Daily editionThursday, May 14th, 2026
Good morning, Johnson City.
The Daily Johnson City Team
Here’s your local news at a glance for Thursday, the 14th of May.
Community
Jacklyn Vanderpool created a holistic sober living program with two new homes — each housing five men — after noticing a lack of recovery resources in East Tennessee, and is planning to open the region’s first women’s sober living house early summer.
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Wallace Subaru of Bristol (under its Share the Love campaign) presented a check for $18,930 to Crossroads Medical Mission on Wednesday morning, and the donation will support free care for uninsured residents across the region.
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Business
Tsubaki Nakashima announced it will close its Erwin plant in February 2027, affecting about 130 employees.
The company will shift steel ball production to sites in the United States and India and move roller production to its Bosnia plant.
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Culture
ETSU will hold a free two-day event titled America 250: Celebrating the role of the Irish starting Friday with a panel discussion and live performances from two groups at its campus as the department of Appalachian Studies partners with the Consulate General of Ireland to honor founding influences.
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Education
Northeast State Community College held five commencement ceremonies Tuesday — from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — honoring 928 graduates who received 1,109 degrees and certifications across six academic divisions and the Adult Education Program.
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Government
TDOT reopened the last state road damaged by Helene on Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting at the Bailey Bridge in Washington County — the reopening removed a long detour and restored vital access for residents and first responders.
The bridge was renamed in honor of a local man who died serving in Vietnam.
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Sports
Johnson City will host the NJCAA Division III Baseball World Series from May 23 to 28 at TVA Credit Union Ballpark, drawing over 500 visitors to boost local business.
Local organizers project an economic boost of about $240K plus increased lodging revenue of $100K.
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Bristol Motor Speedway officials announced Airbnb as its official track partner for the 2027 NASCAR season.
Airbnb listings will appear on the Speedway website to help families and groups book nearby stays.
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