FRIDAY MARCH 28

TBI PROBE SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF CORRUPTION

A STATE CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION INTO THE JOHNSON CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT PRODUCED NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE TO SUBSTANTIATE ALLEGATIONS RELATED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS ACTIONS SURROUNDING NOW CONVICTED SEX CRIMINAL SEAN WILLIAMS. RECENTLY AN ARTICLE ON WILLIAMS IN THE NEW YORKER FOCUSED SIGNIFICANTLY ON CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS. IN MAY OF 2023, FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY STEVE FINNEY ASKED THE TBI TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION AGAINST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. ACCORDING TO FINNEY, IN HIS REVIEW OF THE INVESTIGATION, NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE WAS FOUND BY THE TBI TO SUBSTANTIATE ANY ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION, BRIBERY OR ANY OTHER CRIMINAL MISCONDUCT. FINNEY ALSO STATED THAT A PARALLEL FBI PROBE YIELDED NO SUBSTANTIAL INSTANCES OF CORRUPTION, BRIBERY OR OTHER CRIMINAL MISCONDUCT.

I-81 SHUT DOWN AFTER MULTI-VEHICLE CRASH

THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF INTERSTATE 81 WERE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AFTER A MULTI-VEHICLE CRASH LAST NIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE CRASH WAS REPORTED AT 9:55 PM, NEAR THE INTERSTATE 26 INTERCHANGE AT MILE MARKER 56.8 IN SULLIVAN COUNTY. ACCORDING TO T-DOT, TRAFFIC WAS BACKED UP FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MILES.

BLOUNTVILLE MAN ACCUSED OF LIFTING JUVENILES SKIRT

A BLOUNTVILLE MAN WAS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED SEXUAL BATTERY AFTER AN INCIDENT INVOLVING A JUVENILE AT A LOCAL STORE. ACCORDING TO THE SULLIVAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, DEPUTIES RESPONDED ON SUNDAY TO THE DOLLAR GENERAL IN BLOUNTVILLE ABOUT AN ALLEGED SEXUAL ASSAULT. THE COMPLAINANT TOLD DEPUTIES THAT THEIR JUVENILE DAUGHTER NOTICED A BALD WHITE MAN WALKING UP TO HER AND RECORDING HER. ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE JUVENILE RAN TO THE END OF THE AISLE AND THE MAN RAN AFTER HER. WHEN THE JUVENILE TURNED THE CORNER AT THE END OF THE AISLE AND STOPPED, THE MAN ALLEGEDLY CAME AROUND THE CORNER, GRABBED HER SKIT AND LIFTED IT. THE JUVENILE THEN REPORTEDLY YELLED FOR HER MOTHER, AND THE MAN RAN FROM THE STORE AND LEFT IN A WHITE PICKUP TRUCK. 46 YEAR OLD TIMOTHY JONES OF BLOUNTVILLE WAS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED SEXUAL BATTERY AND UNLAWFUL PHOTOGRAPHY. HE WAS RELEASED ON 7,500 DOLLAR BOND THURSDAY.

BOSWELL TRANSFERRED TO WEST TN PRISON

MEGAN BOSWELL HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE WEST TENNESSEE STATE PENITENTIARY. ACCORDING TO THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION, BOSWELL WAS TRANSFERRED FROM THE DEBRA K JOHNSON REHABILITATION CENTER IN NASHVILLE. THE WEST TENNESSEE STATE PENITENTIARY IS LOCATED ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH OF MEMPHIS. BOSWELL WAS FOUND GUILTY LAST MONTH ON ALL CHARGES AGAINST HER, INCLUDING THREE MURDER CHARGES. SHE WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE.

FORMER MOUNTAIN HOME VA EMPLOYEES PLEAD GUILTY TO FRAUD CHARGES

TWO SISTERS WHO PREVIOUSLY WORKED AT THE JAMES H QUILLEN VA MEDICAL CENTER HAVE PLEADED GUILTY TI WIRE FRAUD CHARGES. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCED IN A NEWS RELEASE THURSDAY THAT TWIN SISTERS MONIKA AND TERESA SCHORER, BOTH OF JONESBOROUGH, ENTERED GUILTY PLEAS TO CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT HOMEST SERVICES WIRE FRAUD. BOTH WOMEN FACE UP TO 20 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON, UP TO 250,000 DOLLARS IN FINES, AND THREE YEARS OF SUPERVISED RELEASE. ACCORDING TO THE DOJ, THE SCHORERS ACCEPTED CASH BRIBE PAYMENTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WORKED AS SURGICAL SALES REPS. THEY’RE SCHEDULED TO BE SENTENCED ON JULY 23RD.

KINGSPORT POLICE CHIEF ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

KINGSPORT POLICE CHIEF DALE PHIPPS ANNOUNCED HIS UPCOMING RETIREMENT THURSDAY. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE CITY, PHIPPS WILL RETIRE EFFECTIVE JUNE 27TH, AFTER ALMOST 37 YEARS OF SERVICE. PHIPPS WAS PROMOTED TO CHIEF THE OF POLICE DEPARTMENT IN MARCH OF 2021, AFTER THE RETIREMENT OF DAVID QUILLEN. THE CITY WILL BEGIN THE SEARCH FOR A NEW POLICE CHIEF IN THE COMING MONTHS.

BALLAD HEALTH COMMITS TO BUILDING NEW UNICOI CO HOSPITAL

SIX MONTHS AFTER FLOODWATERS FROM HELENE RECEDED, THE REMNANTS OF WHAT WAS THE UNICOI COUNTY HOSPITAL REMAIN. BUT BALLAD HEALTH SOUTHERN DISTRICT PRESIDENT LISA CARTER SAYS THE WHEELS ARE IN MOTION TO BUILD A NEW HOSPITAL. CARTER SAID THAT BALLAD IS WORKING TO FIND THE RIGHT LOCATION FOR A NEW HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTY. IT’S A PROJECT THAT’S EXPECTED TO COST ROUGHLY 50 MILLION DOLLARS. ABOUT A 5TH OF THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SECURED THROUGH STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS.

TN SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS ASK TSBA TO VOLUNTARILY SUBMIT ALL COMMUNICATIONS RELATED TO VOUCHER BILL

MEMBERS OF THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE HAVE SUB MITTED A LETTER TO THE TENNESSEE SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION, ASKING THEM TO TURN OVER ALL FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATIONS RELATED TO THE TENNESSEE EDUCATION FREEDOM ACT. THE LETTER STATE IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR TENNESSEANS TO HAVE THE MOST ACCURATE INFORMATION CONCERNING PENDING AND ADOPTED LEGISLATION. THOSE THAT SIGNED THE LETTER SAY THEY ARE ASKING FOR THE TSBA’S COOPERATION IN CUTTING THROUGH ANY SPECULATION AND MISUNDERSTANDING THAT MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE ABOUT THE LAW.

BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVED RATE INCREASE FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES & T-CATS

THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVED AN INCREASE IN TUITION AND FEES FOR THE 2025-26 ACADEMIC YEAR. COMBINED TUITION AND MANDATORY FEES WILL INCREASE BY AN AVERAGE OF 3.25 PERCENT AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND 3.26 PERCENT AT TENNESSEE COLLEGES OF APPLIED TECHNOLOGY, TO FUND A PORTION OF THE OPERATING COST INCREASES DUE TO INFLATION, AND THE COLLEGES SHARE OF A 2.6 PERCENT SALARY INCREASE RECOMMENDED FOR STATE EMPLOYEE’S IN THE GOVERNOR’S OVERALL STATE BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26. THE NEW RATES WILL MEAN A 47 DOLLAR PER TRIMESTER INCREASE AT T-CATS, AND AN AVERAGE 81.85 INCREASE PER SEMESTER AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES.

GREENE CO BOE APPROVES $2K BONUS FOR TEACHERS

THE GREENE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION HA VOTED TO GIVE TEACHERS THE ONE TIME 2,000 DOLLAR BONUS AUTHORIZED THROUGH THE EDUCATION FREEDOM ACT OF 2025. THE BOARD VOTED 5 TO 1 TO APPROVE THE BONUS DURING THEOR REGULA MEETING. THE ONE-TIME BONUS WILL BE PAID BY THE STATE SOMETIME IN JULY. SCHOOL SYSTEMS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE UNTIL JUNE 1ST TO OFFICIALLY NOTIFY THE STATE OF THEIR INTENTIONS AS IT PERTAINS TO THE BONUS. THE GREENEVILLE CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION DID NOT DISCUSS THE BONUS DURING THEIR REGULAR MEETING THIS WEEK, BUT WILL MEET AGAIN IN APRIL AND MAY, PRIOR TO THE STATE DEADLINE.