FROM THE RADIO NEWS DEPARTMENT

A Trial Is Set To Begin Today For A Johnson City Man Accused In The Death Of His Two Year Old Son. 29 Year Old Christopher Mitchell Is Charged With Felony Murder, Aggravated Child Endangerment Or Neglect, Tampering With Evidence And Identity Theft. Police Said His Toddler Son, Jacob Mitchell, Found A Loaded Handgun And Fatally Shot Himself Nearly Three Years Ago. Mitchell Is Reportedly Serving A 15 Year Federal Prison Sentence After He Was Convicted Of Having A Handgun As A Felon.

An Elizabethton Man Is Behind Bars Following A Stabbing Incident Over The Weekend Outside A Johnson City Club. 33 Year Old Jeremy Peters Is Charged With Three Counts Of Aggravated Assault. According To Witnesses, An Altercation Broke Out After Peters Offended The Daughter Of A Subject Working The Door At Club Next Door. Peters Allegedly Carried The Altercation Outside And Three People Allegedly Got Cut By Peters. He’s Being Held On A 45-Thousand Dollars Bond And Will Appear In General Sessions Court For Arraignment Today.

The Final Disposition Of The Legality Of Johnson City’s Condemnation Of U-Haul’s Downtown Property For Use As A Tool In The City’s Longrange Flood Mitigation Plan Is Now In The Hands Of A Judge. Judge Thomas Seely Could Make A Ruling Today But It Could Take Up To A Month. Johnson City Has Tried For Over A Year To Get U-Haul To Accept An 820-Thousand Dollar Offer For The Property, But The Firm Hasn’t Budged So Far. Instead, U-Haul Filed A Suit To Strike Down The City’s Petition For Condemnation.

Mediation Attempts Have Failed In A Lawsuit Against Sullivan County And The Sheriff’s Department Over The Burning Of A Home. Margaret Spradlin And Her Daughter Shirley Brewer Filed The 1.5 Million Dollar Suit In U.S. District Court In Greeneville April 16th Seeking One Million Dollars In Compensatory Damages And 500-Thousand Dollars In Punitive Damages. The Lawsuit Stems From An Incident That Took Place At Their Trailer In April Of Last Year When Law Enforcement Officials Showed Up Looking For Margaret Spradlin’s Son, Junior, Who Was Wanted For Murder In Virginia. During That Search, Tear Gas Canisters Meant For Outside Use Only Were Thrown Into Their Home And Allegedly Sparked The Blaze. Since Mediation Attempts Failed, A Court Date Is Expected To Be Set Soon.