FROM THE RADIO NEWS DEPARTMENT

A Tazewell County Virginia Man Is Headed To Prison For The Death Of A Mercer County Man As The Result Of A Weapons Game That Turned Deadly. 23 Year Old Randy Howerton Of Falls Mills Was Sentenced To 15 Years Behind Bars On A Felony Homicide Charge Stemming From The Death Of 42 Year Old Wesley Miliam, Sr. The Two Were Apparently Playing A Game Of Quick Draw. Prosecutors Dropped An Earlier Involuntary Manslaughter Charge As Part Of A Plea Agreement Since The Felony Murder Charge Carries A Lenghier Prison Sentence. Upon His Release From Prison, Howerton Is To Be Serve Ten Years On Supervised Probation.

More Than 600-Thousand Tennesseeans Are Expected To Travel This Labor Day Holiday Period. The Tennessee Department Of Transportation Is Once Again Halting All Lane Closure Activity On Interstates And State Highways For The Busy Time. Tdot Spokeswoman Yvette Martinez Says They Want To Maximize The Flow Of Traffic. Construction Crews Will Stop All Lance Closure Activity Beginning Friday At Noon Through 6 A.M. On Tuesday, September 7th.

Two Hawkins County Men Are Behind Bars In Greene County For Allegedly Making Methamphetamine. Authorities Arrested 24 Year Old Jackie Keith Bowman And 24 Year Of Robert Curtis Bowman, Both Of Rogersville, After The Meth Lab Was Discovered In A Wooded Area Off Wattenbarger Gap Road. The Pair Fled On Foot When Deputies From The Greene County Sheriff’s Department Arrived On The Scene. The Owner Of The Property Alerted Police, And Then Tried To Detain The Two Men At The Scene, Until Deputies Arrived. The Pair Was Apprehended A Short Time Later. Bond For Each Was Set At 50-Thousand Dollars, With An Court Appearance Set For Tomorrow.

The Sullivan County Health Department Is Investigation The Death Of A Four Year Old Kingsport Girl. She Died On Monday And Her Cause Of Death Is Unknown At This Time. But Regional Medical Director Dr. Stephen May Said An Organism That Causes Meningitis Is Being Explored As A Possible Cause. The Little Girl Was First Treated At The Pediatric Night Clinic At Holston Medical Group, Then Transported To Holston Valley Medical Center, Where She Later Died.

A Wings Air Rescue Helicopter Pilot Had To Make An Unexpected Landing After Suffering A Medical Problem. Mountain States Health Alliance Vice President Ed Herbert Said The Pilot Took Off From His Base In Smyth County Virginia This Week To Pickup A Patient And Began Experience What He Believed Was Indigestion. The Pilot’s Conditioned Worsened, So He Returned To Base And Was Air Lifted To Johnson City Med Center By Another Wings Air Rescue Unit. He’s Currently Undergoing Treatment.

Officials Are Still Trying To Determine The Cause Of An Explosion At An Out Building In Johnson City. Fire Officials Responded To A Call Yesterday Morning On A Report Of An Explosion Off Locust Lane And Indian Ridge Road. No One Was Injured In The Incident. The Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, And Firearms, Along With The State Fire Marshall’s Office, Are Investigating The Incident. The Cause Of The Explosion Has Still Not Been Determined.

An educator at East Tennessee State University says now is the best time for nurses to pursue a doctorate in nursing philosophy or practice. Dr. Kathleen Rayman, director of graduate programs for the school’s College of Nursing, commented as ETSU received an $890,000 grant to support the doctor of philosophy in nursing program. The grant is from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The College of Nursing recently transitioned the program to a blended model that combines online instruction with short academic and professional development sessions on campus each semester.

A Greeneville Bicyclist Is Listed In Stable Condition This Morning At A Johnson City Hospital After Being Struck By A Car. Police Said 20 Year Old Steven Bishop Jr. Reportedly Rode His Bike Into The Roadway On West Andrew Johnson Highway Into The Path Of A Car Being Driven By Linda Crum Of Chuckey.

A Hawkins County Man Accused Of Fracturing The Skull Of A Three Year Old Girl Is Behind Bars. 21 Year Old Jonathan Light Of Church Hill Is Charged With One Count Of Aggravated Child Abuse. According To The Sheriff’s Office, Light Had Been Babysitting The Girl, When He Disciplined Her For Messing With The Television. She Was Allegedly Lifted Up By Her Arm, Spanked, And Then Tossed Into Some Bedding On The Floor At Which Time Her Head Hit A Wall. Light Was Arraigned In Hawkins County General Sessions Court. A Judge Set His Bond At 20-Thousand Dollars And Scheduled A Preliminary Hearing For September 27th.

Two Washington County Tennessee Deputies Accused Of Drinking And Peforming Lewd Acts In A Federal Forest While Off Duty, No Longer Have A Job. 30 Year Old Chris Adkins And 42 Year Old Scarlett Dennison Recently Paid Fines Of 250 Dollars Each In U.S. District Court In Greeneville. An Internal Investigation Was Conducted And Sheriff Ed Graybeal Says It Was Determined That Such Actions Will Not Be Tolerated.