The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Is The Recipient Of A Prestigious Award. The Certificate Of Meritorious Accreditation Is Presented To Agencies That Have Been Accredited By The Commission On Accreditation For Law Enforcement For 15 Or More Years. The Process Involves Complying With 464 Standards Of Professionalism And Excellence. The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Has Been Certified For 17 Years In A Row.
Milligan College Has Received Re-Accreditation From The Southern Association Of Colleges And School Commission On Colleges. The Organization Approved Milligan Through 2022. Milligan President Dr. Bill Greer Says Members From Sacs Were Impressed During A Recent Visit To The School And Had No Recommendations.
A Tri Cities Judge Is Stepping Down. Criminal Court Judge Lynn Brown Announced His Retirement From The Bench. His Retirement Will Take Effect At The End Of March 2013. Brown Has Been A Judge For 22 Years And Serves Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, And Washington Counties.
A Hawkins County Grand Jury Has Indicted A Blountville Man In The Shooting Of His Brother-In-Law. 61 Year Old Bryant Harris Had Originally Been Charged With Attempted First Degree Murder In Connection With The July 2011 Shooting Of 38 Year Old Jeffery Smith At Smith’s Hawkins County Home. Smith Died In January From Injuries That Resulted From That Shooting. Harris Remains Free On 350-Thousand Dollars Bond. He Will Appear In Criminal Court Thursday.
The Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation Is Offering A One Thousand Dollar Reward For The Arrest Of A Kingsport Man Wanted For A Hawkins County Murder. 49 Year Old Randy Harr, Who Is Believed To Be Running From Law Enforcement Authorities, Has Been Added To The State’s Top Ten Most Wanted List. The Incident Happened On March 20th When A Fire Was Discovered At A Home On George Allen Road. The Body Of Christopher Varalli Was Found Inside The Home And Investigators Believe A Fire Was Intentionally Set To Cover Up The Crime. In Addition To Harr, Authorities Are Looking For 40 Year Old Lisa Marie Harr Of Buffalo, New York. Randy Harr Is Charged With First Degree Murder, Aggravated Burglary, And Aggravated Arson While While Lisa Harr Is Facing Tampering With Evidence Charges. An Autopsy Revealed Varalli Had Cyanide In His System. Meanwhile, A Third Suspect, James Anthony Hall, Is Currently In The Sullivan County Jail On Unrelated Charges, But Is Facing A Hindering With A Police Investigation Charge In This Latest Case.
A 2-Million Dollar Donation Intended For Elizabethton Schools Won’t Happen After All. Estate Attorney Rodney Klein Of Johnson City Approached Elizabethton City School System Superintendent Ed Alexander In March Asking If The School System Had Any Financial Needs. Following Negotiations, 2-Million Dollars Was Supposed To Go Towards The New Athletic Facility At Elizabethton High School As Well As The Renovation Of 8 Classrooms At T.A. Dugger Junior High Schools. Several Months Later, Klein Sent A Letter Stating The Donation Was Not Possible.
The Tennessee Board Of Probation And Parole Has 90 Days To Vacate A Hawkins County Owned Office Building In Rogersville. In 2004, The County Commission Approved A Verbal Agreement To Allow The Board To Occupy Offices On The Lower Level Of A County Building On McKinney Avenue. The Board Was To Stay In That Office For Six Months At Which Time It Would Either Find A New Location Or Begin Paying Rent. Since Then, No Rent Has Been Paid Nor Has An Official Lease With The State Ever Been Signed. The County Commission’s Building Committee Voted To Give The Board 90 Days To Vacate The Office.
A News Conference Is Set This Morning Concerning A Possible Break In A Hawkins County Murder Investigation. It Happened On March 20th When A Fire Was Discovered At A Home On George Allen Road In Surgoinsville. Sheriff Ronnie Lawson Said The Body Of A Man Was Found Inside The Home And Investigators Believe Someone Killed Christopher Varalli And Intentionally Set The Fire To Cover Up The Crime. More Information Is Expected To Be Released Today.