Five charged in $1 billion healthcare fraud scheme

Prosecutors say the defendants conspired to deceive tens of thousands of patients and more than 100 doctors in East Tennessee and across the country by defrauding private health care benefit programs such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of approximately $174 million.

Updated Yesterday at 12:56 PM

Money

KOSBE seeks nominations

There is no fee to nominate a small business or individual for KOSBE Awards. The deadline for entries is 11:59:59 EST on October 31st, 2018. Small businesses may also self-nominate. Visit www.kosbeawards.org for the nomination forms, official rules, sponsorship opportunities, and details.

Yesterday at 12:48 PM

L-R: Washington County, Tenn. Mayor Joe Grandy and Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable sign copies of a joint resolution approved during a historic first Thursday as the Sullivan County Commission and Washington County Commission held a joint meeting at Tri-Cities Airport. By voice votes, each commission approved the resolution to declare October 18 "Regional Cooperation Day."

Regional Cooperation Day

Regionalism is the topic as Sullivan, Washington commissions hold first joint meeting

In what was billed as the first time the two commission’s ever met jointly, each body voted to approve a resolution citing prior successes and pledging to forge greater bonds — throughout the region.

Yesterday at 8:39 AM

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee garners Energy Star status thanks to lighting update

KINGSPORT — How will new lighting in its massive warehouse help Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennesee provide more food to the region's hungry? By making the 110,000-square-foot facility more energy efficient. In the past two months, the nonprofit’s electric usage dropped by 20 and 25 percent.

Oct 18, 2018 at 8:46 AM

Kingsport

Hog Wild Saloon donated to nonprofit

Kingsport-based Engage Tri-Cities works with low income and homeless individuals and families and according to its founder, the non-profit plans to renovate the Hog Wild Saloon into a job resource center by the summer of 2019.

Oct 17, 2018 at 6:30 PM

Graham Kennedy (left) and his dad, Wise Lumber & Supply owner Thomas Kennedy, reprise their post-fire, bitter cold Nov. 2 photo (by Tim Cox) with far more pleasant temperatures and mood during last Friday's grand reopening, 10 months after a fire gutted the now rebuilt structure.

Wise Lumber back in business after New Year’s Day fire

Wise Lumber & Supply is back in business 10 months after a New Year’s Day fire gutted the main building. After receiving the call just minutes before midnight on New Year’s Day, some 30 firefighters battled the blaze and sub-zero temperatures for nearly five hours into this year’s frigid Jan. 2 pre-dawn.

Oct 16, 2018 at 7:45 AM

Northeast Tennessee Association of Realtors

Home sales cool off, but closings still up for the year

NETAR insisted “the more telling numbers” were: September's closings were up by 84 (15.6 percent) when compared to September last year. And so far, this year there have been 5,186 closings, 480 more closings than there were during the first nine months of last year – a 10.2 percent increase.

Oct 15, 2018 at 10:30 PM

Strategic Behavioral Health Founder and President Jim Shaheen speaks.

Large crowd at the ribbon cutting listens to U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, right, speak.

Creekside Behavioral Health

Kingsport treatment center holds grand opening

KINGSPORT -- Federal, state and local elected officials on Monday joined leaders from Strategic Behavioral Health in Kingsport to celebrate the grand opening of Creekside Behavioral Health, a 72-bed inpatient hospital that will serve children,

Updated Oct 15, 2018 at 2:33 PM

Streamworks

‘We don’t have a choice’ — STREAMWORKS director says STEM education vital for students and economy

KINGSPORT — Whether robotics, underwater robotics, drones or other such things are front and center, STREAMWORKS Executive Director Dennis Courtney’s job is all about getting K-12 students involved hands-on in science, technology, engineering and math

Oct 15, 2018 at 12:42 PM

Tennessee gubernatorial candidates Karl Dean (left) and Bill Lee on the debate stage at last Tuesday’s debate at Eastman. Dean, a Democrat, thinks the state’s biggest coming challenge is workforce development and Lee, a Republican, is advocating more vocational education to address that issue.

Northeast Tennessee Gubernatorial Debate

What can the state do to grow jobs in this economy?

Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Karl Dean got to address that question during their Kingsport debate last Tuesday before about 1,400 people at the Toy F. Reid Employee Center at Eastman.

Oct 15, 2018 at 8:30 AM

Sullivan County Trustee Susan Ramsey points to a tax notice like the ones being mailed Monday to the owners of the roughly 92,000 parcels of property in the county. She is specifically pointing to something new: a place to provide your email. It is to gauge interest among taxpayers for potential paperless billing at some point in the future.

Sullivan County Property Taxes

It's in the mail (almost)

To avoid interest and potential penalties, property owners must pay Sullivan County property taxes (which cover the period of Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2018) by Feb. 28, 2019.

Oct 14, 2018 at 1:30 PM

Doug Ginn, Strategic Behavioral Health's senior executive vice president and chief operating officer, stands inside the geriatric wing of Creekside Behavioral Health. He is encouraging the public to tour the facility so they can get rid of any perceptions about mental health treatment. An open house will happen Monday.

Creekside Behavioral Health

'The opioid crisis in this area is real'

Memphis-based Strategic Behavioral Health (SBH) will host a ribbon-cutting Monday to celebrate the grand opening of Creekside Behavioral Health, a new 72-bed inpatient hospital serving children, adolescents, adults and seniors struggling with mental health and substance abuse challenges.

Oct 14, 2018 at 8:00 AM

Weber City

Burgers R Us owner requests tax relief from Scott County amid bridge construction

In his first visit to a Scott County Board of Supervisors meeting since February, Marty Williams repeated his previous message loud and clear: Businesses in Weber City need help. Williams was referring to the ongoing bridge construction on Route 23 in Weber City and the burden it has placed on the nearby small businesses, including his own.

Oct 13, 2018 at 4:30 PM

Federal court

Ferris wheel lawsuit heads to mediation

The lawsuit was filed over a 2016 accident at the Greene County Fair when one of the gondolas of the Ferris wheel overturned, sending three young girls tumbling out and falling more than 30 feet to the ground.

Updated Oct 12, 2018 at 11:03 AM

Hurricane Michael

Holston Electric sends workers to assist with Florida power outages

“It is an honor to be able to help. When our employees go to do storm work, the conditions are always tough, but they always come home feeling good to know that they helped people when they needed it the most.” — HEC general manager Jimmy Sandlin

Oct 11, 2018 at 9:00 PM