BRISTOL, Tenn. — This fall, working adults in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia will have the opportunity to complete their associate, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree from King University.King, according to a news release, will offer programs specifically designed with the adult learner in mind through the University’s Graduate and Professional Studies & Online Programs (GPS) as well as numerous courses for students who wish to transition from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree.“Our GPS program is tailored to reduce the challenges facing the adult learner. Time and access is often a barrier for students to finish their degree,” Micah Crews, associate vice president of Enrollment Management for Graduate & Professional Studies and Online Programs for King, said in the release. “By offering classes in both convenient locations, one night per week, and in an online format, the working adult may obtain their degree in as little as 16 months and open the door for professional advancement.”Adults who are beginning to pursue a college degree or who have completed fewer than 60 semester hours of coursework will benefit from participating in King’s Pathway program. Offered at the University’s main campus in Bristol, Pathway allows students to complete all general education and elective requirements, so they can smoothly transition into their degree coursework.The fall 2013 GPS degree offerings for Bristol include Pathway, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Information Technology (BTech), Bachelor of Science in Nursing for Registered Nurses (RN-BSN), Master of Business Administration for professionals (MBA), Traditional MBA, and Master of Education (MEd).The BBA degree will also be offered in Blountville.King’s instructional location at the Kingsport Center for Higher Education will offer the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ), Bachelor of Science in Communication (COMM), RN-BSN, and BBA, as well as the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and MBA. King’s newest degree offering for GPS that will be offered in Kingsport is the Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA).Southwest Virginia residents will have the opportunity to study for their BBA and MBA in both Big Stone Gap and Richlands. The RN-BSN degree option is also available in Richlands. Online degree options include Associate of Arts (AA) along with bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration, Information Technology, Criminal Justice, Health Administration, Psychology, Communication, Interdisciplinary Studies, History, and English as well as the RN-BSN degree for nurses.King also offers the MBA degree in an online format. Applications are now being accepted for fall enrollment. For more information about King’s GPS degree options available in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, or financial aid opportunities, call the King University Office of Admissions at (800) 362-0014 or email admissions@king.edu. Applications may also be submitted online at apply.king.edu.
King University to offer programs aimed at adult learners
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Mount Carmel budget includes cutting library hours, request for senior center
MOUNT CARMEL — The Mount Carmel Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the first reading of its 2013-14 fiscal year budget last week without a property tax increase, although cutting library hours and a senior center funding request drew some criticism.The first reading of the 2013-14 budget was approved by a vote of 6-1 on Tuesday. The second and final reading will come up for a vote when the BMA meets in regular session June 25.Among the cuts was a one-time $3,500 stipend that the Mount Carmel Senior Center received last year.Last year, the town made a $10,000 budget amendment for the senior center to cover the cost of a state-required audit. When it was discovered that the audit wouldn’t cost as much as anticipated, the BMA allowed the center to keep the remaining $3,500.Wanda Davidson, a Mount Carmel alderman and Mount Carmel Senior Center director, had requested that the $3,500 be included in the town’s 2013-14 senior center contribution, but that request was denied.Davidson told the Times-News last week the senior center is dealing with a $7,000 shortfall in its proposed 2013-14 budget.She said she was hoping to use that $3,500 increase from the town and request the other $3,500 from the county.During Tuesday’s BMA meeting, Davidson offered the only no vote for the budget.She said the no vote was in direct response to the $3,500 “cut.” Mayor Larry Frost told the Times-News after the meeting that the $3,500 was not cut. He said the one- time stipend from last year was not renewed, but the senior center will receive the same $36,000 from Mount Carmel in 2013-14 that was budgeted in 2012-13.Town leaders anticipate having enough unspent funds left over from the 2012-13 fiscal year to cover a $153,000 deficit in the proposed 2013-14 budget.If there isn’t enough left from 2012-13, the balance of the deficit will be covered from Mount Carmel’s estimated $2.3 million in reserve.The property tax rate will remain $1.38 per $100 of assessed property value.“The board spent a great deal of time going through this budget to make sure we weren’t wasting any money and make sure we were putting the citizens’ money to good use,” Frost said during Tuesday’s meeting. “We plan to buy a new tractor with a boom mower, replace the roof at the public works building, buy some new bunker gear for the firefighters and place a new repeater on the radio tower. Once we see how much money we have left over from this year’s budget, we’ll be looking at trying to get some paving done.” Under the current budget proposal, the number of hours the Mount Carmel Public Library operates per week would be reduced from 36 to 30 hours. Cuts from the library budget totaled $5,000 in wages and benefits for the year.The old library hours were noon-8 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday. The new library hours are noon-8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, noon-4 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday and noon-6 p.m. on Thursday. Following several consecutive BMA meetings in which the mayor and/or his wife, Alderman Frances Frost, were criticized during citizens’ comments, there was a different procedure for comments at the May meeting. There weren’t any citizens’ comments at the beginning of Tuesday’s BMA meeting.Citizens attending the meeting were required to fill out a comment card that was to be reviewed by Mayor Frost at some point during the meeting to determine if the comment pertained to city business.At the end of the meeting, citizens’ comments were allowed.Among those who spoke was Janice Dean, who criticized cutting the senior center’s $3,500 request and the library cuts.“You told the people in the past that the senior citizens were very important to you, but you cut the money that they had been given by the previous administration even though the director told you she needed the money and would still come up short in her budget,” Dean said.As for the library cuts Dean added, “that is very disappointing for a person to plan a time to go to the library and to have it closed, even though it’s scheduled to be open.”
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Lady Vols to play for WCWS championship
OKLAHOMA CITY — With one Renfroe sister starting to struggle, Tennessee turned to another to earn a shot at the NCAA softball title.Lauren Gibson hit a solo home run in the first inning, the Renfroe sisters combined on a five-hitter and the Lady Vols reached the Women’s College World Series finals by beating Texas 2-1 on Sunday night.“It’s just very surreal. It’s hard to take in right now,” said Ivy Renfroe, who got the start and threw 4 2-3 scoreless innings. “It’s like, ‘We’re really going to be playing in championship series?’ “I’m just so blessed and honored to be playing with all these girls. It’s been a fun ride, and I’m glad to see it keep going.”While the Lady Vols were playing with a pair of aces, the Longhorns didn’t have the same luxury. NCAA strikeout leader Blaire Luna (31-7) fanned 12 in her second complete game of the day for fourth-seeded Texas (51-10). She struck out 14 in a one-hit shutout of Florida earlier in the day and lost control late after throwing a three-hitter against Tennessee.She threw 288 pitches on the day, and five of her eight walks came in the final two innings. Tennessee scored its second run in the sixth inning, when Luna hit Cheyanne Tarango with a pitch and issued three walks.Luna said her forearm was tightening up and she had a blood blister on her pitching hand, but she believed she could have kept going.“It’s just about fighting and just staying the course. ... My mentality was to really work ahead and spread the zone. That’s kind of what I tried to do. I think that’s why I had so many strikeouts,” Luna said.“I think it was a struggle and it’s upsetting that we didn’t come through offensively but I’m really proud of our team and the way that we fought this year. Just the fact that we’re at the World Series, that’s something that I wanted to accomplish and we did it.”No. 7 seed Tennessee (52-10), which knocked out defending champion and Southeastern Conference rival Alabama in the Super Regionals, is in the best-of-three finals for the second time. The Lady Vols lost in three games to Arizona in 2007.Pinch-hitter Lindsey Stephens led off the seventh by homering to center field off Ellen Renfroe, who took over for Ivy Renfroe (22-4) to get out of a jam in the fifth.Ellen Renfroe came in after her sister hit Stephanie Ceo with a pitch and Ceo advanced to third after a passed ball and an illegal pitch — Hannah Akamine stepped out of the catcher’s box too early while Ivy Renfroe was intentionally walking Taylor Hoagland. She negated that threat, then kept the Longhorns from scoring after allowing back-to-back singles by Taylor Thom and Kim Bruins to start the sixth.Ellen Renfroe struck out Mandy Ogle after a failed sacrifice attempt, then got Torie Schmidt to foul out and retired Karina Scott on a grounder. After Stephens’ home run, she retired the next three batters in order to finish off her third save of the season.“You saw three of the greatest pitchers of our era on the field tonight, and I’m serious about that. Ivy and Ellen are both fantastic ... and Blaire Luna was sensational,” Lady Vols co-head coach Ralph Weekly said.Gibson hit her team-leading 19th home run of the season into the front row of the left-field bleachers on a 2-0 pitch from Luna with two outs in the first inning. The Lady Vols’ only two other hits against Luna were Madison Shipman’s lined single off Hoagland’s glove at third base in the fourth and Raven Chavanne’s bunt in the seventh.But that was enough.“We all love each other and I think it just gives us another day to continue to play and it’s obviously what we’ve worked for all year,” Ellen Renfroe said. “From the very beginning back in August, our goal was to win a national championship. And this is just another step that we had to take.”
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Southwest Virginia man charged with second-degree murder
ABINGDON, Va. — Alcohol use appears to be a factor in a stabbing death during an altercation at 12:15 a.m. Sunday at an apartment complex in Damascus, the Washington County, Va., Sheriff’s Office said.Upon arrival at the 300 building of Settlers Point Apartments, police found Chester William Brown, 47, of the apartments, had suffered stab wounds to the head and body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.David Allen Widener, 38, also of the apartment complex, was charged with second-degree murder. He was also charged with felonious assault after police say he assaulted a sheriff’s deputy during the investigation. He is being held without bond in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon.“Our investigation has revealed there had been an ongoing dispute between the two during the course of the day and night leading up to the incident,” Sheriff Fred Newman said.
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$150 million reboot for Hollywood Temple to Stars
LOS ANGELES — From its very beginnings, the imposing marble edifice with the glistening copper dome rising 100 feet above the edge of downtown Los Angeles has been a major Hollywood production.During the Golden Era, MGM co-founder Louis B. Mayer, along with fellow movie moguls Irving Thalberg, Carl Laemmle and the Warner brothers, helped bankroll the cavernous Wilshire Boulevard Temple, which debuted in 1929 as the cornerstone of the largest Jewish congregation west of Chicago.The Tinseltown synagogue became known as the “Temple to the Stars” and served as the featured set location for everything from A-list weddings to an episode of “Entourage.”Now, in the grand tradition of long-running Hollywood franchises, LA’s oldest synagogue is getting a $150 million reboot — just in time for summer release.In the coming weeks, the sanctuary’s ornate front doors will open for the first time in nearly two years, allowing the public to see a restoration that includes newly repaired giant chandeliers and refurbished murals depicting the history of Judaism by the great film artist Hugo Ballin.“I’ve peeked in to see it, and it’s inspiring and sort of awesome,” said prominent Los Angeles public relations executive Steve Sugerman, whose family connections to the congregation date back to its founding.After the planned sneak preview in mid-June, religious services are to resume in time for High Holy Days in September.But that’s just the beginning. By 2020, synagogue leaders plan to have overhauled the entire block of Wilshire Boulevard that the temple occupies, replacing a parking lot with schools, a public exhibition space and a social services center that will include a food pantry and medical, dental and other services that will be open to everyone in the multiethnic neighborhood.“We call it tikkun olam,” says Rabbi Steven Z. Leder, citing the tenet of Judaism that directs its practitioners to make the world a better place. “We take this imperative to help improve and repair our world very seriously.”When he became the congregation’s senior pastor nine years ago, Leder and his board of directors quickly realized one of their first tasks in accomplishing that goal would be doing something about the aging temple. It may have been a Hollywood blockbuster when it opened three-quarters of a century earlier, but it was beginning to fall apart.While the 4,000 pipe temple organ could still produce the music of angels, and the intricate stained-glass windows continued to send into the sanctuary an astounding array of colors that changed with the time of day, some other parts of the building had been made out of cheap studio back lot-quality materials.Like so many things in the movie business, parts of the building are not what they seem, said the temple’s executive director, Howard Kaplan, as he led a recent tour through the building while restorers hammered and drilled away.“This is concrete molded with rubber so it will look like wood, and they painted it to look like wood. But it’s not wood,” he said of what restorers discovered when they began to renovate a hallway leading into the main sanctuary.The building’s majestic copper dome, he noted, had originally been made out of tile — and apparently not very good tile, at that. It began to leak almost immediately and was replaced more than 70 years ago.Thus, the congregation might have abandoned the building, as Hollywood often does with old, worn-out movie sets.Wilshire Boulevard Temple already had more modern satellite campuses in West Los Angeles and Malibu, and over the years the neighborhood just west of downtown had changed.Once it was part of the Mid-Wilshire District and home to the city’s movers and shakers. Today, it’s called Koreatown and is one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the city, made up not only of Koreans but also Latinos, Japanese, Filipinos and others, including many recently arrived immigrants.It was that diaspora, however, coupled with the building’s historic Hollywood pedigree, that strengthened Leder’s resolve to stay.The stunning Ballin murals had been commissioned by the Warner Bros. studio and presented to the temple the day it opened.The temple’s longtime rabbi, Edgar Magnin, had presided over the funerals of comedy greats Jack Benny and George Jessel.Adam Sandler, Richard Belzer and others dropped by in later years to host comedy nights.And congregation member and Oscar-winner Aaron Sorkin even worked one of Leder’s sermons into an episode of “The West Wing.”With his board’s approval, Leder launched an ambitious $150 million fundraising drive. So far more than $100 million has been collected, including a recent $30 million pledge from congregant Erika Glazer, daughter of wealthy shopping mall developer Guilford Glazer. All renovations are on schedule.One of the congregants firmly behind the renovation from the beginning has been Sugerman, who says he grew up at the temple, as did his grandmother.“My parents, their first date was the confirmation dance,” he notes with a laugh.But beyond his own personal interest, Sugerman says, it was important to maintain the temple and expand its commitment to the surrounding community “despite the significant cost and difficulty,” so that the legacy of those who put it there could be honored.Indeed, just rehabbing the existing building would have been cheaper, Leder noted, but that wouldn’t have upheld the vision that Mayer, the Warner brothers, Laemmle and the others had when they moved a congregation founded downtown in 1862 to the edge of a barley field and laid the foundation for what would become one of the city’s most vibrant areas.“If we only redid the sanctuary, it would have been a beautifully restored building that was empty most of the time, instead of a dilapidated building that was empty most of the time,” he said.“It would have been like a guitar with no strings. It might be beautiful, but it won’t make very beautiful music.”
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Freedom to Fish Act protects angling along Cumberland River dams
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Anglers won their fight Monday to preserve access to prime fishing spots below dams along the Cumberland River in Kentucky and Tennessee, catching the attention of Congress and now President Barack Obama.Obama signed into law a bill imposing a two-year moratorium on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from erecting barriers to prevent fishing in the popular tailwaters near dams along the Cumberland and its tributaries. The legislation, called the Freedom to Fish Act, was sponsored by lawmakers from both states.“It’s a winning day for all those who love to fish in those areas,” Livingston County Judge-Executive Chris Lasher said.The measure was seen as a short-term solution while lawmakers from both states push for a permanent ban on putting up barriers in those areas. Legislation that includes the permanent moratorium on such fishing restrictions along the Cumberland is pending in the U.S. House.Fishing enthusiasts, backed by local officials, attended rallies and meetings and contacted members of Congress to express outrage at the Corps’ proposal to add restrictions near the dams. The Corps said the purpose was to enhance boating safety. It looked at placing steel cable anchored with buoys across the water to seal off access near the dams.The restrictions would have cut off places where anglers have reeled in big catches for decades in a region known as a recreational haven.Local officials said the restrictions would have hurt tourism, a key contributor to the region’s economy.It’s not unusual to see anglers in 15 to 20 boats along a stretch of tailwater, Lasher said.Ken McGregor, who owns a bait and tackle store near Lake Barkley, estimated the restrictions would have cut his business by up to 20 percent. Those tailwaters not only attracted anglers from Kentucky and Tennessee, but from as far away as Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.“They’re going to be tickled to death,” he said. “Most of that fishing up there is part of a brotherhood that’s grown over the years.”Lasher said the restrictions would have had a trickle-down effect on the region’s economy, hurting motels, restaurants, bait and tackle shops and guide services.“It’s without a doubt a prime example of elected officials listening to what’s going on and understanding it and acting upon it,” he said.Lyon County Judge-Executive Wade White said the fishing restrictions would have been an unjustified “blow to our economy” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the voices of the region’s fishing enthusiasts and shop owners were heard.“I appreciate the president signing the legislation into law and reversing the administration’s decision to place barriers and restrict fishing along the Cumberland River,” said McConnell, who led the push for the legislation. “No one I know in Kentucky supported this plan.”U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, who also co-sponsored the bill, said livelihoods for business owners and fishermen were at stake amid the fight over access to fishing waters.“Because of this legislation’s enactment, they will continue to enjoy the freedom to fish without the bureaucratic overreach of the Army Corps,” said Paul, R-Ky.Bill Peoples, a spokesman for the Corps’ district office in Nashville said the Corps will comply with the new law and work with both states to implement it.The Corps had said that boating too close to spillways at the dams is risky and that 14 people have died in tailwaters below dams on the Cumberland River since 1970, including three since 2009.McGregor countered that the tailwaters are safer for anglers than in the river’s main channel.“That’s their safe zone,” he said of the tailwaters. “They don’t have to worry about going downriver and getting in tight places and being swamped by barges.”
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Upcoming Events as of June 3
The Upcoming Events list, a public service of the Times-News, runs on a space available basis and does not always run in its entirety. To list an event, e-mail to sports@timesnews.net, fax it to (423) 392-1385, or contact the sports department after 5 p.m. at (423) 392-1323 or 1-800-251-0328 ext. 323. The list normally is published on Tuesdays. Submissions must be received at least one week prior to the event and include sport, dates, deadlines, location and contact information.BaseballCAMPS/CLINICS• DOUG JONES SUMMER CAMP, June 10-14 from 9 a.m. to noon at Tusculum College. Camp is open for ages 7-12, cost is $85 if preregistered, $95 day of camp. For more information, call (423) 636-7300 ext. 5699.• SPLITTER YOUTH BASEBALL CAMP, June 17-20 at Lincoln Memorial University. Cost is $100 prior to June 10, $120 after. Camp will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. For more information, visit www.lmurailsplitters.com.• CARSON-NEWMAN ELITE CATCHING CAMP, June 23-25 run by head baseball coach Tom Griffin. Cost is $150. For more information or to sign up, call (865) 471-3465 or email tgriffin@cn.edu.BasketballCAMPS/CLINICS• DOBYNS-BENNETT INDIVIDUAL CAMP, June 10-13 at the school. Camp is for ages 8-17; cost is $70 (discounts for two or more in family). For more information, call (423) 378-8475.• SULLIVAN SOUTH CAMP, June 10-12, 9 a.m.-noon, for boys and girls ages 7-14. Cost is $40. Open registration June 10 8-9 a.m. at the school. For more information, call (423) 354-1300.• KING UNIVERSITY BOYS CAMP, June 10-13 (Shooting and Fundamentals) and July 15-18 (Position), conducted by George Pitts and his staff. Cost is $95 for each camp. For more information, contact Associate Head Coach Nick Pasqua at nlpasqua@king.edu or (423) 652-6031. Register online at www.kingtornado.com.• CARSON-NEWMAN LADY EAGLE CAMP, June 10-13. Camp is designed for grades 3-8, cost is $70. For more information, email atipton@cn.edu or call (865) 471-3511.• VOLUNTEER S.H.O.T. CLINIC conducted by Tennessee basketball coach Cuonzo Martin and staff, June 14 from 6-8 p.m. at Sullivan North. Current and former UT players and local coaches will also participate. Open to boys, grades K-6. Cost is $20. For more information, go to TennesseeSportCamps.com or call (865) 974-0703.• ROBIN DOTSON LADY WARRIOR CAMP, June 24-26 at Wise Primary School. Camp is for girls grades 3-8 and will run 9-11:45 a.m. Cost is $50. For more information, call Robin Dotson at 393-3964 or email rdotson@wise.k12.va.us.• ALICIA MANNING AMP’D TRAINING CAMP, July 8-11 at Robinson Middle School. Grades 4-6 8 a.m.-noon; grades 7-9 1-5 p.m. Cost is $160 (discounts for more than one in family). For more information, contact Tory Lorimer at (423) 579-4253.• MILLIGAN COLLEGE Camps, July 8-12, July 15-19 and July 22-26. Full instructional camp for boys and girls ages 7-17. Cost is $165. For more information, contact Bill Robinson at wdrobinson@milligan.edu or (423) 461-8332.• KING UNIVERSITY GIRLS CAMP, July 8-12 on campus. Camp is open to ages 7-17. For more information, go to kingtornado.com, call (423) 341-8985 or email tornadogirlscamp@gmail.com.• CARSON-NEWMAN DRILL FACTORY CAMPS, July 8-12, for boys and girls grades 3-12. Cost is $135. For more information, contact assistant coach Shane Williams at swilliams@cn.edu or (423) 973-3073.• WEST COLONIAL HILLS CAMP run by Dickie Warren, July 15-18 from 9 a.m.-noon for boys and girls ages 7-14. For more information, call (423) 239-9911.TOURNAMENTS• SHOOTING STARS SUMMER CLASSIC, June 7-9 at Erwin YMCA. Boys and girls, ages 9-17. Entry fee $90. For more information, call (423) 341-0133 or email ebarbaau@aol.com.• SHOOTING STARS TRI CITIES HOOPS, June 14-16 at Erwin YMCA. Boys and girls, grades 3-12. Entry fee $90. For more information, call (423) 341-0133 or email ebarbaau@aol.com.• SUMMER YOUTH ELITE CLASSIC, June 21-23 at Erwin YMCA. Boys and girls, grades 4-12. Entry fee $90. For more information, call (423) 341-0133 or email ebarbaau@aol.com.• SHOOTING STARS YOUTH HOOPS CHALLENGE, June 28-30 at Erwin YMCA. Boys and girls, grades 4-12. Entry fee $90. For more information, call (423) 341-0133 or email ebarbaau@aol.com.CyclingRACES• THE JOHNSON CITY OMNIUM will be held June 8-9. The Nor-Well Roan Groan, 9 a.m. on Saturday at Cat Island Park in Elizabethton. That will be followed by the Temple Hill time Trial in Erwin at 5 p.m. On Sunday, the Franklin Woods Community Hospital Criterium will take place in downtown Johnson City. Registration is open. Visit www.pcpomni.wordpress.com for details and a link to registration.FootballCAMPS/CLINICS• CARSON-NEWMAN OFFENSIVE LINE CAMP, June 9-13 by Eagles offensive coordinator Mike Turner. Cost is $250 for overnight and $150 for day campers. For more information, email mturner@cn.edu or call (865) 471-3364.• SENSABAUGH CAMP CLASSIC, June 15 at J. Fred Johnson Stadium in Kingsport. The free non-contact camp will feature Tennessee Titans cornerback Coty Sensabaugh along with other NFL players, college players and trained coaches. The camp is open to boys and girls between the ages of 6-17. For more information, go to SensabaughCampClassic.com.• JASON WITTEN SCORE FOUNDATION CAMP, June 22 in Elizabethton. The free football camp will feature personal instruction from Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten and numerous other NFL and college players and coaches. The morning session is for ages 7-12, and the afternoon session is for ages 13-18. For more information, go to jasonwitten82.com/ssp/camp.• CARSON-NEWMAN TECHNIQUE CAMP, July 6. Camp focuses on football fundamentals for grades 9-12. Cost is $35, For more information, contact Aaron Hutsell at (865) 471-4794 or Paula Yokley at (865) 471-346.SIGNUPS• LYNN VIEW PEE WEE FOOTBALL signups through June 15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information, call (423) 247-6937.GolfTOURNAMENTS• TRI-CITIES SUSAN G. KOMEN tournament, June 8 at Cattails at Meadowview. 1 p.m. shotgun start, $100 entry fee. For more information, go to www.triewga.com.• DOBYNS-BENNETT FOOTBALL LETTERMAN GOLF FUND RAISER, June 8 at Crocketts Ridge. Select shot format, entry fee $50 per person. For more information call Graham Clark at (423) 378-8518 or e-mail him at gclark@k12k.com.• KINGSPORT TOMORROW Tournament, June 14, at Cattails at MeadowView to support the Kingsport Veterans Memorial Phase 2 and Healthy Kingsport. Cost is $100 for individuals, $400 for team. Registration is at 10:30 a.m., shotgun start at 1 p.m. For more information, call (423) 246-2017 or go to www.kingsporttomorrow.org.Running• ETSU PHYSICAL THERAPY DEPARTMENT 5K run/walk, June 15 at 8 a.m. on the Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus in Johnson City. Cost is $20, money to benefit the Fit Kids program in Johnson City. For more information, go to facebook.com/ETSUPhysicalTherapy6thAnnual5k or email roane16@gmail.com.• CASA 8K & MILE, June 22 at Crockett Spring Park in Rogersville. For more information, go to RunTriCities.org or contact Mark Skelton at (423) 272-4812 or markskelton@markskelton.com.• BEECH MOUNTAIN 10K CLIMBMAX, June 22. Entry fee is $30 through May 6, $35 after, race day $40. Children under 13 enter for $20 anytime. For info call (828) 387-3003 or visit www.BeechMtn.com.• USA 10K TRAIL CHAMPIONSHIPS, June 29 at Beech Mountain’s Emerald Outback trail system. Entry fee is $35 by May 31/$40 through June 15. For race details and online registration visit www.MountainGoatRacing.com.• FIRECRACKER 4 MILER, July 4 at Rogersville City Park. For more information, go to RunTriCities.org or contact Mark Skelton at (423) 272-4812 or markskelton@markskelton.com.• WOLF RUN, July 16 at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport. 7 mile trail race. For more information, go to RunTriCities.org or contact Mark Skelton at (423) 272-4812 or markskelton@markskelton.com.• PHIPPS BEND 5K, Aug. 24 at Phipps Bend Industrial District in Surgoinsville. For more information, go to RunTriCities.org or contact Mark Skelton at (423) 272-4812 or markskelton@markskelton.com.• BAYS MOUNTAIN TRAIL RACE, Sept. 14 at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport. 15 mile trail race. For more information, go to RunTriCities.org or contact Mark Skelton at (423) 272-4812 or markskelton@markskelton.com.SoccerCAMPS• 2K13 DOBYNS-BENNETT CAMP, June 17-20, 5:30-8 p.m. at Indian Highland Park. For boys and girls ages 6-18. Cost is $80 (family discounts available). Camp will be conducted by D-B coaches, collegiate coaches and players, and current Tribe players. For more information, go to pitchero.com/clubs/kingsportdobynsbennetths.• CARSON-NEWMAN CAMPS: High school boys June 28-July; high school girls June 7-10. Cost is $350. Clinic for ages 4-12 will be June 3-6 and cost $99. For more information and to sign up, call (865) 471-3520 or email soccer@cn.edu.• JOY OF SOCCER CAMP at Tusculum College. A co-ed camp will be held June 24-28, while two team camps will be conducted July 14-18 and July 21-25. The camps are ages 6-17, cost of residential campers is $395, non-residential full-day participants $295 and half-day campers $195. For more information, contact Coach Mike Joy at (423) 636-7321 or 1-800-729-0256 ext. 5321 or mjoy@tusculum.edu.SoftballCAMPS/CLINICS• DOBYNS-BENNETT GIRLS SOFTBALL CAMP, June 19-21 for ages 7-12 at Indian Highland Park. Cost is $50.Swimming• LIFEGUARD TRAINING CLASSES, June 6-10, offered by the American Red Cross of NET at Dobyns-Bennett. Students must be 15 years old by the date of the first class. There is a pre-test of swimming skills that must be passed in order to be eligible. Cost is $200. For more information, call Jorge Blasini at (423) 967-4264 or e-mail jblasini@charter.net.• SWIM LESSONS being offered by the Aqua-Tick Swim School at Dobyns-Bennett High School. Swimmers must be 4 years old. Cost is $65 for eight 30 min. lessons. Sessions will be held June 10-13, 17-20 and 24-27. For more information, contact Coach Lora Fowler at (423) 378-8551 or lfowler@k12k.com. Registration forms may also be picked up in the D-B Activities office.• THE SEA WOLVES AQUATIC PACK, a competitive, year round team, is holding open registration and try-outs. The team currently practices at Sullivan Central High School with plans to move to the Aquatic Center at the end of May. Open to swimmers from elementary school through college For more information, go to www.SWAPswimming.com or call (423) 714-7062.• SWIM AMERICA SWIM LESSONS at the Dobyns-Bennett pool for ages 4 and up and all abilities. Session 2: June 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 26; Session 3: July 8, 11, 15, 17, 23, 25, 30. Cost is $87.50 ($70 for returning students). For more information go to www.KingsportPiranhas.com or contact Jorge Blasini jeblasini2@gmail.com or (423) 967-4264.Tennis• RIDGEFIELDS SUMMER TENNIS CAMPS, open to the public: intermediate, June 4-7, $65; beginner/intermediate, June 25-28, $65; beginner/intermediate, July 16-19, $65. There will also be sports camps for all ages 5-13 June 11-14 and July 9-12. Cost is $195. Top tier tennis academy, July 29-Aug 1 for tournament and state ranked players only. For more information, call Mike Norris at (423) 723-9991 or Brad Pippin at (423) 383-0170.• AL WILKES TENNIS PROGRAM, for girls and boys, 5-17, Thursday nights at 6 p.m. at the D-B courts. Cost for new players is $45 and $35 for return players. For more information, go to alwilkes.com or call (423) 930-7478.VolleyballCAMPS/CLINICS• DOBYNS-BENNETT VOLLEYBALL CAMP, June 4-6. Girls entering grades 3-6 will 9:30-11 a.m. and cost of $35 .Girls entering grades 7-9 will be noon-2:30 p.m. and cost of $40. Registration held one hour before start of session on first day.• EXCEL CAMPS AT KING UNIVERSITY. High school hitters and setters June 24-25, defense June 26-27. Middle school skills camp July 1-3. For more information, go to kingtornado.com/sports/wvball.• CARSON-NEWMAN CAMPS AND CLINICS throughout July. Seven in total for all ages and skillsets. For more information, go to www.carsonnewmanvolleyballcamp.com, call (865) 471-4216 or email volleyball@cn.edu.TOURNAMENTS• KANGAROO KLASSIC Outdoor Volleyball Tournament, hosted by Kingsport Parks and Recreation. Deadline to register is June 27. For more information, call (423) 229-9459 or (423) 229-9460.WrestlingCAMPS/CLINICS• TORNADO WRESTLING CAMP, June 16-20 at King University. Cost is $175 ($275 for campers) and open to ages 11 and up. Discounts for teams. Deadline to register is June 1. For more information, go to kingtornado.com/sports/wrest.
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Racer Bloomquist accused of threats against employee
MOORESBURG — Legendary Late Model dirt racer Scott Bloomquist is under investigation by the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department for allegedly threatening to shoot or drown an employee of his Mooresburg race shop last month.Matthew Simmonds, 26, told the HCSO he has been working and living at Bloomquist’s race shop at 209 Brooke Road in Mooresburg.On May 28, Simmonds gave the HCSO a statement saying that the previous day he’d gone to the store, and when he returned Bloomquist seemed upset about something.Simmonds told HCSO Deputy Mark Harrell that Bloomquist told him, “Matt, you and I have a date” and took a handgun out of a case.Simmonds stated Bloomquist took him outside and stated, “I’m either going to drown you or shoot you.”According to Simmonds, Bloomquist then fired several shots into the air.“Matthew stated there were children present at the time,” Harrell wrote in his report. “Matthew stated he got to thinking about it and he wanted a report on file,” Harrell added.An Iowa native, Bloomquist,49, has lived and raced out of Mooresburg since the 1980s.He is a member of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame and is expected to drive a truck owned by Kyle Busch when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series makes its first visit to a dirt track, Eldora Speedway in Weston, Ohio, later this year.Hawkins County Sheriff Ronnie Lawson said Monday that Simmonds’ complaint is still under investigation.
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SW Virginia teams take aim at state titles
While most schools in Virginia have already had their last day of classroom instruction, the action on the fields and courts is still in full swing with state champions to be crowned in baseball, softball, soccer and tennis this week.The VHSL Group A baseball quarterfinals are today with Gate City (7-19) looking to continue its improbable playoff run against Glenvar (13-9) in Division 2. The Blue Devils play the Highlanders at Kiwanis Field in Salem at 7 p.m.The teams last met in the 2010 state quarterfinals — before division play — with Gate City winning 7-2.Honaker (21-3), the 2011 state champion, hosts Grayson County (18-6) at 6 p.m. in another Division 2 quarterfinal.In Division 1, J.I. Burton faces Auburn (16-6) at Calfee Park in Pulaski at 5 p.m., and Clintwood (19-4) hosts Covington (14-10) at 6 p.m. at John Flanagan Dam in Haysi.The semifinals are Friday with Division 2 playing in Radford and Division 1 heading to Salem.In Division 1 softball quarterfinals, Eastside (21-3) hosts Northwood (15-7) today at 5 p.m. The Lady Spartans won the state title in Division 2 in 2012 before dropping down this season.On the other side of the Division 1 bracket, Honaker (18-3) travels to Holston (16-6) for a 6 p.m. game after losing to the Lady Spartans in Thursday’s Region D championship. Eastside and Honaker would have to each win twice before they could meet again in Saturday’s title game.In Division 2 softball, Gate City (11-13) goes to Region C champion Floyd County (20-3) at 5 p.m. and John Battle (19-6) hosts James River at 6 p.m.The softball semifinals shift to Radford (D2) and Salem (D1) on Friday.On the soccer pitch, the Gate City boys and girls squads are vying for their first state titles when the quarterfinals get under way today at Sugar Hollow Park in Bristol.The Lady Blue Devils (17-0-1) play James River (13-5-0) at 5:30 p.m. with the boys to follow. The Blue Devils (18-0-0) play host to Galax (20-1-0).In other quarterfinal matchups, the Radford boys and girls host Lebanon and John Battle, respectively.The Group A tennis tournament gets under way Thursday in Radford, with Gate City’s John Ferguson and Rosa Smith competing in individual singles. Smith, looking to win a title after losing last year in both the singles and doubles championship matches, also teams up with younger sister Emily in Friday’s doubles. The Blue Devils team of Ferguson and Luke Funkhouser plays in boys doubles.Gate City’s boys and girls both play George Mason in the team semifinals Friday. The Lady Blue Devils won the state title last year.
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Husband’s call to Hawkins County Sheriff's Office leads to drug charges against wife
BULLS GAP — A Hawkins County woman who allegedly admitted to giving prescription painkillers to her mother Friday is facing felony drug trafficking charges.Shortly before 11 p.m. Friday, HCSO Deputy Jeff Hilton was dispatched to a domestic assault complaint at 1408 Melinda Ferry Road.Hilton stated in his report that he met a male at the residence who said he’d been in an argument with his wife, Mamie Virginia Ayers, 33, 1404 Melinda Ferry Road, Bulls Gap. The husband reportedly stated the argument was over Ayers’ alleged drug problem and that she had gone to her parents’ house next door.Upon speaking to deputies, Ayers reportedly voluntarily allowed deputies to see her medication.Hilton said a 93-pill oxycodone prescription which had been filled Tuesday had 45 pills missing and a 60-pill alprazolam prescription had 49 missing.“She told officers she had given them (pills) to her mother and aunt,” Hilton said. “She told officers the reason she gave her pills to her mother and aunt was they were out of their prescriptions for those particular medications, and that she gave pills to her mother frequently.” Ayers was charged with one count of possession of Schedule II narcotics with intent to deliver and one count of possession of Schedule IV narcotics with intent to deliver.
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Blaylock charged with vehicular homicide
JONESBORO, Ga. — Former NBA All-Star Daron “Mookie” Blaylock has been charged with vehicular homicide arising from a head-on crash in suburban Atlanta, authorities announced Monday.Blaylock, 46, is also charged with driving on a suspended license and failure to maintain his lane in the Friday crash, Jonesboro Police Chief Franklin Allen said.Blaylock was driving an SUV that crossed the center line of Tara Boulevard — about 20 miles south of downtown Atlanta — and struck a van, police said. A van passenger, 43-year-old Monica Murphy, died hours later. Her husband, who was also in the van, was treated and released at a hospital.Blaylock was also wanted in Spalding County on charges of failure to appear in court, DUI and drug possession, Allen said.Atlanta Medical Center spokeswoman Nicole Gustin said Blaylock was in fair condition Monday. He initially was on life support at the hospital, but his condition was upgraded.Allen said police are working to determine the cause of the crash and that alcohol doesn’t appear to be a factor. Authorities were working to gather documents on Blaylock’s medical history Monday. Blaylock told investigators he blacked out just before the wreck but wasn’t able to say much more, Allen said. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.Blaylock was a first-round draft pick by the New Jersey Nets out of Oklahoma in 1989.He played as a guard for the Atlanta Hawks between 1992 and 1999 and played in the 1994 NBA All-Star game. He had his best season in 1996-97, averaging 17.4 points and 5.9 assists. Blaylock also played for the Golden State Warriors.
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Domestic complaint leads to stash of stolen merchandise
CHURCH HILL — A domestic disturbance complaint Friday night near Church Hill led the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office to a stash of shoplifted merchandise.Shortly after 10:30 p.m. Friday, HCSO Deputy Mark Harrell was dispatched to a domestic disturbance at 159 Lynch Road, where he met Tina and Christopher Flanigan.Tina Flanigan stated she had been in a verbal altercation with William Ashley Davis, 30, of that address, and that Davis had left.Christopher Flanigan stated he found a cell phone box on the couch along with an anti-theft device and that Davis had stolen it and other items from the Walmart in Kingsport on Stone Drive.The Flanigans also told Harrell they could find Davis and other stolen items at an address on Old Union Road.Harrell found Davis at that address around 11 p.m. and received consent from Davis to search his vehicle.A cell phone matching the serial number of the box found at the Lynch Road residence was allegedly found in the vehicle along with several other items of clothing including three packs of socks, eight packs of boxer briefs, five packs of T-shirts, four pairs of shorts, a pair of blue jeans and an individual T-shirt.The total value of the items recovered was $224.Davis allegedly admitted shoplifting the items.Harrell contacted the Walmart manager, who confirmed that the items had been stolen at 5:45 a.m. Friday. Video surveillance footage showed a male suspect and a vehicle matching Davis.Harrell said he would be following up with Walmart’s loss prevention officers, and charges against Davis are pending.
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Sullivan BOE chips away at shortfall, cuts South CTE positions
BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County school officials continue making budget cuts, including the school board’s Monday night vote to eliminate two career technical education teaching positions and programs at South High School.Even with the cuts, however, expenditures for the draft 2013-14 budget would be about $4.5 million higher than revenues. Using $2 million in available fund balance would bring the shortfall down to $2.5 million.The draft budget revenue total is $85,179,381, compared to expenditures of $89,756,661. The amended 2012-13 budget is $90,011,410.The Board of Education voted 6-1 to eliminate the two positions and programs at South, upon the recommendation of Director of Schools Jubal Yennie.BOE member Todd Broughton, a proponent of promoting expanding CTE offerings, voted against the change.Yennie said South Principal Greg Harvey recommended the elimination because the programs, including computer-aided design and drafting and information technology, web/multimedia management/webmaster, just weren’t drawing enough student interest.Broughton asked about morphing the CAD into robotics, but Yennie said that was difficult to do because of prerequisites required.The BOE, which last month voted to base teacher staffing on a ratio of 17.5 students per teacher in the high schools, had to vote on the eliminations at South because they do away with two programs and could put the two tenured teachers out of work.Yennie said if the teachers can’t find a placement elsewhere in the system, they would be laid off in a “reduction in force” and be put on a priority list for rehiring for positions for which they are qualified.Yennie already had cut $2.147 million from the draft May 11 work session budget. That includes cutting 21 instructional positions K-12 and other matters in regular instruction directly affecting the classroom, saving more than $1.4 million, $46,775 out of special education and various STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math related arts positions whose work will be rolled back to classroom teachers.“It’s a hard decision. We gained some good results in science this year,” Yennie said.Other savings come from health insurance going up 5.6 percent instead of the originally estimated 7 percent.In addition, the school nutrition budget of $4.9 million would be self-supporting for the first time, thanks to a $923,000 cut that includes no new capital for next year.“We still have some work to do,” Bonner told the board in a work session before the meeting.Yennie said he will meet with vendors this week to check into contracting out school nutrition, maintenance and custodial work and is still working on central office cuts. He also is exploring taking 144 maintenance workers down to the 36.25 hours a week of other full-time employees instead of their current 40 hours.BOE member Robyn Ivester said she’d like to look at cutting board member pay if possible or at least not having an automatic increase tied to county commissioner pay, which is tied to the county mayor’s pay going up 4.61 percent under a Tennessee edict come July 1.Yennie plans to present the draft budget to the County Commission’s Executive Committee Tuesday night, Administrative Committee Wednesday and Budget Committee Thursday. All the committees meet at 7 p.m. in the old County Courthouse in downtown Blountville.On other matters, the school board approved Yennie’s recommendation to drop consideration of a proposal to add a security supervisor to the system but balked at Yennie’s recommendation on a budget amendment to spend $70,000 to replace a freezer/cooler at South High after members asked why the proposal did not go through the normal channel of the Facilities Committee.Finance Director Leslie Bonner said the matter did not come to the attention of the central office until about a few weeks ago and that there were safety concerns about the 33-year-old equipment.
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Shipley slams U.S. attorney’s remarks on anti-Muslim speech
KINGSPORT — Tennessee State Rep. Tony Shipley took a federal prosecutor to task Monday for suggesting that anti-Muslim speech could result in federal charges. U.S. Attorney William Killian, an Obama administration appointee, is expected to point out at a Coffee County forum today that civil rights can be violated by those who post inflammatory statements targeted at Muslims on social media.“This community forum is an educational effort to inform the community about civil rights laws as they play into the exercise of religious freedom,” Killian said of the event in an emailed statement. “Our purpose is to simply facilitate discussion towards the goal of greater tolerance, understanding and peaceful community relations, as well as to inform the public about what federal laws are in effect and what the consequences are for violating them, including what speech is protected and what speech could be considered a threat under the law.”Shipley, who chairs a state House Criminal Justice Subcommittee, told a Greater Kingsport Republican Women’s luncheon that Killian is failing to support the Constitution’s guarantee of free speech.“The Constitution trumps all in this country,” Shipley, R-Kingsport, told the luncheon. “You don’t take our rights away for people who don’t speak English, period.”Coffee County Commissioner Barry West posted on his Facebook page that Muslims are best greeted behind the barrel of a rifle.“(West) pointed at the screen and said ‘This is how you wink at a Muslim,’” Shipley said of the posting. “We don’t like it, but it’s freedom of expression. ... He has a right to be stupid. ... It strikes me that federal charges ought to be brought against (Killian) for violating our constitutional rights. .. He took an oath saying he would support and defend the Constitution.” Shipley said he has sent a letter asking Killian to explain his remarks and provided copies to Tennessee GOP U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker.“I am hoping that he had a poor choice of words,” Shipley said. “I hope we discover he was not intentionally trying to frighten Tennesseans into censoring free speech. With the discoveries of (Internal Revenue Service) abuse of American citizens just because they are conservatives ... and (U.S. Justice Department) spying on the press, and growing doubts about the Obama administration’s respect for the individual rights of all Americans, these comments come at a particularly inopportune time.”In a December 2010 speech, Attorney General Eric Holder reassured a Muslim group that the U.S. Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting them.Killian, who serves the Eastern District of Tennessee, is responsible for prosecuting federal criminal violations throughout the district’s 41 counties, which extend from Johnson County in Northeast Tennessee to Lincoln County in the middle of the state.
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Wise County’s history enriched by a century’s worth of good times at the fairgrounds
WISE — When the gates opened Monday afternoon to the Wise County Fairgrounds, 100 years of history was there to greet the crowds along with all the other things for which county fairs are known and celebrated.The Virginia- Kentucky District Fair & Horse Show celebrates its centennial this week, an entire century’s worth of name performers, cotton candy, giddy rides and good times that have entertained generations across the region.The 100th VA-KY District Fair contains all that is familiar, from the James H. Drew Exposition rides and games on the midway to the livestock at McDonald’s Farm, and reminders of 99 fairs of yesteryear in the form of posters, photographs signed by performers and other memorabilia.“We have a display of a lot of memorabilia of previous years that (fair) committee members have kept over the years and brought it in and finally show it all in one place,” said Fair Committee Chairman Lawton Mullins.He pointed to photos of the Statler Brothers’ bus caught in traffic when the group performed in 1978, delivering to the fairgrounds what is believed to be the fair’s biggest single-night crowd ever.“They finally had to get a police escort just to get into the fairgrounds themselves,” Mullins said.Mullins pointed to another photo of the Sanders Brothers, a popular regional band performing for the 35th straight year at the fair — in 1987.“They were a staple for the fair right up until the mid-1990s, when they just couldn’t go on doing it any more,” he said. “They were always a crowd pleaser and will always be a huge part of the fabric of the history of this place.”A lot of threads of the Mullins family are also woven into that fabric. Mullins grew up with one week every summer of the fair in his blood. His grandfather, Shelcy Mullins, was involved in the fair in one role or another for 55 years, with 25 of those as the chairman of the fair committee.“Papaw is still pretty involved, especially this year. He’s been out here this year more than ever in recent years,” said Mullins, who was bequeathed the chairmanship role three years ago when his grandfather passed the keys to his grandson.“Lawton’s been here ever since he’s been born,” Shelcy Mullins said while posing next to his grandson on a carnival ride. “I remember when he was 4 and his sister 2, and they were here and he told me he would be on the committee one day. And I’ve always said he’s been on it since he was born.”There was a time Shelcy would try out every carnival ride that appeared at the fair every year.“The Tilt-a-Whirl was my all-time favorite,” he said. “Oh yeah, back some time ago I rode on every ride every year. They’d bring ’em here, and I’d ride ’em.”This year’s centennial version of the fair actually got under way on Sunday, sort of, seeing as how the planned parade and mud bog competition got rained out. While rain and mud bog seem to go together nicely, Lawton Mullins said the prospect is more fun for participants than spectators.So the Mud Bog Competition has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday. Monday’s lineup included baby pageants and a demolition derby, and then things get cranking today with extreme bull riding at 7 p.m. in the Horse Show Arena, the Brooklyhn Woods concert at the Main Stage at 7 p.m., followed by the Casey James Concert at 8 p.m. Gates will open at 4 p.m. today.As usual for VA-KY District Fairs since beyond anyone can recall and possibly back to 1913, Wednesday is Kids Day from noon until 6 p.m. — when $10 will let kids ride all the rides they want for those six hours. This year’s Kids Day features Ben ‘Cooter’ Jones and the General Lee, but keep an eye out for the Flying Circus as well.Gates open at 11 a.m. Thursday, and featured events will include All Star Wrestling at the Horse Show Arena at 7 p.m., Ben ‘Cooter’ Jones and Cooter’s Garage Band at 7 p.m., and the Miss VA-KY District Fair Scholarship Pageant beginning at 8 p.m.Tyler Farr will perform Friday night, and the Folk Soul Revival Convert will wrap up 100 years’ worth of performances on Saturday night. Gate admission prices are $8 for ages 12 and up, $2 for ages 6-11, and all kids age 5 and under are admitted free. All concerts are free with paid admission. The Drew Exposition offers one price rides every night for $20 except for the $10 special on Kids Day and from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
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Heat blow out Pacers in Game 7, move on to face Spurs
MIAMI — Their season, their legacy, their reign atop the NBA was all at stake, and the Miami Heat responded in a manner befitting defending champions — with a blowout.LeBron James scored 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds, ailing Dwyane Wade matched his postseason high with 21 points, and the Heat ran away from the Indiana Pacers 99-76 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night.In the NBA Finals for the third straight year, the Heat will play the San Antonio Spurs in a series that starts Thursday in Miami.“They’re just an amazing group of guys,” said Heat managing general partner Micky Arison, not long after handing the East championship trophy to Chris Andersen, who held it aloft as teammates standing around him celebrated. “They’ve given us an incredible season so far, but it’s a long way from over.” It could have ended on Monday, of course. The Heat had alternated wins and losses with the Pacers in the first six games of the series, and were coming off their worst offensive outing of the year in Game 6.They responded with a rout, despite shooting just under 40 percent, well below their norm.“By any means necessary ... we took care of business,” James said.Miami led by as many as 28 points, a shocking amount for a series that had an aggregate score of Heat 569, Pacers 564 entering Monday night. The Heat actually trailed by six in the early going, were still down 21-19 after the first quarter and it was starting to look like it was going to be one of those down-to-the-wire nights.Not even close.James exited with 5:08 left, shaking retired soccer star David Beckham’s hand as he made his way to the Heat bench for a relatively subdued celebration. Not long afterward, security personnel started what’s become a familiar task in Miami — surrounding the court and stretching out a yellow rope, preparing to hold people at bay for the looming on-court trophy presentation.“You never want to take anything for granted,” Wade said afterward. “Being here three straight years in a row, going back to the finals, is an amazing feat. I’m just glad we were able to do it. Everything that happened in the first six games didn’t mean anything to us. It was about tonight. It was about Game 7. It was about finding a way to win here at home.” More than a few people didn’t stick around to see the East title formally presented. After all, it’s an all-or-nothing season for the Heat — and this trophy isn’t the one that will satisfy them.Ray Allen added 10 points for Miami, which earned its 78th victory of the season, matching the 11th-best, single-season total in NBA history.Roy Hibbert scored 18 points for the Pacers, who got 14 from David West, 13 from George Hill and 10 from Lance Stephenson. All-Star Paul George was held to seven points on 2-for-9 shooting and fouled out early in the fourth quarter.George was the last Indiana player on the floor as Miami prepped for its postgame celebration, shaking any hand he could find before being walked toward the visiting locker room by Pacers coach Frank Vogel, who slung an arm over his star’s shoulder.His time will likely come — someday.Not yet, though. Not with this Miami team built for titles. It’s the fourth trip to the finals for the Heat, who won the title in 2006 and have now been there all three years of the “Big Three” era, falling to Dallas in 2011 and then topping Oklahoma City in five games last year.“The great thing is we’re a young team and we are past the building stage,” George said. “This is really our first year tasting success. The rate we are going, we see championships soon.” They’re getting closer. A second-round loss to Miami in six games last year was followed by a seven-game, conference-finals exit this time around.Still, they’ll be watching the title round.Miami went 2-0 against San Antonio this season, though neither of those games should be considered harbingers of what’s ahead. The Spurs rested four regulars in the first meeting, the Heat were without three injured starters in the second matchup.James delivered an inspirational address of sorts to his team Monday morning, publicly revealing no details of what he said afterward other than insisting that the Heat would be ready.He was right. After 5 minutes, it was 12-6 Indiana. After that, the rest of the half was pretty much all Miami.Once the Pacers cooled off a bit, the Heat immediately went into pull-away mode. Over the final 19 minutes of the half, Miami’s edge was 46-25. Over the final 11 minutes, it was 33-14, as James and Allen outscored the Pacers by themselves.Allen did less pregame shooting than usual on Monday. He was at the arena several hours before game time — as is his custom — and got in a pregame workout, but once he found a groove, he decided that was enough. And after going 13 for 46 in the first six games of the series, the NBA’s career leader in 3-pointers had to believe that he was simply overdue to get going.His first shot on Monday was a 3-pointer that connected, giving the Heat a 26-23 lead.The Heat never trailed again.By halftime, it was 52-37, with James scoring 18 points, Chris Bosh and Wade combining for 17 and Allen adding 10 more. And what had to be most troubling to the Pacers at halftime was their 15 turnovers, a number Vogel said earlier Monday would spell trouble if his team committed that many in the entire game.And in the third, the run the Pacers so desperately needed never arrived. Indiana was still within 13 with 3:37 left in the period when Hibbert picked up his fourth foul. Ordinarily, that would mean someone goes to the bench, though Game 7 on the road for a trip to the finals hardly could be classified as an ordinary occasion.So Vogel — who was second-guessed for not having Hibbert on the floor for the final moments in overtime of Game 1, when James got to the rim easily for a game-winning layup — left his center out there with four fouls.Barely a minute later, it backfired. Hibbert picked up his fifth late in the third, and George got to five fouls by getting whistled twice in the final 46.1 seconds of the quarter.By then, the outcome was obvious.It was Miami’s night.
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Lady Vols suffer heartbreaking loss in first game of WCWS finals
OKLAHOMA CITY — Lauren Chamberlain hit a two-run home run down the left-field line in the bottom of the 12th inning, lifting top-seeded Oklahoma to a 5-3 win against Tennessee on Monday night in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series finals.Chamberlain followed Brianna Turang’s leadoff double by smashing a high drive that soared over the foul pole for her 30th home run of the season, tying for the NCAA lead.Game 2 of the best-of-three championship series is Tuesday night.The Sooners capitalized on a dropped popup to rally from three runs down in the 11th after Tennessee’ Madison Shipman broke a scoreless tie with a three-run home run off national player of the year Keilani Ricketts (35-1).Ellen Renfroe (19-5) was able to match Ricketts until the end, striking out 13 for seventh-seeded Tennessee (52-11).It ended up as the longest game in the championship round since 1984, when UCLA beat Texas A&M 1-0 in 13 innings back when a single game decided the NCAA softball title.Shipman lined an 0-1 pitch from Ricketts over the 220-foot fence in straightaway center field to break a scoreless tie in a throwback to the pitching duels of World Series from years gone by.But the Sooners were able to rally in the bottom half of the inning after second baseman Lauren Gibson dropped Ricketts’ popup along the right-field line to allow her to reach second. Brittany Williams followed with an RBI double and Destinee Martinez had a two-out RBI triple before Callie Parsons tied it on an RBI double to left.Parsons was thrown out trying to advance to third.Ricketts retired the Lady Vols in order in the 12th, striking out national player of the year finalist Raven Chavanne to end the inning, before the Sooners struck again.It was the longest outing of Ricketts’ career, and she hadn’t needed to throw more than seven innings all season as the dominant Sooners had 20 of their games shortened to five innings by the eight-run mercy rule. They led the nation in scoring and earned-run average coming into the World Series and had won five of their first eight NCAA tournament games by the mercy rule while outscoring opponents 82-13.But they ran into a Tennessee team that had also gone 8-0 in the NCAA tournament to reach the finals. The finals feature all three finalists for national player of the year — Ricketts and Chamberlain for Oklahoma, and Chavanne for the Lady Vols.Chavanne, a .455 hitter, struck four times and went 0 for 6. Chamberlain was 2 for 6 and also had a double and Ricketts was 2 for 5, with the 11th-inning popup being officially scored as a double.The teams combined for just three hits through seven innings, and then both started threatening in the extra frames.The Lady Vols got the leadoff runner on in the eighth when shortstop Jessica Vest misplayed Melissa Davin’s grounder for an error. She was sacrificed to second before Hannah Akamine drew a four-pitch walk, but Ricketts struck out pinch-hitter Rainey Gaffin before Chavanne lined out to Vest for the third out.Renfroe then got herself into and out of a tight spot in the ninth, giving up Georgia Casey’s leadoff single before throwing into the dirt on Shelby Pendley’s sacrifice bunt. She struck out Ricketts before a wild pitch allowed both runners to advance with one out, then walked Brittany Williams to load the bases.First baseman Melissa Brown fielded Jessica Shults’ grounder and got the force at home, then Renfroe struck out Destinee Martinez to send the game to the 10th.
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No. 1 seed UNC survives in 13 innings
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina coach Mike Fox sat in stunned disbelief, searching for words after his No. 1-seeded Tar Heels barely avoided a stunning upset in the NCAA tournament."It might've been the greatest baseball game that I've ever been a part of," Fox said after UNC edged Florida Atlantic 12-11 in 13 innings in a wild game to win the Chapel Hill Regional.On a long night that started with a two-hour rain delay, Cody Stubbs singled with the bases loaded to bring home the winning run and help the tournament's overall top seed advance to the Super Regionals.Stubbs' hit down the left field line scored Landon Lassiter from third base to cap a game filled with momentum swings, sending the Tar Heels (55-9) spilling onto the field in a mad dash to celebrate."I was going to get the job done no matter what," said Stubbs, the regional MVP. "I was mad at myself. I had chased a couple of bad pitches. But there was no way I wasn't going to put the ball in play right there. I told myself, 'No matter what, you're putting the ball in play.' "His teammates mobbed him as he rounded first base, a moment steeped in relief as much as it was exuberance in a game that ended after 1 a.m. Tuesday.UNC took a 6-2 lead into the ninth inning but gave up six runs —including a grand slam by Tyler Rocklein — to trail 8-6. The Tar Heels tied it to send it to extras but fell behind again in the 12th after the second-seeded Owls (42-22) got a three-run homer by Levi Meyer — who was 0-for-5 before that hit — in the top of the inning.The Tar Heels came back yet again, and then won it to advance to the best-of-three Super Regionals against South Carolina, starting Friday at Chapel Hill.North Carolina narrowly avoided joining Oregon — No. 8 overall — as national seeds to fail to get out of the regional round. And it was a tough fight throughout the weekend, with the Tar Heels earning its three wins by a combined seven runs.They didn't pitch particularly well. They left way too many runners on base and had at least three thrown out at home, including Stubbs for what would've been the winning run in the 12th.The win came barely a week after North Carolina needed 18 innings to beat rival North Carolina State in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament."Our team's toughened up," Fox said. "Over the last two to three weeks, we've had to. We played some really good teams in this regional. We also played against ourselves, I think, a little bit during this regional. So I'm proud of the guys for fighting through and getting it done. This is unbelievable."The Tar Heels started the year 39-2 and won the ACC tournament title, but just avoided suffering consecutive losses for the first time all season. Florida Atlantic edged North Carolina 3-2 on Sunday to force Monday night's decisive game.On this night, the Tar Heels used six pitchers — including regional-game starters Kent Emanuel, Benton Moss and Hobbs Johnson — before reliever Reilly Hovis (4-0) earned the win by striking out Rocklein to end the top of the 13th.Reliever Michael Sylvestri (4-3) took the loss after allowing three hits and the winning run in 1 1-3 innings.Florida Atlantic was trying to reach the Super Regionals for the first time since 2002."They kept battling back and battling back," Owls coach John McCormack said. "They made pitches when they had to and got big hits. Congratulations to them. It was an unbelievable game, something I don't know if this stadium has ever seen or might ever see again. It's just a shame we're on the short end of it."
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Fearsome Foursome's Deacon Jones dies at 74
David "Deacon" Jones, the original sackmaster, has died.The Hall of Fame defensive end credited with terming the word "sack" for how he knocked down quarterbacks was 74. The Washington Redskins said that Jones died of natural causes at his home in Southern California on Monday night."Deacon Jones was one of the greatest players in NFL history. Off the field, he was a true giant," said Redskins general manager Bruce Allen, whose father, George, coached Jones with the Los Angeles Rams. "His passion and spirit will continue to inspire those who knew him. He was a cherished member of the Allen family and I will always consider him my big brother."Because sacks didn't become an official statistic until 1982, Jones' total is uncertain. His impact as a premier pass rusher and team leader is not.Jones was the leader of the Rams' Fearsome Foursome unit from 1961-71 and then played for San Diego for two seasons before finishing his career with the Redskins in 1974. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and made the league's 75th anniversary all-time squad."Deacon Jones has been the most inspirational person in my football career," said former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood.Jones made the Pro Bowl every year from 1964-70 and played in eight overall. He combined with fellow Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy on a defensive line that at times was unblockable.George Allen, who coached the Fearsome Foursome, called Jones the "greatest defensive end of modern football." The Allen family had Jones present George Allen for his Hall of Fame induction in 2002.The Rams' stats show Jones with 159½ sacks for them and 173½ for his career — all unofficial, of course. Jones also was one of the most durable players, missing just five games in his 14 pro seasons.A 14th-round draft pick in 1961 out of Mississippi Valley State, which later produced Jerry Rice, Jones was the first defensive lineman with 100 solo tackles, reaching that mark in 1967."The thing we've got to remember being players in this era is to really respect the game 'back when,' because those guys could really play," said Chris Long of the Rams, whose father, Howie, also is in the Hall of Fame. "Deacon Jones is a perfect example. This whole league and everybody in this game should honor the past and the players who played in that era. Those guys paved the way for us."Most recently, Jones was the CEO of his own foundation, which he began in 1997. He also made several trips to visit troops on active duty in the Middle East.
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Tenn. sets traps to catch emerald ash borers
MEMPHIS — State and federal agriculture officials are tracking how far the emerald ash borer beetle has advanced by hanging purple triangular traps in trees across Tennessee.The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday that the beetle has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the eastern United States and Canada. The species is not native to North America.Tennessee Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Heather Orne told The Commercial Appeal about 1,400 traps are being placed across the state. The goal is to provide a more complete national assessment and to locate new infestations for possible treatment and quarantine."Trapping is a very important tool for us to know how extensive the infestation is and whether additional control measures are needed to slow it from spreading to other areas," Tennessee Department of Agriculture plant certification administrator Gray Haun said.The beetle traps work in a similar fashion as fly traps. Their purple color is attractive to the emerald ash borers, and they are coated with an adhesive that captures insects when they land.The color also makes the traps easy to point out among the greenery, but they pose no risk to humans, pets or wildlife.Officials say the ash borers were first discovered in Tennessee in 2010 at a truck stop along Interstate 40 near Knoxville. The state began placing traps in that area in 2011.State officials suspect that the borers entered the state on firewood or ash wood materials brought from another state where infestations have occurred.Eighteen East Tennessee counties are under a quarantine, meaning no hardwood firewood, ash logs, ash seedlings and ash bark can be moved outside of those counties without approval.The USDA asks that that people who find traps blown out of trees to report the downed traps to a national hotline at 1-866-322-4512 or the USDA's emerald ash borer webpage.
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