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The Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department is offering Beginner Pickleball Classes this spring with registration now open for those interested in learning how to play this fast-paced game sweeping the nation.
Classes will take place on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. from March 6 through April 3 at the Riverview Pickleball Courts at the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Complex (301 Louis Street).
The course is for participants ages 14 and up and the cost is $40 for city residents and $45 for non-city residents.
Students will enjoy an instructor-led course covering aspects of basic pickleball, including the rules of the game, serving, the return serve and dinking. All equipment will be provided.
To register, visit https://bit.ly/4jKtqiA. 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 “pickleball” in the search bar.
For information about other programs, activities and classes offered by the Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department, please visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org.
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The Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to announce the playground at the Miracle Complex (2120 Brickyard Park Drive) will reopen to the public on February 17.
The playground will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, the bathrooms at the playground will remain closed, but restrooms are available at the nearby Scott Adams Memorial Skatepark.
Please note, construction is taking place nearby, so the city is encouraging visitors to use caution when visiting the playground.
The Miracle Complex Playground is a fenced children’s playground for ages 6 to 12 that includes spinners, multiple slides, musical equipment, a cargo seat swing, climbing structures and sensory/motion equipment.
In addition, the playground surface is rubberized for safety and the space includes four ADA accessible picnic tables under a shade structure.
For information about other programs, activities and classes offered by the Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department, visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org or call 423-229-9460.
The Kingsport Carousel will be celebrating in style later this summer as the iconic attraction turns 10 years old!
To celebrate this milestone event, Kingsport Cultural Arts and Engage Kingsport have several special projects and events taking place later this year, including:
- A mural in the hallway leading to the Kingsport Carousel.
- Specialty merchandise will be available in the gift shop.
- Six painted and decorated fiberglass carousel horses to be debuted during the Kingsport Arts Festival in May.
- A social media campaign across all of our channels.
- A birthday party at the Kingsport Carousel (details coming soon!)
“The Kingsport Carousel is one of the most magical places in our community and we’re excited to invite everyone down to help us celebrate its 10th birthday,” said Special Event and Cultural Arts Manager Kristie Leonard. “Be sure to follow the Kingsport Carousel on social media for updates and more information about our 10th birthday celebration.”
The Kingsport Carousel first opened to the public in July of 2015 following a six-year journey, going from one man’s visionary idea to a magical reality.
The project began as a dream of the late Gale Joh, who grew up in Binghamton, N.Y. — the “Carousel Capital of the World.” After Joh died in 2010, his widow, former Alderwoman Valerie Joh and local volunteer Reggie Martin ramped up the project and shepherded it forward.
More than 300 volunteers, woodcarvers and painters spent five years and countless hours carving and painting animals, refurbishing a donated 1956 vintage Herschell carousel frame from the Beardsley Zoo of Bridgeport, Conn., and drafting plans to open a traditional carousel adjacent to the Kingsport Farmers Market.
The carousel features 32 wooden riding animals and two chariots, 24 rounding boards depicting notable sites within the city and 24 hand-carved “sweep” animals around the top of the ride
Since opening in July 2015, the carousel has hosted more than 500,000 riders.
The carousel is open to the public year-round and all rides are $1. The carousel is currently open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department is partnering with the Kingsport Public Library to celebrate the beloved American children’s author Theodor Seuss Geisel aka Dr. Seuss.
Since 1998, the National Education Association has celebrated Read Across America Day on Dr. Seuss’ birthday with libraries, schools and daycares all across the country joining in to help spread the joy of reading to children.
Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated more than 60 books, including such classics as The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Kingsport will be celebrating Dr. Seuss with an event on March 1 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex (301 Louis Street). The free event is open to children of all ages and will include a variety of games and crafts, all themed around the stories of Dr. Seuss.
“Dr. Seuss’ stories have captivated millions of children around the world for decades. His stories are timeless classics,” said Program Leader Milly Marmalade. “Our event will be a celebration of all things Dr. Seuss, so we hope you can attend because it’s sure to be a delight.”
Though the event is free, Kingsport Parks and Recreation officials are asking folks to register to know approximately how many people will be showing up. To register, visit bit.ly/40AnS2A. You can also register by clicking on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or go to www.kingsporttn.gov and click on “CivicRec,” then search for “Dr Seuss Day” in the search bar.
For information about other events, activities and programs offered by the Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department, please visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org.
SUBJECT: KPD Searching For Runaway Juvenile (Update: Found Safe)
DATE: February 11th, 2025
CASE #: 25-001620
GENERAL NARRATIVE
Update: Synteesha Bellamy has been found safe and is no longer missing. The Kingsport Police Department would like to thank the public for your assistance.
As previously released:
The Kingsport Police Department is searching for 15-year-old, Synteesha Bellamy. Synteesha is believed to have left voluntarily from an address on Myrtle Street. Synteesha is a black female, last seen wearing a black jacket. Synteesha has been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) as a runaway Juvenile.
Anyone with information on Synteesha’s whereabouts is asked to contact Kingsport Central Dispatch at (423) 246-9111 or the Criminal Investigations Division at (423) 229-9429.
Alternatively, if an individual who can provide information to this or any case wishes not to be identified, tips can be submitted anonymously via online “Citizen Feedback” forms available at the following link:
https://www.kingsporttn.gov/city-services/police-department/contact-us
RUNAWAY JUVENILE INFORMATION
Name Synteesha Bellamy
Age 15
Gender/Race Female/Black
Hair/Eyes Black/Brown
Residency Kingsport TN
Possible Clothing Black Jacket
Last Known Location Myrtle Street, Kingsport, TN
RELEASING OFFICER
Corporal Brandon Arnold
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit
Office (423) 229-9559, Fax (423) 343-9749
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Officers with the Kingsport Police Department would like to remind everyone of the following to help curb automobile break-ins.
Be sure to get into your “9 p.m. Routine” by doing the following every night:
- Make sure your driveway is well-lit
- Remove all valuables from your vehicles
- Lock your vehicle doors
- Secure your garage doors
By performing these four easy steps, you significantly improve your chances of not being a victim of auto burglary and vehicle theft. In many previous incidents, victims of these crimes were found to have left their vehicles unlocked, which can, in turn, provide the perfect opportunity for thieves.
As an additional reminder, we would like to ask that you not store your firearms in your vehicles when they are unoccupied, as thieves often look for these items.
RELEASING OFFICER
Corporal Brandon Arnold
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit
Office (423) 229-9559, Fax (423) 343-9749
BrandonArnold@KingsportTN.gov
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