The Behind the Book series returns to the Kingsport Public Library this week, featuring a discussion with author Felicia Mitchell.

Mitchell will be discussing her newest book A Mother Speaks, A Daughter Listens: Journeying Together Through Dementia. This free event will take place at 6 p.m. on January 12 in the library’s first floor auditorium (400 Broad Street).

Mitchell’s poetry tends to explore family roots and the natural world, with inspiration being drawn from people she has known, family members she wishes she had known, the medical world, her yard and trails farther afield, and archetypal myths. Her latest book of poetry shares the dementia journey of one mother and daughter.

Mitchell recently retired as Professor Emeritus at Emory & Henry College after teaching for 33 years. Visit www.feliciamitchell.net for more information about the book and related activities.

The Behind the Book series features discussions with regional authors and illustrators to find out more about their books. The series is sponsored by the Kingsport Public Library and the Friends of the Kingsport Public Library.

For more information visit www.kingsportpubliclibrary.org or call 423-224-2539.

The City of Kingsport is pleased to announce the next phase of the $4.8 million water meter replacement project will begin this week.

EnvoCore – a Maryland-based company contracted by Kingsport – will be installing 10,000 new water meters within the city’s service area over the next six months. Work will begin in the Colonial Heights community with future areas including Sullivan Gardens, Meadowview, Fordtown Road and Lynn Garden.

This phase of the project has an estimated cost of $2.3 million. All of these meters should be installed by June 30, 2023.

If you happen to see a truck with an EnvoCore logo, be advised the employees are working to replace your current water meter with a new one. The contractor will also be placing informational door hangers on the doors of the homes receiving new water meters.

The water meter replacement project dates to December 2020, when the batteries in some water meters started to fail earlier than anticipated. As a result, the city’s utilities department was not able to electronically detect an accurate reading of water usage.

In response, the city began replacing these water meters with new ones in the spring of 2021. Kingsport anticipates having all remaining water meters in its 39,000-count system replaced with new ones within the next couple of years.

To date, more than 17,000 new water meters have been installed, allowing the city to obtain readings remotely. A base station and nine repeaters were installed across the water system last fall to receive the usage information from the new water meters. The remaining meters are being read manually each month.

If you have any further questions about your water bill, please call 423-343-9860.