FROM THE RADIO NEWS DEPARTMENT

It’s Going To Cost Nearly One Million Dollars To Add 10 School Resource Officers To The Washington County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office. This Would Be Enough Officers To Staff Each School In The County. The Initial Cost Is 98-Thousand Dollars Per Officer With Just Over 41-Thousand Dollars Per Year Covering The Annual Salary And Benefits For Each Of Those Officers. This Doesn’t Include Costs Related To Vehicles, Weapons, Uniforms And Other Equipment. The County Commission’s Safety Committee Approved A Motion To Present The Request To The County’s Budget Committee For Consideration.

Rogersville City Leaders May Soon Begin Saying The Pledge Of Allegiance And A Prayer Before Each Meeting. Newly Appointed Rogersville Appointed Alderman Mark Dewitte Requested The Question Of Opening BMA Meetings With An Invocation And Pledge Be Placed On The Agenda At The Next Meeting. Mayor Jim Sells Said He Has No Problem With An Opening Prayer Or Pledge, However, He Would Like To Receive Advice From City Attorney Bill Phillips Before An Official Decision Is Made.

32 People Have Pleaded Guilty To Various Drug Conspiracy Charges In A Multi-County Drug Investigation. The Investigation, Which Began In 2009 And Covered Greene, Sullivan, And Hawkins Counties, Was Related To Cocaine, Marijuana, And Oxycodone. Hawkins County Sheriff Ronnie Lawson Said Large Quantities Of Oxycodone Pills Were Obtained From Nevada And Georgia And Then Transported To Northeast Tennessee. More Than 300 Pounds Of Cocaine, 16-Thousand Pounds Of Marijuana, 20-Thousand Oxycodone Pills, Several Firearms, And 2.5 Million Dollars In Cash Were Recovered.

The only woman on death row in Tennessee’s prison system is asking a Knoxville federal judge to prevent her execution. Christa Gail Pike’s lawyer filed a petition claiming his client’s constitutional rights were violated at the 1996 trial where she was convicted of killing Colleen Slemmer. The petition seeks relief from conviction or sentence. Pike’s petition described her as a “mentally ill, cognitively impaired, immature adolescent” at the time of the 1995 slaying. Slemmer was tortured and fatally struck on the head with a chunk of asphalt.

The City Of Kingsport Is Going To Be Working This Spring To Create Wetlands Along A Portion Of The Kingsport Greenbelt. More Than 50 Acres Of Land Will Be Converted To Offset The 15.5 Acres Of Wetlands Impacted By The Construction Of The City’s New Aquatic Center Behind Cattails Driving Range Off Wilcox Drive. The Properties Will Include 13 Acres On The Meadow Gardens Property Beside John B. Dennis Highway And The 40-Acre Vanover Property Across From The Kingsport Pavilion. The Wetlands Will Be Maintained On A 20-Acre Trac Across From The Meadow Gardens Property. The Work Is Expected To Take About A Month.

Lockdowns Have Been Lifted At Two Area School Systems. Greeneville Middle School, Hal Henard Elementary School, And Greeneville Adventist Academy Were Placed On Lockdown Wedneday Following A Report Of A Person With A Rifle In The Vicinity. Police Searched The Area And Have Given The Okay To Resume School. The Lockdown Also Included Nearby Takoma Hospital. In Addition, Sulphur Springs Elementary School In Washington County Tennessee Was Placed On Lockdown As A Standard Precautionary Measure.

A Kingsport Teen Has Been Arrested On A Federal Weapons Charge. 19 Year Old Ronnie Hill Is Charged With Possession Of A Stolen Firearm. The Charge Stems From An Incident Six Month Ago In Which Hill Allegedly Attempted To Rob An Undercover Officer Who Had Purchased Handguns On A City Street. The Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, And Firearms Indicted Hill On A Federal Warrant Which Was Spurred By His Recent Sale Of A Stolen Firearm To An Undercover Officer. He Will Be Arraigned At The U.S. Federal Courthouse In Greeneville.

The House of Delegates has passed legislation to keep the names of concealed handgun permit holders secret. The bill originally just shielded the names of permit applicants who have obtained protective orders against another person. The House Militia and Police Committee last week expanded the bill to cover anyone who obtains a permit. The bill now goes back to the Senate to consider the House amendment.

Carter County Authorities Are Looking For A Roan Mountain Man Accused Of Attempting To Take A Group Of Hikers Hostage Last Year On Unaka Mountain. A Capias Was Isssued For Marcus Birchfield. He’s Charged With Aggravated Kidnapping, Unlawful Possession Of A Weapon, Criminal Impersonation, Simple Possession Of A Schedule Two Drug And Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia. Birchfield Was Scheduled To Appear In Criminal Court For A Plea Deadline Hearing, But He Never Showed Up. Judge Lynn Brown Ordered A Capias For His Arrest. Anyone With Information On His Whereabouts Is Asked To Call Police.

The Current Chairman Of The Johnson City Power Board Has Decided To Toss Her Hat In The Ring For One Of Two Seats Up For Grabs In The Upcoming Municipal Election. Jenny Brock Said Economic Growth For The City Is Very Vital. She Will Try To Win A Place On The Five-Member Board. Vice Mayor Phil Carriger Is Not Seeking Another Term, But Former Mayor Jane Myron Has Chosen To Run Again. The Municipal Election Takes Place On April 23rd.

Two Alpha Natural Resources mines in Virginia have been idled as part of cutbacks announced last fall. Alpha spokesman Ted Pile said the company idled its Red Onion surface mine near Pound and Bluff Spur underground mine near Norton last week. Pile says about 80 workers across the state were laid off. Some were transferred to other mining operations in southwest Virginia. Bristol, Va.-based Alpha announced last September that it was cutting production by 16 million tons and eliminating 1,200 jobs companywide. Chief Executive Officer Kevin Crutchfield said at the time that the shutdowns and layoffs are a necessary part of Alpha surviving what has become a difficult U.S. market.

An East Tennessee Endangered Child Alert Has Been Issued For A Two Month Old Missing Girl. According To The Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation, Autumn Lee Bunch Is Missing From Tazewell Tennessee. Bunch Was Last Seen On February 11th At Her Home. They Believe The Baby Is With Ashley Leach And Aaron Bunch, Both Of Whom Are The Girl’s Parents. Both Have A History Of Drug Abuse. Anyone With Information On The Whereabouts Of The Three Should Call 1-800-Tbi-Find.

Hollywood Actor Erik Estrada Will Be Paying A Visit To Kingsport Today. Estrada Will Appear At First Baptist Church To Promote “Finding Faith” A Movie About A Girl Who Formed An Online Relationship With Someone Who Turned Out To Be A Predator And Was Later Abducted. Estrada Plays A Law Enforcement Official In The Movie. The Showing Is Free To The Public And Will Start At Six O’clock. Kingsport Police Have Endorsed The Event And Will Have Officers On Hand.

Construction For A New Hotel At Exit 7 In Bristol Virginia Will Get Underway Soon. City Leaders Signed A Contract This Week Opening Up The Door For Hilton Garden Inn To Locate In The Area. The 9 Million Dollar Investment Will Allow For Up To 40 New Jobs. It Will Locate Near Cracker Barrel And Is Expected To Be A Significant Addition The City And Could Lure More Businesses To The Area.

Tri-Cities Regional Airport Will Soon Begin Searching For A New Executive Director. The Current Leader, Patrick Wilson Is Leaving To Accept A Job As Deputy Airport Director At Raleih-Durham International Airport. Wilson Served As The Executive Director At The Tri For 16 Years. The Airport Authority Executive Committee Will Meet This Week To Discuss Conducting A Search For A New Executive Director.

The Washington County Tennessee Economic Development Council Will Soon Be Without It’s First Ever CEO. Robert Reynolds Announced His Resignation This Week Effective February 28th. He Claims He’s Resigning Due To Family Considerations And Said He’s Pleased With The Foundation For Its Success Since His Arrival In 2010. The Committee’s Executive Vice President, Mitch Miller, Will Serve As Interim CEO Effective March 1st.

The Virginia State Police Is Continuing To Probe The Cause Of A Vehicle Fire In Washington County Virginia This Week. The Car Which Was Located On Hawthorne Drive, Was Completely Destroyed As Well As Contents On The Inside. The Vehicle Was Abandoned At The Time Of Discovery And One Law Enforcement Agency Has Suspected It Could Have Been The Result Of A Meth Lab Explosion. The Fire Is Still Under Investigation And Anyone With Information Should Call Virginia State Police.