Kingsport | featured news

Charles Leonard passed away Sunday, August 11, 2019.
Arrangements will be announced by Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Homes, Kingsport.

KINGSPORT - Tives Arthur Staten, 63, of Kingsport, TN, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, August 7, 2019.
He is survived by his wife of 16 years, Velma Staten.
Services will be private.
Trinity Memorial Centers Funeral Home (423-723-8177) is honored to serve the family.

KINGSPORT - Roy Davidson, 86, of Kingsport, passed away on Monday, August 12, 2019, at Elmcroft Assisted Living.
Born in Yuma, VA, he had resided in Kingsport for most of his life. Roy was a veteran of the U.S. Army and had retired from Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Johnson City. He was a member of the American Legion #3/265 and the VFW #3382.

CHURCH HILL - Margaret Hall, 79, of Church Hill, TN went to be with the Lord on Monday, August 12, 2019.
Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced  later by Scott County Funeral Home.

BLOUNTVILLE — A Sullivan County constable has been indicted on multiple charges after allegedly lying about serving court documents.
Larry H. Mullenix, 62, of Mullenix Lane in Kingsport, turned himself in at the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office on Friday. He later posted $7,500 bond and was released.
The case against Mullenix was investigated by the SCSO and presented last week to a Sullivan County grand jury. Witnesses included Sullivan County Circuit Court Clerk Bobby Russell.

KINGSPORT — Roy L. Harmon, CEO of Bank of Tennessee and divisions Carter County Bank and Mountain Community Bank, has announced his retirement from the company.
His career with Bank of Tennessee began in 1991, and he led the company as CEO and chairman of the board. During Harmon’s tenure, he oversaw the company’s expansion in to the Middle Tennessee and Knoxville markets, multiple branch redesigns, the bank’s growth to more than $1 billion in assets and leading the company to the most profitable year in the bank’s history in 2018.

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Matt DiBenedetto will be thinking about a NASCAR legend on his trip to Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race.
His No. 95 Leavine Family Racing team works out of the late Alan Kulwicki’s race shop. Kulwicki — a two-time Bristol winner, including the 1991 Night Race — was the defending NASCAR champion when he lost his life in a plane crash 10 miles from BMS on his way to competing in the 1993 Food City 500.
DiBenedetto said his team often talks about being in the old Kulwicki shop.

BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County school system employees won’t be footing the bill for mandatory background checks every five years, thanks to a unanimous vote of the Board of Education.
The board Thursday evening voted 7-0 twice, first to waive the rules to pass something on first reading and then to change the background checks policy. In a nutshell, the change means that employees won’t have to pay for the mandatory background checks required by a 2018 law every five years but that those applying for employment will. The cost is about $35 for each check.

KINGSPORT — Investigators are trying to identify a woman who made purchases with stolen credit and debit cards.
According to a Kingsport Police Department press release, the victim reported the cards missing on July 29. An incident report says they were swiped from her purse while she visited the Kingsport Aquatic Center. Shortly thereafter, the cards were used to make purchases of nearly $60 at Rocky Top Vapor, $60.20 at Rack Room Shoes and $45 at True Nails.
A white female suspect was recorded at one of the stores.

Brent Baker, a Sullivan Central High School graduate, gives a lot of credit for his successes in life to God, his parents (Lloyd and Connie Baker), and a host of Christian mentors who have helped him throughout his life. Every Saturday morning as he was growing up, Brent and his Dad worked on the family’s sheep farm in Mendota, Virginia. “My wife Jacquelyn and I have a lot of roots in this area,” Brent began with a smile.