This content has restricted access, please type the password below and get access.
Kingsport’s Parks and Recreation Department is accepting registrations for its annual Fall Break Camp. Kids will have the opportunity to enjoy games and activities, arts and crafts, outside time, movie time and so much more.
The camp will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. October 7-11 at the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex (301 Louis Street). Children ages 6 to 12 can register and the cost per child is $50 for city residents and $55 for non-city residents.
Camp participants will need to pack a lunch and a snack daily.
“Our staff works hard to make fall break a fun-filled week for the kids with plenty of activities, games and sports,” said Program Administrator Travis Sensabaugh. “If you’ve never signed up before, remember – we’ll help you keep the kids engaged, active and off the screens for a week.”
To register, visit https://bit.ly/4eBc1pq. You can also click on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or go to www.kingsporttn.gov and click on the “CivicRec” link, then search for “fall break camp” in the search bar.
For more information, visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org or call 423-224-2489.
SUBJECT: KPD Charges Juvenile For Threats Against Dobyns-Bennett High School
DATE: September 25th, 2024
CASE #: 23-015054
GENERAL NARRATIVE
On September 19th, 2024, at approximately 8:30 pm, the Kingsport Police Department (KPD) was made aware of threats against Dobyns-Bennett High School on the social media platform, TikTok. The threat stated that they would “shoot up DB”. The KPD increased officer presence at Dobyns-Bennett and began to investigate the threat. KPD Officers and Detectives used various investigative tools to track down the creator of the threat and learned that it was an 11-year-old juvenile. A petition was filed against the juvenile for one felony count of false reporting.
The Kingsport Police Department and the Kingsport City Schools would like to stress, that we take any and all threats, especially those regarding violence in our schools, extremely seriously, and we have, and will continue to work together to expeditiously take all necessary steps and use all legal means at our disposal to ensure student safety.
RELEASING OFFICER
Corporal Brandon Johnson
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit
Office (423) 229-9339, Fax (423) 343-9749
BrandonJohnson@KingsportTN.gov
This content has restricted access, please type the password below and get access.
Bays Mountain Park’s night sky observing sessions – StarWatch – has returned for the fall season.
StarWatch sessions allow the public to enjoy the splendor of the night sky at Bays Mountain Park’s observatories. If the weather is good, attendees can typically see star clusters, nebulous gas clouds, colorful multiple-star systems, distant galaxies and the Moon and planets.
If the weather is poor, the park will have an alternate activity in the planetarium theater.
StarWatch sessions will be held on the following dates:
- October 5 and 12 at 7:30 p.m.
- October 19, 26 and November 2 at 7 p.m.
- November 9, 16, 23 and 30 at 6 p.m.
Note – please arrive at the beginning of the program so you can find your way to the observatories.
Be sure to dress for temperatures at least 20 degrees cooler than expected and do not use white light flashlights at the observing grounds. This is a free event and does not require registration.
StarWatch is hosted by the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club & Bays Mountain Planetarium. For more information, visit www.baysmountain.com or call 423-229-9447.
This content has restricted access, please type the password below and get access.
The Home Builders Association of Greater Kingsport and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Elizabethton held a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony Monday morning to highlight the results of a six-month long special partnership.
For the past six months, students in TCAT’s Building Construction Technology Program have been remodeling a home at 2208 Ashwood Avenue in the Highland neighborhood, under the tutelage of TCAT instructors and local homebuilders.
These students received hands-on experience and completely remodeled the 1,000 square foot house from the inside out, including demolition, framing walls, installing insulation, plumbing, electrical work and flooring. Students had the opportunity to shadow HBA plumbers, electricians and HVAC workers, ask questions of them and see how professionals perform their trade while on the job site.
“When we started this project, we had some expectations, but those were greatly exceeded,” said HBA President James Phillips. “Our partnership has been incredible; we’ve completely remodeled this house with the students taking the lead and we are already looking for our next house or piece of property to train the new students.”
Members of the HBA provided all the materials for the renovation and now that the work is done, the organizations plan to sell the house with the proceeds going towards the purchase of another house and donate back to TCAT.
“All across the country people are in need of more skilled workers and this partnership is allowing students to get on the job, hands-on training so they are more quickly ready to enter the workforce,” said Jann Dower, CEO of the HBA of Tennessee. “I hope other HBA’s across the state look into doing similar programs with their local TCAT’s.”
TCAT’s Building Construction Technology Program started in Kingsport in the spring of 2022. An integral part of it starting was due to the critical need of skilled people in the area of building construction.
“We love opportunities like this for our students. The ability to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to the real world helps us graduate work-ready individuals, who can immediately enter the workforce,” said Heath McMillian, TCAT Elizabethton President.
The Home Builders Association of Greater Kingsport is a trade association that was organized and chartered in 1970. The HBA is dedicated to providing quality-housing choices in a range of affordability for the consumer.
If you would like to be a part of this project, please contact the Home Builders Association of Greater Kingsport at info@kingsporthomebuilders.com or by calling 423-378-5501.
This content has restricted access, please type the password below and get access.
Due to an unforeseen shipping delay, the improvement and maintenance project taking place at the Kingsport Aquatic Center will require additional time to complete.
As a result, the target date for the Kingsport Aquatic Center to reopen to the public will be September 30.
Aquatic Director Wendy Terrazas explains the reason for the delay is because the new starting blocks, which are in transit, have yet to arrive.
“As soon as the new starting blocks arrive, we’ll install them and pour the concrete, but it has to cure before we have patrons back in the facility,” Terrazas said. “Barring any other unforeseen circumstances, we should reopen to the public on September 30.”
The Kingsport Aquatic Center temporarily closed for three weeks on September 1 to allow for needed maintenance and key improvements to the locker rooms, family bathrooms, the lazy river and all of the pools at the facility.
DWR Aquatics is performing the work for the city, which includes the following:
- New starting blocks installed to the Olympic-sized lap pool.
- All indoor pools drained, re-caulked, cleaned and repaired (as needed).
- Locker rooms and family bathrooms painted with new shower fixtures installed.
- Fresh paint on the outdoor water slides and lazy river.
- Other facility maintenance as needed.
As it stands now, all of the indoor pools have been filled and employees are working to balance the chemicals in the pools and to get the filtration system and pumps up and running again. The contractor is also finishing up work on the locker rooms and outdoor water features.
Terrazas reiterates, the delay is not a contractor issue, rather just a delay in shipping.
“We simply don’t have what we need to complete the project,” Terrazas said. “We apologize for this delay, but we believe our patrons and the swimming community will be excited once they see the finished product.”
The cost of this maintenance and improvement project is approximately $500,000. The Kingsport Aquatic Center typically shuts down every three to four years for maintenance/repairs with the previous project taking place in 2019.
Kingsport Parks and Recreation is hosting a Wiffle Ball Tournament and Home Run Derby next month at Miracle Field.
The event will take place at Miracle Field (2021 Brickyard Park Drive) on October 12. The home run derby will run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and the tournament will run from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Participants must be 11 years of age or older for the derby and 15 years of age or older for the tournament. The cost to register is $10 per person for the derby and $75 per team for the tournament. All equipment will be provided.
In the home run derby, participants will attempt to hit the most home runs out of 10 pitches. The tournament will be a standard team format tournament.
“It’s been a few years since we’ve held a wiffle ball tournament and we felt like now would be a good time to bring the event back,” said Program Coordinator Nate Williams. “Plus, we’ve added a home run derby to the lineup, so the event should appeal to players of all ages.”
To register, visit https://bit.ly/3XsW3rF. You can also click on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or go to www.kingsporttn.gov and click on the “CivicRec” link, then search for “wiffle ball” in the search bar.