Lucy the Super Pup entered the Cutest Dog Contest to win $1 Million for the Sullivan County Animal Shelter, she made it to the top twelve out of 75,000+ entries. Now she is very close to winning the grand prize, the winner will be announced on Thanksgiving day. Good luck Lucy.
KINGSPORT – Sewer installation in the Rock Springs area will force traffic interruptions on Rock Springs Road in the Hilton Street area beginning November 11 and running for about 90 days. During the weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Rock Springs Road will be closed near Hilton Street, although the road will reopen after hours and on weekends. Moreland Drive to Pactolus Road will serve as the detour route while work is underway. Residents and through-travelers alike are advised to use extra caution and seek alternate routes in the interim.
KINGSPORT – Thanks to a generous $50,000 grant from AT&T, officials will take the wraps off Thursday on a new Smart Classroom at the Kingsport Center for Higher Education.
The public is invited to join in the ribbon cutting, to be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, November 5, on the first floor of the Center.
Funded by a $50,000 grant from AT&T, this classroom will provide technology instruction and distance-learning opportunities for students, faculty and other users of the building.
This Smart Classroom would simply not be possible without the generous donation by AT&T, Mayor Dennis Phillips said. With their assistance, we are well on our way to making the Kingsport Center for Higher Education a convenient location for regional residents to earn an education right here in their own back yard.
While Kingsport built and owns the 54,000 square feet Center for Higher Education, Northeast State Community College serves as the operating manager and provides the first two years of education for those on track to earn a bachelors degree.
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, applauded Kingsport and AT&T for partnering to build a stronger regional economy.
Education is truly the key to unlocking Tennessees economic potential, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, said Thursday. Kingsport and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen should be commended for moving the regional economy forward by investing in higher education, making it affordable and accessible.
And certainly, we are thankful for businesses like AT&T, who are willing to step up to the plate and partner with local governments to build a stronger workforce. I believe public-private partnerships like this can help us begin to address at least some of the difficult challenges we face in higher education across the state of Tennessee today.
Participating KCHE universities and colleges, including King College, Lincoln Memorial University, Carson-Newman College and the University of Tennessee, offer the final two years of a bachelors degree program, as well as other advanced degrees. Degrees are conferred by the university offering the program.
The convenience of classroom locations and course schedules are principal considerations for part-time adult learners since they inevitably have other obligations and limited time, NSCC President Dr. Janice Gilliam said. This classroom will help provide the flexibility necessary for both traditional and non-traditional students to obtain the course offerings they need to graduate in a timely manner.
Investing in the smart-classroom makes solid business sense for a company like AT&T, which is engaged in connecting folks wherever they may be, whether at home or work.
The smart classroom at KCHE will allow students to pursue their course of study as they connect with people and databases across the world, said Alan L. Hill, AT&T Regional Director of External Affairs. And certainly, the pro-business stance of the Tri-Cities Legislative Delegation makes it easier for companies to give back to communities like Kingsport.
Christmas Shopping and Dinner in Downtown Kingsport!
It’s that time of year and Downtown Kingsport is welcoming you on Thursday, November 5th from 5:00-8:00pm to browse the various Downtown Kingsport businesses.‚ Over 25 stores and restaurants will stay open late for appetizers, drinks and holiday shopping!‚ Kick off your holiday shopping with us!‚ Enjoy the fellowship and ambiance of fall in Downtown Kingsport and find a special deal you just can’t pass up at each store or restaurant.‚ See you there!
To learn more click here.
Kingsport – The City of Kingsport will experience an email outage at least through the evening of Monday November 2 as the city’s technology department transitions to improved email‚ servers with greater storage capacity.‚ If your need is urgent,‚ or if you are awaiting reply on a matter in which you have only communicated by email, please refer to the city’s website under the‚ "Departments" drop down menu for the direct phone number to any city department. Or, call the main City Hall phone number at 229-9400 during normal business hours to be connected with the appropriate department. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.
Kingsport – What a perfect holiday gift!‚ The holidays are approaching quickly and it is time to start thinking about sending cards.‚ Fortunately, the library has beautiful Christmas postcards for sale.‚ A set of ten postcards, "Christmas Eve in Kingsport" – Church Circle – using an image from the Archives, is only $5.00!‚ As pictured below, the cards are a limited edition, so be sure to order them soon. These cards can be purchased in the library at the archives, reference desk or circulation desk.‚ Thank you!
KINGSPORT ‚¬ Four Dobyns-Bennett High School students have been named as semi-finalists for the 2010 National Merit Scholarship program.
Those named as National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists are Matthew Tate Dougan, son of Todd and Jennifer Dougan; Allison Elizabeth Jack, daughter of Bob and Laura Jack; Eric Chase Lyons, son of Steve and Lisa Lyons; and Aditya Suresh, son of Arun and Raji Suresh. These four students will compete with the top high school students in the nation for some 7,000 Merit Scholarship awards worth more than $33 million.
In September, about 16,000 students, or approximately one-third of the 50,000 high scorers, are notified that they have qualified as Semifinalists. To ensure that academically able young people from all parts of the United States are included in this talent pool, Semifinalists are designated on a state representational basis. They are the highest scoring entrants in each state. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation provides scholarship application materials to Semifinalists through their high schools.‚ To be considered for a Merit Scholarship Award, semi-finalists must advance to the finalist level of the competition by fulfilling several requirements. About 90 percent of the semi-finalists are expected to attain finalist standing and approximately half of the finalists will be selected as Merit Scholarship winners.
The nationwide pool of semi-finalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. More than 1.5 million juniors in nearly 21,000 high schools entered the 2010 National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) which serves as an initial screening of program entrants.
In addition, 10 Dobyns-Bennett students were named 2010 National Merit Commended Students for their outstanding performance on the PSAT. Those students include Candace Dale Ballard, daughter of Joseph Falardeau and Georgette Ballard; Elizabeth Camille Browning, daughter of Jerry and Christine Browning; Julie Madsen Gilmer, daughter of John and Karen Gilmer; Katherine Elizabeth Jones, daughter of Bob and Beth Jones; Timothy Brett Mallinak, son of Timothy and Debra Mallinak; Jason Alexander Michael, son of Gary and Jule Michael; Gabriella Marie Provenzano, daughter of Daniel and Martha Provenzano; Wilson Taylor Raines, son of Chris and Allyson Raines; Jiten Solanki, son of Chandra and Bharti Solanki; and Elizabeth Marie Tennant, daughter of Brent and Mary Tennant.
For more information on the National Merit Scholarship, please contact the Dobyns-Bennett High School Counseling Office at (423) 378-8409.
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KINGSPORT ‚¬ Each year, Leadership Kingsport continues to be successful in providing opportunities for selected class participants to improve and enhance the community of which they live. Were asking for your help once again to make this years experience the most rewarding ever for the 2009-2010 class.
An important part of Leadership Kingsport is each participants involvement in a Community Impact Project. These projects require class members to work with a select number of community organizations in an effort to address specific needs. Through collaborative study, recommendations are developed and presented to the community organizations during the last class day of the yearlong training program.
This years class is actively seeking projects, which will be beneficial to the selected organization and the community at large.
Deadline to submit application is November 18, 2009.
Approximately four to five projects will be selected for this years study, with the selection being based on the potential positive impact to the organization and community.‚ To receive an application contact Vickie Snodgrass, Director of Leadership, Kingsport Chamber, 392-8816, vsnodgrass@kingsportchamber.org.
Halloween is here and that means it is time for this years Trunk or Treat
family gathering, where kids are encouraged to stroll downtown in
search of goodies and fun. Parents are asked to decorate the trunks of
their cars and park on Broad Street to show their Halloween spirit. There will be bard specials and special
events occurring throughout the downtown area before and after Trunk or
Treat, so come ready to enjoy yourselves!
We need some help with getting bodies for the "trunk or treat"‚ There is no charge to participate. There is a cash prize for the best trunk. Event is from 5:30 till 7:30. Times News and go-tricities is working to make this Halloween the best in the Tri Cities. We need your help to promote Halloween in Kingsport. Please send this out to your respective lists. Thanks for your support. For
more information on the Trunk or Treat extravaganza, go to GoTriCities.tv
and register to be involved
To sign up for this event click here.
KINGSPORT – Schematic design studies are underway for a proposed Public Library renovation and expansion, and as part of that work, project architects will host a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 26, 2009 to gather local input on how the project should shape up.
Despite the electronic revolution, traditional printed materials are here to stay, Library Manager Helen Whittaker said Monday. It is true that our highest demand area is for computers, and we are seeing a real surge in downloadable audio books and electronic books (eBooks).
But the printed word is not going away, and we do struggle with cramped shelf space. As a full service library, we also have titles in other formats that require shelf space, like compact discs and DVDs, and we are seeing a boom in the use of performance and study areas.
Library Planning Associates consultant Anders Dahlgren has already completed a thorough examination of library needs after four visits involving more than 60 members of the community and library staff.
Based on that review, Dahlgren found need for a larger collection space for books and materials, more archive space, a separate childrens story time room, separate teen area, a 40-person computer lab suitable for public classes, a quiet study room, an expanded auditorium to accommodate up to 200 persons, and a cafĩ and Friends gift store.
Now, Kingsport has retained PSA-Dewberry and Cain Rash West Architects of Kingsport to do a feasibility study and schematic design, evaluating facility options that make sense on a tight budget.
We have a great team in place, with PSA-Dewberry having designed 250 libraries with a dedicated architectural team focusing solely on libraries, Whittaker said. They are adept in adaptive reuse of historic buildings, including renovations and additions, as well as new green-field construction, all within a framework of energy efficiency to save on long-term energy costs. We look forward to hearing from our customers about what features we need to include as we put together a 3-D model of what this project could look like.