By Congressman Phil Roe My top priority in Congress is working to grow our economy, create jobs and increase prosperity for working families. For my first four terms in Congress, I saw a federal government that discouraged private business and set up unnecessary roadblocks for job creation. When President Trump was elected, I was excited to work on getting the economy moving again, which is why I was proud ...

During a hearing today to receive the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s annual report from U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, questioned the sustainability of government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and emphasized the opportunity for congressional action on housing finance reform. Excerpts follow. ...

Joined by leadership from the State House and Senate and Tennessee Chief Justice Jeff Bivins, Gov. Bill Haslam Monday announced what his office called, “an aggressive and comprehensive plan to end the opioid epidemic in Tennessee.” The plan centers on three major components: prevention, treatment and law enforcement. TN Together is a multi-faceted initiative that addresses the issue of opioid addiction thro ...

Tennessee's gas prices swung 61 cents per gallon in 2017, from a low under $2.00 a gallon in July to a high of $2.60 in the fall. The low price of $1.99 was recorded July 5, while the high happened Sept. 10. Gas prices currently hang between those two marks, with Tri-Cities motorists paying the highest prices in the state.. Tennessee gas prices increased 6 cents during the past week. The state average of $2 ...

Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System have increased visitation restrictions at all their hospitals this week due to the severity of this year’s flu season, both locally and across the country. To protect patients, team members and physicians from potential exposure, hospitals are asking the following individuals to refrain from visiting patients at this time: Anyone who has flu-like sy ...

The Johnson City Convention & Visitors Bureau (JCCVB) recently received international recognition for its new ad campaign for the Southern Dozen, a guided destination tour of scenic motorcycle rides in the East Tennessee region. The Southern Dozen ad received the Gold Award from Graphis, and will be published in the annual Graphis “Design Annual 2018” publication in early 2018.  The Graphis Design Award ...

Photo above: Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe presents Merchant House International Ltd., Chairwoman and Founder Loretta Lee a flag from the Virginia Capitol Building as company executives, economic development officials and local dignitaries look on. By Scott Robertson Hong Kong-based Merchant House International, Ltd., subsidiary American Merchant will invest $19.9 million in a towel-making plant in Bris ...

By Scott Robertson The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) Aeronautics Division has all the applications for a one-time Aeronautics Economic Development Fund grant offering in hand, and says it will award those grants this month. Tri-Cities Airport submitted an application for $8,150,000 of that money in December to cover construction costs for Aerospace Park, the airport authority’s planned bus ...

Photo above: Pickens Bridge Village photo courtesy UDC By Don Fenley For the first time since the Great Recession, the Northeast Tennessee – Southwest Virginia real estate industry heads into a new year with more checkmarks in the positive column than the negative. By all measures the market is fully recovered from the recession. The consensus of real estate professionals who spoke to The Business Journal f ...

Photo above: The 2017 KOSBE Award winners Photos by Linda Coffey, Coffey Shots Photography The Kingsport Office of Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship (KOSBE) honored a dozen area businesses at the 2017 KOSBE Awards Dec. 14 at the MeadowView Marriott Conference Resort and Convention Center. Special guests Fred Cooper and Rick Jennings of Dickinson, which recently purchased Kingsport Book, shared ...