BIG STONE GAP — James Veenstra’s “Pangaea,” a display of paintings, prints and mixed media artworks, will be on exhibit at Mountain Empire Community College’s Slemp Gallery beginning Wednesday through Dec. 12.

Veenstra said the title of his art show “refers to the idea that at one time all the world’s continents were together. I sometimes felt that putting together a show with such differing themes and mediums was akin to putting the continents back together again.”

When the earth was young in geological terms, scientists believe one land mass, or supercontinent, existed. Continental drift — essentially referring to tectonic plates that “float” over the earth’s molten core — broke apart the supercontinent scientists refer to as Pangaea into the separate continents familiar today.

An adjunct faculty member at MECC and the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Veenstra teaches computer graphics, 2D design and decorative painting.

A native of New Mexico, he learned of the area through Alice Harrington, MECC professor of art, and her husband, Jack, who were Veenstra’s instructors when he attended Illinois College as an art student.

Veenstra later attended the Hoffberger School of Art at the Maryland Art Institute under the tutelage of artist Grace Hartigan.

Veenstra worked commercially in decorative finishes, eventually creating a mural department for his company. Veenstra’s murals — some as large as 40 feet tall — are in private residences, institutions and commercial spaces across the United States and other countries, including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and The Harborplace in Baltimore.

James Brown set out from New Mexico in April bound for Canada. Instead of enjoying the sights by plane, train or automobile, Brown traveled every mile on horseback.

Brown, a former Blountville resident now living in South Carolina, joined a group of riders who took the organized, 2,228-mile ride with the Best of America by Horseback Trail Club, headquartered in Virginia and owned by Tom Seay. The adventure was captured on video for an upcoming series on the “Best of America by Horseback” television show broadcast on RFD-TV.

Traveling with — and carrying — Brown was his American Paint Horse, Rocker.

Brown grew up in Blountville on a 93-acre farm. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he earned a bachelor of science degree in business from East Tennessee State University. He and wife Lorraine moved to Greenville, S.C., in 1970. Their daughter Michelle King and her family live on the farm now.

Brown learned about Best of America by Horseback through The Trail Rider magazine. He became a member of the club, then went through an application process to be selected for the ride. One requirement was that he had to have his own horse and trailer.

“They did screen the applicants looking for those with experience who could make the trip safely,” he said. “Originally, 26 riders signed up to go the entire distance. An additional 57 joined along the way for brief portions.”

Constant communication between Brown and the trip organizers helped to prepare both him and Rocker for the trip. Brown said Rocker — along with a second horse — had been checked by a veterinarian who decided Rocker was the stronger of the two and could go the distance.

Brown trailered Rocker from the Blountville farm to begin the ride at the United States/Mexico border at Santa Teresa. The group followed the Rio Grande northward, traversed the famous Journey of Death Trail, the White Sands Desert and included in their travels the crossing of trails such as the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, the Pony Express route, and the Lewis and Clark Trail.

The riders opened three rodeos, were featured in six parades and attended dozens of community events as they were welcomed from town to town. They were recognized along the way by mayors, governors and one lieutenant governor.

They traveled on average about 20 miles a day, but sometimes only covered 16 or 18 miles, Brown said.

“That was long enough to ride for us and the horse,” he said. “That was a reasonable riding distance that most could do without difficulty.”

The routine was to leave from camp every morning, ride the route, tie up the horses at the next stop, hitch a ride back to camp to retrieve the trailers, and drive the trailers to the new campsite. This didn’t necessarily mean that Brown and the others covered the exact route twice because most of the riding was done off-road, giving them a chance to soak up the countryside.

The route had been traveled twice before by Best of America staff during the planning stages. Where the riders stopped each evening depended on the availability of overnight accommodations.

“We traveled based on campsite availability,” Brown said. “Sometimes we were on private land, sometimes in towns on rodeo grounds or fairgrounds. Sometimes electricity was available. Most often water was available.”

Once or twice a week, the riders and their horses were given a rest day. The riders used these days to replenish their food, hay and feed supplies and do laundry.

The riders were from 41 states and seven countries. Of the 26 who signed up to go the entire distance, six had to leave for personal or medical reasons, Brown said, although one of those did rejoin the group. Seven riders rode the whole way, but Brown and Rocker were the only rider-horse combination who rode every step together. The other six riders who went the distance did so by alternating between two horses.

Brown and his wife had done some some car touring along the Oregon Trail through Nebraska and north to Belle Fourche, S.D., and the Black Hills and into Montana. But there was much about the West that he was unfamiliar with.

“When you’re riding on your horse, you hear things around you. ... You’re much more aware of the world around you. You form a bond with your horse, which is pleasant. You can see a whole lot more from the back of your horse,” he said.

Along the way, the riders saw bison, open range horses, antelope, mountain lions, eagles, hawks, bobcats, coyotes, mule deer, white tail deer, prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse.

The weather was usually ideal; although, they did encounter an occasional thunderstorm and hail.

“It was a mild summer in the West. There was enough rain that it was green. The nights were cool, into the 50s ... but by middle of the day it’d be high 80s to 90s. As soon as the sun went down, so did the temperature,” he said.

Lorraine Brown joined her husband twice during the ride — for two weeks traveling through Colorado, then again in North Dakota during the final two weeks of the ride.

The riders arrived in Ambrose, N.D., on Sept. 4, and the next day crossed the Canadian border into Estevan, Saskatchewan, three days ahead of schedule.

There was one other Tennessean on the trip — a retired lieutenant colonel from Jamestown who rode three-quarters of the way. The riders ranged in age from 16 to 88.

“I had a great trip,” Brown said. “It was a wonderful experience, a growth experience. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, my horse and riding, the people I met, seeing the countryside.”

Rocker, Brown said, seemed to enjoy the trip as much as he did. “He was ready to go every day,” he said.

For Brown, the journey was a growth experience. “The focus was just seeing a lot of new country. It was nice to be able to get on your horse, go into countryside you wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to see, and see just how beautiful a country it really is.”

KINGSPORT — The United Way of Greater Kingsport has raised $2,918,700 — 84.6 percent of its $3.45 million goal.

“We need to raise an additional half million in order to reach our goal by the Community Campaign Celebration on November 20th,” said Greg Boehling, campaign chair. “We are very grateful for the generosity of businesses and individuals who have contributed thus far. The red on the thermometer tends to climb a little more slowly at the end of the campaign, because most of the larger workplace campaigns have already been completed. That’s why we need everyone who hasn’t had an opportunity to participate, and are able, to make a pledge in the next couple of weeks.

“The 41 agency programs supported by United Way are counting on us. Our programs couldn’t continue to provide the services so desperately needed by our community at the current level without United Way funding.”

Those who haven’t had a chance to participate in a workplace campaign or as an individual donor may send a contribution to the United Way at P.O. Box 7268, Kingsport, Tenn. 37664, or pledge online at www.uwaykpt.org.

“We would like to encourage everyone who contributed to the success of the campaign in any way to come out to the Boys and Girls Club located off Stone Drive on Friday, November 20th, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to enjoy lunch and to help us celebrate the results,” said Director of Resource Development Ann Rhem. “We had a celebrity help us kick off the campaign this year when Pat Summitt spoke at the regional kickoff in August. Everyone came away feeling energized and motivated because of her inspirational words.

“Pat said, ‘The economy is tough, but don’t let that be an excuse. When I started coaching the Lady Vols, we set out to be national champions. United Way is just the same as our team. We’re only as good as our weakest player. Teamwork works.’ With the tough economy, that teamwork has been more critical than ever this year to ensure we raise the resources to create a brighter tomorrow for everyone.

“All the folks who have supported United Way this year, whether it was through giving, advocating or volunteering, have become our local celebrities, everyday people making a difference in someone else’s life. We want to make sure everyone who helped comes out and helps us celebrate. Just call the United Way office at 378-3409, extension 14, or send an e-mail to lmiller@uwaykpt.org to make a reservation.”

Part of the festivities will include a silent auction of University of Tennessee memorabilia autographed by Summitt, an ice tub, a stadium blanket, a hooded sweatshirt, two ball caps and several photographs.

To continue in the local celebrity vein, Food City is sponsoring a Celebrity Bagging Event on Nov. 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Shoppers at three locations that day will be able to add a donation to the United Way on their food bill or tip the volunteer baggers.

All contributions at the Eastman Road store, the Moreland Drive store in Colonial Heights and the Highway 394 store in Blountville will benefit the programs of the United Way of Greater Kingsport.

Anyone interested in volunteering to bag groceries for a couple of hours that day should contact the United Way office at 378-3409, ext. 13.

BLOUNTVILLE — Dozens of officials, boosters and volunteers with area historic sites joined together Friday for what organizers hope will become a twice-a-year “tourism roundtable.”

Phyllis Qualls-Brooks, assistant commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, told the group — which included representatives from agencies throughout Northeast Tennessee — not to take themselves, or their efforts, for granted.

“Beat your own drum,” Qualls-Brooks said. “Know your story. Share your story. Learn (each other’s) stories. Be nosey. Learn and understand what others are doing.”

Qualls-Brooks said the best things on a trip aren’t the things that can be bought, but the memories that can be made.

“Know your product,” Qualls-Brooks said. “Work together. Do all you can do to promote those products.”

By joining the region’s resources, local tourism officials — whom she commended for already doing an outstanding job — can give tourists the opportunity to be fully immersed in the Northeast Tennessee experience.

“And it will be not only worth repeating, it will be unforgettable,” Qualls-Brooks said.

The Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism conceived of and hosted the “roundtable” event.

Sons of Confederate Veterans Brigade Commander David Roberts presented Qualls-Brooks, who is black, with a copy of the book “Forgotten Confederates: An Anthology About Black Southerners.”

Roberts said the book offers a look at a portion of history that has been ignored or hidden.

Qualls-Brooks said she is a member of the Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, and that group plans to make sure when the state marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War it will not repeat exclusions that occurred when the 100th anniversary was commemorated.

The Sesquicentennial Commemoration, which will include events beginning in 2011 and continuing into 2015, “must be inclusive,” Qualls-Brooks said the state commission has said, and not exclude the stories of women, the stories of children, and the stories of black soldiers.

“It is very important that we tell the whole story of the Civil War,” Qualls-Brooks said.

Earlier, Qualls-Brooks had said participation in the Civil War Trails program is a major marketing opportunity for local communities.

Blountville has five markers (and a sixth on the way) that are a part of that program, which encompasses four states.

Roberts and the Sons of Confederate Veterans have been active in and supportive of recent tourism and beautification efforts in Blountville.

Qualls-Brooks said the Northeast Tennessee region will within the next year or so be included in the state’s new “Discover Tennessee Trails and Byways” program.

Designs for that statewide initiative include all 95 counties along 15 regional trails, featuring Tennessee’s five National Scenic Byways.

The “Sunnyside Trail,” named for the Carter Family’s “Keep on the Sunny Side,” will include Sullivan County and attractions such as Bristol Motor Speedway and the Old Deery Inn, Qualls-Brooks said.

“The Discover Tennessee Trails and Byways program will enhance established tourism offerings and bring greater awareness to lesser-known attractions located in communities throughout all 95 counties of our state,” Gov. Phil Bredesen said at an event earlier this month opening the first of the 15 trails. “This idea, which originated with a private citizen, has led to a partnership between state agencies, local officials and tourism partners that holds economic opportunities for every county and will allow visitors to experience more of Tennessee’s special places and scenic landscapes.”

The Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism’s new Web address is www.historicsullivan.com.

After a three-week spike, gas prices in the Tri-Cities stabilized this week with only marginal half-cent increases at the pump, according to AAA East Tennessee.

AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report for the period ending Nov. 4 stated all but one East Tennessee city between Kingsport and Knoxville saw changes of less than one cent in the regular retail price for unleaded.

The continued impact of the weakened U.S. dollar on oil and other major markets is still having an effect on the trading market, according AAA East Tennessee public affairs specialist Stephanie Milani.

“Oil prices continue to defy the traditional supply and demand fundamentals at (the current prices for unleaded),” she said.

Kingsport’s Fuel Finder average, which also includes the price at three stations in neighboring Virginia, was reported at $2.54 per gallon, an increase of nine-tenths of a cent during the past week.

Johnson City had the highest price in the Tri-Cities, with regular unleaded selling for an average price of $2.57 per gallon, also up nine-tenths of a cent.

Bristol was the only locale that experienced a decrease, but a minimal one at just one-tenth of a cent and an average price of $2.56 per gallon at 22 stations.

Drivers in the Tri-Cities experienced a bit of a break at the pump in comparison with the national average retail price of $2.65 per gallon — the highest average for all of 2009 and 29 cents higher than one year ago, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The jump in gasoline costs mirrors the run-up in crude oil prices during October. The price of U.S. oil rose about $10 a barrel from the beginning of the month to the third week of October.

“Usually it takes about a week or two for the full (crude oil) price effect to get passed through (to the pump),” EIA senior analyst Doug MacIntyre told the Reuters news agency.

Every $1 rise in the cost of a barrel of crude adds about 2.4 cents to the price of a gallon of gasoline, he said. As a result, the pump price should rise about 24 cents due to the recent higher oil costs, and so far gasoline has increased almost 23 cents, according to MacIntyre.

“Without a further rise in crude oil prices, we’re getting close to the peak on gasoline prices, if not there (already),” he said.

GATE CITY — Three Southwest Virginia teens were indicted on numerous felony charges earlier this week for their alleged roles in a botched attempt to rob and murder one of the trio’s relatives.

On Monday, a Scott County grand jury handed down indictments against Christopher Wayne Jones, 18, Pennington Gap, on two counts of attempted murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, three counts of solicitation of murder, and one count each of conspiracy to commit a breaking and entering, attempted breaking and entering, and solicitation of breaking and entering.

Donovan Ray Meade, 18, Big Stone Gap, was indicted on two counts of attempted murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and one count each of use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, conspiracy to commit breaking and entering, attempted breaking and entering, and attempted grand larceny.

Also indicted was Taylor Renee Gilmer, 18, Pennington Gap, on two counts of attempted murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and two counts of solicitation of murder. She received additional indictments on single counts of attempted breaking and entering, solicitation of breaking and entering, and conspiracy to commit a breaking and entering.

Gilmer had originally been charged with one count of solicitation of murder.

The firearms charges carry mandatory sentences ranging from three to five years, depending on circumstances. Sentences for the attempted murder charges run from two to 10 years for each count, while the charges of soliciting murder carry sentences of five to 40 years per count.

The charges of conspiring to commit murder carry a maximum sentence of 10 years for each count. Associated fines could run up to $100,000 for each charge.

“This is a very serious situation, and that’s how we plan to treat this case,” Scott County Commonwealth’s Attorney Marcus McClung said. “These young people are alleged to have committed grown-up crimes. The victims are taking this seriously, and we are as well.”

The trio was arrested by the Scott County Sheriff’s Department on Sept. 18, two days after they allegedly planned and attempted to murder Jones’ grandparents and steal a vehicle and other property from their home near Duffield.

According to the warrants, Jones allegedly hired Meade to commit both the murder and robbery.

The group was driven to the grandparents’ home by a fourth person who has not been charged with any wrongdoing and could testify against the three suspects.

Upon arriving at the house, Meade allegedly cut the phone lines. After that, he allegedly tried to gain access to the house by asking to use the phone there but was denied entrance and left.

A short time later, the teens returned to the home and allegedly tried to steal a vehicle parked outside.

After hearing a noise in the driveway, Jones’ grandfather went outside with a shotgun and fired a warning shot over the car the teens came in, causing them to flee.

Meade was allegedly in possession of a pistol and is suspected of firing the gun sometime between visits to the residence.

Jones and Meade are being held without bond in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Duffield. All three are scheduled to appear in Scott County General District Court on Nov. 16.

Weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Rock Springs Road will be closed near Hilton Street. It will reopen after hours and on weekends.

Motorists are advised to use extra caution and seek alternate routes in the interim. The recommended detour route is from Moreland Drive to Pactolus Road.

BLOUNTVILLE — A Bristol woman accused of running a meth lab in her home has been arraigned on several drug charges.

She was arrested after police raided an alleged meth lab in a Sullivan County mobile home park Thursday where neighbors said they sometimes wouldn’t let their children outside due to an overwhelming scent of chemicals in the air.

Cynthia Baumgardner, 44, 327 Deck Valley Road, Lot B-13, was arraigned Friday morning on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of Schedule III narcotics, possession of Schedule VI drugs, and maintaining a dwelling where narcotics are used, stored or sold.

The charges stem from officers’ discovery of suspected meth lab components while at her residence to serve a warrant for failure to appear in court on charges of speeding and driving on a suspended license.

Sullivan County deputies descended on Baumgardner’s home in Roller Hill Park about 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

In the kitchen, one of the officers saw new and used coffee filters, Coleman fuel canisters and a glass jar of clear liquid with white powder in the bottom. The collection of items caused the officers to suspect Baumgardner had been making meth.

The officers obtained consent to search the residence, and additional personnel responded to conduct the search clothed in protective gear.

They located additional items allegedly used to make and ingest meth.

Jars of liquid and powder were sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab for identification.

The remaining items officers collected were taken by Eagle Environmental Co. to be destroyed.

Baumgardner was arrested and taken to jail on the outstanding warrant. At the jail, she said she wanted a lawyer and declined to give a statement about the alleged meth lab.

Baumgardner was then charged with the additional drug counts and arraigned at the jail Friday morning. She will make her first appearance in court on the new charges on Monday.

She was jailed in lieu of a $50,000 bond.

And now, after his death we are seeing a portrait of Jackson materialize that shows a man in the throes of a serious drug addiction.

Honestly, on my way to the theater I wondered if “This Is It” would show a man who could no longer hide his demons. I imagined a frail Michael Jackson, lightly crooning (or perhaps even lip-syncing) some of his old tunes to the best of his ability — all of it concealed by bombastic tape tracks backing him up as he tries out some of his old dance moves.

But that’s not Michael. Not no way. Not no how. “This Is It” blew my mind in all the best ways. It is an experience that somehow manages to contain and convey Jackson’s legacy all in just under two hours.

Now, understand — I am NOT a diehard MJ fan. I grew up on his music. He taught me what a song hook was and he was just as responsible for my early musical tastes as The Beach Boys and The Beatles were. However, his eccentricities and prowess for generating negative press were hard for me (and many others) to ignore. That being said, no amount of strange rumors can keep me from blasting the radio volume when “Billy Jean” comes on.

“This Is It” is, for all intents and purposes, the ultimate MJ experience. It is a collection of rehearsal footage, behind-the-scenes material and new film content for what was to probably be the last 50 shows he would ever do. These shows take you on a tour through MJ’s career, with updated versions of all his classic hits.

The dancers, musicians and crew were the only witnesses to this gift MJ was about unveil to the world live from London.

From the moment the music began, it was crystal clear that Jackson was still on top of his game. In fact, he had transcended his game. The concert opens with a dazzling display of special effects and pyrotechnics. When MJ is finally unveiled, he breaks into a dance that can only be described as the Moonwalk to the tenth power.

He seamlessly glides along the stage, exerting unbelievable control over every muscle in his body. And then, he begins to sing. No tape tracks. No lip-syncing. Instead, the live voice being projected is jaw-dropping, especially when you consider it is coming from a 50-year-old man.

Every sound you hear in the film is generated by a human being. To cover all of the many layers in Jackson’s studio recordings, “This Is It” had a band the size of an orchestra, complete with several back up singers and an entire troupe of principle dancers. Everyone involved was at the top of his or her respective field.

There was so much to love about this movie. For one thing, as concert films go, “This Is It” is a masterpiece. Mixed in with the concert rehearsal footage was behind-the-scenes material that demonstrated the sheer scope of this massive concert experience. Interviews with the players revealed how much of a dream come true the whole experience was, some to a painfully awkward extent.

Best of all, however, was watching MJ be completely involved with every aspect of the show. He was the consummate musician and performer. He knew what he wanted and how he wanted it.
Watching Jackson perfect his craft painted an intimate portrait that few were ever allowed to see.

Michael Jackson was many things. He was an icon, a singer and a dancer to name only a few. And while his personal life often overshadowed his career, he still had a rare gift. He could make you forget it all — the rumors, the allegations, the eccentricities — all in the course of a three-minute pop song.

As I walked out of “This Is It,” I understood for the first time since his death what exactly it was we all lost. “This Is It” will only be in theaters for another week. Go check this one out on the big screen. Even moderate fans like myself will be blown away.

4 stars (out of 4)

STARRING: Michael Jackson, Kenny Ortega
DIRECTED BY: Kenny Ortega
RATED: PG for some suggestive choreography, scary images
RUNNING TIME: 1 hour, 52 minutes

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FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- Military officials were starting Friday to piece together what may have pushed an Army psychiatrist trained to help soldiers in distress to turn on his comrades in a shooting rampage that killed 12 people and wounded 31 in Texas.

The suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was on a ventilator and unconscious in a hospital after being shot four times during the shootings at the Army's sprawling Fort Hood, post officials said. In the early chaos after the shootings, authorities believed they had killed him, only to discover later that he had survived.

In Washington, a senior U.S. official said authorities at Fort Hood initially thought one of the victims who had been shot and killed was the shooter. The mistake resulted in a delay of several hours in identifying Hasan as the alleged assailant.

Authorities have not ruled out that Hasan was acting on behalf of some unidentified radical group, the official said. He would not say whether any evidence had come to light to support that theory.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters that were under investigation.

Officials are not ruling out the possibility that some of the casualties may have been victims of "friendly fire," that in the mayhem and confusion at the shooting scene some of the responding military officials may have shot some of the victims.

The gunfire broke out around 1:30 p.m. at the Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening. Nearby, some soldiers were readying to head into a graduation ceremony for troops and families who had recently earned degrees.

Pastor Greg Schannep had just parked his car along the side of the theater and was about to head into the ceremony when a man in uniform approached him.

"Sir, they are opening fire over there!" the man told him. At first, he thought it was a training exercise - then heard three volleys and saw people running. As the man who warned him about the shots ran away, he could see the man's back was bloodied from a wound.

Schannep said police and medical and other emergency personnel were on the scene in an instant, telling people to get inside the theater. The post went into lockdown while a search began for a suspect and emergency workers began trying to treat the wounded. Some soldiers rushed to treat their injured colleagues by ripping their uniforms into makeshift bandages to treat their wounds.

Fort Hood Lt. Gen. Bob Cone praised the soldiers for their quick reaction.

"God bless these soldiers," Cone said. "As horrible as this was it could have been worse."

Video from the scene showed police patrolling the area with handguns and rifles, ducking behind buildings for cover. Sirens could be heard wailing while a woman's voice on a public-address system urged people to take cover. Schools on the base went into lockdown, and family members trying to find out what was happening inside found cell phone lines jammed or busy.

"I was confused and just shocked," said Spc. Jerry Richard, 27, who works at the center but was not on duty during the shooting. "Overseas you are ready for it. But here you can't even defend yourself."

The wounded were dispersed among hospitals in central Texas, Cone said. Their identities and the identities of the dead were not immediately released.

Jamie and Scotty Casteel stood outside the emergency room at the hospital in Temple waiting for news of their son-in-law Matthew Cooke, who was among the injured.

"He's been shot in the abdomen and that's all we know," Jamie Casteel told The Associated Press. She said Cook, from New York state, had been home from Iraq for about a year.

Amber Bahr, 19, was shot in the stomach but was in stable condition, said her mother, Lisa Pfund of Random Lake, Wis.

"We know nothing, just that she was shot in the belly," Pfund said. She couldn't provide more details and only spoke with emergency personnel.

Ashley Saucedo told WOOD-TV in Michigan that her husband was shot in the arm, but she couldn't discuss specifics. Saucedo said she and the couple's two children weren't permitted to leave their home at Fort Hood during the shootings.

The motive for the shooting wasn't clear, but Hasan was apparently set to deploy soon, and had expressed some anger about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said generals at Fort Hood told her that Hasan was about to deploy overseas. Retired Col. Terry Lee, who said he had worked with Hasan, told Fox News he was being sent to Afghanistan.

Lee said Hasan had hoped Obama would pull troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq and got into frequent arguments with others in the military who supported the wars.

For six years before reporting for duty at Fort Hood, in July, the 39-year-old Army major worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center pursuing a career in psychiatry, as an intern, a resident and, last year, a fellow in disaster and preventive psychiatry. He received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001.

But his record wasn't sterling. At Walter Reed, he received a poor performance evaluation, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly. And while he was an intern, Hasan had some "difficulties" that required counseling and extra supervision, said Dr. Thomas Grieger, who was the training director at the time.

At least six months ago, Hasan came to the attention of law enforcement officials because of Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats, including posts that equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades.

Investigators had not determined for certain whether Hasan was the author of the posting, and a formal investigation had not been opened before the shooting, said law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case.

KINGSPORT — Students and other users of the Kingsport Center for Higher Education will be able to take advantage of distance learning opportunities, thanks in part to a $50,000 grant from AT&T.

A new “smart classroom” funded by the grant was showcased Thursday morning during a news conference and ribbon cutting. Officials showed how four television-type monitors, a projection screen, computer and computer screen, cameras, microphones, speakers and other equipment join to form a 21st century learning experience.

Dan Burgess of Multi-Media Masters Inc. demonstrated the capabilities of the system designed to enhance learning.

Kingsport Mayor Dennis Phillips said he first saw a smart classroom while at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville about two years ago, watching a class that originated at UT Martin.

“It’s almost like you’re there. You talk back and forth and see each other,” Phillips said.

“We’re on the beginning of a lot of new technology,” Phillips said. “Students today are driven by technology. We’re not going to get the students without the technology.”

The AT&T-funded smart classroom is one of two tiered classrooms in the center with smart room technology.

Two other regular classrooms also are dubbed smart classrooms, and most all classrooms have some aspect of advanced video and audio communications.

“This is the room I cleaned and vacuumed before the grand opening,” recalled Lana Hamilton, vice president of student affairs at Northeast State Community College. Hamilton spoke for President Janice Gilliam, who was out of state because of a family illness.

Sullivan County Mayor Steve Godsey said the center shows “how local government can get involved in bringing universities together in one location.”

State Sen. Mike Faulk, R-Church Hill, said Kingsport’s Academic Village should be replicated.

“Partnerships are the way to go in the future,” Faulk said.

State Rep. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, said the KCHE and the overall Academic Village show how government, academia, industry and people can come together.

“None of these buildings would have happened if the citizens of Kingsport didn’t want them to happen,” Phillips said of the Academic Village, which all told has about 1,700 students downtown this fall, with a goal to reach 3,000.

Phillips said many are to thank for the center, from AT&T and others who supported it, including Kingsport Times-News Publisher Keith Wilson and Northeast State President Emeritus Bill “Cooter” Locke, who retired earlier this year.

“We can, without fear, call him Cooter,” Phillips quipped of Locke’s nickname that dates back to his basketball days at Dobyns-Bennett High School. “Cooter, we sincerely appreciate everything you’ve done.”

Gregg Morton, president of AT&T Tennessee, said officials of the communications business were impressed by the plans for the KCHE 18 months ago when they offered the grant.

Kingsport built and owns the 54,000-square-foot KCHE, while Northeast State serves as the operating manager and provides the first two years of education for those on track to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Gilliam in a news release said the classroom “will help provide the flexibility necessary for both traditional and non-traditional students to obtain the course offerings they need to graduate in a timely manner.”

Alan Hill, AT&T regional director of external affairs, said investing in the smart classroom makes solid business sense for a company like AT&T, which provides wired and wireless communications and is engaged in connecting folks wherever they may be.

KINGSPORT — The Kingsport Board of Education has unanimously approved creating an additional full-time school bus driver’s position, which school officials said was needed because of increased ridership on the buses.

The board voted 5-0 Thursday night at its regular meeting to approve the new bus driver’s position, increasing the number of regular education school buses from 21 to 22.

The new driver — likely to be an existing fill-in driver — will drive a bus used as a spare bus, said Director of Student Services Tyler Fleming. But Fleming added that the system has another backup bus available.

Fleming said the additional driver is needed to relieve overcrowding on buses. Although technically in compliance with up to three students per seat, Fleming said middle school and high school students generally can sit safely and comfortably with only two students per seat, and increases in ridership warrant the additional bus.

Director of Transportation Ken Barnes recommended the addition, which was in the proposed 2009-10 budget considered in the fall but was cut out during budget changes, Fleming said. He said the addition of a new school, John Adams Elementary off Rock Springs Road, and an overall increase in ridership possibly driven by the slow economy have created the need for the additional bus and driver.

“Ridership is so hard to predict,” Fleming said of students who may ride the bus in the morning but not the evening or vice versa. He said middle and high school students in particular have after-school activities that mean they don’t always ride the bus in the afternoon.

Superintendent Richard Kitzmiller said funding and filling the position are not at issue, but the matter had to come before the BOE because only it could create a new position.

In other matters:

•Kitzmiller said letters and permission slips for students to receive the H1N1 vaccine before, during or after school should already be out at all schools. The vaccine, to be provided at no cost through the Sullivan County Regional Health Department, should be available in late November and also will be distributed to students in the Sullivan County and Bristol, Tenn., school systems.

He said H1N1 and other illness has caused some dips in student attendance but nothing dramatic.

•The Kingsport and Sullivan County school boards will meet in their second joint session this year at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, at Ross N. Robinson Middle School to address issues of mutual concern. Those include city student enrollment growth, county enrollment decline, effects of annexation and an aging population, an upcoming shortage of city school buildings, and a surplus of county school buildings.

•The topic of the new Brown Bag Lunch, set for noon Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Ross N. Robinson Middle School, will be the 2009 Tennessee Report Card the state issued this week. Kitzmiller said the Report Card also may be a topic during the BOE work session at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19.

•The school system has received seven Putting Children First grants from Eastman Chemical Co. of $750 each. Kitzmiller said those are among 24 grants Eastman will announce the afternoon of Dec. 1.

•The annual online survey about the 2009-10 school calendar will continue through Friday, Nov. 13. To take the survey go to http://kingsport.schoolfusion.us/ and click the survey link.

WISE — An independent financial consultant on Thursday said Wise County could take on from $35 million to over $50 million in debt for school projects without increasing taxes, confirmation of a previous debt management scenario provided to the Board of Supervisors by the county’s finance administrator, David Cox.

During Thursday’s workshop session, David Rose of Davenport & Co. LLC, based in Richmond, told supervisors the county could fund another $24 million in other capital projects, including about $12 million for courthouse renovations, while taking on over $52 million in debt for high school consolidation.

Thursday’s presentation sets up another potential vote next week by supervisors to make a financial commitment to the Wise County School Board’s plan to build three new high schools and close the existing six high schools. Total projected cost of the consolidation project is currently estimated at between $90 million and $100 million.

The Davenport analysis maintains a conservative fiscal line — not taking into account a projected $3.2 million annual savings by the school division by cutting in half the number of high schools it operates, or a $9 million fund the county set aside for school construction projects — while keeping an eye on potential state budget cuts. Rose also said the county could set up a separate capital reserve fund in excess of $10 million and still handle the debt load without a tax increase.

Borrowing affordability scenarios ranged from a “worst case” $35.5 million debt load for schools that assumes no federal or state loan programs in play to a more realistic $50 million range.

Rose said there are “fast talking” financial advisers who could lay out how the county could take on $97 million in debt for schools, but his company prefers an approach that doesn’t include risky ventures on long limbs.

“You know, there’s a way to do ($97 million in debt),” Rose said. “There’s just not a way to do that and sleep at night.”

Two months ago, supervisors failed to make a financial commitment to the high school consolidation program on a tie vote. Big Stone Gap Supervisor J.H. Rivers vowed to bring the matter back for another vote, and Thursday’s presentation sets up a potential new vote by the board during next week’s action session.

Rivers wanted the Davenport analysis to be presented before a second attempt at the consolidation funding vote.

JOHNSON CITY — A Johnson City man is dead as the result of a motorcycle accident that occurred Thursday afternoon.

Police say 22-year-old Fletcher Dyer, 1809 Oakland Ave., was traveling west on Unaka Avenue at about 12:50 p.m., when he lost control and crashed. Dyer was thrown from the motorcycle and struck a parked car.

He was transported by ambulance to Johnson City Medical Center Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police say excessive speed and rider inexperience contributed to the crash. An investigation by the Johnson City Police Department Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit is continuing.

GATE CITY — Despite a slower than anticipated rollout of vaccine for H1N1 influenza, students at three elementary schools in Scott County began receiving inoculations for the virus Thursday.

Students at Nickelsville Elementary, Dungannon Elementary and Fort Blackmore Primary were given H1N1 vaccination shots after the Lenowisco Health District alerted school officials about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday that they had finally received enough of the vaccine to begin clinics.

Nickelsville Elementary had 90 students take the vaccine, the most of the three schools.

The vaccination clinics were originally scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 26 at schools in Scott County but had to be postponed indefinitely due to a shortage of vaccine in shot form.

After completing the first three schools, Scott County Schools Nursing Director Amber Goode said she learned shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday that there were enough shots to continue vaccinations at three more elementary schools today.

“They did call me at about 20 till 3 and told me they had enough and they were going to Yuma, Weber City and Hiltons (on Friday),” Goode said. “They’ll start at Yuma around 8:45 a.m. before going on to Weber City and then Hiltons.”

A team of nurses from the health district will administer the vaccine during the clinics.

Goode said the health district should tell her by the time school ends Friday if there is still enough of the vaccine available to be able to continue inoculations Monday at Shoemaker Elementary, Duffield Primary and Rye Cove Elementary.

“It’s really a very last-minute situation in letting us know,” Goode said. “The only thing we can hope for is that the parents have contacted the schools and let us know if their child has already gotten their shot so we know not to give them one again.”

If the school system is able to give the vaccinations Monday, Goode said it would complete H1N1 inoculations at all of the county’s elementary schools.

As more supply becomes available in the coming weeks, Goode said nurses would return to administer vaccines in the system’s intermediate schools and high schools.

Goode said it’s important to get as many students vaccinated as possible because the Centers for Disease Control is predicting that H1N1 could linger for quite some time.

“The CDC is predicting a third wave of H1N1 in the coming months,” she said. “That’s why a lot of doctors are saying to go ahead and get the vaccine even if you think you’ve had H1N1. A lot of doctors are not testing for it, so there’s a chance you could get H1N1 if that wasn’t the flu type you had.”

GATE CITY — A routine traffic stop by Gate City police early Thursday morning led to the arrest of a Kentucky man and woman on a variety of drug charges.

Brandy Mullins and Christopher Duff, both of Whitesburg, Ky., were arrested and charged with felony possession of marijuana, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute Schedule III and Schedule IV drugs, attempted violation of the Drug Control Act and several misdemeanors.

Mullins was also cited for several driving violations.

The car the pair were traveling in was seized, along with $5,000 officers discovered.

During a search of the 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse Mullins and Duff were in, officers found what they described as a “large amount of marijuana and packaged Schedule III and IV controlled substances.”

The pair were arrested after being pulled over about 1:15 a.m. by a Gate City police officer near Big Break 1 on Highway 23.

The stop was initiated after the officer observed the Mitsubishi fail to stop for a red light on Highway 23 at Gateway Plaza.

During the traffic stop, Mullins allegedly gave a false name and made several incriminating statements. Duff also allegedly gave a false name when questioned by police.

Police said they are still investigating the incident, and additional charges may be filed.

The Weber City Police Department and Scott County Sheriff’s Department are assisting in the investigation.

Emerging House health care reform legislation apparently headed toward a tumultuous floor vote on Saturday “is corrupt” and “has a stink about it,” U.S. Rep. Phil Roe said in a conference call with reporters on Thursday.

The 2,000-page sweeping Democrat-sponsored bill, called the “Affordable Health Care for America Act,” has the backing of President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, AARP and the American Medical Association (AMA).

“I think (Democrats) wouldn’t have the vote if they didn’t have the votes,” Roe, R-1st District, said of the 218 votes needed to pass the legislation in the House. “They have been bending and breaking arms, I can tell you that. ... Bottom line is, we’re 41 votes short. They can pass whatever bill they want to pass. The real test will be what the conservative Democrats, what the Heath Shulers (D-N.C.), Lincoln Davises (D-Tenn.), Bart Gordons (D-Tenn.) and (John) Tanners (D-Tenn.), all those folks do. ... There may be one (Republican vote), but I think none in the end will vote for this health care plan and takeover of medicine. ... (Democrats) probably have a two- or three-vote cushion.”

The bill, projected to cost more than $1 trillion, grandfathers existing health insurance coverage and prohibits pre-existing condition exclusions.

It also would establish a government health insurance option run by a “health choices commissioner,” plus a health insurance exchange within the federal administration or state-based health insurance exchanges.

The bill also would require employers to offer health benefits to employees or make contributions to a health insurance exchange where the employee obtains coverage. However, businesses with payrolls below $500,000 would be exempted from the requirement, according to the bill.

The legislation would be paid for a number of ways, including: Imposing a surtax on the income of people who do not obtain health care coverage and on employers (other than small businesses) that fail to satisfy health coverage participation requirements; a 5.4 percent surtax on individuals whose adjusted gross income exceeds $500,000 ($1 million for married couples filing joint returns); and a 2.5 percent excise tax on medical devices.

Roe warned the bill cuts money out of Medicare, the government-financed health care program for the elderly, while thousands of baby boomers are added to its rolls every day.

“How can you cut $400 billion to $500 billion out of Medicare which is upside down in premiums in 2017 under the most generous estimations and adding three and a half million people to the plan every year for the next 20 years and you’re cutting physicians’ payments in 2011 by 25 percent?” Roe, a retired Johnson City obstetrician/gynecologist, asked. “Doctors won’t see Medicare patients. ... You will decrease access for seniors, and if you decrease access so seniors can’t get to their doctors, you decrease the quality of care they will get and increase their cost.”

He also suggested AARP may have endorsed the legislation for a bad reason.

“On this health insurance exchange, an insurance company CEO’s pay is limited unless you’re the head of the AARP,” said Roe. “Where do they get most of their money? From selling insurance.”

Roe said a GOP amendment to the legislation would lower health care premiums by up to 10 percent and reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years without imposing tax increases on families and small businesses.

A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis said the GOP amendment calls for establishing association health plans, federal funding for states to use for high-risk pools, and changes to health savings accounts.

But the CBO said by 2019 the number of non-elderly people without health insurance would only be reduced by about 3 million and leave about 52 million non-elderly residents uninsured.

The consumer health organization Families USA, which is pushing for the House Democratic plan, said the GOP proposal promotes “old, discredited ideas” harmful to most families and businesses.

Roe indicated Democrats will press forward despite Election Day losses in Virginia and New Jersey — viewed by the GOP as a statement against congressional Democratic policies.

“I heard Pelosi say she thought (what happened on Election Day) was a win. ... It was a wipeout in Virginia,” Roe said.

For more information go to www.thomas.gov. The legislation’s number is HR 3962.

UPDATE: Cynthia Baumgardner, 44, suspected of running a meth lab out of a mobile home, is charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, maintaining a dwelling where narcotics are used, stored or sold, possession of schedule III narcotics, possession of schedule VI drugs.

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Police busted an alleged meth lab in a Sullivan County mobile home park Thursday where neighbors said they sometimes wouldn’t let their children outside due to an overwhelming scent of chemicals in the air.

About 1:30 p.m., Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office deputies descended on the suspect’s home in Roller Hill Park, 327 Deck Valley Road, near Bristol. The double-wide mobile home, Lot No. 13 in Section B, sits on a hill above other residences.

SCSO Capt. Keith Elton said officers went to the home to serve an arrest warrant against Cynthia Baumgardner, 44, for failure to appear in court on a charge of driving on a revoked license.

While there, one of the officers saw what appeared to be a methamphetamine lab in the kitchen area of the mobile home.

Baumgardner was arrested on the failure to appear charge and taken to the Sullivan County Jail.

Elton said the investigation is continuing, and additional charges are expected.

Neighbors watched as events unfolded Thursday and agreed to interviews, but said they did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals.

“I’ve said I’d like to set up a toll booth and charge people to get up the driveway,” said one neighbor of the traffic to and from the home at all hours of the day and night. “We’ve watched five or six cars go up in 10 or 15 minutes.”

“It’s about time they stopped this,” said another neighbor who sat on a lawn chair, filming authorities filing up and down the driveway. “It’s gone on too long.”

Neighbors relayed alleged incidents when the suspect’s visitors wrecked their cars trying to descend the steep driveway, or drove through their lawns.

One neighbor reported alerting the park’s landlord of suspicious activity on several occasions, but did not call police.

“About once a week she would go up (to the home) with a truck full of barrels...” said one man.

“She said the barrels helped weigh (the truck down) and get up the drive,” added another neighbor, with a roll of the eyes.

“She asked me to take her to the pharmacy and I said, ‘Hell no.’”

Sullivan County Animal Control also responded to the scene. According to residents of the park, the woman owned “six or seven” dogs.

About four hours into deconstruction and cleanup of the site, a man and woman arrived. They asked EMS personnel if they could take the suspect’s dogs but were told to contact the animal shelter.

Several agencies responded to investigate, secure and then clean up the location. Responders included SCSO vice and narcotics officers, Kingsport Police Department HazMat, Sullivan County EMS, Sullivan County Volunteer Fire Department and the Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force.

Sullivan County fire and rescue personnel said the home and law enforcement who entered it, as well as the suspect, would have to be decontaminated before leaving the scene.

Members of the Kingsport Fire Department knocked down a blaze at 2304 Amy Ave. early Thursday afternoon.

While they worked, Chris Pritchett watched from the safety of a driveway across the street. Seated on the ground, clutching his Yorkshire terrier, Oliver, tight to his chest, he stared in shock at the remains of his white two-story home.

Pritchett said he was glad the fire hadn’t been at night when he and his three children would have been in bed asleep — the two eldest would have been in upstairs bedrooms. His bedroom, Pritchett said, was right next to the living room where the fire apparently began.

He had gone out for lunch and was in line at Arby’s when he received a call from his alarm company. He raced back home after they told him his smoke alarm was going off and that they had contacted authorities, Pritchett said.

The Red Cross was called to assist Pritchett and his family, two teenagers and a 3-year-old.

According to KFD Deputy Chief Chip Adkins, Pritchett said he’d left some candles burning when he went to lunch.

Adkins didn’t know yet if that’s actually what caused the fire, but he advised against ever leaving candles burning unattended.

The house is likely at least a 50 percent loss, he said.

One burglary took place on Shawnee Drive, where several expensive construction tools were taken.

Another burglary took place on Mill Street, where a guitar, banjo, knife set and camping backpack were taken.

An attempted burglary took place on Pleasant Grove Road, near Bluff City, and Crumley has been charged in that attempt.

Crumley faces two counts of aggravated burglary and one count each of attempted burglary, theft over $1,000 and theft over $500.

When the warrants for those charges were served, Crumley was already being held in the Blountville jail on an aggravated assault charge. He is now being held in lieu of a $65,000 bond.

The investigation is continuing.

Some of them told the Chattanooga Times Free Press they are surprised and they had no idea the 8.1 percent increase took effect when the federal government's new fiscal year started.

The newspaper reports the expense payments automatically increased Oct. 1 from $171 to $185.

Lawmakers get the payments for food and lodging costs while away from their home districts on official business.

"The members of the General Assembly's per diem is set according to what the federal reimbursement rate is for the Nashville area," and those rates went up in October, said Connie Ridley, director of the Legislative Office of Administration.

House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada of College Grove said he was "kind of surprised because it's based on some federal calculation. Gosh, to me, it seems like we're living in kind of a deflationary time."

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner of Nashville also said he was unaware of the change.

"We probably ought to look at it at some point," Turner said. "If per diem gets so high, maybe we ought to look more at increasing the salary and lowering per diem to balance it out."

Ben Cunningham of Tennessee Tax Revolt, a watchdog group, said legislators should be required to take votes on raising their expenses instead of having them go up automatically.

Tennessee sustained historic revenue losses in the recession and Gov. Phil Bredesen said Tuesday that the state's budget woes will likely make layoffs of state employees unavoidable.

Members of the General Assembly are paid $19,009 a year. They also receive a $1,000-a-month home office allowance.

Lawmakers typically spend five to six months in their annual legislative sessions, deal with constituents, hold meetings with constituents at home and attend occasional committee hearings in Nashville outside of the session.

KINGSPORT — The city of Kingsport is in the fourth week of its annual leaf collection service, collecting more than 140 tons of leaves so far this year. The service continues until the week of Jan. 15.

Streets and Sanitation Manager Ronnie Hammonds said the city began collecting leaves Oct. 15 and will continue to do so over the next 10 weeks. Residents can rake their leaves to the curb (or put them in bags), and public works crews will come around with a truck and collect or vacuum up the leaves for free.

Bagged leaves will be picked up on residents’ regularly scheduled trash day.

“We see that leaves started falling really heavy last week, and we will probably be on a 10-day cycle from now on, for the next four weeks at least,” Hammonds said. “We have been on a five-day cycle up until this week, and we still have all routes on one day. But the rest of the week will be our heaviest parts, and we anticipate it stretching out a little bit.”

Hammonds said people should rake the leaves to the edge of the roadway, but not into the roadway, and be sure not to include any sticks, rocks or debris as the material would damage the large vacuums used on the trucks to collect the leaves.

“We’re very dependent on our machines, and rocks and sticks will break the machines down, and that increases our cycle of collection,” Hammonds said, noting debris did damage one vacuum last year. “So far this year we’ve been pretty lucky, relatively free of any downtime.”

Kingsport collects on average 1,700 tons of leaves a year. Last year the city collected 1,900 tons, and so far this year Kingsport has collected 140 tons (with 82 tons last week).

“This week we’ll probably double that,” Hammonds said.

Kingsport takes all of the leaves and stores them at the demolition landfill, turning them with a bulldozer to turn them into compost — a process that takes two to three years. The city then uses the compost on all landscaping projects throughout the city, as well as using it to cap the landfill when it closes out a cell.

Kingsport has established a leaf line for residents to call to know where the trucks are going to be to collect leaves. The number is 224-2429.

Sullivan County this week began its leaf collection service, now in its second year.

Dean Bamman, dispatcher for the Sullivan County Highway Department, said the service began this past Monday, with the county providing one truck for the service and another truck on the way.

“You can bag them or rake them to the street and call me, and I’ll make out a work order and we’ll come by and pick them up,” Bamman said, noting the turnaround now is about a week.

However, as news spreads of the county’s leaf collection service, Bamman said the turnaround for service would extend to one to two months before a truck can come out and pick up or vacuum up your leaves.

“It’s quicker if you bag them,” he said.

Sullivan County will not collect leaves within the city limits, even though city residents pay county taxes.

“It’s not our jurisdiction,” Bamman said.

County residents are allowed to burn their leaves, but Bamman said residents probably need to check about getting a burn permit.

To request leaf collection in Sullivan County call 279-2820.

GATE CITY — After some debate and a little bit of tweaking, the Scott County Board of Supervisors adopted a fee schedule at its meeting Wednesday for requests, appeals and amendments related to the county’s upcoming zoning ordinance.

The board kept much of the fee schedule as it was recommended last month by the Scott County Planning Commission but did cut the cost of zoning appeals from the proposed amount of $500 to $250 on a motion by Supervisor Chad Hood.

“I thought the fee was a little steep being $500,” Hood said. “I think if a lot of people felt like they were in the right, they would have a hard time paying $500 if they did want to appeal.”

Hood said he believed the $250 was still enough to discourage frivolous appeal requests.

A motion by Supervisor Buck Kinkead to set the appeals fee at $150 was voted down 3-4 earlier in the meeting.

The average cost of a zoning appeal in Lee, Washington and Wise counties is $58. However, a poll of zoning appeal fees for 10 localities across the state averaged $228.

“We looked to surrounding counties that have zoning and face similar situations and tried to base those fees accordingly with surrounding areas,” Board Chairman David Redwine said. “The higher fees for the zoning appeals will probably be used very rarely, if at all. I don’t think they’ll really come into play, but you still have to put them in place.”

The county doesn’t want to profit from the fees, Redwine said, only cover its costs as much as possible since it takes a minimum of $350 to convene the seven-member appeals board.

The remaining fees were unchanged from their proposed amounts.

Rezoning requests and special use permits will be $200 plus $50 for each adjoining property over four, while text amendments and variance requests will be a flat $200 for each.

Zoning permits will be $35, while subdivision reviews and zoning manuals will run $50 and $25, respectively.

The fee schedule, along with the zoning ordinance, go into effect Jan. 1, 2010.

In other business, the board passed an ordinance that set a timeline for finishing up the 2010 property reassessment.

The board gave the assessor 45 days to complete the work and set Dec. 31 as the date for delivery of the county land books.

The Equalization Board was also given 45 days to finish its work after it begins meeting in mid-January.

Feb. 15 will be the last day to file appeals to the Equalization Board, while April 1 is the board’s deadline for completing its work.

Although those dates are in place, the Board of Supervisors did table nominations for the five-member Equalization Board until December.

Since only one of the nominees was a person knowledgeable with real estate, Redwine said the board delayed its decision until more could be found.

“We need good, fair and honest people with good people skills and a knowledge of real estate to serve on that board,” Redwine said. “We’re also required to have 30 percent of the board be either a Realtor, or people associated with appra ising or auctions.”

Supervisors also elected to provide tax relief to a group of seven county property owners who donated nine parcels of land as conservation easements.

The one-time-only relief measure will provide a 25 percent discount to those property owners on their 2010 real estate property taxes.