Sullivan County | featured news

JOHNSON CITY — Scouting Appalachian State is a little more difficult this year because of the uncertainties involved with facing a new coaching staff’s first game.
The Mountaineers have a new head coach in Eliah Drinkwitz and a new defensive coordinator in Ted Roof. Both came from North Carolina State after Scott Satterfield was lured away to Louisville after six seasons at Appalachian State in which he built a 51-24 record.
The Bucs have mostly been practicing against their own schemes while installing their offense and defense.

BLOUNTVILLE — Twelve area teens recently experienced the thrill of aviation through orientation flights with the Civil Air Patrol.
The flights took place on Aug. 6 and 10 at Tri-Cities Airport with the cadets flying a combined 12 hours in Cessna 182s.
“It was awesome,” said Cadet Airman First Class Jacob Melvin. “I’ve always wanted to fly and today, for the first time, I got to handle the controls and see what flying is all about.”
The hourlong flights in a single-engine aircraft introduced the cadets to the science that makes flight possible.

BRISTOL, Tenn. — The annual Run for the Hills meet, traditionally the kickoff to cross country season in the area, features one of the toughest courses around.
On Saturday morning, the course in the shadow of South Holston Dam became even tougher — even a quagmire. The mud and sloshy ground made for slow times and had a “real” cross country feel like the sport has in Europe.
Emerging with team titles were Daniel Boone’s boys and Dobyns-Bennett’s girls.

KINGSPORT — The Kingsport Mets kept up their Appalachian League playoff push with a 9-2 rout of the Bluefield Blue Jays on Saturday at Hunter Wright Stadium.
The K-Mets hit five home runs: a solo shot by Scott Ota, a pair of solo homers by Francisco Alvarez, a two-run blast by Tanner Murphy and a grand slam by Cristopher Pujols.
The final three homers all came in the bottom of the sixth.
With Kingsport nursing a 2-1 lead, Alvarez smashed his second solo shot of the game. Jaylen Palmer and Andres Regnault followed with singles and Ota drew a four-pitch walk.

SURGOINSVILLE — An 18-year-old Surgoinsville woman was nearly taken in by an IRS arrest scam Wednesday, but her mother stopped her before any money was paid.
Surgoinsville Police Department Chief James Hammonds told the Times News that the scammer’s caller ID number that appeared on the victim’s phone was the same as SPD’s Central Dispatch line.
On Wednesday, a Surgoinsville woman told Hammonds her daughter received a call from a local number from a man who identified himself as an IRS agent.

KINGSPORT - William (Bill) Clevenger, 82, of Kingsport, went to be with the Lord on August 23, 2019 after a brief illness.
Born in Nashville, TN he resided in Kingsport most of his life. He was a graduate of Vanderbilt University and retired from Eastman Chemical Company in 1996 as a Chemical Engineer. He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church, Church Circle, Kingsport.
He is preceded in death by his parents, August Clevenger and Cory Wicks Clevenger.

KINGSPORT — Nik Williams scored his fifth Late Model Stock win of the season and held serve with Zeke Shell in his pursuit of a first Kingsport Speedway track championship.
Williams, driving the No. 32 Chevrolet, battled past defending track champion Shell in the No. 1 Ford, which was held up by the slower car of Jimmy Acito on lap 19. Once out front, Williams pulled out to a 10 car-length victory in the 60-lap NASCAR All-American Series feature.

When Week 1 comes, pads pop and talk fades.
And high school football teams lose much of their mystery.
Here are a few quick looks at Friday night’s opening statements by area teams — including Dobyns-Bennett, Daniel Boone and Sullivan North — along with the Eyeball Test for Elizabethton and Science Hill, a game the Cyclones won 28-20.
THE EYEBALL TEST
• Elizabethton got an above-average grade in every phase of the game.
1. The Cyclones’ offense proved it can threaten through the air and on the ground. Yes, the bulk of success was land-based.

KINGSPORT — If you’re not a regular visitor to the Kingsport Public Library, the staff there wants to know why.
That’s one of the reasons the library has launched a community survey on its website: www.kingsportlibrary.org. It’s to ask folks who come to the library and those who don’t about what services and programs they use and what they would like to see happen with the library.
The survey went live last week and will remain open until Sept. 25. If you’re not comfortable taking an online survey, there are paper copies available at the library.

WISE — A Wise County grand jury returned indictments against 58 people Wednesday.
— James Morrison Johnson, 28, 5639 Flatwoods Road, Rose Hill, was indicted on three felony counts of attempted first-degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charges stem from a Dec. 8, 2018 attack against a man. Conviction on the charges could result in a maximum 18 year prison term.
— Sam Landers Hicks, 42, 3060 6th St., St.