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Saturday, November 7, 2026

BWXT will add 181 jobs and invest $714.5 million in Jonesborough

Plus, ETSU asks the state for $145.5 million to grow engineering and medicine.

The Daily Johnson City team2 stories18 sources5 min read

BusinessTop story

BWXT will create 181 jobs in a $714.5 million Jonesborough expansion

BWXT's new Jonesborough facility covers 325,000 square feet

Floor area of BWXT's new Jonesborough facility, beside places you know

BWXT's new Jonesborough facility325,000 sq. ft.Under construction
A football field57,600 sq. ft.end zones included
A Walmart Supercenterabout 180,000 sq. ft.

6 football fields would fit inside BWXT's new Jonesborough facility

Source: WJHL

View as table
Floor area
BWXT's new Jonesborough facility325,000 sq. ft. (Under construction)
A football field57,600 sq. ft. (end zones included)
A Walmart Supercenterabout 180,000 sq. ft.

If you're job hunting in Washington County, just gave you a reason to look. The company will create 181 jobs and invest $714.5 million to expand its Jonesborough facility, state officials announced Friday. The plant will produce high-purity depleted uranium metal for the federal government.

The new jobs will more than double BWXT's current local workforce. Construction has begun on the 325,000-square-foot facility, and BWXT holds a $1.6 billion federal contract to build it.

  • Fund total: $95 million since it began
  • Fund projects: 12th overall, third for BWXT
  • Federal contract: 10 years, awarded September 2025

The state is backing it with a grant from the , and the exact amount will be posted to the fund's transparency site within 30 days. BWXT got two earlier grants in 2025, for Oak Ridge and Erwin.

BWXT's Jonesborough investment dwarfs its two 2025 projects

Source: GreenevilleSun.com

View as table
Value
Oak Ridge$45 million
Erwin$122 million
Jonesborough$714.5 million

“Today's announcement from BWXT represents another significant investment in Tennessee and creates greater opportunity across Northeast Tennessee, including nearly 200 high-quality jobs.”

Gov. Lee

ETSU

ETSU seeks $145.5 million in state funding for engineering and medical expansions

If you care where ETSU is headed, Friday's trustees meeting offered a map. Officials outlined plans to expand engineering and medical education, including new engineering degrees, additional medical faculty and a proposed $151 million engineering building.

The board also heard about the second-largest incoming freshman class this fall. President Brian Noland said ETSU is requesting $6.5 million from the governor for the , covering urology, neurology and anesthesiology, among other areas.

ETSU's plans come with millions in price tags

$145.5 million
in state funding sought
$151 million
for a proposed engineering building
$6.5 million
requested for Quillen College of Medicine
  • Freshman class: second-largest incoming class this fall
  • Branch campuses: more activity planned in Sevierville and Kingsport
  • Lucille Clement Residence Hall: renovations and added capacity planned

“For those of you who have tried to find a neurologist, for those of you who have tried to find a urologist, there's a gap in the region.”

ETSU President Brian Noland

ETSU's plans reach the board in the months ahead

  1. Nov. 6Trustees hear plans for engineering, medical and campus growth
  2. FebruaryNoland will bring a proposal to turn an existing building into a residence hall
  3. 2027Engineering programs will come to the board for approval

Source: WJHL

Asked

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Asked

What should ETSU tackle first as it grows?

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News Notes · More

Veterans Day

If you want to honor veterans early, Saturday has options, and all of them are free. The Mountain Home VA Medical Center's Veterans Day 5K run and parade starts at 8 a.m. in Johnson City. Tipton-Haynes Historic Site runs its "A Walk in Their Boots" program from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Bristol's parade steps off at 10 a.m. Veterans Day itself is Wednesday. 96.9 WXBQWJHL

Three free veterans events start Saturday morning

  1. 8 a.m.Mountain Home VA Veterans Day 5K run and parade in Johnson City
  2. 9 a.m."A Walk in Their Boots" program begins at Tipton-Haynes Historic Site
  3. 10 a.m.Bristol Veterans Day Parade marches down State Street

Source: 96.9 WXBQ

Science Hill

Kiantai Harris ran for 229 yards on 29 carries as Science Hill came back to beat Hardin Valley 27-24 in the first round of the playoffs. Johnson City Press

Knob Creek

The project to replace the railroad underpass on with an overpass is expected to be delayed for several months over a last-minute design discrepancy. Johnson City Press

Bar safety

Little Magic Bar & Kitchen is launching free drink test strips. Owner Sam Pennington said patrons who suspect a drugged drink can ask any bartender or staff member for one. WJHL

County rules

The Washington County rules committee passed a motion Thursday to revise the county commission's rules to match state amendments on public comment at meetings. Officials were at odds over the definition of a governing body. Johnson City Press

Home

Two home kitchen upgrades under $24 while sales last: super-absorbent dish towels that come in an eight-pack and include a hanging loop, and a water-absorbing stone sponge holder that’s minimalist, compact, and keeps counters and sponges dry with natural diatomite stone. Advertising from Amazon.

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New crosswords, Sudoku and themed word searches land at 6 a.m. with the newsletter. Play today’s before the coffee is gone. Sample advertising from 6AM City.

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Around Tennessee · More

Playoff scores

Elsewhere in the first round, Gibbs beat Elizabethton 49-33, Greeneville topped Knoxville Fulton 56-28 and Alcoa beat Cherokee 49-3, WJHL lists the scores. Greeneville hosts Upperman on Fri., Nov. 13. WJHLThe Rogersville Review

Unicoi County

Blaze Rice rushed for 202 yards and four touchdowns as Unicoi County routed McMinn Central 49-14, extending its win streak to 10 games. Johnson City Press

Unicoi County and Halls won first-round playoff games at home and on the road

  • McMinn Central14
    Unicoi County49 (won)
    FinalBlaze Rice ran for 202 yards and four touchdowns.
  • Halls35 (won)
    David Crockett32
    FinalKnox Burton scored the winner with 20.1 seconds left.

Halls-Crockett

Knox Burton's 14-yard touchdown run with 20.1 seconds left lifted Halls past David Crockett 35-32. Halls (6-5) visits Rhea County (9-2) on Friday. Johnson City Press

Carter County

The state chose Carter County as one of 14 counties for a comprehensive housing market analysis, according to a news release. Johnson City Press

Asked

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Asked

Are you heading to a Veterans Day event this weekend?

Be the first to answer.

Today’s puzzles

A new puzzle in each one every morning, played right here.

All 13 games

Quoted

Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.

— Cesar A. Cruz

Things to Do

Things to Do

Johnson City, TN

Saturday, Nov. 7

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The Buy

Around the Block

Around the Block

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Well, what the heck am I supposed to do about this?

“I am folding laundry, not making cat beds! This is what I get for stepping away to bop along with a song. I let my guard down! How am I going to move him? Ughhhh. Fennec 🧡 The Cats of Coddiwomple Cottage💜”

— A neighbor, Camelot Two
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The Wrap

Thousands of people head to Jonesborough for the Made Around Here Market, a craft show packed with booths and hundreds of handcrafted items. It runs Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A good day to get a jump on gift lists with something made close to home.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? BWXT answers Jonesborough permit questions as ETSU hosts Samford

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Daily Johnson Cityto me · Sat., Nov. 76:00 a.m.

BWXT will add 181 jobs and invest $714.5 million in Jonesborough

Plus, ETSU asks the state for $145.5 million to grow engineering and medicine.

The TLDR

  1. BWXT will create 181 jobs in Jonesborough
  2. ETSU seeks $145.5 million in state funding
  3. Veterans Day events start early on Saturday
Read this edition

More stories this week

From Daily Johnson City’s other editions

All the news
HealthTennessee's maternal mortality rate tops the nation's, and nearby counties are maternity care desertsIf you're expecting, or know someone who is, these numbers are worth knowing. In 2023, Tennessee's maternal mortality rate was 28 women per 100,000 live births, compared with 19 for the U.S., according to a state report. Both rates were down from 2021 and 2022 but up from 2018.Health CareBallad Health says BlueCare members can switch plans and keep their doctors if talks with BlueCross failIf you have BlueCare, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee's TennCare plan, you may have gotten a letter about your doctors. Ballad Health said Monday that negotiations are ongoing and the letters were inaccurate. Ballad says it and its Ballad Health Medical Associates physicians are in-network with the region's other TennCare plans.ETSUETSU's pharmacy college will receive $3.2 million in federal money for scholarshipsIf you know a future pharmacist, there's new help. ETSU's Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy announced Monday it will receive $3.2 million over five years from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), according to an ETSU news release. The Johnson City Press put the expected grant at $3.23 million.

Around Johnson City

From WJHL, Johnson City Press and The Bristol Herald Courier, gathered by 6AM News, 6AM City’s local news service.

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