THURSDAY JULY 31
JONESBOROUGH BMS APPROVES BUDGET WITH 28% PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
THE JONESBOROUGH BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMAN APPROVED A BUDGET THAT INCLUDES A 28 PERCENT PROPERTY TAX INCREASE TUESDAY NIGHT. THE MEASURE PASSED IN A 2 TO 1 VOTE. THE PROPERTY TAX RATE WILL INCREASE FROM 96.6 CENTS PER 100 DOLLARS OF ASSESSED VALUE TO $1.24. FOR A HOME VALUED AT 250,000 DOLLARS IT WOULD MEAN AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 171 DOLLARS A YEAR. THE BOARD ALSO APPROVED AN 8.5 PERCENT INCREASE IN SOLID WASTE FEES AND CHANGES TO THE WATER SEWER RATES.
POLICY SHOWS HOW BMS MLB GAME QUALIFIES FOR $4.8M GRANT
A LOCAL TOURISM LEADER SAYS IF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE IS GOING TO INCENTIVIZE MAJOR EVENTS WITH MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR GRANTS, SHE CAN’T THINK OF A BETTER CHOICE FOR THAT THAN BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY AND THE UPCOMING MLB SPEEDWAY CLASSIC. BRENDA WHITESON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE JOHNSON CITY CONVENTION AND VISITORS’ BUREAU SAID THIS IS GOING TO CREATE POSITIVE PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE STATE AND REGION, AND IT’S ALSO GOING TO CREATE AN ENORMOUS VISITOR SPENDING RETURN.
BRISTOL POLICE PREPARING FOR HEAVE SPEEDWAY CLASSIC TRAFFIC
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY’S MLB SPEEDWAY CLASSIC IS EXPECTED TO SET A RECORD FOR THE LARGEST CROWD TO ATTEND A REGULAR SEASON MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME, AND BRISTOL TENNESSEE POLICE ARE MAKING PLANS TO HANDLE THE TRAFFIC. JACEY MCCRAY, BRISTOL POLICE DEPARTMENT’S COMMUNITY OUTREACH OFFICER SAID EACH INTERSECTION WILL HAVE OFFICERS SET UP UNDERNEATH CANOPIES, AND THEY’LL BE IN CHARGE OF DIRECTING THE CROSSWALKS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE INTERSECTIONS UNDER CONTROL IF THEY’RE GETTING BACKED UP. MCCRAY ADVISES THOSE TRAVELING ALONG HIGHWAYS 11-E AND 394 TO BE CAUTIOUS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND OFFICERS. LOCAL DRIVERS NOT ATTENDING THE GAME ARE BEING ASKED TO AVOID THE AREA, SO THEY DON’T ADD TO THE CONGESTION.
WESTERN US UNDER TSUNAMI WATCH
AN 8.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE IN EASTERN RUSSIA PROMPTED A TSUNAMI WATCH FOR COASTAL AREAS OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES TUESDAY NIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, THE QUAKE STRUCK AT 4:25 PM PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AT A DEPTH OF AROUND 11 MILES, 80 MILES SOUTHEAST PETROPAVLOVSK KAMCHATKA. THE NATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER BASED IN ALASKA ISSUED A TSUNAMI WARNING FOR PARTS OF THE ALASKA ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, AND PARTS OF THE WEST COAST, INCLUDING CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON AND HAWAII. DAVE SNIDER, TSUNAMI WARNING COORDINATOR SAID TUESDAY EVENING, HE HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY SPECIFIC REPORTS OF DAMAGE FROM THE TSUNAMI GENERATED BY THE QUAKE.
LANE CLOSURES PLANNED FOR PAVING ON CLAUDE SIMMONS RD
JOHNSON CITY PUBLIC WORKS MILLED, AND WILL NOW PAVE CLAUDE SIMMONS ROAD BETWEEN KNOB CREEK ROAD AND STRAWBERRY FIELD DRIVE BEGINNING TODAY. DURING THE CONSTRUCTION, ROADS WILL HAVE TEMPORARY LANE CLOSURES IMPACTING TRAFFIC DAILY BETWEEN 7 AM AND 7 PM. THE ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE IS FRIDAY AUGUST 1ST, OR UNTIL RELATED WORK IS COMPLETED. DRIVERS WHO CANNOT AVOID THE AREA SHOULD EXPECT DELAYS, USE CAUTION IN THE WORK ZONE, AND OBSERVE POSTED SPEED LIMITS FOR THEIR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF WORKERS.
LANE CLOSURES PLANNED FOR MILLING, PAVING ON EAST LAKEVIEW
JOHNSON CITY PUBLIC WORKS WILL BEGIN MILLING AND PAVING WORK ON EAST LAKEVIEW DRIVE BETWEEN CASH HOLLOW ROAD AND EAST OAKLAND AVENUE TODAY. DURING CONSTRUCTION, ROADS WILL HAVE TEMPORARY LANE CLOSURES, IMPACTING TRAFFIC DAILY BETWEEN 7 AM AND 7 PM. THE ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE IS MONDAY AUGUST 4TH, OR UNTIL RELATED WORK IS FINISHED. DRIVERS WHO CANNOT AVOID THE AREA SHOULD EXPECT DELAYS, USE CAUTION IN THE WORK ZONE, AND OBSERVED POSTED SPEED LIMITS FOR THEIR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF WORKERS.
VIRGINIA SCHOOLS ENFORCE NEW PHONE-FREE POLICY DURING SCHOOL HOURS
A NEW STATEWIDE LAW IN VIRGINIA REQUIRES STUDENTS TO KEEP THEIR PHONES OFF AND PUT AWAY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DAY, INCLUDING DURING LUNCH. GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN SIGNED THE HOUSE BILL INTO EFFECT THIS SUMMER, MANDATING ALL PUBLIC-SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THE STATE TO ADOPT PHONE-FREE POLICIES. WASHINGTON COUNTY VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALREADY ADOPTED A SIMILAR POLICY LAST YEAR. STUDENTS WHO VIOLATE THE RULE FACE ESCALATING CONSEQUENCES, FROM CONFISCATING THE PHONE, TO BEING BANNED FROM BRINGING A PHONE TO SCHOOL ALTOGETHER. THE LAW OFFICIALLY WENT INTO EFFECT JULY 1ST.
CAR CRASHES INTO HOUSE IN GREENE CO
A DRIVER ESCAPED SERIOUS INJURY AFTER HIS CAR CRASHED INTO A HOUSE IN GREENE COUNTY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE CRASH OCCURRED ON THE KINGSPORT HIGHWAY JUST BEFORE 4 PM, AS THE VEHICLE APPROACHED THE 11-E INTERSECTION. FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROADWAY AND CRASHED INTO A HOUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL. THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED BY EMS TO THE HOSPITAL FOR WHAT APPEARED TO BE MINOR INJURIES.
GREENEVILLE CITY MANAGER NAMED TO GOVERNOR’S HOMELAND SECURITY COUNCIL
TENNESSEE GOVERNOR BILL LEE HAS APPOINTED GREENEVILLE CITY MANAGER TODD SMITH TO THE GOVERNOR’S HOMELAND SECURITY COUNCIL, REPRESENTING THE STATE’S CITY MAYOR’S AND MANAGERS. SMITH WAS SELECTED AS THE TENNESSEE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE REPRESENTATIVE ON THE 22 MEMBER COUNCIL, RECOGNIZED FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT AND YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE AIR FORCE NATIONAL GUARD.THE TENNESSEE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, FOUNDED IN 1940 AND BASED IN NASHVILLE, SERVES AS THE UNIFIED VOICE AND ADVOCATE FOR THE STATE’S 345 CITIES AND TOWNS.
USDA GRANT PROGRAM TO HELP HELENE-IMPACTED FARMS, FORESTS
VIRGINIA GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY THAT A US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM WILL HELP FARMS AND FORESTS IMPACTED BY HELENE. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE, THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES WILL MAKE A DISASTER RECOVERY APPLICATION AVAILABLE TO LANDOWNERS AND PRODUCERS BASED ON USDA ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. UPDATES IN THE APPLICATION AND PROGRAM CAN BE FOUND ONLINE.
TENNESSEE PREPARES FOR POTENTIAL FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS TO K-12 EDUCATION
A NEW TASK FORCE FORMED TO PREPARE THE STATE OF TENNESSEE FOR THE POTENTIAL ELIMINATION OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MET FOR THE FIRST TIME TO DISCUSS HOW THE STATE WOULD PAY FOR EDUCATION WITHOUT HELP FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. ACCORDING TO TESTIMONY, TENNESSEE RANKS 16TH IN THE NATION FOR PER-PUPIL FEDERAL FUNDING IT RECEIVES. DURING THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR, THE STATE RECEIVED ALMOST 2.5 BILLION DOLLARS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THE TASK FORCE WILL SUBMIT A REPORT ON HOW THE STATE WOULD HANDLE GENERAL FUNDING CUTS TO EDUCATION BY DECEMBER 31ST.
AUTHORITIES IN KNOX, ANDERSON CO WARN OF BITCOIN MACHNINE SCAMS
TWO EAST TENNESSEE SHERIFF’S OFFICES HAVE ISSUED A JOINT WARNING FOLLOWING A RECENT RISE IN SCAMS INVOLVING BITCOIN MACHINES. CITIZENS IN KNOX AND ANDERSON COUNTIES HAVE REPORTED RECEIVING UNSOLICITED CALLS AND MESSAGES INSTRUCTING THEM TO USE BITCOIN ATM’S FOR CRYPTOCURRENCY TRANSACTIONS, CLAIMING THEY OWE MONEY FOR DEBTS, OR THAT THEY OWE TAXES TO THE IRS. RESIDENTS OF THE TRI CITIES SHOULD BE SUSPICIOUS OF ANY CALL OR MESSAGE LIKE THIS. YOU SHOULD VERIFY THE IDENTITY OF ANY CALLER, AND NEVER PROVIDE PERSONAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE.
