FROM THE RADIO NEWS DEPARTMENT

Wellmont Health System Is Expanding Its Delivery Of High-Quality, Innovative Physical Therapy With The Opening Of A Satellite Facility At The New Ymca Wellmont Center In Kingsport That’s Now Open. Trained Caregivers From Sullivan Center Outpatient Rehabilitation Will Treat Patients At The New Facility. Wellmont Physical Therapy, Which Has About 775 Square Feet, Is Located Adjacent To The Weight And Cross-Training Equipment On The Second Floor Of The Ymca Wellmont Center Near Meadowview Conference Resort And Convention Center.

The Tusculum College Board Of Trustees Has Voted To Extend The Contract Of Its Current President. Dr. Nancy Moody, Who’s Completed Four Years At The Helm Of The School, Has Had Her Contract Extended For Six Years. Since Assuming The Position As President In 2009 As The First Female In Tusculum’s History, She Had Led The College Through A Successful Reaffirmation Of Accreditation Process And Guided The School Toward Greater Financial Stability.

Tennesseans Who Bought Electronic Books, Or E-Books, From Penguin Group In The Past Two Years May Be Eligible For A Refund. State Attorney General Bob Cooper Said The Agreement Is Part Of A Multi-State Price-Fixing Agreement. Consumers In Tennessee Along With 33 Other States And Territories Will Receive A Total Of 75 Million Dollars In Restitution. The Settlement Stems From A Two Year Antitrust Investigation Conducted By The States And U.S. Justice Department.

The Proposed Spending Plans For The 2013-14 Fiscal Year In Both Church Hill And Mount Carmel Will Not Include Any Property Tax Increases. The Church Hill Spending Plan Will Leave The Property Tax Rate At $1.10 Per 100 Dollars Of Access Value And The Mount Carmel Tax Rate Will Be Left Unchanged At $1.38. Both Cities Are Expected To Finalize Their Budgets In The Coming Weeks. .

A Hiltons Virginia Man Who Was Convicted Of Illegally Possessing Drugs And More Than Two Dozen Guns Will Spend Time In Prison. Mark Baker Pled Guilty In February To Being A Violent Felon In Possession Of A Weapon, Possession Of Marijuana, Possession Of A Schedule Two Drug And Possession Of A Firearm While In Possession Of A Schedule Two Drug. Baker Was Ordered To Serve A 13-Year Sentence With Eight Years Suspended.

An August Court Date Has Been Set For A Former Johnson City Used Car Dealer Accused Of Swindling His Customers. George Gwinn Managed Reliable Imports Until His Arrest. A Washington County Grand Jury Indicted Him On 26 Counts. He’s Accused Of Selling People Cars, Taking Their Money, But Never Giving Them A Car Title. Gwinn’s Alleged Thefts Ranged From 500 Dollars To More Than 10-Thousand Dollars, As Well As Identity Theft. Gwinn Is Set To Appear In Washington County Criminal Court On August 23rd.

The American Cancer Society Has Turned 100 Years Old. To Celebrate, They Encouraging Southwest Virginia And Northeast Tennessee Residents To Participate In A Cancer Prevention Research Study. Nearly 600 Candidates Between The Ages Of 30 And 65 With No Personal History Of Cancer Are Urged To Enroll. Enrolling Requires An In-Person Visit, Blood Sample, A Survey And Follow-Up Surveys At Home. The Study Will Help Better Understand What Factors Cause Cancer. For More Information, Call 888-604-5888.

A Motorcycle Wreck Has Claimed The Life Of A Mountain City Man. Christopher Terrill Died In The Crash Early Friday Morning In Carter County On Highway 91. The Accident Happened Near The Intersection Of Blue Springs Road. Drugs And Alcohol Were Not Factors In The Wreck. The Tennessee Highway Patrol Said Terrill Was Wearing A Helmet.

Several environmental protesters are facing charges after blocking the road leading to the headquarters for coal producer Alpha Natural Resources in Bristol, Virginia. Capt. Maynard Ratcliff with the Bristol Police Department says about five people were arrested on Friday morning after they had chained themselves and large industrial equipment to a bridge railing. The road to the company’s offices was reopened shortly before 10 a.m. Ratcliff says specific charges are pending.

Bluecross Blueshield Of Tennessee And Wellmont Health System Have Signed An Agreement To Serve The Tri Cities Region Until Mid-2015. The 18-Month Agreement Maintains Access To Care At All Wellmont Hospitals For Bluecross Members Covered Through Blue Networks P And S, The Health Plan’s Two Largest Provider Networks. Access For Members Covered Through Bluecare, Tenncareselect, And Blueadvantagesm Continues Under Current And Separate Agreements Between The Organizations.

Two People Were Killed And Another Two Hospitalized After A Shooter Opened Fire In A Grainger County Business. The Shooting Happened Thursday Morning Around 11 A.M. At The Down Home Pharmacy On Highway 25-E In Bean Station. Bean Station Police Chief Bryce Justice Confirmed That A Suspect Has Been Apprehended.

A Motions Hearing Has Been Set For Next Month For A Man Accused Of Gunning Down A Woman At A Johnson City Park And Then Leaving Her For Dead. 48 Year Old Eric Lamont Parker Is Charged With Attempted First Degree Murder. The Unnamed Woman Was Discovered Lying The Upper Parking Lot Of Lions Field Off East Unaka Avenue With Several Gunshot Wounds To Her Torso. Parker Will Be Back In Court On June 27th.

Kingsport Police Have Seized A Large Quantity Of Bath Salts And Other Drug-Related Paraphernalia From A City Motel. Nearly 14-Thousand Dollars Worth Of Bath Salts Along With Numerous Electronic Items Believed To Have Been Traded For Drugs Were Found At The Super 8 Motel On West Shipley Ferry Road. 20 Year Old Kayla Crigger Is Charged With Maintaining A Dwelling For The Manufacture, Delivery, Or Sell Of Controlled Substances, And Other Charges. Police Discovered 40 Syringes, Rubber Hoses, Prescription Pills, And 12 Glass Smoking Pipes Inside Her Room Where Two Juveniles Also Lived. Her Boyfriend, 41 Year Old Michael Mangum, Is Facing Similar Charges. They Will Appear In Court Soon.

The Identity Of A Woman Found Dead In The Front Yard Of A Washington County Tennessee Home Is Now Known. Sheriff Ed Graybeal Said 24 Year Old Ashley Conerway Of Jonesborough Was Found In The Yard Of Her Rambling Road Home May 12th. She Died Of A Gunshot Wound, But The Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation Is Still Investigating The Manner Of Her Death. The Woman’s Husband, 25 Year Old Kelvin Conerway Jr. Is Charged With Manufacturing Schedule One Drugs, Possession Of Schedule Six Drugs For Resale, Possession Of A Firearm While Committing A Dangerous Felony And Maintaining A Dwelling Where Drugs Are Sold. Conerway’s Case Was Waived To A Grand Jury And He’s Set To Appear In Criminal Court July 22nd. .

The Tennessee Highway Patrol Will Be Stepping Up Seat Belt And Dui Enforcement Efforts Over The Memorial Day Holiday Weekend. State Troopers Will Conduct Several Seat Belt And Sobriety Checkpoints During The 78-Hour Holiday Period. Sixteen People Were Killed On Tennessee Roadways During The 2012 Memorial Day Holiday Weekend.

A Greene County Church Is Accepting Donations For Tornado Victims In Oklahoma. Mosheim Christian Fellowship Says A List Of Things Needed Include Baby Formula, Toiletry Items, Plastic Bins, Back Packs, Clothes, Flashlights, Batteries, Water, Tarps, Electrical Cords, Generators, Chainsaws, Accessories And Non-Perishable Food Items. Donations Are Being Accepted Through Friday Between 8am To 4pm At Mountain View Furniture On Moon Creek Road In Greeneville.

Fingerprinting And Child Identification Packets Will Once Again Be Available This Weekend During A Popular Festival In Abingdon. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office Along With The Abingdon And York Masonic Lodge Will Join Forces For The Event On Saturday During Plum Alley Day. A Child Identification Booth Will Be Set Up At The Residence Of Kenny And Doris Shuman On West Valley Street In Abingdon. Last Year, Over 200 Children Were Fingerprinted And Photographed.

Fewer Virginians are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home during the Memorial Day weekend. AAA Mid-Atlantic said that it expects slightly more than 1 million Virginians to travel during the holiday weekend. That’s down 1.6 percent from 2012. AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Martha Mitchell Meade says some people have less money to spend this year because of automatic federal spending cuts and the expiration of the payroll tax cut. AAA Mid-Atlantic expects more than 923,000 vehicles will be on the roads during the holiday weekend, down about 4,000 from 2012.

Two Area Institutions Of Higher Learning Are Exploring A Possible Medical Partnership. Emory And Henry College And The King School Of Medicine Have Signed A Memorandum Of Understanding To Being Exploring The Possibility Of Collaborative Partnerships. According To The Memorandum. Any Such Partnership That Might Arise Between The Two Institutions Would Seek To Enhance Economic Development In The Region While Reducing Program Duplication.

Area Kroger Stores Are Teaming Up With The Red Cross To Provide Aid For The Victims Of The Oklahoma Tornado. Customers Can Make Donations At Any Kroger Store In The Area. Starting Sunday, May 26th, Kroger Customers Can Place A Donation In The Coin Boxes At Registers In Their Stores. All Funds Collected Will Be Sent To The American Red Cross To Help With Disaster Relief. The Drive Runs Through Saturday, June 8th. Kroger Has 120 Stores In Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, And Kentucky.