WTFM Local News

A SULLIVAN COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT JUDGE HAS REVOKED THE BOND OF A BRISTOL TENNESSEE MAN ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING AND KIDNAPPING HIS ESTRANGED WIFE EARLIER THIS YEAR. JUDGE ROB MONTGOMERY DENIED A BOND AMOUNT BE SET FOR DOUG YOUNG. HE FACES THREE COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED RAPE AND AGGRAVATED BURGLARY AS WELL AS ESPECIALLY AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING. YOUNG WAS FREE ON A 50-THOUSAND DOLLARS BOND WHEN HE ALLEGEDLY ABDUCTED HIS WIFE AND WAS LATER CAPTURED IN GEORGIA. THE JUDGE SAID YESTERDAY YOUNG FORFEITED HIS RIGHT TO A BOND BY CONTACTING HIS ESTRANGED WIFE, POSSESSING A FIREARM, CONSUMING ALCOHOL AND LEAVING THE AREA. HE HAS TWO SEPARATE TRIALS SET, ONE IN AUGUST AND THE OTHER IN DECEMBER.

THE WASHINGTON COUNTY TENNESSEE SHERIFF’S OFFICE STILL HASN’T RELEASED THE NAME OF THE VICTIM WHO WAS FOUND SHOT TO DEATH IN A COUNTY HOME. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AROUND FOUR O’CLOCK AT A HOME ON TENNESSEE HIGHWAY 107. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS SEARCHING FOR POSSIBILY FOUR SUSPECTS WHO MAY BE INVOLVED IN THIS SHOOTING.

A MAN WHO HAD BEEN MISSING 26 HOURS IN THE NATIONAL FOREST NEAR BEAR TREE CAMPGROUND IN WASHINGTON COUNTY VIRGINIA HAS BEEN FOUND UNHARMED. 49 YEAR OLD MILES ROGER DOLINGER OF GRAYSON COUNTY WAS LOCATED NEAR SHAW’S GAP TRAIL YESTERDAY AFTERNOON FOLLOWING AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH. SHERIFF FRED NEWMAN SAID DOLINGER WAS ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE SOME LIVESTOCK WHEN HE BECAME DISORIENTED AND UNABLE TO FIND HIS WAY OUT OF THE WOODS. THE MAN IS ALRIGHT AND HAS SINCE REUNITED WITH HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

A DOG IS UNDER QUARANTINE AT THE JOHNSON CITY ANIMAL SHELTER AFTER BITING A NINE YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL. THE GERMAN SHEPHERD MIX LEFT FOUR OR FIVE PUNCTURE WOUNDS ON THE CHILD. AUTHORITIES SAID THE GIRL IS OKAY BUT SHE WILL NEED SURGERY. NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED AT THIS TIME.

SEVERAL DEFENDANTS WHO WERE ORDERED TO PAY RESTITUTION TO BUCHANAN COUNTY VIRGINIA IN ITS RICO CASE AGAINST MULTIPLE “BIG COON DOG” PARTICIPANTS HAVE FILED MOTIONS TO OVERTURN A JURY’S VERDICT. A FEDERAL JURY RECENTLY ORDERED VANSANT LUMBER COMPANY AND KJ STEPHENS AND ASSOCIATES LLC TO PAY 275-THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH AFTER BEING FOUND LIABLE IN A 2002 BIG RIGGING AND BRIBERY SCHEME. ONE OF THE MOTIONS CONTEND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE JURY FOUND THEM LIABLE FOR, FAR EXCEEDS ANY CLAIM UNDER A THEORY OF RESCISSION. THE WHOLE THING STEMS FROM A MAY 2002 FLOOD IN HURLEY WHICH CAUSED 30 MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES. PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND PRIVATE CONTRACTORS WHERE CONVICTED IN A BIG RIGGING AND BRIBERY SCHEME. SOME OF THOSE STILL REMAIN BEHIND BARS.

FIREWORKS ARE USUALLY A BIG PART OF ANY FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION, BUT YOU MAY NOT KNOW - POSSESSING THEM ARE ILLEGAL IN KINGSPORT AS WELL AS IN SULLIVAN COUNTY. BARRY BRICKEY WITH THE KINGSPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS LEAVE THE FIREWORKS TO THE PROS.

POLICE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP IN PUTTING A KINGSPORT COUPLE ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING CHILDREN BEHIND BARS. FEDERAL MARSHALS AND THE KINGSPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE LOOKING FOR JOHN AND KRISTINE SNEAD. BOTH ARE WANTED IN CONNECTION TO AN AGGRAVATED SEXUAL BATTERY CASE INVOLVING A SIX YEAR OLD GIRL AND SEVEN YEAR OLD BOY. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE SNEAD’S WHEREABOUTS, YOU SHOULD CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY.

THE JOHNSON CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ARRESTED A CITY MAN ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING A SMALL CHILD. 27 YEAR OLD ANGELO RACANELLI IS CHARGED WITH FELONY CHILD ABUSE AND DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE. THREE WITNESSES TOLD POLICE THEY OBSERVED RACANELLI PUNCHING THE SMALL CHILD WITH HIS CLOSED FIST WHILE THE YOUNGSTER WAS SITTING IN THE BACK SEAT OF A VAN. THE CHILD WAS A RELATIVE OF RACANELLI AND UNDER THE AGE OF SIX. HE’S CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN THE WASHINGTON COUNTY TENNESSEE DETENTION CENTER AND HAS A PRELIMINARY HEARING DATE SET FOR JULY 7TH IN GENERAL SESSIONS COURT.

KROGER HAS EXPANDED ITS GROUND BEEF RECALL TO 20 STATES INCLUDING VIRGINIA. THE OHIO-BASED GROCERY CHAIN SAYS VOLUNTARY RECALL OF THE MEAT IS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE MEAT MAY BE CONTAMINATED WITH E-COLI. KROGER IS ALSO ASKING CUSTOMERS TO CHECK THE GROUND BEEF INTHEIR REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS COVERED BY THE RECALL. SPOKESWOMAN MEGHAN GLYNN SAID THE VIRGINIA PART OF THE RECALL INVOLVES PRIVATE SELECTION NATURAL GROUND BEEF SOLD IN 16-OUNCE PACKAGES THAT WERE IN THE SELF-SERVICE MEAT CASE. THE “SELL BY” DATES FOR THE PACKAGES WERE JULY 11TH THROUGH JULY 21ST.

IT WILL LIKELY BE SPRING OF NEXT YEAR BEFORE A JOHNSON CITY MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING A TEENAGE GEORGIA COUPLE, WILL GO TO TRIAL. HOWARD HAWK WILLIS IS CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATHS OF ADAM CHRISMER AND SAMANTHA LEMMING. AFTER GOING THROUGH NUMEROUS ATTORNEYS, WILLIS WAS ORDERED TO REPRESENT HIMSELF, BUT WILLIS FILED AN APPEAL AND THE TENNESSEE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS STAYED HIS TRIAL IN ORDER TO REVIEW THE MATTER. JUDGE LYNN BROWN ACCEPTED THE LATEST ACTION AND YESTERDAY STRIPPED AWAY SEVERAL PRIVALAGES GIVEN TO WILLIS WHILE HE WAS REPRESENTING HIMSELF. YET ANOTHER ATTORNEY, THIS TIME FROM KNOXVILLE, HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO REPRESENT WILLIS. A TRIAL DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR DECEMBER 12TH.