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Kingsport hosting kids’ Fortnite Tournament

Kingsport’s Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a fun-filled evening of fort building – both physically and electronically – at the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Complex.

The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 5 and include two types of fort building.

  • Fortnight Tournament: Children ages 12 & under will complete in a Fortnite tournament on the XBOX Series X and Playstation 5 systems. Feel free to bring your Nintendo Switch as well. The entry fee is $2 per person and prizes will be awarded. You can also visit with the ETSU E-Gaming Team and U.S. Army E-Gaming trailer.
  • Build-a-Fort Night: Have fun building your own fort using cardboard boxes and the Imagination Playground. Admission is two canned goods.

The Tennessee Volunteers/Georgia Bulldogs football game will also be broadcast on the big screen during the event, so you won’t miss the ending of this important SEC matchup. For more information please call 423-224-2489.

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Old-Fashioned Christmas Fair coming in November

The Kingsport Senior Center will be hosting its annual Old-Fashioned Christmas Fair on Nov. 18-19 at the Kingsport Renaissance Center.

Come out and browse through baskets, greeting cards, and woodworking crafts, hand-sewn and crocheted items and much more – all created by our Kingsport senior artisans. Refreshments will be on hand from the Food Traffickers food truck and T’s Spilled Milk mobile bakery.

Friday will feature a variety of entertainment, including:

  • Patti Quarles at 10 a.m.
  • Theodore Roosevelt Elementary students at 11 a.m.
  • Rappin’ Granny at 12 p.m.
  • Renaissance Strings at 1 p.m.
  • Tammy Martin at 2 p.m.

On Saturday, the Chamber Ensemble will perform at 11 a.m. and Handbells at 2 p.m. Ron Porter will be performing background music throughout the day from the main gymnasium.

The Old Fashioned Christmas Fair is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. We hope you’ll join us.

  • Free admission
  • Friday, November 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, November 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • First floor of the Kingsport Renaissance Center (1200 E. Center Street).

For more information on The Old Fashioned Christmas Fair, visit seniors.kingsporttn.gov or call the Lynn View branch of the Kingsport Senior Center at 423-765-9047.

An evening with artist, author Suzanne Stryk

The Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts and Create Appalachia are hosting a one-night only event with Suzanne Stryk, one of the region’s most noteworthy fine artists.

The event will be held at 6 p.m. on Nov. 17 at the Kingsport Renaissance Center (1200 E. Center Street). Admission is free, but reservations are encouraged. This event will feature an artist talk, a small pop-up exhibit of Stryk’s past and present work, and readings from her recently completed first book – The Middle of Somewhere: An Artist Explores the Nature of Virginia.

University Press, 2022).

A meet-and-greet with Stryk and a book signing will follow the program. Copies of The Middle of Somewhere will be available for purchase.

Stryk’s approachability and her infectious enthusiasm make her programs a delight for people of all ages. The evening will be a special treat for those who enjoy art and writing focused on nature and the outdoors. 

Born in Chicago, Stryk currently resides in Southwest Virginia. She’s had solo exhibitions in locations throughout the country, including the National Academy of Sciences (DC), the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta (GA), the Eleanor B. Wilson Museum in Roanoke (VA), and Gallery 180, The Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago.

Her paintings have hung in over 60 group shows, including those at the Anchorage Museum of Art (AK) and The Butler Institute of American Art (OH). A mid-career survey of the artist’s work, “Second Nature: The Art of Suzanne Stryk,” spanning the years 1990-2005, was organized in 2005 by the William King Museum in Abingdon, Virginia, an affiliate of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

For more information about the event, contact Katie Hoffman (katie@createappalachia.org) or Hannah Powell (hannahpowell@kingsporttn.gov). 

Adventure into Acrylic Pouring

Adventure into the fun and unpredictable world of acrylic pouring with Elena Corradino, a local artist who will teach you everything there is to know about this exciting style of abstract art.

The Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts is offering a one-day class in acrylic pouring on Nov. 12 in the studio of the Kingsport Carousel (350 Clinchfield Street). The class will take place 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with a 30 minute break for lunch (bring your own or eat downtown).

The cost is $85 and the class is for participants ages 13 and up. All materials you need will be provided.

During the four-hour class, you’ll make 10 paintings of various shapes and sizes, and each will be different. You will also learn five different types of pours, including a double flip cup, and three ways to make “cells.”

Participants will discuss color theory and what makes abstract art pop, and Elena will go into detail about the materials and brands she uses when making art. When you leave you’ll have the knowledge of how to make your own beautiful, acrylic art.

Register online now at www.EngageKingsport.com or call 423-392-8414. Online sales will end 48 hours prior to the class.

Notice of Public Meeting

There will be a Public Meeting of the Kingsport Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (MTPO) Executive Board on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 1:30 pm in the Kingsport City Hall Board Room at 415 Broad Street in Kingsport, Tennessee. Copies of the agenda and supporting documentation can be found at the Kingsport Public Library, the lobby of City Hall, the MTPO office, or here. The primary items for this meeting include adoption of the FY23-26 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), annual ranking of priority projects, adoption of the Local Road Safety Plan, and the FY22 federal funds obligation report. Time is also allotted for the Executive Board to receive comments on these or other items pertaining to the Kingsport Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization. The meeting will be in-person and members of the public are welcome to attend. We also plan to offer live public access to the meeting through a Zoom webinar. Members of the public who are interested in attending remotely should send an email to MTPO@KingsportTN.gov to request the log in information for the meeting. In order to allow time to respond, your request must be received by 12:00 pm on November 2, 2022. Disabled citizens wishing to attend and needing special accommodations or anyone seeking further information on the MTPO meeting should contact the MTPO at (423) 224-2670. For persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT’s Civil Rights Division at 804-786-2085 or by mail 1401 E Broad St, Richmond, Virginia 23219. In Tennessee you may contact TDOT’s Civil Rights Office at (615) 714-3169. If you have a hearing or speech disability or use a TTD please use the FCC 711 dialing code to access a Telecommunications Relay Service to forward your comment. Kingsport MTPO ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Si usted necesita la traducción por favor entre en contacto con el MTPO en por el teléfono en 423-224-2670.

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New bobcats arrive at Bays Mountain Park

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Two new bobcats have officially arrived safe and sound at Bays Mountain Park. Their long, cross-country journey is over and both kittens are already getting acclimated to their new home at the park.

Bays Mountain Park staff would like to formally introduce you to “Carter” and “Cash.”

Now that the bobcat brothers have arrived at the park, they will be placed in quarantine while park rangers work to get them accustomed to people and their new environment. Park staff have been working on adding several additions to the bobcat habitat to provide both safety and enrichment for the bobcats. An announcement will be made to the public once the two bobcats are settled into their new habitat and ready for visitors.

The bobcats have been described as ‘best buds’ and ‘very sweet’ so park staff are eager to start working with the two brothers. Before being placed with Bays Mountain Park, the bobcats were raised in captivity in Montana. They were born at an accredited zoological facility on May 3, 2022, and were two of a litter of four. Their two sisters will be serving as animal ambassadors at another facility.

“We are very excited to house two new bobcats at Bays Mountain,” said Tyler Wicks, chief ranger. “It is an amazing opportunity to educate the public about this elusive and secretive cat that is native to our area. We hope they will live long and happy lives here like all of the bobcats we have housed previously.” Follow along for more bobcat news on the Bays Mountain Park Facebook page and Instagram.

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Christmas Connection returns to Kingsport for 43rd year

Christmas Connection – the annual celebration of the region’s best arts and crafts vendors – is returning to Kingsport this year…and in a new location.

This year, the 43th annual Christmas Connection will be held in the main convention hall at the Meadowview Conference Resort and Convention Center (1901 Meadowview Parkway). The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 11-12 and is sponsored by the Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts.

“Whether you’ve been enjoying the Christmas Connection for years or are trying it out for the first time, this artisan and craft fair has something for you,” said Hannah Powell, cultural arts program coordinator for the city.

Christmas Connection offers a variety of unique gifts just in time for the holiday season. Just some of the items available include country crafts, home décor, fine wood and leather crafts, handmade soaps and lotions, jewelry, ornaments, stained glass, wheel-thrown pottery, baked goods and more.

Local food trucks will be set up outside the convention center, while just inside you’ll find the Connection Café and booths by the Kingsport Ballet – all guaranteed to satisfy anyone’s taste buds.

For more information on the Christmas Connection event, visit www.EngageKingsport.com or call 423-392-8414.

KPD e-News Release: K.P.D. to Participate in National Drug Take-Back Day Event on Saturday October 29th

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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. to Participate in National Drug Take-Back Day Event on Saturday October 29th
DATE: October 21, 2022
GENERAL NARRATIVE
On Saturday, October 29, 2022 from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM, the Kingsport Police Department will be participating in a community drug take-back event. This event will take place in the parking lot in front of Dobyns-Bennett High School, located at 1 Tribe Way, in Kingsport. This event is sponsored by the United Way of Greater Kingsport, the Kingsport Police Department, and the Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition.

Between now and Saturday, October 29th, all area residents are encouraged to go through their medicine cabinets and inventory their medications. Now is the time to safely dispose of any leftover, expired, or otherwise unwanted medications. This community drug take-back event is open to the public and is a prime opportunity and the preferred method to safely dispose of any medications that are no longer needed.

The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsors two National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days each year, in April and October. National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days aim to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

While the DEA does recognize these two annual days, at the Kingsport Police Department, we like to think of every day as Drug Take-Back Day. K.P.D. has been participating in drug take-back initiatives since 2010 and installed a permanent drug collection box in the lobby of the Kingsport Justice Center, located at 200 Shelby Street in Downtown Kingsport, in 2012. Our box is accessible 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week, 365 days-a-year. To date, K.P.D. has been able to safely incinerate over 20,000 pounds (10 tons) of leftover, unwanted, or expired medications.

The goals of this program are to keep drugs off the street, prevent overdoses and accidental poisonings, and avoid environmental contamination. Drugs that can be accepted include prescription, over the counter (OTC), vitamins, herbals, supplements, and veterinary medications. Items that are not accepted through this program include needles or sharps, biohazard materials, and illegal drugs.

For more information on the DEA’s National Take-Back Day initiative, please visit the following links:

https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/

https://takebackday.dea.gov/

RELEASING OFFICER
Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

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

ThomasMPatton

Link to: City of Kingsport
City of Kingsport, Tennessee