Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman said the law, enacted earlier this year over the veto of Gov. Phil Bredesen, is "fraught with ambiguity."

She ruled after an hour of arguments in a suit brought by a group of Tennesseans, many of them restaurant owners. The law allowed handgun permit holders to take their weapons into places serving alcohol, providing the establishment makes more than 50 percent of its profits from food.

There was no immediate word from attorneys for the state about an appeal.

The measure took effect July 14. Thirty-seven states had similar legislation at the time.

Many restaurants across the state opted out of the law under a provision allowing them to do so.

The legislation retained an existing ban on consuming alcohol while carrying a handgun.

Nevertheless, critics complained that guns and alcohol in close proximity are a dangerous combination.

Of the roughly 218,000 handgun permit holders in Tennessee, 278 had their permits revoked last year, records showed. Since 2005, state records show nearly 1,200 people have lost their permits.

Rep. Curry Todd, a main sponsor of the measure, said he hadn't seen the ruling but disputed that the law is vague. The Collierville Republican said he will introduce legislation in January to fix any legal problems.

Todd said he will also ask the state attorney general to appeal the ruling.

CLICK HERE for the tracking graph for the poll.

The most recent robbery occurred Thursday morning, at about 4 a.m. A man entered the Sunoco, 4001 Memorial Boulevard, dressed in all black. A black hoodie covered all but his eyes.

According to Kingsport Police Department Det. Frank Light, the suspect demanded money from the register and the clerk complied. He then demanded the clerk's wallet, which was also handed over.

The man also stole several six packs of beer, which he toted away in a bag he brought into the store.

Det. Light said a K-9 unit was called to the scene, and followed a trail for a short distance. However, it went dead at a nearby roadway, and police believe he left the scene in a car.

The store was robbed in almost identical fashion on Nov. 9, by what police suspect is the same man.

In that incident he entered at about 1:30 a.m. holding a machete, and fled with money and cigarettes.

Police are asking anyone with any information about the crime to contact the Kingsport Criminal Investigation Division at (423) 229-9429.

According to a Sullivan County Sheriff's Office report, Robert Timothy Payne, 45, 496 Bristol Caverns Highway, lot no. 1, Bristol, Tenn., has been arrested and charged with theft over $1,000 and theft over $500 in addition to a fugitive from justice charge and a violation of community corrections.

Lt. Joe Smelser's report states the charges stems from Payne's alleged theft of four aluminum mag wheels and 2,000 30-inch steel roofing rods from a business at 1122 Highway 44, Bristol.

Patrick Nowski reported break-ins had occurred there between August 12 and August 21. On August 21, Nowski said he saw a black Ford F350 Dually outside. The tag on the suspect vehicle matched one Payne had registered to him, according to Smelser.

At that time, Payne was serving time at the John R. Hay House in Kingsport. He had supplied the Hay House with scrap metal sales tickets from two Bristol scrap metal dealers as proof of income.

On August 26, Payne admitted he'd stolen the steel rods and wheels, according to Smelser's report.

He also claimed two other people had provided the stolen items to him, and that he'd just sold them and kept part of the money.

Also, the glad-handing executive suits that surround him seem perfectly comfortable giving him whatever amount of money he needs to play the mad scientist, bent on destroying the world (on film, of course) in new and exciting ways.

I don’t mind effects-driven popcorn movies. They have their time and place, and can often make for a fun time at the ol’ picture shows. What I DO mind, however, is when they are pushing three hours long and play out as essentially one LONG effects extravaganza (I’m looking at YOU, “Transformers 2”).

It is difficult anymore for any movie to justify a three-hour run time. Someone in charge over there in SoCal needs to grasp the concept of “too much of a good thing” and act accordingly.

“2012” is, of course, about the end of the world according to the Mayans. If you watch any amount of television I’m sure you have heard all about it. So, what’s the end look like this time around? Global climate change? Alien attack? Does our technology turn against us? No, no and no. This time, the Earth’s crust detaches itself and begins to violently shift. Go figure.

The film follows several key characters, as many of these films do, throughout the last hours of planet Earth. We have our typical American family (a mixed family in this case) made up of John Cusack and Amanda Peet as Jackson Curtis and his ex-wife, Kate. In tow we have the couple’s kids, Noah and Lilly, and Kate’s new husband, Gordon (Thomas McCarthy).

Then we have the President and his daughter (Danny Glover and Thandie Newton) as well as myriad other players, including suave scientists, Tibetan monks and the token crooked politician (Oliver Platt).

Also, Woody Harrelson is in there somewhere as a crazy AM radio host who runs an end-of-the-world conspiracy show out of his trailer in Yellowstone National Park. I loved Woody in this. His role here is reminiscent of his role in the indie sci-fi masterpiece, “A Scanner Darkly.”

That said, “2012” is formulaic in its structure and clichéd in its themes. However, I must give credit where credit is due. This movie has some of the more crisp and astounding effects we have yet to see in popular cinema. I didn’t mind the $8 ticket price for the visuals alone (isn’t that the ONLY reason people see Roland Emmerich films anyway?).

Watching a plane take off from a runway that is falling into the depths of a crumbling Earth is exciting, no doubt about it. Then watching that plane fly through a giant chasm, in which a subway train comes straight out of the ground to free fall in front of it is jaw-dropping.

The detail within the destruction is truly mind-blowing. You watch freeways slowly slipping into the cavernous depths below, and running up those freeways in a hopeless effort to escape their doom are tiny little people.

It’s best to never mind the science of all this. Emmerich is notorious for having ridiculously dramatic sequences full of close calls (too close to believe) and coincidences (too coincidental to believe).

For example, if you saw Emmerich’s, “The Day After Tomorrow,” you might remember Jake Gyllenhaal running for his life from THE COLD as it creeps up the walls and chases him throughout the New York Public Library. Emmerich loves silly things like that.

If you love big action, big sound and big effects, then “2012” could be worth your while. But remember it is a LONG while — almost three hours. If you love a well-told story and well-rounded characters, then “2012” is most definitely NOT your cup of tea. As for myself, the film polarizes itself with incredible effects and crappy storytelling. For this reason, it lands smack dab in the middle, with two out of four stars.

2 stars (out of 4)

STARRING: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton and Danny Glover
DIRECTED BY: Roland Emmerich
RATED: PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language
RUNNING TIME: 2 hours, 38 minutes

The handheld personal digital assistants, which went live on Nov. 4, are ushering in the Kingsport Police Department's transition to a paperless operation. Every type of report is now filled out using the devices, saving time and resources, while also providing background information on suspects to officers in the field.

According to Sgt. Joe Earles, the PDAs have already helped snare arrests during routine citations, nabbing suspects on outstanding warrants that may have once slid through the cracks. Connected wirelessly to the National Crime Information Center database, they can also identify vehicles and weapons reported as stolen.

The PDAs are even equipped with camera functions, allowing officers to attach photos of crime scenes or traffic accidents directly to their digital reports.

Earles admits "young pup" officers are taking to the devices a little quicker than the old guard. But once everyone gets past their learning curve, and their digital legs beneath them, he expects the PDAs to make the entire force more efficient.

For more details read Saturday's edition of the Times-News.

"It's grim news. It is what it is," said Jack Murrah, chairman of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. The commission held its quarterly meeting Thursday, where members reviewed fall semester enrollment trends and prepared for today's state higher education budget hearings.

Higher education officials are expecting a 6 percent cut in the governor's upcoming budget. Some of those cuts will be passed along to students in the form of tuition increases and a 5 percent increase in student fees the commission approved on Thursday.

Looming over the budget debate is the knowledge that when the federal stimulus money runs out in 2012, the state's higher education system will find itself in an even deeper budget crater. State colleges and universities will spend the next two years making gradual program cuts and reducing staffing levels to prepare for the inevitable.

They translate writings and sermons once largely out of reach of English readers and often feature charismatic clerics like Anwar al-Awlaki, who exchanged dozens of e-mails with the Army psychiatrist accused of the Fort Hood shootings.

The U.S.-born al-Awlaki has been an inspiration to several militants arrested in the United States and Canada in recent years, with his Web-based sermons often turning up on their computers.

“The point is you don’t have to be an official part of al-Qaida to spread hatred and sectarian views,” said Evan Kohlmann, a senior investigator for the New York-based NEFA Foundation, which researches Islamic militants.

“If you look at the most influential documents in terms of homegrown terrorism cases, it’s not training manuals on building bombs,” Kohlmann said. “The most influential documents are the ones that are written by theological advisers, some of whom are not even official al-Qaida members.”

Most of the radical Islamic sites are not run or directed by al-Qaida, but they provide a powerful tool for recruiting sympathizers to its cause of jihad, or holy war, against the United States, experts who track the activity said.

The number of English-language sites sympathetic to al-Qaida has risen from about 30 seven years ago to more than 200 recently, said Abdulmanam Almushawah, head of a Saudi government program called Assakeena, which works to combat militant Islamic Web sites.

In contrast, Arabic-language radical sites have dropped to around 50, down from 1,000 seven years ago, because of efforts by governments around the world to shut them down, he said.

Al-Qaida has long tried to reach a Western audience. Videotaped messages from its leader, Osama bin Laden, and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri usually have English subtitles. But translations of writings and sermons that form the theological grounding for al-Qaida’s ideology, along with preachers like al-Awlaki, mostly eliminate the language barrier.

Al-Awlaki’s sermons have turned up on the computers of nearly every homegrown terror suspect arrested in the United States, Kohlmann said.

Members of a group of Canadian Muslims arrested in 2006 for allegedly forming a training camp and plotting bombing attacks in Toronto listened to his online calls for jihad, according to the case against them in court. According to prosecutors, an al-Awlaki sermon on jihad was among the numerous materials — including videos of beheadings — found on the computers of five men convicted in December of plotting attacks on the Fort Dix military base in New Jersey.

On his Web site and in widely circulated lectures, the 38-year-old al-Awlaki, now in hiding in Yemen, often calls on Muslims to fight against the United States, accusing it of waging war on Islam in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nidal Hasan, who has been charged in the Fort Hood shootings, contacted al-Awlaki nearly a year ago. In an interview published in The Washington Post, al-Awlaki said he did not pressure Hasan to carry out the shooting, but after the attack, al-Awlaki praised him as a hero. U.S. investigators have said Hasan appears to have acted alone, not on orders from anyone, when he opened fire Nov. 5 at the Texas military base, killing 13.

The cleric met two of the 9/11 hijackers at mosques where he preached in the United States, and after his return to Yemen he was detained for more than a year on suspicion of involvement in a kidnapping gang. Yemeni officials released him because they could not confirm an al-Qaida link, but they say they are hunting for him again on suspicion he may have ties.

U.S. intelligence officials declined comment on the spread of English-language jihadist Web sites.

Such sites are expected to follow closely the upcoming trials of Hasan and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is accused of being a top architect of the 9/11 attacks, said Rita Katz, head of the U.S. based SITE Intelligence Group, which follows on line militant traffic. The Obama administration announced this week that Mohammed and four others will be put on trial in New York City.

Almushawah said clerics like al-Awlaki are “more dangerous than any other group.” And if these clerics are jailed, “it’s no big loss for al-Qaida because they don’t belong to the network,” he said.

Many of the sites post speeches by English-speaking clerics like al-Awlaki or, more often, translations of sermons and lectures by Arabic-speaking clerics.

One site, the Pulpit of Monotheism and Jihad links to sermons by al-Awlaki, alongside English versions of speeches by some of the top sheikhs of jihadist ideology — even some who are dead like Abdullah Azzam.

The proliferation of sites in English means “potential jihadists can know only their native language and still be radicalized,” Katz said.

While al-Awlaki has become popular, “other, more prominent and influential Arabic-speaking jihadist sheikhs ... have had their works and speeches translated into English and other languages. Their works tend to be used more often by the jihadist community to justify violence,” she said in an e-mail interview. Al-Awlaki “fills a void in that he can directly interact, understand and communicate with English-speaking jihadists in a way that Arabic-speaking clerics cannot.”

Almushawah says most of the servers for the sites are in Britain, but they can be run from anywhere and most of them are operated and receive content from the U.S. Most of the clerics who appear on them are in the Arab world with some in France and England.

U.S. intelligence officials declined to comment on the spread of English language sites and their influence.

Saudi Arabia set up its Assakeena program after authorities found that 70 percent of al-Qaida sympathizers were drawn to the group through the Internet. In the campaign, government-backed preachers monitor 400 radical Islamic web sites and inject a more moderate message on the sites.

The campaigners also directly contact and dialogue with militants they encounter on the Web, conversations that can take weeks or months. Of 2,631 militants contacted by the group, 1,170 withdrew their support for radicals, according to the campaign. About a fifth of the militants were from Europe and North American, and the rest from Arab countries.

Assakeena — the name is Arabic for “Tranquility from God” — is part of other hearts-and-minds programs the kingdom launched to complement its crackdown on al-Qaida after the group carried out a series of attacks on foreigners and oil infrastructure in 2004.

Those who meet the spending minimum - in some cases $750 a month - will be able to get a rebate on their total interest charges for that month. The rebate could cover some or all of the interest rate hike. Customers also need to make payments on time to qualify for the rebate.

Without giving specifics, Citi said the monthly spending requirements and interest rate hikes will vary depending on the cardholder's credit history.

About half of its customers will be able to erase 50 percent to 100 percent of their rate increases through the rebates. Citi said its rebates will be based on interest charges for an entire balance, not just monthly charges.

With 92 million credit cards in circulation last year, Citi was the second largest card issuer in the country, according to CreditCards.com. Chase was the largest with 119.4 million cards, and Bank of America was third with 80.2 million cards.

The change by Citi comes as the industry rushes to adjust to sweeping reforms to start in February that will limit when and how much card issuers can hike interest rates. In a statement, Citi said the actions were necessary given elevated losses from souring loans and "regulatory changes that eliminate repricing for that risk."

The bank also noted that "customers who do more business with us will have the most opportunity to reduce their rates." Of course, consumers could need to spend more than they otherwise would to qualify.

That's the case for Lindsey Pappas, a 25-year-old public relations professional in San Francisco. She received a letter from Citi Wednesday that her interest rate was being hiked to 19.99 percent, up from 14.99 percent.

If she spends $750 a month, however, she can get a refund for part of the higher interest rate charges.

The problem is that Pappas is trying to pay off a $5,000 balance on the card, so she tries not to charge any money on it.

"I'm just going to have to deal with the higher interest rate. Spending that much would be irresponsible," she said.

Her best option now is trying to pay off the balance quickly, she said.

Citi's move is just the latest in a series of rate hikes, lowered limits and other term changes credit card customers have seen in the past year. Customers who never carry a balance, and therefore don't incur financing charges, have not been spared.

Last month, for example, Bank of America said it used "risk and profitability" in selecting accounts on which to test annual fees of between $29 and $99.

Citi's move, meanwhile, is likely intended to generate greater interchange fees, which banks reap from merchants when customers use credit or debit cards, said Ben Woolsey, director of consumer research for CreditCards.com. If customers spend more to qualify for lower rates, Citi will benefit from the additional transactions.

Most customers who choose to refuse Citi's new terms will be allowed to continue under their old interest rates until their cards expire. Other accounts will be deactivated.

While Citi is raising interest rates across much of its credit card portfolio, select customers will be offered lower rates. To qualify, however, they will need to transfer a balance from another credit card onto their Citi cards.

Samuel Wang, a Citi spokesman, declined to say the credit card terms potential new customers would be offered.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Gov. Phil Bredesen says another tax hike to shore up Tennessee's unemployment trust fund appears unavoidable.

Asked after budget hearings with the state Labor and Workforce Development Department on Wednesday whether the increase will be necessary, the governor said: "I don't think there's any question."

A new law enacted this year increased the amount of an employee's wages subject to the unemployment tax from $7,000 to $9,000 and raised the tax rate by 0.6 percentage point.

Bredesen said the Legislature should consider setting up automatic increases to make sure the fund doesn't run out of money. The federal government would take over the fund if it became insolvent.

The Tennessee Constitution prevents the state from borrowing money for government operations.

KINGSPORT — Some Fun Fest events may have limited or no access to Indian Highland Park next year because of the way the 2010 Fun Fest and Kingsport school system calendars fall.

School system leaders are headed toward a 2010-11 school calendar very similar to this year, with an early August start date that will push band camp back a week earlier in a year that Fun Fest is being moved a week later.

Although the Kingsport Board of Education won’t finalize the 2010-11 calendar until its Dec. 3 meeting, the BOE during an almost four-hour work session Thursday night reached a consensus to give serious consideration to two calendar options, both of which would start the school year Monday, Aug. 2, and end school May 16.

That reflected results of an online survey that showed the most support for retaining the early start date, a one-week fall break and a two-week winter break.

Fun Fest officials had asked the school board earlier this year to consider a later school year start because Fun Fest uses school facilities.

To avoid having a Fourth of July parade on a Monday and the Fun Fest parade the Friday of the same week, Fun Fest for 2010 has been moved a week later than normal.

Meanwhile, the school system — trying to get the first 90-day semester over in time for the winter holidays and keep fall break — is poised to continue starting classes in early August.

Kingsport City Schools Community Relations Director Amy Greear, who made the calendar presentation along with Assistant Superintendent Carolyn McPherson, said marching band camp at Indian Highland Park likely would require a volleyball tournament and possibly other Fun Fest events to be rescheduled or moved.

Fun Fest Director Lucy Fleming earlier this year asked the BOE to consider a later school year start, and nothing has been finalized on the festival’s use of the park during the potential overlap, BOE President Susan Lodal said after the meeting.

Greear also pointed out that the first day for football practice with pads, as just announced by the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association, would be Monday, Aug. 2. Delaying the start until Aug. 9 or even later in the week of Aug. 2 would give the football team more pad practice time and potentially allow band camp to be shifted away from Fun Fest.

Lodal said the system did not have the option, suggested by some in the survey, to start school later and end school later because of mandatory Gateway and No Child Left Behind testing, not to mention other state testing for which allowable dates already are set.

The informal online survey of 1,566 — made up of 923 parents, 509 staff, 77 “others” and 57 students — found the most popular option among parents and others — drawing a 36 percent approval — was a full five-day fall break and two-week winter break.

In contrast, 29 percent said to start later with no fall break.

Among staff, the fall break and early start got 53 percent approval compared to 23 percent for a three-day fall break and midweek start, while 44 percent of students wanted the early start and fall break, and 23 percent wanted to start later with no fall break.

Lodal said Option C — an Aug. 9 start with no fall break — should be eliminated because of the survey results, while BOE member Randy Montgomery and Lodal said Option N — which included four half days to replace two full days and allow for professional development time — should be considered along with the extended day option for the 2011-12 calendar.

As for concerns expressed in the survey about aligning fall and spring breaks with neighboring Hawkins and Sullivan counties, Lodal asked Greear and McPherson to check on those systems’ schedules.

Hawkins County’s BOE already has set its calendar, but because it has an extended school day — which allows it to “bank” 13 extra days for use as snow days or professional development — Hawkins is starting Aug. 9, has a fall break, winter break and spring break, and gets out in May.

Sullivan adopted the extended day this year.

The BOE has expressed interest in extending the day but for only 15 minutes to bank about seven days instead of the 30 minutes and 13 banked days allowed by state law.

Having a 15-minute extension would have more of an impact on elementary and middle schools since the high school days already are extended. But that would require action by the General Assembly, something Lodal said the BOE may seek this winter.

The survey found that extending the school day got support of 44 percent of parents and others, compared to opposition from 45 percent with 12 percent unsure.

Among staff, 51 percent opposed it, 29 percent supported it, and 21 percent were unsure. Among students, 73 percent opposed, 20 percent supported, and 7 percent were unsure.

Lodal said the survey probably was not clear the extended day would allow for more built-in snow days and professional development days for faculty.

If no snow days are taken, the school year doesn’t end any earlier and students get extra time in school beyond what is required.

Police said they found the chainsaw, along with more than $500 in other merchandise and a gear shift stick stuffed with marijuana after searching the vehicle driven by Jaime S. Cox, 39, of Kingsport.

The chainsaw was allegedly stolen from Liberty Lumber, located at the corner of Gay and Elm streets in Erwin, just before 12:30 p.m. Thursday. People at the business provided a description of Cox’s vehicle to police. Erwin Police Detective Tony Buchanan saw Cox on Interstate 26 a short time later and attempted to stop him.

Read the full story on the Johnson City Press site.

KINGSPORT — Sullivan County’s H1N1 inoculation program that began this week in elementary and middle schools will move to the high schools next week.

By the end of the school day Tuesday, school system health supervisor Alisa Hearl said she expects the program — done in cooperation with the Sullivan County Regional Health Department — will have inoculated about 2,700 students in the roughly 11,800-student system.

On Monday, the H1N1 nasal mist and injectable H1N1 vaccine will be given at Sullivan North and Sullivan South high schools in the Kingsport area, followed by Tuesday events at Sullivan Central High School near Blountville and Sullivan East near Bluff City.

“We’re probably going to end up with 2,600 or 2,700 among our 27 schools,” Hearl said.

She said later, yet-to-be-scheduled events at the high schools likely will be open to the community, as the supply of vaccine is available, but the Monday and Tuesday events are for students.

The inoculations are free of charge.

Hearl, a health department employee whose position is funded by the school system, said she didn’t have statistics on how many of the vaccines were nasal versus injectable but that the majority are nasal.

“We absolutely are doing more nasal mist than injections,” Hearl said, adding that the injections generally are used only for students with asthma or other illnesses or health conditions that are not recommended to get the mist.

“The nasal is so much more convenient. It’s user friendly,” Hearl said. “They don’t get so upset if they see it’s the nasal mist.”

Today, the shots and mist will be given at Colonial Heights Middle School, Miller Perry and Rock Springs elementary schools, and Sullivan Elementary and Middle schools.

Amy Greear, spokeswoman for the Kingsport school system, said Thursday that H1N1 vaccinations are expected to be given at city schools in late November. Bristol, Tenn., schools also are to be in the program.

For more information visit the Sullivan County Schools Web site at www.scde.k12.tn.us, the Web site for Kingsport schools at http://kingsport.schoolfusion.us and the Bristol, Tenn., school system Web site at www.btcs.org.

KINGSPORT — Another piece of the Academic Village puzzle fell into place Thursday afternoon with the official opening of the Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing in downtown Kingsport.

RCAM — located at the corner of Clinchfield and Main — is the result of a partnership between Domtar, Eastman Chemical Co. and Northeast State Community College.

The facility offers a number of higher education opportunities including three apprenticeship programs (Domtar’s maintenance and Eastman’s operator and lab analyst), an electromechanical degree, chemical process operator certificate, and two general technology programs (electrical and instrumentation, and mechanical).

“We’re very excited about what this facility has to offer and the benefits it will provide, not just to us, but to the community,” said Parker Smith, vice president of worldwide manufacturing at Eastman. “We were very pleased to be a part of this.”

The 27,000-square-foot facility includes eight labs for welding, process, electrical and instrumentation training; a study and testing center; computer lab; lecture room; and four smaller training rooms.

Charlie Floyd, vice president and mill manager for Domtar, called the RCAM a “truly remarkable facility” and one that will meet the work force needs of tomorrow for manufacturing and industry.

“It’s a design that contains the right balance of classrooms and labs, meeting areas and testing facilities,” Floyd said. “It has fully automated, state-of-the-art visual aids, welding areas including a complex fume removal system, pneumatics, a low-pressure steam supply, hydraulics, electronics and chemical operations.”

After recognizing the need to ensure a future supply of qualified workers, Domtar and Eastman broke ground on the facility in October 2008 and opened with its first students in August. Around 160 students are enrolled, though up to 200 could eventually attend.

Matt Kisber, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, attended Thursday’s grand opening, saying the RCAM is filling a vital need in the community.

“This facility will serve to differentiate this region in the competitive business location market by identifying and addressing industrial work force needs directly,” Kisber said. “RCAM is a distinctive asset that will lead to continued growth and innovation with exponential benefits and serve a valuable role in supporting the industry community that already calls this region home.”

To create the facility, Domtar provided the land, while Eastman contributed $2.7 million of its $15 million of state work force developments funds the company had received. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor chipped in $1.9 million to pay for building equipment and scholarships.

As with the other higher education facilities in downtown, Northeast State will oversee the operations of the RCAM.

“This is another great example of what we can accomplish when you don’t mind who gets the credit. Everyone in this room has contributed to making this a part of an Academic Village,” Mayor Dennis Phillips said.

For the fall 2009 semester, Northeast State announced 146 newly awarded scholarships, which were provided by the Eastman Workforce Development Scholarship Fund. The fund grants an average of $500 to support students enrolled in the specified technical education degree or certificate program.

RCAM is the fourth higher education facility to open in downtown Kingsport in the past seven years.

The facility adds to the growing Academic Village concept city leaders envision the western side of downtown transforming into.

The fifth building in the Academic Village will be the Pal Barger School of Automotive Technology. The PBSAT will transform the Free Service Tire and Auto Center on Center Street into a facility housing Northeast State’s automotive services program. Pal Barger, owner of Pal’s Sudden Service, has agreed to donate $400,000 to Northeast State to purchase the Free Service building.

The program will encompass all aspects of auto body training — estimating, building and reconstruction, repair and painting.

Janice Gilliam, president of Northeast State, said the college is in the planning stage for renovating the Free Service building.

Gilliam said the new automotive technology facility should be open by next fall.

ROGERSVILLE — As has been anticipated for most of this decade, the Rogersville Heritage Association will be incorporating the newly renovated 185-year-old Hale Springs Inn into its annual “Christmas Tour of Homes,” scheduled for Dec. 12-13.

This year’s RHA Christmas tour includes six private homes — including the oldest home in Hawkins County — as well as two churches, the Hasson Street Christian Church and Ebbing and Flowing Spring United Methodist Church.

The tour stretches from the West Hills subdivision off Highway 11-W, through Rogersville’s historic downtown district, and east through the countryside to Burem Road, Ebbing and Flowing Springs Road and the Petersburg Road areas.

RHA Executive Director Angie Proffitt said this year’s tour hits some of Rogersville’s oldest buildings, but there is an emphasis on decorations as well, as some more modern structures have been included.

“New this year is the home of Tammy and Ed Baird in the West Hills subdivision, and it was built in 1985, so it’s not a historic home,” Proffitt said. “It’s a ‘Cape Cod Salt Box,’ and that stop on the tour is more focused on their decorations. The Bairds purchased the house in 2007 and have done extensive renovations and added Kentucky cobblestone to the fireplace, and they made this huge outdoor expanse.”

There will, however, be plenty of historical stops on the tour including the Amis House, 677 Burem Road, which is the oldest home in Hawkins County having originally been built between 1781-83. Although additions have been made, the original 16-foot-wide, 46-foot-long stone structure still exists and is owned by Jake and Wendy Jacobs. Wendy Jacobs is the fifth-great-granddaughter of Revolutionary War hero Capt. Thomas Amis, who built the house and was the father-in-law of Rogersville founder Joseph Rogers.

Among the famous visitors to Amis House were Andrew Jackson, Daniel Boone and John Sevier, and the Jacobs have done extensive research on the history of the house, which they enjoy sharing with guests.

Other stops on this year’s RHA Christmas tour include:

• Ebbing & Flowing Spring United Methodist Church, 327 Ebbing and Flowing Springs Road, founded in 1820 although the existing building was constructed in 1898.

Members met in nearby Ebbing and Flowing Spring School until James Amis donated land between the school and the cemetery to build the church. Amis made one stipulation, that the church had to face the grave of his mother, Matilda Lee Amis.

The church and school were named for the “sinking spring” which flows into Big Creek through Amis land into nearby Big Creek.

• Davis Place, 1010 Petersburg Road, which was the home of Pat H. and Buena Bledsoe Davis when they married in 1920. Pat Davis died in 1978, and Buena continued living there until her death on Jan. 1, 1990, at the age of 89. In 1990, Joe Davis — the youngest of their six children — moved into his childhood home with his wife, Katherine L. Davis. Davis Place is easily recognized by the three huge 150-year-old oak trees at the edge of the front yard.

• Kirkpatrick Home, 325 W. Main St., built in the early 1900s by F.H. and Nelle Rogan, it was purchased by Kyle and Mary Evelyn Kirkpatrick in 1963. The home remains as it was originally designed.

• Hasson Street Christian Church, 601 N. Hasson St., originally established in 1878 as the Church of God, the current building was constructed in 1925-26.

• Bowman Home, 119 Circle Drive, owned by Jim and Paula Bowman, the house dates back to the early 1940s. Although there has been extensive remodeling, the Bowmans maintained the charm and integrity of that architectural era.

• Humbert Home, 200 Circle Drive, was built in 1960 and is owned by Larry and Patricia Humbert, who purchased it in 2004 and renovated over the next year.

Tour participants can begin at any of the nine locations and can travel to any of the destinations at their leisure. Light refreshments will be served at the Hale Springs Inn during the tour.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on the day of the event and can be purchased at several Rogersville locations including GreenBank, Depot Museum, Window Box, Local Artists Gallery, Hale Springs Inn, Mountain Star Mall, Rogersville Chamber of Commerce, Rogersville Review, and Charmed Southern and Papery.

Proceeds go toward the RHA’s ongoing efforts to preserve Rogersville’s historical district.

For more information contact Proffitt at 272-1961 or 754-4842 or e-mail her at aproffitt@rogersvilleheritage.org.

KINGSPORT — Kingsport Times-News columnist Vince Staten will serve as grand marshal for the 67th annual Kingsport Christmas Parade Saturday.

The “grand marshal” accolade is bestowed each year in recognition of dedication to the greater Kings- port community.

“Staten was chosen for his ongoing commitment to enrich and celebrate the Kingsport community with interesting and fascinating facts from Kingsport’s history and for his love of his hometown,” states an announcement issued by the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce.

Staten’s column for the Times-News appears on the newspaper’s Metro section front three times per week — Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Staten was named Best Columnist in Tennessee in 2005 by the Tennessee Press Association, and his books have appeared on Amazon.com among the top 26 books in the hardcover, nonfiction list.

“Vince does a wonderful job in his articles shedding light on the Kingsport business community,” said Kingsport Chamber Chair Julie Bennett. “Because of his love for Kingsport and sincere appreciation for celebrating the city’s history, he makes for the perfect grand marshal for the Kingsport Christmas Parade.”

The Kingsport Christmas Parade is scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. Saturday on Main Street and wind its way through downtown Kingsport.

Santa Claus will board the last fire engine in the parade upon his return from the Santa Train journey.

The Santa Train, with Santa and special guest Wynonna Judd, is scheduled to arrive at the Kingsport chamber at 3:08 p.m. There’ll be a short lag time between the train’s arrival and the gift toss in Kingsport, as Judd and Santa hold a short news conference, according to public relations personnel working for CSX.

The Santa Train is an annual project of CSX Transportation, Food City and the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce. It runs a 110-mile route from Shelby, Ky., to downtown Kingsport each Saturday before Thanksgiving, distributing gifts along each stop.

Donations to the train this year have poured in from at least 16 states — from California to Massachusetts, and from Michigan to Louisiana.

More than 15 tons of gifts will be distributed this year at the train’s 14 stops. (Please see Friday's print edition of the Times-News for a list of scheduled stops and times).

BLOUNTVILLE — A Blountville man has been charged with four counts of rape of a child.

Steve Slaughter, 45, 956 Fairview School Rd., was arrested Thursday following a lengthy investigation by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Children’s Services, and the Child Advocacy Center, police said.

Investigators say that the alleged rapes took place over two years. The female victim is now seven years old.

Slaughter remains jailed at the Sullivan County jail with a $140,000 bond.

Whether your teenage daughter is a member of Team Edward or Team Jacob, don’t worry. A local school counselor says it’s just a phase and part of growing up.

Edward, Jacob and Bella — the girl they fall for — are the main characters in Stephenie Meyer’s popular “Twilight” book series. The second movie to be made from the books — “New Moon” — opens in theaters Friday.

The actors cast in the male roles have captured the hearts of millions of teenage girls who have plastered their bedroom walls with movie posters, read and reread the books, and perhaps even persuaded their parents to put Team Edward or Team Jacob bumper stickers on their cars.

“That middle school age, this is the beginning of the jump — when (teens) start becoming familiar with romance — but it’s all very normal,” said Kelli Ferguson, a Frontier Health school-based counselor.

“It’s more of a maturing fairy tale for (the girls). They have moved on past Snow White and Cinderella, and now they have ‘Twilight.’ As far as development, (these types of crushes) help them to learn to deal with some of those feelings.

“It saves some of the emotional risk factor and has sort of a safety valve. With boys around that they like and have a crush on, they get their feelings hurt. With a crush on a movie star or a character, they have the safety of dreaming of the star and not getting hurt as much.”

Teen heartthrobs are probably familiar to most parents. Each generation has its own. Ferguson said for baby boomers, it was Elvis Presley or The Beatles. In the 1970s through the 1990s, high school lockers were plastered with pictures of rock stars like Rick Springfield, New Kids on the Block or David Cassidy, or movie stars like Corey Haim, Johnny Depp or Tom Cruise.

Ferguson said parents can make sure a child’s crush is healthy by keeping avenues of communication open, especially if the character in question has what might be considered a dark and dangerous side. (In “New Moon,” Edward is a vampire and Jacob is a werewolf.)

“I would suggest they keep some realistic aspect to it. Life is not always like what you see in the movies,” Ferguson said.

“It is OK to dream and enjoy those relationships that a good story can bring, but you have to explain to them that life is going to have ups and downs, and there is no rewind. They don’t need to be constantly consumed by it.

“(“Twilight”) has kind of a forbidden love aspect, like Romeo and Juliet, and some of the girls have talked about identifying with Bella. She is kind of the normal girl, and she ends up getting one of the popular guys to date her. They like that, and (Edward) has a sense of mystery to him.”

ROGERSVILLE — Cherokee High School went on lockdown Monday about 20 minutes before the end of school after Rogersville police received a tip of a cell phone text circulating around campus threatening that shootings would take place as students were dismissed.

No one in law enforcement or in school administration has actually seen that text message, and after students had been dismissed Monday, Principal Patrick Fraley told the Times-News he wouldn’t be surprised if it was a hoax.

Still, Fraley said all threats have to be taken seriously, which is why the lockdown was initiated. Students were dismissed from school in small numbers with police escorts to their various modes of transportation.

Monday was actually the first day that there were two officers on duty at both main Hawkins County high schools as ordered by the Board of Education last week.

The BOE agreed last week to fund one additional student resource officer at both high schools at least until Christmas break in response to disturbing events earlier this month at CHS.

On Nov. 3, a student was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals for allegedly distributing a video of himself mutilating a cat to classmates via cell phone.

A few days later, a friend of his was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly threatening classmates for making fun of the first student.

Both 17-year-old students have been banned from all public schools pending the outcome of their juvenile court charges.

On Monday, Rogersville Police Department Detective Charlie Gibson received a tip from a friend who said her child had called her from CHS and indicated a threatening cell phone text was circulating around campus.

“She called me and asked if I knew about what some kids were texting each other about what was going to happen outside the school this afternoon,” Gibson told the Times-News. “Then she goes on to tell me her kid texted her and said there was going to be somebody waiting outside the school waiting to shoot somebody coming out of the school today. I proceeded to call the school and spoke to the officers on duty over there and told them what I heard.”

This was about 2:40 p.m., and as soon as Fraley was notified of the supposed threats he ordered the lockdown. Hawkins County and Rogersville officers then descended on the CHS campus.

“I didn’t see an actual text, but my understanding was it was a threat of some shooting as students exited the building,” Fraley said. “We put our safety plan in place at that point. To make sure our kids were able to exit the building in a safe, secure manner we went into a lockdown.”

Fraley said the entire student body were evacuated from their classrooms to the school gym, at which time students were dismissed from the rear of the building in small numbers, and with police escorts.

Fraley said it was easier to secure a smaller dismissal area, although it was a slow process.

It took slightly more than an hour to complete Monday’s student dismissal. Bus students were allowed to leave first, followed by students being picked up by parents, and then students who’d driven themselves.

“There were no incidents, no illegal or improper activity going on,” Fraley said. “It’s hearsay of threats at this point. I’d heard earlier in the day that there was a threat being forwarded, and we jumped on trying to find that and didn’t find anything. We asked kids at lunch if there was anybody who’d received any threats or text forwards, and we didn’t have anything at that point, and then it was about 2:40 p.m. when our officers received the call from RPD.”

Fraley added, “You can’t be safe enough, and these kids are mine. Parents trust them to me to take care during the day, and if we have to keep them until 6 p.m., we’re going to make sure they get home safe.”

The student accused in the cat mutilation video and his friend both allegedly had photos of themselves stored in their cell phones posing with weapons and wearing dark clothes, a gas mask and a swastika. On Nov. 9, the second boy allegedly threatened to return to school wearing a ski mask, telling classmates “I’ll show everybody.”

A third juvenile CHS student is now under investigation by the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly making threatening statements on his Facebook page about putting on a ski mask, coming to school and teaching certain classmates a lesson.

Although the first two students were banned from school by Juvenile Court Judge Jay Taylor, the third student has not yet been charged with anything, although Fraley said he has not returned to school since the alleged Facebook threats were discovered by police.

“I don’t know if he’s been in front of the judge or not, but he (the Facebook student) is not in school,” Fraley said. “I don’t know if that’s by court order or family. That one was handled off school grounds.”

Fraley asked that parents of CHS students discuss Monday’s incidents with their child, and if they discover their child received a forward of a threatening text, contact him or the HCSO. Even if it was a hoax, the perpetrators need to be punished, Fraley said.

“These hoaxes and text forwards are just going to continue to cause disruption, but we have to take them all seriously, and we’re going to take them all seriously,” he said.

John Henry McAlpin, of Asheville, N.C., was one of 16 suspects indicted in Blountville on drug charges in December 2008. The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office announced the arrests of 10 of the suspects in March.

McAlpin was one of six suspects who remained at large at that time.

He was located Tuesday in a Boydton, Va., prison. He has been transferred to Blountville for a court appearance Friday.

McAlpin is charged with three counts each of sale and delivery of cocaine.

The charges stem from an undercover investigation in which police, through informants, buys and arrests, seized 4 ounces of cocaine — valued at $10,000 — 100 Lortab, 15 OxyContin and 60 grams of marijuana.

Also seized was $6,000 in cash and four vehicles.

More details as they develop online and in the Friday edition of the Times-News.

John Franklin Cable, 46, 123 Starlight Drive, was booked into the Blountville jail Wednesday on charges of felony evading arrest, running a stop sign, speeding in a school zone, illegal passing, reckless driving as well two violations of the judicial diversion he had been granted on a prior domestic violence conviction.

The alleged incident occurred at about 8:15 a.m. on April 7, according to the report. The report does not explain why Cable was booked on the charges seven months after the incident.

Deputy Kevin Morrell wrote in his report that Cable ran several stop signs, passed several cars on double yellow lines, and drove 55 mph through the 15 mph zone at Emmett Elementary School to get away from police.

The report says Morell attempted a traffic stop on Cable's car after receiving a report that he had just ran his wife and her six-year-old passenger off the road on Highway 19E.

Cable fled into Washington County, Va., and was later arrested on felony charges in Johnson County, Tenn.

More details as they develop online and in the Friday edition of the Times-News.

Jonathan Paul Delph, 42, 1604 Route 70-N, was served Tuesday with warrants for possession of methamphetamine for sale or delivery, promoting the manufacture of meth, maintaining a dwelling where controlled substances are used, stored or sold, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

The charges stemmed from a Jan. 8 raid at Delph's former residence, 1405 Rufus Road, Kingsport.

While checking the house, detectives saw several packets of pseudoephedrine in a black bag that was open on a nightstand. Baggies and scales were also "in plain view" in the bag. They also saw baggies containing what appeared to be meth and meth residue in the bag.

Delph was arrested at that time. His case was then bound over from sessions court and warrants were issued for his arrest Oct. 30 following his indictment by a Sullivan County grand jury.

More details as they develop online and in the Friday edition of the Times-News.