An Inmate At The Federal Prison In Lee County Virginia Has Admitted To Having Contraband Inside A Prison. Juan Fernando Sanchez Plead Guilty This Week In U.S. District Court In Abingdon To Possessing A Prison Made Shank Designed To Be Used As A Weapon. Sanchez Faces Up To 60 Months In Prison When He’s Sentenced On April 13th. 

A Bristol Virginia Man Who Plead Guilty Last Year To Federal Gun Offenses Has Been Ordered To Spend Time Behind Bars. 48 Year Old Michael Houser Plead Guilty In U.S. District Court In Abingdon Virginia To Two Counts Charging Him With Possession Of An Unregistered Machine Gun And Possession Of An Unregistered Silencer. A Judge Sentenced Him To 30 Months In Prison. 

The Honorable Chad Dotson announced today that he is running in the Special Election for the 38th Senatorial District to fill out the remainder of the term of deceased Senator Ben Chafin of Lebanon. Dotson, a current Dean and constitutional law professor at the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, is a former Circuit Court Judge, Commonwealth’s Attorney, husband, and father. “I’m running in the Special Election because I know we need a conservative voice who will continue the work that Senator Ben Chafin started,” said Dotson. Furthering that sentiment, Dotson said, “We need a Senator in Richmond who will fight to bring jobs to Southwest Virginia, defend our special way of life, and preserve the values we hold dear – lower taxes, less spending, defending the Second Amendment, preserving life, having the back of law enforcement professionals, and fighting for the rule of law.” Judge Dotson was elected by the Virginia General Assembly to the General District Court bench in 2007, and he was unanimously elevated to the Circuit Court bench in 2011 (and reappointed in 2019). He served as the Chief Judge of the 30th Judicial Circuit and presided over the Circuit’s Recovery Court program for the entirety of his tenure on the Circuit bench. In addition, Judge Dotson served a term on the state Drug Court Advisory Board, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. After serving a term on Appalachian School of Law’s Board of Trustees, Judge Dotson joined the faculty as an adjunct in the spring of 2020. He joined the full-time faculty for the fall semester of 2020 as Dean of Students and Distinguished Professor of Law. Chad Dotson is proud to have the support of many of Southwest Virginia’s leaders, such as: Delegates Terry Kilgore, Nick Rush, and William Wampler. He also enjoys the support of many Commonwealth’s Attorneys, Sheriffs, and Supervisors from across the 38th District. Chad, and his wife Sabrina, have called Southwest Virginia home their entire lives. Together, they have raised two wonderful children right here. The Special Election will be held on Tuesday, March 23rd. The Republican Party will nominate their candidate through a party canvass on Thursday, January 21st. 

BRISTOL – In an effort to keep motorists informed, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) provides weekly information about highway construction and maintenance projects in southwestern Virginia. When traveling through highway work zones, use caution and be alert to changes in traffic patterns and slow-moving or stopped traffic.
 
To help motorists take the guesswork out of travel plans, call VDOT’s 511 or visit http://www.511virginia.org for real-time traffic information.

INTERSTATE PROJECTS
Interstate 81 – Exit 19: Be alert to the following activities on the I-81 exit 19 safety improvement project in Abingdon: nighttime work on Route 11 and utility work in the work zone during day and nighttime hours. The project includes realigning a portion of Empire Drive, widening a curve along the southbound off ramp, and adding traffic signals at the intersection of newly aligned Empire Drive and Route 11 and where Route 11 intersects with the end of the exit 19 southbound ramps. (Completion: Summer 2022)

PRIMARY HIGHWAYS AND HIGH TRAFFIC SECONDARY ROADS:
Buchanan County
Route 460/121 Poplar Creek Phase A: Construction of Route 460/121 Poplar Creek Phase A is underway in Buchanan County. Impacts on motorists are minimal because the majority of the work is on a new location; however, the project has created a permanent change for Route 614 (Woods Fork). Poplar Creek Phase A will split a portion of Route 614 and cul-de-sacs will be added on either end of Route 614 where it ends at the new highway, approximately 2.75 miles from Route 609 at Bull Creek and 1.25 miles from Route 604 at Poplar Creek. Access to the north and south ends of Route 614 will be via Routes 609 (Bull Creek Road) and 604 (Poplar Creek Road), respectively, which connect to Route 460 west of Grundy. 
Lee County
Route 58 truck climbing lane at Powell Mountain: A project to add a truck climbing lane to Route 58 at Powell Mountain in Lee County is underway. The project will add a 1,000-foot truck climbing lane to the west side of Powell Mountain, improving safety by providing motorists a safer way to pass trucks along the steep grade. Be alert to periodic delays and watch for workers. (Completion: September 2021)
Route 58 bridge over the Powell River: Due to replacement of the Route 58 bridge over the Powell River near Jonesville in Lee County, signals are controlling one-way traffic across the bridge. Use caution in this area and allow for slight travel delays. (Completion: fall 2021)
Scott County
Route 23 access improvements/Park and Ride: Be alert to a long-term lane closure on southbound Route 23 in the Moccasin Gap area of Scott County due to an access management project. The project also includes adding a Park and Ride lot near the intersection of Route 23 and Route 619 (Filter Plant Road). Pay close attention to work zone signs and watch for workers. Allow extra travel time, especially during morning and afternoon hours when commuter traffic volumes are high. (Completion: Fall 2021)
Utility Installation: Be alert to utility installation work along Route 870 (Daniel Boone Road) and connecting secondary highways near Gate City. The project is near the quarry pond and will extend westward to Route 789 (Sarah Circle). (Completion: February 2021)
Business Route 23 – slide repairs: Slide repairs along Business Route 23 in Pound, are complete. 

Utilities’ aging coal-fired generating units nearing end of economic life
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) – Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company issued a request for proposal today for generation capacity to meet a potential energy shortfall being created by the expected retirements of Mill Creek Units 1 and 2 and E.W. Brown Unit 3 later this decade.
The coal-fired Mill Creek Units 1 and 2 and E.W. Brown Unit 3 are reaching the end of their economic lives and the utilities are starting the process to evaluate all available generation options in order to implement the best generation plan for the future. The utilities are seeking from 300 to 900 megawatts beginning in 2025 to 2028. Proposals must be for at least 100 megawatts and must be delivered to the utilities’ transmission system. Additionally, the utilities are asking for proposals for at least 100 megawatts of battery storage on their system.
“These units have enabled us to deliver safe, reliable power to our customers for decades, but they are nearing the end of their life cycles. Keeping them operating would require costly investments, and given their age, it would not be in the best interest of our customers to further invest in these units,” said David Sinclair, LG&E and KU’s vice president of Energy Supply and Analysis. “The request for proposal will allow us the opportunity to evaluate a number of options to ensure that we continue to serve our customers energy needs in the most reliable, least-cost fashion without committing LG&E and KU to any particular business decision.”
At the time of their anticipated retirements, the Mill Creek units will be more than 50 years old and Brown Unit 3 will be nearly 60 years old. Mill Creek Unit 1, built in 1972, has 300 megawatts of capacity and is expected to be retired in 2024. Both Mill Creek Unit 2, a 297-megawatt unit built in 1974, and Brown Unit 3, a 412-megwatt unit built in 1971, are expected to be retired by 2028.
As part of the long-term planning process, the utilities evaluate a range of factors including the impact of potential stricter environmental regulations, fuel price scenarios, the cost of replacement generation, continued operations and major maintenance costs and the risk of major equipment failures in determining when to retire generation.
Since there are several years before the units may be taken out of service, any workforce reductions are expected to occur as part of normal retirements, attrition and transfer opportunities.
-more-
Visit lge-ku.com/rfp to access the request. All proposals are due by March 31. The utilities anticipate making a decision by the middle of the year and possibly seeking applicable regulatory approvals starting in early 2022.
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Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve more than 1.3 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 329,000 natural gas and 418,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 558,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.

A Federal Discrimination Case Has Been Filed In U.S. District Court In Abingdon By A Former Executive Employee Against A Southwest Virginia Banking Chain. Mary Trigiani Filed The Suit Against Honaker Virginia-Based New Peoples Bank Alleging Discrimination On The Basis Of Age, Sex, And Religion. Trigiani Claims Company President And Ceo C. Todd Asbury Favored Evangelical Employees And Discriminated Against Women. Lastly, The Suit Alleges The Company Did Not Follow Proper Reduction-In-Force Laws Concerning Her Employment Separation. A Jury Trial Has Been Requested. New Peoples Bank Has 60 Days To Respond To The Suit.

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WYMT) - As more vaccines are coming into our region allowing more people to get vaccinated, one local hospital is helping make the process a little easier.
Earlier this week, Pikeville Medical Center launched a new scheduling website where those eligible to take the shots can sign up.
It is now open to both phase 1A and 1B groups. 1A is healthcare workers. 1B is people 70 years of age and older.
Officials say scheduling for both groups will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.To register, click here.
Starting Monday, January 11th, those in the groups mentioned above will be able to use a drive-thru from 7 a.m – 7 p.m. The drive-thru will be located at 150 Healthcare Drive between the PMC Administration Building and the Landmark Hotel.

A Greeneville, Tennessee man is charged with aggravated burglary and public intoxication. The Greeneville Police Department reports that an officer was called to the 400 block of North Main Street at around 7 p.m. Sunday about a man breaking into multiple homes. The officer was told by witnesses that William A. Howell was seen running up the street. Howell ran into a fenced lot, gave up, and was taken into custody. He gave officers a fake name and appeared to be under the influence of drugs and was making irrational statements. Howell was arrested and charged with aggravated burglary, three counts of aggravated trespassing, two counts of vandalism, resisting stop/halt/frisk, criminal impersonation, trespassing, and public intoxication. 

A man in Johnson City is facing charges following an incident at the John Sevier Center. The Johnson City Police Department reports that officers responded to the center at around 7 p.m. Saturday to find the door to an apartment being smashed open. The kitchen oven and stovetop in the apartment had been turned on high with combustible items placed on the stove and in the oven, causing a fire. Firefighters were able to control the fire before the apartment became ablaze. 34-year-old Jacob Michael Ollis was found wandering outside the complex and had been seen on video by officers and was confronted by the complex management inside the apartment during the fire. Ollis has been charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated arson. He is being held in the Washington County Detention Center.  

A woman has been arrested in Whitley County, Kentucky on drug charges. The Williamsburg Police Department reports that officers stopped Tina E. Davis at the intersection of Perkins Place and Sycamore Street. Davis was determined to be under the influence. She has been charged with possession of meth, prescription drugs, and marijuana, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia, and third offense of driving under the influence. Davis was taken to the Whitley County Detention Center.