Johnson County Vaccine Update

The Tennessee Department of Health announced on Monday, February 1 that the Johnson County Health Department is booking appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations for residents ages 70 and older.According to TDH, people in Phase 1b of the Tennessee COVID-19 Vaccination Plan are also eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated.For people who do not have … Read more

Better Internet Access

More families in Washington County, Tennessee will soon have better access to internet.BrightRidge is continuing its push to expand fiber broadband access into rural areas of the county.Another 1,051 customers will benefit from the expansion, many of whom have limited internet options.“Certainly, among the many lessons learned during this pandemic, affordable high-speed broadband is a … Read more

Appalachian Trail Killer Trial Moved

The attorney representing James Jordan, the man accused of fatally stabbing a hiker on the Appalachian Trail in May 2019, has filed a motion to push back the date of his trial.According to court documents, Jordan’s counsel, federal public defender Lisa Lorish, filed a motion on Monday, February 1 to change the date of the … Read more

Johnson City Man Charged

A man has been charged with second degree murder following a fatal shooting Saturday, according to the Johnson City Police Department.Dadrian Franklin, 34, of Johnson City, was arrested Monday and was also charged with trespassing.Police said Franklin was involved in an altercation with the victim just prior to the victim’s shooting death. The victim’s name … Read more

ETSU Nursing Scholarships

With a goal of improving access and quality of healthcare in Tennessee’s distressed counties, health insurance provider Amerigroup Tennessee has established a new scholarship at East Tennessee State University – the Amerigroup Rural Medicine Scholarship (ARMS), valued at $52,000 per student. The scholarship is funded through a $156,000 grant from Amerigroup, and will fully fund … Read more

Winning Two Million Dollars

A Lee County woman was pleasantly surprised to learn she had won $2 million dollars from the Virginia Lottery while the country was focused on the $1 billion Mega Millions prize.According to a release from the Virginia Lottery, Dorothy “Linda” Millsap purchased a Mega Millions ticket from the Wilderness Road Market on US Highway 23 … Read more

Eastman Chemical Operation

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Eastman Chemical Company have announced plans to build “one of the world’s largest plastic-to-plastic molecular recycling facilities” in Kingsport.According to a release from Eastman, the new facility will utilize methanolysis to convert polyester waste into usable and durable products, rather than allowing them to end up in a landfill.

Mendota Case Discovery

Authorities in Washington County, Virginia said they discovered and positively identified the remains of the third victim in a murder investigation from 2019.The remains of Athina Hopson, 25, were found and positively identified in the Mendota area.Hopson, who last lived in Johnson City, was reported missing March 21, 2019.The Commonwealth’s Attorney for Washington County, Virginia … Read more

ETSU Climate Office

After several years of careful planning, the Climate Office for the state of Tennessee has been officially recognized at East Tennessee State University by the American Association of State Climatologists (AASC).The Tennessee Climate Office (TCO) at ETSU has been fulfilling the basic responsibilities of a state climate office since its establishment in 2016, providing climate … Read more

Kiosk In Carter County For Renewals

A recent kiosk installment at the Redi-Mart Supermarket in Hampton is going to make life a little easier for Carter County residents who don’t want to go to the courthouse to renew their car tags, locate and pay property taxes, and pay court fines.Recently, Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby joined with County Clerk Mary Gouge, … Read more