Media General signed agreements with Berkshire Hathaway for the purchase of newspapers including the Bristol Herald Courier. BH Media Group a subsidiary of Berkshire will purchase all newspapers owned by Media General with the exception of the Tampa group for 142-million dollars in cash. The newspapers being purchased include Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama in addition to digital assets, websites, mobile and tablet applications as well as their commercial printing business. (bg)

A fire on Sanford Drive claimed the life of a Johnson City man. Authorities say the 8am fire began in the kitchen. Two police officers living nearby were the first on the scene and attempted to enter thinking that someone may be trapped inside but faced excessive smoke. When the Johnson City Fire Department arrived they were able to extinguish the blaze and find a man who had apparently died in the house. He was only described as being in his forties and the cause of the fire is under investigation. (bg)

Members of the Commonwealth Transportation Board says completion of the Coalfields Expressway is critical for southwest Virginia's economy. Meeting in Abingdon they showed support for the 2.6-billion dollar project. The four lane highway would run 49 miles from Pound in Wise County through Dickinson and Buchanan counties to the West Virginia state line and continue 60 miles to Beckley West Virginia. (bg)

It is been a bumpy road this week for the Carter County budget. The Carter County School Board is asking for a budget increase of close to $840,000 for next year. The education funding bucket has big leaks as pointed out by Carter County Finance Director Ingrid DeLoach. She said average daily attendance declined by 100 students this year and that means a loss of $204,000 in state basic education program funds. DeLoach said another $470,000 is being lost at the local level because the County schools share of local revenue slipped by 1% to the Elizabethton City Schools. She told commissioners to expect another 1% loss in the coming budget year. The biggest cost for education is been a state mandated $714,000, 2 1/2% pay increase for teachers. The school systems medical insurance provider is estimated to have a $400,000 premium increase for the County to pay. More budget meetings are planned.(CS)

The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office needs full County Commission approval for additional funding by next week. Sheriff Wayne Anderson needs 1.5-million dollars for the next fiscal year. He and his staff submitted a revised budget to the County Commission’s Administrative Committee for 9.4-million to run the Office and 8.5-million to operate the jail. He says his department has seen a significant increase in call volume and the jail population has continued to increase while fuel and medical expenses have also gone up. The Budget Committee is already considering an extra 637-thousand dollars for the current budget year and the sheriff has converted several purchased vehicles to leases and postponed some payroll expenses into next year cutting the deficit 180-thousand. Action on the budget has been postponed so now committee members will study the sheriff’s new budget and meet next month to discuss and vote. The county’s finance office was requested to attend the next meeting to answer questions and provide revenue projections for next year. (bg)

U.S. District Court Judge James P. Jones sentenced Former Southwest Virginia Postmaster Cynthia K. Landore to serve a year and a day in prison for embezzling over 34-thousand dollars from the Hiltons post office. Because of her clean record she will serve less time than the suggested guidelines. The 56-year old Bristol Tennessee resident pleaded guilty to one count of misappropriation of postal funds and one count of theft of public property. Landore took money customers used to buy money orders and stamps then hid the crime by falsifying records and money orders. She could have gotten 10-years in prison on each charge. (bg)

Gov. Bill Haslam signed the state's more than $31 billion annual spending plan. The budget includes funding for reducing the sales tax on groceries from 5.5 percent to 5.25 percent, increasing the exemption for the inheritance tax from $1 million to $1.25 million and enhanced penalties for gang and gun crimes.

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says Virginia will receive about $115,000 from a multistate settlement with Skechers USA Inc. over the company's shoe ads. Under the settlement announced Wednesday, Skechers will pay the states a total $5 million.

Today is day number four in a high profile Greene County murder trial. 29 year old Jessica Myers was one of three people that allegedly killed Jimmy Lee Cutshall and shot his wife, Rhonda in the back of the head. It happened in October of 2009 during a home invasion and robbery. A verdict in the case is expected by the end of the week. One of Myers co-defendants has already been convicted and sent to prison. Another person will stand trial in September. (jb)

Kingsport Police will conduct a DUI Check Point Saturday, May 19th. Officers will set up in areas that are frequented by impaired drivers, and also in high crash areas. The check point will be held from 11:00 pm until 1:00 am the following morning. (jb)

Greene County Sheriff's deputies are investigating the discovery of a body in a field in Mohawk. 46 year old Stephen Wayne Hensley was found shot in the head in a field across the road from his home. His body was found Tuesday morning. Hensley had been missing since Monday afternoon. His body was taken by Greene County EMS for autopsy. (jb)

A Kingsport man is in jail after a traffic stop in Johnson City. Police stopped 27 year old Leonte Ward for speeding on Interstate 26. Officers found a loaded handgun inside of his car. Ward was also driving on a revoked license. He was booked into the county detention center on Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a convicted felon and driving on revoked charges. Bond was set at 11 thousand dollars. (jb)

Today is the day that Johnson City Police Chief John Lowry hangs up his badge. He has served on the police department for 34 years. Lowry began his career working as an EMS technician and later transferred to the police department. Five in-house candidates to replace Lowry were announced a few weeks ago. Captains Debbie Bothelo, Karl Turner, and Steve Smith along with Majors Mark Sirois and Gary Younger made the short list. Major Gary Younger has since removed his name from consideration. (jb)

A new study values East Tennessee State University's impact on the region at more than $683 million. The evaluation by ETSU's Bureau of Business and Economic Research looks at the total economic impact of both the university and the Medical Education Assistance Corporation - the physician practice group for the university's medical school.

The state fire marshal's office is urging travelers to be fire safe while staying in unfamiliar places. Officials say care should be taken to stay at hotels or motels that have smoke alarms and fire sprinklers.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is stressing life jacket use as the boating season revs up. Ready, Set, Wear It Day is Saturday with a series of events statewide to encourage safe boating, including wearing personal floatation devices.

The former postmaster of the Hiltons, Virginia post office has been sentenced to prison. 56 year old Cynthia Landore of Bristol, Tennessee pleaded guilty in February to ne count of embezzling postal funds and one count of embezzlement of public property. She will serve just over a year in federal prison and has been ordered to pay just over 34 thousand dollars in restitution. (jb)

If you are single and you live in Kingsport...you may want to consider moving. The city made it on Kiplinger's list of worst cities for singles. The report cites low incomes and a low number of available single people for the dating pool. (jb)

A Mountain City funeral home has been cited for "immoral or unprofessional conduct". The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance has fined Hux-Lipford Funeral Home for violating a state statute. The problems center around a client that paid for a steel burial vault. The funeral home used a wooden vault instead. Hux-Lipford has been ordered to pay a one thousand dollar civil penalty. (jb)

The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office will honor fallen officers in a ceremony Friday morning. It will be held at the Sheriff's Office at 10:00am. The ceremony is part of National Law Enforcement Week. (jb)

A former member of Virginia's House of Delegates has been appointed to a judgeship. Clarence "Bud" Phillips will serve as General District Judge for the 30th Judicial District of Southwest Virginia. The 30th District includes Wise, Lee and Scott Counties. Phillips served in the House of Delegates for 21 years until redistricting eliminated his seat. (jb)

A Kingsport man has been indicted by a Sullivan County grand jury for allegedly threatening a woman at gunpoint. 39 year old Dewayne Lipson is alleged to have threatened a female neighbor during an argument over an incident between their children. He's alleged to have told the woman that he would shoot her if she called police. Lipson is said to have retrieved a pistol from inside his home and pointed it at the woman. (jb)

A pay raise could be coming to the Washington County, Tennessee Commission Chairman. The county's budget committee has voted to increase the pay of Greg Matherly from $50 per month to $500 per month. Matherly is a Lieutenant with the Sheriff's Department and has been taking vacation days in order to perform his duties on the commission. The full commission is expected to vote on the raise at their next meeting. (jb)