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Water line work to impact intersection of Warpath Drive, Konnarock Road and Fort Henry Drive

KINGSPORT – Beginning at 8 p.m. on ‚ Tuesday, ‚ April 30, Tipton Construction will begin waterline replacement work on behalf of the City of Kingsport, impacting traffic flow at the intersection of Warpath Drive, Konnarock Road and Fort Henry Drive. As a result, motorists should expect alternating lane closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily for the next four weeks, with some daytime traffic interruptions possible as well. Motorists are asked to use the utmost caution in the work zone and seek alternative routes where possible.

H.O.P.E. presents the Greater Kingsport Lose Big Contest & Health Fair

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Sculpture Walk 7 Opening Celebrations: April 26-27, 2013 Downtown Kingsport

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The City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts is proud to present Kingsports 7th Annual Sculpture Walk

in conjunction with DKAs pARTy in the heART Festival in Downtown Kingsport.

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Friday 4/26

 

12noon: Creative Place Making a talk by Peggy Townsend on the amazing Main Terrain Art Park project from Chattanooga

Location: DKA cost: $10 includes lunch, purchase tickets at the door or visit www.EngageKingsport.com

 

5-7pm: Sculpture Walk 7 Reception at Cindy Saadehs Fine Art Gallery

 

Saturday 4/27

 

9-10am: Bagels Breakfast Reception at StarTrails Gallery prior to the SW7 tour

 

10am: Juror-led SW7 -talk & tour by Peggy Townsend; Free & open to the public

 

11-4pm: pARTy in the heART Festivities- face painting, bard, vendors, performances, and more!

K.P.D. to hold Press Conference and Dedication Ceremony for “Cop-in-a-Box” Unit

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KINGSPORT – The Kingsport Police Department is pleased to announce an upcoming press conference and dedication ceremony for our new Cop-in-a-Box unit.‚  This event will take place at the Kingsport Police Department Justice Center, located at 200 Shelby Street in Kingsport, on Friday, April 26th, at 10:00 AM.‚  Anyone from the media who wishes to attend needs to arrive a few minutes early, so the ceremony can begin promptly at 10:00 AM.

A special guest in attendance will be Sheriff Michael J. Brown of the Bedford County, Virginia Sheriffs Office.‚  In 1998, the Bedford County Sheriffs Office was one of the first agencies in the country to develop an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.‚  Sheriff Brown also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Safe Surfin Foundation.

The Cop-in-a-Box is a sophisticated hardware and software computer package that has been specifically designed by the Safe Surfin Foundation, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the United States Department of Justice for the sole purpose of tracking down sexual predators on the Internet.

K.P.D.s new Cop-in-a-Box unit was donated by Paula Taylor in loving memory of her late husband, Cary Taylor, who practiced law in the City of Kingsport for many years.‚  Mrs. Taylors generous donation also includes training for K.P.D. Investigators on how to effectively utilize this computer system to battle those who use the Internet to produce and trade child pornography, and lure innocent children away from their homes through e-mail, chat rooms, online gaming, and social networking.

Mrs. Taylor first became aware of the Cop-in-a-Box when she attended a showing of the film, Finding Faith, on February 13th of this year, at First Baptist Church in Kingsport.‚  The film was produced by the Safe Surfin Foundation to help educate audiences on the dangers of predators lurking on the Internet.‚  K.P.D. partnered with First Baptist Church for that event and provided Internet safety educational materials to people in attendance.

For more information, please contact:

Ptl. Thomas M. Patton

Kingsport Police Department

Community Relations and Crime Prevention Unit

423-229-9433

ThomasMPatton@KingsportTN.gov

‚ 

For Sheriff Mike Browns biography visit here:

http://safesurfin.org/celebrities/sheriff-mike-brown/

‚ 

To go to the Safe Surfin Foundations website visit here:

http://safesurfin.org/

‚ 

To view an Internet crimes against children fact sheet visit here:

http://safesurfin.org/media/fact-sheet/

‚ 

For Internet safety tips visit here:

http://safesurfin.org/topics/help/

New Federal Highway Administration guidelines result in the first installation of “flashing yellow arrow” signals in Kingsport

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KINGSPORT – While motorists in the Carolinas, Kentucky, and elsewhere may have already seen the result of new  Federal Highway Administration guidelines, the upcoming completion of the improved intersections of Clinchfield and Roller streets along Sullivan Street will mark the first flashing yellow arrow on Kingsport traffic signals.

The federal regulations provide for an alternative to the ubiquitous green ball in a five-section turn signal head used for years to signal permissive left turn movements against oncoming traffic.

The new signals offer a safer, more efficient way to handle traffic turning left at busy intersections, Kingsport Traffic Engineer Tim Elsea said. The signals are being introduced nationwide as a result of a national study, conducted for the Federal Highway Administration, that showed they help prevent crashes, move more traffic through intersections and provide additional traffic management flexibility.

The signals are placed over left-turn lanes at intersections. One of the displays on the signal is a flashing-yellow arrow.

Other displays are a steady-green arrow, steady-yellow arrow and steady-red arrows, with the flashing yellow arrow replacing the now outdated green orb. The steady yellow displays just prior to turning to a red arrow.

When the flashing-yellow arrow is displayed, motorists are allowed to turn left when there are gaps in oncoming traffic or no pedestrians in the intersection, Elsea said. Motorists may also turn left as normally when a green arrow is displayed and oncoming traffic has stopped. They should not turn left when the red left-turn arrow is displayed.

Additionally, because the new signals will ultimately be required by the Federal Highway Administration in the future, motorists will see the same left-turn-arrow signals across the country, rather than the different configurations that are used from community to community.  Kingsport will continue adding these flashing yellow arrows as hardware and infrastructure is updated.

The signals should go live as the current phase of the Sullivan Street project wraps up in the 10 to 14 days.

For more information please visit the City of Kingsport website www.kingsporttn.gov and look for the signal head under City News. The link will provide a You Tube video and other information on the functionality of the signal head.  Citizens may also call the Kingsport Traffic Department at 229-9487.

Lynn View Community Center to celebrate new field lighting with Saturday ceremony

KINGSPORT ‚¬ The City of Kingsport and Lynn View Community Center will celebrate the newly lit playing fields with an event Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lynn View Community Center Football Field.

Activities including games and inflatable play area for kids as well as corn hole contests will be offered prior to the lighting ceremony, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. on the bartball field. The concession stands will also be open, with members of the community as well as former coaches and former pee wee bartball players all encouraged to attend the lighting ceremony.

The $262,000 project was funded by a $131,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation which was matched by $131,000 in funding from the City of Kingsport to provide for the new state-of-the-art Musco lighting on the playing fields.

For more information about the program or the Community Center itself, please contact Kenny Lawson, Program Coordinator, at (423) 765-0134.

City to auction two properties April 30th

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KINGSPORT – The City of Kingsport will hold an auction to receive bids on the real property located on the west side of Roller Street and Arch Street, Kingsport, Tennessee, 11th Civil District of Sullivan County, Tennessee.

The Auction will be conducted at City Hall, 225 West Center Street, Kingsport, Tennessee 37660, on April 30, 2013 at 10am.

If you are interested in bidding on this property, carefully read the additional terms of the auction in the bid packet, which is available for review and inspection during regular business hours at the Office of the City Recorder at City Hall (423-229-9384) and at the property site on the day of the auction. In addition to terms of the auction, the bid packet contains a sample quitclaim deed with a description of the property and the purchase agreement.

A deposit of 10% of the final bid must be made by the final bidder once the bidding is closed to be deposited and held by the City of Kingsport with the balance due and payable with thirty (30) days after approval of the bid by the Board of Mayor and Alderman.

To view more information about the properties to be auctioned, please refer to the packets below:

Ad – Roller and Northern Entrance to Arch St

Packet -‚ Roller and Northern Entrance to Arch St

Ad -‚ Roller and Southern Entrance to Arch St

Packet -‚ Roller and Southern Entrance to Arch St

KPD announces Press Conference and Dedication Ceremony for New KPD “Cop-in-a-Box” Unit

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KINGSPORT -‚ The Kingsport Police Department is pleased to announce an upcoming press conference and dedication ceremony for our new Cop-in-a-Box unit.‚  This event will take place at the Kingsport Police Department Justice Center, located at 200 Shelby Street in Kingsport, on Friday, April 26th, at 10:00 AM.‚  Anyone from the media who wishes to attend needs to arrive a few minutes early, so the ceremony can begin promptly at 10:00 AM.

A special guest in attendance will be Sheriff Michael J. Brown of the Bedford County, Virginia Sheriffs Office.‚  In 1998, the Bedford County Sheriffs Office was one of the first agencies in the country to develop an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.‚  Sheriff Brown also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Safe Surfin Foundation.

The Cop-in-a-Box is a sophisticated hardware and software computer package that has been specifically designed by the Safe Surfin Foundation, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the United States Department of Justice for the sole purpose of tracking down sexual predators on the Internet.

K.P.D.s new Cop-in-a-Box unit was donated by Paula Taylor in loving memory of her late husband, Cary Taylor, who practiced law in the City of Kingsport for many years.‚  Mrs. Taylors generous donation also includes training for K.P.D. Investigators on how to effectively utilize this computer system to battle those who use the Internet to produce and trade child pornography, and lure innocent children away from their homes through e-mail, chat rooms, online gaming, and social networking.

Mrs. Taylor first became aware of the Cop-in-a-Box when she attended a showing of the film, Finding Faith, on February 13th of this year, at First Baptist Church in Kingsport.‚  The film was produced by the Safe Surfin Foundation to help educate audiences on the dangers of predators lurking on the Internet.‚  K.P.D. partnered with First Baptist Church for that event and provided Internet safety educational materials to people in attendance.

For more information, please contact:

Ptl. Thomas M. Patton

Kingsport Police Department

Community Relations and Crime Prevention Unit

423-229-9433

ThomasMPatton@KingsportTN.gov

‚ 

For Sheriff Mike Browns biography visit here:

http://safesurfin.org/celebrities/sheriff-mike-brown/

‚ 

To go to the Safe Surfin Foundations website visit here:

http://safesurfin.org/

‚ 

To view an Internet crimes against children fact sheet visit here:

http://safesurfin.org/media/fact-sheet/

‚ 

For Internet safety tips visit here:

http://safesurfin.org/topics/help/

Effective immediately, the Kingsport Police Department is launching a Distracted Driving Education Campaign.

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KINGSPORT -‚ During 2013 alone, K.P.D. has already investigated five fatal car crashes resulting in six fatalities.‚  One of these deaths was a direct result of an individual texting while driving.

The Kingsport Police Department will be making a series of educational materials and videos on the topic of distracted driving available to the public via the following outlets:

K.P.D. also encourages area television and newspaper media to utilize their resources to help spread the word and educate the public concerning distracted driving.

What is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. ‚ All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. These types of distractions include:

  • Texting
  • Using a cell phone or smartphone
  • Eating and drinking
  • Talking to passengers
  • Grooming
  • Reading, including maps
  • Using a navigation system
  • Watching a video
  • Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

But, because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.

Key Facts and Statistics

  • In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, compared to 3,267 in 2010. An additional, 387,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver, compared to 416,000 injured in 2010.
  • 18% of injury crashes in 2010 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.
  • In the month of June 2011, more than 196 billion text messages were sent or received in the US, up nearly 50% from June 2009.
  • 11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
  • 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger.
  • Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.
  • Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted.
  • Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire bartball field, blind.
  • Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use.
  • Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%.

In the State of Tennessee, while a vehicle is in motion, it is illegal for:

  • Bus drivers to use a cell phone at all whatsoever (handheld or hands-free)
  • Novice drivers to use a cell phone at all whatsoever (handheld or hands-free)
  • All drivers to text while operating a motor vehicle

10 Tips for Managing Distractions While Driving

1)‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Turn it off. Turn your phone off or switch to silent mode before you get in the car.

2)‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Spread the word. Set up a special message to tell callers that you are driving and youll get back to them as soon as possible, or sign up for a service that offers this.

3)‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Pull over. If you need to make a call, pull over to a safe area first.

4)‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Use your passengers. Ask a passenger to make the call for you.

5)‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  X the Text. Dont ever text and drive, surf the web or read your email while driving. It is dangerous and against the law in most states.

6)‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Know the law. Familiarize yourself with state and local laws before you get in the car. Some states and localities prohibit the use of hand held cell phones.

7)‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Prepare. Review maps and directions before you start to drive. If you need help when you are on the road, ask a passenger to help or pull over to a safe location to review the map/directions again.

8)‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Secure your pets. Pets can be a big distraction in the car. Always secure your pets properly before you start to drive.

9)‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Keep the kids safe. Pull over to a safe location to address situations with your children in the car.

10)‚ ‚  Focus on the task at hand. Refrain from smoking, eating, drinking, reading and any other activity that takes your mind and eyes off the road.

For additional information on distracted driving, please visit these websites:

Or contact:

Ptl. Thomas M. Patton

K.P.D. Community Relations and Crime Prevention Unit

423-229-9433

ThomasMPatton@KingsportTN.gov

Kids 10 and Under Spring Tennis Session II registration ends soon

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Link to: City of Kingsport
City of Kingsport, Tennessee