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Upcoming Event – National Night Out

SUBJECT:  Upcoming Event – National Night Out 

DATE:  September 30th, 2025

 

GENERAL NARRATIVE

The Kingsport Police Department, South Central/New Vision Youth, and the Kingsport Housing & Redevelopment Authority invite you to join us for this year’s National Night Out. The event will take place on October 9th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Complex, 301 Louis Street, Kingsport, TN 37660. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. You’ll have a chance to meet staff and view equipment from the Kingsport Fire Department, Sullivan County EMS, Kingsport Life Saving Crew, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and Kingsport Police Department. There will also be demonstrations from several specialized units within the Kingsport Police Department. We hope to see you there.

 

 

 

RELEASING OFFICER

Corporal Brandon Arnold

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

Office (423) 343-9866, Fax (423) 343-9749

BrandonArnold@KingsportTN.gov

kingsport senior center logo

Kingsport Senior Center hosting Services & Technology Fair

The Kingsport Senior Center will be hosting a Senior Services & Technology Fair next week to help local seniors stay up to date on the latest services available to them and the technology we use in our daily lives.

This free event will take place October 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Kingsport Senior Center Atrium (1200 E. Center Street).

The fair will provide local seniors with resources, health screenings and information about community programs and services. Local vendors will also be on hand to help seniors with any questions they may have about a variety of electronic devices (phone, tablets, streaming boxes).

Refreshments will be provided, and door prizes will be given away. The fair is free and open to any Kingsport Senior Center member.

For more information about the Kingsport Senior Center and its services, please visit seniors.kingsporttn.gov.

kingsport logo

Kingsport announces Bulk Leaf Collection to begin next month

The City of Kingsport will begin its annual bulk leaf collection beginning Monday, October 13. In order to make the collection process as efficient as possible, residents are being asked to:

  • Place leaves within 8 ft. of the edge of the street but not in the street.
  • Not block storm drains or neighbors’ driveways with piles of leaves.
  • Make sure leaf piles remain accessible by not parking vehicles on top or beside the leaves.
  • Take care not to include rocks, sticks or other debris in the pile. Such items could damage the large vacuums used for collection.

Please note, there are no set days or times for leaf collection. The city is divided into six zones with each street in the zone serviced once before moving on to the next zone. Leaves left on the curb after the collection truck has come down your street will be picked up during the next collection cycle.

Depending on the volume and availability of equipment, collection cycles can run as short as a week to as long as three weeks during peak leaf season.

Leaf collection will continue until January 16, 2026. If you bag your leaves, place them with your yard waste and they will be picked up on your regularly scheduled trash and yard waste collection day.

Normally, between 1,800 and 2,000 tons of leaves are collected each year. The leaves are taken to the city’s demolition landfill where they are composted and used for city projects throughout the year.

For more information on where the collection trucks are working each day, please call the Leaf Line at 423-224-2429 or visit www.kingsporttn.gov and search ‘leaf line’.

bays mountain logo

Bays Mountain Park announces annual StarWatch program

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 (when visible).

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 4 and 11 at 7:30 p.m.
  • October 18, 25 and November 1 at 7 p.m.
  • November 8, 22 and 29 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.

In addition, Bays Mountain Park will be a host site for the Tennessee STEAM Festival, which runs Oct. 10-26. The festival – founded by the Discovery Center in 2017 – aims to promote science, technology, engineering, art and math through programs and activities in our nation’s museums, schools, community centers and other attractions.

Special Note – Due to a planned water maintenance project, the water will be turned off at the park during StarFest. Several portable toilets and hand washing stations will be available around the parking areas.

StarWatch is hosted by the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club and Bays Mountain Planetarium. For more information, visit www.baysmountain.com or call 423-229-9447.

kingsport logo

Learn more about your local government with BMA Highlights

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) is the elected governing body of the City of Kingsport and is responsible for approving such things as the annual budget, city ordinances, and major projects.

The seven-member board includes Mayor Paul W. Montgomery, Vice Mayor Darrell Duncan, and Aldermen Morris Baker, Betsy Cooper, Colette George, Gary Mayes and James Phillips.

Kingsport’s Public Information and Communications Department wants to remind residents that the best way to learn more about what the BMA votes on each month is by signing up for the BMA Highlights newsletter.

Simply go to www.kingsporttn.gov and enter your email address at the bottom of the page. Then after each BMA meeting, you’ll receive an email newsletter with a wealth of information, including:

–          The agenda with vote tallies

–          Photographs of major projects currently underway

–          Updates on active projects within the city

–          Copies of presentations given to the BMA

–          The latest sales tax report

–          Special awards, recognitions and proclamations

–          Announcements on upcoming special events and activities.

“The BMA Highlights newsletter is a free resource that makes keeping up with your local government easy,” said Public Information and Communications Director Adrienne Batara. “You receive valuable and accurate city information delivered right to your inbox for reading at your convenience.”

bays mountain logo

Bays Mountain Astronomy Club hosts 40th StarFest Convention

The Bays Mountain Astronomy Club and Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium is excited to announce registration is now open for its 40th annual StarFest convention – scheduled for November 7-9.

For four decades, StarFest has been a gathering place for amateur and professional astronomers, hobbyists, and families who enjoy the science and wonder of the night sky.

This year’s theme, “Sharing the Sky,” highlights the many ways people can connect to the cosmos. Each of the event’s four keynote speakers brings their own unique and creative approach—through artistic mediums, performance storytelling, tactile explorations, and astrophotography—to share their passion for the stars.

“StarFest has been an enjoyable, educational and engaging star party for 40 years,” said StarFest and Astronomy Club Chairman Greg Penner. “This anniversary year promises to be especially meaningful, as we celebrate both the history of the event and the many creative ways people are sharing their love of the night sky.”

This year’s guest speakers include:

–Jackie Baughman – Planetarium and Education Program Manager at the Challenger Learning Center of Lockport, New York

–Mike Francis – educator and actor who has been bringing astronomy to schools, libraries and museums for more than 30 years

–Noreen Grice – an award-winning astronomy educator and author who teaches at Western Connecticut State University

–Richard Wright – a contributing editor for Sky & Telescope magazine, specializing in astrophotography and equipment reviews

Registration includes attendance to all of the event’s speakers and activities, five fabulous meals, door prizes, telescope viewing and a custom-art zip-up hoodie. Registration with payment must be received by October 19.

For all the details and to register, please visit https://bit.ly/4gzjxmv. 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 “starfest” in the search bar.

Special Note – Due to a planned water maintenance project, the water will be turned off at the park during StarFest. Several portable toilets and hand washing stations will be available around the parking areas.

This event is hosted by the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club and the Bays Mountain Park Association.

For more information, please visit www.baysmountain.com.

Link to: City of Kingsport
City of Kingsport, Tennessee