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KPD e-News Release: K.P.D. Encourages Sober Driving by Participating in THSO Booze It & Lose It Campaign

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Kingsport Police Department

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX)

http://Police.KingsportTN.gov • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT: K.P.D. Encourages Sober Driving by Participating in THSO Booze It & Lose It Campaign
DATE: December 21, 2016
GENERAL NARRATIVE
From December 15, 2016 through January 1, 2017, the Kingsport Police Department is participating in the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) Booze It & Lose It Campaign. This campaign encompasses both the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday weekends, which are statistically two of the deadliest weekends of the year for motorists.

According to the THSO, Booze It & Lose It is designed to reduce impaired driving instances, injuries, fatalities, & associated economic losses. The Booze It & Lose It campaign provides for increased law enforcement efforts and public service messages to accomplish its goal. The intervention targets all drivers who are impaired due to the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Impaired driving and impaired-related crashes constitute one of the nation’s leading health problems. These events result in more deaths each year than do total homicides; furthermore, alcohol is a factor in 35% of all crashes throughout the United States.

The following D.U.I.-related statistics are provided courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

1) Over a five-year period, almost 4,000 people died during drunk driving crashes during the month of December.

2) In December 2015, fatal crashes involving drunk drivers were almost 4-times higher at night than during the day.

3) In December 2015, drunk driving crashes resulted in 840 deaths.

As part of the Booze It & Lose It campaign, and in the ongoing effort to reduce the problem of Driving Under the Influence (D.U.I.) and related crashes, injuries, and fatalities, the Kingsport Police Department will be stepping up its D.U.I. enforcement efforts. While D.U.I. laws are enforced year around, every officer at the Kingsport Police Department has been asked to make D.U.I. enforcement a top priority during this campaign.

The Kingsport Police Department continues to stress that Tennessee D.U.I. laws apply not just to alcohol, but to any substance that impairs the ability to drive, including illegal drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, as well as prescription drugs, even if they are prescribed by a physician. Remember…Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving!

For more information on the THSO Booze It & Lose It campaign, please visit:

http://tntrafficsafety.org/drunk-driving
RELEASING OFFICER
Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

Media Report 12/21/16

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kingsport 100 logo

A New Year’s Eve Party 100 Years in the Making!

nye-cover-photo

Join us in Downtown Kingsport to ring in the new year and celebrate Kingsport’s 100th birthday!

Think it will be too cold? We’ll have heated benches (provided by Jackson Jones) and patio heaters to keep you toasty.

Something for the kiddos? Absolutely! The YMCA is sponsoring a kids station with a magician, face painting and more!

Do you like free stuff? Josh Smith, with WJHL, will be giving away free goodies all night!

Always wanted to go to Times Square? Join us and avoid the traffic! We will have a ball drop at midnight – ours is a big “100”!

Do you like a discount with your dinner? Great! Various downtown restaurants will be staying open late to make sure your last 2016 meal is great!

Come celebrate with Kingsport and be a part of history as we kick off our centennial year! We can’t wait to ring in the new year with the Kingsport spirit!

nativity scene

Church Circle Nativity Scene

This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of Kingsport’s most beloved Christmas traditions, the Church Circle nativity scene. The nativity scene was first introduced in 1966 with 18 figures in the original set. Since then, a few more pieces have been added. The Kingsport Jaycees have managed the maintenance and storage of the figures since they were donated 50 years ago. All of the original pieces are still on display each year, with the exception of the baby Jesus figure. The original baby Jesus figure was stolen a few years ago and recovered, only to be stolen again. After the second theft, it could not be recovered and was replaced. This year, the Kingsport Jaycees asked for donations to help fund the complete refurbishment of the set, which is now on display at Church Circle.

santa train

The Arrival of The First Santa Train

Santa’s Special Railroad Car pulled into town on November 26, 1943, marking the first Santa Train excursion. The night before, a delegation of Kingsport merchants, staff writers and photographers from the Kingsport Times News joined Mr. Phetteplace, general manager of the Clinchfield Railroad Company, in Kingsport to journey to Elkhorn City, Kentucky. It was from there that the delegation met up with Santa Claus and escorted him to Kingsport on the specially-designed railroad car for the occasion. The railroad offered special round-trip fares for the day for people to ride the train with Santa and come to Kingsport to do their Christmas shopping. Santa requested that children along the Clinchfield Railroad that could not come to Kingsport be sure to be at their respective railroad stations so Santa could talk with them. Do you celebrate the Santa Train tradition?

fire dept logo

Kingsport Fire Department Assists with Gatlinburg Fires

On November 28, our friends and neighbors in Gatlinburg, TN sent out the call for help containing a wildfire that had spread throughout their community. Kingsport is blessed with a great group of firefighters who were willing to answer that call.

The first call went out at 7:17 p.m. on Monday evening and only 13 minutes later at 7:30 p.m, a team of five firefighters and an engine truck were already in place and heading to help. A new crew of five or 6 firefighters was sent every night for the next four nights. They worked 24-30 hours before a crew arrived to relieve them. All Kingsport firefighters returned home by December 3rd.

The Kingsport Fire Dept. had a total of 825 man hours assisting. They worked search/rescue efforts, fought fires, and assisted with clean-up operations.

Scott Boyd
Scott Boyd,  serves as the “District Coordinator for Mutual Aid” covering 8 counties and includes all fire departments and rescue squads. When the Gatlinburg needed help, he immediately took action. He coordinated and sent crews/vehicles to assist by working closely with TEMA (TN Emergency Management Agency).Scott Boyd worked tirelessly to coordinate firefighters and apparatus going to Gatlinburg. He fielded over 300 calls to set up the teams for deployment and handled over 1,000 calls during the week. He also left on Thursday to help in Gatlinburg and returned last Friday night.

Thank you Scott for your dedication and hard work!

Listed below are firefighters that assisted with the Gatlinburg fires.

David Chase
Warren Bishop
Jason Bledsoe
Luke Wood
Dustin Olson
Chris Lowe
Gene Lady
Eric Wilson
Wes Mann
Shane Warren
Jim Everhart
Chief Dye
Lynn Feagins
Shea Payne
David Hawkins
Todd Carter
Caleb Sick
Sean Broyles
John Hollowell
Jared Dawson
Jubal Roe
Jerry Reed
Jim Carter
Jeremy Pitts
Chris Corey
Bill Donoho
Adam Delph
Andrew Catron
Robert Brown
Jared Lindholm
Kevin Mitchell
Billy Triplett
Marcus Osburn
Ben Wexler
Josh Cox
Jonathan Seay

Media Report 12/20/16

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KPD e-News Release: Wanted Man Nets New Charges After Being Captured While in Possession of Meth and Nearly $10,000

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Kingsport Police Department

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX)

http://Police.KingsportTN.gov • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT: Wanted Man Nets New Charges After Being Captured While in Possession of Meth and Nearly $10,000
DATE: December 19, 2016
CASE #: 16-027334 (Arrest on New Drug Charges)

16-027336 (Arrest on Outstanding Warrant)
GENERAL NARRATIVE
On December 18, 2016 at approximately 1:00 AM, a Kingsport Police Officer encountered an individual, later identified as Robert L. Farmer, staggering along the ramp between West Stone Drive and Lynn Garden Drive in Kingsport. The officer stopped to check on him and learned in conversation that he had just left the Hog Wild Saloon, located in close proximity to this intersection. The officer noticed that Mr. Farmer appeared extremely nervous, his pupils were constricted, and he appeared to be under the influence of a narcotic.

A warrant check revealed that Mr. Farmer, also known by the moniker “Superman,” was currently wanted on an outstanding Sullivan County arrest warrant for Violation of Probation, which led to his immediate arrest. During a routine search of his person incident to arrest, the officer located two syringes, one in his pocket and one in his briefs, the latter of which was already loaded and ready for delivery of a Subutex solution by a non-prescribed method.

He was also found to be in possession of multiple plastic baggies, several of which contained a crystal like substance believed to be Methamphetamine. Furthermore, he possessed multiple bundles of cash that totaled nearly $10,000. Mr. Farmer was unable to explain the exorbitant amount of cash. By his own admission, he was only employed on a part time basis working small jobs for an unnamed swimming pool company.

In addition to the pre-existing charge of Violation of Probation, Mr. Farmer was charged with Possession of a Schedule II Drug (Methamphetamine) for Resale and Possession of Unlawful Drug Paraphernalia. The cash was seized as suspected proceeds from recent drug transactions, while the drugs were also seized and will be sent to the T.B.I. Crime Lab for analysis.

Mr. Farmer was transported to the Kingsport City Jail for processing and later transferred to the Sullivan County Jail in Blountville for confinement. He currently remains incarcerated in lieu of a $1,500 bond as set by the presiding judge or magistrate.
SUSPECT INFORMATION
Name Robert L. Farmer

a.k.a. “Superman”
Age Date of Birth 1/14/1982

34 Years of Age
Gender/Race Male/White
Residency 5745 Orebank Road

Kingsport, TN
Charge(s) 1) Possession of a Schedule II Drug (Methamphetamine) for Resale

2) Possession of Unlawful Drug Paraphernalia

3) Also Arrested on Outstanding Sullivan County Warrant for Violation of Probation

RELEASING OFFICER
Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

Link to: City of Kingsport
City of Kingsport, Tennessee