WEDNESDAY MARCH 26
WASHINGTON CO CONTRIBUTES TO EFFORT FOR NEW AIRLINE AT TRI CITIES AIRPORT
WASHINGTON COUNTY TENNESSEE JOINED A GROWING LIST OF GROUPS AROUND THE REGION TO COMMIT FINANCIALLY TO BRINGING ANOTHER AIRLINE TO TRI CITIES AIRPORT. SULLIVAN COUNTY COMMITTED 240,000 DOLLARS AND KINGSPORT AGREED TO COMMIT 250,000 DOLLARS TO THE EFFORT. NOW WASHINGTON COUNTY HAS AGREED TO CONTRIBUTE 240,000 DOLLARS AS WELL. A KINGSPORT BASED ORGANIZATION, “BRIDGE” IS SPEAD HEADING THE EFFORT. JOHN ROSE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BRIDGE SAYS ADDING ANOTHER AIRLINE WOULD BE AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT FOR THE REGION. ROSE SAID BRIDGE IS WORKING WITH LOCAL GROUPS TO RAISE 2 MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH WOULD HELP SUPPORT AIRLINE SERVICE FOR TWO YEARS AT THE TRI.
SOIL TESTING UNDERWAY FOR FLOODED FARMS
AREA FARMERS ARE LEARNING HOW THE SEDIMENT LEFT BEHIND BY HELENE’S FLOODWATERS WILL IMPACT THEIR CROPS. SAND, SILT, AND ROCK ARE JUST SOME OF WHAT REMAINS. SOIL TESTS ALREADY TAKEN BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE EXTENSION OFFICE HAVE NOT BEEN FAVORABLE, BUT THEY PLAN TO RETEST LATER THIS WEEK. SOIL SPECIALISTS WITH THE EXTENSION OFFICE SAY THAT WHILE SOIL TESTING SHOWS ADEQUATE NUTRIENTS, THE PHYSICAL MAKEUP IF THE NOW CRUSTY SOIL IS ANOTHER PROBLEM, PREVENTING SOME SMALL SEEDS FROM BREAKING THROUGH. THIS IS FORBES WALKER, A UT ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL SPECIALIST SAID HIS TEAM IS MEETING WITH FARMERS ALONG THE NOLICHUCKY RIVER, GETTING SOIL SAMPLES, AND SUGGESTING WAYS TO COMBAT THE IMPACTS OF THE FLOODING.
BODY FOUND OFF KNOB CREEK DOCK ROAD IDENTIFIED AS MISSING PERSON CAYLA NICKLES
WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES LOCATED THE BODY OF CAYLA NICKLES SUNDAY EVENING. ACCORDING TO SHERIFF KEITH SEXTON, THE BODY WAS LOCATED BY A PROPERTY OWNER IN A WOODED AREA OFF KNOB CREEK DOCK ROAD. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED THE BODY AS THAT OF NICKLES, WHO WENT MISSING ON JANUARY 23RD. AT THIS TIME THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF FOUL PLAY. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.
COMPTROLLER RELEASES CARTER CO AUDIT REPORT
THE TENNESSEE COMPTROLLERS OFFICE RELEASED ITS LATEST AUDIT REPORT FOR CARTER COUNTY, FOR THE 2024 FISCAL YEAR, WHICH ENDED JUNE 30TH. IT INCLUDES FIVE KEY FINDINGS, FOUR OF WHICH WERE IN THE OFFICE’S REPORT FOR 2023. THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 FINDINGS DID CUT THE NUMBER OF FINDINGS IN HALF FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE FINDINGS INCLUDED NON-COMPLIANCE CONCERNS SUCH AS PURCHASING DEFICIENCIES AND DEFICIENCIES IN BUDGET OPERATIONS IN CARTER COUNTY. THE SUDIT REPORT DID SAY THAT IT SHOULD BE NOTED THE COUNTY MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN REPORTING AND RECONCILING GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNT BALANCES IN FISCAL YEAR 2024.
TEMPLE HILL RD HAS REOPENED
THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ANNOUNCED LATE TUESDAY, THAT TEMPLE HILL ROAD IN UNICOI COUNTY HAS REOPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY SIX MONTHS. THE ROAD WAS DAMAGED DURING HELENE IN LATE SEPTEMBER. ACCORDING TO T-DOT, 44 OF THE 49 SECTIONS OF ROADWAYS CLOSED FOLLOWING HELENE HAVE REOPENED.
BRISTOL VA OUTBUILDING COLLAPSES DUE TO FIRE
THE BRISTOL VIRGINIA FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO A FIRE AT THE INTERSECTION OF INTERMONT DRIVE AND MOORE STREET MONDAY. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AN ABANDONED OUTBUILDING WAS ON FIRE JUST BEFORE 10 PM. WHILE CREWS WERE WORKING TO PREVENT HE FIRE FROM SPREADING TO NEARBY STRUCTURES, THE OUTBUILDING COLLAPSED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED NO OCCUPANTS WERE INSIDE AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE FIRE HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS INCENDIARY, AND EVIDENCE SHOWS IT STARTED IN THE BACK CORNER OF THE OUTBUILDING. DAMAGE ESTIMATES ARE AROUND 5,000 DOLLARS.
JOHNSON CITY GIVING AWAY TREE SEEDLINGS FOR ARBOR DAY
THE CITY OF JOHNSON CITY WILL GIVE AWAY TREE SEEDLINGS ON APRIL 5TH. SINCE 2010, JOHNSON CITY HAS CELEBRATED ARBOR DAY BY DISTRIBUTING ALMOST 40,000 TREES TO THE COMMUNITY. AROUND 3,000 SEEDLINGS WILL BE HANDED OUT ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS AT METRO-KIWANIS PARK STARTING AT 9 AM. CITY FORSTER PATRICK WALDING SAID IN A RELEASE, ACHIEVING 25 YEARS AS A TREE CITY SIGNIFIES JOHNSON CITY’S COMMITMENT TO URBAN FORESTRY AND THE BENEFITS THAT TREES BRING TO OUT COMMUNITY.
ABINGDON NEARS COMPLETION OF MAJOR FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT
A FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT IN ABINGDON HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR NEARLY 4 YEARS, WITH THE PLAN TO PREVENT FLOODING ON EAST MAIN STREET. THE FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT IN ABINGDON IS UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE THE EAST MAIN STREET DRAINAGE SYSTEM. TOWN MANAGER MIKE COCHRAN SAYS IT’S IN ITS FINAL STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION. FLOODING ON EAST MAIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR THE TOWN OF ABINGDON. RIGHT AFTER COVID, THE TOWN RECEIVED 8 MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING AS PART OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, AND THEY PUT 2 MILLION OF THAT TOWARD THE FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT. CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN NOVEMBER, AND COCKRAN SAID THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
GEA MASTER SITE PLAN COULD BRING CUSTOMER SERVICE & OPERATIONS TO SAME LOCATION
A MASTER SITE PLAN COULD EVENTUALLY BRING GREENEVILLE ENERGY AUTHORITY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING BUSINESS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE TO ONE LOCATION. GEA PRESIDENT AND CEO DWAYNE WELLS NOTIFIED BOARD MEMBERS DURING THEIR MARCH MEETING, THAT A MASTER SITE PLAN COMMITTEE HAS MET WITH A PLANNER AND ARCHITECT FOR INITIAL DISCUSSIONS. NO OFFICIAL DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT MOVING THE DOWNTOWN LOCATION, BUT WELLS ADMITTED WHILE THE FACILITY IS ADA COMPLIANT, IT’S NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO CUSTOMERS DUE TO SOME PARKING LIMITATIONS AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS. WELLS SAID HE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THE BOARD ON SITE PLAN COMMITTEE CONSIDERATIONS MOVING FORWARD.
HUNTING SEASON PROPOSALS PRESENTED AT MARCH FISH & WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETING
THE TENNESSEE WILDLIFE RESOURCES AGENCY PRESENTED ITS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 2025-26 HUNTING AND TRAPPING SEASONS AT THE TENNESSEE FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION’S MARCH MEETING. THE SETTING PROCESS FOR HUNTING AND TRAPPING SEASON IS A YEAR LOGN PROCESS. THERE WERE NO PROPOSED CHANGES FOR DEER, TURKEY AND ELK SEASONS. THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION IN BEAR HUNT ZONE 2 TO SHIFT 9 DAYS OF THE DECEMBER SEASON TO EARLIER IN OCTOBER. FEDERAL REGULATIONS ARE REQUIRING 2 CHANGES TO DUCK SEASON, AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA SEASON RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ALSO PRESENTED.
JOHNSON CITY ADVISORY BOARD TO VOTE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING GRANTS THURSDAY NIGHT
A JOHNSON CITY ADVISORY BOARD IS SCHEDULED TO VOTE THURSDAY NIGHT ON GRANTS FOR FOUR PROJECTS AIMED AT ADDRESSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS. THE PROJECTS, PRESENTED BY VARIOUS NON-PROFITS, INCLUDES PLANS FOR NEW NEIGHBORHOODS, AND REPAIRS TO EXISTING HOMES. THE BOARD FACES A CHALLENGING DECISION, AS 500,000 DOLLARS IS AVAILABLE TO FUND OVER 800,000 DOLLARS IN REQUESTS. TWO OF THE PROJECTS EXPECTED TO BREAK GROUND IN THE COMING MONTHS. CITY LEADERS EMPHASIZED THAT THE PROJECTS WILL HELP ALLEVIATE THE HOUSING SHORTAGE IN THE REGION.
