FRIDAY APRIL 25
TN HOUSE BILL PROVIDES ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR TDOT
THE 2026 STATE FISCAL BUDGET NOW INCLUDES AN UNPRECEDENTED 80 MILLION DOLLARS OF RECURRING MONEY FOR THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THANKS TO A BILL SPONSORED BY GREENEVILLE REPRESENTATIVE DAVID HAWK. THE BILL ALLOWS FOR THE SALES TAX ON TIRES SOLD IN THE STATE TO GO TOWARDS TDOT FOR VARIOUS MAINTENANCE AND NEW BUILD PROJECTS. THE TRANSPORTATION FUND WILL STILL COLLECT MONEY FROM THE STATE FUEL TAX AS WELL, WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 1 BILLION DOLLARS IN NON-RECURRING DOLLARS.
CARTER CO HOME CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS AFTER FIRE
A HOME IN CARTER COUNTY IS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS AFTER AN EARLY MORNING FIRE THURSDAY. ACCORDING TO HAMPTON VALLEY FORGE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF CHRIS ISAACS, THE STONEY CREEK VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO A HOUSE FIRE IN THE 100 BLOCK OF BRIDGES LANE. ISAACS SAID NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE HAMPTON VALLEY FORGE AND SHADY VALLEY FIRE DEPARTMENTS PROVIDED ASSISTANCE IN FIGHTING THE FIRE. NO CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS PROVIDED.
BURGLARIES DOWN 26% IN KINGSPORT IN 2024
THE KINGSPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT PUBLISHED ITS ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2024 THURSDAY. THE REPORT DETAILED THE TYPES AND FREQUENCY OF INCIDENTS THE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO, AND HOW SOME NUMBERS HAVE CHANGED SINCE 2023. THE KINGSPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO 56,800 CALLS IN 2024, DOWN FROM 61,470 IN 2023 WITH 4,798 ADULTS AND JUVENILE ARRESTED OR ISSUED MISDEMEANOR CITATIONS. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED A DECLINE ACROSS SEVERAL MAJOR CATEGORIES. BURGLARIES DECREASED BY 26 PERCENT, MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS DECREASED 16 PERCENT, VANDALISM DECREASED 45 PERCENT, ROBBERIES DECREASED 8.6 PERCENT, AND VEHICLE COLLISIONS DECREASED 12 PERCENT.
OPEN HOUSE HELD AS TRI CITIES AIRPORT MASTER PLAN NEARS COMPLETION
THE TRI CITIES AIRPORT STAFF HOSTED AN OPEN HOUSE MEETING, AS THEY NEAR COMPLETION OF THEIR MASTER PLAN THAT WILL HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE AIRPORT FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS. GAVIN FAHNESTOCK, DIRECTOR OF AVIATION PLANNING WITH ATKINS REALIS, WHO WAS HIRED TO HELP MAKE THE MASTER PLAN, SAID THE PROCESS STARTED WITH FORECASTS OF WHAT THEY ANTICIPATE THE AIRPORT NEEDING THROUGHOUT THE NEXT 20 YEARS. FAHNESTOCK SAID THE CURRENT TERMINAL BUILDING IS VERY CONGESTED AND DOESN’T ACTUALLY MEET THE DEMAND THAT IT HAS TODAY, SO THE MASTER PLAN TAKES INTO ACCOUNT WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO CHANGE TO ACCOMMODATE GROWTH IF THE AIRPORT WERE TO ATTRACT NEW AIRLINE SERVICE.
JOHNSON CO POSTS TN’S 3RD HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
JOHNSON AND UNICOI COUNTIES CONTINUED TO POST UNEMPLOYMENT RATES AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE FOR MARCH, MONTH’S AFTER SUFFERING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE HELENE. JOHNSON COUNTY’S RATE OF 5.1 PERCENT WAS THE 3RD HIGHEST IN TENNESSEE, BUT WAS DOWN FROM 5.7 PERCENT IN FEBRUARY. UNICOI COUNTY’S RATE WAS 4.7 PERCENT, 8TH HIGHEST IN THE STATE, BUT DOWN FROM 5.1 PERCENT IN FEBRUARY. WASHINGTON COUNTY POSTED THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE REGION AT 3.0 PERCENT, FOLLOWED BY SULLIVAN COUNTY AT 3.3 PERCENT. CARTER COUNTY IS THE ONLY OTHER COUNTY IN THE REGION UNDER 4 PERCENT, AT 3.8 PERCENT. THE STATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS 3.3 PERCENT, WITH THE NORTHEAST TENNESSEE REGION AT 3.6 PERCENT.
EASTMAN REPORTS SOLID 1ST Q EARNINGS
EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY SAW EARNINGS INCREASE IN THE 1ST QUARTER OF 2025. EASTMANS EARNINGS PER SHARE OF $1.57 WERE 13 PERCENT BETTER THAN A YEAR AGO. IN REAL DOLLARS, EARNINGS BEFORE INTEREST AND TAXES TOTALED 302 MILLION DOLLARS, COMPARED TO 263 MILLION IN THE 1ST QUARTER LAST YEAR. CEO MARK COSTA WARNED THOUGH, THAT SINCE THE 1ST QUARTER ENDED 4 WEEKS AGO, THE MACROECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY THAT DEFINED THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS ONLY INCREASED, AND THE FUTURE END-MARKET DEMAND IS UNCLEAR GIVEN THE MAGNITUDE AND SCOPE OF TARIFFS. HE SAID THE COMPANY WAS UPPING ITS COST REDUCTION TARGET, AND REDUCING CAPITAL EXPENDITURES IN RESPONSE TO THE UNCERTAINTY.
TN LAWMAKERS ADJOURN AFTER PASSING BANS ON DEI INITIATIVES
TENNESSEE’S LEGISLATURE ADJOURNED ITS LAWMAKING SESSION TUESDAY BY PASSING A FINAL FURRY OF BILLS, INCLUDING ONES AIMED AT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN GOVERNMENTS. LAWMAKERS GAVE FINAL APPROVAL TO A BILL THAT WOULD BAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS FROM MAKING EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS BASED ON CONSIDERATION OF SOMEONE’S RACE, ETHNICITY, SEX, AGE, OR OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION. THEY PASSED ANOTHER BILL THAT WOULD UNRAVEL OFFICES AND PROGRAMS AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT PROMOTE DEI, AND DELETE AGE, GENDER, OR RACE REQUIREMENTS ON CERTAIN BOARDS.
GREENEVILLE CITY BOE APPROVES $2,000 STATE FUND BONUS FOR TEACHERS
THE GREENEVILLE CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A 2,000 DOLLAR STATE FUNDED ONE TIME BONUS FOR ITS TEACHERS. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WILL ALSO GIVE 2,000 DOLLAR BONUSES TO ALL OTHER FULL TIME TEACHER CERTIFIED AND NON-TEACHER CERTIFIED EMPLOYEES. ALSO A 1,OOO DOLLAR BONUS FOR ALL PART TIME NON-TEACHER CERTIFIED EMPLOYEES. THE BONUS IS PART OF GOVERNOR BILL LEE’S VOUCHER PROGRAM, BUT DOES NOT REQUIRE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO SUPPORT THE OVERALL PROGRAM TO ACCEPT THE MONEY. THE GREENE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED THE BONUS FOR ITS TEACHERS LAST MONTH.
SEWER REHAB WORK BEGINS IN GREENEVILLE
PRELIMINARY WORK ON SEWER REHAB BEGAN THIS WEEK IN GREENEVILLE. THERE WERE SOME ROAD CLOSURES AND DETOURS IN THE WEST MAIN STREET, ASHVILLE HIGHWAY AND VANN ROAD AREAS ON THURSDAY. JEFF PARMAN WITH THE GREENEVILLE WATER COMMISSION SAID ACTUAL PIPE BURSTING WORK BEING DONE B Y MORGAN CONTRACTING WILL BEGIN MONDAY, AND CONTINUE ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK AT THE INTERSECTION OF MAIN STREET AND THE ASHEVILLE HIGHWAY. CONTRACTORS BELIEVE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP THE ASHEVILLE HIGHWAY OPEN DURING THE WORK, BUT BOTH SIDES OF THE INTERSECTION AY MAIN STREET WILL BE CLOSED BOTH MONDAY AND TUESDAY AT 8:30 AM.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE TSSAA
THE FUTURE OF THE TSSAA IS IN THE AIR, AS LEGISLATORS SAID THEY WOULD RESEARCH OPTIONS FOR STATE INVOLVEMENT. INA PRESS CONFERENCE EARLIER THIS WEEK, SEVERAL STATE SENATORS CALLED FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, ARGUING THAT PARENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE GREAT REPRESENTATION WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. AS SUCH, STATE LEADERS ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD RESEARCH THE POSSIBILITY OF EITHER DISSOLVING THE BODY ENTIRELY, OR BRINGING IT UNDER STATE CONTROL. LAST YEAR THE STATE LEGISLATURE INTRODUCED A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES TO TRANSFER ONE TIME WITHOUT ANY ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS. HOWEVER THE TSSAA AMENDED A BYLAW THAT ALLOWED A STUDENT A FREE TRANSFER DUE TO SIGNIFICANT ACADEMIC, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, OR MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. THE SENATORS SAID THEIR GOAL IS TO SHIFT THE TSSAA’S GOVERNANCE MODEL TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO PARENTS AND LAWMAKERS. `
