Good morning, Johnson City.

Residents in flood-damaged Bumpus Cove received recovery checks on Wednesday at the First Tennessee Development District office.

Local leaders distributed equal shares of $105,000 raised by Mountain Ways to supplement federal funds for rebuilding homes and land.

Four-year-old Baker Lamson, once critically ill in the NICU at Niswonger Children's Hospital, now spreads hope by delivering inspirational blankets to NICU families (a project launched on his first birthday) to boost donations.

Multiple Carter County Fire Departments responded to a fire at the Carter County Landfill Thursday morning plus the Watauga Volunteer Fire Department led the efforts with no injuries reported.

ETSU senior Hannah Askew, a first-generation college graduate, transformed from a quiet student to a newsroom leader through work on the student paper (where she honed her skills) and in the marketing office, and she has secured a full-time design role with the Chattanooga Times Free Press after graduation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Tennessee’s waiver on Wednesday — from 2026, SNAP recipients will no longer be able to use their benefits to buy sodas and high-calorie foods with sugar as a main ingredient.

TWRA has urged hunters to take precautions when handling wild birds as reports from Arkansas and Mississippi show rising avian flu among snow geese.

Hunters should follow practices like field dressing game birds + cleaning clothing and report any sick birds via the TWRA website.

Jeepin’ for a Claus

1-3 p.m. — Carver Recreation Center — Free toys for kids — Celebrate the season with Santa and enjoy free toys while capturing cherished moments.

A Winter Gathering Yee Haw Style

11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. — Yee-Haw Brewing Company — Free entry — Celebrate winter with fellow riders in a laid-back gathering focused on community and motorcycling fun.

Midnight at The Big Top

8-11:30 p.m. — Holiday Inn Johnson City by IHG — Champagne required — Ring in 2026 with a live DJ, acrobats, and circus magic.