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KPD e-News Release: Traffic Advisory Issued for 2600 Block of North John B. Dennis Highway Due to Serious Crash

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Kingsport Police Department

Dale Phipps, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT: Traffic Advisory Issued for 2600 Block of North John B. Dennis Highway Due to Serious Crash
DATE: June 30, 2021
CASE #: 21-013510
GENERAL NARRATIVE
On June 30, 2021 as of 6:00 PM the 2600 block of North John B. Dennis Highway (near Mama’s House restaurant), particularly the southbound side, is effectively closed to traffic due to a serious crash that has the roadway blocked. This incident will likely take a few hours to investigate and clear.

All area motorists are asked to please avoid the area and seek an alternate route for the time being. Anyone already in the immediate area is asked to exercise caution and patience and obey all traffic instructions.

As the investigation remains underway, no further details regarding the crash itself are available at this time. Additional information will be released as it becomes available, but only at an appropriate point in the investigation
RELEASING OFFICER
Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-343-9749 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton

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KPD e-News Release: Kingsport Police to Launch “Summer of Safety” Traffic Enforcement Campaign

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Kingsport Police Department

Dale Phipps, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department• www.KingsportPDBlog.com

NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT: Kingsport Police to Launch “Summer of Safety” Traffic Enforcement Campaign
DATE: June 30, 2021
GENERAL NARRATIVE
The Kingsport Police Department is officially announcing its “Summer of Safety” traffic enforcement campaign. This initiative is necessitated by, and in response to, our own observations as well as numerous citizen expressed complaints and concerns regarding an increase in the more egregious traffic violations that both disturb the peace and threaten public safety.

From July 1 – September 30, 2021 all members of the Kingsport Police Department will be significantly increasing their enforcement efforts to address these violations, and focus on reducing and discouraging their occurrence, with a mission of minimizing crashes and the resultant injuries and fatalities.

Some of the violations that K.P.D. will be prioritizing include but are not necessarily limited to:

· Driving Under the Influence

· Reckless Driving

· Drag Racing

· Aggressive Driving and Road Rage

· Texting, Hands-Free Violations, and Other Forms of Distracted Driving

· Excessive Speed

· Child Restraint and Seat Belt Violations

· Safety Equipment Violations

· Excessive Noise (especially extremely loud modified exhaust systems)

· Exhaust Systems Deliberately Modified to Blow Excessive Smoke

While committing some of these violations will result in a simple (but costly) citation being issued to the offender, others could easily lead to jail confinement with expensive fines, court costs, and attorney fees. And while some may find these penalties harsh, if any one of these violations were left unchecked, the alternative could easily be a serious crash with critical injuries or lives lost.

“Our ultimate goal is simple – for the sake of the safety of our city’s motoring public, we expect compliance with the traffic laws and ordinances of the State of Tennessee and the City of Kingsport. Anything less is unsafe and unacceptable,” said Dale Phipps, Chief of Police. “We owe this to the citizens of this great city, whom we have a sworn duty to protect and serve.”

RELEASING OFFICER
Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-343-9749 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton

Kingsport Customer Service Center Moving to New City Hall & Opening July 12

Kingsport residents accustomed to paying utility bills or property taxes or applying for a business license in person will do so at a more convenient location as of July 12.

The City of Kingsport Customer Service center will open in the first floor of the new City Hall at 415 Broad St. on Monday, July 12. This move is a major milestone in the city’s consolidation of four government buildings and multiple departments into one location to better serve the community.

Residents should note that the existing Customer Service center at 225 W. Center St. will close on Thursday, July 8, at 5 p.m. for the transition. The Payment Annex at 109 Clay St. will be open through Friday, July 9, from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and close after that date, consolidating with the Customer Service center in City Hall starting July 12.

The night deposit box at 225 W. Center St. will close on July 6.

“When Customer Service opens in our new City Hall on July 12, it will mark the completion of moves for the majority of our teams, allowing us to better serve residents in one convenient location,” Kingsport Deputy City Manager Ryan McReynolds said. “I appreciate the patience and support from the community and the diligence of our city employees for making this transition as smooth as possible.”

The new location is ADA-compliant with more than 270 nearby parking spots, including 75 at the new City Hall building. Parking is also available on Clay Street and New Street and at Kingsport Library and 5 Points.

All departments except the Building Division and Maps will be open in the new City Hall building by July 12 in the following locations:

Floor 1

  • Building Division – opening July 14 in City Hall
  • City Clerk – opening next week in City Hall
  • City Information Desk
  • Code Enforcement
  • Customer Service/Bill Pay

Floor 2

  • Budget
  • City Manager
  • Economic Development
  • Planning

Floor 3

  • Board of Mayor and Aldermen Board Room
  • Human Resources
  • Legal/Risk Management
  • Public Information & Communications

Floor 4

  • Finance
  • Purchasing
  • Leisure Services

Floor 5

  • Archives Staff
  • Maps – opening TBD

Floor 6

  • Information Technology (IT)
  • Kingsport Employee Health Clinic
  • Kingsport Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (KMTPO)
  • Public Works Administration

KPD e-News Release: K.P.D. Partners with T.H.S.O. for Independence Day Impaired Driving Campaign

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Kingsport Police Department

Dale Phipps, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department• www.KingsportPDBlog.com

NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT: K.P.D. Partners with T.H.S.O. for Independence Day Impaired Driving Campaign
DATE: June 28, 2021
GENERAL NARRATIVE
The Kingsport Police Department, in cooperation with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (T.H.S.O.), will be participating in the “Booze It & Lose It” campaign from June 25—July 4, 2021 to encompass the Independence Day holiday weekend. During this timeframe, K.P.D. will be placing a heightened emphasis on public education and enforcement activities associated with impaired driving.

Planning to drink? Don’t plan to drive!

On July 4th, America celebrates the birth of our nation. Sadly, the holiday is often marked as one of the deadliest of the year for drunk-driving crashes. Increased parties usually mean more drunk drivers on the roads, which can turn a celebratory afternoon into a tragedy. The decision to not drink and drive should never be a tough one – don’t make the choice to put yourself and others at risk.

In the United States in 2019, 10,142 people were killed in preventable crashes involving drunk drivers (with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher). That same year, 515 people died in motor vehicle collisions over the July 4th holiday period. 38% of those fatalities occurred in drunk-driving crashes.

If you’re caught drinking and driving, you could face jail time. Imagine trying to explain that to your friends and family, or your place of employment if you’re unable to report to work. On average, a DUI can set you back $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, car towing and repairs, and more.

DON’T let one bad decision define you. Never drive impaired!

Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride share service to get home safely.

Learn more from these resources.

TNTRAFFICSAFETY.ORG | NHTSA.GOV

RELEASING OFFICER
Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-343-9749 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton

Kingsport Public Library to Host Friday Lunchtime Live Concerts

Join Kingsport Public Library and the Friends of the Kingsport Public Library this July for Friday Lunchtime Live Concerts in Glen Bruce Park. There will be four concerts during the month of July that will feature a variety of local musicians.

The first Friday Lunchtime Live Concert will take place on Friday, July 2 at noon and features the East Tennessee Cello Choir. Bring a lawn chair, grab some lunch from the Fuego Taquito food truck and settle in to enjoy the music in Glen Bruce Park.

The East Tennessee Cello Choir is a community service based ensemble led by Georgia Sinko and made up of local cellists ranging from students to professionals. Since 2013, East Tennessee Cello Choir has performed public concerts several times a year as well as performing for local churches and assisted-living facilities. For more information about the cello choir, please contact Georgia Sinko at gacello3@gmail.com.

“This year the library’s summer reading theme is Tails and Tales. Music is a wonderful form of storytelling, so the library wanted to offer a free fun event to allow people to enjoy a variety of local talented musicians and their music during their lunch hour in Glen Bruce Park,” said Karen Cassell, Senior Librarian at Kingsport Public Library. “Featuring highly accomplished local musicians, our free concerts offer something for every taste.”

Upcoming Friday Lunchtime Live Concerts will feature the Blue Mountain Ramblers on July 9, the Trombone Trio on July 23, and Beth Snapp on July 30, along with food trucks including Lettuce Wrap U on July 9, Baked and Loaded on July 23 and Fuego Taquito on July 30. Visit the library’s website at kingsportlibrary.org for more information or contact Kingsport Public Library at 423-224-2539.

KPD e-News Release: Kingsport Detectives Investigating Discovery of Adult Human Remains (Update)

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Kingsport Police Department

Dale Phipps, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT: Kingsport Detectives Investigating Discovery of Adult Human Remains (Update)
DATE: June 25, 2021
CASE #: 21-012912
GENERAL NARRATIVE
Update: The decedent in this case has been positively identified by the medical examiner as Jonathan M. Powers, 42 years of age, of Kingsport. Detectives are still awaiting delivery of the final forensic pathology report to determine his cause of death.

The associated investigation continues to be active and ongoing by the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division. As such, no further details are currently available for release. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available, but only at an appropriate point in the investigation.

As previously released:

On June 23, 2021 at approximately 12:00 Noon, Kingsport Police Department Patrol Officers and Detectives responded to the 1600 block of Rock Springs Road in Kingsport in reference to the discovery of human remains, believed to be that of an adult male, found in a wooded area on an abandoned rural residential property.

Following a thorough on-site investigation, the decedent was sent to the East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine for forensic analysis by a medical examiner in an attempt to determine positive identification and establish cause of death.

In the meantime, the associated investigation continues to be active and ongoing by the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division. As such, no further details are currently available for release. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available, but only at an appropriate point in the investigation.
DECEDENT INFORMATION
Name Jonathan M. Powers
Age 42 Years of Age
Gender/Race Male/White
Residency Kingsport, TN
Cause of Death Still Under Investigation
RELEASING OFFICER
Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-343-9749 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton

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This content has restricted access, please type the password below and get access.


KPD e-News Release: Kingsport Detectives Investigating Discovery of Adult Human Remains

,

Kingsport Police Department

Dale Phipps, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT: Kingsport Detectives Investigating Discovery of Adult Human Remains
DATE: June 23, 2021
CASE #: 21-012912
GENERAL NARRATIVE
On June 23, 2021 at approximately 12:00 Noon, Kingsport Police Department Patrol Officers and Detectives responded to the 1600 block of Rock Springs Road in Kingsport in reference to the discovery of human remains, believed to be that of an adult male, found in a wooded area on an abandoned rural residential property.

Following a thorough on-site investigation, the decedent was sent to the East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine for forensic analysis by a medical examiner in an attempt to determine positive identification and establish cause of death.

In the meantime, the associated investigation continues to be active and ongoing by the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division. As such, no further details are currently available for release. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available, but only at an appropriate point in the investigation.
RELEASING OFFICER
Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-343-9749 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton

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This content has restricted access, please type the password below and get access.


Link to: City of Kingsport
City of Kingsport, Tennessee