THURSDAY APRIL 3

1 DEAD AFTER I-81 CRASH IN BRISTOL VA

AUTHORITIES SAY ONE PERSON WAS KILLED IN A CRASH ON INTERSTATE 81 IN BRISTOL VIRGINIA TUESDAY NIGHT. ACCORDING TO BRISTOL VIRGINIA POLICE, OFFICERS RESPONDED TO A ROLLOVER CRASH NEAR EXIT 7. THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE WHEN CREWS ARRIVED. THE DRIVER WAS FOUND AND TAKEN TO BRISTOL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER. A PASSENGER WHO WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE DURING THE CRASH WAS TRAPPED UNDER THE VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS ON FIRE, AND WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY LOCATED UNTIL THE FIRE WAS UNDER CONTROL. THE PASSENGER WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. VIRGINIA STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE CRASH.

GREENE CO DEMOLITION LANDFILL PLANS FOR EXPANSION

THE GREENE COUNTY DEMOLITION LANDFILL IS PLANNING FOR FUTURE EXPANSION. WHILE INITIAL PROJECTIONS INDICATED THE LANDFILL WOULD REACH CAPACITY IN 2035, TOMMY MORRISON, MANAGER OF THE LANDFILL TOLD THE CITY COMMISSION TUESDAY, THAT AT THE CURRENT RATE OF USAGE, IT WOULD BE FULL IN JUST THREE YEARS. MORRISON SAYS THE LANDFILL IS AVERAGING OVER 120 OF DEMOLITION WASTE PER DAY, COMPARED TO JUST 50 TONS PREVIOUSLY. USING FUNDS FROM THE LANDFILL FUND, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN ESTIMATED 155,000 DOLLARS FOR PLANNING, TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT OF A 20 ACRE SITE, NORTH OF THE EXISTING WASTE AREA. ITS ESTIMATE IT WILL TAKE  TWO THE THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE THE NEW SITE.

CITY COUNCIL ORDERS FIVE YEAR PLAN FROM AIRPORT

THE GREENEVILLE CITY COUNCIL VOTED TUESDAY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A FIVE YEAR PLAN FROM THE GREENEVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, OUTLINING FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS MOVING FORWARD. PRIOR TO A VOTE ON BUDGET AMENDMENTS DEALING WITH THE AIRPORT, BOARD MEMBERS HEARD FROM DR WILLIAM SMEAD, VOICING CONCERNS OVER THE DIRECTION OF THE AIRPORT, ESPECIALLY FINANCIALLY. THE BOARD APPROVED A RECOMMENDATION FROM MAYOR CAL DOTY, THAT A FIVE-YEAR PLAN BE DEVELOPED BY THE AIRPORT, TO BETTER TRACK PLANS FOR, AND USAGE OF THE AIRPORTS FUNDING.

K-9 FINDS FENTANYL IN BRISTOL VA TRAFFIC STOP

TWO PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED AFTER FENTANYL WAS FOUND INSIDE A VEHICLE DURING A TRAFFIC STOP IN BRISTOL VIRGINIA. ACCORDING TO A NEWS RELEASE, OFFICERS CONDUCTED A TRAFFIC STOP ON A VEHICLE IN LEE HIGHWAY NEAR THE EXT 5 SOUTHBOUND RAMP MARCH 14^TH. A K-9 HELPED DETECTIVES AT THE SCENE AND REPORTEDLY LED THEM TO ROUGHLY FOUR AND A HALF OUNCES OF FENTANYL IN THE VEHICLE. 37 YEAR OLD KRISTI SHEFFLER AND 26 YEAR OLD RACHEL CANTER, BOTH OF BRISTOL VIRGINIA, WERE ARRESTED AND TRANSPORTED TO THE REGIONAL JAIL IN ABINGDON. AS OF WEDNESDAY BOTH WOMEN WERE BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND.

GOV YOUNGKIN TO SERVE AS SPEAKER FOR UVA WISE 2025 COMMENCEMENT

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR GLENN  COMMENCEMENT. YOUNGKIN WILLS ERVE AS THE SPEAKER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA-WISE 2025 COMMENCEMENT. UVA WISE CHANCELLOR DONNA P HENRY SAID THEY’RE INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN SERVE AS COMMENCEMENT KEYNOTE SPEAKER. SHE SAID THE GOVERNOR HAS CONTINUOUSLY SUPPORTED STUDENTS AT THE COLLEGE AND THEIR MISSION SERVING RURAL APPALACHIA.

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY APPOINTS NEW CEO

THE NATION’S LARGEST PUBLIC UTILITY ON MONDAY PROMOTED ONE OF ITS TOP EXECUTIVES TO CEO, PUTTING DON MOUL IN CHARGE OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY. THE UTILITY ANNOUNCED THAT ITS BOARD PICKED MOUL AS PRESIDENT AND CEO TO REPLACE JEFF LYASH, WHO SAID IN JANUARY THAT HE WOULD RETIRE NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER. MOUL HAS SERVED AS TVA’S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CEO SINCE JUNE 2021. A NEWS RELEASE ANNOUNCING MOUL’S SELECTION, TVA FOCUSED IN PART ON HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF NUCLEAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, AND HIS EXPERIENCE AS A LICENSED SENIOR REACTOR OPERATOR. HE STARTS HIS NEW ROLE APRIL 9^TH.

SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT BUDGET REQUEST INCLUDES FOUR NEW OFFICERS

THE GREENE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT WAS FIRST UP TO MAKE BUDGET REQUESTS FOR THE 2025-26 FISCAL YEAR. SHERIFF WESLEY HOLT AND CHIEF DEPUTY DAVID BEVERLY MET WITH THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY MORNING. FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING HIS TENURE, SHERIFF HOLT SAID HE’S ASKING FOR FOUR ADDITIONAL ROAD OFFICERS DUE TO INCREASED CALL VOLUME, MORE PEOPLE MOVING INTO THE AREA COUPLED WITH THE DRUG EPIDEMIC. THE ADDITIONS WOULD ADD ONE MORE OFFICER TO EACH SHIFT, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 11 OFFICERS PER SHIFT. HOLT PROJECTS THE COST FOR THE FOUR ADDITIONAL OFFICERS AT 296,252 DOLLARS INCLUDING BENEFITS.

NO CITATIONS FOR IMPACT PLASTICS, SAY HELENE DEATHS WEREN’T WORK RELATED

ACCORDING TO TENNESSEE OSHA, THE MANAGEMENT OF IMPACT PLASTICS ACTED REASONABLY, AND GAVE EMPLOYEES ENOUGH TIME TO LEAVE SAFELY ON THE DAY HURRICANE HELENE STRUCK THE TRI CITIES. TOSHA CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EVENTS AT IMPACT PLASTICS ON SEPTEMBER 27^TH, WHEN THE HURRICANE CAUSED FATAL FLOODS TO RIP THROUGH UNICOI COUNTY. AN ATTORNEY FOR SOME EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES SAID IN A STATEMENT, WE VEHEMENTLY DISAGREE WITH ANY CHARACTERIZATION THAT IMPACT PLASTICS EXERCISED REASONABLE DILLIGENCE IN DISMISSING EMPLOYEES. THE FACT SIMPLY SUPPORT SUCH A FINDING, AS FLOOD WATERS WERE ALREADY TOO HIGH AND TOO STRONG WHEN IMPACT PLASTICS FINALLY, AND BEGRUDGINGLY, ALLOWED WORKERS TO LEAVE. FIVE IMPACT PLASTICS EMPLOYEES AND ONE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR DIES IN THE FLOODS.

LAST CALL BILL PASSED BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY

A BILL GIVING THE JOHNSON CITY COMMISSION THE POWER TO SET ITS OWN ALCOHOL SALED HOURS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA HAS BEEN PASSED BY LAWMAKERS. ON MONDAY, THE TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSED THE BILL BY A VOTE OF 83 TO 6 WITH 6 NOT VOTING. THE BILL WAS PASSED ALMOST UNANIMOUSLY BY THE SENATE ON MARCH 27^TH. STATE SENATOR REBECCA ALEXANDER SAID THE BILL IS NOTHING BUT A JOHNSON CITY BILL TO ALLOW THEM TO PUT IN THE ABILITY TO HAVE A PREMIER RESORT AREA DOWNTOWN, SO THEY CAN CONTROL THE HOURS OF ALCOHOL SALES. THIS HAD TO DO WITH THE AMOUNT OF FIGHTING AND REALLY BAD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THAT SECTION OF DOWNTOWN. THE BILL ONLY APPLIES TO JOHNSON CITY AND IS LIMITED TO THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. BUSINESS OWNERS CLAIM THAT CHANGING THE ALCOHOL SALE HOURS WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE CITY’S ECONOMY.

CARTER CO SHERIFF’S OFFICE WARNS OF COUNTERFEIT MONEY SCHEME

THE CARTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS WARNING BUSINESSES OF AN ONGOING COUNTERFEIT MONEY SCHEME. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAID SEVERAL BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN TARGETED IN RECENT MONTHS, PARTICULARLY IN THE ROAN MOUNTAIN AND HAMPTON AREAS. CASES HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED IN NEARBY NORTH CAROLINA. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE REPORTS INA RELEASE, THAT A PERSON WILL TYPICALLY MAKE A SMALL PURCHASE, TYPICALLY LESS THAN 5 DOLLARS, AND PAY FOR IT WITH A COUNTERFEIT 50 OR 100 DOLLAR BILL. IN SOME CASES, THE SUBJECT HAS ALSO ASKED THE CASHIER TO BREAK ANOTHER LARGE BILL FOR THEM. BUSINESSES ARE ENCOURAGED TO BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR SUSPICIOUS LOOKING BILLS, AND POSSIBLY LIMIT ACCEPTING LARGE BILLS FOR SMALL PURCHASES.

BROAD ST BRIDGE REOPENING POSTPONED ANOTHER MONTH

THE BROAD STREET BRIDGE IN ELIZABETHTON, WHICH WAS DAMAGED BY HELENE, WILL REMAIN CLOSED A LITTLE LONGER THAN INITIALLY EXPECTED. ACCORDING TO T-DOT, THE BRIDGE WILL REOPEN IN EARLY JULY. T-DOT HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED THE BRIDGE TO REOPEN IN LATE MAY. HOWEVER THE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED THE REOPENING HAD BEEN PUSHED BACK ON WEDNESDAY. T-DOT CITED EAST TENNESSEE’S UNIQUE GEOLOGICAL FEATURES AS A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE DELAY. WHILE WORK CONTINUES, DRIVERS ARE ASKED TO AVOID THE AREA.

ELIZABETHTON WOMAN CHARGED WITH PROSTITUTION

AN ELIZABETHTON WOMAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH PROSTITUTION FOLLOWING AN UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION. AUTHORITIES SAY 36 YEAR OLD MELISSA SUE TIMBS WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY AND CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF PROSTITUTION. THE ARREST CAME AFTER A JOINT INVESTIGATION BY THE CARTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND ELIZABETHTON POLICE. INVESTIGATORS PREVIOUSLY DISCOVERED ADS POSTED TO A WEBSITE ADVERTISING ACTS OF PROSTITUTION, WHICH LED OFFICERS TO TIMBS. TIMBS TOLD INVESTIGATORS SHE IS CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED AND MAKES MONEY BY PROVIDING PROSTITUTION SERVICES.