT — A search warrant allowed police to find marijuana and records of drug transactions at a Kingsport residence, where officers also seized 10 firearms due to the felony nature of the discoveries, according to reports.
  • Update: Troopers injured in SW Va. chase identified
    Updated April 9, 2013 3:50 PM
    GATE CITY, Va. — A motorist allegedly sped through a Tuesday afternoon law enforcement checkpoint in Weber City, sparking a chase that ended after he rammed four police cars and injured two Virginia State Police Troopers.
  • More than a dozen hurt in Texas college stabbing
    Posted April 9, 2013 3:06 PM
    CYPRESS, Texas (AP) — More than a dozen people were wounded when a suspect went building-to-building in an apparent stabbing attack at a Texas college campus Tuesday, authorities said.
  • GOP leader McConnell's campaign alleges 'Watergate-style bugging' at headquarters; asks FBI to probe
    Posted April 9, 2013 11:39 AM
    FRANKFORT, Ky. — The FBI has been asked to look into whether Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's campaign headquarters was bugged after a recording of a private campaign meeting surfaced in a liberal-leaning magazine.
  • Kingsport man charged in samurai sword attack, victim in critical condition
    Posted April 9, 2013 11:36 AM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport man has been arrested after allegedly stabbing another individual in the stomach with a samurai sword, leaving him hospitalized in critical condition.
  • Defendant pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder, gets 20 years in beating death of Chattanooga pastor
    Updated April 9, 2013 10:58 AM
    CHATTANOOGA — A murder defendant has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in the beating death of a Chattanooga pastor.
  • Tennessee-Chattanooga fraternity under investigation after bottle rocket in pants video
    Updated April 9, 2013 10:59 AM
    CHATTANOOGA — The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is investigating a social fraternity after video of a prank was posted on Facebook.
  • Two with East Tennessee ties caught in Afghan suicide blast; one killed, one wounded
    Posted April 9, 2013 10:19 AM
    One person with ties to East Tennessee was killed and a second was seriously wounded in a suicide bomber’s attack on a U.S. military convoy in southern Afghanistan on Saturday.
  • Admiral says North Korea is direct threat to US
    Updated April 9, 2013 10:46 AM
    WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military commander in the Pacific said Tuesday that North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles represents a clear and direct threat to the United States and its allies in the region.
  • Carter County streams cleanup set for April 27
    Posted April 9, 2013 9:29 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Although the Carter County Landfill has moved the annual county clean-up effort to autumn for this year, the county’s streams will still get their annual spring cleaning.
  • Town of Unicoi planners seek more info from liquor store applicant
    Posted April 9, 2013 9:08 AM
    UNICOI — The town of Unicoi’s Planning Commission needs a little more information before it lends its approval to the first package store application the town has received since the establishment of retail liquor stores became permitted within the town’s limits.
  • Carter schools director says balancing budget without tax raise goal
    Posted April 9, 2013 8:56 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Although the Carter County School System faces nearly $1 million in needs over last year, Director of Schools Kevin Ward once again expressed his goal of presenting a balanced budget to the County Commission with no increases in the property tax rate for schools.
  • No charges yet against NE Tennessee teacher who sent texts to student
    Posted April 9, 2013 7:30 AM
    CHURCH HILL — Although it has been confirmed that texting did take place last month between a male teacher at Volunteer and a female student, a Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office investigation has revealed nothing that would merit charges.
  • Police: 2 found hiding in attic insulation during Johnson City burglary
    Updated April 9, 2013 3:54 PM
    Two people found hiding in the attic of a house they were evicted from were arraigned on burglary charges in Washington County General Sessions Court Tuesday.
  • Cyclones shut out Unicoi
    Posted April 8, 2013 11:26 PM
    ERWIN — Elizabethton climbed back in the hunt for the Three Rivers Conference baseball championship with a 2-0 win at Unicoi County on Monday evening.
  • Happy Valley making strides under Moore
    Posted April 8, 2013 11:20 PM
    Wins were hard to find for Happy Valley’s baseball team last season, but the Warriors are a different bunch this year.
  • Johnson hits Pro Stock jackpot in Vegas
    Posted April 8, 2013 11:18 PM
    Allen Johnson’s big gamble paid off in Las Vegas.
  • Crockett sees Good things shaping up
    Posted April 8, 2013 11:18 PM
    Two people had prerequisite opinions before John Good left Science Hill and accepted the head basketball coaching position at David Crockett. One of them will have hands-on ability to help him win games.
  • Jonesborough board approves downtown Wi-Fi service
    Posted April 8, 2013 10:40 PM
    The Jonesborough Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Monday voted to provide Wi-Fi access along the downtown district’s newly expanded sidewalks and approved designs for improvement of three of the town’s busiest intersections.
  • Mall theater set to reopen May 17
    Posted April 8, 2013 9:37 PM
    KINGSPORT — It’s been more than two months since Marquee Cinemas closed shop and moved out of the Kingsport Town Center. Since then, people have been asking when the theater in the mall would be re-opening.
  • Power Board public relations chief leaving post
    Posted April 8, 2013 9:33 PM
    After nearly 30 years with the Johnson City Power Board, Robert White is leaving his post as the utility’s chief public relations officer to run a utility in Kentucky.
  • Inspector says bridge not rated for bus traffic
    Posted April 8, 2013 9:20 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Two buses from the Carter County School System are taking different routes and avoiding Smalling Bridge after the Highway Committee of the Carter County Commission heard warnings from the regional bridge inspector for the Tennessee Department of Transportation on Monday. The bridge crosses the Watauga River and serves the western end of the county.
  • Inspector says bridge not rated for bus traffic
    Posted April 8, 2013 9:20 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Two buses from the Carter County School System are taking different routes and avoiding Smalling Bridge after the Highway Committee of the Carter County Commission heard warnings from the regional bridge inspector for the Tennessee Department of Transportation on Monday. The bridge crosses the Watauga River and serves the western end of the county.
  • Kingsport Fire Department responds to fire at Allandale Mansion
    Posted April 8, 2013 9:00 PM
    KINGSPORT — The Kingsport Fire Department received a call of fire at Allandale Mansion around 4 p.m. Monday afternoon.
  • Kingsport Fire Department responds to fire at Allandale Mansion
    Posted April 8, 2013 9:00 PM
    KINGSPORT — The Kingsport Fire Department received a call of fire at Allandale Mansion around 4 p.m. Monday afternoon.
  • Stoney Creek residents unhappy with rock quarry plans
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:49 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Residents of Judge Ben Allen Road in the Stoney Creek community were disappointed to learn Monday that an old rock quarry will be placed back in operation this year after it had remained idle for nearly two decades.
  • Longterm solid waste deal would save county more than $2M
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:39 PM
    Washington County’s Solid Waste Committee on Monday unanimously voted to recommend a more than $5.9 million, 10-year agreement with Waste Management that will keep the county’s waste flowing to Iris Glen Environmental Landfill but result in a more than $2 million savings over that time.
  • Professor emeritus, British immigrant says Iron Lady inspiration
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:34 PM
    Margaret Thatcher had character such that “even her enemies thought she was decisive and acted on principle,” a former East Tennessee State University history professor said Monday.
  • TBI: 4-year-old shoots, kills Tennessee deputy's wife
    Posted April 8, 2013 7:56 PM
    NASHVILLE — A 4-year-old boy grabbed a loaded gun at a family cookout and accidentally shot and killed the wife of a sheriff's deputy, authorities said on Monday.
  • Children identified from fatal Chattanooga house fire
    Posted April 8, 2013 4:51 PM
    CHATTANOOGA — Officials have identified two brothers, one of whom died, who were caught in a house fire on April 1.
  • Wanted man allegedly hides beneath mobile home, igniting standoff with Sullivan Co. deputies
    Posted April 8, 2013 4:43 PM
    BRISTOL — A wanted man ignited a standoff with the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office late Sunday night after allegedly jumping through a "trap door" to hide from bondsmen, then refusing to come out from underneath his mobile home for responding officers.
  • Deputies say Hawkins Co. man high on meds drives through wheat field
    Updated April 8, 2013 4:50 PM
    CHURCH HILL — A Hawkins County man accused of crashing through a barbed wire fence early Monday morning and tearing up about 300 yards of wheat before his pickup died was allegedly high on medication.
  • THP schedules license checkpoints in NE Tennessee
    Posted April 8, 2013 4:33 PM
    The Tennessee Highway Patrol will conduct driver’s license checkpoints at the following times and locations:
  • Former Science Hill assistant Good to head Pioneers' boys basketball
    Updated April 8, 2013 2:27 PM
    David Crockett set its sights squarely on John Good, and the former Science Hill assistant was announced Monday as the Pioneers' new boys head basketball coach.
  • Disney: Annette Funicello dies at 70
    Posted April 8, 2013 1:17 PM
    NEW YORK — The Walt Disney Co. says Annette Funicello, who went from Mouseketeer to beach party movie icon, has died at age 70.
  • Lady Trailblazers finish third at Eastman Invitational softball tourney
    Posted April 8, 2013 10:53 AM
    KINGSPORT — Jaclyn Jenkins set the perfect example of aiding one’s own cause on Sunday afternoon at the Eastman Invitational softball tournament.
  • Crews find bodies of 2 NC children trapped in dirt
    Posted April 8, 2013 10:08 AM
    STANLEY, N.C. (AP) — Authorities on Monday recovered the bodies of two young cousins buried when a wall of dirt fell on them while they were playing in a hole at a home construction site in North Carolina.
  • Be kind to the pollinators
    Posted April 8, 2013 9:57 AM
    With all the environmental concerns facing humankind, it’s easy to overlook the tiny pollinators. Yet, they are a crucial link in the food chain, necessary for the reproduction of 90 percent of flowering plants and one-third of human food crops.
  • Expect detours as Johnson City railroad crossing work continues this week
    Posted April 8, 2013 9:36 AM
    Norfolk Southern workers will be in Johnson City beginning Wednesday to complete the final paving of roads at a number of crossings downtown.
  • Should state change the way Senate nominees are selected?
    Posted April 8, 2013 9:29 AM
    Before 1913, state legislatures elected members to the U.S. Senate. That changed with the adoption of the 17th Amendment, which calls for senators to be elected in each state by popular vote. Now, some state lawmakers in Nashville want to return to something much like that old system.
  • Workers’ comp reforms are a win for all sides
    Posted April 8, 2013 9:09 AM
    Several weeks ago I attended a meeting of the National Federation of Independent Business’ Tennessee Leadership Council in Nashville, where we were briefed on Gov. Bill Halsam’s proposed workers’ compensation reforms by Abbie Hudgens, workers’ comp administrator in the state Department of Labor. Haslam and his team have thoughtfully crafted a worker’s comp reform proposal that is a rarity in legislation — a win for all sides. Almost everyone shares that assessment.
  • Local leaders greatly impact your life — vote
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:59 AM
    We’ve barely had a chance to recover from November’s hotly contested presidential election and it’s already time to head back to the polls. While this month’s Johnson City Municipal Election won’t garner as much news coverage, its results are more significant to our daily lives than the one last fall.
  • Support Bolus
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:57 AM
    Frank Bolus is a highly motivated individual with significant experience in educational and economic development. As a former educator with grandchildren living in this area, he has a keen interest in maintaining the quality of our school system.
  • Myron’s perspective
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:54 AM
    A recent letter in Forum suggested that I have not adequately represented the seniors in our community. As the incumbent candidate, decisions I have made are open to criticism. My record indicates that I have not been a special interest commissioner and I have attempted to weigh each decision as it affects the well-being of all.
  • Bias for Brock?
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:54 AM
    Come on now. It sure seems like the Johnson City Press is promoting Jenny Brock for City Commission. Don’t you think you are being a little biased in printing only letters for Jenny?
  • Brock and Tomita can help keep Johnson City moving
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:53 AM
    Johnson City is on the move. There is a surge of energy of the likes the city has not seen in recent years. Good things are happening all over the Johnson City and we need city commissioners who are capable of keeping those good things going in an expedient, sensible and fiscally responsible manner.
  • Schools could benefit from some new faces
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:51 AM
    Selecting candidates to endorse this year for city Board of Education has been very difficult. There are nine candidates vying for five seats on the board. All are capable and energetic.
  • Unicoi County officials look to get to bottom of sinkhole issue
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:44 AM
    ERWIN — Unicoi County Mayor Greg Lynch said officials across the county share concerns over the impact of existing sinkholes and threat of future ones, and he wants to see that officials are on the same page as the county moves forward in addressing the issue.
  • Father: Slain diplomat died doing what she loved
    Posted April 8, 2013 8:04 AM
    CHICAGO — The family of an American diplomat who was among those killed in a terrorist attack in southern Afghanistan has taken solace in knowing she died doing what she loved.
  • Man shot with arrow at East Tennessee gentleman's club
    Updated April 8, 2013 8:09 AM
    KNOXVILLE - One man suffered only a minor injury after being shot with an arrow in South Knoxville early Sunday morning, according to Knoxville Police Department Lt. David Powell.
  • Japan increasingly nervous about North Korea nukes
    Posted April 8, 2013 7:54 AM
    TOKYO — It's easy to write off North Korea's threats to strike the United States with a nuclear-tipped missile as bluster: it has never demonstrated the capability to deploy a missile that could reach the Pacific island of Guam, let alone the mainland U.S.
  • Former UK Prime Minister Thatcher dies at 87
    Updated April 8, 2013 8:39 AM
    LONDON — Love her or loathe her, one thing's beyond dispute: Margaret Thatcher transformed Britain.
  • Johnson City man charged with pointing gun at 3 outside East Pine residence
    Posted April 8, 2013 7:43 AM
    An East Pine Street man was charged early Monday morning with pointing a gun at three people outside his residence.
  • Police: Johnson City man found with gun, cocaine in Bert Street lot
    Updated April 7, 2013 9:10 AM
    A report of a reckless driver led Johnson City police Saturday to arrest a man on drug and gun charges.
  • Science Hill, UH bounce back at Eastman
    Posted April 6, 2013 10:51 PM
    KINGSPORT — Science Hill and University High bounced back from disappointing losses in the Eastman Invitational softball tournament with a pair of victories early Saturday afternooon.
  • Skeeter can drive down Memory Lane
    Posted April 6, 2013 10:48 PM
    Trash-talking, fancy-dribbling Harley “Skeeter” Swift has scored some street cred.
  • Unicoi, Bourbon end each other's perfect seasons
    Posted April 6, 2013 10:47 PM
    ERWIN — Bourbon County and Unicoi County took turns ending each other's perfect season.
  • Louisville beats Wichita State 72-68 in Final Four
    Posted April 6, 2013 9:58 PM
    ATLANTA (AP) — The deficit was getting bigger, the clock becoming an enemy and Louisville's options were dwindling.
  • Despite new barriers, activists show up to protest Y-12 facility
    Posted April 6, 2013 9:56 PM
    OAK RIDGE — Peace activists lost a legal attempt last week to gain access to their traditional protesting spot near the entrance to the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, but they showed up anyway on Saturday and voiced their feelings from across the street.
  • WCSO learns, teaches new techniques on handling school intruders
    Posted April 6, 2013 9:52 PM
    In light of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., local law enforcement agencies across the country began looking into new and different solutions when dealing with armed intruders.
  • Senate to hear bill to halt annexations
    Posted April 6, 2013 9:50 PM
    A bill that would halt all city-initiated, or so-called “forced” annexations statewide for two years, will hit the Senate floor Monday in Nashville, and its passage has major implications not only for Johnson City, but for Washington County as well.
  • MSHA official says Unicoi Co. hospital deal not sent to state yet
    Updated April 7, 2013 8:53 AM
    Attorneys with Mountain States Health Alliance and Unicoi County Memorial Hospital are not quite ready to notify the state attorney general of MSHA’s acquisition of UCMH.
  • Junior League drive set to help meet area’s record need for food
    Posted April 6, 2013 9:43 PM
    The Tri-Cities Junior Leagues’ annual food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee and the Feeding America food bank of Southwest Virginia is one of the largest of the year for the food banks, and this year will help a record-high number of people receiving monthly food assistance.
  • Dry Creek flood recovery model for state program
    Posted April 6, 2013 9:42 PM
    Inspired by its role in the Washington County New Build project in Dry Creek, the Tennessee Housing Development Agency has launched a new statewide grant program to help communities struck by disasters.
  • Life experiences will pay off in new ETSU position, Baird says
    Posted April 6, 2013 9:41 PM
    Bridget Baird grew up on a nearly 200-year-old farm in Hawkins County, and today she represents East Tennessee State University at all levels of government.
  • Church: Pastor Rick Warren's son commits suicide
    Posted April 6, 2013 9:21 PM
    LAKE FOREST, Calif. (AP) — The 27-year-old son of popular evangelical Pastor Rick Warren has committed suicide at his Southern California home, Warren's church said in a statement on Saturday.
  • AP source: US delays missile test as tensions rise
    Posted April 6, 2013 8:40 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior U.S. defense official says the Pentagon has delayed an intercontinental ballistic missile test for next week at an Air Force base in California amid mounting tensions with North Korea.
  • EU: No deal reached at nuclear talks with Iran
    Posted April 6, 2013 5:30 PM
    ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) — Iran and six world powers failed to reach agreement Saturday on how to reduce fears that Tehran might use its nuclear technology to make weapons, extending years of inconclusive talks and adding to concerns the diplomatic window on reaching a deal with Tehran may soon close.
  • Suicide bomber kills 20 at political rally in Iraq
    Posted April 6, 2013 4:39 PM
    BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber blew himself up Saturday at a lunch hosted by a Sunni candidate in Iraq's upcoming regional elections, killing 20 people, officials said.
  • Defense dominates Vols' second spring scrimmage
    Posted April 6, 2013 3:43 PM
    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's offense continues to endure growing pains as it attempts to replace at least six likely NFL draft picks.
  • Sandy Hook families bring emotion to gun debate
    Posted April 6, 2013 3:36 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Bringing their emotional advocacy to the national gun debate, families of those killed in the Connecticut school shooting are appearing with President Barack Obama and walking the halls of Congress to plead for stricter regulations.
  • Syrian airstrike kills at least 15 in Aleppo
    Posted April 6, 2013 3:23 PM
    BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian government airstrike on a heavily contested neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo on Saturday killed at least 15 people, including nine children, activists said.
  • Reductions key point in Mountain States negotiations with BlueCross
    Updated April 6, 2013 8:44 AM
    Contract negotiations between Mountain States Health Alliance and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee are within 60 days of a deadline for renewal that BlueCross says may result in the termination of its network coverage at MSHA facilities.
  • Man burned in Johnson City house fire
    Updated April 6, 2013 8:22 AM
    A man was burned in a north Johnson City house fire on Friday.
  • North Korea threats spark buzz on Guam, not panic
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:29 PM
    HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — C.J. Urquico has lived on Guam for 19 years so he's used to a military backdrop to everyday life. Navy ships visit, Air Force jets fly overhead and war games are played off the Pacific island's shores.
  • Search crews recount dramatic Calif. hiker rescue
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:28 PM
    RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. (AP) — Two hikers were recovering from dehydration and minor injuries in Southern California hospitals on Friday night after a four-day hunt for the lost teens met a happy ending, authorities said.
  • Man charged with felony vandalism
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:24 PM
    A Johnson City man was arrested Tuesday following an investigation into a report of vandalism at his residence.
  • Woman charged with vehicular homicide to go to trial in August
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:21 PM
    A Claiborne County woman charged in a 2010 vehicular homicide case will go to trial this summer, a judge ruled Friday.
  • Johnson City's musical past honored with marker
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:19 PM
    A Tennessee Historic Marker was unveiled near the corner of East Main Street and Colonial Way Friday, commemorating a musical past long forgotten in Johnson City’s history.
  • Criminal Court judge candidates to interview with Haslam
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:18 PM
    Three local attorneys who are finalists to replace now-retired Criminal Court Judge Lynn Brown are scheduled for interviews with Gov. Bill Haslam next week.
  • County schools, sheriff undergo intruder training
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:15 PM
    Washington County school administrator Dr. Susan Kiernan had an ‘ah ha’ moment Friday when she learned a school lockdown isn’t always the best approach when faced with a school intruder situation.
  • Blue Plum names Camp, Raines among headliners
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:09 PM
    With just two months away, the 14th Annual Blue Plum Festival is in preparation mode, as the festival’s headliners were announced Friday in downtown Johnson City.
  • City’s assistant fire chief retires after 27 years
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:08 PM
    Mark Finucane, Johnson City’s assistant fire chief, is retiring after 27 years of service.
  • ’Blazers shake off stress, win two
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:45 PM
    KINGSPORT — Sixteen games into a new season, Daniel Boone head softball coach Rick Wagner said there has been some stress along the way even though his team is off to a very good start.
  • Suspects in Africa drug trade transferred to NYC
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:21 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — Federal authorities in New York say a former navy chief of a small West African nation has been transferred to the United States for trial on drug charges.
  • Teens charged in alleged 'sexting' ring
    Posted April 5, 2013 7:16 PM
    SPRING HILL, Tenn. (AP) — Three Williamson County students are facing felony sex crime charges after police say they distributed nude photos of their female classmates over the Internet.
  • Facebook barges into Google turf with Home
    Posted April 5, 2013 6:40 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook Home, the new software that takes over the front screen of a smartphone, is a bit of a corporate home invasion. Facebook is essentially moving into Google's turf, taking advantage of software the search giant and competitor created.
  • Syrian president warns of fallout if regime falls
    Posted April 5, 2013 6:38 PM
    BEIRUT (AP) — President Bashar Assad warned the fall of his regime or the breakup of Syria will unleash a "domino effect" that will fuel Middle East instability for years to come, in his sharpest warning yet about the potential fallout of his country's civil war on neighboring states.
  • Found naked and sleeping, Kingsport dad charged with child neglect
    Posted April 5, 2013 4:19 PM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport man has been arrested after he was allegedly found passed out naked in his apartment while his children, ages 2 and 4, were wandering outside the residence unattended.
  • Kingsport Police Chief Gale Osborne announces retirement
    Posted April 5, 2013 4:07 PM
    KINGSPORT — Nearly six years to the day since his promotion to Chief of Kingsport Police, and after 33 years of service to the department, Gale Osborne has announced plans to retire.
  • Pet-4-5-13
    Posted April 5, 2013 3:12 PM
    CJ is a young adult male Pit Bull. He is good with dogs. You must have a kennel or fenced in yard to adopt him. For more information about CJ or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week.
  • 3 'Real Housewives of NJ' castmates to be charged with assault, 'terroristic threats'
    Posted April 5, 2013 1:11 PM
    RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — Three cast members of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" reality show will face charges following an altercation at a clothing boutique.
  • Man charged with homicide in Chattanooga shooting death
    Posted April 5, 2013 12:09 PM
    CHATTANOOGA — A man has been arrested and charged with the shooting death of Desmond McClure on 2510 E Main Street on April 2.
  • Nanny accused of killing 2 small kids declared fit for trial
    Posted April 5, 2013 12:04 PM
    NEW YORK — A nanny charged with stabbing two small children to death last year while their mother picked up her other child from a swim lesson was found fit for trial Friday.
  • Gang member arrested in Colo. corrections killing
    Posted April 5, 2013 11:55 AM
    DENVER — One of two members of a white supremacist gang linked to the killing of Colorado's prisons chief has been arrested just miles from where the state official was shot to death answering the door to his home.
  • I-26 crash with injury stops traffic
    Posted April 5, 2013 11:22 AM
    Traffic on a section of Interstate 26 has stopped due to a crash, according to police radio communications.
  • Finalist interviews for Criminal Court judge scheduled for next week in Nashville
    Updated April 5, 2013 10:13 PM
    Three local attorneys who are finalists to replace now-retired Criminal Court Judge Lynn Brown are scheduled for interviews with Gov. Bill Haslam next week.
  • 2 killed in East Tennessee crash on I-81
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:52 AM
    WHITE PINE — A single-vehicle crash Thursday night on Interstate 81 in Jefferson County claimed the lives of two people and left a third injured.
  • Illinois schoolbus overturns with 25 elementary kids on board
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:26 AM
    WADSWORTH, Ill. — Authorities say a school bus carrying around two dozen elementary school children has overturned in northern Illinois.
  • Veterans’ home loan program now permanent
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:21 AM
    Homeownership for the Brave, the Tennessee Housing Development Agency’s 2-year-old home loan assistance program for veterans and active military members, has been made permanent.
  • Former Valley Forge Elementary bookkeeper lodges best-interest guilty plea to stealing school funds
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:07 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — A former bookkeeper at Valley Forge Elementary School entered an Alford guilty plea in Carter County Criminal Court on Wednesday to charges she stole school funds.
  • New York judge makes morning-after pill available to all ages
    Posted April 5, 2013 10:01 AM
    NEW YORK — A New York federal judge has ruled that the Food and Drug Administration must make emergency contraceptives available to women of all ages within 30 days.
  • Wash. Co./JC Emergency Management Agency looks for help with Facebook contest
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:53 AM
    The Washington County/Johnson City Emergency Management Agency is in the running for a $25,000 grant that would help fund equipment and training for a citizens response group, and local residents can vote on Facebook to help secure the money.
  • Sheriff's deputies release K9 on Kingsport burglary suspect
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:53 AM
    KINGSPORT — An auto burglary suspect who police found sitting in a ditch along Bloomingdale Road — allegedly refusing to follow police commands and appearing to have a handgun — was apprehended Thursday night when a K9 latched onto his leg.
  • Laws, rumors have ammo flying off store shelves
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:49 AM
    Gun enthusiasts fearful of new weapon controls and hearing false rumors of government hoarding are buying bullets practically by the bushel.
  • County school board OKs contract after ignoring committee
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:24 AM
    The Washington County Board of Education approved a bid for the contract of the schools’ cleaning service from SSC Service Solutions on Thursday night after the Bid Review Committee had recommended accepting a bid from another firm.
  • Socialists will strike
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:20 AM
    The banking crisis taking place in Cyprus is a preview of coming attractions for the U.S. European leaders, who are becoming more totalitarian every day, believe it is their right to confiscate money from bank customers who had nothing to do with causing the crisis.
  • ETSU forum gives students chance to practice presenting work in formal setting
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:19 AM
    From homelessness in Kingsport to ancient ceramic pottery to empathy in toddlers, East Tennessee State University students have a wide range of research interests.
  • Cast ballot for Bolus
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:17 AM
    I have known Frank Bolus for more than 65 years. We grew up together and were schoolmates.
  • Search continues for boys kidnapped from Fla.; truck found
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:17 AM
    TAMPA, Fla. — The 2006 GMC pickup truck owned by the father of two boys kidnapped from their grandparents' house has been found abandoned in a Madeira Beach parking garage.
  • Dry Creek residents should receive tax relief
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:13 AM
    I hope the residents of Dry Creek receive tax-relief for victims of natural disasters. I lived in Nashville during the 2010 flood. I cannot understand why this type of relief is even in question and why it has been delayed for the residents of Dry Creek.
  • No one’s religion should determine others’ legal rights
    Posted April 5, 2013 9:12 AM
    I am writing today in support of LGBT marriage equality at the federal level. I understand some folks believe marriage should be between one man and one woman.
  • Plant tree seedlings or maintain existing trees
    Posted April 5, 2013 8:44 AM
    For the 13th consecutive year, the National Arbor Day Foundation has named Johnson City a Tree City USA. To keep that distinction going, the city will be handing out tree seedlings Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon at Metro-Kiwanis Park, 817 Guaranda Drive. More than 3,000 seedlings will be given away as part of the city’s goal of planting 10,000 trees.
  • It’s WETS fundraiser season once again
    Posted April 5, 2013 8:42 AM
    Despite the very cold mornings of late, there are signs that spring is indeed here. The daffodils are blooming, the grass is getting greener (and growing), and, oh yes, WETS-FM is fundraising. As we’ve said at this time of year many times before: Public radio may be free, but the programming heard on WETS is not.
  • Superintendent, principal spar at public meeting
    Posted April 4, 2013 10:42 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A large and vocal crowd made it clear Thursday night that West Side Elementary Principal Doug Mitchell has their support and they want him to remain as principal next year.
  • Weightlifting championship set for weekend at ETSU
    Posted April 4, 2013 10:36 PM
    Weightlifters from across the nation will gather at East Tennessee State University this weekend for a large championship meet, potentially increasing the school’s credentials among lifters and boosting the local economy at the same time.
  • First Friday to hold Tartan Fest
    Updated April 4, 2013 10:47 PM
    If you’ve got an affinity for kilts and bagpipes, tomorrow's First Friday event might be just for you.
  • Sinking Creek Wetlands plan partially OK'd
    Posted April 4, 2013 10:31 PM
    The City Commission approved an agreement with Boone Watershed Partnership Thursday to pursue the first phase of the Sinking Creek Wetlands Project, a 28-acre environmental education park off King Springs Road, but it does not include construction of a parking lot or boardwalk — not yet.
  • N.C. firm agrees to raise funds for new shelter
    Posted April 4, 2013 10:30 PM
    A company is now in place to lead what should be the majority of a capital campaign to raise money to build the new Washington County-Johnson City Animal Shelter’s estimated $1.2 million “footprint.”
  • Lady ’Toppers have good chance at another track title
    Posted April 4, 2013 7:49 PM
    The Science Hill girls won a track and field state championship in 2009. Coach John Hyatt believes if the cards fall right, the Lady ’Toppers could be in position to do it again this season.
  • Baseball hopes to get out from under weather
    Posted April 4, 2013 7:41 PM
    Milligan College baseball coach Nathan Meade hopes his team comes around with the weather.
  • A-Sun considers football options
    Posted April 4, 2013 7:39 PM
    As new football programs sprout up all over the Atlantic Sun Conference, the league is trying to figure out a way to keep its football-playing members in the fold.
  • Kingsport SWAT traffic stop, search warrant nets crack cocaine, felony arrest
    Updated April 4, 2013 4:15 PM
    KINGSPORT — A traffic stop performed by the Kingsport police SWAT team, followed by the execution of a search warrant at a drug suspect's home, has prompted a felony arrest and alleged seizure of $2,400 in crack cocaine.
  • Couple found unconscious after alleged beating at TVA access
    Posted April 4, 2013 4:05 PM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County man accused of biting and beating his girlfriend into unconsciousness during an argument Tuesday near Rogersville was charged with aggravated assault and public intoxication.
  • Police say Tennessee River death is homicide
    Posted April 4, 2013 3:34 PM
    CHATTANOOGA — Chattanooga police say the discovery of a woman's body in the Tennessee River has become a homicide investigation.
  • Film critic Roger Ebert dies at 70
    Posted April 4, 2013 3:34 PM
    CHICAGO — The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that its film critic Roger Ebert has died. He was 70.
  • SW Va. boy, 9, killed in ATV crash
    Posted April 4, 2013 3:23 PM
    WISE, Va. – A 9-year-old boy was killed following an ATV crash Wednesday in Wise County, Virginia State Police said.
  • Accused Johnson City killer in court: "I'm a 14-time felon"
    Updated April 4, 2013 10:36 PM
    By his own admission, a man charged with first-degree felony murder said Thursday during his arraignment that he’s a 14-time felon.
  • ETSU Notes: Weight room will see change with football
    Posted April 4, 2013 2:17 PM
    The return of football will bring obvious changes to the East Tennessee State athletic department. There will also be some subtle differences in having football players on campus again.
  • Tennessee alert issued for 2 children taken from Florida; parents considered armed and dangerous
    Updated April 4, 2013 3:28 PM
    The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued a statewide AMBER Alert for two children taken from Florida and possibly seen in Tennessee.
  • Starving horses rescued in Hawkins County slowly recovering
    Posted April 4, 2013 11:19 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County mother and daughter team who rescue neglected, abandoned and abused horses are hoping the worst is behind them for a horse they took in near death on March 20.
  • Questions for Myron
    Posted April 4, 2013 10:36 AM
    Don’t be part of our growing, pathetic, adult population that doesn’t vote. Make a difference and don’t re-elect Commissioner Jane Myron. If re-elected, Myron will continue on her path to totally destroy the Seniors’ Center concept.
  • Vote Jenny Brock
    Posted April 4, 2013 10:35 AM
    Jenny Brock is a leader. Her leadership in several areas is evidence of her abilities. As chair of the Johnson City Power Board she led the selection committee in choosing the new CEO. She was a leader in the formation of the annual Turkey Trot held annually on Thanksgiving Day. Now in its seventh year, it has grown from 700 to more than 4,000 participants.
  • Re-elect Kathy Hall
    Posted April 4, 2013 10:33 AM
    I am writing in support of Kathy Hall for Johnson City Board of Education. For those of you who know Kathy, you are aware of her energy and dedication to any activity that she undertakes. For you who don’t, please take a moment to become familiar with the person she is.
  • Choose Bolus
    Posted April 4, 2013 10:33 AM
    I have known Frank Bolus since I started attending the Seniors’ Center in 2009. I have been impressed with his outgoing personality and sense of fair play.
  • Elect Frank Bolus
    Posted April 4, 2013 10:21 AM
    For several years I have been active as a participant and volunteer in many of the programs at the Seniors’ Center. Recently, I served as chairman of the Advisory Council. In March, our two volunteer boards sponsored a City Commission candidate forum with all seven candidates attending. It was a lively exchange with an excellent opportunity to gauge their fitness to serve the citizens of Johnson City.
  • Johnson City police confirm identity of man shot, dropped off at JCMC
    Updated April 4, 2013 11:15 AM
    Police this morning confirmed the identity of a man shot and dropped off at Johnson City Medical Center Wednesday afternoon.
  • Some vote early, but most don’t vote at all
    Posted April 4, 2013 8:50 AM
    Early voting for the April 23 municipal election begins today. City residents have until April 18 to mark an early ballot, and recent elections indicate that a majority of the votes for Board of Education and City Commission will come during the early voting period.
  • Signs of spring are here in Johnson City
    Posted April 4, 2013 8:38 AM
    Finally, spring.
  • 1 hiker found, 1 still missing in Calif. forest
    Posted April 4, 2013 7:38 AM
    RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. — One of two hikers missing for three days in Southern California's Cleveland National Forest was found alive Wednesday night, but his companion remained missing, a sheriff's spokesman said.
  • Is North Korea capable of backing up nuke threats?
    Posted April 4, 2013 7:26 AM
    North Korea's vow to restart its mothballed nuclear facilities raises fears about assembly lines churning out fuel for a fearsome arsenal of nuclear missiles. But it may actually be a sign that Pyongyang needs a lot more bomb fuel to back up its nuclear threats.
  • Cell phone aids in arrest of man accused of robbing pizza delivery man
    Posted April 4, 2013 7:19 AM
    KNOXVILLE — Anthony Jerome Hamilton should use someone else’s cell phone the next time he, according to police, sets up a pizza delivery driver for robbery at the point of a rifle.
  • Haslam OKs ending Tennessee pet leash requirement in cars
    Updated April 4, 2013 7:13 AM
    NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a bill to do away with the state's leash law for dogs and cats while being transported in vehicles.
  • Tennessee school voucher bill dead this session
    Updated April 4, 2013 7:18 AM
    NASHVILLE — The Republican leader carrying Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to create school vouchers in Tennessee said he's decided to let it die this session because he's tired of the "gamesmanship."
  • Commission candidates quizzed at JC Press Community Editorial Board Meeting
    Posted April 3, 2013 10:04 PM
    Seven candidates vying for two seats on the City Commission in the April 23 municipal election fielded questions Wednesday at a Community Editorial Board Meeting hosted by the Johnson City Press.
  • Candidates field questions on school safety, funding, vouchers
    Posted April 3, 2013 9:57 PM
    As the first day of early voting for the April 23 Municipal Election wound down Wednesday, nine Johnson City Board of Education candidates fielded questions regarding school safety, funding, vouchers and technology during a forum held at the Johnson City Public Library.
  • Search for Calif. hikers fruitless; hope not lost
    Posted April 3, 2013 9:39 PM
    RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. (AP) — Rescuers working in sometimes dangerously rugged terrain combed Southern California's Cleveland National Forest for two lost hikers late Wednesday, but the third day of searching had proved fruitless as darkness fell.
  • Tennessee bill linking welfare to school progress advances
    Posted April 3, 2013 9:17 PM
    NASHVILLE — A House committee on Wednesday approved a measure linking a family's welfare benefits to student performance a day after Gov. Bill Haslam expressed serious reservations about the measure.
  • W.Va. sheriff fatally shot, suspect in custody
    Updated April 3, 2013 9:11 PM
    WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — A new sheriff who was cracking down on the drug trade in southern West Virginia's coalfields was fatally shot Wednesday in the spot where he usually parked his car for lunch, and State Police said the suspect was in a hospital with gunshot wounds inflicted by a deputy who chased him.
  • Second Harvest seeking grant in Walmart hunger campaign
    Posted April 3, 2013 9:05 PM
    Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee is in the running for one of 40 $45,000 hunger fighting grants up for grabs in the Walmart Foundation’s second annual Fighting Hunger Together campaign on Facebook.
  • Sinking Creek Wetlands Center on agenda for city meeting
    Posted April 3, 2013 8:48 PM
    City commissioners Thursday night will consider a cost-sharing agreement with Boone Watershed Partnership to pursue the first phase of the Sinking Creek Wetlands Center, a 28-acre environmental education park off King Springs Road.
  • NKorea warns military cleared to wage nuke attack
    Posted April 3, 2013 5:57 PM
    PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — The North Korean army is warning Washington that its military has been cleared to wage an attack using "smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear" weapons.
  • In Colorado, Obama presses for gun measures
    Posted April 3, 2013 5:35 PM
    DENVER (AP) — Ratcheting up pressure for Congress to limit access to guns, President Barack Obama said Wednesday that steps taken recently by Colorado to tighten its gun laws show "there doesn't have to be a conflict" between keeping citizens safe and protecting Second Amendment rights to gun ownership.
  • Worker missing; cruise ship breaks from Ala. port
    Posted April 3, 2013 5:28 PM
    MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — High winds dislodged a disabled cruise ship from its mooring in Mobile, Ala., Wednesday, and crews were searching for a missing shipyard worker whose guard shack was blown into the water by the same strong winds, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
  • ETSU renames streets to honor four, including late president's wife
    Posted April 3, 2013 5:12 PM
    Four streets on the East Tennesssee State University campus recently were renamed in honor of four people associated with the university, including former ETSU First Lady Martha Street Culp.
  • Kingsport pair arrested after police pursuit, driver Tasered
    Posted April 3, 2013 4:38 PM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport couple were arrested in an alleged Tuesday afternoon vehicle pursuit, ending when the driver reportedly abandoned his car in the middle of a roadway and attempted to run.
  • Washington Co., Va., substitute teacher charged with having sex with high school student
    Posted April 3, 2013 4:06 PM
    ABINGDON, Va. — A Washington County substitute schoolteacher has been accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student in February.
  • Report: Shooting victim dumped out of car at JCMC
    Updated April 3, 2013 6:52 PM
    A shooting victim reportedly was pushed out of a car at Johnson City Medical Center's emergency room this afternoon.
  • Tennessee charter school authorizer bill passes House panel
    Posted April 3, 2013 2:14 PM
    NASHVILLE — A measure that would create a special panel to authorize charter school applications for failing schools is advancing in the state Legislature.
  • Memphis police seize ton of marijuana from house
    Posted April 3, 2013 2:13 PM
    MEMPHIS — The Memphis Police Department has seized more than a ton of marijuana from a house in the city.
  • Crashed propane truck closes East Carters Valley in SW Va.; HazMat on scene
    Updated April 3, 2013 1:58 PM
    WEBER CITY, Va. — A crashed propane truck has prompted the closure of East Carters Valley Road in Scott County, Va.
  • Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia recall nearly 1.9 million vehicles
    Posted April 3, 2013 1:47 PM
    DETROIT — Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are recalling almost 1.9 million vehicles to fix problems with air bags and brake light switches.
  • Johnson City police: Woman had fake bills, BB gun made to look like semi-automatic pistol
    Posted April 3, 2013 1:40 PM
    A Jonesborough woman was caught with a BB gun fashioned to look like a semi-automatic pistol and counterfeit cash Wednesday as Johnson City police investigated a report about threats with a possible handgun, police said in reports.
  • Johnson City man charged with lying to police about iPads stolen in burglary
    Updated April 3, 2013 1:24 PM
    Johnson City police charged an East Holston Avenue man Wednesday with lying to police about stolen iPads in his possession.
  • Leno to leave 'Tonight Show' next spring, making way for Fallon
    Updated April 3, 2013 1:49 PM
    NEW YORK — NBC on Wednesday announced its long-rumored switch in late night, replacing incumbent Jay Leno at "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon and moving the iconic franchise back to New York.
  • Leno to leave "Tonight Show" next spring, making way for Fallon
    Posted April 3, 2013 12:46 PM
    The Associated Press is reporting that Jay Leno announced today that he will leave NBC's "Tonight Show" next spring and will be replaced by Jimmy Fallon.
  • Restored video shows James Earl Ray in Memphis for MLK murder trial
    Posted April 3, 2013 12:04 PM
    MEMPHIS — Newly-restored videotapes showing James Earl Ray's return to Memphis to face trial for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. have been released on the 45th anniversary of the civil rights leader's death.
  • Rutgers fires basketball coach Rice after release of video showing player abuse, gay slurs
    Posted April 3, 2013 12:01 PM
    PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers fired basketball coach Mike Rice on Wednesday after a videotape aired showing him shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players in practice and using gay slurs.
  • Mets legend Piazza will make ballet debut in Miami
    Posted April 3, 2013 11:54 AM
    MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Former Major League Baseball catcher Mike Piazza will be taking center stage with the Miami City Ballet.
  • Settlement may be coming in sheriff's funding lawsuit against Sullivan County
    Posted April 3, 2013 11:43 AM
    BLOUNTVILLE — Based on comments made by county commissioners Tuesday night, a $1 million-plus settlement offer might be in the works for Sheriff Wayne Anderson’s lawsuit seeking more money from Sullivan County for funding the public safety concerns under his charge, such as patrol, investigation and operation of the county’s oft crowded jail.
  • NKorea refuses to let SKoreans enter joint factory
    Posted April 3, 2013 11:23 AM
    PAJU, South Korea (AP) — In past deadly confrontations between North and South Korea, a jointly operated industrial park stayed open, churning out goods.
  • Hampton man faces gun charge
    Posted April 3, 2013 10:14 AM
    HAMPTON — A Carter County deputy responding to a 911 call about a man threatening to shoot a woman on Monday evening said the call was unfounded, but a man was taken into custody on a charge of illegal possession of a firearm.
  • Elizabethton woman accused of pointing gun at husband
    Posted April 3, 2013 10:09 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — A woman was arrested by the Carter County Sheriff’s Department on Monday after she allegedly pulled a shotgun down from the wall and threatened her husband with it.
  • Carter Co. commission April meeting canceled to save money
    Posted April 3, 2013 10:04 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The meeting of the Carter County Commission that was scheduled for April 15 has been canceled as a money-saving move by Commission Chairman Tom “Yogi” Bowers.
  • Civil Service test scheduled to fill positions with Carter Co. sheriff
    Posted April 3, 2013 9:58 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Carter County Civil Service Board will be conducting the Civil Service test for persons interested in applying for employment with the Carter County Sheriff’s Department.
  • Health care spending
    Posted April 3, 2013 9:45 AM
    Your editorial March 28 on Gov. Bill Haslam’s decision on Medicaid expansion was “on the money.”
  • Shooting leaves Johnson City man dead; alleged killer in custody
    Updated April 4, 2013 9:35 AM
    A local family long known by area law enforcement had another encounter early Wednesday morning when a man was shot outside his Johnson City apartment and later died.
  • Majority wouldn’t vote for ETSU football to return
    Posted April 3, 2013 9:02 AM
    I was saddened to see the front page headline, “First and goal,” on the front of the Press on March 18. There are far more disadvantages to the many, than advantages to the few, in trying to reinstate football to East Tennessee State University.
  • Louisville women top Tennessee to reach Final Four
    Posted April 3, 2013 7:50 AM
    OKLAHOMA CITY — Jeff Walz sees no reason to pile on with all the pressure that naturally comes with the NCAA women's tournament.
  • Police: Couple burgled home while aunt was taking dialysis
    Posted April 3, 2013 7:41 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County woman and her boyfriend are facing several charges after allegedly burglarizing her grandfather’s home last month while her aunt was there taking dialysis treatment.
  • Analysis of lawmaker expenses killed in Tennessee House
    Posted April 3, 2013 7:37 AM
    NASHVILLE — A bill calling for a comprehensive study of lawmaker allowances has been killed in a House committee after unanimously passing the Senate.
  • Lady Devils rebound to rout Happy Valley
    Posted April 2, 2013 11:30 PM
    ERWIN — Coming off its first loss of the season, Unicoi County was in no mood to play around.
  • Noland vows ETSU will do football the right way
    Posted April 2, 2013 11:24 PM
    Brian Noland says he wants East Tennessee State University to do football the right way.
  • State allocation of $500K to help Jonesborough buy old theater
    Posted April 2, 2013 9:50 PM
    The town of Jonesborough has set its sights on another tourist venture as it looks to acquire an old theater building in the downtown area.
  • Rape, kidnap of tourists feed Rio safety fears
    Posted April 2, 2013 9:28 PM
    RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A late night outing turned into a six-hour-long nightmare after an American woman was gang raped and beaten aboard a public transit van while her handcuffed French boyfriend looked on helplessly, in an incident that's shocked this resort city as it gears up to host next year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
  • Rape, kidnap of tourists feed Rio safety fears
    Posted April 2, 2013 9:24 PM
    RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A late night outing turned into a six-hour-long nightmare after an American woman was gang raped and beaten aboard a public transit van while her handcuffed French boyfriend looked on helplessly, in an incident that's shocked this resort city as it gears up to host next year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
  • Local 8th-grader spells his way to the top
    Posted April 2, 2013 9:02 PM
    On the morning of his final regional spelling bee, Ashley Academy eighth-grader Rahul Krishnaswamy knew he had to do his best in order to come out on top.
  • Covering sequestration part of WETS goal for drive
    Posted April 2, 2013 8:58 PM
    Now that it is clear sequestration will cost 89.5 WETS-FM around $10,000 in funding, the goal for this year’s spring fundraiser, which begins today, is a little higher said station manager Wayne Winkler.
  • Animal Control Board’s version of contract sent back to N.C. company
    Posted April 2, 2013 8:56 PM
    Nearly one month after reviewing an offer by Enka, N.C.-based Dickerson, Bakker and Associates to lead a capital campaign to raise money for the new Washington County-Johnson City Animal Shelter, Animal Control Board members reviewed and approved a draft of their own.
  • Kerry warns NKorea on 'reckless' provocations
    Posted April 2, 2013 8:52 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday warned North Korea to halt a recent spate of rhetoric and actions, calling them provocative, dangerous and reckless. He also vowed that the United States would defend itself and its allies South Korea and Japan from North Korean threats.
  • Feds send corrective order to Exxon after oil leak
    Posted April 2, 2013 8:46 PM
    LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Federal pipeline safety officials on Tuesday issued a corrective action order to ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. after one of its pipelines ruptured last week in central Arkansas.
  • Israeli planes strike Gaza after rocket fire
    Updated April 2, 2013 9:06 PM
    JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli warplanes struck targets early Wednesday in the Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire toward southern Israel, the first air strikes launched by Israel since an informal cease-fire ended eight days of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza.
  • Is Facebook still cool, even with Grandma in your friends list?
    Posted April 2, 2013 8:04 PM
    NEW YORK — To see what Facebook has become, look no further than the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer.
  • Earnhardt quietly moves to top of standings
    Posted April 2, 2013 7:38 PM
    Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings at California last week, although it seems few are talking about it.
  • Shell emerges as a favorite for Kingsport title
    Posted April 2, 2013 7:30 PM
    Zeke Shell can explain why his red No. 97 Ford has been the fastest car at Kingsport Speedway this season.
  • Woman faces charges over sale of car
    Posted April 2, 2013 6:14 PM
    A Kingsport woman was arrested Tuesday for allegedly selling a vehicle to a city car dealership that was being used as collateral in a loan, Johnson City police said.
  • Report: Unicoi Co. man charged with kidnapping, assault after dragging girlfriend
    Updated April 2, 2013 6:10 PM
    ERWIN — A Unicoi County man is facing several charges including aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, domestic assault and aggravated burglary following his arrest Monday for allegedly dragging his girlfriend from a residence she refused to leave and threatening the owners of the residence.
  • NRA study suggests trained, armed school staffers
    Posted April 2, 2013 6:06 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate gun control debate on the near horizon, a National Rifle Association-sponsored report on Tuesday proposed a program for schools to train selected staffers as armed security officers. The former Republican congressman who headed the study suggested at least one protector with firearms for every school, saying it would speed responses to attacks.
  • Three charged with 2 arson cases in Bristol, Va.
    Posted April 2, 2013 5:59 PM
    BRISTOL, Va. — Three men described as "reportedly homeless" were arrested on arson charges following an investigation into recent fires at two Bristol residences, police announced Tuesday.
  • Wine bill to get 2nd chance in Senate committee
    Posted April 2, 2013 5:39 PM
    NASHVILLE — Legislation to allow wine to be sold in Tennessee supermarkets and convenience stores isn't quite dead yet.
  • Tennessee seat belt fine fails in Legislature
    Updated April 2, 2013 5:18 PM
    NASHVILLE — A proposal to increase the fine for not wearing a seat belt has failed this session.
  • Bill to bar public from Tennessee's U.S. Senate nominations dies for year in Legislature
    Updated April 2, 2013 5:25 PM
    NASHVILLE — A bill to give Tennessee lawmakers the power to decide the nominees for the state's U.S. Senate seats was withdrawn Tuesday until next year after Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said he had a "major problem" with the proposal.
  • Legendary Vols coach Fulmer to help start new ETSU football team
    Updated April 2, 2013 6:40 PM
    Legendary former Vols coach Phillip Fulmer was tapped to help start a new Buccaneer football program Tuesday.
  • Ex-firefighter, girlfriend charged with setting 70 fires along Virginia shore
    Posted April 2, 2013 4:36 PM
    ACCOMAC, Va. — A former volunteer firefighter and his girlfriend were arrested Tuesday and are suspected of setting a majority of the 70 arsons that have haunted Virginia's Eastern Shore for five months.
  • Tennessee Legislature advances bill sealing gun carry permits from public
    Updated April 2, 2013 5:01 PM
    NASHVILLE — A proposal to seal Tennessee's handgun carry permit records from public scrutiny is advancing in the Legislature.
  • Possible human remains found in newly unearthed 9/11 debris
    Posted April 2, 2013 4:24 PM
    NEW YORK — Jim Riches pulled his son's mangled body out of the rubble at the World Trade Center, but the phone calls still filtered in years afterward. The city kept finding more pieces of his son.
  • Johnson City woman charged with more than 40 counts of identity theft
    Updated April 2, 2013 4:14 PM
    A former employee at a Johnson City loan business was charged in connection with the generation of more than 40 fake loans for almost $20,000, according to police.
  • Tennessee governor allocates $500,000 for Jonesborough theater project
    Updated April 2, 2013 4:57 PM
    The state has allocated $500,000 for the Town of Jonesborough to purchase the Jackson Theatre in the 2013-14 budget, state Sen. Rusty Crowe announced today in a news release.
  • Eastman says black emissions were non-hazardous
    Posted April 2, 2013 11:52 AM
    KINGSPORT — Black emissions were seen coming from Eastman Chemical's Kingsport plant site Tuesday morning, but the incident's impact apparently was minimal, a company spokeswoman indicated.
  • Banned student asks to participate in NE Tennessee high school graduation
    Posted April 2, 2013 11:41 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — Hawkins County Sessions Judge J. Todd Ross is expected to rule Wednesday if a former Cherokee High School student arrested in October for allegedly fighting a student and head-butting a teacher on campus will be allowed to graduate with his class on May 25.
  • Sullivan Co. school board won't vote on North-South merger for at least 6 months
    Posted April 2, 2013 11:39 AM
    BLOUNTVILLE — A Sullivan County school board vote on a plan to merge North and South high schools and close both middle schools in the South zone is at least six months away, school system officials announced Monday night.
  • Man pinned by car in Gray
    Posted April 2, 2013 11:32 AM
    Washington County sheriff’s deputies and emergency medics responded to a call at 153 South Patrick Drive in Gray after a vehicle rolled over a man around 9:20 a.m. Tuesday morning and pinned him. Initial information at the scene was that the man had backed up his 2003 Acura, gotten out and the car rolled back. Lt. Gary Wiseman said Tyler P. Taylor, 66, was attempting to get out of his car to close the garage door when the car rolled backward and knocked Taylor to the ground. Taylor’s daughter heard him yelling for help and found him with his leg pinned under the vehicle’s left front tire.
  • Johnson City Police accepting applications for Junior Police Academy
    Updated April 2, 2013 11:19 AM
    The Johnson City Police Department is accepting applications its Junior Police Academy through June 24.
  • Bristol Regional Medical Center president to step down May 1
    Posted April 2, 2013 10:55 AM
    BRISTOL – Bristol Regional Medical Center President Bart Hove is stepping down for health reasons after 12 years in the post, Wellmont Health System announced today.
  • ETSU: 'Major announcements' about football coming today
    Updated April 2, 2013 10:49 AM
    Now that the necessary fee has been approved, East Tennessee State University administrators will make "major announcements" this evening about a new football program.
  • Town of Unicoi’s planners to consider first complete liquor store application
    Updated April 2, 2013 9:55 PM
    UNICOI — The town of Unicoi’s Planning Commission is set to meet Monday to discuss the first completed application the town has received since its certificate of compliance for retail liquor stores went into effect in February.
  • Pinwheels spinning around Northeast Tennessee for child abuse prevention
    Posted April 2, 2013 9:10 AM
    April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Court Appointed Special Advocates of Northeast Tennessee has joined in a statewide effort to make child safety a greater priority.
  • Larkin out on bond after transfer from prison, murder conviction reversal
    Posted April 2, 2013 8:52 AM
    Dale Larkin, the Johnson City man whose first-degree murder conviction for his wife’s 2003 asphyxiation death was overturned last week by a Tennessee appellate court, was released Monday night from the Washington County Detention Center.
  • Man found shot to death in East Tennessee; police say not likely random
    Posted April 2, 2013 7:46 AM
    CHATTANOOGA — Police in Chattanooga say a fatal shooting does not appear to be a random act.
  • Louisville's Kevin Ware takes first steps after surgery on compound fracture
    Posted April 2, 2013 7:41 AM
    Kevin Ware is already up and walking, and he's got a nice souvenir to keep him company until he's cleared to return to Louisville.
  • North Korea vows to restart nuclear facilities
    Posted April 2, 2013 7:34 AM
    SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Tuesday it will escalate production of nuclear weapons material, including restarting a long-shuttered plutonium reactor, in what outsiders see as Pyongyang's latest attempt to extract U.S. concessions by raising fears of war.
  • Assistant SW Va. soccer coach accused of having improper relationship with player
    Posted April 2, 2013 7:22 AM
    GATE CITY, Va. — A Lee County Public Schools guidance counselor and assistant girls soccer coach was indicted by a Scott County grand jury Monday for allegedly having an improper relationship with a player.
  • Hawkins Co. couple accused of making up pregnancy, death of twins to scam donations
    Posted April 2, 2013 7:17 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County couple were arraigned in Sessions Court Monday after being accused of making up the pregnancy and subsequent death of unborn twins to scam donations for funeral expenses out of co-workers and an acquaintance.
  • Former SW Va. special ed teacher indicted in alleged abuse of student
    Updated April 2, 2013 7:08 AM
    GATE CITY, Va. — A former Scott County Schools special education teacher was indicted by a grand jury Monday for allegedly abusing a mentally handicapped student who was under her supervision.
  • Hawkins couple accused of making up pregnancy, death of twins to scam donations
    Posted April 1, 2013 10:04 PM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County couple were arraigned in Sessions Court Monday after being accused of making up the pregnancy and subsequent death of unborn twins to scam donations for funeral expenses out of co-workers and an acquaintance.
  • Disc golf to tee off in Jonesborough
    Updated April 2, 2013 8:21 AM
    A new nine-hole disc golf course is under construction at Persimmon Ridge Park in Jonesborough, nearly complete and set to open May 3.
  • Craig one-hits Vikes, Toppers cruise
    Posted April 1, 2013 9:55 PM
    Will Craig got within one out of his third career no-hitter and settled for a one-hit shutout in Science Hill’s win against Tennessee High on Monday at Cardinal Park.
  • Mother could have child neglect conviction erased from record
    Posted April 1, 2013 9:53 PM
    A woman accused of leaving her infant alone in a hotel room pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and will have the conviction erased from her record next year in a plea agreement reached last week.
  • City to accept tuition students
    Posted April 1, 2013 9:44 PM
    The Johnson City Board of Education on Monday unanimously approved a recommendation from Superintendent of Schools Richard Bales to accept tuition students for the 2013-14 school year.
  • MSHA ready to evaluate land for new Erwin facility
    Posted April 1, 2013 9:42 PM
    ERWIN — As officials with Mountain States Health Alliance and Unicoi County Memorial Hospital prepare the documents that will be sent to the state attorney general’s office for its review, MSHA officials intend to conduct a little review of their own. Officials plan to evaluate the property being eyed as the future site of Erwin’s new hospital.
  • Cast your ballot in city election beginning Wednesday
    Posted April 1, 2013 9:28 PM
    More and more people are exercising their constitutional right to determine who will represent them at the local level by voting far ahead of the designated, or “official” election day.
  • Blue Devils subdue Longhorns
    Posted April 1, 2013 7:49 PM
    ERWIN -- Unicoi County pitcher Austin Green struck out 12 batters and gave up just three hits in a 7-0 win over Johnson County on Monday afternoon, while head coach Charlie Baxter moved one step closer to a major milestone.
  • 'Toppers baseball, softball on winning track
    Posted April 1, 2013 7:46 PM
    Science Hill's baseball and softball teams have several things in common this season as both got off to somewhat rough starts.
  • Remembering crash that killed Kulwicki
    Posted April 1, 2013 7:40 PM
    Tri-Cities Regional Airport was the last place Lori Worley wanted to be on April 1, 1993.
  • Johnson City cancer center manager gets probation for role in mislabeled drugs case
    Posted April 1, 2013 5:03 PM
    The former business manager for a now-defunct cancer treatment center was sentenced in federal court to three years of probation for his part in purchasing misbranded chemotherapy medications.
  • Bristol police: Man killed in State Street crash had 0.31 BAC
    Posted April 1, 2013 4:28 PM
    BRISTOL, Va. — Autopsy results from a man killed in a downtown Bristol crash in mid-February indicated he had a blood-alcohol concentration nearly four times the legal limit, police said Monday in a news release.
  • Nation's oldest person dies just before 114th birthday
    Posted April 1, 2013 4:18 PM
    CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The oldest person in the United States has died at age 113, just weeks before her 114th birthday.
  • ETSU Farmers Market returns with more vendors, cooking demonstrations
    Posted April 1, 2013 4:12 PM
    The Farmers Market at East Tennessee State University returns for its third season this week, with more vendors and a larger variety of produce and prepared foods.
  • Child endangerment charge filed after large Carter Co. meth lab dump site found
    Posted April 1, 2013 3:49 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A man who is accused of being involved in one of the largest methamphetamine dump sites in recent Carter County history was arrested over the weekend on child endangerment and methamphetamine charges.
  • 'BUCKWILD' reality TV star, 2 others found dead in W.Va.
    Posted April 1, 2013 3:41 PM
    SISSONVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — A cast member of the MTV reality show "BUCKWILD" was found dead Monday in a sport utility vehicle in a ditch along with his uncle and a third, unidentified person, authorities said.
  • Mom, daughter escape car before train crash in northwest Georgia
    Posted April 1, 2013 2:29 PM
    ROME, Ga. — Authorities say a mother and her daughter in northwest Georgia managed to escape from their car on railroad tracks moments before the train slammed into their vehicle.
  • US says Guantanamo hunger strike grows; extent in dispute
    Posted April 1, 2013 2:27 PM
    One of the best known prisoners in Guantanamo says a hunger strike at the U.S. base in Cuba has grown to include 130 men in a protest over their confinement.
  • American soldier fatally stabbed by teen as he played with children in eastern Afghanistan
    Posted April 1, 2013 2:17 PM
    KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan teenager fatally stabbed an American soldier in the neck as he played with children in eastern Afghanistan, officials said Monday, as the U.S. death toll rose sharply last month with an uptick in fighting due to warmer weather.
  • Shooting report: Kingsport woman in custody after alleged April Fools prank
    Updated April 1, 2013 4:48 PM
    KINGSPORT — A report of a possible shooting led police to take a Kingsport woman into custody Monday after she allegedly admitted it was meant to be an April Fools' joke.
  • Woman killed in Kingsport crash
    Posted April 1, 2013 1:55 PM
    KINGSPORT — The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal wreck that occurred Monday morning in Bloomingdale.
  • Tenn. rejects more gun purchase applications
    Posted April 1, 2013 12:48 PM
    NASHVILLE (AP) — Background checks on gun buyers in Tennessee have produced what statistics show is a high rate of rejection in comparison to other states.
  • Have you been fooled or pranked someone else?
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:59 AM
    Today’s question applies specifically to this date on the calendar. Have you ever been made a fool of on April 1?
  • Middle school students learn lessons through unusual project
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:58 AM
    They stand like ghostly, crumpled sentries at the door to Liberty Bell Middle School. They are leaking light; their days are numbered.
  • Elect David Tomita
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:49 AM
    I am supporting David Tomita for the City Commission. He is experienced in the nuances of government operation and will bring a better communication process to city and county business.
  • Money distribution
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:44 AM
    Money problems in Washington are often categorized by the nice politicians. There is never a money shortage for a pay raise for politicians, there is always money to go to war and never a shortage for foreign aid.
  • E-readers make joys of reading possible again
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:44 AM
    Before I talk about e-readers, I want to discuss books and libraries. Reading is a wonderful pastime and libraries with their many volumes are very important for our education and well being.
  • School spending
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:43 AM
    After reading a recent Press article about school resource officers, I’m left wondering what happened to the County Commission’s support for school safety?
  • Students who will pay have not had a say about football
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:42 AM
    This is in regard to the article, “Noland tackles football concerns,” printed in the Johnson City Press. East Tennessee State University President Brian Noland stated that the university practices shared governance. It is my understanding that with shared governance, the decision-making process is shared among key stakeholders and everyone involved has a voice.
  • Don’t be fooled by fake IRS solicitation
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:36 AM
    This is tax season. This is also tax scam season, so be aware there are crooks out there who are looking to steal more than just your tax refund.
  • Smoking isn’t illegal, but dangers of smoke are real, expensive and hurt everyone
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:33 AM
    Effective March 1, one of our region’s largest employers no longer hires smokers. Mountain States Health Alliance’s controversial new policy does not affect current employees who smoke.
  • More studies should be done on ground in Love Chapel
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:19 AM
    What can be done about sinkholes?
  • Colo. prosecutors seeking death penalty for alleged movie theater massacre shooter
    Posted April 1, 2013 11:15 AM
    CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — Prosecutors on Monday said they will seek the death penalty against the man accused in last year's movie theater attack that killed 12, wounded 70 and spurred new gun control laws in Colorado.
  • Johnson City man expected to leave prison today in wake of murder conviction reversal
    Updated April 1, 2013 9:46 PM
    Dale Larkin, the Johnson City man whose first-degree murder conviction for his wife’s 2003 asphyxiation death was overturned last week by a Tennessee appellate court, should be released from prison on bond today.
  • Next stop for Science Hill senior: West Point
    Posted April 1, 2013 10:30 AM
    Science Hill High School student Samantha Bradley wasn’t sure where she would take her studies post-high school.
  • Intelligent Traffic System almost reality for Johnson City
    Posted April 1, 2013 10:16 AM
    In early 2010, then-Vice Mayor Jeff Banyas leaned forward from his perch during a City Commission meeting and praised Traffic Engineer Anthony Todd on a presentation regarding the city’s traffic congestion and what plans were in the pipeline to address the problem.
  • Text message scam targets Eastman Credit Union members
    Posted April 1, 2013 10:02 AM
    KINGSPORT - Eastman Credit Union members were hit over the Easter weekend with a scam that began with a cell phone text message.
  • 190 years of tradition in Carter County's Peters Hollow community
    Posted April 1, 2013 9:45 AM
    Sunday marked the 190th Peters Hollow Egg Fight in Stoney Creek. Each Easter families gather to see who has the hardest eggs. The event is as much reunion as competition.
  • Johnson City police: Kmart shoplifting case escalates into ID theft
    Posted April 1, 2013 7:31 AM
    A Butler woman was arrested Saturday on an identity theft charge after an investigation into alleged shoplifting at Kmart, 3019 Peoples St., Johnson City police said in a news release.
  • Man charged with faking stolen vehicle report, forging title
    Posted April 1, 2013 7:24 AM
    A city man was charged with filing a false report and altering/falsifying or forging auto titles after a police investigation early Sunday morning into a stolen car report, Johnson City police said in a news release.
  • Wrong-way Johnson City driver charged with 4th DUI
    Updated April 2, 2013 9:12 AM
    A wrong-way trip down North Roan Street landed a man in jail Sunday on his fourth DUI charge.
  • Louisville's Kevin Ware resting after surgery to repair broken leg
    Posted April 1, 2013 6:55 AM
    INDIANAPOLIS — Louisville guard Kevin Ware had successful surgery on his broken right leg Sunday night.
  • Investigators sort through foggy crash that killed 3 on Virginia-NC line
    Posted April 1, 2013 6:46 AM
    GALAX, Va. — Nearly 100 vehicles crashed Sunday along a mountainous, foggy stretch of interstate near the Virginia-North Carolina border, killing three people and injuring 25 others.
  • Football not only new fee at ETSU next year
    Updated March 31, 2013 9:37 AM
    A lot of focus has been placed recently on the new football fee at East Tennessee State University, but there were many other fees approved Friday by a governing board that will generate millions of dollars in support for academic programs, especially health sciences, beginning in 2013-14.
  • Golf on hold at Sugar
    Posted March 30, 2013 10:15 PM
    SUGAR MOUNTAIN, N.C. — A lucky break for skiers has led to some misfortune for golfers this spring at Sugar Mountain.
  • ’Toppers Scott, Janeway joining forces at C-N
    Posted March 30, 2013 10:14 PM
    Football is returning to East Tennessee State, but Carson-Newman should have some Johnson City backers in the coming years.
  • Remembering the day Kulwicki died
    Posted March 30, 2013 10:06 PM
    Twenty years later, it’s still remembered as the saddest weekend ever at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Community members celebrate Great Vigil of Easter
    Posted March 30, 2013 9:50 PM
    The presence of Easter was felt in one area of the downtown Johnson City community Saturday night, as members of many local churches gathered at St. John’s Episcopal Church for the Great Vigil of Easter.
  • Governor still working on picking new judge
    Posted March 30, 2013 9:41 PM
    The process to select a new Criminal Court judge for the 1st Judicial District is ongoing, but the three finalists still haven’t been interviewed by Gov. Bill Haslam.
  • Lynn Brown: From robes to retirement
    Posted March 30, 2013 9:27 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — At 5 p.m. Thursday, Lynn Brown closed out his long and distinguished career by signing his last legal order as Criminal Court Judge in the 1st Judicial District.
  • Klan protests renaming of parks in Memphis
    Posted March 30, 2013 7:04 PM
    MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — About 60 members of the Ku Klux Klan rallied Saturday in Memphis to protest the renaming of three Confederate parks.
  • Patients of Oklahoma doctor line up for tests
    Posted March 30, 2013 5:27 PM
    TULSA, Okla. (AP) — About 150 to 200 patients of a Tulsa oral surgeon accused of unsanitary practices queued outside a health clinic Saturday, hoping to discover whether they had been exposed to hepatitis or the virus that causes AIDS.
  • Local man arrested on charges in another state
    Posted March 30, 2013 4:58 PM
    A city man was arrested Friday afternoon by Johnson City police and charged with being a fugitive from justice in Norman, Okla., police said in a news release.
  • Johnson City market robbed
    Posted March 30, 2013 4:49 PM
    A man robbed a north Johnson City convenience market early this morning, Johnson City police said in a news release.
  • US hands control of troubled area to Afghans
    Posted March 30, 2013 3:52 PM
    KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan special forces took control of part of a troubled province bordering Kabul from U.S. troops on Saturday, ending a weeks-long dispute over abuse allegations that prompted Afghan President Hamid Karzai to order all American forces out of the area.
  • Police chief ready to keep peace at Klan rally
    Posted March 30, 2013 3:46 PM
    MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis' police chief says his officers are ready to keep the peace at a planned rally by Ku Klux Klan members protesting the renaming of three Confederate parks.
  • In Pakistan underworld, a cop is said to be a king
    Posted March 30, 2013 3:42 PM
    KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — A corrupt, low-level cop with a healthy dose of street smarts rises to control hundreds of illegal gambling dens in Pakistan's largest city. By doling out millions of dollars in illicit proceeds, he protects his empire and becomes one of the most powerful people in Karachi.
  • Kenyan Supreme Court upholds election result
    Posted March 30, 2013 3:28 PM
    NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya's Supreme Court on Saturday upheld the election of Uhuru Kenyatta as the country's next president and the loser accepted that verdict, ending an election season that riveted the nation with fears of a repeat of the 2007-08 postelection violence.
  • Five Points Grocery making way for traffic circle, closing doors Sunday
    Posted March 29, 2013 9:58 PM
    Five Points Grocery in Jonesborough will close its doors for good on Sunday evening at 7.
  • Philadelphian jumps on tracks to help fallen man
    Posted March 29, 2013 9:55 PM
    PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A recovering drug addict with a long rap sheet who was hailed as a hero for jumping onto subway tracks to rescue a man who walked off a platform deflected the praise Friday by saying he was just doing the "right thing."
  • WETS-FM/HD adds local news segments to broadcasts
    Posted March 29, 2013 9:36 PM
    The area’s public radio station, 89.5 WETS-FM/HD, delivered its first news broadcast Tuesday, marking the start of the station’s first news department.
  • 190th egg fight set Sunday at Peters Hollow
    Posted March 29, 2013 9:17 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — One of the oldest competitions in Tennessee will be holding its 190th annual event Sunday in the Peters Hollow section of Stoney Creek.
  • ETSU opening up concert to public
    Posted March 29, 2013 9:17 PM
    East Tennessee State University’s annual spring concert will be attended by more than just the students next month.
  • First-time participants moved by Witness Walk
    Posted March 29, 2013 9:11 PM
    ERWIN — Unicoi County resident Debbie Hill said her son, Matthew, had his choice on Good Friday of taking part in an Easter egg hunt or joining others in the annual Witness Walk through downtown Erwin.
  • Band Perry set to outnumber hunger
    Posted March 29, 2013 9:08 PM
    The Band Perry, the chart-topping country music family trio from Greeneville, will kick off a yearlong Outnumber Hunger campaign for more than 200 regional food banks nationwide and make a cash donation to Second Harvest of Northeast Tennessee on stage tonight at their free concert in downtown Greeneville.
  • Business, labor close on deal for immigration bill
    Posted March 29, 2013 9:06 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Big business and major labor unions appeared ready Friday to end a fight over a new low-skilled worker program that had threatened to upend negotiations on a sweeping immigration bill in the Senate providing a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S.
  • 3 dozen indicted in Atlanta cheating scandal
    Posted March 29, 2013 8:53 PM
    ATLANTA (AP) — In another embarrassing blow to Atlanta public schools, nearly three dozen former educators, including the ex-superintendent, were indicted Friday in one of the nation's largest test cheating scandals.
  • Confederate flag at old NC Capitol coming down
    Posted March 29, 2013 8:47 PM
    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A Confederate battle flag hung inside the old North Carolina State Capitol last week to mark the sesquicentennial of the Civil War is being taken down after civil rights leaders raised concerns.
  • SH's Foster chooses Belmont
    Posted March 29, 2013 7:04 PM
    Several schools were in the running down the stretch for Molly Foster, but she really got a kick out of visiting Belmont.
  • Seasoned Jr. Bucs have high hopes
    Updated March 29, 2013 7:08 PM
    Victor Chirica has been a soccer coach who always shoots straight about the abilities of his team.
  • Former players cheer ETSU football's return
    Updated March 30, 2013 2:46 AM
    Football is coming back to East Tennessee State University, and the school’s former players couldn’t be happier.
  • Hamilton says he'll be pulling for 'new' Bucs
    Updated March 29, 2013 7:09 PM
    All things considered, Paul Hamilton is pleased to hear that East Tennessee State football is on its way back.
  • ETSU can look at ODU as example
    Updated March 29, 2013 10:17 PM
    East Tennessee State football is suddenly in the open field, a blank slate ready to start being filled in.
  • Police in Tenn. search for man who fell from plane
    Posted March 29, 2013 5:50 PM
    CHATTANOOGA — Authorities in Hamilton County are searching for a man who was thrown from an experimental aircraft while he was learning to fly from an instructor.
  • NRC cites TVA, says some parts not certified
    Posted March 29, 2013 5:39 PM
    CHATTANOOGA — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited the Tennessee Valley Authority for purchasing thousands of parts not documented as nuclear-grade quality. The parts are for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Spring City, Tenn.
  • Pope's foot-washing final blow for traditionalists
    Posted March 29, 2013 5:22 PM
    VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has won over many hearts and minds with his simple style and focus on serving the world's poorest, but he has devastated traditionalist Catholics who adored his predecessor, Benedict XVI, for restoring much of the traditional pomp to the papacy.
  • ETSU scores necessary fee to start football program; students hope for success
    Updated March 29, 2013 10:10 PM
    Students Asiana Jones and Autumn Patterson hope East Tennessee State University’s future football team is successful now that they know they’ll be helping pay for it.
  • Woman accused of selling stolen $6,500 truck for $200 to buy pills
    Posted March 29, 2013 2:20 PM
    ROGERSVILLE — A woman who allegedly sold a stolen truck valued at $6,500 for $200, and then used the money to buy pills, is being held without bond in the Hawkins County Jail on theft charges.
  • Pet-3-29-13
    Posted March 29, 2013 2:09 PM
    Zachary is a young adult male Boxer, Collie and Jack Russell mix. He is kennel trained and good with other dogs. For more information about Josie or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week
  • Pet-3-29-13
    Posted March 29, 2013 2:03 PM
    Zachary is a young adult male Boxer, Collie and Jack Russell mix. He is kennel trained and good with other dogs. For more information about Josie or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week
  • Football time at ETSU: TBR approves fee to start new program
    Updated March 29, 2013 12:43 PM
    Are you ready for some Buccaneer football?
  • Fire reported at Johnson City funeral home
    Posted March 29, 2013 12:09 PM
    Firefighters were called to a downtown Johnson City funeral home around noon today.
  • Domestic dispute allegedly escalated into road rage incident
    Posted March 29, 2013 11:54 AM
    CHURCH HILL — Authorities say alcohol added fuel to an already tense situation late Thursday night as a domestic breakup escalated into a road rage incident, sending the suspect to the hospital, and then to jail.
  • West Tennessee teen killed in handgun accident
    Posted March 29, 2013 11:40 AM
    MEMPHIS — Shelby County Sheriff's deputies say a teenager accidentally shot himself to death.
  • Landslide traps 83 in Tibetan gold mine
    Posted March 29, 2013 11:06 AM
    BEIJING — Chinese state media say a large landslide Friday trapped 83 workers in a gold mining area in Tibet.
  • 'Hey, Soul Sister' band Train to play at ETSU in student/public concert
    Posted March 29, 2013 10:43 AM
    Grammy-winning band Train will perform at East Tennessee State University next month in a concert for students and the public in the university's mini-dome.
  • House GOP leader against resurrecting wine bill
    Posted March 29, 2013 10:34 AM
    NASHVILLE — House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick says he favors a bill to allow wine to be sold in Tennessee supermarkets and convenience stores, but would oppose efforts to hold a re-vote in a committee where it narrowly failed.
  • ETSU public radio station adds news department
    Posted March 29, 2013 10:24 AM
    East Tennessee State University's public radio station has inaugurated the first news department in its 40-year history.
  • Drone industry worries about privacy backlash
    Posted March 29, 2013 10:11 AM
    WASHINGTON — It's a good bet that in the not-so-distant future aerial drones will be part of Americans' everyday lives, performing countless useful functions.
  • Christians mark Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday
    Posted March 29, 2013 10:06 AM
    JERUSALEM — Hundreds of Christians streamed through the cobblestone alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City on Friday, hoisting wooden crosses and chanting prayers to mark the crucifixion of Jesus.
  • Invasion of privacy
    Posted March 29, 2013 8:49 AM
    I don’t mind drones in East Tennessee snooping about, but only if I have the option of shooting them down if they get too close to me. It is an invasion of general privacy and not necessary in 99 percent of cases.
  • Teachers’ silenced
    Posted March 29, 2013 8:41 AM
    As I look ahead to the Johnson City Commission and Board of Education elections in April, I am saddened by one sobering fact — the voices of the education professionals are being squashed by the Tennessee General Assembly.
  • What are your thoughts on football returning to ETSU?
    Posted March 29, 2013 8:38 AM
    Are you ready for some football at East Tennessee State University? The Tennessee Board of Regents will vote today on a proposed $125 per semester athletic fee to fund the return of football to ETSU. If all goes as expected, students will begin paying the fee this fall.
  • Killing with drones
    Posted March 29, 2013 8:37 AM
    Should it be legal for the United States government to kill its own citizens? As of right now, the U.S. military and CIA are using unmanned drones to attack and kill citizens that are suspected of being terrorists.
  • Drones are an extension
    Posted March 29, 2013 8:35 AM
    Should drones have free access to my backyard? Only if an officer could also have such access. If the cop can cruise along the street, being able and required to act on what he sees, the drone should have the same capacity.
  • Seniors are becoming apathetic since they are disregarded by commission
    Posted March 29, 2013 8:34 AM
    Ninety percent of the 200-plus seats set up in the gym at Memorial Park Community Center for the second Johnson City Commission candidates forum were empty. The unspoken message from Johnson City seniors was that they are perfectly happy with everything and see no reason to educate themselves on local issues or leaders.
  • Drone bill a waste of time over a non-existent threat
    Posted March 29, 2013 8:30 AM
    State Rep. James “Micah” Van Huss, R-Jonesborough, has introduced “Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act.” While I applaud his effort to become involved in the governing process, I question the use of his legislative time and energy.
  • Thousands of dental patients urged to get HIV, hepatitis C tests
    Posted March 29, 2013 8:01 AM
    TULSA, Okla. — Health officials on Thursday urged thousands of patients of an Oklahoma oral surgeon to undergo hepatitis and HIV testing, saying unsanitary conditions behind his office’s spiffy facade posed a threat to his clients and made him a “menace to the public health.”
  • Deputy uses thermal imaging camera to nab man hiding in thicket
    Posted March 29, 2013 7:53 AM
    CHURCH HILL — A Church Hill man was sentenced to 10 days in jail Monday for evading arrest after reportedly being captured Sunday by the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office with a borrowed thermal imaging camera.
  • Car plunge brings call for additional barricades on King Springs Road
    Posted March 28, 2013 10:06 PM
    Additional barricades may be installed on King Springs Road to prevent motorists from accessing a crumbling section of that road and potentially careening into Sinking Creek.
  • Couple charged with exploitation of elderly could face more charges
    Updated March 28, 2013 10:23 PM
    A Jonesborough husband and wife charged with bilking an elderly couple out of $150,000 in cash could face additional theft charges with new information prosecutors learned after their arrest, an attorney said Thursday.
  • Washington County schools accept funds for risk assessments
    Updated March 29, 2013 8:49 AM
    School safety was one of the main topics during the Washington County Board of Education’s first workshop as it began to prepare the 2013-14 budget.
  • Couple could face more theft charges
    Posted March 28, 2013 10:00 PM
    A Jonesborough husband and wife charged with bilking an elderly couple out of $150,000 in cash could face additional theft charges with new information prosecutors learned after their arrest, an attorney said Thursday.
  • Rally in downtown Knoxville aims for smaller drug-free school zones
    Posted March 28, 2013 9:42 PM
    With about 70 supporters marching behind him, chanting and holding up protest signs, Maurice Clark led a Thursday afternoon rally from Market Square to the City County Building in downtown Knoxville, aimed at changing drug laws.
  • Iran, NKorea, Syria block UN arms trade treaty
    Posted March 28, 2013 9:32 PM
    UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran, North Korea and Syria blocked adoption of a U.N. treaty that would regulate the multibillion-dollar international arms trade for the first time, saying it fails to ban sales to terrorists, but other countries refused to let the treaty die.
  • Tenn. girl stabbed at Pa. Target leaves hospital
    Posted March 28, 2013 9:21 PM
    PITTSBURGH (AP) — A 16-year-old Tennessee girl who police say was used as a shield and stabbed by a homeless man in a Pittsburgh Target store was released from the hospital Thursday morning.
  • Audit: State overpays $73M in unemployment
    Posted March 28, 2013 9:17 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's Department of Labor and Workforce Development mismanaged the unemployment program, causing overpayments that exceed $73 million, according to a state audit.
  • HIV test urged for 7,000 Oklahoma dental patients
    Posted March 28, 2013 9:13 PM
    TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Health officials on Thursday urged thousands of patients of an Oklahoma oral surgeon to undergo hepatitis and HIV testing, saying unsanitary conditions behind his office's spiffy facade posed a threat to his clients and made him a "menace to the public health."
  • Police: Man faces multiple charges after choking woman
    Updated March 29, 2013 10:32 AM
    A Johnson City man was arrested Thursday after he allegedly choked a woman during an argument that started over the cleanliness of a residence, according to a police news release.
  • University High expects to challenge
    Posted March 28, 2013 6:38 PM
    University High's baseball team is off to a really fast start, but the Watauga Valley Conference figures to be an interesting race to the finish.
  • Science Hill’s Mills to swim at Tennessee
    Updated March 30, 2013 2:50 AM
    The mountains of West Virginia just didn’t stack up beside Rocky Top for Science Hill senior Tyler Mills, who announced Thursday that he will swim in college at Tennessee.
  • Weather no friend of Buffs
    Updated March 28, 2013 6:34 PM
    Weather has made it tough to build any momentum for the Milligan College spring sports teams.
  • UN authorizes intervention force for Congo
    Updated March 28, 2013 5:45 PM
    UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council authorized a new "intervention brigade" for Congo on Thursday with an unprecedented mandate to take military action against rebel groups to help bring peace to the country's conflict-wracked east.
  • Pope washes feet of young detainees in ritual
    Posted March 28, 2013 3:14 PM
    ROME (AP) — Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention center in a Holy Thursday ritual that he celebrated for years as archbishop and is continuing now that he is pope. Two of the 12 were young women, a remarkable choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his male disciples.
  • Playing child stumbles across Kingsport meth lab
    Posted March 28, 2013 2:43 PM
    KIINGSPORT — A 7-year-old child playing in a wooded area off Kingsport's Barnett Drive located a one-pot meth lab Wednesday, along with the "gasser" portion of a second operation, but alerted his parents to the discovery and avoided potential injury.
  • Unicoi Co. hospital sale to Mountain States approved
    Updated March 28, 2013 10:20 PM
    ERWIN — The finish line in Mountain States Health Alliance’s acquisition of Unicoi County Memorial Hospital is in sight, as the UCMH Board of Control voted Thursday to approve MSHA’s final definitive agreement to acquire Unicoi County’s financially struggling community hospital.
  • 40 years on, Vietnam troop withdrawal remembered
    Posted March 28, 2013 2:11 PM
    Forty years ago, soldiers returning from Vietnam were advised to change into civilian clothes on their flights home so that they wouldn't be accosted by angry protesters at the airport. For a Vietnamese businessman who helped the U.S. government, a rising sense of panic set in as the last combat troops left the country on March 29, 1973 and he began to contemplate what he'd do next. A young North Vietnamese soldier who heard about the withdrawal felt emboldened to continue his push on the battlefields of southern Vietnam.
  • Police: Kingsport man tries to sell daughter, 6, for bail money
    Posted March 28, 2013 2:04 PM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport man has been arrested for allegedly agreeing to sell his 6-year-old daughter for $1,500 — telling his assumed buyer that he needed the money to bond his girlfriend out of jail.
  • Johnson City police: Boy found with vehicle stolen after South Roan trailer burglary
    Posted March 28, 2013 1:32 PM
    Johnson City police arrested a boy Tuesday on charges that he broke into a South Roan Street trailer, took several items and stole the resident's vehicle.
  • Structure loss, damage set at $12 million in Sevier County fire
    Updated March 28, 2013 12:48 PM
    PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (AP) — Sevier County authorities estimate the loss in a wildfire earlier this month at about $12 million.
  • 3 accused of smoking pot in NJ police parking lot
    Posted March 28, 2013 12:37 PM
    TOTOWA, N.J. (AP) — State troopers in northern New Jersey didn't have to go far to make a pot bust. They didn't even have to get in their cruisers.
  • 4th person charged with murder in Greene County river bridge double slayings
    Updated March 28, 2013 12:05 PM
    GREENEVILLE — A fourth person has been charged with first-degree murder in the slayings of two people found shot to death under a Nolichucky River bridge in Greene County a year ago.
  • Appeals Court reverses Johnson City man's murder conviction in wife's death
    Updated March 28, 2013 10:18 PM
    A Johnson City man’s first-degree murder conviction for his wife’s 2003 death was overturned Thursday in a Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals opinion that cited judicial errors and insufficient evidence for premeditation.
  • East Tennessee singer "Hangin' On" American Idol
    Updated March 28, 2013 10:16 AM
    KNOXVILLE — Our girl from tiny Oliver Springs, Janelle Arthur, got beat up a bit by one of the divas on American Idol on Wednesday night, but she wowed another with her rendition of "You Keep Me Hangin' On."
  • Kingsport man accused of impersonating policeman during road rage incident
    Posted March 28, 2013 9:53 AM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport man has been arrested for allegedly claiming to be a police officer during a road rage confrontation, then telling the other motorist they were free to go on a verbal warning.
  • Police: Hawkins man tried to flush marijuana when officers raided home
    Posted March 28, 2013 9:21 AM
    KINGSPORT — A Hawkins County man with a lengthy felony record was allegedly attempting to flush 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana down the toilet when deputies raided his home Tuesday morning.
  • Police: Asheville midwife killed unborn child
    Posted March 28, 2013 8:56 AM
    ASHEVILLE — The Asheville Citizen Times is reporting that police on Wednesday charged an Asheville midwife with killing an unborn child through a mishandled delivery.
  • Optimist Park
    Posted March 28, 2013 8:43 AM
    I live across the street from Optimist Park, so I am familiar with the activity there.
  • Workers’ comp changes would remove many lawyers from equation, payout
    Posted March 28, 2013 8:37 AM
    The proposed workers’ compensation changes are long overdue in that Tennessee is one of only two or three states that still use the court system rather than a state board to determine the benefits for an injured worker.
  • Workers’ comp
    Posted March 28, 2013 8:36 AM
    Our governor and state legislators are working to drastically weaken workers’ compensation in Tennessee. Tennessee Citizen Action held a town hall meeting March 15.
  • Haslam’s decision could really hurt Tennessee
    Posted March 28, 2013 8:24 AM
    Disappointing. That’s the word many health care officials across Tennessee have used to describe Gov. Bill Haslam’s decision Wednesday to turn down federal money to expand Medicaid in Tennessee.
  • Chilly spring has Bucs happy to head south
    Posted March 27, 2013 10:46 PM
    Forget the boys of summer. It takes men to keep playing baseball in cold, snow and biting wind.
  • Health systems hope governor's plan will work in wake of Medicaid expansion refusal
    Updated March 28, 2013 7:23 AM
    Local health care systems are hopeful Gov. Bill Haslam’s health care plan will work for thousands of uninsured Tennesseans, as long the federal government signs off on the proposal.
  • Unicoi sheriff’s administrative offices move to Jail Annex
    Posted March 27, 2013 9:56 PM
    ERWIN — Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department secretary Carla Ragland said the change of scenery suits her just fine.
  • Sheriff's deputy speaks of learning his father had been murdered in Johnson City
    Updated March 28, 2013 11:26 AM
    James Curtis was just 16 years old when a friend called him one night in May 2006 and said his house was on fire.
  • Former Bulls center Boerwinkle dies
    Posted March 27, 2013 9:12 PM
    CHICAGO (AP) — Tom Boerwinkle, the former Chicago Bulls center who had a franchise-record 37 rebounds in a 1970 game against the Phoenix Suns, has died. He was 67.
  • Colo. theater shooting suspect offers guilty plea
    Posted March 27, 2013 9:01 PM
    DENVER (AP) — Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes has offered to plead guilty and serve the rest of his life in prison to avoid the death penalty — a deal that would bring a swift end to the sometimes wrenching courtroom battle and circumvent a prolonged debate over his sanity.
  • TBR committee approves ETSU football fee; full Board will vote Friday
    Updated March 27, 2013 10:22 PM
    East Tennessee State University is now at first and goal with regards to having a new football team.
  • Police: Speed factor in East Lakeview Drive traffic fatality
    Updated March 28, 2013 9:46 AM
    A Johnson City man was killed in a car accident just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, after he reportedly attempted to pass another vehicle on East Lakeview Drive in Johnson City.
  • A boost for gay marriage: Justices question US law
    Posted March 27, 2013 5:05 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Concluding two days of intense debate, the Supreme Court signaled Wednesday it could give a boost to same-sex marriage by striking down the federal law that denies legally married gay spouses a wide range of benefits offered to other couples.
  • Police: 1 of 2 sought for Johnson City home invasion captured
    Updated March 27, 2013 5:22 PM
    Johnson City police on Wednesday arrested one of two men sought for alleged involvement in a West Pine Street home invasion that happened over the weekend.
  • Bomb explodes near Acropolis in central Athens
    Posted March 27, 2013 3:42 PM
    ATHENS, Greece — A bomb exploded outside a ship owner's house near the Acropolis in central Athens on Wednesday night, causing damage but no injuries, police said.
  • Johnson City Kmart employee accused of embezzlement
    Posted March 27, 2013 3:39 PM
    Police arrested a 22-year-old man Wednesday on a charge that he embezzled more than $1,000 from a Johnson City retail store.
  • Greene Co. school bus driver charged with statutory rape
    Posted March 27, 2013 3:20 PM
    GREENEVILLE –– A Greene County man was arrested by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Wednesday on charges he had sexual relations with a juvenile in October, according to a TBI news release.
  • High court skeptical of federal marriage law
    Posted March 27, 2013 2:33 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major gay rights case, the Supreme Court indicated Wednesday it could strike down the law that prevents legally married gay couples from receiving a range of federal benefits that go to other married people.
  • Delgado found guilty of first degree murder, gets life
    Updated March 27, 2013 3:48 PM
    Judge Robert Cupp sentenced a Johnson City man to life in prison Wednesday following a guilty verdict on a seven-year-old murder charge.
  • North Korea says it has cut last military hotline
    Posted March 27, 2013 2:17 PM
    SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Raising tensions with South Korea yet again, North Korea cut its last military hotline with Seoul on Wednesday, saying there was no need to continue military communications between the countries in a situation "where a war may break out at any moment."
  • Tennessee teen indicted for murder in death of high school coach
    Posted March 27, 2013 12:40 PM
    MEMPHIS — A Shelby County grand jury has indicted a teen in the killing of a Ridgeway High School assistant basketball coach.
  • DOMA battle: High court hears case on federal benefits for gays
    Posted March 27, 2013 12:16 PM
    WASHINGTON — In a landmark debate over gay marriage, Justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative but often a decisive vote, is expressing concern about the impact of a federal law that prevents married gay couples from receiving a range of benefits afforded straight married Americans.
  • Spring home improvement scams budding in Northeast Tennessee
    Posted March 27, 2013 12:10 PM
    Local police are warning that Spring brings more than budding plants and warmer temperatures, but also an increase in home improvement scams.
  • Text of Haslam's speech rejecting federal money for Medicaid expansion
    Posted March 27, 2013 11:37 AM
    The following is the text of Gov. Bill Haslam's address to the state Legislature on his decision not to accept federal dollars for Medicaid expansion:
  • Haslam: Tennessee won't accept federal terms on Medicaid expansion
    Updated March 27, 2013 4:55 PM
    NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam announced Wednesday that a breakdown in negotiations with the federal government means that he won't expand the state's Medicaid program, a decision that will cost Tennessee billions of dollars in federal money and keep 140,000 uninsured Tennesseans from obtaining free coverage.
  • Fire destroys barn in Limestone
    Updated March 27, 2013 12:04 PM
    A barn in Limestone burned to the ground Wednesday morning.
  • Major step in ETSU football future to occur today
    Posted March 27, 2013 9:07 AM
    A fee necessary to start a new football program at East Tennessee State University will be considered today by a committee of the school's governing body.
  • Jury begins deliberations in Poncho Delgado murder-arson trial
    Updated March 27, 2013 2:39 PM
    Editor's Note: Press Staff Writer Becky Campbell is reporting live from the Poncho Delgado murder trial in Jonesborough. Follow her on Twitter @CampbellinCourt.
  • TWRA launches new bear education campaign
    Posted March 26, 2013 9:52 PM
    It was just a few decades ago that black bears in Tennessee rarely were seen outside of the Smokies and the surrounding mountains.
  • Carter Courthouse opening Thursday after training exercise
    Posted March 26, 2013 9:48 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Business will not be as usual at the Carter County Courthouse on Thursday until 10 a.m.
  • ETSU’s surgical simulator in demand as teaching tool
    Posted March 26, 2013 9:14 PM
    After nearly a decade in development, a group of professors at East Tennessee State University have perfected and brought to market a life-like surgical manikin that is being ordered by educators around the world.
  • Grant helps archives move forward in Washington County
    Updated March 26, 2013 9:30 PM
    About one year ago, Washington County’s first archivist, Ned Irwin, sat in his modest and sparsely furnished office calmly describing in simple terms what actually has been a monumental task.
  • Bill may bring tax relief to Dry Creek
    Posted March 26, 2013 9:07 PM
    State legislators are not yet satisfied with the relief they feel is due Washington County’s Dry Creek residents affected by the Aug. 5 flood.
  • Man charged with murder takes stand in own defense
    Posted March 26, 2013 9:04 PM
    Poncho Delgado took the witness stand Tuesday in his own defense at his first-degree murder and arson trial and denied killing Robert Curtis nearly seven years ago.
  • Knox saga still not over for Italian courts
    Posted March 26, 2013 8:47 PM
    ROME (AP) — It's not over yet for Amanda Knox.
  • AP Source: Haslam to announce Medicaid decision
    Posted March 26, 2013 8:36 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam will address a joint session of the Tennessee General Assembly on Wednesday about his decision on whether to expand Medicaid to cover more uninsured people under the federal health care overhaul, according to a person familiar with the plans.
  • At 22, Logano not generating much respect
    Posted March 26, 2013 7:20 PM
    Joey Logano is not a rookie in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, although it appears many of his fellow drivers still see him that way.
  • Public meeting on MSHA acquisition of Unicoi hospital set for Thursday afternoon
    Posted March 26, 2013 4:57 PM
    ERWIN - For six decades, Unicoi County Memorial Hospital has operated as a publicly-owned community hospital, but UCMH officials and team leaders agreed that for the hospital to survive, a partnership with a large healthcare organization was necessary.
  • Obama gives Secret Service its 1st female director
    Posted March 26, 2013 3:51 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday named veteran Secret Service agent Julia Pierson as the agency's first female director, signaling his desire to change the culture at the male-dominated service, which has been marred by scandal.
  • 42 indicted on meth charges out of East Tenn.
    Posted March 26, 2013 3:50 PM
    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Federal prosecutors announced the indictments of 42 people in East Tennessee on charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine stemming from a multicounty criminal investigation.
  • Emirati man dies of SARS-linked virus in Germany
    Posted March 26, 2013 3:32 PM
    BERLIN (AP) — A man from the United Arab Emirates who was infected with a new SARS-related virus has died in Munich, German authorities said Tuesday.
  • ORNL, consortium working on cheaper carbon fiber
    Posted March 26, 2013 2:37 PM
    OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) — A consortium of about 40 companies is working with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop a cheap form of carbon fiber that can be used to replace steel in manufacturing.
  • US eyes anti-piracy effort along west Africa coast
    Posted March 26, 2013 2:25 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and some of its allies are considering plans to increase anti-piracy operations along Africa's west coast, spurred on by concerns that money from the attacks is funding a Nigerian-based insurgent group that is linked to one of al-Qaida's most dangerous affiliates.
  • Van Huss' UN, gun bills fail in Tenn. House; anti-drone bill survives
    Posted March 26, 2013 12:31 PM
    State Rep. James “Micah” Van Huss’ amended bills to prohibit United Nations representatives from monitoring Tennessee elections and keep state and local government employees from enforcing new federal gun laws failed today in a House Civil Justice Subcommittee.
  • Tenn. House OKs home-schoolers on public schools' athletic teams
    Posted March 26, 2013 11:07 AM
    NASHVILLE — The House gave final approval Monday night to legislation that will require all public schools to allow home school students to participate in their athletic events.
  • Seven men fined $50 each for being spectators at Hawkins County cockfight
    Posted March 26, 2013 10:46 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — Six of the seven men cited in January after being caught at a Hawkins County cockfight pleaded guilty Monday to being spectators while a seventh man was found guilty following a short trial.
  • Bill to change Tenn. open meetings law withdrawn
    Posted March 26, 2013 10:31 AM
    NASHVILLE — A Republican lawmaker who last year backed off a bill that would have allowed local officials to hold more closed-door meetings has withdrawn a similar measure this session.
  • Calif. gay marriage argument at high court Tuesday
    Posted March 26, 2013 9:50 AM
    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is wading into the fight over same-sex marriage at a time when public opinion is shifting rapidly in favor of permitting gay and lesbian couples to wed, but 40 states don't allow it.
  • TN attorney general calls Van Huss' bill prohibiting U.N. election observers 'constitutionally suspect'
    Posted March 26, 2013 9:40 AM
    Tennessee legislation prohibiting United Nations’ representatives from observing elections in the state is “constitutionally suspect,” according to a state attorney general’s opinion.
  • Tenn. bill would increase fine for not wearing seat belt
    Posted March 26, 2013 9:33 AM
    NASHVILLE — Legislation that would increase the fine for not wearing a seat belt is scheduled to be heard by lawmakers today.
  • 5.9 magnitude quake shakes Mexico City; second follows
    Updated March 26, 2013 10:05 AM
    MEXICO CITY — Earthquakes shook a broad swath of southern Mexico on Tuesday, causing buildings to sway in the capital and sending thousands fleeing into the streets as an earthquake alarm sounded. But there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries.
  • Local Democrats to reorganize party
    Posted March 26, 2013 9:15 AM
    The Washington County Democratic Party will reorganize Saturday, April 13, 2013, in an event from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Memorial Park Community Center, 510 Bert St.
  • Delgado murder trial wraps for day; closing arguments set for Wednesday
    Updated March 26, 2013 3:40 PM
    Editor's Note: Press Staff Writer Becky Campbell is reporting live from the Poncho Delgado murder trial in Jonesborough. Follow her on Twitter @CampbellinCourt.
  • SD Sen. Tim Johnson retirement opens door for GOP
    Posted March 26, 2013 8:46 AM
    SIOUX FALLS, SD — The anticipated retirement announcement from South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson gives Republicans one of their best chances of picking up a seat in their quest to regain control, as the veteran moderate Democrat steps aside.
  • Lee County man arrested for Duffield car dealership robbery
    Posted March 25, 2013 11:02 PM
    DUFFIELD — Scott County authorities and Virginia State Police arrested a Lee County man late last week for allegedly stealing car titles and keys from a Duffield used car dealership.
  • Noland tackles ETSU faculty's football concerns
    Updated March 26, 2013 8:39 AM
    Acknowledging he knew not everyone would be happy with the process, East Tennessee State University’s president said he did what he thought was best in pursuing a new football program when questioned about that process by faculty Monday.
  • Supporters seek to prevent Carter Co. school’s closing
    Updated March 26, 2013 8:40 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Four people who would like to see Range Elementary School kept open addressed the Carter County Board of Education during a workshop session Monday afternoon.
  • Board hopefuls field questions
    Posted March 25, 2013 10:25 PM
    Nine Johnson City Board of Education candidates spent nearly 90 minutes Monday evening fielding questions from the community regarding the state of education in Tennessee and the challenges the local system faces during the first public forum ahead of the April 23 Municipal Election.
  • Washington Co. Commission moves to cut mayor’s power
    Updated March 26, 2013 8:39 AM
    The Washington County Commission on Monday voted 17-7 in a surprising move to pull County Mayor Dan Eldridge’s legal authority to appoint members to the county’s Regional Planning Commission.
  • Senator pleased with Dry Creek rebuilding project
    Posted March 25, 2013 10:19 PM
    U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander visited the Dry Creek community on Monday and called the ongoing efforts to rebuild homes destroyed in the Aug. 5 flood the best example of people helping people he had ever witnessed.
  • Witnesses say Delgado told them he killed man
    Posted March 25, 2013 10:17 PM
    Two witnesses in a first-degree murder trial that stems back to 2006 testified Monday about information they apparently didn’t tell police during the investigation until recently.
  • Weather takes toll on Unicoi, everyone else
    Updated March 25, 2013 7:05 PM
    Unicoi County hasn't lost a softball game — unless weather has been the opponent.
  • A-Sun revels in FGCU’s historic run
    Updated March 25, 2013 11:21 PM
    Back on Jan. 12, Florida Gulf Coast’s basketball team looked like anything but destiny’s darling.
  • Turner taking over Lady 'Toppers basketball
    Updated March 25, 2013 8:21 PM
    Science Hill athletic director Keith Turner is signing up for double duty.
  • Turner taking over Lady 'Toppers basketball
    Updated March 25, 2013 8:16 PM
    Science Hill athletic director Keith Turner is signing up for double duty.
  • Memorial fountain commemorates ETSU desegregation
    Posted March 25, 2013 6:15 PM
    Permanent memorials to the students who desegregated East Tennessee State University are now in place on campus for everyone to see.
  • Q: Is that Tenn. Capitol sink for Muslims? A: No, mops
    Posted March 25, 2013 4:00 PM
    NASHVILLE — Sometimes a mop sink is just a mop sink.
  • Dollar General 4Q profit rises, traffic improves
    Posted March 25, 2013 3:47 PM
    GOODLETTSVILLE — Dollar General's fiscal fourth-quarter net income climbed 9 percent as more customers came in to its stores and shoppers spent more per transaction.
  • Man charged with vandalizing Johnson City sports bar
    Updated March 26, 2013 9:17 AM
    A Gray man was arrested early Monday morning after he allegedly vandalized the restroom of a city bar, according to Johnson City police.
  • Infant, toddler found in meth arrest; parents charged with child endangerment
    Updated March 26, 2013 10:14 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — A man who was out of jail on bond while awaiting trial on methamphetamine charges is facing new charges, including child endangerment, following an arrest on Saturday.
  • 95-year-old man dies in Chattanooga house fire
    Updated March 25, 2013 4:18 PM
    CHATTANOOGA — Flames whipped by high wind quickly spread a house fire in Chattanooga and killed a 95-year-old man.
  • Judge: Family wearing photo buttons of Knox torture-slaying victims must move back
    Posted March 25, 2013 12:10 PM
    KNOXVILLE - A judge today ruled that family members donning photo buttons of two torture-slaying victims must stay clear of the jury box.
  • Meeting on proposed Sullivan Co. school merger scheduled for tonight
    Posted March 25, 2013 10:57 AM
    KINGSPORT — Folks with comments or questions about the proposed merger of Sullivan North and Sullivan South high schools have another chance to attend a community meeting.
  • Unicoi sheriff says department’s made great strides in year
    Posted March 25, 2013 10:44 AM
    ERWIN — Tuesday will mark the one-year anniversary of Mike Hensley’s appointment to the office of Unicoi County sheriff by the Unicoi County Commission, and through the challenges and successes of the past 12 months, Hensley said the state of the sheriff’s department at this time is very positive.
  • Unicoi County officials want sinkhole risks assessed
    Posted March 25, 2013 10:27 AM
    ERWIN — Linda Purchase said she bought her home in the Love Chapel community around 10 years ago with the intent of remaining there for the rest of her life.
  • Are proposed changes to workers’ comp fair?
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:51 AM
    Tennessee lawmakers are set to approve changes this year to the state’s workers’ compensation law that are being hailed by business leaders and derided by labor groups. The legislation, which is a major part of Gov. Bill Haslam’s legislative package this year, is expected to face little debate in the Republican-controlled General Assembly.
  • Insurance will cover Unicoi County's Love Chapel Elementary relocation
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:51 AM
    ERWIN — While officials with the Unicoi County School System are still working with the system’s insurance provider, Director of Schools Denise Brown said Friday she is confident the cost of relocating Love Chapel Elementary School students will be covered.
  • Insurance will cover Unicoi County's Love Chapel Elementary relocation
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:51 AM
    ERWIN — While officials with the Unicoi County School System are still working with the system’s insurance provider, Director of Schools Denise Brown said Friday she is confident the cost of relocating Love Chapel Elementary School students will be covered.
  • Guitar Art
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:46 AM
    Twenty-two guitars placed in the hands of artists have been transformed and will be auctioned to support Music on the Square, Jonesborough’s Friday night mini-festival.
  • Update: Jury selected in Poncho Delgado murder trial in Jonesborough
    Updated March 25, 2013 5:03 PM
    Editor's Note: Press Staff Writer Becky Campbell is Tweeting live from the Poncho Delgado murder trial. Follow her on Twitter @CampbellinCourt.
  • Argument over wine sales doesn’t make sense for consumers
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:29 AM
    One of the standing jokes in Tennessee politics concerns the alliance between the Baptists and the bootleggers, who always band together in opposition to legalizing alcoholic beverage sales. Well, bootleggers are largely a thing of the past, the pro-legal forces having carried the day in most of the state, and there has been enough experience with legal sales now that we can say with confidence that civilization won’t fall as a result.
  • Through a child’s eyes: Artwork of ETSU Little Bucs goes on display
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:29 AM
    Looking for an interpretation of van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” to hang above the mantle? Maybe a papier-maché octopus to adorn your living room?
  • Helmet law editorial
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:26 AM
    I just read your editorial on Tennessee voting on the repeal of the state helmet law and felt compelled to respond to the idiot who wrote it.
  • Don’t honor cheaters
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:22 AM
    Should baseball players who have been alleged steroid users be elected to professional baseball’s Hall of Fame? That is the question the Baseball Writers Association has just recently answered.
  • ETSU football again?
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:20 AM
    What a disappointment. Again we hear about football at East Tennessee State University. Forgive me, but we all know why we no longer have football — it was losing money and costing the university too much.
  • County should equip school buses with GPS safety systems
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:19 AM
    Safety is defined as a condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk or injury. It is also recognized as denoting something designed to prevent injury or damage.
  • Helmet law editorial
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:18 AM
    I just read your editorial on Tennessee voting on the repeal of the state helmet law and felt compelled to respond to the idiot who wrote it.
  • Overturn any proposals that would weaken Sunshine Law
    Posted March 25, 2013 9:09 AM
    This newspaper brings you a feature each Monday we call “Your Government At Work.” It’s a listing of the public meetings slated for that week. They include gatherings of local school boards, city councils and county commissions.
  • Johnson City murder case from 2006 heads back to court
    Updated March 25, 2013 9:18 AM
    Editor's Note: Press Staff Writer Becky Campbell is Tweeting live from the Poncho Delgado murder trial. Follow her @CampbellinCourt.
  • 9-year-old girl climbs from Calif. canyon to get help after crash kills dad
    Posted March 25, 2013 8:50 AM
    LOS ANGELES — A 9-year-old girl crawled out of a mangled SUV, climbed out of a canyon and walked about a mile in the middle of the night to find help after surviving a highway crash that killed her father in Southern California, authorities said.
  • Know your farmers, protect your family
    Posted March 25, 2013 8:48 AM
    As we’ve noted before in this space, the best way to get fresh, organic food is to grow it yourself. Not everyone, however, has a green thumb. For those of us who aren’t blessed with that gift, the second-best way to get organic fruits, vegetables and cheeses is to purchase them from someone who does.
  • Kingsport motorcyclist in critical condition following collision
    Posted March 25, 2013 7:10 AM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport man was listed in critical condition Sunday afternoon after the motorcycle he was driving was involved in a collision with another vehicle on Stone Drive at the Netherland Inn Lane intersection.
  • Today: ETSU to dedicate fountain in honor of first students in desegregation
    Updated March 25, 2013 6:58 AM
    East Tennessee State University will be unveiling a new historical marker and memorial fountain that honors five students who desegregated the college.
  • Tenn. House to hear new version of voter ID bill
    Posted March 25, 2013 6:52 AM
    NASHVILLE — Student identification cards issued by public universities could not be used to vote under legislation scheduled to be heard on the House floor Monday evening.
  • Johnson City police: Empty gas tank upends fleeing driver, resulting in 18th revoked license driving charge
    Posted March 24, 2013 7:03 PM
    A man fleeing a Johnson City traffic stop Sunday ran out of gas in Carter County, allowing authorities to arrest him on charges including his 18th of offense of driving on a revoked license, police said in a news release.
  • Are cash registers on their way out?
    Posted March 24, 2013 11:14 AM
    NEW YORK (AP) — Ka-ching! The cash register may be on its final sale.
  • Tenn. family adopts 8 siblings from Sierra Leone
    Posted March 24, 2013 10:41 AM
    NASHVILLE — A Middle Tennessee family has tripled in size with the adoption of eight siblings from Sierra Leone.
  • Lesbian couple in landmark marriage case: Soccer games and band practice center of lives, not court battle
    Posted March 24, 2013 10:10 AM
    BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Big change is coming to the lives of the lesbian couple at the center of the fight for same-sex marriage in California no matter how the Supreme Court decides their case.
  • Kingsport to seek bids for estimated $4 million stadium overhaul
    Posted March 24, 2013 9:52 AM
    KINGSPORT — Kingsport City Schools will be accepting bids for the expansion and renovation of J. Fred Johnson Stadium, and if the price tag is within the estimated budget, construction could begin later this spring, officials involved in the project said this week.
  • Greene Co. man dies in trailer fire
    Posted March 24, 2013 9:28 AM
    GREENEVILLE — A man is dead after a fire destroyed a mobile home in East Tennessee.
  • Johnson City police look for 2 after Tree Streets armed home invasion
    Posted March 24, 2013 9:13 AM
    Two men invaded a residence in the Tree Streets section of Johnson City on Saturday with a shotgun and robbed the residents, assaulting one, police said this morning in a news release.
  • Lady 'Toppers hoops would bring Crowder full circle
    Posted March 24, 2013 2:14 AM
    Science Hill graduate Brien Crowder is interested in the school’s girls basketball coaching position, and hopefully, school officials are at least interested in Crowder.
  • UT professor obtains Russian meteor pieces for research
    Posted March 23, 2013 10:04 PM
    Thanks to efforts by Larry Taylor, director of the Planetary Geosciences Institute at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is now home to part of the meteor that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in February.
  • Tough laws, reduced ranks: What's next for unions?
    Updated March 23, 2013 10:29 PM
    From a sprawling United Auto Workers hall outside Detroit, John Zimmick has seen factories close and grown men cry when their jobs disappear. Through all the economic uncertainties of life in auto country, there has been one constant: the union.
  • Snowstorm takes aim at Plains, Midwest
    Posted March 23, 2013 9:55 PM
    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An early spring snowstorm forced the cancellation of more than 100 flights at Denver International Airport and closed several roads Saturday as it moved eastward, dumping more than a foot of snow in some places.
  • Bloomberg, mayor group tout big gun control push
    Posted March 23, 2013 9:45 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — A new $12 million television ad campaign from Mayors Against Illegal Guns will push senators in key states to back gun control efforts, including comprehensive background checks.
  • Chamber’s use of picture in ad rankles some in Jonesborough
    Posted March 23, 2013 9:35 PM
    An advertisement placed in the March issue of Southern Living magazine featuring a photograph of Jonesborough has put a bad taste in the mouths of town residents and business owners.
  • Doane helps Bucs split with FGCU
    Posted March 23, 2013 9:34 PM
    Kerry Doane likes to finish what he starts.
  • Nine hopefuls seeking Johnson City school board seats
    Posted March 23, 2013 9:32 PM
    Funding, school safety, vouchers, improving technology and bettering academic achievement are some of the major issues facing Johnson City Schools, according to candidates in this year’s Board of Education race.
  • Little League Weekend brings youths out to Thomas Stadium
    Posted March 23, 2013 9:30 PM
    As East Tennessee State University started the first game of a doubleheader against Florida Gulf Coast University Saturday, both teams were being carefully watched by some Little Leaguers in the crowd.
  • Johnson City residents getting into swing of spring cleaning
    Posted March 23, 2013 9:28 PM
    Spring cleaning was in full swing Saturday, as many locals wanting to get rid of some unnecessary clutter showed up at drop sites around town for the start of the Great American Cleanup season in Johnson City.
  • Former Johnson City Seniors' Center being transformed into new Juvenile Court
    Updated March 23, 2013 10:17 PM
    The former Johnson City Seniors' Center’s parquet floors and ballroom dancers have vanished, and the building at 607 E. Myrtle Ave. is well on the way to becoming home to the city’s Juvenile Court.
  • Sequestration cuts having impact on public aid agencies
    Posted March 23, 2013 9:22 PM
    Three weeks after the start of the automatic $85 billion reduction in federal spending known as sequestration, local agencies providing housing, food and support services to the region’s elderly and poor are still waiting to learn how deeply their programs will be impacted and whether their contingency plans will spare the elimination of current service recipients.
  • Toppers take two from Siegel
    Posted March 23, 2013 8:18 PM
    Will Craig hit a ball so far Saturday that a postal worker had to return it.
  • Man, woman arrested following alleged drug transaction
    Posted March 23, 2013 7:34 PM
    Johnson City police said they arrested a man and woman Friday night following a drug transaction on West Market Street.
  • Incumbents retain seats in Mountain City voting
    Posted March 23, 2013 7:30 PM
    MOUNTAIN CITY — Two incumbents were re-elected to the Mountain City Board of Mayor and Aldermen in voting held Saturday.
  • Bristol man arrested after claiming to have grenade
    Updated March 23, 2013 9:56 PM
    BRISTOL — A Bristol man who called 911 Friday night and said he had a hand grenade was taken into custody by Bristol police after a lengthy standoff.
  • FGCU tops Bucs in pitchers’ duel
    Posted March 22, 2013 11:32 PM
    On a night when Florida Gulf Coast’s basketball team made national news, its baseball team took care of business as well.
  • Games are finally over for LeForce
    Posted March 22, 2013 11:31 PM
    Alan LeForce says he never imagined he’d still be coaching basketball — and coaching women, no less — well into his 70s.
  • Local drug maker hopes to impact major diseases
    Posted March 22, 2013 9:14 PM
    A handful of employees at a family owned drug research company at East Tennessee State University’s Valleybrook Campus are poised to make a big impact on the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Johnson City changing downtown trees
    Posted March 22, 2013 9:11 PM
    If a tree falls on Main Street and there is nobody there to hear it, does it make a sound?
  • Medicaid, vouchers top Chamber breakfast topics
    Posted March 22, 2013 9:11 PM
    Medicaid expansion and school vouchers dominated much of the discussion Friday morning as representatives of the state legislature met with local officials and members of the community during a breakfast hosted by the Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County Chamber of Commerce.
  • APNewsBreak: Fla. to probe 2nd sweepstakes chain
    Posted March 22, 2013 8:30 PM
    ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (AP) — Fresh off a nearly $300 million racketeering case involving a veterans' charity that benefited from simulated gambling at Internet cafes, Florida regulators will investigate a children's cancer group connected to a sweepstakes network that is four times bigger.
  • Yellowstone bison hunt takes most since '89
    Posted March 22, 2013 8:28 PM
    BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Hunters killed more wild bison migrating from Yellowstone National Park this season than they have in decades, with the numbers driven by strong participation from American Indians who harvest the animals under longstanding treaty rights.
  • Feds raid 17 Calif. businesses for nitrous oxide
    Posted March 22, 2013 8:23 PM
    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hundreds of law enforcement officers on Friday raided Southern California auto parts shops and other businesses suspected of illegally selling nitrous oxide for use as a recreational drug, in one of the nation's largest such raids to date.
  • Clinic facing meningitis lawsuits wants 1 judge
    Posted March 22, 2013 8:15 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Attorneys representing a Tennessee outpatient clinic that administered tainted steroid injections linked to a fungal meningitis outbreak want to consolidate the lawsuits under a single Nashville judge.
  • Civility Week at ETSU to feature discussions, art, lectures
    Posted March 22, 2013 4:31 PM
    Civility will be the focus on the campus of East Tennessee State University next week.
  • Pet-3-22-13
    Posted March 22, 2013 4:18 PM
    Vinnie is a young adult male Hound mix. He is good with dogs but plays rough. For more information about Vinnie or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week.
  • 2 teens, 14 and 17, charged with infant's murder in Ga. stroller shooting
    Updated March 22, 2013 4:24 PM
    BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Police have arrested two teenagers suspected in the shooting death of a baby in a stroller and the wounding of the baby's mother.
  • Panel could see bill to change open meetings law
    Posted March 22, 2013 3:02 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Republican lawmaker who last year backed off a bill that would have allowed local officials to hold more closed-door meetings has renewed the effort, saying he's asked county commissioners to bring him a proposal that has a chance of passing a key subcommittee.
  • Obama warns of extremist threat in Syria
    Posted March 22, 2013 2:46 PM
    AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Anxious to keep Syria's civil war from spiraling into even worse problems, President Barack Obama said Friday he worries about the country becoming a haven for extremists when — not if — President Bashar Assad is ousted from power.
  • Sullivan Co. school board postpones vote on potential North/South merger
    Posted March 22, 2013 2:00 PM
    BLOUNTVILLE — The Sullivan County school board’s scheduled vote on whether to merge Sullivan North and South high schools has been postponed, Director of Schools Jubal Yennie announced Friday afternoon. The vote was scheduled to occur Thursday.
  • Groundhog death penalty? Ohio authorities indict Punxsutawney Phil over dead-wrong spring forecast
    Posted March 22, 2013 1:46 PM
    CINCINNATI (AP) — Famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil might want to go back into hibernation.
  • Police: Embezzlement from Kingsport business prompts employee's arrest
    Updated March 22, 2013 12:33 PM
    KINGSPORT — An alleged scheme to process refunds for items stolen from a business inside the Kingsport Town Center — resulting in the embezzlement of more than $3,500 — has prompted the arrest of one man and pending charges against his accomplice.
  • Father says man shot by police had PTSD
    Posted March 22, 2013 11:41 AM
    MARYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The father of a U.S. Marine veteran, who was shot and killed by police in Maryville, said his son had battle flashbacks brought on by post-traumatic stress disorder.
  • Body found in vehicle on Cherokee reservation
    Updated March 22, 2013 11:17 AM
    CHEROKEE, N.C. — The Asheville Citizen-Times is reporting that police on the Cherokee Indian Reservation found a body in the trunk of a suspect’s vehicle following a chase Wednesday afternoon.
  • Fall Branch man accused of stealing, using credit cards in JC
    Posted March 22, 2013 11:02 AM
    A Fall Branch man was arrested Thursday on fraud and theft charges after a woman reported that her credit cards had been stolen and used in Johnson City.
  • Elizabethton woman charged with using fake prescription for drugs in JC
    Posted March 22, 2013 11:01 AM
    An Elizabethton woman was arrested Thursday on a charge that she used a fake prescription to get drugs from a Johnson City pharmacy.
  • What are your thoughts on drones used in state?
    Posted March 22, 2013 10:59 AM
    Should the use of airborne drones be banned in Tennessee? A freshman state lawmaker thinks they should be, but law enforcement officials are not so keen on the idea.
  • Vote for Frank Bolus
    Posted March 22, 2013 10:59 AM
    Frank Bolus is my friend and I have found him to be an honest individual.
  • Elect Jenny Brock
    Posted March 22, 2013 10:56 AM
    We first met Jenny back in the 1980s when I hired her to lead a new innovative wellness program for employees and their families.
  • Cyclist courtesy
    Posted March 22, 2013 10:56 AM
    I am a disgruntled Washington County citizen who, on most warm days, finds himself behind some egotistical or arrogant bicycle rider who assumes that they have the freedom to block traffic as they slowly meander down our twisting country roads.
  • Raising minimum wage
    Posted March 22, 2013 10:53 AM
    Any time wages go up, so do prices for everything else. Employers will have to adjust current wages for employees so those employees will be above minimum wage or cut their workforce to accommodate the increase in their bottom line.
  • Voters should keep in mind what three have done during next election
    Posted March 22, 2013 10:51 AM
    Perhaps it is the Madness of March that has me disturbed and concerned. We have a member of the Tennessee House from our area whose vote kills the “wine in supermarkets” bill.
  • MSHA discrimination
    Posted March 22, 2013 10:48 AM
    Mountain States Health Alliance communications manager Teresa Hicks said of the company’s new anti-smoking policy: “This is our way of demonstrating that tobacco use has no place in the healthy lifestyle. We believe health care workers should be held to a higher standard in order to set an example for healthy behaviors.”
  • State leaders can help fight cancer by expanding Medicaid
    Posted March 22, 2013 10:42 AM
    This year in Tennessee, an estimated 36,580 people will be diagnosed with cancer and another 14,080 will die of the disease. People without health coverage are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at its later stages, when patients are less likely to survive and treatments are more costly.
  • Jonesborough couple reportedly exploited elderly residents
    Updated March 22, 2013 9:41 PM
    Two Jonesborough residents, one named as the caregiver of two elderly people, were arrested Thursday on exploitation charges after they alledgedly wrote checks without permission from both victims’ bank accounts to themselves and withdrew large amounts of money daily from local ATMs, according to a restraining order filed in court.
  • Deputy shoots tires to stop vehicle after 100-mph chase; driver arrested
    Updated March 22, 2013 9:24 PM
    MOUNTAIN CITY — A Johnson County Sheriff's Office deputy fired shots to stop a vehicle headed toward him after a high-speed chase on Tenn. Highway 67 late Thursday night, Sheriff Mike Reece said.
  • Carter schools director says he’s confident about balancing budget
    Posted March 22, 2013 9:23 AM
    HAMPTON — Carter County Director of Schools Kevin Ward said during the Carter County School Board meeting Thursday evening that he was “very confident we will be able to get a balanced budget” for the 2013-14 fiscal year. The board meeting was held in the gymnasium of Hampton Elementary School.
  • Wash Co. Economic Development Council manager Reese let go from organization
    Posted March 22, 2013 9:09 AM
    Washington County Economic Development Council Project Manager Dan Reese is no longer with the organization.
  • Former Johnson City Memorial Hospital transforming to senior living center
    Posted March 22, 2013 9:06 AM
    Renovations are under way at the site of Johnson City’s first community hospital as it transforms into a new multimillion-dollar senior living apartment complex.
  • Why won’t a college ID work for student voters?
    Posted March 22, 2013 8:46 AM
    Why is it that a state-issued photo ID is acceptable for a university professor to use for voting purposes in Tennessee, but not OK for a college student? That is a question state legislators have been debating in recent days.
  • Young boy in Ga. shoots mother pushing stroller, killing infant
    Updated March 22, 2013 7:43 AM
    BRUNSWICK, Ga. — A young boy opened fire on a woman pushing her baby in a stroller in a Georgia neighborhood, killing the 1-year-old boy and wounding the mother, police said.
  • 3 dead, including suspect, in Marine base shooting
    Posted March 22, 2013 7:29 AM
    QUANTICO, Va — A Marine killed a male and female colleague in a shooting at a base in northern Virginia before killing himself, officials said.
  • Area group needs help caring for horses found starving
    Posted March 22, 2013 7:18 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County mother and daughter who rescue and care for unwanted and neglected horses are asking for help from the community to care for three starving animals they took in Wednesday at the request of the sheriff’s office.
  • House passes GOP budget plan promising deep cuts
    Posted March 21, 2013 10:40 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Moving on two fronts, the Republican-controlled House on Thursday voted to keep the government running for the next six months while pushing through a tea-party flavored budget for next year that would shrink the government by another $4.6 trillion over the next decade.
  • Man in Texas shootout ID'd as Colorado parolee
    Posted March 21, 2013 10:37 PM
    DECATUR, Texas (AP) — A paroled Colorado inmate who may be linked to the slaying of the state's prison chief led Texas deputies on a 100 mph car chase that ended Thursday after he crashed into a semi and then opened fire before being shot down by his pursuers.
  • Elizabethton city manager candidate tells why he’s seeking position
    Posted March 21, 2013 10:24 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Elizabethton City Council interviewed the last of the finalists to be the next city manager on Thursday and then held a discussion on which candidate they preferred. The council members will not take an official vote until their next regular meeting on April 12.
  • Elizabethton board sets calendar for 2013-14 school year
    Posted March 21, 2013 10:22 PM
    The start date for Elizabethton City Schools in the fall will be Aug. 8, as the Elizabethton Board of Education approved one of two school calendar options at Thursday night’s meeting.
  • Mother reportedly leaves child to go drink
    Posted March 21, 2013 10:20 PM
    A Kentucky woman accused of leaving her 10-month-old child in a hotel room while she went to a bar to drink was arraigned in Washington County Sessions Court on Thursday.
  • Commission calls for task force to develop trail
    Posted March 21, 2013 10:19 PM
    City commissioners did take action Thursday to initiate movement on the Johnson City Rails-to-Trails Project, but the forward motion could be described as “baby steps” at best.
  • Smith looks to carry on ’Topper tennis tradition
    Posted March 21, 2013 8:04 PM
    Science Hill has a new person leading its tennis program, but the expectations remain high.
  • Bucs hoping to give FGCU chilly reception
    Updated March 22, 2013 8:58 AM
    The calendar says it’s spring. The weather forecast says otherwise. But the umpire will still say “play ball.”
  • Robinson keeps recruiting in-house
    Posted March 21, 2013 8:00 PM
    Milligan College head basketball coach Bill Robinson looked in-house for his latest recruit.
  • Couples enter guilty pleas to child neglect, endangerment
    Posted March 21, 2013 5:16 PM
    ERWIN — Four Unicoi Countians charged with child neglect in January after the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department said officers found them and their children living in filthy conditions pleaded guilty Thursday in Sessions Court.
  • Alleged Johnson City robber's assault charge on Erwin officer upgraded to felony
    Posted March 21, 2013 4:42 PM
    ERWIN - Ariel Muller, who is facing multiple charges after he allegedly led area authorities on a vehicle pursuit Tuesday after robbing a Johnson City restaurant, again appeared in Unicoi County General Sessions Court on Thursday.
  • Negotiations for used car prompt prostitution charges in Blountville
    Posted March 21, 2013 3:24 PM
    Haggling over the price of a car took a turn towards the illegal Wednesday morning, according to police, after reports of indecent exposure at a Blountville gas station prompted the arrest of a pair on prostitution-related charges.
  • Judge declares gang members a public nuisance
    Posted March 21, 2013 2:55 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Nashville judge is permanently barring members of the Kurdish Pride gang from associating with each other in certain parts of the city.
  • Passing reference in 'Argo' rankles New Zealand
    Posted March 21, 2013 2:46 PM
    WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Thirteen minutes into the Oscar-winning movie "Argo," CIA agent Tony Mendez asks supervisor Jack O'Donnell what happened to a group of Americans when the U.S. Embassy was stormed in Tehran.
  • Kurdish rebel leader calls for historic truce
    Posted March 21, 2013 2:37 PM
    ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — In a major step toward ending one of the world's longest, bloodiest insurgencies, the Kurds' jailed rebel leader called Thursday for a "new era" of peace that includes an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of thousands of his fighters from Turkey.
  • Man dead following Maryville police shootout
    Posted March 21, 2013 12:15 PM
    A Maryville man is dead following a police standoff and shootout early this morning in East Maryville, officials said.
  • Marijuana, AR-15, cannon seized from Hawkins home
    Posted March 21, 2013 10:13 AM
    MOUNT CARMEL — Two Mount Carmel men had an 11-hour head start to remove marijuana, bongs and a large stash of firearms from their home before police returned Saturday night, but they didn’t do it.
  • Judge orders money returned to man charged with marijuana possession, fraud
    Updated March 21, 2013 10:16 PM
    More than $4,500 seized from a Johnson City man charged with marijuana possession and fraud will be returned to him, a judge ruled Thursday.
  • Kingsport women charged with shoplifting from Johnson City mall
    Posted March 21, 2013 9:56 AM
    Two Kingsport women were charged with shoplifting from the Mall at Johnson City Wednesday.
  • Quoting Steve Zwick
    Posted March 21, 2013 9:02 AM
    I wrote a Forum letter headlined “Sustainability,” where I used seven anonymous quotes from those prominent in the climate alarmism movement. A reader objected (“Climate change tirade,” March 8) to my quoting of Steve Zwick, stating he was taken out of context.
  • Universe ages 80M years; Big Bang gets clearer
    Posted March 21, 2013 9:01 AM
    PARIS (AP) — New results from a look into the split second after the Big Bang indicate the universe is 80 million years older than previously thought but the core concepts of the cosmos — how it began, what it's made of and where it's going — seem to be on the right track.
  • Brock is committed
    Posted March 21, 2013 8:54 AM
    I love Johnson City. I don’t live in Johnson City, but my mother does and has for eight years now. Through her, I have come to love Johnson City.
  • Quoting Steve Zwick
    Posted March 21, 2013 8:52 AM
    I wrote a Forum letter headlined “Sustainability,” where I used seven anonymous quotes from those prominent in the climate alarmism movement. A reader objected (“Climate change tirade,” March 8) to my quoting of Steve Zwick, stating he was taken out of context.
  • Methadone clinic
    Posted March 21, 2013 8:46 AM
    Regarding “Johnson City methadone clinic opposition grows,” that appeared on March 17, one can only wonder upon what evidence Roger Nave, public safety committee chairman, relied when he expressed the belief that “… methadone was not the best option for treatment and rehabilitation of people with drug dependency.”
  • A child’s education should not suffer due to parents’ finances
    Posted March 21, 2013 8:44 AM
    Attention parents with low incomes: Do you feel your children are getting a quality education? If not, you might be interested in learning about the Tennessee voucher program promoted by Gov. Bill Haslam. According to a story in the Johnson City Press, Haslam said the proposed voucher program “would only apply to low-income students.”
  • Peak-time rates
    Posted March 21, 2013 8:43 AM
    The peak-time billing hours for the Johnson City Power Board are too broad. The 2-8 p.m. peak-time billing is right in the middle of families coming home from work, preparing dinner or doing laundry. What are they to do — eat after 8 p.m., wash clothes during the night, have the kids sleep during peak time and wake them up after 8 p.m. to do homework?
  • Cover your cargo and don’t litter
    Posted March 21, 2013 8:39 AM
    Now that spring has arrived, many local residents will be moving outdoors to clean up the debris shaken from the trees by winter’s winds. Some will be cleaning out their closets, basements and garages and they will haul that junk to their nearest convenience center or landfill.
  • Woman accused of shooting into east Johnson City residence, nearly hitting 2 relatives
    Updated March 21, 2013 10:11 PM
    A Johnson City woman arrested Wednesday after firing a gun inside her own home then fleeing told a police officer she was being abused and shot into the air to get away.
  • Mercer dumps Vols in NIT
    Posted March 20, 2013 10:13 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Travis Smith scored 25 points to match his career high Wednesday as Mercer defeated Tennessee 75-67 in the first round of the NIT.
  • Johnson City's Aubrayo Franklin signs with Colts
    Updated March 20, 2013 10:33 PM
    INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts signed free agent defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin.
  • Craig lifts Hilltoppers past D-B
    Posted March 20, 2013 10:01 PM
    If Will Craig doesn’t beat you with his arm, there’s a good chance he’ll do it with his bat.
  • South Korea: Chinese address source of attack
    Posted March 20, 2013 9:53 PM
    SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A Chinese Internet address was the source of a cyberattack on one of the South Korean companies hit in a massive computer shutdown that affected five other banks or media companies, initial findings indicated Thursday.
  • Bank demolition may lead to new Hands On! museum building in downtown Johnson City
    Updated March 20, 2013 9:44 PM
    City commissioners will consider a request tonight by the Public Works Department to demolish the former SunTrust building to help make way for a new Hands On! Regional Museum.
  • Little Leaguers invited to wear uniforms, attend ETSU weekend series for free
    Updated March 20, 2013 8:57 PM
    As the East Tennessee State University baseball team plays against nationally ranked Florida Gulf Coast this weekend, Little Leaguers from around the region will have an opportunity to see the collegiate three-game series played at Thomas Stadium for free.
  • Competing voucher bill withdrawn
    Posted March 20, 2013 8:14 PM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The sponsor of legislation that was competing with Gov. Bill Haslam's to create a school voucher program withdrew her bill on Wednesday after proponents of a broader program decided they want to focus on the governor's plan.
  • Chattanooga fires coach Shulman after 9 seasons
    Posted March 20, 2013 8:05 PM
    CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Chattanooga has fired men's basketball coach John Shulman after nine seasons. His last winning season was 2009, when he last led the Mocs to the NCAA tournament.
  • Fed says it will stick with aggressive stimulus
    Posted March 20, 2013 7:54 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday stood by its efforts to keep borrowing costs at record lows, saying it isn't yet convinced that the U.S. economy's growth can accelerate without significant help from the central bank.
  • Obama, Netanyahu show solidarity on Iran
    Posted March 20, 2013 7:48 PM
    JERUSALEM (AP) — Seeking a fresh start to a strained relationship, President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday demonstrated solidarity on the key issues that have stirred tensions between them. The U.S. president vowed he would do "what is necessary" to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while Netanyahu reaffirmed that his newly formed government seeks a two-state solution to Israel's decades-long dispute with the Palestinians.
  • Amazon CEO recovers Apollo engines from Atlantic
    Posted March 20, 2013 7:39 PM
    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rusted pieces of two Apollo-era rocket engines that helped boost astronauts to the moon have been fished out of the murky depths of the Atlantic, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos and NASA said Wednesday.
  • Man convicted of injuring TV weatherman in crossbow attack found dead in Winged Deer
    Updated March 21, 2013 11:11 AM
    A Johnson City man accused of shooting a local TV weatherman with a crossbow last year in the home they once shared killed himself Wednesday at a city park, according to a police report.
  • Man convicted of injuring TV weather man in crossbow attack found dead in Winged Deer
    Updated March 20, 2013 5:12 PM
    A Johnson City man accused of shooting a local TV weatherman with a crossbow last year in the home they once shared killed himself Wednesday at a city park, according to a police report.
  • ETSU: County health rankings report indicates positive trend for Northeast Tennessee
    Posted March 20, 2013 4:11 PM
    Residents of Northeast Tennessee counties are on a path to improved health, especially those in Washington County, according to East Tennessee State University’s public health dean discussing data in an annual county health rankings report.
  • Mountaintop removal ban killed in Tenn. Senate
    Posted March 20, 2013 3:55 PM
    NASHVILLE — A measure to ban mountaintop removal coal mining in Tennessee is dead this session.
  • Elizabethton man accused of assaulting, kidnapping woman in Johnson City; arrested after chase
    Posted March 20, 2013 3:26 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — An Elizabethton man who had previously been placed under house arrest on convictions for violent crimes was arrested late Tuesday night on numerous charges after he allegedly assaulted a woman somewhere in Johnson City and then drove the injured woman to Carter County.
  • Milligan to honor 13 'servant leaders'
    Posted March 20, 2013 1:29 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Milligan College will recognize 13 local leaders who have demonstrated servant leadership in their careers and community at the college’s annual Leaders in Christian Service program 11 a.m. April 2 in Milligan’s Mary B. Martin Auditorium in Seeger Memorial Chapel.
  • Accused JC robber apologizes during Unicoi Co. arraignment, says was on meds and remembers nothing
    Updated March 20, 2013 9:34 PM
    ERWIN — A Unicoi County man claimed he was high on medications during a Johnson City robbery and police chase through two counties that led to his arrest Tuesday.
  • First nesting bald eagles spotted in Carter County
    Posted March 20, 2013 11:08 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — A bird expert says the appearance of a nesting pair of bald eagles in Carter County is an exciting, but not unexpected development.
  • Colo. governor to sign landmark gun bills
    Posted March 20, 2013 11:00 AM
    DENVER — Exactly eight months after dozens of people were shot in a suburban Denver movie theater, Gov. John Hickenlooper will sign new restrictions on firearms in Colorado, signaling a historic change for Democrats who traditionally shied away from taking on gun control in a state where owning a gun is as common as owning a car in some rural areas.
  • Jury selected in murder trial of Bristol man
    Posted March 20, 2013 10:57 AM
    GATE CITY, Va. — A jury of nine men and four women was selected Tuesday afternoon to hear the murder trial of a Bristol, Tenn. man who allegedly helped carry out the Christmas 2011 shooting death of a Nickelsville resident.
  • Feds say Native Mob gang dented but work remains
    Posted March 20, 2013 10:34 AM
    MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal prosecutors say they've weakened a violent American Indian gang known for terrorizing people in the Upper Midwest now that an alleged leader and two members have been convicted in one of the largest gang cases to come out of Indian Country.
  • Elizabethton housing agency gets perfect score from HUD following annual inspection
    Posted March 20, 2013 10:24 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Kelly Geagley fears no audit or inspection.
  • UT coach being sought as grand marshal for Elizabethton Fourth of July parade
    Posted March 20, 2013 10:18 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Planning has begun on the annual Fourth of July Parade in downtown Elizabethton. The parade committee met Tuesday morning at Ledford’s Upholstery to begin the work under the direction of City Councilman Bob Cable.
  • Colorado Corrections Dept. chief shot, killed at home
    Posted March 20, 2013 10:04 AM
    MONUMENT, Colo — The executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections was shot and killed when he answered the front door of his house, and police are searching for the gunman.
  • Obama picks Indiana to win NCAA b-ball title
    Posted March 20, 2013 9:51 AM
    President Barack Obama is picking Indiana to win the NCAA title.
  • Update: Evacuation prompted by Elizabethton gas leak canceled
    Updated March 20, 2013 11:13 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — An evacuation caused by a gas leak in Elizabethton has reportedly been canceled.
  • Experts suspect North behind SKorea computer crash
    Posted March 20, 2013 9:39 AM
    SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Computer networks at major South Korean banks and top TV broadcasters crashed simultaneously Wednesday, paralyzing bank machines across the country and prompting speculation of a cyberattack by North Korea.
  • After 2 tours, pressures prove too much for guardsman with ETSU ties
    Updated March 20, 2013 6:07 PM
    MORRISTOWN — Capt. Thomas Gilley asked his ex-wife to tell his children he loved them.
  • Elect Brock
    Posted March 20, 2013 8:38 AM
    It has been my privilege to have known Jenny Brock since she came to Johnson City in 1981 as a graduate assistant in the physical education and exercise science department at East Tennessee State University. Upon completion of her master’s degree, she then became a faculty member of that department until 1989.
  • Congressman Roe
    Posted March 20, 2013 8:38 AM
    Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal asked a question: Does the GOP want to be the stupid party? U.S. Rep. Phil Roe seems to think so, now that he is cosponsor of a bill in Congress to abolish the income tax law.
  • School should be preserved as anchor of our community
    Posted March 20, 2013 8:33 AM
    Director of Carter County Schools Dr. Kevin Ward has recommended the closure of the historic Range Elementary School. For more than a year, officials have been discussing the idea of eliminating nine schools from the system. Carter County’s tax base is not large enough to support that kind of consolidation.
  • Nevada town mourns Marines who died in explosion
    Updated March 20, 2013 7:59 AM
    HAWTHORNE, Nev — Hundreds of residents in a rural community steeped in military history turned out to mourn the loss of at least seven Marines as investigators arrived at an ammunition depot to try to determine how a mortar shell exploded at the Nevada base and sent shrapnel flying into troops during a training exercise.
  • Obama in Israel for first trip as president
    Posted March 20, 2013 7:11 AM
    TEL AVIV, Israel — President Barack Obama plunged into the turbulent Middle East on a mission aimed primarily at assuring America's top ally in the region and its friends back home that it will not be forsaken amid bitter domestic political squabbles and budget crises in Washington.
  • Van Huss' no-drone bill draws concerns from TBI
    Posted March 20, 2013 6:50 AM
    NASHVILLE — Tennessee lawmakers are preparing to take up a measure that seeks to restrict police agencies in the state from using unmanned drone aircraft and the sponsor is someone with experience piloting drones.
  • TVA checking sport fish this spring
    Updated March 20, 2013 6:35 AM
    KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee Valley Authority is conducting its annual sport fish survey.
  • Man sentenced to prison for gun incident near Gate City High School
    Updated March 20, 2013 6:31 AM
    GATE CITY, Va. — A Gate City man was sentenced to five years in prison this week after he pleaded guilty to drunkenly firing a weapon inside his apartment, and toward a local school, last year while two minors were present.
  • Downtown-inspired newsletter makes debut online
    Updated March 19, 2013 10:35 PM
    A new online newsletter designed by the Washington County Economic Development Council is aiming to keep downtown businesses, residents, employees and building owners up to date on all of the developments that are taking place in downtown Johnson City.
  • First look shows city school board's budget $2.2 million in hole
    Posted March 19, 2013 9:45 PM
    The Johnson City Board of Education on Tuesday took its first crack at the 2013-14 school year budget just days ahead of a workshop scheduled with the City Commission.
  • Candidates vie for votes at forum hosted by seniors groups
    Posted March 19, 2013 9:30 PM
    Seven City Commission candidates vying for two open seats in Johnson City’s April 23 municipal election fielded questions at a forum Tuesday at the Memorial Park Community Center hosted by the Senior Center Advisory Council and Senior Center Foundation Board.
  • Two charged with setting fires inside jail
    Posted March 19, 2013 9:28 PM
    ERWIN — Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Frank Rogers said the practice of disgruntled inmates housed in the Unicoi County Jail stopping up showers and drains and flooding commodes in the jail so that water leaks to the offices below has gone on for years.
  • Governor's school voucher bill advances in Tenn. House
    Posted March 19, 2013 5:40 PM
    NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to create a school voucher program in Tennessee continued its progression in the House on Tuesday as the state's largest teachers' union mounted an ad campaign seeking to defeat the measure.
  • Tenn. bill to require proof of meningitis immunization in colleges advancing
    Posted March 19, 2013 5:34 PM
    NASHVILLE — Legislation that would require incoming students at public higher education institutions to show proof of immunization against meningitis is advancing in the House.
  • Ahead of KKK rally, Memphis council changes parade permits
    Posted March 19, 2013 5:25 PM
    MEMPHIS — The Memphis City Council has changed the ordinance on parades and public assemblies, prompted by a scheduled Ku Klux Klan rally.
  • Bucs' Alberg fastest man in Suriname
    Updated March 19, 2013 5:33 PM
    Unlike one of his 100-meter races, Ifrish Alberg’s path to his current status as the fastest man in Suriname took anything but a straight line.
  • Jury weighs case of Tenn. mom charged in twin babies' deaths
    Updated March 19, 2013 5:26 PM
    GALLATIN — As the murder case against a suburban Nashville woman accused of smothering her newborn twin boys went to the jury Tuesday, both sides agreed in closing arguments that even Lindsey Lowe's closest friends and family did not realize she was pregnant before she gave birth.
  • Attendance still way down for FC 500
    Posted March 19, 2013 5:20 PM
    The racing was better, but many fans still stayed away from Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Committee to consider ETSU football fee next week
    Updated March 19, 2013 5:27 PM
    East Tennessee State University's proposed new athletic fee to support football will be considered next week at meeting in Franklin, according to a Tennessee Board of Regents spokesperson.
  • Mich. grandma convicted of murdering grandson
    Posted March 19, 2013 5:11 PM
    PONTIAC, Mich. — A 75-year-old Detroit-area woman was convicted of second-degree murder on Tuesday for shooting her teenage grandson six times during an argument last spring.
  • Elizabethton man indicted for assaulting Carter County deputy
    Posted March 19, 2013 3:47 PM
    An Elizabethton man charged with choking a Carter County sheriff’s deputy in November was indicted last week by a Carter County grand jury for assaulting a law enforcement officer after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation presented its case, according to a TBI news release.
  • BBC sells Lonely Planet guide business to US firm
    Posted March 19, 2013 2:28 PM
    LONDON (AP) — The Lonely Planet guide started out in 1973 on the kitchen table of Tony and Maureen Wheeler, who turned their adventures traveling on the cheap into a publishing empire— a backpacker Bible that made far-flung places seem easier to access.
  • Assault weapons ban won't be in Dems' gun bill
    Posted March 19, 2013 2:20 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has decided that a proposed assault weapons ban won't be part of a gun control bill the Senate plans to debate next month, the sponsor of the ban said Tuesday, a decision that means the ban stands little chance of survival.
  • Elizabethton woman pulled from smoke-filled apartment
    Posted March 19, 2013 1:38 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Officers of the Elizabethton Police Department rescued a woman from a smoke-filled apartment Monday afternoon.
  • Update: Alleged Johnson City robber apprehended in Unicoi County identified; officer injured
    Updated March 19, 2013 9:33 PM
    A Unicoi County man accused of robbing a Johnson City restaurant led law enforcement on a lengthy vehicle pursuit and foot chase that injured an officer, but was finally found naked in a wooded area near Rock Creek Road in Erwin Tuesday.
  • In Colorado, gun restrictions bring political peril
    Posted March 19, 2013 11:48 AM
    DENVER — Firearms play an outsized role in the hearts of Coloradans. It's a frontier state that adopted Buffalo Bill and Doc Holliday as native sons and where treasured guns are routinely passed from generation to generation.
  • Update: Nevada training explosion that killed 7 Marines caused by mortar
    Updated March 19, 2013 11:39 AM
    WASHINGTON — A Marine Corps official says the seven Marines killed in Nevada died after a 60mm mortar exploded unexpectedly during a training accident. The Marines immediately issued an indefinite moratorium on firing of all such mortars worldwide until an investigation clears as safe the type of weapon and ammunition in the tragedy. Several other Marines were hurt.
  • AP: Costs of US wars linger for over 100 years
    Posted March 19, 2013 9:46 AM
    OLYMPIA, Wash. — If history is any judge, the U.S. government will be paying for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the next century as service members and their families grapple with the sacrifices of combat.
  • One of four Elizabethton city manager candidates withdraws
    Posted March 19, 2013 9:25 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The list of candidates to be the next city manager of Elizabethton is now down to three, and the only candidate with previous city management experience is no longer in the running.
  • Committee OKs funding to move Unicoi County sheriff’s offices
    Posted March 19, 2013 9:15 AM
    ERWIN — If the Unicoi County Commission accepts a recommendation approved Monday by the commission’s Building and Grounds Committee, the county’s Sheriff’s Department will be provided with the funding necessary to move its administrative offices from its current downtown location to the Unicoi County Jail Annex.
  • Alliance puts historic building up for bid in Jonesborough
    Posted March 19, 2013 9:04 AM
    The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is seeking a buyer willing to restore and preserve the century-old building that houses the Old Sweet Shop building in downtown Jonesborough.
  • Carter school board not thrilled with long range plan to close some schools
    Posted March 19, 2013 8:58 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Carter County School Board gave a chilly reception to the recommendations of the Long Range Facilities Planning Team on Monday afternoon. The team’s report and recommendations were discussed in a workshop session, so no vote was taken, but the comments of some board members made it clear they would not support it.
  • Johnson City Boys and Girls Club still hoping for alternative site
    Posted March 19, 2013 8:37 AM
    The Lark Street Extension Project still is technically in its first phase, but some glaringly obvious dominoes must fall before the new commercial pathway becomes a reality.
  • Rain brings sudden halt to Sevier County mountainside fire
    Posted March 19, 2013 7:18 AM
    PIGEON FORGE — A massive wildfire that swept through a Sevier County mountainside resort, destroying dozens of vacation cabins and scorching some 160 acres as it burned for more than 24 hours, was virtually stopped in its tracks by a Monday afternoon thunderstorm.
  • Teenager dead after shooting in Chattanooga
    Posted March 19, 2013 7:06 AM
    CHATTANOOGA — Chattanooga police have confirmed that Tuesday morning's shooting is a fatal.
  • Couple accused of beating woman, stealing her shoes and cell phone
    Posted March 19, 2013 7:02 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County couple accused of beating a Mooresburg woman and stealing her shoes and cell phone will be arraigned Wednesday on one count each of robbery and aggravated burglary.
  • Teen charged with lying to police about burglary
    Updated March 19, 2013 6:28 PM
    Police said a Bristol teen lied when she called Washington County 911 in January to report a burglary, resulting in her arrest on Monday.
  • DUI arrest follows north Johnson City crash
    Updated March 19, 2013 6:23 PM
    A Bristol, Va., woman was arrested Monday on a DUI charge after a wreck in north Johnson City.
  • Johnson City man arrested on drug charge in traffic stop
    Updated March 19, 2013 6:28 PM
    A stop sign violation led Johnson City police to make a drug arrest early this morning, according to a news release.
  • Baylor, ND, UConn, Stanford top NCAA women's seeds
    Posted March 18, 2013 8:04 PM
    Brittney Griner and Baylor's path to a second straight national championship will have a familiar feel.
  • $1 million bond each set for pair charged in murder of Hawkins County veteran
    Posted March 18, 2013 7:48 PM
    ROGERSVILLE — Two men accused in the beating and stabbing Rogersville veteran Roger Hawkins to death while attempting to steal his pain medication appeared in Hawkins County Sessions Court for arraignment Monday.
  • NET-less state tourney first in three-plus decades
    Updated March 18, 2013 7:09 PM
    Tennessee tilted slightly to the left as the state basketball championships took place in Murfreesboro last week.
  • New Bristol may be better than old one
    Posted March 18, 2013 6:59 PM
    BRISTOL -- Defending NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski doesn’t think the old Bristol is back, but he believes the newest version is actually better.
  • Johnson adds Gatornationals to resume’
    Posted March 18, 2013 6:56 PM
    Defending champion Allen Johnson won the Pro Stock title at the NHRA Gatornationals on Sunday, adding another marquee trophy to his growing collection.
  • Sevier fire officials hope rain will douse destructive wildfire; 65 structures, 160 acres charred
    Posted March 18, 2013 5:01 PM
    PIGEON FORGE -- Sevier County fire officials are counting on an expected significant rain today to deal the death blow to a stubborn wildfire that had damaged or destroyed 65 structures and charred 160 acres by noon.
  • Julie the 51-year-old hippo dies at Memphis Zoo
    Posted March 18, 2013 4:54 PM
    MEMPHIS (AP) — The Memphis Zoo says a 51-year-old hippopotamus named Julie has died.
  • Barnwell resigns as Lady 'Toppers coach
    Updated March 19, 2013 3:31 AM
    After spending eight years guiding the Science Hill girls basketball program to new heights, coach Darrell Barnwell is stepping down.
  • Barnwell resigns as Lady 'Toppers coach
    Updated March 19, 2013 3:30 AM
    After spending eight years guiding the Science Hill girls basketball program to new heights, coach Darrell Barnwell is stepping down.
  • Johnson City man charged in 2008 Louisiana murder waives extradition
    Posted March 18, 2013 4:16 PM
    A Johnson City man waived extradition to Louisiana Monday on a murder charge that apparently stems from a 2008 gang shooting.
  • Labor department commissioner, deputy resign
    Posted March 18, 2013 3:14 PM
    NASHVILLE (AP) — The commissioner and deputy commissioner of Tennessee's Department of Labor and Workforce Development have resigned.
  • Carter Co. Commission approves resolution urging state to nullify federal gun restrictions
    Updated March 19, 2013 8:59 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — After rejecting a resolution last month proposed by Mayor Leon Humphrey calling on the state to nullify any new federal gun control laws, the Carter County Commission reversed course this month and overwhelmingly approved the measure.
  • Cleaning business employee charged with stealing from Johnson City residence
    Posted March 18, 2013 1:13 PM
    A cleaning business employee was arrested Monday in Johnson City on a charge that she stole from a client's home.
  • Litter of puppies rescued from cabin in Pigeon Forge wildfire
    Posted March 18, 2013 11:49 AM
    PIGEON FORGE — Count a litter of puppies among the lucky escapees of the Sevier County wildfire that’s engulfed about 160 acres and damaged or destroyed some 65 cabins.
  • Hillary Clinton announces support for same-sex marriage equality
    Updated March 18, 2013 11:38 AM
    WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is announcing her support for gay marriage.
  • Body of missing man found in East Tenn. lake after canoe tips
    Posted March 18, 2013 11:34 AM
    MARYVILLE — Searchers have found the body of a young man who disappeared in Tellico Lake when a canoe overturned.
  • Jonesborough officer who resigned amid Facebook flap buys ex-K9 partner
    Posted March 18, 2013 11:34 AM
    A Jonesborough police officer who resigned earlier this month amid a Facebook controversy that was likely to get him fired now owns his popular K9 partner, Rio, after the town agreed to sell the dog.
  • Thunderstorms on way to Tri-Cities
    Posted March 18, 2013 11:20 AM
    Severe thunderstorms are possible across Tennessee as warm air is chased by a cold front.
  • Hillary Clinton announces support for same-sex marriage equality
    Posted March 18, 2013 10:57 AM
    WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is announcing her support for gay marriage.
  • Fire engulfs convenience store, apartments in Chattanooga
    Posted March 18, 2013 10:57 AM
    CHATTANOOGA — Chattanooga firefighters responded to a fire at a vacant convenience store with attached vacant apartments this morning.
  • Rebirth of a depot: Johnson City's historic train station being converted into restaurant
    Posted March 18, 2013 10:50 AM
    Although it hasn’t seen much activity over the last several decades, the historic Clinchfield and Ohio Railroad Depot used to a be a major source of growth for the city during the early 1900s.
  • Kingsport couple killed in crash
    Posted March 18, 2013 10:47 AM
    KINGSPORT — Injuries sustained in a Friday night traffic crash have killed a Kingsport couple, with police saying they likely would have survived had they been wearing their seat belts.
  • Weapons, explosives found in dorm on Fla. campus; student dead
    Posted March 18, 2013 10:12 AM
    ORLANDO, Fla. — Authorities investigating the apparent suicide of a college student discovered weapons and explosive devices in a dorm on the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando early Monday, and hundreds of students were evacuated, though the school said there was no immediate threat.
  • Johnson City Parks and Rec ‘Doodler’ becomes great artist
    Updated March 18, 2013 10:13 AM
    Urban Bird has always been a “doodler,” he said, but these days when he puts pen to paper — or rather, paint to canvas — it’s a little more than doodling.
  • Buffalo Mountain Camp to reopen after devastating August flood
    Posted March 18, 2013 9:47 AM
    Buffalo Mountain Camp will hold modified camp schedules this summer as the facility continues to recover from last year’s devastating flood, according to the camp’s executive director.
  • Will raising minimum wage help or hurt low-income employees?
    Posted March 18, 2013 9:33 AM
    In his State of the Union speech last month, President Barack Obama called for raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour. The president said the hike would offer dignity and opportunity to the 8 million working Americans who still live below the poverty line.
  • Strength to live again
    Posted March 18, 2013 9:24 AM
    In 1994, so many men were killed in a genocide in the African nation of Rwanda that the population afterward was around two-thirds female.
  • The case for a clinic
    Posted March 18, 2013 9:16 AM
    I am the manager and co-owner of Tri-Cities Holdings LLC, the business applying to open an opiate addiction treatment and counseling clinic in Johnson City. I would like to respond to the March 8 editorial opposing the location of a methadone clinic in your city.
  • Listening to hockey and baseball helps ground a person
    Posted March 18, 2013 9:16 AM
    In late January, the weekend edition of the Press ran an interesting collection of sports stories on one page. One item was about the resumption of National Hockey League games. The second was on the death of Earl Weaver, longtime manager of the Baltimore Orioles. The third on was the death of Stan Musial, the St. Louis Cardinals great.
  • Erwin shelter comes to aid of Elizabethton counterpart
    Posted March 18, 2013 9:10 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Change is Possible domestic violence shelter of Erwin is used to providing assistance to those in need. Last week, it provided a different type of assistance when the organization provided $1,000 to the Shepherd’s Inn shelter in Elizabethton.
  • JCPB should find ways to help customers
    Posted March 18, 2013 9:09 AM
    Peak billing time now from the Johnson City Power Board? As if the rates weren’t high enough, the Power Board now appears to be following the lead of the airlines and devising additional ways to fleece the public.
  • We need more like Hill on the Hill
    Posted March 18, 2013 9:09 AM
    As a wine and spirits store owner and a constituent, I recently voiced my concerns about the controversial wine in grocery and convenience stores legislation with state Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough.
  • Don’t expect church in school
    Posted March 18, 2013 9:06 AM
    Public schools are given undeserved credit for teaching homosexuality and sex outside marriage as acceptable behavior. I heard this charge just this week from two people who lay claim to being conservative Christians.
  • We are all Irish on St. Patrick’s Day
    Posted March 18, 2013 9:01 AM
    It’s OK to wear something green today. Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. That is particularly true of our region, which boasts a rich Celtic heritage handed down by the early settlers.
  • Sunshine Law needs a little clarification
    Posted March 18, 2013 8:50 AM
    Throughout this week, we’ve stressed the importance of seeking more openness from our federal, state and local officials. Sunshine Week is a time to celebrate transparency — not only as a fundamental tool of citizenship, but as an essential ingredient for maintaining a free and open society.
  • Sycamore Shoals state park in Elizabethton to dedicate arboretum
    Posted March 18, 2013 8:49 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — There aren’t many state parks that include a tree in its name. That makes it fitting Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area will hold dedication ceremonies on Monday at 2 p.m. for its new arboretum, which is certified by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council.
  • Sequestration hits home for ex-railroad worker
    Posted March 18, 2013 8:40 AM
    Jonesborough resident Larry Renfro has been out of work since August, when he was laid off from his job with CSX Railroad in Erwin.
  • National guard choppers to join fight against Pigeon Forge wildfire
    Posted March 18, 2013 8:20 AM
    PIGEON FORGE — Up to 30 fire departments from East Tennessee this morning are battling flames that have consumed 35 cabins and 135 acres in Sevier County, a spokesman said.
  • Friends, family disgusted that Iraq war veteran slain over medication
    Posted March 18, 2013 6:47 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — Friends and family of Rogersville murder victim Roger Hawkins were using social media Sunday to express their shock and disgust that the former Marine who served his country and survived two wars would be killed at home — allegedly for his pain medication.
  • East Tenn. man gets presidential pardon half century after $40 crime
    Posted March 18, 2013 6:34 AM
    ATHENS — A money order for $40.83 cost Roy Grimes more than he could have ever imagined.
  • Cabins 'going up like dominoes' in Sevier County wildfire
    Posted March 18, 2013 6:20 AM
    PIGEON FORGE — At least 30 cabins in a Sevier County resort area were damaged by a 200-acre wildfire Sunday evening, authorities said.
  • Firefighters battle wildfire at Sevier County resort, at least 20 cabins damaged
    Posted March 17, 2013 10:05 PM
    PIGEON FORGE — Some 20 fire fighting agencies are on the scene of a wildfire at Black Bear Ridge Resort in Sevier County this evening.
  • Sullivan Co. sheriff says SROs play a vital role in school security
    Posted March 17, 2013 9:39 PM
    BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson agrees with members of a county school system security task force that school resource officers are not the be-all and end-all of school safety.
  • 10 things to know for the NCAA tournament
    Updated March 17, 2013 9:32 PM
    A look at the NCAA men's tournament, the 68-team free-for-all that begins Tuesday and ends three weeks from now at the Final Four in Atlanta:
  • 2 killed when jet crashes in Indiana neighborhood
    Posted March 17, 2013 8:58 PM
    SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Federal Aviation Administration says two of four people aboard a jet that crashed in a northern Indiana neighborhood have died.
  • Kahne's win finally gets Chevy back in victory lane
    Posted March 17, 2013 6:26 PM
    BRISTOL -- Kasey Kahne scored his 15th career Sprint Cup Series victory in Sunday’s Food City 500, and his first at Bristol Motor Speedway in 19 starts.
  • No love lost between former teammates
    Updated March 17, 2013 6:33 PM
    BRISTOL -- There was no love lost between former teammates Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday.
  • Kilgore likes just being a fan
    Updated March 17, 2013 6:32 PM
    BRISTOL -- Daniel Kilgore has always defied the odds.
  • Jones soaks up BMS atmosphere
    Updated March 17, 2013 6:33 PM
    BRISTOL -- Butch Jones got to get away from his duties as head coach of the University of Tennessee football team to enjoy life as a fan at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday.
  • Kahne gets first Cup win at BMS
    Posted March 17, 2013 6:16 PM
    BRISTOL -- Kasey Kahne was finally able to close the deal at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Teen race crash victim was driver's cousin
    Updated March 17, 2013 4:57 PM
    SAN FRANCISCO -- A California raceway crash killed a 68-year-old race car owner and the 14-year-old cousin of the teenage driver whose vehicle careened off the track and into the pit area, authorities said Sunday.
  • Vols football coach Jones revels in the fun at Bristol Motor Speedway
    Posted March 17, 2013 2:20 PM
    BRISTOL — During Tennessee’s football practice on Saturday, new head coach Butch Jones was like a man possessed.
  • Bus crash that killed Pa. coach being investigated
    Posted March 17, 2013 2:14 PM
    Police are investigating what caused a bus carrying a college women's lacrosse team to veer off the Pennsylvania Turnpike and crash into a tree, killing a pregnant coach, her unborn child and the driver.
  • Man, boy die as race car careens off Calif. track
    Posted March 17, 2013 2:01 PM
    MARYSVILLE, Calif. — A teenage race car driver taking warm-up laps at a California raceway careened off the track and into pit row, killing a 14-year-old boy and 68-year-old man, officials said.
  • 2 Ohio teen football players found guilty of rape
    Posted March 17, 2013 10:22 AM
    STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Two members of the high school football team that is the pride of Steubenville were found guilty Sunday of raping a drunken 16-year-old girl in a case that bitterly divided the Rust Belt city and led to accusations of a cover-up to protect the community's athletes.
  • Indian police arrest 5 over Swiss tourist's rape
    Posted March 17, 2013 10:04 AM
    NEW DELHI — Indian police said they arrested five men Sunday in connection with the gang rape of a Swiss woman who was on a cycling vacation with her husband in central India.
  • East Tennessee youth has few memories of war that took his father
    Posted March 17, 2013 9:56 AM
    DANDRIDGE — To Jacob Watts, his father’s a man in a photo, a flag in his room and a name his grandmother sometimes calls him by mistake.
  • Tenn. woman charged after posting vulgar message about deputy on broken toilet in yard
    Posted March 17, 2013 8:23 AM
    MOUNT PLEASANT — A Middle Tennessee woman is facing charges after police say she displayed a vulgar message about an officer who arrested her daughter on a drug charge.
  • Ashley Academy speller repeats as champ of regional bee
    Posted March 17, 2013 8:11 AM
    KNOXVILLE — Out of the 234 spellers who competed in this year’s News Sentinel Southern Appalachia Regional Spelling Bee, Rahul Krishnaswamy emerged victorious again.
  • 2 charged with beating, stabbing Iraq War veteran to death in Rogersville
    Posted March 17, 2013 7:51 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — Two men were in custody Saturday after the discovery of a grisly murder scene involving an Iraq War veteran, who was apparently beaten and stabbed to death for his medication.
  • City asking public's help in naming greenspace
    Updated March 19, 2013 8:41 AM
    The city of Johnson City is asking citizens for suggestions on what to name a new public greenspace that will be located along State of Franklin Road at the former site of Free Service Tire Co. and other facilities. The 5-acre tract will serve as a stormwater detention basin that will assist with reducing flood events in the downtown area and will include an open creek channel with sitting walls, an amphitheater and a large greenspace for play and special event activities. Brush Creek will meander through the park and include three waterfalls, with the last one cascading into an area that will be funneled under the railroad tracks. The project is set for completion in September.
  • Applications for seasonal jobs at Parks and Rec now available
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:17 PM
    Looking for a summer job?
  • Johnson City methadone clinic opposition grows
    Updated March 17, 2013 10:31 AM
    A resolution opposing starting a methadone clinic in Johnson City could be presented at the March meeting of the Washington County Commission.
  • Vendors, merchants keep race fans busy at Bristol Motor Speedway
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:11 PM
    BRISTOL — While waiting for their favorite drivers to hit the track Saturday, fans were busy making laps outside Bristol Motor Speedway, trying to take in all the activities available before the start of Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300.
  • Johnson says strong start no accident
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:09 PM
    BRISTOL — Jimmie Johnson is up to his old tricks again.
  • Global Rallycross Championship coming to BMS
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:07 PM
    BRISTOL — The extreme action at Bristol Motor Speedway is going to get a little more extreme this summer.
  • Las Vegas driver hits jackpot in K&N race
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:04 PM
    BRISTOL — Dylan Kwasniewski drove away from the field in the final laps of the Drive4COPD 125 NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, giving Las Vegas drivers a sweep of Saturday’s racing action.
  • Hundreds go Chasing Snakes in city
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:04 PM
    More than 500 runners and walkers participated in the 5th Annual Chasing Snakes 10K Road Race and 4K Fitness Walk Saturday morning. The race, which was organized by St. John’s Episcopal Church, has seen several additions this year, including chip timing and a new focus on being green.
  • Hundreds go Chasing Snakes in city
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:04 PM
    More than 700 runners and walkers participated in the 5th Annual Chasing Snakes 10K Road Race and 4K Fitness Walk Saturday morning. All proceeds from the race go toward operating the event and to the Interfaith Hospitality Network, a network of churches and community organizations in the Johnson City area that provide support to homeless families with children.
  • Earnhardt back at one of his favorite tracks
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:03 PM
    BRISTOL — Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a rough time qualifying for today’s Food City 500, but NASCAR’s 10-time reigning Most Popular Driver still ranks Bristol Motor Speedway near the top of his list of race tracks.
  • Favored Busch chasing sixth BMS Cup win
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:01 PM
    BRISTOL — Kyle Busch assumes the role of favorite for today’s Food City 500, following his track-record setting qualifying run on Friday.
  • Petty returns to coaching for Jr. Bucs
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:01 PM
    Josh Petty made three major adjustments this spring, and there’s nothing like a 3-0 start to help ease the transition.
  • Nationwide history made at Bristol
    Posted March 16, 2013 8:00 PM
    BRISTOL — Kyle Busch made more Bristol Motor Speedway history with his victory in the Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300 on Saturday.
  • Second-closest finish at BMS goes to Busch
    Posted March 16, 2013 7:58 PM
    BRISTOL — Kyle Busch used all the track to hold off Kyle Larson and win Saturday’s Jeff Foxworthy Grit Chips 300 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Busch holds off Larson at Bristol's finish line
    Posted March 16, 2013 6:54 PM
    BRISTOL — Kyle Larson's first chance to get a big win in NASCAR ended with him claiming a controversial win.
  • BMS races: Jeff Foxworthy says rednecks are alive and well
    Posted March 16, 2013 6:38 PM
    BRISTOL - Rednecks are alive and well, and if you need to find out for yourself, come to Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Accuser in Ohio high school football players' rape case can't recall assault
    Posted March 16, 2013 6:26 PM
    STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A teenage girl who says she was raped by two Ohio high school football players testified Saturday that she could not recall what happened the night of the alleged attack but remembers waking up naked in a strange house after drinking at a party.
  • Pa. lacrosse team bus crashes; pregnant coach dies
    Updated March 16, 2013 6:24 PM
    CARLISLE, Pa. — A road trip by a college women's lacrosse team came to a horrifying end Saturday when the team bus veered off the Pennsylvania Turnpike and crashed into a tree, killing a pregnant coach, her unborn child, and the driver, and injuring numerous others, authorities said.
  • Organ donor in rabies cases had symptoms, wasn't tested
    Posted March 16, 2013 11:02 AM
    A 20-year-old Air Force recruit who died of rabies had symptoms of the disease but wasn't tested before his organs were transplanted to four patients, one of whom died of rabies nearly 18 months later, federal health officials said Friday.
  • TN microbreweries craft ale to protest high beer tax
    Posted March 16, 2013 10:37 AM
    NASHVILLE — Instead of dumping beverages to protest what they consider an unfair tax, two Middle Tennessee microbreweries have created one.
  • State OKs UT fracking plan
    Posted March 16, 2013 10:29 AM
    NASHVILLE — The University of Tennessee received state approval Friday to move forward with its plan to drill oil and gas wells for hydraulic fracturing — or fracking — on university land in Morgan and Scott counties.
  • Doctor: Woman accused of killing twins in shock
    Posted March 16, 2013 9:58 AM
    GALLATIN — A psychiatrist testified Friday that a woman charged in the deaths of her newborn twins did not know she was pregnant and suffered from shock from blood loss when she gave birth on a toilet.
  • Armadillos spreading in East Tennessee
    Posted March 16, 2013 9:32 AM
    CHATTANOOGA — The armadillo invasion of East Tennessee has gone more quickly than expected.
  • 11 dead, dozens hurt in Mexico fireworks explosion
    Posted March 16, 2013 9:28 AM
    MEXICO CITY — A truck loaded with fireworks exploded during a religious procession in a rural village in central Mexico, killing at least 13 people and injuring 154, authorities said.
  • Danica ready to mix it up at BMS
    Updated March 15, 2013 11:07 PM
    BRISTOL -- Although Danica Patrick didn't grow up racing stock cars, she understands beating and banging is part of the business at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Busch paces Food City 500 qualifying with record run
    Posted March 15, 2013 10:42 PM
    BRISTOL -- Kyle Busch still has the magic touch at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Johnson City man wanted for first-degree murder arrested
    Updated March 16, 2013 11:32 AM
    A city man wanted for first-degree murder in Louisiana was arrested by the Johnson City Police Department on Friday afternoon, police said in a news release.
  • Two candidates interviewed for Elizabethton post
    Posted March 15, 2013 10:15 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The first two interviews by the Elizabethton City Council to choose a new city manager was a study in contrasts.
  • Two charged with double murder arraigned
    Posted March 15, 2013 10:13 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Two of the three men charged in the murders of Joyce Brock, 61, and Russell Glen Shell, 54, had their first appearances in Carter County Criminal Court on Friday.
  • Man arrested for threatening deputy on Facebook
    Posted March 15, 2013 10:03 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A man who previously had been arrested on a methamphetamine charge was back in jail after allegedly making threats toward a Carter County deputy.
  • Drivers, food souvenirs draw large crowd at Food City Race Night
    Updated March 15, 2013 10:28 PM
    BRISTOL — While today’s Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300 and Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway mostly spotlight NASCAR and its drivers, Friday night was all about the fans, as loads of free food and giveaways were distributed at Food City Race Night.
  • ETSU medical students learn next destination
    Posted March 15, 2013 9:50 PM
    Millennium Centre’s ballroom was filled with stifled excitement Friday as the 63 members of the Class of 2013 at East Tennessee State University’s medical school waited to find out where they would go for the next few years.
  • Schools’ safety may be assessed in Washington County
    Posted March 15, 2013 9:47 PM
    Washington County officials continue to express concern regarding student safety, but they also seem to be getting on the same page about providing additional protection when and where it’s needed and in a fiscally responsible, thoroughly examined and calculated sequence.
  • Medicaid expansion focus of annual Unicoi County breakfast
    Updated March 16, 2013 11:47 AM
    It was perhaps appropriate that Friday's annual Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast was sponsored by Mountain States Health Alliance, as much of the discussion focused on the topic of Medicaid expansion.
  • Pet-3-14-13
    Posted March 15, 2013 5:19 PM
    Josie is an adult spayed female Blue heeler. She is kennel trained and may be good with other dogs but you should bring your dogs to meet her before adopting. This well behaved and easy going girl came to the shelter as a stray. For more information about Josie or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week
  • West Tenn. 8-year-old run over by car in driveway, dies
    Posted March 15, 2013 4:19 PM
    MEMPHIS — Memphis police say an 8-year-old boy has died after he was run over by a car while playing in a driveway.
  • Accidental discharge kills baby in Nashville
    Posted March 15, 2013 3:56 PM
    NASHVILLE — Metro Nashville Police say a man handling a pistol in a motel room has fatally shot one of his sons.
  • UT report: Put directors in fraternity houses
    Posted March 15, 2013 2:25 PM
    KNOXVILLE — A committee at the University of Tennessee has proposed remedies for rowdiness that made the campus the subject of late-night TV comedy.
  • Prison guard wounded in drunken attempt to shoot off wedding ring
    Updated March 15, 2013 1:44 PM
    PITTSBURGH — A federal prison guard has been charged with shooting his own finger in a drunken attempt to remove his wedding ring during an argument with his wife at their northwestern Pennsylvania home, police said.
  • Haslam signs Tenn. guns-in-parking-lots bill
    Updated March 15, 2013 1:41 PM
    NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a bill allowing people with handgun carry permits to store firearms in their vehicles no matter where they are parked.
  • KKK-related fliers left in Oak Ridge neighborhood
    Posted March 15, 2013 12:36 PM
    OAK RIDGE — One-page fliers bearing the letterhead of the United Klans of America and announcing a neighborhood watch were left this week in resealable baggies weighted down with rocks in an older neighborhood in the western end of the city.
  • Formerly anti-gay, US senator reverses course on marriage after son comes out
    Updated March 15, 2013 12:34 PM
    CINCINNATI — Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman is now supporting gay marriage and says his reversal on the issue began when he learned one of his sons is gay.
  • Kingsport police: DUI driver hits four cars, runs from crash
    Updated March 15, 2013 1:35 PM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport motorist has been arrested after allegedly striking a vehicle on East Center Street Thursday night, then continuing on to collide with three more that were sitting in a parking lot.
  • Interior pick puts outdoor industry in spotlight
    Posted March 15, 2013 11:08 AM
    SALT LAKE CITY — She doesn’t wear a cowboy hat favored by traditional picks for interior secretary. Sally Jewell prefers fleece and Gore-Tex jackets and wears a safety helmet when she needs it for scaling cliffs, skiing or kayaking.
  • Volunteers recognized for work on trail shelters
    Posted March 15, 2013 10:58 AM
    KNOXVILLE — A Knoxville-based hiking club has finished making renovations to all backcountry trail shelters in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  • Bear rescue center gets updates
    Posted March 15, 2013 10:46 AM
    TOWNSEND — The curator of Tennessee’s only licensed center to rehabilitate black bears says crews have been updating the facility over the last several months.
  • Carl A. Jones was instrumental in getting open records bill passed
    Posted March 15, 2013 10:37 AM
    For months last year, I kept asking members of the Coalition for Open Government and the Tennessee Press Association if they knew anything about the history of the Tennessee Public Records Act of 1957.
  • Elizabethton council OKs spending to finish substation project
    Posted March 15, 2013 9:19 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The final portions of a $20 million bond issue to rebuild all nine Elizabethton Electric Department substations will soon be used up, leading the Elizabethton City Council to authorize the expenditure of $439,511 out of the current operational budget to finish the final portions of the major project.
  • BMS helicopter landing zone dedicated to pilot
    Updated March 15, 2013 9:13 AM
    BRISTOL — The helicopter landing zone at Bristol Motor Speedway was dedicated to Bill Starnes on Thursday. It was a fitting tribute, according to those who knew him best.
  • Welcome race fans, please come again
    Posted March 15, 2013 8:53 AM
    We want to welcome all race fans who are spending time with us this weekend. We’re glad you’re here and want to say “thank you” for spending your time and hard-earned dollars in our region.
  • Former Elizabethton police chief to teach criminal justice at Happy Valley High School
    Posted March 15, 2013 8:53 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — A former police chief will soon be ending his law enforcement career, but plans to develop future law enforcement officers.
  • Abortion response
    Posted March 15, 2013 8:43 AM
    The letter to Forum from Carolyn Bailey on March 3 urging people to contact legislators to express opposition to a bill to require women seeking abortions to undergo and view an ultrasound examination prior to the abortion begs a response that poses questions for those who may be influenced by her arguments. She says a person can support abortion without endorsing abortion as a birth control method. What else is abortion used for?
  • Not all caseworkers are social workers
    Posted March 15, 2013 8:42 AM
    On March 11, the Johnson City Press published an article headlined, “Parents say DCS ‘tore family apart.’ ” In the article the author refers to state Department of Children’s Services employees as “social workers.”
  • Women’s rights
    Posted March 15, 2013 8:40 AM
    Why do people think that abortion should be illegal? Abortion is a choice that only a woman can make; not a choice someone else can make for her.
  • Infrastructure, especially broadband, should be priority
    Posted March 15, 2013 8:35 AM
    The early part of the 20th century saw many homes in the United States not wired for electricity. This was particularly true of rural areas. The Great Depression brought the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which extended electricity to poor and remote areas of Appalachia.
  • UT proposes fracking on its own land for research
    Posted March 15, 2013 7:10 AM
    NASHVILLE — The University of Tennessee wants to allow hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas on a state-owned tract of rolling woodland, raising the hackles of environmentalists who question its stated goal of raising funds to research the environmental impact of such drilling.
  • Pentagon spends nearly $1B a year on unemployment
    Posted March 15, 2013 6:41 AM
    WASHINGTON — Even as it faces budget cuts and forced employee furloughs, the Pentagon is spending nearly a $1 billion a year on a program that sends unemployment checks to former troops who left the military voluntarily.
  • US clergy sex abuse victims want change from new pope
    Posted March 15, 2013 6:40 AM
    LOS ANGELES — The election of a new pope could help heal the wounds left by a Roman Catholic sex abuse crisis that has savaged the church's reputation worldwide. For alleged victims, much depends on whether Pope Francis disciplines the priests and the hierarchy that protected them.
  • Sullivan Co. school leader wants to merge North, South high schools
    Posted March 15, 2013 6:23 AM
    BLOUNTVILLE — One parent Thursday said Sullivan County’s school system has “awoken a sleeping giant” by considering the merger of Sullivan North and South high schools, although no earlier than the 2014-15 school year.
  • Chicago to headline Fun Fest concerts
    Posted March 15, 2013 6:23 AM
    KINGSPORT — Award-winning, top-selling and legendary musical artists — Chris Tomlin, Hunter Hayes, Gavin DeGraw and Chicago — will headline the Fun Fest 2013 Sunset Concert Series.
  • Man to face hearing on theft charge
    Posted March 14, 2013 10:08 PM
    A Johnson City man is scheduled for a hearing in Sessions Court this afternoon for allegedly selling a vehicle that did not belong to him to a local recycling center in October.
  • Elizabethton council OK’s spending to finish substation project
    Posted March 14, 2013 10:06 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The final portions of a $20 million bond issue to rebuild all nine Elizabethton Electric Department substations will soon be used up, leading the Elizabethton City Council to authorize the expenditure of $439,511 out of the current operational budget to finish the final portions of the major project.
  • Science Hill Culinary Arts team advances after placing first in state
    Posted March 14, 2013 10:03 PM
    The Science Hill High School Culinary Arts team has cooked its way to the National Restaurant Association ProStart Invitational, a high school competition focused on restaurant management and culinary arts, after placing first in the statewide competition Saturday.
  • Former, current students protest Range Elementary School closure proposal
    Posted March 14, 2013 9:56 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The school zone on Tenn. Highway 400 in front of Range Elementary School is now also a protest zone as parents, alumni and friends of the Carter County are standing by the road to protest the recommendation to close the school and transfer its students to Central Elementary School next year.
  • Officials, residents weigh in on Five Points roundabout plan
    Posted March 14, 2013 9:55 PM
    Community members, town officials and Tennessee Department of Transportation representatives and consultants met Thursday to discuss a proposed and soon-to-be-implemented solution to the heavily trafficked area in Jonesborough known as Five Points.
  • Plans OK’d for Love Chapel modular classrooms
    Posted March 14, 2013 9:50 PM
    If everything falls into place, Love Chapel Elementary School students will have a place of their own by the time classes resume following the summer break.
  • Washington County Budget Committee to hold off on SRO vote
    Posted March 14, 2013 9:48 PM
    Public protection does not come cheap.
  • Pastrana is serious about NASCAR
    Posted March 14, 2013 8:43 PM
    Travis Pastrana is known for being a little crazy as an extreme sports star and a television star on the MTV show “Nitro Citrus.”
  • Last year's unusual pole a lift for Mears
    Posted March 14, 2013 8:42 PM
    Take them anyway you can get them.
  • Boone, Unicoi still rule roost
    Posted March 14, 2013 8:40 PM
    When high school softball season rolls around, two of the biggest names in Northeast Tennessee are Unicoi County and Daniel Boone.
  • Bristol not the only place for races this week
    Posted March 14, 2013 8:38 PM
    Bristol Motor Speedway will be teeming with action today, although it’s not the only racing in the area today.
  • Gordon has new appreciation for wins
    Posted March 14, 2013 8:34 PM
    Jeff Gordon savors the wins at this point in his career.
  • JC police: 2 arrested on I-26 after 2 1/2 pounds pot found in trunk
    Posted March 14, 2013 7:05 PM
    Two Kingsport men were found with more than 2 1/2 pounds of marijuana Wednesday during an Interstate 26 traffic stop in Johnson City, police said in a news release.
  • Meth lab found cooking in Mount Carmel Hardee's parking lot
    Posted March 14, 2013 5:10 PM
    MOUNT CARMEL — A Surgoinsville man found passed out behind the wheel at the Mount Carmel Hardee's restaurant Thursday was allegedly cooking something that can't be found on the drive through menu.
  • Local sex offender compliance check results in 5 arrests, 15 reports
    Updated March 14, 2013 6:43 PM
    A three-day, four-county sex offender compliance check in Northeast Tennessee resulted in the arrests of five people and 15 violation reports submitted to the courts, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release issued Thursday.
  • Man charged with burglary of Kingsport tattoo studio
    Posted March 14, 2013 4:41 PM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport man inked his ticket to jail on Tuesday after allegedly stealing $6,000 worth of tattoo designs from a city business.
  • Leclerc to expand Kingsport operations, add 40 jobs
    Posted March 14, 2013 4:25 PM
    KINGSPORT — Tennessee Economic and Community Development (ECD) Commissioner Bill Hagerty along with Leclerc Foods officials today announced the company will expand its Kingsport operation.
  • Couple arrested on meth-related charges twice in 3 days
    Posted March 14, 2013 4:15 PM
    KINGSPORT — Three days after being charged with shoplifting items used to make methamphetamine, a Kingsport couple were arrested again on Wednesday following the alleged discovery of meth labs in their residence.
  • Pentagon says Iranian plane chased US spy drone over Persian Gulf
    Posted March 14, 2013 4:07 PM
    WASHINGTON — An Iranian fighter jet approached a U.S. surveillance drone aircraft over the Persian Gulf but broke off its pursuit after a U.S. escort plane discharged a warning flare, the Pentagon said Thursday.
  • Supporters, foes of wine bill surprised by committee vote
    Posted March 14, 2013 3:40 PM
    While reactions were split on both sides of the issue regarding wine in grocery stores, supporters and opponents of the bill were surprised when the legislation failed Tuesday in the state House of Representatives in Nashville.
  • Lt. Gov. wants committee to clear Tenn. supermarket wine
    Posted March 14, 2013 3:40 PM
    NASHVILLE — Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey says he wants to a supermarket wine bill to clear his chamber's committees even though the House version failed this week.
  • WC budget committee delays action on $1.4 M school resource officer request
    Updated March 14, 2013 9:47 PM
    Public protection does not come cheap.
  • Convict, mother indicted in plot to harm TBI agent
    Posted March 14, 2013 2:34 PM
    MORRISTOWN — A federal grand jury has indicted a Cocke County man and his mother in a plot to harm a TBI agent.
  • Elizabethton man charged with stealing from Johnson City store
    Posted March 14, 2013 2:10 PM
    Johnson City police arrested an Elizabethton man Thursday on an accusation that he had been stealing from a discount retail chain store over several weeks.
  • Asner cancels Greeneville appearance
    Posted March 14, 2013 11:48 AM
    Due to a medical emergency requiring hospitalization, Ed Asner is unable to travel for his scheduled performance tonight at Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Greeneville.
  • Men arrested after 3-state, 99-mile chase that began with Tenn. robbery
    Posted March 14, 2013 11:04 AM
    CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. — Two men are in custody in southeast Missouri after a police chase through three states.
  • Railroad work causing traffic detours in downtown Johnson City
    Posted March 14, 2013 11:01 AM
    Railroad work in downtown Johnson City has caused traffic to be detoured.
  • Name released of man who died after plunging down falls on Signal Mountain
    Updated March 14, 2013 1:39 PM
    SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tenn. (AP) — Police have released the name of a man who fell to his death down Signal Mountain.
  • Johnson City announces spring leaf collection
    Posted March 14, 2013 10:31 AM
    Johnson City’s annual spring leaf collection will take place April 1-12.
  • Youth pastor charged with stealing from West Tenn. church
    Updated March 14, 2013 11:09 AM
    JACKSON — A Madison County grand jury has indicted a Jackson church youth pastor on a theft charge.
  • Cops kill suspect in deadly NY shooting rampage
    Posted March 14, 2013 9:00 AM
    HERKIMER, NY — Police in upstate New York stormed an abandoned building Thursday morning where a man suspected of a deadly shooting rampage at a car wash and barbershop had been holed up for hours, killing the man after he fired on a police dog.
  • Open government
    Posted March 14, 2013 8:54 AM
    Let us have open government. Lincoln said we are a government of the people, for the people and by the people. No secret meetings by government officials elected by the people should be allowed. If it is not fit to be printed in a newspaper, it should not be discussed at all.
  • Government wastes billions to keep secrets from Americans
    Posted March 14, 2013 8:53 AM
    Are you aware of the amount of information that the government keeps hidden from you, and how much it spends to keep it secret?
  • General Assembly’s budget meetings should be public
    Posted March 14, 2013 8:48 AM
    During this Sunshine Week we renew our calls for the Tennessee General Assembly to practice what it preaches in terms of transparency. As we’ve mentioned in this space numerous times before, Tennessee lawmakers promise each year to be more transparent in the budget process.
  • Former Knox judge's punishment: Imprisonment or probation?
    Posted March 14, 2013 7:36 AM
    KNOXVILLE — When a federal judge next month decides what punishment to dole out to a once-respected jurist turned convicted felon, he must choose between two contrasting images — betrayer of public trust or repentant sinner.
  • 21st birthday 2 days away, woman denied beer, charged with reckless driving
    Posted March 14, 2013 7:25 AM
    CHURCH HILL — A woman who was denied a beer purchase two days before her 21st birthday Tuesday night was arrested after allegedly leaving the store at a high rate of speed and hitting a street sign while being chased by police.
  • Five Points progress meeting set tonight
    Updated March 14, 2013 9:04 AM
    The Tennessee Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting tonight to discuss construction plans and the progress of a safety project at the Five Points intersection of Tenn. Highway 81 South, Old State Route 34 and Tenn. Highway 353 in Jonesborough.
  • Opponents of workers’ comp legislation say it hurts workers
    Posted March 13, 2013 9:19 PM
    Attention Tennessee employees: a grass-roots movement is under way to shine a light on legislation that would reform the state’s Workers’ Compensation Division — reform that appears to benefit insurance companies, increase public oversight, pulls private attorneys out of the mix and severely cuts funding for workers who incur on-the-job injuries and disabilities.
  • Elizabethton council to interview two city manager finalists
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:52 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Elizabethton City Council will interview two of the finalists for the city manager job Friday and the remaining two candidates March 21.
  • Deputy details first assignment as young, undercover officer
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:52 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Donna Rogan was given a difficult first assignment in her law enforcement career. The 22-year-old deputy with the Carter County Sheriff’s Department was asked to serve as an undercover agent for this school year to determine the amount of drug activity in the high schools in the county.
  • Truex looks to reel in win
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:27 PM
    After the final Sprint Cup Series practice for the Food City 500 on Saturday, you’re as likely to see Martin Truex Jr. carrying a fishing pole as his helmet bag.
  • ’Toppers, Unicoi conference favorites
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:27 PM
    Science Hill’s baseball team may have to scramble to stay on top in the Big Eight Conference while Unicoi County should have the lead step in the Three Rivers Conference.
  • Edwards likes winning more than racing
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:22 PM
    Carl Edwards found out last season he didn’t like racing nearly as much as winning.
  • Kenseth says Gibbs ‘right team for me’
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:19 PM
    Fresh off a win in last Sunday’s race at Las Vegas, there is not a doubt in Matt Kenseth’s mind he made the right move to switch to Joe Gibbs Racing and drive the No. 20 Toyota this season.
  • Man arrested after allegedly assaulting girlfriend
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:14 PM
    Johnson City police arrested a man early Wednesday and charged him with aggravated domestic assault after responding to a call at 304 Delaware Drive.
  • Fla. politician resigns, 57 charged in scandal
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:12 PM
    ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida's lieutenant governor resigned and nearly 60 other people were charged in a scandal involving a purported veterans charity that authorities said Wednesday was a front for a $300 million gambling operation.
  • Pope Francis: Simple image, complex past
    Posted March 13, 2013 7:59 PM
    VATICAN CITY (AP) — On the streets in Buenos Aires, the stories about the cardinal who would become the first pope from the Americas often include a very ordinary backdrop: The city bus during rush hour.
  • Sullivan Co. man charged with burglary of mother's home
    Posted March 13, 2013 5:30 PM
    BLOUNTVILLE — A man has been arrested after allegedly stealing numerous electronic items — including TVs, DVD players and a video game system — from his mother's Sullivan County home.
  • Police search NY village for suspect after 4 killed, 2 wounded
    Posted March 13, 2013 5:29 PM
    HERKIMER, N.Y. — Police say they're searching an upstate New York village after exchanging fire with a man suspected of killing four people and wounding two others.
  • Dow notches ninth gain in a row, longest since '96
    Posted March 13, 2013 4:43 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average notched its ninth gain in a row, giving the index its longest winning streak in more than sixteen years.
  • Prosecutor: Ohio school rape victim didn't consent
    Updated March 13, 2013 3:51 PM
    STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A 16-year-old girl was "substantially impaired" after an alcohol-fueled party, was unable to consent to sex and suffered humiliation and degradation when she was raped by two high school football players, a prosecutor said Wednesday in her opening statement at the boys' trial.
  • Update: Argentine Jorge Bergoglio elected pope
    Updated March 13, 2013 3:35 PM
    VATICAN CITY — Argentine Jorge Bergoglio was elected pope Wednesday and chose the papal name Francis, becoming first pontiff from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium.
  • Killer of Lillelid family denied appeal
    Updated March 13, 2013 1:25 PM
    NASHVILLE — A federal court has refused to hear the appeal of one of six people serving life in prison for the 1997 roadside murders of a 6-year-old girl and her parents.
  • Burned body at Tenn. quarry was that of McMinnville woman
    Posted March 13, 2013 12:17 PM
    MANCHESTER — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says a partially burned human body found in Coffee County was that of a McMinnville woman.
  • Tenn. workers' comp reform advances in Legislature
    Updated March 13, 2013 12:13 PM
    NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposed workers’ compensation overhaul, more than a year in the making, is now on the legislative fast track.
  • Police chief says Bristol shooting victims targeted in Pigeon Forge
    Posted March 13, 2013 11:53 AM
    PIGEON FORGE — Pigeon Forge police think a weekend double shooting that left a Bristol man dead and his father wounded was no random act.
  • Vets save NYC dog who swallowed 111 pennies
    Posted March 13, 2013 11:37 AM
    NEW YORK — A New York City dog has undergone emergency surgery to remove more than 100 pennies from his stomach.
  • NYC cop convicted of cannibal plot to roast, eat women
    Posted March 13, 2013 11:25 AM
    NEW YORK — Police Officer Gilberto Valle’s lawyers said he was just spinning sick and twisted fantasies for his own pleasure when he chatted online about abducting, roasting and eating women. A jury, though, decided he was deadly serious.
  • Tickets on sale for NCAA 1st-2nd round games In Knoxville
    Updated March 13, 2013 11:15 AM
    KNOXVILLE — Tennessee will be host for the 2013 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship first and second round games on March 23 and 25 at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tickets are on sale now.
  • Ex-SW Va. cop pleads guilty to federal drug charge
    Posted March 13, 2013 10:58 AM
    ABINGDON, Va. — A former Pennington Gap police officer who was arrested last year by federal authorities pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Abingdon Tuesday to distributing prescription drugs.
  • Police: Crack cocaine seized in arrest at Kingsport parking lot
    Posted March 13, 2013 10:45 AM
    KINGSPORT — Police say surveillance of a hotspot for Kingsport drug transactions has led to a felony arrest and the seizure of $1,600 in crack cocaine.
  • $800,000 federal grant to help Johnson City fight crime
    Posted March 13, 2013 9:53 AM
    An $800,000 federal grant will help Johnson City implement a strategic plan to reduce crime, revitalize neighborhoods and keep kids out of trouble, according to Police Chief Mark Sirois and the new planning director.
  • Energy use, bills
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:43 AM
    I can understand how reduced power usage during high peak load times could favorably affect energy costs both to supplier and consumer. The installation of a relatively simple timer to high energy-use devices such as hot- water heaters and clothes dryers and possibly dishwashers during the peak load hours would be a good start. Water heaters will normally store enough hot water for a family to shower (conservatively), and could be programmed to come on only in off-peak hours.
  • Moral compass
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:42 AM
    I’m pleased to read letters that question the relevance and significance of the so-called Bible Belt when it comes to social justice issues on legislative agendas. We do seem remarkably silent, if not downright obstructionist, though the more progressive mainline denominations have taken official positions against destructive environmental practices, for health care and immigration reform and for responsible legislation to curb gun violence.
  • Johnson City Power Board is feeding customers a line
    Posted March 13, 2013 8:41 AM
    I read the articles on peak power usage rate increases and was very offended by the hype the Johnson City Power Board is feeding its customers. I recall a couple statements by a Power Board employee being that its goal is to reduce revenue and save customers money.
  • Teague looks to make history at Bristol
    Posted March 12, 2013 10:42 PM
    At the age when most people retire and most athletes have long retired, Brad Teague will look to make history Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Menard brings solid effort to RCR
    Posted March 12, 2013 10:40 PM
    You can tell a lot about the man by the vehicle he drives.
  • Ford finds unlikely allies in Gen-6 car development
    Posted March 12, 2013 10:35 PM
  • Officials ponder Love Chapel school replacement
    Updated March 12, 2013 9:46 PM
    ERWIN — Love Chapel Elementary School is now permanently closed and, since a large sinkhole was discovered on the school’s grounds in August, classes for Love Chapel students have been held in available space at other Unicoi County schools.
  • Man charged with theft from mall store
    Posted March 12, 2013 9:36 PM
    A Gray man was arrested Tuesday following an investigation into a theft at a local mall store, according to a police news release.
  • Beekeepers school set for Thursday-Saturday at Gray church
    Posted March 12, 2013 9:36 PM
    When Michaela Slagle was 10 years old, her father came home one day with the idea of the family becoming beekeepers, an idea she said she was not exactly fond of.
  • City sees decline in retail trade in fourth quarter of 2012
    Posted March 12, 2013 9:34 PM
    Johnson City saw a second decline in retail trade, while both Bristol and Kingsport reported higher sales during the fourth quarter of 2012, according to local economist Steb Hipple.
  • Early voting period soon to begin in City Commission and Board of Education races
    Updated March 13, 2013 4:06 PM
    —————
  • Police: Response to suspicious packages didn’t hamper normal operations
    Posted March 12, 2013 9:17 PM
    The resources expended Monday for Johnson City police to investigate a series of suspicious packages — ultimately found to contain mugs and plates left as gifts — left at four businesses in town did not interfere with normal police response to daily calls, according to local officials.
  • Fulmer would be ETSU's first choice as football coach
    Updated March 12, 2013 8:29 PM
    If the folks at East Tennessee State University have their way, Phillip Fulmer would be the school’s new football coach.
  • About face: Hill casts deciding vote against supermarket wine bill in House committee
    Updated March 12, 2013 5:56 PM
    NASHVILLE — A proposal to loosen wine sale laws in Tennessee failed by a single vote in a House committee on Tuesday, though supporters hope they can revive it.
  • Sullivan County heroin investigation nets arrest of NY man
    Posted March 12, 2013 10:52 AM
    A New York man allegedly transporting $30,000 worth of heroin into the area was intercepted and arrested last week at a Bristol, Tenn., bus station.
  • ETSU women's basketball coach Kemp to step down
    Updated March 12, 2013 8:32 PM
    After 19 years as East Tennessee State’s women’s basketball coach, Karen Kemp is stepping down.
  • Town of Unicoi planners OK Walmart’s new color scheme
    Posted March 12, 2013 9:11 AM
    UNICOI — Like other locations across the country, the Walmart in the town of Unicoi is in line for a facelift, and the town’s planning commission approved the store’s new color scheme as it was proposed at its Monday meeting.
  • Neighbors stand firm against quarry operations at Carter County Highway Committee meeting
    Posted March 12, 2013 9:07 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Although there has been no announcement by Aggregates USA to resume operations in a quarry that has stood idle for many years, residents around Judge Ben Allen Road made their opposition known during the meeting of the Highway Committee of the Carter County Commission on Monday.
  • Carter County Budget Committee passes burial bill on to full commission
    Posted March 12, 2013 9:01 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Budget Committee of the Carter County Commission was unable to resolve a dispute over payment for a pauper burial that has been discussed for the past two months.
  • Family wants justice for East Tenn. teen shot, killed
    Posted March 12, 2013 7:36 AM
    KNOXVILLE — Belinda Jackson was in her kitchen making cheeseburgers for her grandson, Hakeen, when he told her he would be right back. Shortly after, she said, she heard a knock on the door.
  • FDA head says menu calorie labeling 'thorny' issue
    Posted March 12, 2013 7:27 AM
    WASHINGTON — Diners will have to wait a little longer to find calorie counts on most restaurant chain menus, in supermarkets and on vending machines.
  • Senate panel ready to OK gun background checks
    Posted March 12, 2013 7:18 AM
    WASHINGTON — Democrats are ready to muscle expanded background checks and other gun curbs through a Senate committee, giving President Barack Obama an initial if temporary victory on one of his top priorities.
  • Several roads to be closed in Jonesborough
    Posted March 11, 2013 10:24 PM
    Road closures and detours throughout Jonesborough will be initiated over the next two days as Norfolk Southern replaces tracks at each railroad crossing in the town.
  • Jonesborough Farmers Market expansion moves forward
    Posted March 11, 2013 10:19 PM
    The Jonesborough Farmers Market could soon greet visitors as they enter the gateway of the historic downtown district.
  • Man faces attempted first-degree murder, other charges
    Posted March 11, 2013 10:15 PM
    A Gray man charged with trying to kill a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper after a high-speed chase Jan. 3 was arraigned on multiple charges in Washington County Criminal Court on Monday.
  • Laughren, Delffs power Lady Devils past 'Toppers
    Posted March 11, 2013 9:13 PM
    ERWIN -- Unicoi County softball coach Grady Lingerfelt wasn’t bragging after his team defeated Science Hill 10-4 in Monday’s rain-shortened season-opener at the Lady Devils Diamond.
  • Hornish looks for good start
    Posted March 11, 2013 5:55 PM
    Sam Hornish Jr. won Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas, a victory key in his goal for the season.
  • After 10-22, where now for Bucs?
    Posted March 11, 2013 5:49 PM
    The best thing that can be said for East Tennessee State basketball this season is that it’s over. The long, painful grind is finally over.
  • Local girls performed well at state
    Posted March 11, 2013 5:45 PM
    Northeast Tennessee doesn’t have a gold ball, but it certainly has a state-level voice in girls basketball.
  • Barnwell has built tradition at Science Hill
    Posted March 11, 2013 5:43 PM
    When a basketball team has a lot of talent, people can sometimes lose sight of a good coaching job.
  • Bristol has always impressed Stenhouse
    Posted March 11, 2013 5:41 PM
    Long before he was part of NASCAR’s young power couple, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was a young open-wheel driver who couldn’t wait to visit Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Struggling Montoya looks for turnaround at BMS
    Updated March 11, 2013 5:56 PM
    Racing doesn’t come as easy to Juan Pablo Montoya these days.
  • A loss that won’t soon be forgotten
    Updated March 12, 2013 1:43 AM
    Carol Hensley Singletary sailed across earth like a warmhearted whirlwind, lifting spirits and flipping frowns before leaving loved ones feeling both upright and upside down.
  • Tip prompts arrest of Kingsport man in CVS robbery
    Posted March 11, 2013 5:25 PM
    KINGSPORT — Kingsport police have charged a man in Sunday's robbery of the CVS on Memorial Boulevard, saying the suspect used his personal information to pick up a prescription at another location just minutes prior to the incident.
  • 50-year sentence ordered for Illinois man who killed elderly Sulphur Springs native with hammer
    Updated March 11, 2013 5:18 PM
    A man who bludgeoned an 81-year-old Sulphur Springs native to death with a hammer last year in Illinois was sentenced to 50 years in prison Monday.
  • Bristol man shot to death in Pigeon Forge; father in stable in condition
    Posted March 11, 2013 4:43 PM
    PIGEON FORGE — A 21-year-old Bristol man died and another remains hospitalized after the father-son pair were shot Sunday sitting in their pickup truck in the parking lot of a Pigeon Forge motel.
  • Do you agree with new MSHA policy to not hire smokers?
    Posted March 11, 2013 2:50 PM
    Cigarette smokers who want to work at Mountain States Health Alliance need not apply for a job unless they are willing to kick the habit. MSHA has adopted a new employment policy that shuns all job applicants who are discovered to be tobacco users.
  • National Nutrition Month: Every little step helps
    Posted March 11, 2013 2:50 PM
    This month marks the 40th anniversary of National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme is “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day.” The theme is designed to encourage people to eat healthfully while including foods they love, their own traditions or health needs and preferences. In other words, all healthy diets are not alike.
  • Vote Jenny Brock
    Posted March 11, 2013 2:45 PM
    I am writing this letter in support of Jenny Brock, who is a candidate for the City Commission in the upcoming April election. I have known Jenny for more than 50 years — attending North Jr. High and Science Hill High School with her.
  • Statute of limitations should be a more reasonable amount of time
    Posted March 11, 2013 2:44 PM
    Are you a senior? Is there a senior that you care about? Are you hoping to be a senior someday?
  • Senate is the problem
    Posted March 11, 2013 2:40 PM
    The media and President Obama have sustained the deceitful charge that Republicans represent the party of “no” and are blocking every effort made to redeem our staggering economy. Not so. It is Democrats who represent the party of “no” for blocking House Speaker John Boehner’s efforts to bring some common sense to the Halls of Liberty in D.C.
  • Obama supports Muslim Brotherhood
    Posted March 11, 2013 2:39 PM
    The Arab Spring wasn’t about democracy. It was to turn these countries into Islamic nations to establish a Caliphate. It was planned in 2009, with President Obama’s aides in attendance. Dates for the uprisings were posted on Google. All but one country followed the schedule.
  • Government transparency leads to more credibility
    Posted March 11, 2013 2:36 PM
    “What the people don’t know WILL hurt them.”
  • Waiting for Baby: Local couple look to adopt
    Updated March 11, 2013 2:47 PM
    On Aug. 18 at 1 in the morning, Matthew Smith and Trey Darnell, who had always wanted to be fathers, made a decision: They were going to pursue adoption no matter the obstacles.
  • Set your clock ahead and change batteries
    Posted March 11, 2013 2:09 PM
    Don’t forget to “spring forward” tonight before going to bed. Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday and ends Nov. 3.
  • 14 arrested in Carter Co. high school undercover operation
    Updated March 11, 2013 10:16 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Donna Rogan, a newly-hired deputy with the Carter County Sheriff’s Department, posed for most of this school year as a high school student to determine the amount of illegal drug activity in the county school system and her work has led to the arrest of nine adults and five juveniles on drug charges. Her work also identified problems in one classroom that have now been corrected.
  • Trial to begin for Tenn. woman who killed newborn twins
    Posted March 11, 2013 11:47 AM
    NASHVILLE — Jury selection is under way in Gallatin for the murder trial of a Hendersonville woman charged with smothering her newborn twin boys.
  • Highway patrol: 2 survivors swam out of Ohio crash
    Posted March 11, 2013 11:42 AM
    WARREN, Ohio — Two teens who escaped a crash that killed six friends in a swampy pond wriggled out of the wreckage by smashing a rear window and swimming away from the SUV, a state trooper said Monday.
  • Update: JC police says suspicious packages were "gifts," no criminal intent meant
    Updated March 12, 2013 8:52 AM
    It turns out that seven suspicious packages left at businesses throughout the Tri-Cities, including four in Johnson City, were simply harmless gifts a local man wanted to leave anonymously.
  • Man who abandoned dog in house charged with cruelty to animals
    Posted March 11, 2013 7:56 AM
    MOORESBURG — A Bean Station man accused of abandoning a dog inside a home he moved out of last year was charged last week with cruelty to animals.
  • Carol Hensley Singletary: A loss that won't soon be forgotten
    Updated March 11, 2013 1:36 PM
    Carol Hensley Singletary sailed across earth like a warmhearted whirlwind, lifting spirits and flipping frowns before leaving loved ones feeling both upright and upside down.
  • Next step for ETSU football: TBR fee approval
    Posted March 9, 2013 9:18 PM
    Now that the estimated numbers are in for the cost to operate a football program at East Tennessee State University, the necessary fee to start a team must be approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents for the school to move forward with any football plans.
  • California CPR incident sparks look at local procedures
    Posted March 9, 2013 9:18 PM
    Widespread dismay over news that a nurse in California called 911 but refused to perform CPR for an elderly independent living facility resident who collapsed and later died included that of local independent living facility directors who this week shared their facilities’ policies on emergency resuscitation.
  • Group keeps seniors’ needs in forefront
    Posted March 9, 2013 9:14 PM
    While seniors’ needs and reports of abuse are often overlooked, one local group has made it its mission to become advocates for the elderly community in Washington County.
  • All eyes on wine measure
    Posted March 9, 2013 9:10 PM
    As legislation to allow wine in grocery stores moves forward, opponents and proponents alike are keeping watchful eyes on the bill as it passes through the legislature.
  • Courthouse renovation plans turned sideways to allow for more space
    Posted March 9, 2013 9:08 PM
    Initial plans for the Washington County Courthouse’s makeover called for keeping the second-floor courtroom’s orientation as is, but the design literally has been turned sideways to fit into the same layout that was there when the courthouse was last renovated in 1986.
  • Finchum wins Kingsport opener
    Posted March 9, 2013 7:34 PM
    KINGSPORT -- Knoxville driver Chad Finchum outdueled Hayden Woods of Piney Flats to win a wild season opener at Kingsport Speedway on Saturday afternoon.
  • Lady 'Toppers finish state runner-up again
    Updated March 9, 2013 7:29 PM
    MURFREESBORO — Riverdale ruled the nation Saturday.
  • Science Hill gets second chance at state title
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:09 PM
    MURFREESBORO — On March 10, 2012, Science Hill got a shot at a girls state basketball championship.
  • David Crockett student earns $100,000 Air Force scholarship
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:08 PM
    David Crockett High School senior Katelyn Curley can’t imagine her what her high school career would’ve been like if she hadn’t joined the school’s Navy JROTC program.
  • SHHS students to cheer on Lady Hilltoppers in state championship today
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:05 PM
    As Science Hill High School’s Lady Hilltoppers get ready to take on the Riverdale High School Lady Warriors today in the AAA state basketball championship game at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, they will be cheered on by the ’Topper Nation — including a group of students who will be traveling to support their fellow classmates.
  • Food City may open store in Unicoi Co.
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:02 PM
    ERWIN — An area grocery chain has an interest in setting up shop in Unicoi County, and preliminary work is under way to determine if the county could support a new store.
  • Local politicians happy with state finances
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:01 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The state of Tennessee is in great financial shape even though the national government is a mess.
  • Elizabethton falls to defending state champion CPA
    Posted March 8, 2013 8:57 PM
    MURFREESBORO — Just when it looked like Elizabethton was getting in position to beat the defending state champions, the Lady Cyclones went stone cold from the field.
  • Defending champ CPA downs Elizabethton in semifinals
    Posted March 8, 2013 8:53 PM
    MURFREESBORO — Just when it looked like Elizabethton was getting in position to beat the defending state champions, the Lady Cyclones went stone cold from the field.
  • Middle Tenn. lawmakers aim to let local governments bar public from meetings
    Updated March 8, 2013 4:48 PM
    NASHVILLE — A renewed push is under way to get Tennessee lawmakers to allow local officials to hold more closed-door meetings.
  • Feds seek death penalty in Tenn. postal shootings
    Posted March 8, 2013 4:02 PM
    MEMPHIS — A federal prosecutor told a judge Friday that he will pursue the death penalty against a former prison guard charged with killing two Tennessee postal workers.
  • Pet-3-8-13
    Posted March 8, 2013 3:50 PM
    Queenie is a 6-8 year old female Pug mix. She is kennel trained and good with dogs. Sutter is an adult male Shar Pei/lab mix. He is kennel trained and good with dogs. Sutter has a deformed front leg due to a break that was never set. The shelter is trying to raise the funds to have his leg amputated. For more information about Queenie or Sutter or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week.
  • Lady 'Toppers to play for state championship
    Updated March 8, 2013 2:22 PM
    MURFREESBORO — Science Hill High School's Lady Hilltoppers led 25-11 against Memphis Overton at halftime in the semifinals of the AAA state basketball tournament and quickly opened up a bigger lead in the second half.
  • Pickup plows into house on Bloomingdale Road
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:58 AM
    KINGSPORT — A pickup truck crashed into a house on Bloomingdale Road Thursday afternoon, leaving the driver with minor injuries.
  • Tenn. police chief's polygraph targets racist applicants
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:39 AM
    COOPERTOWN — A police chief hired to rebuild a tiny Tennessee department dismantled by scandal is using a lie-detector test to keep racists off his force.
  • US adds 236K jobs, unemployment falls to 7.7 percent
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:35 AM
    WASHINGTON — A burst of hiring last month added 236,000 U.S. jobs and reduced the unemployment rate to 7.7 percent from 7.9 percent in January. The robust gains suggested that the economy can strengthen further despite higher taxes and government spending cuts.
  • Coroner: Lion killed woman after escaping cage
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:22 AM
    DUNLAP, Calif. (AP) — The investigation into a lion attack that killed a 24-year-old woman who loved big cats is focusing on a cage door that the 550-pound animal managed to escape through to reach the volunteer intern, officials say.
  • Obama will take guns
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:13 AM
    Did your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents have their weapons taken away by the president? If so, then they experienced what we are likely to experience if the Obama gun ban outlined in a recent news story in the Press under the headline “Biden pledges urgent Obama action on gun control issue” is put into law.
  • Climate change tirade
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:11 AM
    A letter printed in Forum on Feb. 27 regarding “climate alarmists” is a tirade that sounds very paranoid. The information written is taken out of context and no sources are cited for the quotes. Go here (www.forbes.com/sites/stevezwick/2012/01/05/climate-change-and-the-trillion-dollar-disruption/) to read a contribution to Forbes.com written by Steve Zwick.
  • Increase size of military, defense spending
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:10 AM
    I believe the United States should expand our military because if we continue to cut the size of our military, while other countries expand theirs, we will eventually have to play catch-up.
  • Merit pay for teachers
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:07 AM
    Do you think that it is ethical for a teacher’s personal report card — one based on her students’ standardized test scores — to be the determining factor for said teacher’s paycheck? A hot topic with Tennessee’s education officials is the debate over merit pay.
  • Punish meth makers, not law-abiding consumers
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:04 AM
    Cold and allergy sufferers in Tennessee would be asked to suffer even more under a proposal requiring state residents to obtain a prescription for any over-the-counter medicine containing pseudoephedrine. Proponents of the legislation say it is aimed at curbing the scourge of methamphetamine, but we fear all the measure will do is to further inconvenience law-abiding Tennesseans.
  • Johnson City isn’t a good location for methadone clinic
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:02 AM
    We are adamantly opposed to efforts to locate a methadone clinic in Johnson City. It was a bad idea 10 years ago, and it’s still a bad idea today
  • Let’s work together to clothe children
    Posted March 8, 2013 9:01 AM
    Once again, our community has responded to the needs of our children by donating items to Operation Love to help keep our children warm during these cold winter months.
  • Wounded soldier needs kidney transplant
    Posted March 7, 2013 9:39 PM
    Army Pfc. Marshall Lane is grateful he survived a bullet wound last year while on a training mission with an Afghanistan military police unit and knows he’s lucky to be alive.
  • Wounded soldier needs kidney transplant
    Posted March 7, 2013 9:39 PM
    Army Pfc. Marshall Lane is grateful he survived a bullet wound last year while on a training mission with an Afghanistan military police unit and knows he’s lucky to be alive.
  • Proposed animal shelter fundraising contract on hold
    Posted March 7, 2013 9:35 PM
    Animal Control Board members agreed to disagree Thursday on a proposed contract from Enka, N.C.-based Dickerson, Bakker and Associates that would put the company in a position to pull the cart on a capital campaign to raise $1.7 million for the new Washington County-Johnson City Animal Shelter.
  • Commission moves to enlarge downtown historic district
    Updated March 8, 2013 9:10 PM
    The City Commission on Thursday unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance to triple the size of its downtown Historic Zoning/Conservation Overlay District.
  • First draft of ‘Rails-to-Trails’ master plan revealed
    Posted March 7, 2013 9:33 PM
    Durham, N.C.-based Alta/Greenways unveiled on Thursday its first draft of a master plan for East Tennessee’s first “Rails-to-Trails” project, which will serve as a guide for the successful completion of a 10-mile pedestrian-friendly path from Johnson City to Elizabethton.
  • Former ’Toppers tennis champs reunite for charity
    Posted March 7, 2013 8:56 PM
    Former Science Hill tennis state champions Alexander Greer and Jay Wilkinson are partnering tonight to net gains for children.
  • Lady Buffs’ year ends at NAIA
    Posted March 7, 2013 8:54 PM
    SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Seventh-seeded Milligan College erased a 17-point deficit to force overtime but lost 84-76 to No. 2 seed College of the Ozarks in the first round of the NAIA Women’s Basketball Division 2 National Championships.
  • Cloudland girls eliminated at state
    Posted March 7, 2013 6:01 PM
    MURFREESBORO — Cloudland was right there, but No. 1-ranked Union City proved to be a little stronger.
  • Hatters finally end Bucs' miserable season
    Updated March 8, 2013 2:35 AM
    MACON, Ga. — Stetson coach Casey Alexander said what everybody was thinking after his team eliminated East Tennessee State in the Atlantic Sun Conference basketball tournament.
  • Lady Cyclones get first state win
    Posted March 7, 2013 5:51 PM
    MURFREESBORO — After Elizabethton’s girls spent a decade sniffing, knocking and flat-out pounding at the door, Kayla Marosites simply kicked it in.
  • ETSU football cost estimated at just under $5 million per year by 2018-19
    Posted March 7, 2013 5:40 PM
    A high estimate for expenses for an East Tennessee State University football team would be just under $4.9 million per year by 2018-19, according to a school administrator who helped prepare documents about the cost.
  • Johnson City man accused of assaulting relative with chair
    Posted March 7, 2013 4:35 PM
    A Cherokee Road man was arrested Wednesday after he assaulted a relative with a wooden chair, Johnson City police said in a news release.
  • East Tenn. child porn suspect fatally shot as FBI serves warrant
    Posted March 7, 2013 2:28 PM
    NEW MARKET — The FBI says an agent was involved in a fatal shooting during an East Tennessee child pornography investigation.
  • Update: Elizabethton police say weapons, pot, cash found in raid; meth found in vehicle
    Updated March 7, 2013 5:17 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Elizabethton police arrested four people in two drug incidents this week.
  • Witnesses say Tenn. inmate was denied care before death
    Posted March 7, 2013 12:14 PM
    NASHVILLE — Last fall, Wayne Ruby was two years into his sentence for robbing a Nashville dry cleaning business, and he was ready to get out of prison.
  • Stranded hiker rescued after night on Appalachian Trail
    Posted March 7, 2013 12:00 PM
    ERWIN — A hiker stranded overnight along a Unicoi County portion of the Appalachian Trail in freezing conditions was rescued Wednesday by county officials.
  • Operation Love plans to help needy kids with summer clothes
    Posted March 7, 2013 8:34 AM
    Operation Love, the new and growing group of Johnson City women bound by their desire to help their community, has launched the third in their series of two-month charitable drives, this one to outfit needy school kids for summer.
  • Risk involved in using mail order pharmacy
    Posted March 7, 2013 8:29 AM
    The almost continual increase in health care costs seems to be on practically everyone’s mind. Many health care providers are doing all they can to curb costs. Several of my friends have had mandatory changes made in their prescription drug insurance coverage. They did not choose to make this change.
  • Railroad regulation overhaul could prevent traffic issues
    Posted March 7, 2013 8:25 AM
    There is a saying, “You can’t fight City Hall,” which is not entirely true. Those in the right have been known to triumph over red tape and bureaucracy. Perhaps a more accurate saying would be: “You can’t fight the railroad.”
  • Lion kills intern at Calif. Exotic animal park
    Posted March 7, 2013 7:14 AM
    DUNLAP, Calif. (AP) — Authorities are trying to determine what provoked a lion at an exotic animal park in Central California to attack and maul to death a 24-year-old woman, who had been on the job as an intern there for just a few weeks.
  • Furious over sanctions, North Korea vows to nuke US
    Posted March 7, 2013 7:04 AM
    North Korea on Thursday vowed to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States, amplifying its threatening rhetoric hours ahead of a vote by U.N. diplomats on whether to level new sanctions against Pyongyang for its recent nuclear test.
  • Hampton bows outs at state
    Posted March 6, 2013 10:22 PM
    MURFREESBORO — Hampton certainly gave it quite a scrap, but Jaycee Coe and company were too much to handle.
  • Mitchell not enough for Lady Bucs
    Posted March 6, 2013 10:20 PM
    MACON, Ga. — Destiny Mitchell was ready to carry the East Tennessee State women’s basketball team in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament.
  • Range Elementary recommended for closure by Carter director of schools
    Posted March 6, 2013 9:50 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Range Elementary School, Carter County’s smallest school, might be closed and its students moved to Central Elementary School next year.
  • Covered pavilion set to be built at trail in Unicoi County
    Posted March 6, 2013 9:46 PM
    ERWIN — It has taken less than two years for the Pinnacle Fire Tower Trail to become one of the most popular destinations for hiking and biking in Northeast Tennessee, and the town of Unicoi is set to break ground on a project that, once complete, will provide an added convenience to the ever-increasing number of Unicoi County visitors and residents who take advantage of the trail.
  • Commission on Aging surveys seniors, others
    Posted March 6, 2013 9:43 PM
    The Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability conducted a regional town hall meeting at Johnson City’s Memorial Park Community Center Senior Center Wednesday to gather input from local seniors, their care givers and their service providers on the generation’s emerging issues and needs,
  • Snowfall scrambles school schedules, produces few traffic problems
    Posted March 6, 2013 9:30 PM
    As promised, snow blanketed Northeast Tennessee early Wednesday morning, as accumulations of anywhere from 1 to 5 inches prompted school closings and delays throughout the region.
  • Double-decker bus serving as fundraising aid for group makes stop at ETSU
    Posted March 6, 2013 9:17 PM
    A child in this world becomes an orphan every 18 seconds, according to organizers with The Red Bus Project, an initiative to help orphans that set up on the campus of East Tennessee State University on Wednesday.
  • Lady ’Toppers hold court in state opener
    Posted March 6, 2013 7:47 PM
    MURFREESBORO — Bradley Central pleaded no contest.
  • Bucs hope for long stay in Macon
    Posted March 6, 2013 5:39 PM
    MACON, Ga. — The record says East Tennessee State could be in for a short stay at the Atlantic Sun Conference basketball tournament.
  • Lady Cyclones looking for first state win
    Posted March 6, 2013 5:37 PM
    MURFREESBORO — Making its fourth trip to the Class AA state basketball tournament, Elizabethton’s girls are still looking for their first win.
  • Preparations for football continue as meeting nears
    Posted March 6, 2013 5:32 PM
    Three weeks before a Tennessee Board of Regents meeting that can clear the way for football to return at East Tennessee State, the planning continues in haste.
  • Tenn. soldier shot, killed in Colorado home
    Posted March 6, 2013 4:29 PM
    WIDEFIELD, Colo. (AP) — Authorities say a soldier from Tennessee has been shot and killed at his home in Colorado, and a juvenile member of his family is a suspect.
  • Tenn. House speaker's vote rescues grocery store wine bill
    Posted March 6, 2013 4:27 PM
    NASHVILLE — Speaker Beth Harwell, in casting the deciding vote Wednesday, rescued a bill from defeat in a House subcommittee that would allow wine sales in supermarkets.
  • Six charged in Johnson Co. meth investigation
    Updated March 7, 2013 11:24 AM
    MOUNTAIN CITY — Six people were arrested last week after a Johnson County Sheriff's Office and Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into a meth-making operation, Sheriff Mike Reece announced today in a news release.
  • Bring back program
    Posted March 6, 2013 3:06 PM
    Teamwork, commitment and brotherhood — these are some of the attributes that make up a football team.
  • ETSU football
    Posted March 6, 2013 3:06 PM
    I’ve spent my entire adult life on the sidelines with college football. I have loved the sport since seventh grade as a student reporter.
  • Role models
    Posted March 6, 2013 3:03 PM
    You’re a defensive player with the New Orleans Saints and your coach tells you to take someone out for $1,500. Would you do it?
  • Students will feel safer with an armed officer on duty
    Posted March 6, 2013 3:00 PM
    As you know, many lives have been lost in school systems because of violence. I am a student at Daniel Boone High School, and I want every student in our county to feel safe. There should be a trained and armed officer in every county school.
  • Meth dump site discovered in Hampton
    Posted March 6, 2013 2:13 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A methamphetamine laboratory dump site was found Monday at the end of Hampton View Road in Hampton.
  • Fire destroys mobile home on Walnut Mountain
    Posted March 6, 2013 2:02 PM
    ROAN MOUNTAIN — A mobile home on Walnut Mountain was destroyed by fire Tuesday morning.
  • Fellow attorneys remember 'brilliant, devoted' Slagle
    Updated March 6, 2013 9:48 PM
    Johnson City attorney Mark Slagle, known to his friends and fellow lawyers as a dedicated, hardworking client advocate who was also devoted to his wife, died late Tuesday in a Dallas hospital while awaiting a double lung transplant.
  • Sheriff's Office: Hawkins man plied girl with pills to commit rape
    Updated March 6, 2013 7:21 PM
    CHURCH HILL — A Hawkins County man who allegedly hooked a young girl on narcotic painkillers and then used her addiction as leverage to have sex with her has been charged with rape by the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Grindstaff sells Ford dealership
    Posted March 6, 2013 9:42 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Steve Grindstaff has sold another piece of his Little Detroit.
  • Erwin rail spur repair work on track
    Updated March 6, 2013 9:30 AM
    ERWIN — With grant funding secured and the construction firm selected, repair work on a problematic rail spur that runs through Erwin’s Riverview Industrial Park is on track for completion in the coming weeks.
  • Snowfall prompts school closings, delays
    Updated March 6, 2013 9:00 AM
    Light snow began falling across much of the region this morning, causing school closings. Snow was predicted to continue falling throughout the day with varying amounts of accumulation depending on location.
  • Woman allegedly takes items from store
    Posted March 5, 2013 10:04 PM
    A Hampton woman was arrested Tuesday by Johnson City police after employees of Belk, 2011 N. Roan St., said she attempted to return merchandise to the store that had been stolen earlier in the day.
  • Milligan students take stand against slavery
    Posted March 5, 2013 9:51 PM
    MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Around 27 million people across the world are slaves today.
  • Man won’t have to serve three-year sentence for probation violation
    Posted March 5, 2013 9:48 PM
    A Kingsport man convicted as a teen of negligent homicide was allowed to remain on probation and didn’t lose judicial diversion during a probation violation hearing Tuesday in Washington County Criminal Court.
  • iPads huge hit with Ridgeview teachers
    Posted March 5, 2013 9:48 PM
    Ridgeview Elementary School teachers are now untethered from their desks.
  • Man allegedly involved in THP shootout indicted on more serious charges
    Posted March 5, 2013 9:45 PM
    A Gray man charged with shooting at a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper after a lengthy chase and crash was indicted by a Washington County grand jury this week on more serious charges than he originally faced.
  • City’s historic district boundaries likely to grow (updated with current map)
    Updated March 6, 2013 3:41 PM
    Johnson City is on the verge of quadrupling the size of its downtown Historic Zoning/Conservation Overlay District, which will put the onus on more property owners to adhere to specific standards but also reward them when improvements are made.
  • Home euthanasia new local option for pet owners
    Posted March 5, 2013 9:32 PM
    Losing a pet is a traumatic experience, and perhaps even more so when euthanasia becomes the most humane option.
  • Tarter rises above crowd for NET award
    Updated March 6, 2013 3:51 AM
    Sometimes it's not just about numbers, but rather overall impact.
  • High-scoring Arnold nets NET honor
    Updated March 6, 2013 4:08 AM
    Chase Arnold’s numbers were simply too hard to ignore.
  • Lady Bucs ready for A-Sun tourney
    Posted March 5, 2013 5:29 PM
    MACON, Ga. -- They don’t have many victories to their credit, and they’ll be missing an important teammate, but East Tennessee State women’s basketball players insist they’re going into the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament with confidence.
  • BMS, Kingsport get ready for openers
    Posted March 5, 2013 5:28 PM
    Bristol Motor Speedway is in the final stages of preparing for the Food City 500 race weekend, while Kingsport Speedway opens its racing season this Saturday afternoon.
  • Lady 'Toppers hope third time a charm
    Updated March 5, 2013 7:48 PM
    MURFREESBORO — With Bradley Central's twin towers becoming an only child, Science Hill's role of favorite increased.
  • Virginia fugitive arrested in Johnson City
    Posted March 5, 2013 5:20 PM
    Johnson City police on Monday arrested a man wanted in Southwest Virginia.
  • 2 to 4 inches of snow predicted for region
    Updated March 5, 2013 9:37 PM
    While warmer weather may be on its way, many area residents could experience another dose of winter weather this morning as 2 to 4 inches of snow are predicted to fall throughout the region.
  • Dow hits record, erasing Great Recession losses
    Posted March 5, 2013 5:12 PM
    NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is back.
  • Hugo Chavez, fiery Venezuelan leader, dies at 58
    Posted March 5, 2013 5:09 PM
    CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez, the fiery populist who declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against U.S. influence and championed a leftist revival across Latin America, died Tuesday at age 58 after a nearly two-year bout with cancer.
  • JC Police: Wanted man found with LSD
    Updated March 5, 2013 6:11 PM
    An East Fairview Avenue man was charged with drug possession Tuesday after police found LSD on him while arresting him on a warrant, Johnson City police said in a news release.
  • Fire destroys house in Siam
    Posted March 5, 2013 2:35 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — A house was destroyed in the Siam community early Tuesday morning.
  • Woman given year in jail for embezzling from Johnson City law office
    Posted March 5, 2013 10:33 AM
    A former law office comptroller will serve a year in jail and 30 years on probation, but that could be reduced if she finishes repaying money she stole to support a cocaine habit.
  • Domestic violence incident leads to police using Taser on man
    Posted March 5, 2013 10:19 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Officers from the Carter County Sheriff’s Department, the Elizabethton Police Department and a Carter County constable responded to a domestic disturbance on Clay Little Road shortly before midnight Saturday and arrested a man who was reported to be armed with a .380-caliber pistol and several knives.
  • Town of Unicoi proposing several changes to personnel policy
    Posted March 5, 2013 10:10 AM
    UNICOI — The town of Unicoi Board of Mayor and Aldermen is proposing changes to its personnel policy — some minor, others more significant — that will impact the town’s small base of employees if finalized.
  • Carter County committee discusses alternatives for pauper burials
    Posted March 5, 2013 9:57 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Health and Welfare Committee of the Carter County Commission on Monday night discussed possible alternatives to continued county funding for pauper burials.
  • ’Toppers bounced in OT
    Updated March 5, 2013 6:46 AM
    Just when Science Hill appeared to have punched its state-tournament ticket, Maryville guard John Garrett scalped the Hilltoppers.
  • Parents charged in child-abuse case no-show at hearing
    Posted March 4, 2013 10:19 PM
    A Johnson City couple charged last year in a child abuse that involved their children living in what police called “deplorable” conditions failed to appear in a Washington County courtroom Monday for a hearing.
  • Alumni groups to honor Jones with Science Hill cafeteria design
    Posted March 4, 2013 10:19 PM
    The Johnson City Board of Education approved a cafeteria design project Monday night, proposed and donated by the Science Hill High School alumni groups of ’59, ’60 and ’61, that will honor the memory of Science Hill alumnus and former Johnson City Press general manager Tim P. Jones.
  • Gibbs, Corum deny Elizabethton state berth
    Updated March 5, 2013 5:28 PM
    CORRYTON — Elizabethton had a state tournament berth locked in a major chokehold, but 5-foot-5 point guard Aaron Corum refused to tap out.
  • Couple say they smoked meth while their two children were in apartment
    Posted March 4, 2013 10:16 PM
    A Johnson City couple arrested Sunday on drug and child abuse charges told police they smoked meth that night while their 2-year-old and infant sons were in their apartment.
  • Methadone clinic may open in Johnson City
    Updated March 5, 2013 9:56 AM
    A certificate of need should be filed this week for a methadone clinic to locate in Johnson City, nearly 10 years after a certificate was granted but later revoked, according to a representative of the company backing this latest effort.
  • Grace ends Hampton's year
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:48 PM
    HAMPTON -- Grace Christian used the press to turn around its TSSAA Class A Sectional game against Hampton and then zoned out the Bulldogs down the stretch.
  • Haslam: Feds responsible for health care exchange in Tenn.
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:44 PM
    NASHVILLE — In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam has decided the state will not create its own health care exchange, leaving both the exchange's operation and its marketing to the federal government.
  • Kingsport smoke shop owners to plead guilty to drug, money charges
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:34 PM
    GREENEVILLE — The former owners of the Ultimate Smoke shop in Kingsport have agreed to plead guilty to federal drug and money charges in connection to selling synthetic marijuana and bath salts and structuring more than $288,000 in deposits to Eastman Credit Union in a way as to avoid detection by the Internal Revenue Service.
  • DNA confirms name of victim in 16-year-old case
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:23 PM
    NASHVILLE — More than a year after the man convicted of killing her completed his prison term, police finally have a name for the woman whose remains were found 16 years ago.
  • Republicans unveil government funding measure
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:19 PM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans controlling the House moved Monday to ease a crunch in Pentagon readiness while limiting the pain felt by such agencies as the FBI and the Border Patrol from the across-the-board spending cuts that are just starting to take effect.
  • Calif. woman dies after nurse refuses to do CPR
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:15 PM
    BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) — A nurse's refusal to give CPR to a dying 87-year-old woman at a California independent living home despite desperate pleas from a 911 dispatcher has prompted outrage and spawned a criminal investigation.
  • Tarlton resigns as Crockett coach
    Posted March 4, 2013 8:42 PM
    With the winter sports season coming to an end, there’s another major coaching change at David Crockett.
  • Supermarket wine opponents contribute heavily to Tenn. lawmakers
    Posted March 4, 2013 5:01 PM
    NASHVILLE — Contributions totaling more than $364,000 have poured into lawmakers' campaign accounts over the past two years from liquor wholesalers, package stores and the beer industry — three groups that have traditionally opposed changing state law to allow wine to be sold in supermarkets.
  • Work continues, future uncertain for sinkhole site where man was 'swallowed'
    Posted March 4, 2013 4:43 PM
    SEFFNER, Fla. (AP) — A backhoe chipped away Monday at the remains of a house where a sinkhole opened up and swallowed a man, but there was little certainty as to what would come next for the site of the freak geological incident.
  • Man charged with taking Borla steel to sell for scrap
    Updated March 4, 2013 4:35 PM
    A Jonesborough man was arrested Monday on a charge that he stole steel from his employer and sold it for scrap.
  • Johnson City teen charged with lying to police about car
    Posted March 4, 2013 4:26 PM
    A Johnson City woman was arrested Monday on a charge that she lied to police when she reported her car stolen after wrecking it.
  • Police: Same person suspected in pair of Kingsport murders
    Posted March 4, 2013 3:29 PM
    Police are seeking information from the public in a pair of unsolved Kingsport murders, saying the same man is suspected of killing both victims inside their homes.
  • Update: Norfolk Southern’s downtown rail replacement sidetracks motorists
    Updated March 4, 2013 5:14 PM
    Downtown Johnson City became a maze of dead ends and detours Monday and the work week got off to a steamy start for some motorists visibly irritated with Norfolk Southern Railroad’s track replacement at about a half dozen well-traveled roads.
  • Scientists say baby born with HIV apparently cured
    Posted March 4, 2013 2:39 PM
    WASHINGTON — A baby born with the virus that causes AIDS appears to have been cured, scientists announced Sunday, describing the case of a child from Mississippi who's now 2½ and has been off medication for about a year with no signs of infection.
  • Dallas Cowboys release Kingsport standout Sensabaugh
    Updated March 4, 2013 2:41 PM
    The Dallas Cowboys have released safety Gerald Sensabaugh to clear more room under the salary cap.
  • JC Police: Two charged with child neglect after Wilson Ave. meth incident
    Updated March 4, 2013 10:19 PM
    A Johnson City couple arrested Sunday on drug and child abuse charges told police they smoked meth that night while their 2-year-old and infant sons were in their apartment.
  • Underworld saint becoming more popular in US
    Posted March 4, 2013 10:58 AM
    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A follower in New Orleans built a public shrine in her honor. An actor in Albuquerque credits her with helping him land a role on the TV show "Breaking Bad." She turns up routinely along the U.S.-Mexico border at safe houses, and is sighted on dashboards of cars used to smuggle methamphetamine through the southwest desert.
  • Map of downtown projects
    Posted March 4, 2013 10:42 AM
    A map current and future projects in downtown Johnson City. Click on map to enlarge.
  • Is Power Board plan for peak-time billing fair?
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:51 AM
    The Johnson City Power Board is months away from the start of billing customers based on their peak-time energy use. In accordance with a program implemented by the Tennessee Valley Authority, JCPB will begin charging a higher rate for electricity used during peak periods of high demand.
  • Violent video games
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:35 AM
    A while back, a gentleman wrote to the newspaper about violent media. I had to do research on the topic of violent video games for a school paper. In my opinion, violent video games have the biggest effect on children’s minds.
  • Future Erwin National Fish Hatchery manager set to take the reins
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:33 AM
    ERWIN — It won’t be too long before Norm Heil makes a full-time return to familiar territory.
  • Cost of taking guns
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:33 AM
    If President Obama were to take the guns from the people in America, he would have a lot of ticked off people. Guns are the way that many citizens of the United States protect themselves.
  • Alarming abortion bill
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:28 AM
    An alarming bill requiring an ultrasound 24-72 hours before an abortion can be performed has been introduced in the Tennessee Legislature and is being cosponsored by three local state representatives, Jon Lundberg, Matthew Hill and Tony Shipley. Planned Parenthood has described this legislation as an effort to shame women and is a governmental intrusion into women’s lives.
  • Budgeting method with incentives for reducing cost would be better
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:23 AM
    By now, I’m sure most of you are tired of hearing about how the federal government is going to come to a standstill over a small cut in the rate of growth of the federal budget. If you believe the current administration, thousands will be laid off or fired, prisoners will be released, meat won’t get inspected and a hundred other ills will befall the American public.
  • Legislators need to look at logistics, cost — not politics
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:23 AM
    Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey has launched efforts to redraw the state’s judicial districts. The Blountville Republican told reporters in February that now is the time to undertake the process because judicial offices (judges, district attorneys general and public offenders) will be on the ballot next year.
  • Assembly line schools: Responsible or accountable
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:16 AM
    My interest in writing this column grew out of concern about school voucher proposals and efforts to tie teacher pay to test scores. I don’t doubt that our governor and legislators want to help our schools improve. Even so, both vouchers and test-based teacher pay are indicative of a broader, deeper issue.
  • Aches and pains and the ABCs of growing old
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:15 AM
    Being one of three sisters has been a great joy. I’m right in the middle, so it’s great having an older sister to tell me what’s coming and a younger sister I can alert. Anytime we are together, it is sure to be a time filled with laughter and fun.
  • USPS should compromise with better plan for books
    Posted March 4, 2013 9:02 AM
    Recent news from Maryville that the U.S. Postal Service has decided to begin discarding undeliverable books meant for children under a program aimed at instilling the love of reading into Tennessee’s youth at an early age is both sad and disturbing.
  • Downtown Johnson City makeover steadily coming into view
    Updated March 4, 2013 9:48 AM
    Zoom in a bit more on that overhead view of downtown Johnson City.
  • JCFD responds to 2 fires in less than 1 hour; four residents displaced
    Updated March 3, 2013 10:43 PM
    A Sunday afternoon apartment fire spread to an attic shared by three others, leaving four Johnson City residents displaced, according to a Johnson City Fire Department news release.
  • The Goods deliver: Siblings know their way around basketball court
    Updated March 4, 2013 6:56 AM
    Science Hill and Milligan College are playing basketball this season on new hardwood, and a good family tree has been ingrained in each court’s foundation.
  • ’Toppers, Cyclones lucky in girls draw; Cloudland, Hampton draw top dogs
    Updated March 3, 2013 6:40 PM
    Science Hill and Elizabethton avoided the biggest dogs, but Cloudland and Hampton were not so fortunate.
  • State bids on line for five area teams
    Posted March 3, 2013 6:37 PM
    One more win is all it takes to get to Murfreesboro.
  • Lady 'Toppers headed back to state
    Posted March 2, 2013 10:47 PM
    Science Hill’s road to Murfreesboro once again went through Farragut, although this time it was a little rockier.
  • Rhodes leads Cloudland to state
    Posted March 2, 2013 10:05 PM
    ROAN MOUNTAIN -- Cloudland had a clear advantage over Oliver Springs with 6-foot-2 senior Brooke Rhodes in the post, and the Lady Highlanders did all they could to exploit it.
  • ETSU professor’s new book takes standardized tests to task
    Posted March 2, 2013 9:49 PM
    Poverty and standardized testing are two things limiting education in this country, according to an East Tennessee State University professor who wrote a new book on the topic.
  • Lady Cyclones hold off Alcoa, reach state
    Updated March 2, 2013 10:02 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — At this stage of the basketball season, senior leadership is a precious commodity.
  • Downtown Jonesborough building donated to Heritage Alliance
    Posted March 2, 2013 9:41 PM
    Work to restore and preserve the historic quality of Jonesborough’s downtown business district has taken a couple of big steps.
  • Scores of blood donors respond to Facebook post
    Posted March 2, 2013 9:38 PM
    When Beth Haun posted on her Facebook page asking her friends and family to donate blood for her mother, Ruth Marie Haun, who had just been in a serious car accident, she said she couldn’t believe the response.
  • Upstate debacle will be hard for Bucs to forget
    Posted March 2, 2013 7:01 PM
    Given its up-and-down pattern the last couple of months, maybe the East Tennessee State basketball team has one more win left in it. Probably not.
  • Lady Bucs go down swinging
    Updated March 2, 2013 11:06 PM
    Brittany Starling took one for the team, literally, in USC Upstate’s 60-56 win over the East Tennessee State women’s basketball team on Saturday afternoon at the MSHA Center.
  • Dumpster diver: Man pulled from garbage after fleeing deputy
    Posted March 2, 2013 1:52 PM
    BLOUNTVILLE — A deputy's attempt to stop a speeder in a school zone ended with officers digging their suspect out of the garbage, as the driver allegedly bolted from his vehicle and attempted to hide in a Blountville dumpster.
  • Lady 'Toppers draw inspiration from Barnwell
    Updated March 5, 2013 10:54 AM
    Watching Darrell Barnwell coach his Science Hill Lady Hilltoppers hours after his father Herschel’s death on Wednesday brought to mind the tragedy that Science Hill point guard Tianna Tarter went through in middle school.
  • Bucs go down without a fight
    Updated March 1, 2013 10:43 PM
    The East Tennessee State basketball team saved its worst for last.
  • Guns in parking lots: What’s allowed?
    Posted March 1, 2013 9:28 PM
    Just because you may soon be allowed to keep a handgun in your car on the campus of East Tennessee State University, that doesn’t mean you will be able to remove that gun and carry it around on campus and you certainly won’t be able to even take it on the Veterans Affairs campus.
  • Federal spending cuts could have heavy impact on student financial aid
    Updated March 2, 2013 1:55 PM
    Sequestration could cost thousands of dollars in student financial aid, possibly resulting in more student debt, according to East Tennessee State University’s financial aid director.
  • Ridgeview Elementary caps off Dr. Seuss Week with ‘Sock Hop’ for students
    Posted March 1, 2013 9:19 PM
    The Cat in the Hat. Sam I Am. The Lorax. Horton the elephant.
  • English returning to coach Unicoi County
    Updated March 1, 2013 9:23 PM
    After a season away from the game, John English decided he missed it too much.
  • State berths on line in girls' sectionals
    Updated March 1, 2013 9:01 PM
    When teams with serious aspirations of reaching the state basketball tournament begin their seasons, one goal squarely in front of their eyes is earning a home sectional game.
  • Separate 'high grade' pot, hash oil deliveries to Gray post office result in charges for three men
    Posted March 1, 2013 5:54 PM
    A youth league basketball referee was one of two men arrested Thursday after drug agents intercepted a 10-pound package of “high grade” marijuana delivered to the Gray post office, according to court records.
  • Man facing multiple charges after standoff, bathroom fire
    Posted March 1, 2013 4:46 PM
    A Johnson City man who is facing multiple charges after barricading himself in a Highland Avenue residence Thursday and setting fire to the bathroom will return to court Thursday at 1:30 p.m. after being arraigned in Sessions Court on Friday.
  • Local trooper named THP's Trooper of the Year for rescuing teen from Sullivan Co. cliff
    Posted March 1, 2013 4:21 PM
    NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Highway Patrol named Trooper Nathan W. Hall the 2012 Trooper of the Year at a special award ceremony held Thursday evening in Murfreesboro. Hall earned the honor after preventing a possible suicide attempt by a girl last December in Sullivan County.
  • Guns stolen in Bristol, Va., office burglary; police seek clues
    Posted March 1, 2013 3:57 PM
    BRISTOL, Va. — Police were looking for public help in finding whoever broke into a Euclid Avenue office building and stole money, antique currency and coins, jewelry and firearms earlier this week.
  • Pipe bomb found in Carter Co.
    Posted March 1, 2013 3:44 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Johnson City Police Department's Bomb Squad responded to the finding of a pipe bomb on Lena Harvey Road in Elizabethton this week and rendered the device harmless in place Agent Bernard Waggoner of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms told officers the device was filled with pyrotechnic powder and was classified as live.
  • Pet-3-1-13
    Posted March 1, 2013 2:59 PM
    Sister Sue is an 8 year old spayed female Jack Russell Terrier/Beagle mix. She is house-trained and good with kids, cats and dogs. Little Bit is a 6-8 year old male Beagle. This fantastic dog is kennel-trained and good with dogs. For more information about Sister Sue and Little Bit or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week.
  • Tenn. school principal killed when car hit restaurant
    Posted March 1, 2013 2:44 PM
    KNOXVILLE — Knoxville police say a Bledsoe County principal was the person killed when a car plowed into a restaurant and another store.
  • Sequester coming: Obama says he can't 'Jedi mind meld' a budget deal
    Posted March 1, 2013 2:36 PM
    WASHINGTON — A combative President Barack Obama blamed Republican lawmakers Friday for failing to stop automatic spending cuts from beginning to kick in late in the day, arguing he can't perform a "Jedi mind meld" to get Republicans to agree on a deal. But he and GOP leaders displayed no appetite for letting the fight shut the government down later this month.
  • Taco Bell, Icelandic pies drawn into meat scandal
    Posted March 1, 2013 2:27 PM
    LONDON — Taco Bell is the latest restaurant chain to acknowledge that its food has been adulterated with horse meat, yanking a variety of ground beef products from its three British outlets and issuing an apology to its patrons Friday.
  • Florida man swallowed by sinkhole under bedroom
    Posted March 1, 2013 2:16 PM
    SEFFNER, Fla. — A huge sinkhole about 30 feet across opened up under a man's bedroom and swallowed him, taking all of the furniture too.
  • Duffield, Va., man indicted for sexual abuse of girls
    Updated March 1, 2013 2:18 PM
    JONESVILLE, Va. — Lee County authorities arrested a Duffield man after he was indicted earlier this week for allegedly sexually abusing two young girls.
  • Mountain States’ anti-tobacco hiring policy starts today
    Posted March 1, 2013 1:05 PM
    Beginning today, Mountain States Health Alliance will no longer hire people who use tobacco products.
  • Judicial diversion sought in bus wreck
    Updated March 1, 2013 9:22 PM
    A former Washington County bus driver charged with 39 counts of reckless aggravated assault after crashing her bus filled with high school students last September will seek judicial diversion in a plea arrangement, meaning the charges could be wiped from her record.
  • Local Chamber of Commerce leader Mabrey petitions state leaders to accept Medicaid expansion
    Posted March 1, 2013 9:36 AM
    Subject: Medicaid expansion.
  • Right to bear arms when done responsibly
    Posted March 1, 2013 9:02 AM
    I think the National Rifle Association is doing a good job — in misleading the public, that is. Yes, Americans have a “right to bear arms.” It’s a part of our Constitution, but with rights and privileges come responsibility and common sense.
  • Thanks postman
    Posted March 1, 2013 9:01 AM
    While walking in a neighborhood close to mine, I was confronted by a vicious dog. Although the sign in the yard said “Beware of Dog,” this dog was running loose.
  • Roe, assault rifles
    Posted March 1, 2013 9:00 AM
    I had some small hope that U.S. Rep. Phil Roe might move away from his unfortunate comparison between hammers and assault weapons, but no. While both can and do kill, the analogy breaks down readily for the thoughtful.
  • An airport delay leads to a reflection on life and death
    Posted March 1, 2013 8:57 AM
    The next time you are stuck in the Billings, Mont., airport between flights for six hours, let’s see where your mind wanders. Mine sauntered over to thoughts of dying and didn’t come back for a while. There in the Delta loading area I decided that when I die (not if, unfortunately, but when) I want to be cremated. I believe the biggest wastes of real estate are cemeteries and golf courses. After that would come ice hockey rinks below the Mason-Dixon line and the entire acreage of Browning, Mont.
  • Election is coming: Are you registered to vote?
    Posted March 1, 2013 8:53 AM
    If you are a Johnson City resident, and you are not registered to vote, now is the time to take care of that important piece of business. City voters will go to the polls April 23 to fill seats on the City Commission and the city’s Board of Education.
  • Pope’s resignation could help us reach younger generation
    Posted March 1, 2013 8:50 AM
    When I walk across the campus at East Tennessee State University, I sometimes wonder about how this generation of college students and young adults has experienced religion. Yes, they each have their unique experiences both positive and negative and these certainly fundamentally guide them but, as a whole, they also have some defining experiences. Two of these experiences are particularly negative.
  • Parking problem is positive, but still must be addressed
    Posted March 1, 2013 8:48 AM
    It’s not a bad problem to have. That’s what one downtown Johnson City businessman said this week in regard to the difficulty some are having in finding a parking space in the area.
  • People need to know more about colon cancer
    Posted March 1, 2013 8:46 AM
    Friday is the Colon Cancer Alliance’s National Dress in Blue Day, an event to kick off the start of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
  • Science Hill rolls to Region 1-AAA championship
    Posted February 28, 2013 10:37 PM
    After flirting with disaster on Tuesday, Science Hill left nothing to chance in the Region 1-AAA championship game.
  • Update: JC police charge man in meth-related standoff, fire on Highland Ave.
    Updated March 1, 2013 10:09 AM
    Johnson City police have identified a man accused of barricading himself in a Highland Avenue residence Thursday and setting fire to the bathroom, resulting in a standoff with police.
  • Two-county chase ensues after deputy struck by car
    Updated February 28, 2013 10:44 PM
    A Johnson City man was arrested Thursday afternoon after he ran over a Carter County sheriff’s deputy with his car, prompting a police chase from Carter County to Washington County, police said.
  • Man arrested after allegedly making threats
    Posted February 28, 2013 10:30 PM
    A Lancing man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly threatened someone with a knife, according to court affidavit.
  • City officials, residents talk downtown parking
    Posted February 28, 2013 10:23 PM
    “Who would’ve ever thought that something like parking would be so popular?”
  • Vonderfecht details acquisition process for Unicoi County Memorial Hospital
    Posted February 28, 2013 10:21 PM
    ERWIN — Unicoi County Memorial Hospital is set to become the 14th hospital in the Mountain States Health Alliance system, and MSHA President/CEO Dennis Vonderfecht was in Unicoi County on Thursday to provide some information on MSHA and where his organization’s pending acquisition of UCMH stands.
  • Ignoring ‘Road Closed’ signs leading to charges for motorists
    Updated March 1, 2013 10:38 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Gap Creek Road could be a short cut to some criminal charges.
  • Sullivan East captures Region 1-AA crown
    Updated February 28, 2013 10:21 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Little things matter, and Sullivan East came up big — especially David Casaday.
  • Attorneys in crash death case say client wants to plea, but doesn’t like state’s offer
    Posted February 28, 2013 10:13 PM
    Attorneys for a Mountain City man charged with vehicular homicide told a judge Thursday he will plead guilty, but had rejected a sentence offered by prosecutors.
  • DART created to help furry, scaly and feathered friends in disaster
    Posted February 28, 2013 10:11 PM
    In the last two years, Washington County residents have experienced more than one weather disaster, and the emergency response focused on humans.
  • Bucs trying to finish .500 in A-Sun
    Posted February 28, 2013 10:06 PM
    As bad as things have gone at times in a 20-loss campaign, the East Tennessee State basketball team can still break even in conference play.
  • Hampton takes Region 1-A title
    Posted February 28, 2013 9:55 PM
    AFTON — At tournament time, there is no substitution for effort. Hampton turned in a strong four-quarter effort that paid off in a Region 1-A championship.
  • Lady Buffs face tall order
    Posted February 28, 2013 6:05 PM
    The Milligan College women’s basketball team got its draw for the NAIA National Championships and the Lady Buffs face a tall order in the opening round.
  • Byrd, Ford ready to get on the FasTrak
    Posted February 28, 2013 6:02 PM
    Tim Byrd and Jensen Ford are teaming up to tackle the FasTrak Racing Series.
  • Police: Walmart video showed woman using stolen license for refunds
    Posted February 28, 2013 5:10 PM
    Video surveillance from a Walmart showed a Johnson City woman using a stolen driver's license to obtain refunds, resulting in her arrest on theft and identity theft charges, police said in reports.
  • Haslam 'likely' to sign parking lot guns bill
    Posted February 28, 2013 4:51 PM
    NASHVILLE — A spokesman says Republican Gov. Bill Haslam is "likely" to sign into law a bill to allow the state's nearly 400,000 handgun carry permit holders to store firearms in their cars no matter where they are parked.
  • Man charged with possessing 2 guns stolen from different places in Carter Co.
    Posted February 28, 2013 4:48 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Carter County Sheriff's Department has arrested a man on charges of possessing to two stolen guns. The guns were reported stolen at different times from different Carter County gun owners.
  • Report: Marijuana smoke from car stopped for accident scene tipped deputy for drug, DUI arrest
    Posted February 28, 2013 4:27 PM
    ROAN MOUNTAIN — A Carter County driver who stopped behind patrol cars for no reason at the site of an earlier accident was arrested on drunk driving and drug possession charges on Tuesday night.
  • Police: Man tries to kill girlfriend by rolling SUV on I-26
    Posted February 28, 2013 4:09 PM
    KINGSPORT — A Kingsport man is alleged to have intentionally steered his vehicle into an Interstate 26 guardrail Thursday afternoon, rolling his SUV in an attempt to kill his girlfriend.
  • Rodman tells Kim Jong Un he has 'friend for life'
    Posted February 28, 2013 3:43 PM
    Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman hung out Thursday with North Korea's Kim Jong Un on the third day of his improbable journey with VICE to Pyongyang, watching the Harlem Globetrotters with the leader and later dining on sushi and drinking with him at his palace.
  • Doolittle Raider WWII vet Tom Griffin dies at 96
    Posted February 28, 2013 2:35 PM
    CINCINNATI (AP) — Maj. Thomas C. "Tom" Griffin, a B-25 bomber navigator in the audacious Doolittle's Raid attack on mainland Japan during World War II, has died.
  • House sends parking-lot guns bill to governor
    Posted February 28, 2013 2:05 PM
    NASHVILLE — The House on Thursday voted to send to the governor a contentious bill that would allow the state's nearly 400,000 handgun carry permit holders to store firearms in their vehicles no matter where they are parked.
  • Sheriff: Drug-seeking burglar threatened to kill Gray resident with handgun
    Updated February 28, 2013 2:37 PM
    A Gray resident came home Wednesday and found a burglar, who pointed a gun and threatened to kill her, Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal reported in a news release.
  • Explosives found in Kingsport home, suspect arrested after fleeing
    Posted February 28, 2013 1:02 PM
    Officers from multiple agencies have converged on a Kingsport home after a 20-year-old man allegedly threatened to kill his mother and sisters — holding an explosive device while doing so — and then fled the scene.
  • Tenn. woman, 18, charged with boy's rape at church
    Posted February 28, 2013 11:59 AM
    JACKSON — Authorities say an 18-year-old Jackson woman is charged with raping a 13-year-old boy at a church.
  • Pope, in final message, says he's a simple pilgrim
    Posted February 28, 2013 11:50 AM
    CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Benedict XVI has greeted the faithful for the last time as pope, telling well-wishers gathered at the Vatican's vacation retreat that he is beginning the final stage of his life as a "simple pilgrim," hours before he becomes the first pontiff in 600 years to resign.
  • Ex-coal exec implicates ex-CEO in W.Va. mine case
    Posted February 28, 2013 11:48 AM
    BECKLEY, W.Va. — A former president of a Massey Energy subsidiary has implicated the coal company's ex-CEO in safety violations as he pleaded guilty to charges resulting from an investigation into the 2010 explosion at a Massey mine that killed 29 men.
  • Sullivan County mayor's wife offered job on county payroll but declines
    Posted February 28, 2013 11:25 AM
    BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County Interim Budget Director Gayvern Moore confirmed to the Times-News late Wednesday that Sullivan County Mayor Steve Godsey’s wife, Julie Godsey, has declined a job offer from the county.
  • Sensible spending
    Posted February 28, 2013 9:11 AM
    Cutting their budget is hard for our politicians in Washington. However, for them to cut our budget by increasing our costs and taxes is quite easy. Thus, a few trillion here and there is not a problem for them. It’s not their money.
  • Sustainability
    Posted February 28, 2013 9:06 AM
    Climate alarmists erroneously try to link every extreme weather event (like Hurricane Sandy) to global warming. But climate change is actually a smokescreen for a much larger, more insidious agenda called “sustainability” or “sustainable development,” code words for population control (by force if necessary), economic control of our lives and redistribution of global wealth.
  • Saturday mail
    Posted February 28, 2013 9:01 AM
    Ending Saturday mail delivery is a terrible idea.
  • Those who partake in risky activity should be the ones to pay
    Posted February 28, 2013 9:00 AM
    While I agree the government can go overboard in regulating, I disagree with columnist Tom Purcell’s implication that people with proven unhealthy high-risk behaviors should not pay their fair share of insurance costs. I first realized this when I bought car insurance as a teenage male.
  • Repeal of helmet law would cost too much
    Posted February 28, 2013 8:57 AM
    There’s yet another attempt being made in the Tennessee General Assembly to repeal a state law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets. It was a bad idea last year (when lawmakers wisely decided to take a pass on this misguided legislation), just as it was a bad idea when it came up the session before that.
  • Barnwell’s Lady 'Toppers rise to occasion
    Updated February 28, 2013 9:00 AM
    Darrell Barnwell got a technical foul while his Science Hill Lady Hilltoppers were leading Tennessee High 48-24 midway through the third quarter in Wednesday’s Region 1-AAA championship – and his father, Herschel, was surely somewhere smiling at his son’s spirit.
  • Cloudland gets title, another home date
    Posted February 27, 2013 9:58 PM
    AFTON — The Cloudland girls basketball team will be playing a sectional game right where it wants — at home.
  • Lady Cyclones win crown; hand Grainger first loss
    Posted February 27, 2013 9:55 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Grainger was undefeated on the season, but Elizabethton was 6-0 in its most recent Region 1-AA girls championship games.
  • Agriculture commissioner promoting state farming as way to meet increasing food needs
    Posted February 27, 2013 9:15 PM
    As the world’s population increases, the demand for food will rise, which means agriculture production will become even more important.
  • Diverse topics aired at ETSU town hall
    Posted February 27, 2013 9:12 PM
    Priorities for East Tennessee State University were made known by community members at a town hall meeting to discuss the future of the school Wednesday.
  • Work continues on Gap Creek project
    Posted February 27, 2013 9:11 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Work is continuing on the $36.9 million Gap Creek Highway improvement project. Work on the 5.9-mile project is expected to be completed on Oct. 31, 2014, according to Mark Nagi, community relations officer for Region 1 of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Some of the rights of way have not yet been acquired, according to property owners along the route. The general contractor on the project is Charles Blalock and Sons.
  • Bucs discover unexpected power at plate
    Posted February 27, 2013 7:10 PM
    So much for a lack of power.
  • Kahne: 'I always like racing at Bristol'
    Posted February 27, 2013 7:08 PM
    MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Kasey Kahne has yet to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, but it doesn’t stop him from considering it one of his favorite tracks.
  • Down to 4: Elizabethton Council narrows city manager candidate list
    Posted February 27, 2013 4:55 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The list of candidates to be the next Elizabethton City Manager was trimmed to four names during a workshop session of City Council on Wednesday.
  • Kingsport parents arrested after children found in 'unlivable' home
    Posted February 27, 2013 4:45 PM
    KINGSPORT — Four Kingsport parents have been arrested after police allegedly discovered their seven children — ranging from an infant to 13 years of age — in a home infested by cockroaches, strewn with feces and littered with rotting food.
  • Sheriff: WC traffic stop leads to drug charges for passenger, more drugs found once at jail
    Updated February 27, 2013 2:53 PM
    A traffic stop led Washington County deputies to arrest an Afton woman on several drug charges Tuesday after she was found with pills, needles and other paraphernalia, Sheriff Ed Graybeal said in a news release, and additional charges resulted as more drugs were found on her in jail.
  • Voting rights law gets Supreme Court challenge
    Posted February 27, 2013 1:32 PM
    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court's conservative justices voiced deep skepticism Wednesday about a section of a landmark civil rights law that has helped millions of Americans exercise their right to vote.
  • Miss Delaware Teen USA, 18, resigns amid porn scandal
    Posted February 27, 2013 12:58 PM
    Miss Delaware Teen USA, Melissa King, has resigned her crown after facing questions about an online sex video that claims to star her.
  • Sequester deadline: Obama, top lawmakers to meet Friday on budget cuts
    Posted February 27, 2013 12:50 PM
    WASHINGTON — The White House conceded Wednesday that efforts to avoid automatic budget cuts are unlikely to succeed before they kick in and is initiating new talks with congressional leaders to confront seemingly intractable tax-and-spend issues.
  • Senate to vote on lifting switchblade ban in Tenn.
    Posted February 27, 2013 11:00 AM
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Senate Judiciary has voted to send a bill to lift Tennessee's ban on switchblades to a full floor vote.
  • Mister, Falcons' Smith named to ETSU Hall of Fame
    Updated February 27, 2013 8:05 PM
    East Tennessee State will induct six new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame this spring.
  • East Tenn. boy, 13, charged with rape, kidnapping of 6-year-old girl
    Posted February 27, 2013 9:12 AM
    SEVIERVILLE — A 13-year-old boy faces charges of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old Sevier County girl after removing her from her yard and taking her into woods, Sevier County authorities said.
  • All Obama’s fault
    Posted February 27, 2013 8:46 AM
    The president is scaring the American people into thinking that if this sequester happens on Friday, thousands of first responders will lose their jobs, teachers will be laid off and our defense will dwindle. Give me a break.
  • Be engaged
    Posted February 27, 2013 8:45 AM
    Political involvement is important for each citizen to partake in. I feel, however, that civic engagement is much more beneficial for individuals to pursue.
  • 102-year-old voter
    Posted February 27, 2013 8:44 AM
    Donna Brazile wrote recently of Desiline Victor, the 102-year-old woman who stood in line on election day for more than six hours to exercise her right to vote. President Obama recognized her during his State of the Union address. The camera captured Victor, who appeared oblivious to the cheers and applause.
  • Citizens given an opportunity to speak in participatory democracy
    Posted February 27, 2013 8:39 AM
    I approve of participatory democracy because it gives citizens an opportunity to speak and get involved, which will eventually create an increase in the polls in the next election.
  • Vonderfecht announces retirement from Mountain States
    Updated February 27, 2013 9:34 PM
    After a health care career that spanned more than 35 years, Mountain States Health Alliance President and CEO Dennis Vonderfecht announced Wednesday that he would retire at the end of 2013.
  • Good saves Hilltoppers
    Updated February 27, 2013 6:33 AM
    Science Hill went ice cold from the field and froze the clock 85 of the final 90 seconds, but freshman point guard Patrick Good was cool enough to make a free throw when Jefferson County had a meltdown.
  • Cyclones, East meet for crown
    Posted February 26, 2013 10:19 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Even with two blowout wins over Sullivan North in the regular season, Elizabethton didn’t expect to end Chase Arnold’s career without a major fight.
  • ’Dogs, ’Landers reach 1-A final
    Posted February 26, 2013 10:08 PM
    AFTON — Hampton and Cloudland will square off for the Region 1-A boys championship after battling their way through the tournament semifinals Tuesday night, setting up a showdown between the two old rivals with home court advantage in Sub-State at stake.
  • Official sees lack of parking in downtown as 'good problem'
    Posted February 26, 2013 9:56 PM
    As downtown Johnson City continues to make strides in revitalization, finding parking has become more and more difficult.
  • Hospital Association says most in state want Medicaid expansion
    Posted February 26, 2013 9:46 PM
    NASHVILLE –– The Tennessee Hospital Association released the results of a statewide survey it gave to insured registered voters earlier this month about the Medicaid program, which revealed 59 percent of Tennessee residents were in favor of expanding the program, according to a news release.
  • Man facing charges over hours not worked
    Posted February 26, 2013 9:46 PM
    An Elizabethton man was arrested Tuesday following an investigation into hours falsely submitted for compensation in 2010, according to a police press release.
  • Police say city man took wallet, used stolen cards
    Posted February 26, 2013 9:45 PM
    A Johnson City man was arrested following an investigation into an auto burglary where the victim’s wallet and credit cards were stolen, according to a police press release.
  • Room being made for more downtown Johnson City apartments
    Posted February 26, 2013 9:22 PM
    More residential space is coming in downtown Johnson City.
  • Potential $250K donor identified in animal shelter study
    Posted February 26, 2013 9:09 PM
    Denver-based Dickerson, Bakker and Associates’ feasibility report Tuesday revealed the company has identified a potential $250,000 donor for the new Washington County-Johnson City Animal Shelter.
  • Don’t decide on Gen 6 car just yet
    Posted February 26, 2013 8:28 PM
    Hold on a minute, NASCAR fans.
  • Back at .500, softball headed in right direction
    Posted February 26, 2013 8:25 PM
    After opening the season with four consecutive losses, members of the East Tennessee State softball team insisted they were close to turning the corner.
  • Senate confirms Hagel for defense secretary
    Posted February 26, 2013 5:23 PM
    WASHINGTON — The Senate has voted to confirm Chuck Hagel to be the nation's next defense secretary.
  • Dennis Rodman worms his way into North Korea
    Posted February 26, 2013 4:44 PM
    PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman brought his basketball skills and flamboyant style — tattoos, nose studs and all — on Tuesday to a country with possibly the world's strictest dress code: North Korea.
  • Early morning fire damages Hampton barn, home and vehicle
    Posted February 26, 2013 2:55 PM
    HAMPTON — An early Sunday morning fire caused heavy damage to a barn located at 639 Piney Grove Road.
  • TN supermarket wine bill advances by 1 vote in Senate
    Posted February 26, 2013 1:47 PM
    NASHVILLE — A proposal to allow wine to be sold in Tennessee supermarkets and convenience stores scored its first legislative victory on Tuesday after years of frustration.
  • Asheville-based group opens 100-job call center in south JC
    Posted February 26, 2013 11:12 AM
    State officials announced today that an Asheville, N.C.-based group has opened a call center at the Borla facility in south Johnson City, bringing 100 jobs to the area.
  • Inmates face arson charge from Johnson County Jail bed mat fire
    Updated February 26, 2013 10:01 AM
    Rule changes in the Johnson County Jail upset some inmates enough to set fire to a mattress and destroy property this past week, according to the county sheriff.
  • Hawkins judge sentences three for crimes against children
    Posted February 26, 2013 9:00 AM
    ROGERSVILLE — Judge John Dugger sentenced three people to prison time Friday in Hawkins County Criminal Court for separate crimes against children, including two women who used drugs last year while pregnant.
  • Unicoi officials look for traffic improvements around Rocky Fork
    Posted February 26, 2013 8:54 AM
    ERWIN — Unicoi County officials are anticipating that, once it opens to the public, the state park at Rocky Fork will attract numerous visitors, and officials want to ensure that traffic in the area flows as freely as possible.
  • Carter rivals to battle for 1-A crown
    Posted February 25, 2013 10:42 PM
    AFTON — Carter County will host a Class A girls sectional on Saturday night. Whether it’s at Hampton or Cloudland will be decided in a winner-take-all showdown between the two old rivals Wednesday night in the Region 1-A championship game.
  • Lady Hilltoppers pushed to end by West
    Posted February 25, 2013 10:41 PM
    Beating Morristown West without Shy Copney and fellow starter Enjelica Reid was difficult at the beginning of the season for Science Hill, and winning with them in the Region 1-AAA semifinals was no piece of cake.
  • Mayor’s Planning Commission appointments approved
    Posted February 25, 2013 10:34 PM
    Sometimes the magic works; sometimes it doesn’t.
  • Elizabethton wins; HV out
    Posted February 25, 2013 10:33 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Elizabethton returned to a familiar position while Happy Valley was unable to navigate unfamiliar waters.
  • Elizabethton narrows city manager field to five top, three ‘good’ candidates
    Posted February 25, 2013 10:31 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The field of candidates to be the next Elizabethton city manager has been narrowed to five top candidates and another three possible “good” candidates.
  • Rise Up makes urgent appeal for help
    Posted February 25, 2013 10:28 PM
    Citing a significant decline in year-end giving, the board of directors of the nonprofit Rise Up after-school and youth mentoring program has issued an urgent appeal for financial support to help make up a $36,000 shortfall needed to operate through June 30.
  • Elizabethton superintendent, mayor square off over funding
    Posted February 25, 2013 10:08 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — Elizabethton Mayor Curt Alexander responded to comments made in last week’s school board meeting about the city’s allegedly stagnant funding for the school system.
  • Hawkins firefighter dies in the line of duty
    Posted February 25, 2013 4:34 PM
    CARTERS VALLEY — Hawkins County firefighters are mourning the loss of 20 year veteran David Schnepp, 43, whose in-the-line of duty death occurred after fighting a brush fire Sunday evening.
  • Capt. Kirk's Vulcan entry wins Pluto moons contest
    Posted February 25, 2013 4:20 PM
    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — "Star Trek" fans, rejoice.
  • Former Mount Carmel vice mayor arrested again, suspected in 26 indecent exposures
    Posted February 25, 2013 4:05 PM
    KINGSPORT — A former Mount Carmel alderman and vice mayor who was arrested last week now faces additional counts of exposing himself, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault — with police saying they've received 26 separate reports of his allegedly lewd and dangerous behavior.
  • Nashville man, woman accused of forcing woman into sex work
    Posted February 25, 2013 2:26 PM
    SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Michigan's attorney general says he's charged a Tennessee man and woman for forcing a young woman to work as a stripper.
  • 2 adults, 2 kids missing off N. California coast
    Posted February 25, 2013 1:53 PM
    MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — The Coast Guard was searching Monday for a husband and wife and two young children who sent a series of distress calls the day before, saying their sailboat was sinking far off the Central California coast and they were fashioning a raft from a cooler and life ring.
  • Wife expected to testify against NYC cop accused of cannibalism plot
    Posted February 25, 2013 1:36 PM
    NEW YORK — Prosecutors say a New York City police officer wanted to kidnap, torture and devour women in a twisted plot of cannibalism.
  • Bye-bye warmth: Colder, wetter weather moving into Tenn. this week
    Updated February 25, 2013 1:27 PM
    NASHVILLE — After a spring-like tease, the emerging weather pattern over Tennessee is a reminder that it's still winter.
  • Unicoi man killed when pickup crashes into creek
    Posted February 25, 2013 1:12 PM
    UNICOI — A single-vehicle accident that occurred early Saturday morning in Unicoi County claimed the life of a Unicoi man.
  • Jonesborough woman, 73, killed in crash outside airport
    Posted February 25, 2013 12:22 PM
    A Jonesborough woman was killed Sunday in a two vehicle collision outside of Tri-Cities Regional Airport.
  • Listen up ladies! Uncle Sam might want you too
    Posted February 25, 2013 11:44 AM
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Tennnnnn-hut, ladies! The next time Uncle Sam comes calling, he's probably going to want you, too.
  • TV crew leads deputies to suspect in shooting that prompted Middle Tenn. schools shutdown
    Posted February 25, 2013 11:34 AM
    FRANKLIN — The search for a Williamson County schools maintenance worker got help from a television station news crew.
  • Update: Elizabethton traffic stop led to JC meth arrest, 4 child endangerment charges
    Updated February 25, 2013 4:29 PM
    A traffic stop in Elizabethton early Monday morning led to a one-pot meth lab find in a Johnson City public housing apartment, according to the 1st Judicial Drug Task Force director.
  • Erwin woman accused of stealing from JC Kmart
    Posted February 25, 2013 10:44 AM
    Johnson City police arrested an Erwin woman Saturday on a felony shoplifting charge.
  • New Johnson City community center buzzing with activity
    Posted February 25, 2013 10:34 AM
    Johnson City’s Memorial Park Community Center was operating on all cylinders this week, living up to its billing as a multi-generational facility by offering a wide range of activities for the young and old, from peaceful fireside relaxation to bobbing and splashing pool fun to serious billiards action.
  • Two charged with stealing scrap metal
    Posted February 25, 2013 10:20 AM
    Two man were arrested Friday on charges that they stole scrap metal.
  • 'Argo' wins best picture, Lee trumps Spielberg for direction on Oscar night
    Posted February 25, 2013 9:38 AM
    LOS ANGELES — Just as Oscar host Seth MacFarlane set his sights on a variety of targets with a mixture of hits and misses, the motion picture academy spread the gold around to a varied slate of films. "Argo" won best picture as expected, along with two other prizes. But "Life of Pi" won the most awards with four, including a surprise win for director Ang Lee.
  • Should fine for not wearing your seat belt be raised?
    Posted February 25, 2013 9:19 AM
    A local legislator wants to hike the fines for not wearing a seat belt in Tennessee. State Rep. Tony Shipley, R-Kingsport, is sponsoring a bill to increase the cost of a first- offense violation from $10 to $50, with a second violation going from $20 to $75.
  • Have a say Wednesday at ETSU town hall
    Posted February 25, 2013 9:15 AM
    If you want to speak to East Tennessee State University’s president about what programs the school should start, what you think about Buc athletics, what priorities the school should focus on in the coming decades or anything else, Wednesday is your chance.
  • Life of a ‘Winter’ — one woman’s fashion journey
    Posted February 25, 2013 9:03 AM
    I’ve never been on the cutting edge of fashion. In junior high I didn’t have the IZOD shirts or Bass penny loafers that all the girls in the cool crowd wore and today, whatever is in style I’m pretty sure I’m not wearing it. But I can say that I’ve conducted my own fashion show over the years, even if what I wore was popular only to me. Let’s take a look:
  • Update: Son, 2 others charged in Roan Mountain double-murder, arson
    Updated February 25, 2013 4:21 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — An 8-month investigation into the murders of Joyce Brock, 61, and Russell Glenn Shell, 54, resulted in the arrests of three men, including Shell’s on, on Sunday on murder charges.
  • Weapons, school security
    Posted February 25, 2013 8:57 AM
    This is in response to Alan Maunter’s letter to the Forum dated Feb. 15. I am not sure if Maunter was or was not in support of Congressman Phil Roe’s suggestion that there is no need to ban assault weapons because more people were killed with blunt objects than rifles in 2011. It sounds like our honorable congressman made a very wise and rational statement.
  • Expansion will offset Medicare cuts
    Posted February 25, 2013 8:57 AM
    More than a year ago, hospitals across the country and here in the Tri-Cities area began to receive reduced reimbursements from Medicare under the Affordable Care Act. This is the front end of cuts that will rapidly accelerate beginning next year.
  • Killed by guns
    Posted February 25, 2013 8:53 AM
    This is in response to U.S. Rep. Phil Roe’s letter on Feb. 10. Whether or not people are killed by blunt objects is irrelevant. What is relevant is people are killed every day by guns, often entirely innocent people, and too often, groups of people murdered by assault rifles.
  • Playing politics with Medicaid would be catastrophic to state
    Posted February 25, 2013 8:53 AM
    There’s an important decision on Medicaid looming in Nashville, one that will greatly impact both the physical health of poor Tennesseans and the fiscal health of state hospitals.
  • Outside agency or retired officers would make good school patrol
    Posted February 25, 2013 8:53 AM
    I am not sure how to protect our children in school, but I am convinced hiring resource officers is not the solution. Questions and concerns I have: How would a single officer patrol and protect an entire school? Who fills in when an officer is sick, on maternity leave or vacation? What do the officers do when school is not in session?
  • Update: Williamson Co. schools remain closed despite arrest
    Updated February 25, 2013 8:12 AM
    FRANKLIN — Williamson County school administrators elected to keep schools closed today despite an end to the manhunt that prompted the closings Sunday night.
  • Sheriff: Johnson City man wanted on drug charges led Hawkins Co. deputies on chase
    Posted February 24, 2013 9:40 PM
    ROGERSVILLE — A Johnson City man accused of drug charges in Hawkins County last week was arrested after allegedly leading authorities on a high-speed chase.
  • Rock used for doorstop in Tenn. is 450-million-year-old fossil
    Posted February 24, 2013 5:36 PM
    SMYRNA, Tenn. — A Smyrna resident has discovered that the rock she used as a doorstop for 15 years is a 450-million-year-old fossil.
  • 25 stuck in Knox elevator on way to fraternity party
    Posted February 24, 2013 5:30 PM
    KNOXVILLE — The Knoxville Fire Department had to be called in after 25 people crammed into an elevator and it got stuck.
  • Jimmie Johnson wins 2nd Daytona 500; Patrick finishes 8th
    Posted February 24, 2013 5:19 PM
    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla — Jimmie Johnson has won his second Daytona 500, racing past defending NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski on the final restart, while Danica Patrick finished eighth.
  • Oscars have clear favorites, wild-card MacFarlane
    Posted February 24, 2013 11:05 AM
    LOS ANGELES — Some firsts and other rarities are possible at Sunday night's Academy Awards. But if the Oscars could be just a little less predictable, the show might really be one for the record books.
  • Tenn. lawmakers to decide fate of supermarket wine
    Posted February 24, 2013 10:19 AM
    NASHVILLE — Tennessee lawmakers are poised to decide this week whether a proposal to allow supermarket wine sales moves ahead or withers on the vine.
  • Daytona ready for year's biggest race, willing to relocate fearful fans in wake of Saturday crash
    Posted February 24, 2013 10:08 AM
    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla — Daytona International Speedway has been repaired in time for NASCAR's biggest race, and officials are willing to relocate fans concerned about safety following a horrific crash that injured more than 30 people.
  • Telford man charged with fleeing JC police, reckless endangerment
    Posted February 24, 2013 9:49 AM
    Police arrested a Telford man early Sunday morning on reckless endangerment and evading arrest charges after he fled a traffic stop in east Johnson City, police said in a news release.
  • ’Blazers beaten on shot at horn
    Posted February 23, 2013 11:23 PM
    DANDRIDGE — Jefferson County’s Brice Cusick knocked down a jumper as time expired, putting a heartbreaking end to Daniel Boone’s basketball season Saturday night.
  • Science Hill shoots down South-Doyle
    Updated February 24, 2013 8:25 PM
    Trying to defend Science Hill’s perimeter attack was six of one and a dozen others.
  • Cyclones overpower Cumberland Gap in 67-42 victory
    Posted February 23, 2013 11:20 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — It was a board bash for Elizabethton.
  • Junior Bucs ride Taylor, Hilbert to OT win at Cosby
    Posted February 23, 2013 11:19 PM
    COSBY — University High made it an all District 1 semifinal round with a 69-66 overtime win Saturday night against Cosby in the Region 1-A quarterfinals.
  • Restoration nearing end on town’s former school
    Updated February 25, 2013 11:02 AM
    —————
  • Local to be featured in PBS documentary about women
    Posted February 23, 2013 9:23 PM
    Layla Wright, co-founder of the local Red Legacy Recovery organization, will be featured in the premiere of “East Tennessee MAKERS,” a regional production of the Public Broadcast System to air Tuesday evening at 7:30 in advance of the premiere of the national PBS production “MAKERS, Women who Make America.”
  • Educator’s elections to two positions firsts for African-Americans
    Posted February 23, 2013 9:21 PM
    On the same day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Ernest McKinney became the first African-American elected to Joneborough’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
  • Customers wary of peak-time billing plan
    Posted February 23, 2013 9:21 PM
    With the Johnson City Power Board’s new peak-time use billing policy on the horizon, many customers are voicing their concerns about what it could mean for their monthly bills.
  • Process continuing to bring Rocky Fork under state control
    Posted February 23, 2013 9:12 PM
    FLAG POND — Although it could still be some time before Tennessee’s 55th state park at Rocky Fork opens to the public, it shouldn’t be long before the property that will eventually become the park comes into state ownership.
  • Tupelo Honey opening delayed until early 2014
    Posted February 23, 2013 9:09 PM
    The tastes of Tupelo Honey Cafe will likely be served in Johnson City a few months after the restaurant’s initial announcement that it would open in the historic CC&O Railroad Depot by fall 2013.
  • Milligan swept out of AAC
    Posted February 23, 2013 7:03 PM
    KINGSPORT — Milligan College was swept out of the Appalachian Athletic Conference basketball tournament semifinals Friday at MeadowView Convention Center.
  • Harris' block saves Bucs
    Posted February 23, 2013 6:59 PM
    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- On a day when Hunter Harris was the offensive star, he made a defensive play to save the game.
  • Update: 33 fans injured when stock car sails into fence at Daytona
    Updated February 23, 2013 9:39 PM
    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — At least 33 fans were injured Saturday during a NASCAR race when a car flew into the fence at Daytona International Speedway, hurling a tire and large pieces of debris into the stands.
  • Lady Bucs fall in OT to Jacksonville
    Posted February 23, 2013 5:25 PM
    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Just when it appeared Shawn Randall had given the East Tennessee State women's basketball team some momentum with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, the Lady Bucs fizzled out in overtime.
  • Lady Cyclones beat West Greene in region
    Posted February 22, 2013 11:55 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — It took Elizabethton a little while to get cranked up.
  • Lady Warriors roll past C-D
    Posted February 22, 2013 11:55 PM
    Shalee Perry put on a show and the Happy Valley girls rolled to a 65-49 victory over Chuckey-Doak in Friday night’s Region 1-AA basketball quarterfinal at Bayless Gym.
  • Lady Toppers win region opener
    Updated February 23, 2013 6:00 AM
    Deliberate Sevier County helped lull Science Hill into a malaise that the Lady Hilltoppers never fully escaped, but ultimately they weren’t threatened in a Region 1-AAA quarterfinal victory Friday at Science Hill.
  • Little Chicago beer party: Suds supporters rally against tax
    Posted February 22, 2013 10:56 PM
    Many people filtered into One 12 Downtown on Friday, and not because of the half-price sushi, but rather for beer.
  • Murder trial again delayed
    Posted February 22, 2013 9:51 PM
    It’s been nearly seven years since a Johnson City man’s body, riddled with stab wounds, was found inside his burned home on East Fairview Avenue, but the murder trial for a man charged with the death has met another delay.
  • ‘Dream big’: Hall of Famer urges Souper Bowl attendees to do more
    Posted February 22, 2013 9:49 PM
    The Johnson City Salvation Army’s Souper Bowl for the Hungry with Chicago Bears Hall of Fame defensive lineman and tackle Dan Hampton brought out a crowd of close to 400 people Friday to help the Salvation Army help the community’s needy.
  • Ex-Trans-Siberian member to perform with SHHS orchestra at concert tonight
    Posted February 22, 2013 9:48 PM
    Mark Wood, one of the founding members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, held a workshop with the Science Hill High School Orchestra on Friday called “Electrify Your Strings.”
  • School dedicated in honor of the late urban artist Sam Mays
    Updated February 22, 2013 10:44 PM
    When local graphic artist Sam Mays died Feb. 7, a variety of community members felt the loss of their dear friend, co-worker and creative “genius” behind one of Blue Plum Festival’s most inspired public participating events.
  • Pet-2-22-13
    Posted February 22, 2013 5:36 PM
    Teague is an adult male Redbone Coonhound. He came in as a stray and is good with dogs. Destiny is a 10 year old female Boxer/Pit mix. She is house-trained and good with kids, cats and dogs. Her owner moved and chose not to take her. For more information about Teague and Destiny or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a week.
  • Knoxville suspect arrested in school bus theft
    Posted February 22, 2013 4:04 PM
    KNOXVILLE — A 61-year-old Knoxville man has been arrested for stealing a Knox County Schools bus this week that was found in Anderson County, according to authorities.
  • APNewsBreak: National park cuts detailed in memo
    Posted February 22, 2013 3:48 PM
    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The towering giant sequoias at Yosemite National Park would go unprotected from visitors who might trample their shallow roots. At Cape Cod National Seashore, large sections of the Great Beach would close to keep eggs from being destroyed if natural resource managers are cut.
  • Lawsuit seeks $3.7 million from church, pastor
    Posted February 22, 2013 2:46 PM
    PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (AP) — A pastor said he cast out a demon, but a lawsuit contends the only the plaintiff's tooth was exorcised.
  • Meth dump site found by father, daughter walking trail in Carter County
    Posted February 22, 2013 12:20 PM
    ELIZABETHTON — The Carter County Sheriff's Department cleaned up a dump site for a methamphetamine laboratory on Thursday afternoon. No arrests were made as a result of the discovery of the dump site and subsequent clean up.
  • Former Carter County sheriff indicted on sexual battery charge
    Posted February 22, 2013 11:57 AM
    ELIZABETHTON — Former Carter County Sheriff John Henson, 67, turned himself in to the Carter County Detention Center on Thursday night, following his indictment by a grand jury on a charge of sexual battery. He was released after posting at $3,000 bond.
  • Homework questions using slavery for math causes uproar in NYC
    Posted February 22, 2013 10:12 AM
    NEW YORK — A school principal said she's "appalled" by a homework assignment that used scenarios about killing and whipping slaves to teach math.
  • Two killed today in Morristown crash
    Posted February 22, 2013 10:08 AM
    MORRISTOWN — Morristown police this morning are investigating a multi-vehicle crash that killed two people.
  • Johnson City police charge man with fourth DUI
    Posted February 22, 2013 9:26 AM
    A Unicoi man was charged with his fourth driving under the influence offense Thursday, according to police.
  • ETSU to present romantic opera 'The Elixir of Love' tonight, Saturday
    Updated February 22, 2013 2:05 PM
    What if there was an elixir that would allow the person you are enchanted with to fall in love with you?
  • Lincoln Memorial laying off 13 faculty members
    Posted February 22, 2013 8:53 AM
    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lincoln Memorial University is cutting 13 faculty positions at its extended learning center in Knoxville. One of those laid off has taught there for 18 years.
  • Every citizen can, should take part in our democracy
    Posted February 22, 2013 8:51 AM
    Our government is a representative democracy, but that does not mean citizens cannot participate. I try to do what I can to participate in this form of government in several ways.
  • Report scammers and protect your information
    Posted February 22, 2013 8:48 AM
    We were pleased to hear from a reader in Johnson City this week who knew exactly what to do when she was called by a scammer looking to steal her money and her vital personal information. She hung up.
  • Do not put anything on Facebook you might regret
    Posted February 22, 2013 8:48 AM
    The headline from a story earlier this week about a KFC employee in Johnson City who was fired after a photo of her pretending to lick a plate of mashed potatoes became a sensation on social media says it all:
  • Late runs keep Milligan alive in AAC tourney
    Posted February 21, 2013 10:13 PM
    KINGSPORT — Both the Milligan College men and women pulled away late to win their opening games in the Appalachian Athletic Conference basketball tournament on Thursday at MeadowView Convention Center.
  • North Florida hands Bucs 20th loss
    Posted February 21, 2013 10:10 PM
    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The East Tennessee State basketball team found itself in a familiar spot in the second half against North Florida on Thursday night: down by 17 points.
  • ’Toppers face South-Doyle on Saturday
    Posted February 21, 2013 10:05 PM
    Science Hill has won 26 more basketball games this season, and lost 20 fewer, than South-Doyle.
  • Sevier first in line for Lady 'Toppers
    Posted February 21, 2013 10:04 PM
    Science Hill’s girls basketball team has gotten national attention, but the Lady Hilltoppers still have to navigate the regional tournament just like everybody else.
  • Washington County Board of Education backing SRO plan
    Posted February 21, 2013 9:33 PM
    The Washington County Board of Education on Thursday voted to support the decision made by both the County Commission’s Safety Committee and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to put a school resource officer in every school in the system.
  • Commission approves design of new downtown structure, votes to renew Princeton Arts lease
    Posted February 21, 2013 9:28 PM
    The area’s fresh food growers and connoisseurs of home-grown goods inched a little closer to getting a new downtown Johnson City farmer’s market Thursday when the City Commission unanimously approved a $35,000 contract with Thomas Weems Architect to design the structure.
  • State court sends U-Haul appeal into U-turn
    Posted February 21, 2013 9:26 PM
    U-Haul’s legal confrontation with Johnson City has been rerouted back to Washington County.
  • Hiring prostitute for 12-year-old son gets man 10-year term
    Posted February 21, 2013 9:12 PM
    A Johnson City man arrested in 2011 after he hired a prostitute for his 12-year-old son pleaded guilty in Washington County Criminal Court on Thursday to solicitation of child rape.
  • Man given 30 years in prison after child-rape guilty plea
    Posted February 21, 2013 9:06 PM
    A Jonesborough man will serve 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty this week to raping a former girlfriend’s six-year-old daughter.
  • Arrest made in burglary at city business
    Posted February 21, 2013 9:00 PM
    A Johnson City man was arrested Thursday following an investigation into a reported