Editorial: Kingsport should step up and protect dogs

Johnson City is expected to take final action on a new ordinance to protect dogs from abuse by ignorant owners who permanently tether them. Bristol and Rogersville have similar laws in effect. Kingsport has yet to act.

Nov 12, 2019 at 2:31 PM

Sullivan DA: Too many elder abuse cases go unreported

Granddaughter, grandson, niece, nephew, paid in-home caregiver, farmhand — these words describe people who are in the position to help and protect elderly or vulnerable adults in our community. Unfortunately, they also describe some of the people who have been convicted of abusing or exploiting an elderly adult in Sullivan County in the past five years.

Nov 8, 2019 at 1:30 PM

Editorial: Better code enforcement will help Kingsport

Look at an aerial map of Kingsport, and you’ll see back yards with inoperable and unregistered vehicles. Some are literal auto junkyards within the city limits. Drive around some parts of the city, and you’ll see front porches and yards littered with trash, junk, overgrown grass and shrubbery.

Oct 29, 2019 at 3:00 PM

Editorial: No one solution will fix Kingsport’s homeless problem

Historically, vagrancy laws made it a crime for a person to be down on his luck through no fault of his own. These laws criminalized being homeless and jobless, which is why they’ve largely been stricken from the books.

Oct 25, 2019 at 5:45 PM

City Manager Chris McCartt answers some questions from the public during the City event at MeadowView earlier this month, as Mayor Pat Shull, right, and Tony Keck with Ballad Health stand nearby.

Editorial: Kingsport refuses to stand still

“If you’re standing still, you’re going backward,” said Kingsport City Manager Chris McCartt as he delivered the annual state of the city message. And as McCartt outlined, Kingsport continues to move forward — in relatively small steps even as work continues on what might be the next big leap, the proposed outdoor venue project.

Oct 21, 2019 at 3:30 PM

Editorial: Sullivan County must get jail expansion right

The county needs a new jail, and the consultant has several proposals for how it should be built. But most important is to ensure this latest jail expansion — the most costly in the county’s history — will in fact be adequate for the next several decades at the least.

Oct 16, 2019 at 3:30 PM

Editorial: Does Tennessee really need constables?

Tennessee’s elected constables have the same authority under the state’s judicial system as other law enforcement officers, including the ability to make arrests. But of late, local constables are making news not for conducting arrests but for being the subject of one:

Oct 14, 2019 at 6:00 PM

About 150 people attended a town hall meeting last month at the Lynn View Community Center.

Editorial: Town hall gives new venue for feedback

Over some three hours, many took the opportunity to tell Kingsport Mayor Patrick Shull and City Manager Chris McCartt what was on their mind. Because the city’s homeless situation has been front and center of late, much of what residents had to say dealt with that subject.

Oct 7, 2019 at 4:30 PM

Editorial: If the BMA wants to stand alone, it needs a plan

Make no mistake about it, some members of the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen don’t like the Appalachian Highlands name. They recently vocalized that sentiment in crystal clear fashion.

Sep 28, 2019 at 2:03 PM

Editorial: Sullivan County Commission antics an embarrassment

“Attempted coup” conjures visions of failure. Perhaps that’s why some bristled at that two-word term after we used it to describe antics at the Sullivan County Commission meeting last week.

Sep 25, 2019 at 2:00 PM

Editorial: A prosperous future will require bold ideas

It is widely understood that the root cause of our problem of competing interests is the locus-based taxing system, which pits one county against another and creates winners and losers in the economic development game.

Sep 24, 2019 at 10:05 AM

Sept. 11, 2001 — In remembrance

Though evil will always be with us as it always has been, the world is a beautiful, wonderful place filled with people of peace and good will. While we need to be forever vigilant, we should be thankful for what we have and the time we are given.

Sep 11, 2019 at 11:45 AM

Appalachian Highlands brand the right choice

Adding more focused sense of place keeps individual identity.

Aug 16, 2019 at 12:05 PM

Editorial: East Tennessee should focus on tourism

Tourism revenue in Sullivan last year was $387 million, in Washington $258 million and in Hawkins $39 million, according to the state. That generated $10.6 million in local tax revenue for Sullivan, while Washington picked up $6 million and Hawkins $2.1 million.

Aug 15, 2019 at 12:08 PM

Editorial: Mount Carmel leaders must take a stand

If Mount Carmel is to have any chance at succeeding, a majority of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen must stand solidly against Alderman Steven McLain, whose efforts to undermine the city manager and tear down the wall of separation between members of the BMA and city employees will continue until voters replace him.

Aug 13, 2019 at 5:30 PM