FROM THE RADIO NEWS DEPARTMENT

A Trial Date Has Been Set For A Lawsuit To Be Heard After Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson Filed It Seeking Additional Funding For His Department. The Suit Seeks 9.9-Million Dollars. During A Preliminary Motions Hearing This Week, Special Judge James Beckner Made Amendments To The List Of Items In The Suit. Beckner Also Denied A Motion From Anderson’s Attorney For A Court Order To Direct The County Trustee’s Office To Pay Their Bill Monthly. A Trial Date Is Set For March 11th.

Sullivan County Is Being Asked To Approve A Land Sale In Order To Allow For The Expansion Of Bell Helicopter In Piney Flats. The Addition Is Expected To Bring 125 New Jobs To The Area As Well As Tax Dollars. Director Of Economic Development, Jack Lawson Said Local Incentives Are Needed To Remain Competitive Because Bell Could Instead Take The Expansion To Plants In Louisiana Or Texas. The Sullivan County Commission Is Set To Vote On The Plans Later This Month.

The Scott County Virginia Board Of Supervisors Has Approved A Special Use Permit For An Underground Data Storage Center In Duffield. The Proposed Facility Would Be Located At A Former Mining Site. Roanoke-Based Secure Mountain LLC Was Granted A Permit To Convert The Former Foote Mineral Company Into A Data Facility. If Secure Mountain Decides To Move Ahead With Constructing The Center, It’s Expected To Generate Between 20 And 30 Jobs For The Area.

A Washington County Tennessee Murder Suspect Still Remains Without An Attorney. 31 Year Old Justin Stratton Is Having Problems Getting A Lawyer Because Of A Conflict With A Witness. He’s Charged With First Degree Murder In The Shooting Death Of Gary Couch Last July On Quarry Road In Johnson City. Stratton Remains In Jail On A 181-Thousand Dollars Bond. It’s Unclear When An Attorney Will Be Appointed To Represent Stratton.

Kingsport Public Works Department’s Streets And Sanitation Division Will Host Its Annual Snow Removal Equipment Inspection Friday Afternoon. The Inspection Will Include A Preview Of Several New Enhancements Designed To Aid And Speed The Removal Of Snow And Ice From Public Roadways. The City Will Be Deploying Three New Pre-Treatment Systems That Will Apply Salt Brine Before Most Snow Events. The Department Will Also Be Switching To Poly-Electric Salt Machines On Pickup Trucks. Being All Electric, Its Expected This Change Will Reduce Gasoline Consumption By A Number Of Gallons Over Older Models. The Inspection Begins At One O’clock At The Public Works Complex On Industry Drive.

A Jonesborough Nurse Who Pleaded Guilty To A Charge Of Obtaining Controlled Substances By Fraud Or Deception Will Not Have To Spend Any Time Behind Bars. 51 Year Old Sharon Kyker Pleaded Guilty In April In U.S. District Court In Greeneville.She Had Been Employed As A Registered Nurse At The James H. Quillen Department Of Veterans Affairs Medical Center Since 1991. Kyker Was Found To Have Diverted A Quantity Of Hydromorphone By Falsely Documenting That She Had Provided A Dose To A Patient. Judge Ronnie Greer Sentenced Kyker To Serve Three Years Of Probation.

A Tri Cities Holiday Tradition That Helps Less Fortunate Children Is Underway Once Again. In Conjunction With Food City, The 7th Annual Johnia Berry Holiday Toy Drive Is Now Accepting Toy Donations In Barrels Placed Inside Their Stores. Berry, A Tri Cities Native, Was Murdered In Knoxville On December 6th, 2004. 23 Area Food City Stores Are Participating Including Ones In The Tri Cities As Well As In Marion, Lebanon, And Damascus In Virginia. The Goal This Year Is To Collect 3-Thousand New, Unwrapped Toys Which Will Be Distributed To Area Children. The Drive Runs Through December 5th.

A Sullivan County Man Is In Trouble With The Law For Allegedly Making Meth In Virginia. 27 Year Old Joseph Tester Of Bluff City Is Charged With Manufacturing Meth, Possession Of Two Or More Precursors With The Intent To Make Meth, Possession Of Meth, And Misdemeanor Traffic Charges. The Charges Stem From An Incident In Which Police Reportedly Found Two One-Pot Meth Labs After Stopping His Truck For Having Defective Equipment. Tester Remains In The Southwest Virginia Regional Jail In Abingdon Under A 5-Thousand Dollar Bond. He Will Be Arraigned On November 19th.

Kingsport Leaders Have Approved Three Annexations. The Colonial Heights Areas C And D Were Approved On Final Reading This Week And Area E Was Approved On First Reading. The Five Areas A Through E Include 350 Acres And 820 Residents. The Property Also Includes A Section Of Property In The Western Quadrant Of The Fort Henry Drive/Interstate 81 Intersection. Areas C & D Will Become Part Of The City Within 30 Days.