FROM THE RADIO NEWS DEPARTMENT

A Welfare Check At A Kingsport Residence Has Landed Two People In Trouble With The Law On Drug Charges. Kingsport Police Accompanied The Department Of Children Services To The Hiara Drive Home Of Nathan And Sherry Cox. Officers Searched The Residence And Allegedly Found Items Used To Make Methamphetamine. A Further Search Of The Home Yielded Items Commonly Referred To As One-Pot Methods Of Making Meth In The Basement. The Couple Is Charged With Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Maintaining A Dwelling Where Narcotics Are Used, Sold, And Stored, And Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia. The Cox’s Will Appear In Court Soon.

Two Kingsport Men Are Behind Bars Facing Drug Charges. George Collins And David Nash Are Each Charged With Manufacturing, Delivery, And Resale Of Schedule Six Drugs. The Charges Stem From A Traffic Stop On Interstate 26 After Officers Noticed The Men’s Vehicle Speeding. Collins Reportedly Had A Warrant Out Of Sullivan County. Using A K-9, Authorities Found 2.5 Pounds Of Marijuana Inside A Cardboard Box In The Truck Of The Vehicle. Collins And Nash Were Booked At The Washington County Detention Center On A 10-Thousand Dollar Bond. They Will Be Arraigned Soon In Washington County General Sessions Court.

Leclerk Foods is expanding its operations in Kingsport, adding 40 jobs. Leclerk makes granola bars, crackers and cookies. Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty said Tennessee and Canada enjoy a mutually beneficial economic partnership through exporting and foreign direct investment. Leclerc is investing $15.7 million in expanding the Kingsport plant, which it has operated since 2008.

More People Are Out Of Work In Greene County. That According To Figures Released By The Tennessee Department Of Labor & Workforce Development, Greene County’s Unemployment Rate In January Was 11.9 Percent, Up From The Revised December Rate Of 11.1 Percent. Greene County’s Rate In January 2012 Was 11.8 Percent. The Unemployment Rate For January 2013 Increased In 94 Tennessee Counties. Polk County Was The Only County With A Decreased Rate.

If You’ve Been Considering Adopting A Fuzzy Little Companion, This Coming Week Is A Good Time To Acquire A Pet. The Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s C.C. Porter Animal Shelter Is Offering Free Adoptions For All Animals Adopted From Now Through April 12th. Although The Adoption Fee Will Be Waived, A Refundable 50 Dollar Spay-Neuter Fee Will Be Required At The Time Of Adoption. The Fee Will Be Refunded Within 45 Days. The Animal Shelter Is Located On Porter Lane In Abingdon.

Efforts To Have The Crooked Road Designated A National Heritage Area Have Been Suspended. The Crooked Road Organization Had Asked The Wise County Board Of Supervisors To Approve A Resolution To Support Its Initiative. Washington, Smyth, Russell, And Wythe Counties All Voted To Reject National Heritage Area Designation. The Effort Had Come Under Fire From Critics Who Insisted The Designation Would Wind Up Putting Too Much Control Over Property Rights In The Hands Of The U.S. Parks Service.

The Sullivan County Director Of Schools Unveiled His Choice In The Ongoing Battle Over School Rezoning And Consolidation In The County. Dr. Jubal Yennie Favors The Plan In Which Sullivan North High School And Sullivan South High School Would Be Consolidated With One School Building Housing Grades 9-12 And The Other Would House Middle School Grades 6-8. Colonial Heights Middle School And Sullivan Middle School Would Close. The School Board Will Decide Whether To Accept Yennie’s Recommendation At A Meeting On March 28th.