Joyce Ann (Cox) Harber

KINGSPORT - Albert (Bert) L. Byer, 85, entered into eternal rest Sunday, January 29th, 2023 at the National Healthcare Corporation (NHC) Rehabilitation Center in Kingsport, TN after a long battle with Parkinson’s. He was born Dec 28, 1937 in Covington, VA, son of the late Leon and Lenabelle Byer. He married Mary Lea Trivitt on Feb 22, 1959. Bert graduated from Virginia Tech in 1960 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and he and Mary Lea moved to Kingsport, TN. Bert spent over 30 years with Tennessee Eastman/Holston Defense until his retirement. He was a dedicated member and past president of the Kingsport Sertoma Club. He was also a faithful member of Colonial Heights United Methodist Church (CHUMC) serving in many different committee positions over the years. Bert will be remembered as a loving husband, dad, granddad, brother and friend who loved to play golf, watch baseball, work puzzles, photograph nature, and enjoy all things Virginia Tech. He spent hours doing woodworking in his shop, building things like furniture and bird houses. In his later years, he found peace and fulfillment watching and caring for the deer, wild turkeys, raccoons, and birds in his back yard. He and his easy smile will be sorely missed.

KINGSPORT - Emil Negru, aged 66, returned home from the hospital Tuesday, Jan 24 and passed away Friday, Jan 27 in the comfort of his own home in Kingsport, TN holding hands with wife Ana and daughter Roxana. Emil was born April 18, 1956, in Nicseni, Romania. He served in...

The Sullivan County Public Library has five locations to serve the community. Visit www.scpltn.org for more details.

Here’s a look at what is happening this week at the Johnson City Public Library.

JOHNSON CITY — Several talented poets are coming to East Tennessee State University in early February as part of the “Three Emerging Writers” series hosted by the Bert C. Bach Written Word Initiative and the Department of Literature and Language. When and where?

First Presbyterian Kingsport will present the Fisk Jubilee Singers as part of its 2023 Performing Arts Series on Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $10 for students. To purchase tickets call 423-383-7876 or visit www.firstprskingsport.org.

KINGSPORT — A contractor at Eastman Chemical Co. last Thursday ceremoniously took on its first two work-based learning interns from Dobyns-Bennett High School. Wednesday morning, six days later, that same contractor presented a $5,000 oversized check to benefit the Building Trades Institute at TCAT Elizabethton’s new operation in the former Sullivan North High School building that Kingsport owns and leases to TCAT, which stands for Tennessee College of Applied Technology.

ROGERSVILLE — The family of Summer Wells shared via a blog Thursday afternoon that Candus Wells recently made several visits to the emergency room for serious heart issues. Candus is the mother of Summer, who was reported missing from her Beech Creek home on June 15, 2021 and still has not been found. Her seventh birthday is Saturday.

JOHNSON CITY — As school safety has become a top concern for many over the years, 34-year JCPD veteran Sgt. Lorrie Goff shares an inside look at the ways Johnson City Schools’ student resource officers are working hard to keep school campuses, staff and students safe. Goff began...

BLOUNTVILLE — Incoming Sullivan County Director of Schools Chuck Carter doesn’t officially start a two-year contract to head the region’s largest school system until July 1. However, he said he has already been working on bringing more work-based learning opportunities to Sullivan County students like the one...

NASHVILLE — At lease six people were vying to be the next superintendent of Kingsport City Schools as the deadline of 11:59 p.m. Friday approached. And according to an opinion City Attorney Bart Rowlett wrote to the Board of Education Monday, one-on-one interviews of the top candidates by board members are legal and not required to be open, based on a 1999 Tennessee attorney general’s opinion.

KINGSPORT — The Model City is looking for volunteers to serve on various boards and commissions to help make Kingsport an even greater place to live, work and raise a family, according to a news release. The city is asking residents to visit ServeKingsport (www.servekingsport.com) and answer a short...

KINGSPORT — At first glance, it looks like something straight out of a James Bond movie. But it’s not. It might be the model of a new Death Star from any Star Wars movie. But it’s not.

JOHNSON CITY — David Crockett left no doubt. And the Lady Pioneers’ reward was the school’s first-ever regular-season girls basketball championship.

The town of Erwin’s Board of Mayor and Alderman held a meeting on Thursday to discuss the proposal of changes to the town’s alcohol ordinance. During the meeting, Mayor Glenn White stated that he would be proposing changes to the town’s alcohol ordinance at the next BMA meeting on February 13. His proposal would have the town limit the number of off-site alcohol permits to 12, a number he says meets the state average per town, and any business selling alcohol would have to be at least 400 feet away from schools or churches compared to the current 200 feet requirement.

Johnson City Police Chief Karl Turner and the department's second-in-command, Debbie Botelho, have accepted an early retirement incentive from the city and will retire this year. Turner and Botelho are just two of the 23 city employees with more than 30 years of consecutive service to the city who elected...

CHATTANOOGA — A couple of winning streaks ended for the East Tennessee State women’s basketball team on Saturday. A 73-62 loss to Southern Conference rival Chattanooga at McKenzie Arena ended the Bucs’ four-game winning streak as well as their six-game string of victories on the road.

GATE CITY — The Gate City girls were in lockdown mode against Cloudland in Saturday’s interstate basketball game. The Lady Blue Devils limited the Lady Highlanders to 10 first-half points — only 16 over the first three quarters — to take a 45-27 victory.

East Tennessee State University has been ranked the top animation school in Tennessee and No. 7 nationally among schools offering an animation-related Bachelor of Science degree in the 2023 Animation School Rankings. The online resource Animation Career Review (ACR) recently considered nearly 200 schools with animation programs across the United...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Samford came out swinging and never let up. The Bulldogs scored the first eight points and didn’t relinquish the lead Saturday, eventually handing East Tennessee State a 73-62 defeat in a Southern Conference men’s basketball game at the Pete Hanna Center.