FROM THE RADIO NEWS DEPARTMENT

The Unicoi County Sheriff’s Office Has Charged Three Residents Of Viss Honeycutt Road With Drug And Child Abuse Offenses. Gordon Lyons, Tammy Lyons, And Jill Wheeler Are Charged With Four Counts Of Child Neglect And One Count Of Aggravated Child Neglect. The Lyons Are Also Charged With Possession Of Schedule Six Drugs And Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia. The Charges Stem From An Investigation Undertaken After Someone Reported Small Children Who Were Not Wearing Clothing Wandering Near A Road. Four Children, Aged 4-10, Were Found At The House. Marijuana And Drug Paraphernalia Were Allegedly Found At The Home. The Suspects Will Appear In Court Soon.

A Suspect Charged In Two Murders At A Downtown Kingsport Business In 2005 Is Set To Go On Trial In April In Sullivan County Criminal Court. Leslie Ware, Jr. Was A Co-Defendant In The Execution-Style Murders Of Jeffin Nolan And Terrence Alexander At The Sole’ Candle Shop. According To Prosecutors, Ware Was Involved In A Drug Conspiracy That Led To The Shootings. Trial Is Scheduled To Begin For Ware On April 15th.

Two People Accused In A Scheme To Submit More Than 178-Thousand Dollars In False Crop Insurance Claims To The U.S. Government Are Expected To Admit To The Crime In U.S. District Court In Greeneville Soon. Glenn Martin Jr. Of Limestone Doesn’t Have A Plea Date Set But Joseph Matchett Of Greene County Is Set To Appear In Court February 20th. Martin’s Ex-Wife Janet Garland Is Scheduled To Go To Trial May 30th. The Indictment Alleges Martin Arranged For Garland And Matchett To Become Tobacco Producers In 2009 And Agreed To Finance All Of The Farm’s Expenses Including Obtaining Crop Loss Insurance Provided For Under Federal Law. Prosecutors Allege The Three Made False Statements And Reports To The Insurance Company For Losses That Were Not Eligible For Crop Insurance.

A group of residents in rural Sullivan County is facing contaminated well water with little prospect of getting municipal water. The Bristol Herald Courier reports the 25 homes on Seneker Lane are not far from the Bristol city limits, but local officials say they don’t have the $500,000 it would take to extend the water lines to them. William Sorah, the Bristol deputy city manager for public works said the city would never recuperate the investment. Sullivan County applied for a community development block grant to fund the extension in 2004, but the application was rejected. A second grant application made last year also was rejected. A third application was submitted recently. Sullivan County Mayor Steve Godsey said the situation was horrible.

The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Is Investigating A Pair Of Business Burglaries That Might Be Connected. The First Occurred Early Sunday Morning At The Village Market On Highway 75 In Blountville. The Suspect Gained Entry By Shattering The Front Door. Once Inside They Took Cigarettes And A Small Amount Of Cash. The Second Burglary Happened Early Monday Morning At The Boone Store Also On Highway 75 In Blountville. Once Again, Entry Was Gained By Breaking The Front Door. Cigarettes As Well As Lottery Tickets Were Stolen From The Business. Anyone With Any Information Is Asked To Contact The Sheriff’s Office.

Scott County Is Hoping To Have A Solution To The Traffic And Parking Problem Near Weber City Elementary School. School Administrators Have Said Recently, That An Offer Of 20-Thousand Dollars Has Been Made By The School Board To Purchase The Property Adjacent To The School. Although The Offer Has Been Accepted, Some Work Still Needs To Be Done On The Final Wording To Complete The Purchase Of The Land.

The Washington County Tennessee Economic Development Council Is Taking Steps To Open Up A Section For Retail Occupancy. About 100 Acres Will Soon Be Home For Retailers Off Interstate 26 At Exit 17 Boones Creek. Leaders Hope Businesses, Such As Hotels, Restaurants And Small Shops Will Plan To Locate On The Property. Right Now, Work Is Being Done On Tax And Financing Development.

Every Teacher In The Kingsport City School System Is About To Have An I-Pad 4 Provided To Them. This Is Part Of A Ramp Up To An Increased Use Of Technology In The Classroom By Teachers And Students. Part Of The Purchase Is Being Funded By Sullivan County Property Taxes In Combination With The Reserve Fund. The Total Cost For The Purchase Will Be Approximately 274-Thousand Dollars.

The Hawkins County School Board Has Decided To Delay The Installation Of New Magnetic Locking Doors At Several School Buildings. A Proposal To Install New Security Locks At Several Schools And Buildings Was Tabled During The Most Recent Meeting Because School Officials Want To Get A More Accurate Cost Estimate For The Installation And To Iron Out Installation Details. Officials Decided To Put Off The Project By At Least One Month.

Gate City Police Have Arrested A Big Stone Gap Man On Drug Distribution Charges. 29 Year Old Christopher Michael Farmer Is Charged With Possession Of Marijuana With The Intent To Distribute. The Arrest Followed A Traffic Stop On Us Highway 23. During A Search Of His Vehicle, Officers Found Two Empty Plastic Bags, Two Scales, Marijuana Seeds, And Bags Of Fertilizer. Farmer Reportedly Admitted The Drugs Were His. He’s A Three-Time Convicted Felony All Of Which Were Drug Offenses. Farmer Is Being Held Without Bail In The Southwest Virginia Regional Jail In Duffield And Will Appear In Court Soon.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office Is Continuing To Investigate A Shooting And Assault Over The Weekend That Sent Two People To An Area Hospital. It Happened Early Saturday Morning At A Home On Jones Bridge Road. Authorities Said Homeowner, Bridget Haun, Carlos Arnett And Oscar Bobadilla Were Drinking Alcohol When Someone Walked In The Residence, Hit Bobadilla In The Head With An Unknown Object. She Heard A Shot And Found Arnett Had Been Struck. Sheriff Steve Burns Said There Is Very Little Information To Go On At This Time. Arnett Remains In An Area Hospital.

A Hawkins County Man Accused Of Having A Plentiful Amount Of Drugs In His Home Along With Weapons Is In Trouble With The Law. Greg Everett Herron Is Charged With Possession Of Marijuana With Intent To Deliver And Maintaining A Dwelling Where Narcotics Are Housed And Or Stored. Deputies Allegedly Found Three Fourths Of A Pound Of The Illegal Week Inside The Home Which Is Typically A Shipping Method. They Also Located About Ten Firearms. Herron Will Appear In General Sessions Court Soon.

Kingsport City Officials Have Given The Go-Ahead For The Design Of A Proposed 4.1 Million Dollar Football Stadium Expansion. The Plan Calls For Adding One-Thousand New Seats, Widening Aisles And Installing Hand Sections In The Existing Seat Sections. The Existing Grandstand Would Have A New Structure Built At Its Back With A New Press Box, Midlevel Covered Concourse And Upper Covered Concourse. Construction Could Begin In March And Be Completed By The August 22nd Season Opener. The Proposal Is Expected To Go Before The Board Of Mayor And Aldermen February 25th.

A Blountville Man Accused Of Shooting His Brother And Then Turning The Gun On Himself Has Died. 24 Year Old Daniel Baker Allegedly Got Into An Argument With His Brother, 22 Year Old David Baker At A Home On Bowman Creek Road. Witnesses Told Police, Daniel Stood Up And Shot His Brother In The Chest And Then Pointed The Gun At His Own Head And Pulled The Trigger. David Baker Remains In A Local Hospital In Stable Condition. The Investigation Into The Incident Is Continuing.

The Washington County Tennessee Commission Has Chosen Three Finalists To Replace Retiring Criminal Court Judge Lynn Brown. Those Chosen Were Stacy Street, Gene Scott And Steve Finney. Governor Bill Haslam Will Have 60 Days In Which To Choose One Of The Nominees. Brown’s Last Day On The Bench Is Set For March 29th.