If the current construction timetable holds, schools in Washington and Sullivan counties in northeast Tennessee will be at least partially powered by a new 9-megawatt solar farm by the end of the year. Silicon Ranch, BrightRidge and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at the newly christened Martin Solar Farm in northwest Washington County June 8. “Probably around November ...

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The Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association honored the tourism industry’s top performers June 3 during the 24th Annual Pinnacle Awards at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center hosted by Visit Kingsport. Ranked by a panel of judges within the tourism industry associated with the Southeast Tourism Society, 36 Pinnacle Awards were given to the top entry in each category.  The event al ...

Above: Tennessee State Representative David Hawk and First Tennessee Development District Executive Committee Chair W.T. Daniels. Photos by Dave Ongie By Dave Ongie For a brief moment on Wednesday morning, it appeared that a vote by the First Tennessee Development District (FTDD) executive committee supporting the formation of a privately funded regional economic hub would be delayed once again. A vote was ...

Howard Broadfoot Electro-Mechanical Corporation (EMC) announces the promotion of Howard Broadfoot to President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 1, 2021. Broadfoot has served the Bristol, Virginia-based company since late 2009, most recently as Chief Operating Officer (COO), and assumes the role from Russell Leonard, who is retiring from the company following nearly 35 years of service. “I ...

Above: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee speaks at the Elizabethton/Carter County Legislative Breakfast, which was held at the Elizabethton TCAT campus last Friday morning. Photo by Dave Ongie By Dave Ongie, News Editor When Tennessee Governor Bill Lee took his turn at the podium during the Elizabethton/Carter County Legislative Breakfast last Friday, his message was loud and clear. A new day has dawned in the st ...

Domtar’s Kingsport Mill made its entry into the containerboard market official on Friday with a groundbreaking ceremony held at Cloud Park in Kingsport, Tenn. The event was led by Domtar’s CEO, John Williams, and featured a number of local, regional and state officials. “This is an exciting day for the Kingsport mill and for Domtar, and we are glad to celebrate it in the company of many of those who are mak ...

The sixth annual Southwest Virginia Economic Forum will be held virtually on May 26-27, 2021. Organizers say the two-day event, which will be streamed live from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, features one of the strongest lineups of speakers and panelists yet. Every year, the forum engages participants through a shared vision of regional collaboration, growth and innovation for all of Central ...

Several of Tennessee’s prominent business groups, including the Bristol and Kingsport Chambers of Commerce, issued a statement Tuesday thanking Gov. Bill Lee for addressing the labor shortage crisis by ending the state’s participation in the federal COVID-related unemployment programs that give Tennesseans extra weekly unemployment benefit payments. Tennessee employers have said enhanced unemployment benefi ...

Above: Domtar Kingsport Mill Manager Troy Wilson. Photo by Earl Neikirk The sale of Domtar to British Columbia-based Paper Excellence will not affect plans to refit the Kingsport Domtar facility, according to Mill Manager Troy Wilson. “The scope of our mill conversion project remains unchanged and on schedule – we are going to walk into the office tomorrow, same as we did today, and continue our work to bui ...