Bucs come up short at Upstate, fate remains uncertain

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Rashawn Rembert put on quite a show in the regular-season finale Friday night at USC Upstate.Unfortunately for the East Tennessee State basketball team, it was mostly a one-man show.Rembert scored a career-high 33 points, with eight 3-pointers, but the Spartans held on for a hard-fought 79-73 victory in the Hodge Center. The win was worth third place in the Atlantic Sun Conference and a home game in the quarterfinals next Tuesday night.For the Bucs (17-14, 10-8), they now have to wait until today’s games involving Lipscomb and North Florida are finished to see their postseason position. A win by both creates a three-way tie for fourth, and ETSU would claim the 4-seed and a home quarterfinal.Lipscomb hosts Stetson, while North Florida plays at last-place Kennesaw State. The only scenario where the Bucs have to travel is if Lipscomb wins and North Florida loses.“It’s where we are, a waiting game,” said a dejected ETSU coach Murry Bartow, after losing to the Spartans for the fifth straight time. “We knew this was going to be a hard game. They’re 7-1 in league play in this building, and most weren’t even close games. We’re down two with 45 seconds left, so it was right there.”Rembert did about all he could do in surpassing his previous high of 31 points. He went 8 of 14 from behind the 3-point arc, raising his school-record total for the season to 96, and also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. And he had to watch his team lose.“It’s ridiculous,” said Rembert. “Now we’ve got to wait and pull for other teams. I know I never had that in my mind at all.”The junior guard led the Bucs on a frantic rally at the end, after they fell behind by 12 with less than two minutes left.His deep three with 1:13 remaining cut the Upstate lead to seven, then five with a pair of free throws 20 seconds later. After an Upstate turnover inbouding the ball, he swished another bomb from the right corner with 41 seconds left.Suddenly it was a two-point game.“There was no doubt in my mind we were going to win it,” said Rembert, thinking back to a huge rally at Stetson last season that he capped with a winning shot. “It was Stetson all over again.”Instead, the Bucs made a couple of sloppy turnovers and the Spartans (18-13, 11-7) cashed in with four throws to seal the deal.“It got a little too close for comfort,” said Upstate coach Eddie Payne. “Rembert was fantastic; if you give him any space at all, he’s knocking shots down. Other than him, we did a pretty good job defensively.”A sidebar to the contest was the matchup of two of the top three scorers in the A-Sun, with Rembert versus Torrey Craig, the Spartans’ smooth senior forward.Craig was held to just 10 points and saw his season average dip to 16.9, tying him with Jarvis Haywood of Jacksonville. Rembert’s rose to 16.8.In conference games only, Rembert is the top scorer (18.2).“He’s had a great year,” said Bartow. “He’s full of energy, full of life, full of confidence. This was just one of those games where he didn’t have enough help.”Lester Wilson, in fact, was the only other ETSU player to score in double figures, and he got nine of his 12 in the first seven minutes.The Bucs again had no real answer for Ricardo Glenn, the Spartans’ 6-8, 246-pound senior, who matched his career high of 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting and also grabbed 10 rebounds. He had 18 and 15, respectively, in the first meeting of the season with ETSU.Payne said he thought Glenn “probably deserves to be the player of the year in our league.” Bartow might not agree with that, but he knows the big man is a load for anybody in the A-Sun to handle.“Glenn hurt us; we just didn’t have good matchups,” said Bartow. “We did a good job on Craig, but not as a whole defensively. If you look at our losses, we just haven’t been able to get stops.”The Spartans shot 58 percent against them in the second half while scoring 45 points. Jodd Maxey, their other 6-8 forward, finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. He missed just two of his nine shots.The Bucs shot 39 percent, including 13 of 34 from 3-point range. They shore more threes than twos.



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Blountville boy, transplant recipient critical in Pennsylvania hospital

Weston Keeton, 7, was diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension.He’s been at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia since July 2011 where he spent two years on a waiting list for a heart and double lung transplant.



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Area's first marathon to have NASCAR flavor

Northeast Tennessee’s first marathon will have a little NASCAR flavor, and the event’s organizers hope that translates into “racing the way it oughta be.”That used to be Bristol Motor Speedway’s slogan, and the popular NASCAR track is playing a part in the 26.2-mile race.The Mentoring Marathon, to be held May 10, will start and finish at Winged Deer Park in Johnson City. Along the way, runners will do a lap at BMS, called the world’s fastest half mile, and run at Bristol Dragway as well.”I think it would be successful wherever it was going to be, but this just adds a level of uniqueness to it,” Johnson City city commissioner Jenny Brock said Thursday at Bojangle’s during a news conference announcing the race. “It gives it that little signature item to go around the speedway. To go around that track, that’s something you don’t see every day.”The course, which mainly runs along 11E, received final approval from various agencies and municipalities two weeks ago.The race’s original route was going to take it toward Jonesborough, but Janine Pleasant, who designed the eventual course, said the return trip was going to involve too many “small, curvy roads.”A course along 11E had already been designed for the NCAA Triathlon, for which Johnson City has put in a bid. The marathon course entails much of what will be the bike course for the triathlon.”It’s a great course,” Pleasant said. “The only real big hill is as you go into the Bristol Motor Speedway area. Other than that, it’s just rolling hills. It should be a nice, flat, fast course.”The May 10 date doesn’t give runners much time to prepare, something race director Michael Marion acknowledged.”There’s never a good time for the first one,” Marion said. “It takes so long to get those initial approvals. In the future, it will be easier.”Marion said he had been thinking about starting a marathon since 2005, but added “We had to have two things come together: the right person to do it and the initial sponsorship. Those two things came together this year.”Karen Hubbs, who organized the Bluegrass Half Marathon while working for the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce, is doing a lot of the organizational work and Bojangle’s is sponsoring the race.In addition to the marathon, there will be a 5-kilometer race and two relays during the actual marathon, for four- and 10-person teams. Organizers are also seeking 26 non-profit, church or school groups to each “adopt” a mile of the race. Runners will vote on the best mile and the top organizations will receive cash prizes.”I think marathoners will go back and talk about this,” said Brock, who serves on the board of the Turkey Trot, Johnson City’s ultra-successful Thanksgiving morning race. “We want to make it an experience in addition to a race. I want this to become an event that people from all over say ‘You’ve got to go to Northeast Tennessee because they have a marathon that is just different.’ “Proceeds from the race will benefit Rise Up, a non-profit group dedicated to helping children attain post-high school education through mentoring and after-school programs. Marion is the founder and director of Rise Up.



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Lady Vols survive scare at LSU

BATON ROUGE, La. — Meighan Simmons has been comfortable taking tough shots in tense moments for a while now.So Tennessee’s leading scorer wasn’t going to be rattled by the sight of her 10th-ranked Lady Vols blowing a 21-point halftime lead, or the sound of LSU’s home crowd going wild over the prospect of a historic comeback over an old nemesis.Simmons highlighted a 31-point performance with a clutch 3-pointer in the final minute, and Tennessee held off the relentless Lady Tigers, 72-67, on Thursday night.“That’s her,” Tennessee coach Holly Warlick said of Simmons. “She’s a gutsy kid … and she makes big plays for us.”Simmons hit five 3s in all and also made a couple of free throws to help seal the victory for the Lady Vols (23-5, 12-2 Southeastern Conference), who won for the ninth time in 10 games. “The coaches just told us to attack and I really wasn’t thinking anything. I was just thinking about scoring,” Simmons said. “They were big shots, but I thank the coaches for just being confident in me.”Cierra Burdick added a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Isabelle Harrison had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Tennessee, which had to rescue the victory after allowing LSU to tie the score with 3:28 to go.“I definitely think it was a big deal that we just kept grinding,” Tennessee guard Andraya Carter said. “A lot of times a team would fold when you have such a good lead to end the first half and it starts to slip away.“We stayed together. All our huddles were positive. Everything we were saying to each other was positive,” Carter continued. “It’s a big deal because we will have close games” in the postseason. Jeanne Kenney scored 17 of her 21 points in the second half, including two 3s and the tying free throws during LSU’s late 10-0 run. Theresa Plaisance added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Lady Tigers, who’ve now lost five straight for the first time in 19 years, but spoke in prideful tones.“We came together and that’s something I haven’t seen in a very long time, and I was very proud of how we did come back,” Kenney said. “I couldn’t ask for better teammates for this game.” Trailing 42-21 at halftime, LSU managed to make the game far more competitive over the final 20 minutes, and Tennessee helped by turning the ball over 11 times in the half.Plaisance, who’d started 2 of 10 form the field, hit a pair of 3s early in the second half, the first capping a 7-0 run to start the period.Kenney’s second 3 of the half pulled LSU to 59-52 with 5:53 left. She pumped both arms at her side as the crowd rose to its feet. Two possessions later, Kenney buried another 3 from the right corner, and DaShawn Harden’s steal of Carter’s pass, which Harden turned into a fast-break layup, gave the Lady Tigers eight straight points to make it a one-possession game at 59-57 with 4:35 still left.Kenney completed the comeback, tying the score on two free throws about a minute later.LSU coach Nikki Caldwell said the second half highlighted her team’s resilience, competitiveness and determination.“It showed a team that didn’t give up. It showed a team that stayed together and obviously it showed a team that was able to come back from adversity and potentially put themselves in a position to win. So we’re going to focus in on that,” Caldwell said. “We’re going to turn the corner. I believe it’s this game. I saw a different team tonight.”Simmons’ free throws broke the tie a minute later, and her 3 with 57 seconds left made it 68-63.  “It separated us right there,” Warlick said. “I mean, the game was on the line.”Tennessee had a 10-point lead just more than 4 minutes into the game when Burdick’s 3-point play on a layup as she was fouled made it 12-2. The lead was up to 20 when Simmons’s third 3-pointer of the half made it 28-8.LSU struggled in seemingly all areas during the opening 20 minutes, when the Lady Tigers shot 22.2 percent (6 of 27), turned the ball over 11 times and were outrebounded 26-14. By halftime Tennessee appeared to be in complete command. Simmons had 19 points, eclipsing her average of 15.7 points per game, and Burdick has 15, nearly double her average of 8.3 points. Tennessee, meanwhile, had shot 50 percent (17 of 34) as a team in building its big halftime lead.



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Lack of depth hurting Vols

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee is paying a price for its lack of depth.Saturday’s game between Tennessee (17-11, 8-7 SEC) and Vanderbilt (15-12, 7-8) matches two of the least productive benches in the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee ranks 12th out of 14 SEC teams in bench scoring in league competition. Vanderbilt is dead last in that category.Vanderbilt’s bench problems are due to the fact the Commodores have only seven healthy scholarship players. Tennessee’s troubles are tougher to explain. Tennessee’s bench averages 8 points per game in league competition and has reached double figures in just four of its 15 conference games. The only SEC teams whose benches are averaging fewer points per game in league play are Auburn (7.9) and Vanderbilt (5.3).The Vols remain confident they’ll get more bench production.“That’s something we’re not worried about,” Tennessee guard Jordan McRae said. “We know our bench will step up for us.”It hasn’t happened yet.Tennessee’s lack of bench strength is part of the reason the Vols are 3-10 in single-digit games and 0-5 in games decided by five points or fewer. In Tennessee’s 68-65 overtime loss at Texas A&M last week, the Vols’ reserves were outscored 21-2 by Texas A&M’s bench. Tennessee fell 75-70 at Missouri on Feb. 15 and was outscored 17-3 in bench points. Tennessee could have even more trouble getting points from its bench now that senior guard Antonio Barton has returned to the starting lineup. Barton had been Tennessee’s top scorer off the bench since losing his starting spot in late January. Barton’s return to the starting lineup moves freshman Darius Thompson back to the bench. Thompson has scored more than seven points in a game just once all season and hasn’t exceeded three points in any of his last seven games.Tennessee’s bench troubles began about the same time the Vols announced in January that freshman forward Robert Hubbs III would undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. Hubbs, a former five-star recruit, had served as Tennessee’s main scorer off the bench for the first two months of the season.Nobody has filled that role in Hubbs’ absence.Armani Moore started 16 games last season before moving into a bench role this year, but his career scoring average is 2.5 points per game. Derek Reese, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, provides a 3-point shot as well as height, but he lacks consistency. Freshman A.J. Davis was one of Tennessee’s top reserves during the pre-conference schedule, but he hasn’t played at all in the Vols’ last three games. Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin said his primary concern with the bench is making sure his reserves play hard and fulfill their particular assignment, even if it doesn’t necessarily mean scoring.“For me, guys who are coming off the bench, if you’re a shooter, shoot,” Martin said. “If you’re a rebounder, rebound. Do what you need to do to be successful. And when you’ve got some young guys coming off the bench, just play hard. Your offense will eventually come, but don’t consume yourself with it. It’ll get there.”Nine SEC teams are getting over 16.5 points per game from their bench in league play, led by Arkansas with 24.2. Tennessee’s bench scored 15.5 points per game in SEC competition last season.Tennessee’s inability to get much from its bench is one reason why the Vols remain on the NCAA tournament bubble, a situation that had some fans starting an online petition to bring back former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl. Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said “it’s absolutely a joke” that Martin is facing questions about his job security and added he likes Tennessee’s postseason prospects.“I think they’ll get in the NCAA tournament regardless of what happens in this game, and I actually think they’ll do very well in the NCAA tournament,” Stallings said.A little more production from the bench would help those chances.



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Trustee's exit from race extends deadlines

Washington County Trustee Jack Daniels’ withdrawal as a candidate in the May 6 Republican primary on Thursday put into effect a state law known as the Anti-Skullduggery Act of 1991, which extends both the qualifying and withdrawal deadlines.A seven-day qualifying extension for the trustee position will begin the day after the original qualifying deadline, and a new withdrawal deadline is to be set four days after the qualifying deadline, placing the new qualifying deadline at noon March 6 and the new withdrawal deadline at noon March 10.Former Washington County Administrator of Elections Connie Sinks telephoned the Johnson City Press on Friday to inquire whether an announcement had been made.“They should have gone to the media immediately,” Sinks said. “It is one of the most important laws.”The county’s Election Commission met Thursday to certify candidates, and the Press spoke with Administrator of Elections Maybell Stewart later that day. She did not offer any information about the change.Daniels, who withdrew at 11:22 a.m. Thursday — about a half hour before the noon deadline — said he would be throwing his support behind current Washington County Republican Party Chairman Michael Hartman, who along with Pamela Fitzgerald are the two remaining candidates. Daniels has defeated Fitzgerald for the spot in the last five elections. One additional candidate, Monty Treadway, former Washington County assessor of property, picked up petitions to seek the trustee position in the primary Friday. Treadway is the husband of Connie Sinks.T.C.A. 2-5-101(i) requires county Election Commissions to extend the qualifying for each party holding a primary for the specific office (Republicans); parties authorized by law to nominate candidate by means other than primaries (Democratic Party); and persons qualifying for the nonpartisan (independents) general election (Aug. 7).“We need to get a story out about what happened,” Stewart told the Press about 1 p.m. Friday. “The commission met Thursday, but nothing was discovered that we felt was suspicious. I though the withdrawal deadline was over and it was over. It just came up this morning.”Stewart said she spoke with the state Elections Commission and was told this only extends the deadlines for candidates qualified for the trustee position.“This has happened before in several different counties,” Blake Fontaney, Tennessee Division of Elections spokesman, said late Friday, initially indicating that the process would only apply to the Republican primary.Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins later called to add, however, that Democrats could call for a caucus for the trustee’s race during the extension period.Stewart also called to clarify the issue, saying the extension would not apply to independent candidates.Sinks was fired by the Election Commission in February 2012 after more than 28 years at the helm and five days away from the start of early voting. She was dismissed without warning following a 3-2 vote.



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Keselowski gets pole, calls NASCAR's new qualifying nerve-racking'

AVONDALE, Ariz. — A few drivers, like Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, raced onto the track to get in their qualifying sessions. Others waited, some nearly 10 minutes before heading out for the first time.There were long stretches with almost no activity followed by mad scrambles to get runs in before time ran out. Car raced past each other at close to a 100 mph difference.No doubt, this first round of NASCAR’s new knockout qualifying was a little strange and will take some getting used to.Keselowski earned the first Sprint Cup pole under NASCAR’s new format, edging Joey Logano with a track-record top speed of 139.384 mph at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday. “It’s a lot more nerve-racking,” Keselowski said. “Usually a pretty good rule of thumb is that If it’s more nerve-racking for the drivers, it’s a lot more fun for our fans and partners and all those things, and that’s a good thing. I more interested in feedback from our fans to see if they liked it.”Keselowski was one of the first drivers to go out in the first session and finished behind Logano. He trumped his teammate in the shorter, second session to earn his fourth career pole and a spot on the front row for Sunday’s 312-mile race.Jamie McMurray qualified third, defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was fourth and Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start fifth next to Greg Biffle.  “The qualifying format was before because I felt like I was one of those guys it was exciting for me because I wasn’t in, I made another run, I got in,” McMurray said. “The excitement was there.”NASCAR made numerous changes for this season, including a tweaked qualifying process in an effort to liven up what had become a monotonous part of race weekend.Instead of going out one at a time, the entire field gets a 30-minute session to post their fastest lap, with the top 12 moving on to a 10-minute second round. On bigger tracks, the qualifying will have three sessions, with the field cut to 24 then 12. NASCAR got a glimpse of the new system at Daytona last week, but it didn’t last long; the Nationwide series was able to get in one round before rain washed out the rest of the qualifying and for the Truck Series.The Daytona 500 didn’t use the new qualifying process, so Phoenix was the inaugural go-round. No one knew quite what to expect and there was a bit of concern about drivers intentionally blocking each other to prevent fast lap times, something NASCAR officials planned to keep an eye on.Instead, the action on the track was sparse for long stretches, with some drivers racing out to get qualifying laps in right away while several others waited several minutes to get their first lap in.One issue while there were multiple cars on the track were the speeds.NASCAR decided against allowing teams to have cool down units in their pit stalls, so most of the drivers in the field put in one fast lap and one that was much slower to cool their engines, creating differences of up to 100 mph between the cars.“We’ve got a really good dialogue with all of our competitors,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president for competition and racing development. “They don’t want to force us to do something that’s wrong. They weigh in because they think things can be better. It’s our job to take and balance all that out and remove the agenda part of that a team may or may not have. Right now, it’s working pretty good.”For the first session, Logano and Keselowski were at the front of the pack along pit road — by random drawing — and raced to get out in front on the track so they’d have a clear path.Logano put up the fastest time early and Keselowski was right behind him in second.Despite teams coming in for adjustments — one crewmember was allowed to come over the wall to make minor changes — those two stayed out front for the entire first session.For the final session, Keselowski put up his fast time relatively early in the 10-minute window and swapped places with Logano for the pole.“Unfortunately, we won the wrong one,” Logano said. “We won the first one and our teammate got the second one, but either way we both had a chance to win something. He just got the trophy to take the pictures with.”



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Junior fast and furious on Twitter

AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR’s most popular driver won the sport’s biggest race last weekend.It may not have been the most exciting news of the week, at least when it comes to fans of Dale Earnhardt Jr.A reluctant participant on Twitter for years, Earnhardt burst into the Twitterverse this week with a flourish of revealing tweets that have given fans insight into his life they never knew before.“I don’t know what I was thinking, why I didn’t get on there earlier,” Earnhardt said from Phoenix International Speedway on Friday. “It’s a great way to tell people things you appreciate and it’s instant.” Earnhardt has had a Twitter account since 2008, when JR Motorsports signed up (at)DaleJr. Earnhardt had no interest in that end of social media at first, so the account sat dormant for years.That changed early Monday morning, hours after Earnhardt won his second Daytona 500 and posted a photo of himself with the trophy: “Tonight seemed like as good a night as any to join Twitter. How is everyone doin?”Earnhardt’s Twitter account soared once he started typing 140 characters at a time, rising to more than 527,000 followers by Friday.“It’s been a very interesting follow, him getting creative,” fellow Sprint Cup driver Jimmie Johnson said. “He must have been watching for afar for a while because he has the lingo down, attacking people, holding up pretty well. He didn’t enter as a rookie on Twitter, in my opinion. He’s off to a pretty good start.”It’s certainly been entertaining and fairly revealing.Earnhardt participated in a Twitter chat with fans on Tuesday night and kept the tweets rolling this week, up over 130 by Friday morning. Among the revelations he’s made on Twitter so far:—He always goes the speed limit, figuring he’d look stupid if he gets a ticket when he’s supposed to be a professional driver.—If he had to eat only one food for a month, it would be barbecue.—His favorite car to drive is a midnight blue 76 Chevy Laguna.—The one topping he would want on a pizza is banana peppers.—His favorite style of racing is on short tracks such as Bristol and Martinsville.—Hanging from a fork in a tree near his house is the cockpit of Will Power’s IndyCar from the crash in Las Vegas that killed Dan Wheldon.—His favorite color his orange.—His favorite band is the Matthew Good Band. —His favorite gadget is his iPad and JBL speaker.“I’m still learning. There’s still a lot of questions about the software, how to physically use it,” Earnhardt said. “I never used it before. It’s been fun to interact with the fans … and it was enjoyable to be plugged in whenever you feel like it. I hope the fans have enjoyed it.”The fans seem to and so have his fellow drivers, who have tried enticing Earnhardt to join Twitter for years.“I, among many others have pushed him to do it,” Johnson said. “There’s been a lot of people on social media, even the people who run Twitter have come to me to put pressure on him over the years and it just was something he wasn’t interested in. As sharp as he is, as much time as he spends in the digital world, I knew when he got involved, he would love it.”He sure seems to be so far.



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Reorganization brings lay-offs at Greene County Humane Society

The Board of Directors recently voted to lay off three full-time employees and one part time employee to deal with a lack of money. That decision came as part of a restructuring of the organization, ending the charity’s eight year old spay and neuter clinic.



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Local law enforcement officials backing Haslam methamphetamine bill

An amendment to Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposed bill aimed at eliminating methamphetamine production in Tennessee will allow consumers to purchase a limited amount of pseudoephedrine, the primary ingredient for meth, before requiring a prescription.The tweak came a couple of weeks ago after Haslam met with the Tennessee Public Safety Coalition, said Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch. That group — comprised of chiefs of police, sheriffs and district attorneys general from across the state — met Friday with Johnson City Press staff members to discuss legislation it hopes to get passed this session.While the coalition would rather see an all-out prescription-only law for pseudoephedrine purchases — much like Oregon and Mississippi have implemented, which the coalition says has virtually eliminated meth labs — it’s lending support for Haslam’s proposal after he agreed to an amendment. “His bill, the way it’s written (without the amendment) is 2.4 grams in an initial purchase, 4.8 grams on an override by a pharmacist, per month, which gives you 57.6 grams a year,” Rausch said. “That’s higher than any other state has done it. We sat down and said we felt like it needed to have a stronger limit. As a result, the governor came back and has an amendment. We support that amendment.“He has offered up an amendment which we support. That amendment is 4.8 grams, or roughly 20 doses, as a monthly limit and an annual limit of 14.4 grams. He did away with the override.”After a consumer in Tennessee reaches the limit -— either in a month or in a year — he or she must obtain a doctor’s prescription to get more pseudoephedrine.Opponents of limiting pseudoephedrine purchases say the bill will place an undue burden on honest citizens who get sick. Rausch and other supporters of the bill say there are “hundreds of other medications” available to treat cold symptoms.“If you read the label of pseudoephedrine products, it tells you if you’re still sick when you finish the box that you need to go to the doctor,” Rausch said.Meth labs are so common, said Erwin Police Chief Reagan Tilson, that many people are now immune to the danger the labs present to public health. He’s a certified safety officer trained to handle a meth lab cleanup.Costs associated with those cleanups are hitting law enforcement hard. Federal funding to pay for the hazardous waste disposal has dried up and state funding is limited, so those costs are passed on to the agencies when labs are found in their jurisdictions. The 1,691 meth sites located in Tennessee last year cost around $2 million for cleanup and disposal.Cleanup isn’t the only cost associated with meth production, members of the group noted. There’s also the price taxpayers pay for the dozens of children removed from homes where meth was being made — to the tune of $7 million in 2013, Rausch said. Then there are burn victims, homes and businesses that are devalued and need rehabbing after a lab is found there, and the increased incarceration costs due to meth users needing more medical and dental care.“Meth mouth” is the term used to describe the mouth of a methamphetamine user. The drug causes rampant tooth decay and often the user’s teeth must be pulled. Other long-term health effects are still not known, officials said.“We had to start paying our dentist $1,000 more a month because of meth,” Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal said.Meth production is a battle law enforcement has been fighting for more than a decade, and despite efforts to eliminate labs, production just keeps growing. In a recent state study, Tennessee is reported as the state having the highest number of meth labs in the country. And East Tennessee leads the state for meth labs discovered, officials said.Coalition members said they believe some of the pushback on Haslam’s legislation comes from a misconception that Tennesseans don’t support a purchase limit and prescription requirement.“A Vanderbilt University study shows 70 percent of people in the state are OK with this being prescription only,” Raush said.Meth production is so dangerous, Raush said, that he’d rather have to deal with imported meth than meth labs within his jurisdiction. He already has the resources to fight drug trafficking, he said, but the production of the drug brings bigger challenges.Law enforcement agencies don’t have enough resources to continue fighting meth manufacturing and the ensuing cleanup, Raush added.Haslam’s bill is just one of several on the General Assembly’s agenda this session. It comes two years after an electronic real-time purchase tracking system was implemented.That system, called Nplex, was “allegedly going to have an impact. It has had no impact on the meth issue. So we’re back at the table again two years later,” Rausch said.First District Attorney General Tony Clark said limiting pseudoephedrine purchases is “a no-brainer.”“We’re not asking people to stop buying bread or milk,” Clark said. “It’s cold medicine.”The legislation is still in committee, but lawmakers are expected to vote on it this session.



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Alderman absent from man Erwin town meetings

ERWIN — It has been more than seven months since one member of the Erwin Board of Mayor and Aldermen last attended a meeting of the town’s legislative body, and his perpetual absence has prompted other town officials to look into how such absenteeism can be prevented in the future.Robie Sullins Jr., who was elected to serve as an Erwin alderman in November 2010, last attended a BMA meeting on July 22, according to meeting minutes maintained at Erwin Town Hall. Mayor Doris Hensley said the town of Erwin was originally established through a private act, meaning that, according to state law, elected officials cannot be recalled. Although there are no provisions under state law to have a recall or ouster proceedings, the town does address chronic absenteeism in its own ordinances. According to town code, the board can “prescribe reasonable penalties” to address the repeated absences of town officials from town meetings. “We’ve asked our attorney to look into that phrase there and just see what penalties we are able to enact,” Hensley said. Hensley said town officials have not yet heard back from town attorney Thomas Seeley III on the matter, but penalties could include non-payment to aldermen who do not show up for meetings. Aldermen serving on the board receive compensation in the amount of $300 per month. Hensley said the town could possibly look at considering an ordinance to alter this and instead compensate aldermen based on their attendance at meetings. “That is something that we’ve been kicking around now for several months, is that we tie the compensation to their attendance at the meeting,” Hensley said. Payments for February have not yet been made to the aldermen, but Sullins has been paid $1,800 as a member of the panel since his last meeting in July. However, Hensley said the town is not seeking reimbursement from Sullins.“It’s not even on the radar at this time,” she said. “It’s never been discussed.”But Hensley said the topic of Sullins’ resignation from the board has been broached. The mayor said Sullins first contacted her last fall after he secured a job in the Nashville area. Hensley said Sullins advised her that he had checked with the attorney’s general’s office, who advised him he would not have to resign as alderman and he would attend town meetings as he was able. Around the first of the year, Hensley contacted Sullins to express concerns over the possibility of not having a regular quorum at town meetings due to the ongoing illness of another alderman and asked Sullins if he thought he could begin attending meetings. “He said ‘I’ve got spring break coming up in either March or April, and I’ll try to get to those meetings then,’ ” Hensley said. Hensley said she relayed this information to other board members, and in January, the board voted to have Hensley send Sullins a letter requesting his resignation. Hensley said this letter was sent Feb. 10, but Sullins has not yet responded.While Hensley said Seeley is looking into ways to prevent repeated absenteeism on the part of elected officials in the future, she said this is “nothing personal” against Sullins and is in the best interest of the town.“We’re in the process now where there’s likely to be a lot of decisions made, and I feel that we need a full board to make those decisions,” she said. Sullins has been enrolled in law school classes in the Nashville area since August 2012, and he also works in that area as a legal researcher for a state agency. He was also absent from the board’s meetings in August and September of 2012. Sullins said Friday that law school has become even more demanding in his second year, and that regular commutes to Nashville have left him less time. “I don’t want folks to just take it as I’m laying out,” he said. “I’m missing meetings because I’m in law school. I want folks to know that. I feel the majority know that. A lot of constituents I see when I’m in the grocery store, stuff like that, they know I’m in law school.”Sullins, whose term is up in November, said he does not plan on seeking re-election to the board. He also said he had been “mulling” submitting his resignation from the board since receiving Hensley’s letter, adding that his resignation is imminent and could occur within the next few weeks. But before he resigns, Sullins said he wants to give the current board time to consider a replacement and not burden its members by having to quickly fill a vacancy. Along with this, Sullins said he has unfinished business as a town official. “The resignation is coming,” Sullins said. “I just want to give the board time to consider a replacement, and there’s a few things that I had on my list that I would like to keep my eye on or get accomplished before my term is up. I would like to take the next couple of weeks and wrap up some business with the board, some things I’d like to get done.”Hensley said she valued Sullins’ input and lauded his service on the board, adding that he consistently presented good ideas and suggestions.“Robie was an outstanding alderman,” she said. “When he was here, he was really good.”The matter of aldermen absenteeism will likely be addressed at a future board meeting, Hensley said. “It probably won’t be personal, directed strictly at Alderman Sullins, but it will probably be a form of an ordinance on how we’ll do the payments to the officials,” she said. 



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Charlotte, N.C. man arrested for crack cocaine, handgun possession during traffic stop

A Charlotte, N.C. man was arrested Friday after a traffic stop on Interstate 26 resulted in the discovery of drugs and a handgun.



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Marathon planned for Northeast Tennessee

Northeast Tennessee’s first marathon race will be held in May.



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Griffin and Kristin Palmer's lives remembered

Tuesday morning, faculty told students at Patrick Henry High School and Virginia High school that 17 year old Griffin Palmer, and his mom, Kristin, and grandmother Nancy were killed.



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President Obama is 'deeply concerned' over Russian actions in Ukraine

President Barack Obama made a brief statement on the acts of violence in Ukraine Friday, warning Russia not to get involved with the broken country by using its military.



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RFK daughter acquitted in drugged driving case

Kerry Kennedy was swiftly acquitted Friday of drugged driving in a case that her lawyers said would never have been brought if she were simply “Mary Housewife” rather than a member of one of America’s most glamorous…



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Greeneville Fire Department dedicates new fire truck

The Greeneville Fire Department and the community held a dedication ceremony Friday to celebrate the city’s new fire truck.



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TBI executed search warrants in disappearance of Holly Bobo

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has confirmed they are executing search warrants in the disappearance of Holly Bobo who vanished in 2011.



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WCSO: Johnson City woman arrested after found in Jonesborough home standing in child's bedroom doorway

Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a Johnson City woman for burglary after a Jonesborough woman woke up Friday to find the woman standing in the doorway of her daughter’s bedroom.



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Mom catches pharmacy mix-up; child’s prescription filled for blood pressure instead of anxiety meds

A Greeneville mother is hugging her kids a little tighter after she says a pharmacy mix up could have spelled disaster for one of her children.



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Gov. Terry McAuliffe introduces bill to benefit The Falls development in Bristol, Va.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s first bill of his term was a measure that would help the city of Bristol fund a retail project.



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Sheriff: Jonesborough resident heard daughter's screams, found woman standing in doorway

After a Jonesborough resident reported finding a woman standing in her daughter’s doorway, a Johnson City woman was arrested on an aggravated burglary charge Friday.Sheriff Ed Graybeal said a woman at 1905 Highway 81N in Jonesborough awoke to her dog barking and the screams of her 7-year-old daughter before going to her daughter’s room and seeing 45-year-old Diane Minton, of 2926 Chestnut Lane, standing in the doorway.Minton left before deputies got there, but they found her on nearby Harmony Road soon after.She was brought to the Washington County Detention Center, where she was held on $20,000 bond pending arraignment Monday in Sessions Court.



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Pet of the week 2-28-14

Pepe is a Pub/French Bulldog mix. He has been neutered so his adoption fee is only $35.00. For more information about Pepe or any of the other animals ready for adoption contact the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter at 926-8769 from 12-5 seven days a weekRon Campbell/Johnson City Press



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Lawyers say NY DA should have dropped Kennedy case

Kerry Kennedy’s high-priced lawyers made sure the jurors deciding her drugged-driving case knew all about her famous family.



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Reports give details, background on Glade Spring, Va. murders

While members of the Glade Spring, Va. community continue to mourn the lives lost in the early morning shooting Tuesday, new details have been uncovered documenting the events that led up to the tragedy.



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Car 'defaced' by lewd image in frost

The blotter is derived from recent central dispatch records and incident reports of area police agencies.Sullivan County Sheriff’s OfficeFeb. 24Police were alerted to a juvenile “catching yards on fire” in Bluff City.A woman called police because she had not been able to reach her daughter by phone, which is odd since it’s her birthday. Twenty minutes later she called dispatch again to say everything was OK; her daughter had been in a meeting.A suspicious vehicle was reported at a drug rehab center. The caller thought the occupants could be, “dropping off cigarettes and drugs” to juveniles.Read more at TimesNews.net.



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Extreme exercise could lead to a serious kidney condition

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Doctors inside local emergency rooms are sounding the alarm about a fitness craze that’s landing otherwise healthy young people in the hospital.”This is no laughing matter,” says Dr. Ron Goldin, a practicing nephrologist in Palm Beach Gardens. “I did have a patient who ended up on dialysis and never came off.”Read more at Knoxnews.com.



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No takers on buying Love Chapel School building

ERWIN — Although Unicoi County Director of Schools Denise Brown said she fielded several calls from potentially interested purchasers, no bids were submitted for the Love Chapel Elementary School property by Friday’s deadline.In January, the Unicoi County Board of Education voted to have the now-closed school and the approximately of land surrounding the building declared as surplus property. This move allowed the local school system to issue a notice of public sale. The minimum acceptable bid amount was set at $100,000, and the bid submission deadline was set for Feb. 28 at noon. Brown said Friday advertisement of the sale was intentionally limited to the Unicoi County Schools website and the local newspaper, as school officials wanted to give someone in the community the first opportunity to purchase the school property. “I’ve had three different calls on it,” Brown said. “Again, they didn’t all leave their names. One, for example, was a realtor that was working for a client, and they had called and I sent the information on the bidding process and the date and those type of things. We did have interest. That’s the reason I thought we would have some bids today.”But Love Chapel is still on the market, and Brown said the bid advertisement will be more widespread in the second round. She said the school system will now advertise the property on the GovDeals.com website, a site used by government agencies to sell surplus and confiscated items. Brown said the advertisement will be placed on the website within the next couple of weeks, and items advertised on GovDeals. com are typically posted for around 30 days. “Most school systems, and I think even the county, uses it to some extent,” Brown said of GovDeals.com. “It’s just an excellent way to get rid of surplus property.”The school system will continue to seek a minimum acceptable bid of $100,000 once the Love Chapel property is posted on GovDeals.com, Brown said. “We feel like, in talking with the attorney, that’s a good place to start,” she said. In August 2012, a large sinkhole was discovered on the school’s grounds. This sinkhole quickly grew to measure around 25 feet in diameter and was more than 100 feet deep. A relocation plan for Love Chapel students was quickly implemented that saw students moved to available space at Unicoi County Middle School and Unicoi County Intermediate School for the remainder of the 2012-13 school year. The Unicoi County Board of Education voted in February 2013 to permanently close the approximately 60-year-old elementary school. This followed a report received by the board in December 2012 from HSA Engineers & Scientists. This report indicated that four areas across the property showed signs of sinkhole activity, with two other area in the process of developing sinkhole activity. Even though Love Chapel Elementary School is closed, it continues to cost the school system. While Brown school children can no longer be present on the property due to safety concerns, the school system has kept utilities on at the building and maintained the property to prevent decay and other issues. She said this will continue until the property is sold. Last March, the school board approved a relocation plan for Love Chapel Elementary School’s approximately 250 students and more than 30 teachers and staff members. This plan saw the school system lease 12 modular untis for a period of three years and place them on property near Unicoi County High School. Students have been attending classes in these modular classrooms since the start of the 2013-14 school year. “They’ve made some adjustments,” Brown said when asked about the environment at the temporary Love Chapel site. “We have put the canopy up through the main walkway. We’ve got small canopies over the doors. It’s not the ideal situation, especially during snow, rain, those types of things, but our kids, parents and teachers, again, I can’t say how remarkable they’ve been. I give full credit to how our teachers have been onboard from the beginning. They’ve went through a whole lot, and they’ve made an unbearable situation very positive for our kids. I think, again, it shows you what great teachers we’ve got.”Brown said school officials currently have no plans regarding a permanent location for Love Chapel Elementary School, although said said some sites have been looked at. Brown said the school system does have funding for the purchase of property from the insurance payment for the closed school. She also said she is pursing grant funding to go toward a new school. “My next discussion with the board is for them to give me the OK to move ahead to start talking to people about possible property purchases,” Brown said. 



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Johnson City police searching for armed robber

Johnson City police are seeking the public’s help in finding a man who robbed a gas station early Friday morning.



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Johnson City convenience store robbed at gunpoint; 4th in city this week

Johnson City police were seeking public assistance in finding a man who robbed a convenience store early Friday morning at gunpoint.The robbery was reported at the Roadrunner Market at the corner of Princeton Road and East Oakland Avenue about 4:45 a.m. The clerk told police a white man wearing blue jeans, a black hoodie and a white and black bandana over his face, entered the store and showed a gun. He demanded money from the register and then fled.The robbery marked the fourth convenience store robbery in Johnson City this week.Anyone with information about the armed the incident is requested to contact the Johnson City Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit at 423-434-6166 or to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers at 434-6158. To send a confidential tip, text 423JCPD and your tip to 847411 (TIP411) or send a tip to http://bit.ly/1k9oeRq.



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14 of the 20 dogs dropped off at JC/WC animal shelter adopted

If you would like to adopt an animal from the shelter, you can call 423-926-8769.



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JCPD: Man shot in downtown Johnson City in stable condition; investigation ongoing

Johnson City Police Department were called to a shooting Thursday night in downtown Johnson City.

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10 Things to Know for Today

By The Associated Press Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:



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Court: School ban of US flag shirts allowed

A Northern California high school’s decision to order students wearing American flag T-shirts to turn the garments inside out during a celebration of the holiday Cinco de Mayo was appropriate, a federal appeals court…



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Off the ballot: Jack Daniels stepping down as Washington Co. trustee after 28 years

County Trustee Jack Daniels withdrew from the May 6 Washington County Republican primary on Thursday, just hours before the noon deadline.Daniels, 80, has held the position for 28 years, winning seven consecutive terms since he first gained the spot in 1986.His withdrawal makes the 2014 trustee’s campaign a two-person affair. Pamela Fitzgerald, who has run against Daniels five times since 1994, and Michael Hartman, the current Washington County Republican Party chairman, are the remaining candidates on the ballot.“I did it,” Daniels said late Thursday. “It was a tough decision. I’ll be honest with you, I couldn’t have told you at 10 a.m. what I was going to do. When I ran for this term four years ago, I was pretty much settled that I would retire this term. I was hoping Judy Harris, the chief deputy and bookkeeper, would run. If she had agreed to run, I would not have picked up papers. That was my objective, but it didn’t work.”The Jonesborough native said he will now have an opportunity to spend more time with his three children and three grandchildren. “I’ll miss the people I work with,” he said. “I learned how much they respect me today. I feel very honored and privileged to have been able to serve.”Daniels, who plans to stay in town, graduated from Jonesborough High School and later graduated from East Tennessee State University with a degree in accounting. He worked at several retail outlets in the area until he was hired by the state of Tennessee as an auditor. He became Washington County’s trustee following that job.“I have a great deal of respect for Jack,” said County Mayor Dan Eldridge. “He is the most conservative person I’ve ever met, particularly in his management of Washington County’s resources.”Daniels said he feels Hartman has what it takes to fill his shoes. “I’m very impressed with him,” Daniels said. “He’s got an excellent work ethic, and I think he would make a good successor.”



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Franklin Avenue in Jonesborough to become one-way street

With Franklin Avenue expected to see an increase in traffic because of the nearby McKinney Cultural Arts Center, the town’s traffic advisory committee began discussing how best to regulate that traffic.On Thursday afternoon, the committee voted unanimously in favor of proposed alterations that included changing Franklin Avenue to a one-way street and adjusting the nearby intersection of Franklin and East Main Street to accommodate a heavier flow of traffic.Though no one on the committee opposed the proposition, it will need to receive final approval from the town’s board of mayor and aldermen before any alterations to the streets or intersection will begin. After the meeting, Todd Wood, who serves as the town’s engineering consultant, said more plans needed to be made before any construction would begin.“They (the traffic committee) are just making a recommendation to the board of mayor and aldermen,” Wood said. “What they approved today was the concept of going one-way up versus one-way down.”The proposal suggested that traffic flow up Franklin Avenue in a northeasterly direction — which would travel uphill — with the only point of entry coming from Spring Street, to the south. Though southwesterly travel would be eliminated, Wood said the changes would be made in response to a growing need for parking for the McKinney Center.“When there’s not enough parking at the McKinney Center, they’ve had people parking out on Main Street,” Wood said. “It’s very unsafe. So they’re trying to find a way to add more parking to the site itself, but also to Franklin, and make it safe for everybody entering and exiting all the streets and the McKinney Center.”Safety becomes more of a concern, however, as that traffic moves northeast to intersect with East Main Street. The McKinney Center parking lot entrance/exit runs perpendicular to East Main, but it intersects at the same point that Franklin Avenue does, with Franklin connecting from the southwest and the McKinney Center lot connecting from the south. Because of that congested point-of-entry, Wood said, vehicles that try to enter the McKinney Center from East Main Street may inadvertently cause a traffic hazard.“It’s unsafe right now because you’ve got cars coming up the hill and cars coming across,” Wood said. “The cars coming up the hill have the right-of-way, but the ones coming off of Main Street sometimes forget that, and there’s not enough room — not enough time — to make a decision.”In addition to those concerns, visibility is also limited because of a tree at the corner of Franklin and East Main. During the meeting, Town Administrator Bob Browning said limited visibility also factored into the proposal.“If somebody’s not paying attention and they cut around that corner and they’re going too fast, the person on Franklin, who could be paying attention, may still not have control depending on how they come around,” Browning said. “It’s just hard to see. Slowing them down was a big issue from a safety standpoint.”In an effort to slow the flow of traffic, the proposal recommended installing an additional stop sign near the area where the McKinney Center’s lot would intersect with Franklin Avenue. Although a stop sign is already in place at the intersection of Franklin and East Main, Wood said the additional stop sign could help make traffic flow more safely.“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” Wood said. “The town is trying to be proactive in thinking ahead and asking what they can do to prevent an accident instead of waiting for one to occur.”Committee member Jimmy Rhein made the motion, which would ultimately be unanimously approved, to recommend this phase of the project to the board of mayor and aldermen.



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Roaming cats

My yard, garden and flower beds seem to be an attraction for cats roaming our neighborhood. I don’t appreciate that the areas where I like to work are being used by these animals for their litter box. In fact, it is downright unhealthy for me to be gardening in their waste. Several times a day cats of all descriptions (black; white with black head and tail; gray; white and orange, to name a few) visit my property to a point that it is a concern. I thought that we had animal restriction codes on domestic animals that require pet owners to keep them on their own property. In fact, City Code 10-103 prohibits animals running at large. Section 2 states: “It is unlawful for the owner of any animal in his care, custody or possession to allow it to run at large unattended.” I take that to apply to cats and dogs. BEA ELLISJohnson City



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Unions in Tennessee

Once again, the talking points have been handed out for the liberals (progressive/socialists) to use to portray conservatives as against the people of the United States of America. Interestingly, the word “hate” is used nine times in Robert Houk’s opinion piece. His attempt to link the word with conservatism does not go unnoticed. They were the same techniques Democrats used in the 1960s South while trying to defend Jim Crow laws.A $3 an hour wage cut and the use of his money in political campaigns he might not support is the reason given by one Volkswagen employee as to why he didn’t support the union. The fact is, Tennessee is a historically conservative state, and remains so. And to ignore the link between unions and liberal activism would be ignored at your peril, and everyone’s expense.The reason responsible Republicans oppose a 39 percent minimum wage hike is unions — namely municipal unions. The largest, last bastion of union strength is with county/town/city, state and federal employees. A large percentage of contracts negotiated have the wages of its members tied to a percentage of the minimum wage; a janitor’s wage may be 175 percent of the minimum wage, or a dollar amount over it. It may also open a current contract to forced re-negotiations. The burden on local municipalities and the federal government have not been tallied and could bankrupt many. With our cities and states looking at unfunded pension liabilities, do you really want to pile on? Can your state budget handle a 39 percent increase in salaries?BOB PROBULISElizabethton



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Republican leaders crossed line

I believe that the state Republicans did cross the line in opposing the union vote at the Volkswagen plant. I fervently hope there is a re-vote from the appeal by United Autoworkers.One reason a majority of Tennesseans remain poor is because of the state lawmakers’ animosity towards unions. I would like for our millionaire, so-called representatives to try living on less than minimum wage for a year and then they might see the wisdom of unions to negotiate higher wages and benefits.SUSAN EVANS Johnson City



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Fear tactics

The choices made by Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker show little concern for our Tennessee workers in the Chattanooga Volkswagen plant. Insincere and hypocritical government interference do no help our state or our citizens. When fear tactics are used to influence workers into voting against their own best interests, our state looks pathetic.MARION GROVERJohnson City



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Legislature should stop delaying Pass Bottle' bill

The so-called “Pass the Bottle” bill to ban all open containers of alcohol in vehicles in Tennessee is once again making its way through the state General Assembly. As the NET News Service reported in Thursday’s paper, the legislation has cleared an important subcommittee in the House.It’s journey to passage, however, is far from over. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. John Lundberg, R-Bristol, has made it this far before only to be detoured for another year.It’s time for state lawmakers to stop passing the buck and approve the “Pass the Bottle” bill. While no driver may drink alcohol or possess an open container of an alcoholic beverage while operating a motor vehicle in Tennessee, passengers are allowed under state law to consume booze in that very same vehicle. This loophole allows a driver to simply pass the bottle to a passenger if he or she is stopped by a law enforcement officer.This loophole also costs Tennessee more than $1.5 million annually in federal highway funds. The leading argument against Lundberg’s bill is that it would infringe on the rights of University of Tennessee fans who wish to enjoy a cocktail (while being driven by a sober friend) to a football game in Knoxville. As we’ve said many times before in this space, that’s hardly a valid reason for state legislators to ignore the dangers of drinking and driving.



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UPDATE: Bus Crash reported in Bristol, TN

The Bristol Tennessee Police Department told News Channel 11 the Bristol TN School Bus wreck happened around 7:30 this morning on Beaver Creek Road.

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Bus Crash reported in Bristol, TN

Penny Jenkins, the Executive Assistant to the director of Bristol, TN Schools tells Newschannel 11 a Bristol, TN school bus wrecked this morning on Beaver Creek Road. No injuries are reported at this time.



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Authorities continue to investigate late night, Johnson City shooting

Authorities were called to Numan’s Cafe and Sports Bar around 11:30 on Thursday for a report of a shooting. The latest information into Newschannel 11 states that one person was transported



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A married priest: 1 of 10 things to know today from across the nation and around the world

1. RUSSIA UPS ITS INVOLVEMENT IN UKRAINE TURMOILUkraine’s parliament calls for the U.N. Security Council to meet on the nation’s ongoing crisis as Russian military blocks an airport in Crimea.2. WHO’S PLANNING A COMEBACK IN AFGHANISTANU.S. officials say Al-Qaida’s leader in Afghanistan is laying the groundwork to relaunch his shattered organization once international forces withdraw.3. A MAJOR U.S. NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP IS SHUTTEREDBack-to-back accidents and an above-ground radiation release has shut down the federal government’s only deep underground nuclear waste dump indefinitely, raising disposal questions.4. TEA PARTY VOWS TO KEEP FIGHTINGRepublican primaries this election year will be a crucial test for the movement as the GOP establishment aggressively challenges tea-party backed candidates.5. WHY RESERVATIONS FOR SUNNY VACATIONS ARE ON THE RISEWinter-weary Americans are flocking to warm destinations to escape the endless winter.6. OBAMA KICKS OFF ‘MY BROTHER’S’ KEEPER’ INITIATIVEThe president calls for vigorous efforts to reverse underachievement among young black and Hispanic males.7. U.S. MARONITE CHURCH ORDAINS MARRIED PRIESTPope Francis gave permission for the ceremony at St. Raymond’s Cathedral near downtown St. Louis.8. EVACUATIONS ORDERED AHEAD OF CALIFORNIA STORMSThe Los Angeles suburbs of Glendora and Azusa ordered residents to leave 1,000 homes, fearing mudslides and flooding.9. URBAN RENEWAL EFFORTS TRIGGER EVICTIONS IN RIOHundreds of families are being forcibly removed from a city slum ahead of this year’s World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.10. WHAT JASON COLLINS SHARED WITH MATTHEW SHEPARD’S PARENTSThe first openly gay athlete in America’s four major sports had some gifts when he met with the family of a Wyoming college student who was tortured and murdered in 1998 because he was gay.



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Report: 2 found in car stolen from dealership, cocaine residue detected in baggie

Washington County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two men this week after they said they found them inside a car that had been reported stolen from a local dealership.On Thursday, deputies arrested Terry Lynn Mowel, 55, of Shipley Church Road, Church Hill, and Alexander Milne, 21, whose address was not provided, after a traffic stop at Dollar General at 2276 Gray Station/Sulphur Springs Road in Jonesborough.Deputies said they identified the vehicle as one stolen from Kia of Kingsport on Wednesday. Both Milne and Mowel were arrested once deputies said that suspicion was confirmed.After a K9 unit was called to search the vehicle, deputies said the dog located “small baggies containing cocaine residue” inside.Both Mowel and Milne were charged with possession of stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia. In addition, Milne was also charged with criminal impersonation and driving without a license. Both men were taken to the Washington County Detention Center, where Mowel was being held on $11,000 bond and Milne was held on $13,000 bond.Both were scheduled to appear in Sessions Court this afternoon.



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Some local bills come to stand still in committee.

Some local lawmakers see their legislation come to a standstill in committee. While it certainly isn’t the end of the line. it is time to make a new plan to see these bills through into law.



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Greene County School Board bans video camera from public meeting

Case closed. That’s what the Greene County School Board told two mothers, who say their children were the victims of bullying. They’re others who went back before the board Thursday night, in search of answers. Last month, the two mothers of Greene County Elementary Schools complained their children were bullied by school employees. News Channel 11’s Kylie McGivern reported that night, tension ran high. At Thursday’s monthly board meeting, Christan Serrianne and Melissa Bryant returned to th…



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TVA says Boone Dam Project is complete

The Tennessee Valley Authority says a project on one of the Tri-Cities most popular lakes is complete.



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Two vigils held to remember victims of shooting

A community continues to mourn the tragic loss of a mother, her son, and a grandmother. All are victims of domestic disturbance that ended in gunfire in a Glade Spring Home where they were killed by a man known to them as husband and father. Griffin Palmer was a student at Patrick Henry High School and his mother, Kristin was a teacher at Virginia High School.But the crime was the last thing on everyone’s minds tonight during their remembrance services. “Even though she was the toughest perso…



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Carver set to tip off annual Stevens-Wade Classic

Carver Rec will be going “old school” to help a new class get in school when it hosts the annual Melvin Stevens-Thomas Wade Classic alumni basketball game tonight.Former Science Hill players Damon Johnson, Brad Fields, Jerome Odem and Odarius Williams are among those expected to lace up their sneakers as part of the four-game lineup. East Tennessee State legend and 1992 NCAA slam dunk champion Calvin Talford will coach a team called the ETSU All-Stars.Games begin at 6 p.m. when the Johnson City Firefighters take on the Johnson City Police Department. The Carver All-Stars will play the Unicoi County alumni at 7 p.m., ETSU meets the Dobyns-Bennett alumni at 8 p.m. and players from Science Hill’s 1990, ‘94 and ‘95 state championship teams will play the Daniel Boone alumni at 9 p.m.Carver Rec director Herb Greenlee formed the Melvin Stevens Scholarship with Wade shortly after Stevens’ untimely death in 1991. Wade’s name was added after his death in 2008.Stevens was the Carver Rec director prior to Greenlee. Wade worked at Science Hill from 1970-2004, and later helped Greenlee at Carver.Stevens was quite the pick-up basketball player, using physical games to help mold players such as Johnson and Shane Williams, who were on Science Hill’s state championship team in 1990 and runner-up team the following season.Greenlee said the scholarship fund, which also raises money with an annual gospel concert, a golf tournament, pancake breakfasts and fish fries, has generated in excess of $100,000 since giving the inaugural recipient, Corbin Stevens, $600 a year for college in 1992. Scholarships are now $1,000 annually.“Melvin always wanted kids working out and doing the right thing,” Greenlee said. “His goal was to get them to work hard and go to college or a trade school … and be productive in the community. And that’s what Tom Wade wanted, too. They wanted to let kids know that somebody’s there for them, and not just kids that come to Carver. We’ve given money to kids from high schools other than Science Hill.”Corbin Stevens, who played a key role in the 1990 title run, is expected to play for the Science Hill team tonight, as are Johnson, Jay Jay Swartz and Charles Love.The Carver team, according to Jerome Odem, will include Jermaine Love, Jamar Love, Ashley Odem, Julius Bowling and Dustin Howard.DiMingo Hale expects the Dobyns-Bennett team to include JaMichael Mills, Justin Sylvester, Azmar Blye, Corky Blye, Travis Sensabaugh, Stacy Ervin (former Virginia High School League all-time leading scorer from Twin Springs) and Hakeem Hakeem.Keilan Livingston said Ryan Gaitor will be one of those playing with him on the Daniel Boone team. Like Corbin Stevens, many of the recipients have become participants. Among the nearly 200 awarded money from area high schools were Livingston and Johnson. Others include Shane Williams, Keisha Russaw, Lisa Gaitor, Toby Patton, Rob Williams, Roscelle Bullock, David Garland and Demetric Stevens.Greenlee said he believes Wade and Stevens are somewhere looking on and smiling while the mission’s carried forward.“I miss Mr. Wade every day, because we started this Melvin Stevens Scholarship,” Greenlee said. “And when he passed I knew I wouldn’t let this die for anything. … Melvin gave a lot of kids hope when they didn’t have it. It was pretty bad around Carver back then in the early ’80s.”Stevens has helped nearly 200 students get through college since then, and the number’s growing.



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Greeneville holds off Unicoi County in 1-AA final

GREENEVILLE — Defense is a cure for many basketball shortcomings.Greeneville spent the first half missing the broad side of a barn, but on the defensive end stayed in front of Unicoi County’s guards all night. When shooting became a plus for the Greene Devils, the Region 1-AA basketball championship was the reward.The Greene Devils outlasted the Blue Devils 49-44 on Thursday night at Hal Henard Gym.Winning its first region since a 2006 Class AAA championship, Greeneville improved to 24-9 and earned a home sectional game Monday against Christian Academy of Knoxville (21-12)Unicoi (26-7) will travel to take on high-scoring Strawberry Plains Carter, which improved to 25-7 by knocking off CAK 77-73 in the Region 2-AA final.With a big advantage in the post, Unicoi worked that angle early and often and built a 23-16 lead. It probably would have been at least a satisfying halftime edge, but Hays Culbreth dialed 911 from trey country for the rescue buzzer beater to make it 23-19 at the break.“That was huge,” said Greeneville head coach Brad Woolsey. “If Hays doesn’t make that basket, I don’t know if it would have gotten in our heads.”Culbreth’s shot seemed to loosen the entire team, especially Trevor Wright. In the third quarter, the Greene Devils’ senior guard knocked down a trey ball to get started. Then he made a difficult 12-footer over a hand and drew the foul.And at the buzzer, Wright dribbled the clock down to three seconds before ripping a 28-foot trey bomb to give Greeneville a 37-33 edge.“Trevor is a big-shot maker,” said Woolsey. “And he did a yeoman’s job offensively, defensively, and on the boards.”Unicoi head coach John English said the Blue Devils knew they had to keep an eye on Wright.“We tried to be very aware of him,” said English. “Sometimes a great player makes plays like that.”During the third quarter, the Blue Devils struggled to score, going 5:03 before Connor Simpson broke the ice.“Five minutes in a game like this is a long drought,” said English.Unicoi twice battled back in the fourth quarter. First, the Blue Devils tied the game on a bucket from Nic Chambers to make it 37-37.Then Keith Arrowood scored on a baseline drive to pull Unicoi within 40-39 with 5:25 remaining. But it was a tough shot, something Arrowood and Ethan Rice experienced all night.“Keith and Ethan were not able to get by, and you have to give Greeneville credit for good defense,” said English. “They are quick, athletic and tough, and they did a good job staying in front.”Culbreth hit a giant 3-pointer with 3:06 left in the game to make it 45-39, but Rice answered with a long trey delivery to pull Unicoi within three at the 2:25 mark.On the Blue Devils’ next possession, Arrowood made a spinning twister to make it 45-44 with 1:41 to go.Unicoi fouled Culbreth with 58 seconds left, and he made both tosses.Down the stretch, J.J. Benjamin got two big defensive rebounds and made 2 of 4 free throw attempts to seal the win.Culbreth, who led all scorers with 13 points, said the Greene Devils won the region title with athletes.“We’ve got so many athletes, and we’ve got that much speed, it’s tough to compete with,” he said.Anton Almqvist added 10 points for Greeneville while Wright had nine points, six rebounds and three assists. Benjamin added six points and seven rebounds.Unicoi got 11 points and six rebounds from Simpson. Chambers added 10 points while Arrowood finished with eight.“We’re still alive,” said English. “We’ve got 32 minutes to get to where we want to get.”Unicoi fell to 2-6 in region championship games under English. The losses were by 5, 2, 5, 2, 25 and 5 points.



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Hampton storms back for Region 1-A title

AFTON — The prospects didn’t look good for Hampton.Facing a 12-point deficit late in the third quarter, the Bulldogs needed someone to step up against South Greene in the Region 1-A boys basketball championship Thursday night at Chuckey-Doak Middle School.In the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs had everyone step up, especially their big stars Stanley Valentine and Cody McClain in a 69-63 comeback victory over the Rebels.“It’s never fun coming from behind,” McClain said after his 19-point performance. “But, we rallied together. South Greene is a great team and No. 20 (Nick Fillers) can shoot the lights out. We were just able to rally and get the win.”Hampton (28-5) will face a familar foe, Grace Christian, in next Monday’s sectional round. The Rams eliminated the Bulldogs from the postseason in last year’s sectional.South Greene (15-14) will head to Meigs County for its sectional game.For Hampton, no one was bigger than Valentine, who ended with 24 points and 11 rebounds. The junior post had six points in a 10-2 run early in the fourth quarter which pulled the Bulldogs back within two of the Rebels.Although he ended with the tournament MVP award, Valentine was quick to deflect praise to teammates McClain and Tyler Moody, who came off the bench to score 13 points.“I’ve played with Cody the last two years and I knew when it was time to come up big, Cody is going to come up big,” Valentine said. “Cody could easily drop 40 (points) a night if he wanted to, but his game is to make everyone around him better. With a point guard like that on your team, there is no way you’re going to lose. “Tyler, he’s as tough as they come. He’s going to go to the boards no matter what. I do the best I can to get rebounds for our team and to make our shooters comfortable. It’s all about getting that ‘W.’”On the defensive end, the Bulldogs were finally able to contain Fillers. The South Greene wing was held scoreless in the final period after burning Hampton for a game-high 25 points, including seven 3-point baskets, over the first three quarters.“The kids battled back, even being 10 points down with five (minutes) to go,” Hampton coach Ned Smith said. “We left Fillers open all game. In the fourth quarter, we finally found him and got a hand in his face. He’s a big-time player, a good shooter.”Hampton jumped out early, scoring the game’s first nine points and jumping out to a 13-3 lead.South Greene fought back to trail 20-14 at the end of one quarter. The Rebels kept pressing in the second quarter, scoring the last eight points of the half to take a 35-32 lead into the break.Fillers then scored 15 points, all on 3-pointers, in the third quarter as the Rebels pulled out to a 56-46 advantage heading into the final quarter. In the fourth, however, they were outscored 23-7 by the Bulldogs.“They shut our shooter down and trapped us a couple of times on the sideline,” South Greene coach Stephen Gregg said. “We went nuts and threw it all over the place. They’re good and I knew we had to play the perfect game to beat that bunch.“We had some let-downs in the fourth quarter, but other than that, I’m absolutely 100 percent tickled to death with my kids. They played hard and came out to win.”Although Hampton went undefeated through the Watauga Valley Conference and easily beat South Greene 70-55 in District 1-A championship a week earlier, Smith warned his players they were in for a fight.“We talked about it again at halftime,” Smith said. “We knew it was going to be down-to-the-wire, although we didn’t know we were going to get down by 10. I told them we couldn’t go out there and start throwing it up. We had to stay calm, get to the hole and do some good things.”Obviously talented, Valentine said it’s team chemistry which separates Hampton from most teams. It has been reflected with so many different players being the leading scorer in games throughout the season.“Everybody on this team is like a family,” Valentine said. “We know we’re the best when we share the ball. When we do that, nobody can stop us.”



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Sufferers hoping Rare Disease Day brings awareness

Today is Rare Disease Day, an annual awareness day in which patients and patient organizations around the world to join together for better care.Rebecca Johnson, a 43-year-old Elizabethton schoolteacher and one of the one in one million people diagnosed with Stiff-Person Syndrome, said while there are may activities lined up for today’s ninth annual awareness event, the most helpful thing anyone can do is reach out to someone with a rare disease who lacks support.“There are not just a handful of rare diseases, there are many that are not studied and not funded.“Look up rare diseases, see if you know someone who has a rare disease and reach out to that person because they are not supported and they are hurting on the inside,” she said.Johnson, who worked for the Elizabethton City School System and served as a church choir director until August when her condition began to impact her lungs, said she had never heard of Rare Disease Day until her diagnosis in 2010. Now she understands its purpose completely and takes part in every way she can.This year, she wrote letters to Tennessee’s lieutenant governor and to a state representative in her home state of West Virginia asking for legislative proclamations to bring attention to a lack of funding for research and patient support for Americans who suffer from any of the more than 7,000 rare diseases. She sent information from the National Organization for Rare Diseases to area schools in hopes they could include it in their health programming.Johnson also notified local media outlets of the opportunity to help spread awareness. And on the encouragement of friends from an online support group for people with Stiff-Person Syndrome, she submitted her story to CNN, which included her “iReport” in its online Rare Disease Day coverage.From her earliest recollection of symptoms related to her rare neuromuscular condition — the severe foot and leg cramps she first experienced in high school, through her years-long course of medical consultations and testing, her 2010 diagnosis and the recurring and intensifying maladies that have progressively put her in a wheelchair, forced her to leave work and finally rendered her homebound, Johnson shares her story to illustrate the gross lack of understanding and treatment for her condition.“During the last two years, my health has declined to the point where I am no longer able to direct the choir, go on youth outings or even watch our children participate in sporting events at school,” she wrote in her iReport for CNN.“My spasms have gone from intermittent to constant contractions. … I have dislocated fingers, toes, even my shoulder. There are days when I am not even able to lie down because my back arches in contractions. … Spasms in the muscles around my eyes make it difficult to read because I see double. … There are days it hurts to be touched. … Falling is also an issue.”Since August, Johnson’s condition has impacted her lungs. She is no longer able to work around her house or even sing because of the risk of triggering spasms in her lungs that put her at risk of respiratory failure. She takes breathing treatment six times a day and a cocktail of oral medications that control her symptoms but do not cure their cause.She said the only medically accepted treatment available is a course of blood transfusions aimed at removing a specific “bad antibody” that attacks of neurotransmitter enzymes in the brains of about 60 percent of all SPS patients. Johnson does not have that antibody so that treatment is not an option for her.Through her online support group, she has learned of an experimental stem cell treatment that is having success but the $400,000 out-of-pocket cost of receiving that treatment in the United States is far out of her reach, so she is researching the possibility of having the treatment done in Canada.In the meantime, she is counting her condition “a blessing in disguise” because it allows her to be home with her children and to better appreciate the love and support of her family.Today, Johnson will to mark Rare Disease Day by taking a photograph of her hands and posting it on the Rare Disease Day USA website’s Handprints Across America page with those of other rare disease patients from across the country to illustrate their number and impact of rare diseases across the nation.Other activities through which individuals, school groups and community organizations can are listed on the Rare Disease Day web site.“Rare Disease Day is worldwide opportunity, an occasion,” Johnson said, “There are some rare diseases that get noticed more than others but it’s not just Parkinson’s and ALS. “I would like to encourage people to go to the National Organization for Rare Diseases site, search the list of diseases and, if they recognize a disease a friend of theirs has, reach out to them on Rare Disease Day.”For more information, visit http://bit.ly/1o9RWG1 or the National Organization for Rare Diseases website www.rarediseases.org.



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