ELIZABETHTON — A shooting at a house on the Old Bristol Highway on Thursday afternoon led to the arrest of a man on three counts of aggravated assault.

Daniel Lynn Banks, 23, 1900 Bristol Highway, Watauga, was arrested at 8:30 p.m. following an investigation by the Carter County Sheriff’s Department of the shooting incident at his residence at 4:30 p.m.

Sgt. Todd Hamm said that after speaking with all the people involved, he determined that Banks and three other men were together in a upstairs room when an argument started. The other men included a friend, Landon Cash, 21, and two cousins, Leslie “Ray” Barnett, 20, and Steve “Jordan” Barnett, 19. As the argument became heated, Hamm said, Banks reportedly became angry and told the men he would kill all three of them and that he was going downstairs to “get the 12-gauge.”

Read the full story on the Johnson City Press Web site.

Foreign financial firms indirectly reaped more than $14 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars through Goldman Sachs alone after the U.S. Treasury bailed out AIG, according to the government’s bailout watchdog.

That's just one example of how how the billions that the Treasury poured into the economy also bailed out foreign banks according to a report released on Wednesday by the Congressional oversight panel. The report detailed how through Goldman Sachs, significant portions of the $70 billion that the Treasury committed to bailing out AIG has ended up in the hands of foreign investors. From the report:

Taxpayer aid to AIG became aid to Goldman, and aid to Goldman became aid to a number of domestic and foreign investors. In some cases, the aid was in the form of repayment in full of obligations that, without government help, could have ended in default.

As the Wall Street Journal noted last week , significant questions still remain about how Goldman calculated how much cash it was owed by AIG for its bets against the risky collateralized debt obligations that precipitated AIG's collapse. (Goldman in a memo to regulators, responded, "We believe our marks were accurate," but acknowledged that "a certain degree of judgment was necessary.")

As it turns out, many foreign investors also took the same bets -- with Goldman as the middleman -- that called for such payouts. Those investors also took home billions when the Treasury bailed out AIG. Though the report calculated that foreign banks received $14 billion in bailout funds through Goldman, previous calculations of what they received in all -- and not just through Goldman -- were around $58 billion.

And that's not to mention the credit default swaps that Goldman Sachs took out to protect itself in case of AIG's failure. According to the Congressional oversight panel's report, when the U.S. government rescued AIG, it spared 87 companies -- about half of which were foreign -- from having to pay out insurance money to Goldman that they would've had to pay if AIG had been allowed to fail. Late last month, Goldman handed over a list of these companies to the Congressional oversight panel and the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. According to that list , which was released by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Goldman stood to receive $1.7 billion in payments if AIG had defaulted. (The panel's report suggests that the correct number may have been $2.8 billion.)

The full report is long, and the Goldman-AIG case study is one of the more detailed sections, but the report concludes that across the board, other bailed out institutions probably had similar relationships that would ultimately channel “significant indirect benefits to foreign institutions. Given that the U.S. subprime mortgage bubble--and the securities derived from those risky mortgages--destabilized the global financial system and incurred losses for investors both domestic and foreign, perhaps it's not a surprise that the U.S. government's rescue has reached those foreign entities as well.

But the panel's chairman, Elizabeth Warren, noted that "the U.S. bore the whole $70 billion risk of the AIG capital injection program," only to have foreign banks reap billions in benefits. The U.S. should've been keeping better track of these funds and where they would go, according to the panel.

"Treasury gathered very little data on how TARP funds flowed overseas," read the panel's report. "As a result, neither students of the current crisis nor those dealing with future rescue efforts will have access to much of the information that would help them make well-informed decisions."

The report also emphasized that other countries tailored their bailout own programs more narrowly, and thus the U.S. received less benefit from their bailouts than foreign nations received from the U.S. bailout. According to The Washington Post, that left the United States “shouldering far more risk than those nations.

Knife threats during a drug transaction at an East Fairview Avenue apartment led to a 46-year-old man's arrest this morning, Johnson City police said in reports.

Mark Horton, also known as "Zeke," general delivery, Johnson City, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, theft and resisting arrest on accusations that he stole drug money, threatened two people with butcher knives and tried to kick out a police cruiser's window.

A Johnson City Police Department news release said officers responded to a call about two people being threatened with a knife, and after a brief investigation, they determined that Horton was responsible.

Read the full story on the Johnson City Press Web site.

In Blountville court Friday morning for alleged diversion of county services, Sullivan County Highway Commissioner Allan Pope sought to have his charges dismissed, while attorneys for department section foreman David Campbell announced a request for pretrial diversion.

Pope, 60, 3273 Ridgeview Drive, Kingsport, and department section foreman David Campbell, 60, 244 Clearbranch Circle, Blountville, each were arrested last month on charges of official misconduct, theft over $1,000, and private use of county equipment. They also face additional theft charges in separate, previous incidents dating back to 2006.

Attorney Ricky Curtis, with Pope by his side in dark sunglasses, first asked Sullivan County Circuit Court Judge Jerry Beck to hear a motion to dismiss his client's indictments as defective. When Beck declined to hear the motion right away, Curtis entered a plea of not guilty on Pope's behalf. A date for the motion for dismissal to be heard was then scheduled for Aug. 31, and a trial date set for Nov. 1.

Campbell's case was called up next, with attorneys Cliff Corker and Tom Seeley III, appearing in Campbell's stead. Seeley filed a waiver Thursday which meant that Campbell's appearance in court Friday morning was not required.

Corker and Seeley declined to enter a plea on Campbell's behalf, citing their client's desire to seek pretrial diversion. The case was then reset to Oct. 14 to give the prosecution time to respond to the request after a background investigation is conducted.

Read the full report in tomorrow's print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.

GATE CITY — A Gate City man convicted of over a dozen drug- and theft-related counts was sentenced to a decade in prison earlier this week in Scott County Circuit Court.

Harry Benjamin Stapleton Jr., 65, 266 Franklin St., was given a 30-year prison sentence with all but 10 years suspended and ordered to complete 15 years of supervised probation as a result of his multiple convictions.

“We are again pleased that Judge (John) Kilgore went over the guidelines and gave a sentence that was more than what the state suggested,” Scott County Commonwealth’s Attorney Marcus McClung said. “In our opinion, Stapleton and people like him are contributing to most of the crimes in our jurisdiction.”

Stapleton pleaded guilty in March to 15 felonies related to drug distribution, possession of stolen goods and conspiracy.

Read the full report in tomorrow's print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.

Charlie Leonard and I were talking about the new class of inductees to the D-B Alumni Hall of Fame at lunch Wednesday. We both agreed the D-B Alumni Association made good choices. And we both agreed why.

As Charlie put it, “They didn’t just pick all athletes.”

In a town that is known statewide for Eastman and Dobyns-Bennett football — and not necessarily in that order — it would be easy to fill a Hall of Fame class with all former athletic stars.

The new class, which will be inducted Friday, Sept. 3, has its share of sports stars. Four of the six made names in athletics. But only four of the six. And even the sports stars went on to excel in other fields.

Read the full report in tomorrow's print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.

“As far as the East is from the West . ”

That is how far Psalm 103:12 promises God will remove His children from their past sins.

In a similar measure, one longtime Kingsport congregation plans to take full advantage of their removal from the past and the start of a new future by marking it with a new name, Christ Church — Kingsport.

At the beginning of the new year, Pastor Richard Dice sat with a notepad, jotting down what he calls “random thoughts.” He wrote the following: a new beginning, new possibilities, new opportunities, new horizons.

That Sunday, he presented these ideas to his congregation at King's Highway Temple. “The past is gone,” he told them.

Read the full report in tomorrow's print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.

BLOUNTVILLE — A Bristol man has asked the court to dismiss an aggravated rape charge levied against him for an alleged rape of an 8-year-old female relative in 1985.

Freddie Merritt, 50, of Bristol, Tenn., was arrested on an aggravated rape charge in January. A Sullivan County grand jury presentment handed down June 19 alleges he raped the girl sometime between March and June 1985.

Attorneys Lynn Dougherty and Cliff Corker filed two motions to have Merritt’s case dismissed in advance of Merritt’s scheduled appearance in a Blountville court on Thursday. One asks the judge to dismiss the case due to an alleged violation of Merritt’s constitutional right to due process. The other motion alleges the statute of limitations on Merritt’s charge has expired.

In support of the first motion, the attorneys argue that the “25-year pre-indictment delay” violates the due process clause of both the U.S. Constitution and the Tennessee Constitution.

Read the full report in tomorrow's print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.

BLUFF CITY — Bluff City still doesn’t have a city attorney, and that could be good news for drivers cited for speeding by the town’s traffic cameras — but bad news for the town’s coffers.

With no city attorney to defend challenges, town officials have asked for court dates to be pushed back for citations issued by the speed cameras, town staff said Thursday.

And fines from the speed cameras account for a significant portion of the town’s revenue.

City Manager Don Weaver said without an attorney there are only two likely outcomes for court challenges: thrown out or lost by the town.

Read the full report in the print edition of the Kingsport Times-News or its enhanced electronic edition.

ROGERSVILLE — A longtime Hawkins County commissioner who was ousted based on election results released Aug. 5 has now been declared the winner due to a computer vote counter error.

Based on the election day results reported by the Hawkins County Election Commission last week, District 4 Commissioner Virgil Mallett finished fourth in the race, which seats three commissioners per district. Newcomer Eddie McNally was reported as finishing third with 758 votes compared to Mallet’s 732 votes.

Each precinct prints out a vote count when the polls close, and then the voting machines are brought to Rogersville, where votes are counted by a computerized Personal Ballot Reader (PEB).

Elections Coordinator Patricia Lumpkins said that after the final results are released, she matches the precinct readouts with the final tallies. Upon double checking the results early Friday morning, Lumpkins discovered the PEB reader in Rogersville had counted all votes twice in five precincts — three in District 4 and two in District 7.

Read the full report in the print edition of the Kingsport Times-News or its enhanced electronic edition.

KINGSPORT — The U.S. Postal Service is consolidating all its Kingsport area carriers into the Eastman Road branch to cut costs and streamline the delivery process.

USPS spokeswoman Beth Barnett said carriers who have been based out of the Colonial Heights office and the Center Street branch in downtown Kingsport are being transferred to the Eastman Road office.

Barnett said the move will not result in any job losses. And it won’t impact mail delivery or retail operations at any of the Kingsport postal locations, she said.

“It’s just basically a move to streamline the delivery operations and get everybody under one roof,” Barnett said. “Nationwide, we’re doing a number of things like that where we’re consolidating functions. It’s just a way of streamlining everything to save where we can.”

Read the full report in the print edition of the Kingsport Times-News or its enhanced electronic edition.

Police say a Wednesday morning wreck occurred when the 18-year-old driver passed out behind the wheel, shortly after she had "huffed" dust remover.

After receiving medical attention she was arrested.

The single-car accident occurred at 1:08 a.m. According to a report at the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, a deputy responded to 5824 Fort Henry Drive, finding a 1999 Volvo S70 off the road.

The driver was identified as Lyndsey Pilkenton, 18, of 922 Buttermilk Road, Blountville. She allegedly stated she had fallen asleep while driving and that her right arm was hurting.

EMS responded to check Pilkenton's injuries, then transported her to Holston Valley Medical Center. The responding deputy notes her speech was slurred, but due to her injuries a field sobriety test was not conducted.

While awaiting a tow truck the officer surveyed Pilketon's vehicle, allegedly discovering a 12-ounce can of dust remover, two glass pipes and two straws. When the deputy visited the hospital to speak with Pilkenton, she allegedly admitted

to "huffing" the dust remover about 15 minutes prior to the wreck.

According to the report, she also admitted to smoking marijuana and snorting Xanax a few hours earlier.

Once released from the emergency room Pilkenton was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, improper use of hazardous inhalants and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police have charged a Bluff City man with burglary of a neighbor's home — identifying him with a wallet that was left at the scene.

According to an arrest report at the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, the resident of 485 Weaver Branch Road left her home at about 8 a.m. Wednesday. When she returned a few hours later, the front door was allegedly found busted open.

Police say the woman called 911 and awaited deputies before entering the home. When officers arrived they found no one inside, and the victim reported nothing appeared to be stolen.

However, she did notice a wine glass had been moved on a counter top. Police say it contained "liquid" that the victim had not poured.

Teh report says a wallet was also found on the counter. A driver's license inside was allegedly issued to Joel Daniel Hensley, 39, of 699 Weaver Branch Road; a residence about a half mile from the victim's.

According to a court affidavit, two detectives then went to the suspect's home. After advising him of his Miranda rights, he allegedly chose to invoke his right to silence.

Hensley was arrested and charged with aggravated burglary and vandalism of less than $500. Police say Hensley's father reported picking up his son earlier in the day, near the location of the burglary.

Noticing a bad headlight led Johnson City police Thursday to arrest an Elizabethton man on his fifth DUI charge, police said in a news release.

Shannon Pierce, 505 Crumley St., Elizabethton, was charged with fifth offense driving under the influence, second offense driving on a revoked license, violation of the light law and refusal to submit to DUI test.

Police stopped Pierce's vehicle for an inoperative headlight and arrested him, Johnson City Police Sgt. Don Shepard said in the news release.

Read the full story on the Johnson City Press Web site.

KINGSPORT — A Dallas-based medical company is working to bring a methadone clinic to the Model City.

Behavioral Health Group filed a notification of its intent to apply for a certificate of need (CON) for such a clinic with the Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency. According to the notification, the proposed facility would be called the Tri-Cities Treatment Clinic and be located in the old “Up The Creek” restaurant off John B. Dennis Highw a y.

John Wellborn, a consultant who is working with BHG to draft the CON, said the company plans to file the paperwork by Friday at the latest. The CON is essentially a petition to the state to allow BHG to move forward with developing the methadone clinic. The paperwork would include information on how the facility will operate and why such a facility is needed in our region, Wellborn said.

According to the notification, the facility would provide a comprehensive outpatient treatment program for opioid addiction, including testing, monitoring, counseling, medication and related services. The cost to establish the facility is estimated to be $1.4 million, the notice states.

Read the full report in the print edition of the Kingsport Times-News or its enhanced electronic edition.

JONESVILLE — A Rose Hill man who allegedly murdered a home health care nurse earlier this year while she worked at his house had his case bound over to a Lee County Grand Jury Wednesday after being ruled competent to stand trial.

Charles J. Givens, 41, Rose Hill, had his first-degree murder charge certified to the grand jury during a preliminary hearing held in Lee County General District Court.

As a result of the certification, Lee County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shawn Hines said Givens could be indicted when the next grand jury convenes on Sept. 13.

Givens is charged with the March 4 shooting death of Misty LeAnn Garrett, 22, of Jonesville. Garrett was serving as a home health care nurse for Givens’ mother when the shooting occurred.

Read the full report in tomorrow's print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.

KINGSPORT — A former resident of a Kingsport motel was arraigned Tuesday on an attempted murder charge in connection with a stabbing at a Colonial Heights business in May.

Christ J. Murchison, 39, no permanent address, Kingsport, pleaded not guilty to attempt to commit first-degree murder. The charge stems from a Kingsport Police investigation of a May 15 stabbing at the Dollar General Store on Fort Henry Drive.

According to Kingsport police, the stabbing occurred at approximately 8:16 p.m. Police identified the victim as Raum Ellis.

Witnesses said an altercation between the two men began outside the store. Murchison allegedly stabbed Ellis in the abdomen, cut him on the back and arm and said, “I will kill you,” then chased him into the store. A short time later, he ran back out and allegedly yelled again, “I will kill you.”

Read the full report in tomorrow's print edition or the enhanced electronic version of the Kingsport Times-News.

ERWIN — A Unicoi County man was arrested Tuesday by the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department for his alleged possession of images of children engaged in sexually explicit activities.

Gregory Randall Willis Jr., 24, 1770 Chestoa Pike, was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor. Lt. David Walker with the sheriff’s department said Willis was the subject of an investigation conducted by Detective Michael O’Keefe with the Morristown Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is overseen by the FBI.

Walker said the task force tracks regional activity involving the sexual exploitation of minors via the Internet and tracked Willis’ computer internet protocol address when he allegedly downloaded the explicit images. Through a subpoena, this IP address was used to pinpoint Willis’ location, Walker said.

Read the full story on the Johnson City Press Web site.

Kingsport police made DUI and drunkenness arrests Tuesday at a fast food drive-through.

Before approaching the vehicle, police say they witnessed the allegedly intoxicated driver switch seats with the passenger — but the new wheelman was under the influence, as well.

According to arrest records, the incident occurred at McDonald's, 1501 Lynn Garden Drive. At 10:44 p.m. the reporting officer observed a female behind the wheel of a vehicle in the drive-through. When she switched seats with a passenger, police approached the vehicle.

The report says the initial driver, Ashley J. Larkins, 18, of 455 Allen Drive, apartment No. 4, Kingsport, had slurred speech and was unsteady on her feet. After field sobriety tests she was arrested and charged her with driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license.

Officers report the man that had switched from the passenger to driver's seat had slurred speech and, "kept repeating himself." When asked if he had been drinking or taking medication, he allegedly said he'd taken Subutex.

The man, identified as John D. Glass, 39, of 908 Broadwood Drive, Kingsport, was arrested and charged with drunkenness.

ELIZABETHTON — A car passing by that appeared to have its air bags deployed attracted the attention of an Elizabethton Police Department captain about 2:45 a.m. Saturday. When Capt. Greg Workman stopped and investigated the car, he was able to arrest the driver on drunken driving and hit and run charges.

Workman stopped the 1994 Honda Accord on the U.S. Highway 19E and identified the driver as Adam Liebers, 24, 975 Davy Crockett Park Drive, Limestone. Before Workman could ask Liebers any questions, he said the driver told him he had just hit another car and he was drunk.

Shortly after Workman made the stop, 911 reported a hit and run accident at the intersection of Roan and Broad streets. Workman said the car he had stopped was the one involved in the accident.

Read the full story on the Johnson City Press Web site.