Virginia bans deer feeding through first of January - A ban on feeding deer in Virginia has been in effect since Sept. 1 and will remain in effect through the first Saturday in January. A year-round ban has been imposed in Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah and Warren counties as part of chronic wasting disease management actions by state game officials. BLOUNTVILLE — The 2nd Annual Historic Blountville Flea Market and Yard Sale is scheduled for next Saturday. Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News. GATE CITY — A Nickelsville man convicted last year of sexually abusing a young child was recently charged in Scott County on two dozen counts related to the possession of child pornography. Related stories: Nickelsville man arrested, accused of raping 9-year-old girl Scott man sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting 9-year-old girl BLOUNTVILLE — The days of just walking into area an high school during the school day without buzzing in and having someone unlock the door for you soon will come to an end, according to officials from three area school systems. Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News. LEBANON -- A new industrial park, equipment for an energy research center, and a feasibility study for a dental school were the main action items considered Thursday by the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority. GATE CITY — The Scott County Board of Education wrapped up its interview process Friday with four candidates vying to be the school system’s next superintendent. Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News. A large surplus of gasoline reserves and lower prices at the pump are creating quite the tempting recipe for Labor Day travel. KINGSPORT — Kingsport is developing a comprehensive annexation plan for its entire urban growth boundary that aims to provide information and recommendations on where the city should focus its annexation efforts over the next 10 years. Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News. WISE — Authorities are keeping a tight lid on a hacking incident involving an undisclosed amount of public funds apparently at least briefly getting filched from financial accounts of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise last week. Beetle Bailey, who really is the eternal soldier, turned 60 yesterday. Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News. KINGSPORT — Enrollment is up in the city school system, especially in kindergarten and sixth grade. KINGSPORT — Two nurses’ quick reaction are credited with saving the life of a Kingsport man last month who crashed near Holston Valley Medical Center. Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News. KINGSPORT — If you want one last stroll through "the Back Room," "the Butcher Shop," or "the Diner," today could be your last chance. Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News. Most dog owners feel pretty fortunate if their dogs will just sit, stay or come on command. But imagine having a dog that can also turn light switches off and on, open and close doors and drawers, open the refrigerator and retrieve a drink, go get help, if needed, or even assist with shopping. For people with physical disabilities, having a canine companion that can successfully perform tasks such as these gives them so much more than just bragging rights for having the smartest dog in the neighborhood. Service dogs, which are not the same as guide dogs for the blind, are specially trained to help people with ambulatory and other physical disabilities, giving their human partners more independence and self-confidence. Because of cerebral palsy, 23-year-old Weber City, Va. resident, Bethany Deckard has certain physical limitations and uses a wheelchair. Bethany is the daughter of Eileen Roberts Deckard and Joey Deckard. Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News. KINGSPORT — An employee of the Express Oil shop on West Stone Drive was charged Wednesday with theft over $1,000 for allegedly ordering auto parts for personal use on the business’s charge account. Last year, Tennessee GOP state Rep. Tony Shipley of Kingsport was one in a minority of House lawmakers who voted against the state budget, the state appropriations bill and a bill authorizing issuance of about $700 million in bonds for various projects. Democrats voted overwhelmingly for all three measures, but at least 60 percent of GOP lawmakers also voted for the bills. Former state Rep. Nathan Vaughn, Shipley’s opponent in the November general election for the 2nd House District seat, is particularly critical of the vote against the bond bill. Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News. KINGSPORT — A stimulus-funded repaving project that took place in the Model City earlier this year came in more than $200,000 over budget due to construction delays and increased costs from fuel and asphalt. ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County couple were arrested on meth charges Wednesday afternoon in the Rogersville Walmart parking lot after concerned citizens alerted police that they were purchasing suspicious items. BLOUNTVILLE -- A former Kingsport Catholic priest is in the Sullivan County jail after being indicted on additional charges related to the sexual abuse of a young boy over 30 years ago. He was indicted Aug. 2 in Scott County, Va. on charges of forcible sodomy and indecent liberties with a minor. His next appearance in Scott County Circuit Court is scheduled for Sept. 13. Casey also pleaded guilty to crimes against nature in July in McDowell County, N.C. and was given a three-year suspended and two years of supervised probation. Read the full report in Saturday's edition of the Kingsport Times-News, or its enhanced electronic edition. A man arrested at a Kingsport public housing complex on Thursday allegedly beat one of his neighbors with a ball bat for playing loud music. According to a Kingsport Police report, the alleged incident happened at Lee Apartments, 606 E. Sevier Ave, approximately 15 minutes after police visited the victim's apartment and told him to turn his music down. The report states officers first spoke with Christopher E. Coclough, 43, of Apt. 94., at approximately 7:36 p.m. The reporting officer says Coclough was told to turn his music down, and he did. At approximately 7:50 p.m., police say they spoke with Coclough again about an alleged fight. Coclough said a neighbor identified as Russell S. Humphreys, 22, had come out of the apartment next-door and struck him with a ball bat during an argument about him "playing his stereo loud." Coclough said he hit Humphreys back in self-defense. Police noted there were "visible marks from the bat" on the left side of Coclough's back, and "numerous abrasions" on his legs and knees. Next, police went to Apt. 95, where Humphreys allegedly refused to let them in. A maintenance worker was called to unlock the door. Once it was opened, Humphreys came to the door and was immediately taken into custody. When asked where the bat was, Humphreys allegedly stated that he had put it behind the couch in the living room. Police located the bat, and observed blood on the grip. Humphreys allegedly admitted striking Coclough with the bat, but claimed he did it only after Coclough hit him in the nose. Humphreys was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. The bat was seized as evidence. Kingsport BOE leans toward foundry site for Central Office A registered Kingsport sex offender has been arrested on TennCare fraud and felony theft for allegedly transferring nearly $500,000 out of an elderly nursing home resident's bank account into his own account so the man would qualify for TennCare. According to a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation news release, Danny Anderson, 53, of 445 Roller St., was arrested without incident at his home on Thursday. He is charged with Tenncare fraud and theft over $10,000. Court records indicate a Sullivan County grand jury handed down sealed indictments on the charges on Tuesday. TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm identified the victim, a resident of Holston Manor nursing home, as a male. The news release states Anderson transferred the money from the victim's bank account between February and April. The TBI investigation began in May. According to the release, the two men had been "friends and neighbors" for "several years." Anderson is on Tennessee's Sexual Offender Registry due to a 1989 aggravated rape conviction. LONDON (AP) — Did creation need a creator? British physicist and mathematician Stephen Hawking says no, arguing in his new book that there need not be a God behind the creation of the universe. A Bristol man already jailed on other charges was arrested Thursday on accusations that he stole electronics from a north Johnson City address. Read the full story on the Johnson City Press Web site. CHURCH HILL — A Church Hill man was killed Wednesday morning when the motorcycle he was riding left the roadway near a creek on Deerfield Circle.
The statewide ban now in effect does not restrict planting crops like corn and soybeans, wildlife food plots, and backyard or schoolyard habitats. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries intends the ban to curb the artificial feeding of deer that leads to negative consequences like overpopulation damaging to natural habitats, transmission of diseases including tuberculosis, deer colliding with vehicles, and unnatural taming of wild deer.
Feeding deer also has many implications for law enforcement. Baiting deer for hunting is illegal in Virginia.
Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.
Blountville Flea Market, Yard Sale set for return -
Tuesday is the last day to reserve a space for the sale, which drew thousands of bargain- and antiques-hunters last year.
This year’s event is scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 11.
Vendors are expected to come from across the region gather to make this one of Sullivan County’s largest annual events, according to the Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism, which oversees the event.
Vendors will include area churches, businesses, non-profit organizations, commercial vendors and private individuals from around the region.
Nickelsville man convicted of raping 9-year-old girl facing charges of child porn possession -
Freddie Ellis Dean, 58, was charged with 24 counts of possession of child pornography. Dean has a plea hearing scheduled for Nov. 22 in Scott County Circuit Court.
Dean was arraigned in Scott County Circuit Court last week and faces a maximum sentence of 235 years in a state penitentiary.
In March 2009, Dean pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual battery of a child under the age of 13 and is currently incarcerated on that charge.
Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.
When it comes to safety, area school systems opting for 'safety over convenience' -
Efforts are underway to beef up school security at Sullivan County schools after Monday’s fatal shooting of a gunman by police at Sullivan Central High.
Increased security efforts also are underway in the Kingsport and Hawkins County school systems, officials of those systems said.
Sullivan County Director of Schools Jubal Yennie Wednesday called his philosophy on school security "safety over convenience," something he wants students, parents and the community to understand and support.
When gunman Thomas Richard Cowan, 62, 260 Mountain view Lane, went to Central High School Monday morning with two loaded pistols, he forced his way in through the locked school. He eventually was lured by a school resource officer into a hall area near the library and then shot by the SRO and two deputies.
VCEDA rolls with variety in funding -
VCEDA Executive Director Jonathan Belcher said the results of the session "is evidence that economic development is ongoing in the region and plans continue growth to meet our area's changing needs and challenges."
The VCEDA board approved a request from the Dickenson County Industrial Development Authority for a loan of up to $147,000 to apply to the purchase of property for the development of the Coalfield Regional Industrial Park in the Red Onion area. The loan is contingent upon post-mining land use for the property being redesignated as industrial.
Following last week's ribbon cutting for the Appalachia Amer ica Energy Research Center at the Lonesome Pine Business & Technology Park in Wise County, VCEDA approved a request from the Wise County IDA for a loan of up to $505,000 to be applied to ward the purchase of equipment for the facility.
Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.
Scott County BOE nearing vote for school system's next superintendent -
The board met with three of the candidates on Thursday and another on Friday at the Scott County Public Schools Central Office and could vote on a successor to outgoing Superintendent Jim Scott as early as the next regular meeting Sept. 7.
"What we’re going to do, and I think this is pretty much the consensus of the board, is digest the information we gathered in the interview process over the weekend and the holiday," School Board Chairman James Kay Jessee said. "Then we’ll come back Tuesday, go into a closed session and we’re going to discuss whether or not we’re ready to choose a candidate."
Vying for the position are Duffield Elementary Principal Travis Nickels, Scott County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent John Ferguson, Scott County School Board Attorney Greg Baker’s and Dr. Donald Richardson, a former visiting professor at East Tennessee State University on a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grant.
AAA: More travelers to hit the road over Labor Day weekend -
AAA East Tennessee is reporting that record reserve levels in the U.S. crude oil supply led to large drops in regular unleaded prices across the nation earlier this week. That has led to an uptick in travel projections for the Labor Day weekend made by the road club.
Nearly 659,000 Tennessee travelers are planning a getaway for the last summer holiday weekend, according to an agency survey. Nationally, 34.4 million tourists are planning a trip — a 9.9 percent increase from last year.
AAA says 90 percent of that holiday traffic will be on the highways for the period, which ends at midnight on Monday.
Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.
Kingsport crafting 10-year plan to direct annexation -
Over the past four years, Kingsport has annexed more than 1,500 acres and several thousand people, increasing the city’s size from 47 square miles to more than 50 square miles. The Model City has focused primarily on the Rock Springs community but has also annexed along Eastern Star Road, the Meadowview area and Fall Creek.
Now, Colonial Heights appears to be the center of attention, given that the 10-year moratorium on annexation in the community ended Jan. 1. Kingsport did a number of smaller annexations in Colonial Heights earlier this year and is planning to take in more than 1,300 residents later this year.
During a Kingsport Regional Planning Commission special work session last week, the comprehensive annexation plan was briefly discussed.
City Planner Forrest Koder said he has been tasked with drafting the plan and hopes to have it complete by year’s end. Koder said the plan breaks the city’s urban growth boundary into five general areas — Bloomingdale, Fall Creek, Carters Valley, Sullivan Gardens and Colonial Heights.
UVa-Wise officials mum on hacking incident -
Even the identity of the investigating agency or agencies is not being divulged.
“We did have a hacking incident a week ago. We discovered it quickly, we took aggressive action, and all money taken has been recovered,” UVa-Wise spokeswoman Kathy Still said Friday.
“Authorities are investigating, and we have determined that no personal data was compromised at all.”
Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.
No paper has carried 'Beetle Bailey' longer than the Times-News -
Actually Beetle was 18 and a freshman at Rockview U. in the first "Beetle Bailey" comic strip, so that would make him 78.
The very first Beetle Bailey strip ran in only 12 newspapers that first day in 1950, but the Kingsport Times was one of them.
This newspaper announced in a two-column ad on Saturday Sept. 2, 1950, that come Monday there would be a new character on the comics page, joining Joe Palooka, Blondie, Etta Kett and the 12 other comics.
Enrollment up at Kingsport city school system -
School officials said they are particularly concerned about Ross N. Robinson Middle School exceeding 800 students, which Superintendent Richard Kitzmiller said is pretty much the capacity of the school.
Tyler Fleming, director of student services, told the Board of Education Thursday night that enrollment at Robinson has surged to 828, compared to 724 at Sevier Middle School and 1,894 at Dobyns-Bennett High School that school officials said has a capacity of 1,900 it exceeded last year.
"I don’t know where we could put a lot more students at Robinson," Fleming said.
Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.
Off-duty nurses help save crash victim in Kingsport -
Registered nurses Chris Wilson and Stacie Bishop had attended a staff meeting just across from the medical complex and were returning to work in the late afternoon hours of Aug. 25 when they saw a person asking for help on Ravine Street.
A truck driven by Rick Fairbanks of Kingsport had gone off the road, coming to a stop at a tree, when Fairbanks suffered a heart attack behind the wheel. The nurses rushed to his aid.
"It’s something that you really don’t think about. You are trained to it and react quickly. So we just went in focused on the patient, who had critical minutes there," said Bishop.
When they arrived at the truck, Fair banks was slumped over into the passen ger’s side of the vehicle. He lost consciousness shortly after the nurses had checked for a pulse.
Skoby's to open for special viewing prior to public auction -
Those are the names of some of the dining areas of the former Skoby’s restaurant, a Model City landmark for generations prior to its closure a few years ago.
A public preview is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. of items from Skoby’s to be sold in a public auction Monday.
All remaining contents from the restaurant’s 50-plus years of operation, along with many architectural details — such as flooring, doors, paneling, light fixtures, and stained glass windows — are being auctioned by current owner Virginia Intermont College.
The building is scheduled for demolition later this month, auctioneer Kimball Sterling said.
Service animal gives woman with cerebral palsy increased independence -
Three years ago, Bethany obtained Ellie, a black Labrador retriever, from Saint Francis Service Dogs in Roanoke, Va. Ellie has since given Bethany not only a greater sense of independence, but also a constant companion.
Express Oil employee in Kingsport accused of stealing from company -
On Aug. 23, a store manager of the Express Oil, 4213 W. Stone Drive, reported to the Kingsport Police Department that employee Gregory Gene Short, 40, 339 Hidden Valley Road, Rogersville, had allegedly been ordering auto parts from Advance Auto using the company charge account between March 14 and Aug. 18.
The cost of the unauthorized purchases was listed at $2,656, according to the warrant filed by KPD Detective Randy Murray.
Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.
Vaughn: Shipley voted against bridge projects -
"He was voting against projects, not just in Memphis and Nashville, but he was voting against projects in Sullivan County..." Vaughn, a Kingsport Democrat, said of Ship ley’s vote. "That just says to me that’s completely out of touch. ... He ran on a record of basically provid ing road projects he said were im portant to this community, and he voted against those."
Cost increases, delays put Kingsport repaving project over budget -
However, through negotiations and reducing the contract due to the delay, Kingsport managed to get the overruns down to just over $145,500.
Kingsport received $2.16 million in transportation funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 —a law that sought to help pull the U.S. economy out of recession. The city chose to use the funds to pave portions of five heavily traveled roads — Eastman Road, Center Street, Clinchfield Street, Bloomingdale Road and Orebank Road.
Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.
Suspicious purchases by Hawkins couple prompt meth bust -
The Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit met Roger Clay Short, 41, 150 Elkton Road, Rogersville, in the Walmart parking lot at his vehicle shortly after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after Short purchased two cans of starter fluid.
Starter fluid is used in the process of cooking methamphetamine.
Moments later, Addril Ann Davis, 30, same address, exited the store after having purchased two containers of drain cleaner, which is also used in the process of cooking meth.
Read the full report in the print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.
Former Kingsport priest booked into Sullivan County jail on aggravated rape, sexual abuse charges -
Authorities arrested William “Bill” Casey, 76, at his residence, 740 Shakerag Road, Greeneville, without incident early Friday afternoon, before transporting him to the Sullivan County Detention Center. Casey was indicted earlier this week on a single charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of aggravated rape by a Sullivan County Grand Jury.
Loud music at Kingsport apartments prompts alleged ball bat attack -
Kingsport BOE leans toward foundry site for Central Office; Church Hill police seek suspect in robbery of Minor's Market; Labor Day weekend features Duffield Daze, Papa Joe Smiddy Music Festival -
KINGSPORT — Although the decision is not official, a majority of Kingsport Board of Education members Thursday night strongly leaned toward the old Kingsport Foundry as a site for the new school system Central Office.
Labor Day weekend features Duffield Daze, Papa Joe Smiddy Music Festival in Scott County
DUFFIELD — A Labor Day tradition returns to Scott County this weekend as the Duffield Daze festival celebrates its 29th straight year in existence.
New Church Hill Intermediate School eases overcrowding issue
CHURCH HILL — Bringing sixth-graders to the new Church Hill Intermediate School for the last three weeks of the 2009-10 school year helped iron out some of the bugs of operating a new school.
Church Hill police seek suspect in robbery of Minor’s Market
CHURCH HILL — Church Hill police are asking for help from the community to solve an armed robbery that occurred early Thursday morning at Minor’s Market.
Read the full report of these and other local stories in today's print editon of the Kingsport Times-News, or it's enhanced electronic edition.
Transfer of nearly $500,000 prompts Kingsport sex offender's arrest on TennCare fraud, theft -
Stephen Hawking: Creation came 'from nothing,' not God -
The concept is explored in The Grand Design, excerpts of which were printed in the British newspaper The Times on Thursday. The book, written with fellow physicist Leonard Mlodinow, is scheduled to be published by Bantam Press on Sept. 9.
The Grand Design, which the publishers call Hawking's first major work in nearly a decade, challenges Isaac Newton's theory God must have been involved in creation because our solar system couldn't have come out of chaos simply through nature.
But Hawking says it isn't that simple. To understand the universe, it's necessary to know both how and why it behaves the way it does, calling the pursuit "the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything."
"We shall attempt to answer it in this book," he wrote. "Unlike the answer given in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, ours won't be simply '42.'"
The number 42 is the deliberately absurd answer to the "Ultimate Question" chosen by sci-fi author Douglas Adams.
Hawking, who is renowned for his work on black holes, said the 1992 discovery of another planet orbiting a star other than the sun makes "the coincidences of our planetary conditions ... far less remarkable and far less compelling as evidence that the Earth was carefully designed just to please us human beings."
In his best-selling 1988 book A Brief History of Time, Hawking appeared to accept the possibility of a creator, saying the discovery of a complete theory would "be the ultimate triumph of human reason — for then we should know the mind of God."
But The Grand Design seems to step away from that, saying physics can explain things without the need for a "benevolent creator who made the Universe for our benefit."
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing," the excerpt says. "Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to ... set the Universe going."
Hawking retired last year as the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University after 30 years in the position. The position was once held by Newton.
Johnson City police arrest Sullivan County inmate on aggravated burglary, theft charges -
Justin Michael Faulkner, 27, 112 16th Street, Bristol, was charged with aggravated burglary and theft of property over $1,000. Faulkner's arrest followed an investigation into a burglary at 3615 Cimarron Drive Johnson City police said in a news release.
Faulkner was arrested at the Sullivan County Detention Center, Blountville, where he was in custody on unrelated charges.
Church Hill motorcyclist killed in wreck -
According to a Tennessee Highway Patrol report filed by Trooper Nathan Hall, the accident occurred about 10:20 a.m.
Hall stated in his report that David O. Baker, 62, of Doe Meadow Court, Church Hill, was eastbound on Deerfield Court when the 2006 Honda Shadow motorcycle he was driving traveled off the north side of the roadway.
Baker was launched off the motorcycle, landed in the bed of Smith Creek, and the motorcycle landed in the creek, Hall said. Hall said Baker was killed on impact.
According to Hall’s report, Baker was wearing a helmet.
Baker was the second Hawkins County motorcyclist to be killed in an accident in less than a week.
On Sunday, Stevie Ferrell, 45, of Rogersville, was killed in an accident while driving on U.S. 129 in Blount County on a scenic motorway known as “The Dragon.”
According to the THP report, Ferrell was traveling south on his 2007 Yamaha motorcycle when he ran off the right side of the road and hit a tree. He was thrown from the bike and landed 57 feet west of the vehicle.
Part of U.S. 129 is nicknamed “The Dragon” and is a favorite destination for motorcyclists due to its scenery and curves.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation reopened the road in July after it was closed due to a rock slide there this spring.
