Courtyard Apartments Christmas Party

The Courtyard Apartments in Elizabethton has been a regular carolling stop for Calvary Baptist Church each Christmas. This year the church decided to do something a little different for the apartment's over seventy-five elderly residents. Pastor Joe Sorah told us about the decision, "Two years ago when we came and we sang out here and we saw folks on each level and I said to myself, 'We need to do something for these folks. We need to do something for Christmas.'" That is just what they did. They held a Christmas party Wednesday at the Courtyard Apartments. The party included many festivities. The most notable was the singing of Christmas carols. In addition to various carols, there was food, a trivia game, and the giving of gifts. Pastor Sorah told us that the church had given much more for the gifts than expected by more than doubling the goal and giving $50. Courtyard Apartments resident Lucy Davis said, "It really was a blessing...That's the true meaning of Christmas, when we love one another." After opening her gift she was very excited and said that she thought it was wonderful. Other residents were said to have been seen crying or trembling.

WCYB's Meet News 5 Night Postponed

After huge amounts of snow last Monday, WCYB’s “Meet News 5 Night” at Speedway in Lights has been postponed to January 3. Every Monday night at Speedway in Lights is sponsored by WCYB, and you can get a two dollar off coupon for any Monday night online at www.wcyb.com.

Christmas Programs at Local Church

The children and teens of Calvary Baptist Church performed their Christmas programmes on Sunday. The children had a musical entitled, “Arrest These Merry Gentlemen”. In the evening, the teens performed the drama, “The Angels’ Return”.

Upcoming Christmas Events

This month is full of events to celebrate Christ’s birthday.

On Mondays, at Speedway in Lights, you can get two dollars off the normal price when you print a coupon off of wcyb.com. Speedway is from 6pm to 10pm.
At Calvary Baptist Church, the Children’s Choir will be having their performance on Sunday at 6:30 entitled, “Arrest These Merry Gentlemen”.
Calvary’s Youth will be performing their Christmas play on the 19th at 6:30. It is “The Angels’ Return”.
Calvary’s Christmas Eve Service will be at 10 o’clock on the 24th.

Ivory Coast Election Crisis

The African country of Ivory Coast is in turmoil after results of the presidential election was prevented from being announced by supporters of the incumbent. Both candidates believe that they are the winner. The United Nations has accepted the challenging candidate as the winner.

Christian Woman on Death Row in Pakistan

A Christian woman in Pakistan has been sentenced to death after being accused of blaspheming Islam. Her family has gone into hiding for the risk of also being attacked. The woman was said to have insulted the prophet Muhammad. She denies the charges.

Angel Trees

The Salvation Army has there Angel Trees set up at the Johnson City Mall. With over 3,000 children in just the Johnson City/Elizabethton area on the trees, they need your help in getting gifts for them.

Elizabethton Christmas Tree Lighting

Last Wednesday at six o’clock, Elizabethton held their annual tree lighting for the Christmas Holiday Season. In addition to the lighting the event included a series of songs for the Elizabethton High School Chorus and the national anthem by some members of the Happy Valley High School Band.

Radio Station Provides Meals and Bibles

Over the past few weeks, WCQR Radio collected money to buy Thanksgiving dinners and Bibles for needy families in the area. Their goal was set for 2,010 families, but they exceeded that goal by over 500 with a total of over 2500 families served.

Tennessee Selects Next Governor

Tomorrow Tennesseans will be voting for their next governor. Republican Bill Haslam and Democrat Mike McWherter will be trying to gain votes to get Gov. Phil Bredesen’s office. No matter who you vote for, be sure to vote tomorrow at your local polling place.

Chris Vaughn Asks for Prayer

Chris Vaughn’s adventures in Sydney, Australia have been amazing so far. He says that at Hillsong College he has grown a lot in his faith as the college tries to built their relationships with Christ before building their musician skills. Chris is asking for prayers for a job since his monetary funds are beginning to deplete. You can read more about Chris’s experience at Hillsong online at chrisvaughnathillsong.blogspot.com.

Trunk or Treat

Over the weekend, Calvary Baptist Church in Elizabethton created a fun time for neighbourhood children at their Trunk or Treat. Church members of all ages dressed in costume as they handed out treats to any children who came.

Appalachian Fair

The Appalachian Fair concluded today after a week of festivities. The fair included its usual with things such as: musical performances, commercial exhibits, contests, petting zoos, and rides for the kids.

Johnson City Searches for Fire Chief

In Johnson City’s search for a new fire chief, they have now reduced the search to at least four people. Candidates include: Interim Fire Chief Mark Finucane, Captain Mark Scott, Former DeKalb County, GA Fire Chief David Foster, and Jack McCartt from Florida. City Manager Pete Peterson hopes to have a new chief in about 45 days.

Lynn Avenue Bridge Completed

A new bridge was completed in the project to widen Lynn Avenue in Elizabethton. The new five-lane bridge replaces the old metal two-lane bridge and has sidewalks and bicycle lanes. It was originally a part of the Northern Connector project that would have lessened traffic on Broad Street and Elk Avenue. That project has been stalled for the current time.

Bristol Races

It’s race weekend in Bristol. If you were unable to get tickets to the race, you can still keep up with what’s going on. The Irwin Tools Night Race airs tonight at 7:30 on ABC. You can also listen to the radio broadcast at 7:30 on 910AM WJCW.

Josh's Peruvian Adventures

This summer Josh Sorah, a student of ETSU, went on a mission trip to Peru through a group called the Light Messengers. It was to fulfil a calling that God revealed to him through a video at this year's Passion conference. Along with a group of three other people, he spread God's word through music and skits. They would go from village to village and play in the town square and in some schools. They attracted many people with their music and dramas. It certainly wasn't easy on this trip. In some cases the group had to sleep on hard floors. And the food was scrumptious. The group ended up eating tasty treats like cow hearts and guinea pigs. In the end, the trip turned out well as at least one more person now has relationship with Jesus Christ. So what are Josh's plans for the future? He told us that he wants to lead worship in a church but is remaining open to God's will. You can read more about Josh's Peruvian Adventures on his blog at JoshSorahinPeru.blogspot.com.

Appalachian Fair Coming Up

The Appalachian Fair is this upcoming week in Gray, TN. The fair will have many music performances, several contests, and rides for the children. The Appalachian Fair is August 23 – 28.

Chris Vaughn Arrives at Hillsong

WKID 6 now has learned that Chris Vaughn arrived in Sydney yesterday at around 5pm Eastern, 7am local time. We told you in April that he was raising money for his college education to learn about being a worship leader. He has paid for his first year’s tuition, but is still raising money for his living expenses while in Australia. Chris will be attending Hillsong College for the next three years.

Teenagers Positively Affect Mission Trip

On Calvary Baptist's fourth mission trip to Malta, they had more people than ever before including three teenagers who helped get the message out. They went to spread God's word and to see what amazing things He would do. They certainly did accomplish much of their mission as God opened doors at every corner. They were able to reach people as they were out and about and through their week long children's festival. Calvary's pastor, Joe Sorah, had bought a basketball goal net a week before and ended up with extra, which happened to be a previously unknown need in a Maltese park. Even having teens on the trip opened doors for the future by helping to encourage Maltese teens. All three of the teenagers who went on the Malta trip said that they would consider going back. And they are going back for the fifth time next summer.

Area Independence Day Celebrations

Almost every town in the Tri-Cities was celebrating our nation’s independence over the weekend.

Elizabethton’s parade was back this year with many floats to see.
In Johnson City it was the 25th annual Pepsi Independence Day Fireworks Celebration.
Jonesborough Days was also his weekend. They had their parade at 10am on Saturday and their Fireworks on Sunday.

Fallen Airman Returns Home

A fallen airman is returning home for his funeral. Twenty-four year old, Benjamin White, died when his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. Hundreds of people including Rolling Thunder and local police were waiting for his body’s arrival at the Tri-Cities Regional Airport. People lined the streets of his hometown of Erwin, TN to pay tribute. His funeral will be held at Grace Fellowship Church on Monday night.

Howard Hawk Willis Finally Convicted

After deliberations in the case of the 2002 murders of Adam and Samantha Crismer, the jury has reached a decision. The defendant, Howard Hawk Willis, has been declared guilty of first degree murder. Prior to the trial, Willis had been avoiding it for nearly nine years.

WCYB in HD

On Thursday the Tri-Cities was introduced to the greatest technological advancement in television since the switch to digital. Starting on their 5 o’clock broadcast, WCYB-TV began broadcasting the news in High Definition. It’s a major improvement over their previous standard definition format. WJHL-TV announced a few months ago that they are planning on switching to HD this fall. That makes WCYB the first in the Tri-Cities.

BP Announces Plan to Sell Spilt Oil

BP has announced that it will sell oil captured from the on-going spill that has been happening since mid April. They say that they will donate the money for the protection and restoration of wildlife on the gulf coast.

73 Missing in Arkansas Floods

The search for seventy-three missing people continues after flash flooding yesterday in Arkansas. Sixteen people have already been declared dead. The Caddo and Little Missouri rivers surged out of their banks into nearby campgrounds. The force of the water was so much that it ripped away tree bark and pavement from roads. At one point the water was rising at a rate of one foot every seven and a half minutes.

Anderson Treehouse

At the Warriors’ Path State Park, they have now opened the Anderson Treehouse. The tree house eliminates accessibility problems for those who are disabled. It features many learning stations for children complete with Braille for those who are visually impaired. It’s a fun, educational experience for all.

Selection of Willis Jury

The jury for the case of Howard Hawk Willis is being selected. It is being selected from people in Knoxville because of the large amount of media coverage in our area. Willis is accused of the murder of Adam and Samantha Chrismer in 2002.

Chris Vaughn Benefit Concert

On our broadcast two weeks ago we told you about Chris Vaughn, who is going to Hillsong College in Sydney, Australia. He held a benefit concert at the Coffee Company in Elizabethton, TN on May 1st. It was a wonderful time. Chris is closer to paying for his college education, but he still needs your help. You can contact him via telephone or email. He is also selling CDs of his music.

Telephone: 423-213-1928
Email: xchris.vaughnx@gmail.com

Trail Days

Trail Days is going on in Damascus, VA this weekend. Hundreds of people have flocked to the area to hike the Appalachian Trail and to enjoy the many events scheduled for this weekend. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit the Trail Days website at www.traildays.us.

Chris Vaughn Goes to Hillsong

In life, each and every one of us has a purpose. We spoke with one person in our region who is following God's plan for his life. Chris Vaughn is the worship leader at his church, Oak Street Baptist, but he hasn't always been following God's plan. When he first discovered what God wanted him to do, he became scared and ignored it, but eventually when everything fell apart, he bagan to follow Christ. Chris first discovered guitar during high school as a present from his parents. They didn't thing he would ever do anything with it, but he eventually began to lead his church's music on Wednesday nights. Now he is on his way to fullfilling the next step in God's plan, going to Hillsong College. Hillsong is a college in Australia where Chris will be learning about becoming a music leader from several Christian music leaders. Even though he has already been accepted to Hillsong, Chris still needs financial help to attend. If you would like to help Chris financially, you can contact him via telephone at (423) 213-1928 or email him at xchris.vaughnx@gmail.com. If you would like to see Chris perform, he will be playing at The Coffee Company in Elizabethton this Friday from 7 until 9pm.

BP Oil Spill

Last Tuesday, an explosion at an oil drill in the Gulf of Mexico caused a major leak. After trying many methods of removing the oil, crews are going to make a last attempt by setting the oil on fire and letting it burn. They hope that this will solve the problem before the oil reaches animal habitats on the coast.

Mississippi Tornadoes

On Saturday, while we received severe thunderstorms, Mississippians experienced severe weather of a different caliber. Tornadoes devastated the area leaving ten people dead. Many others were injured or received much damage to their homes or property.

Jenkins Mountain Fire

Several days ago, a wildfire broke out on Jenkins Mountain in Carter County. Due to the recent rains in our region, the fire has been greatly diminished. Authorities are conducting an investigation about the fire to see if it was arson.

Vols in the Elite Eight

In March Madness Basketball in the NCAA, the Tennessee Vols won against Ohio State bringing them up to the top eight. This is the first time they have ever gotten past rank number sixteen. They have to win only one more game to reach the final four.

Healthcare Reform Law

After over a year of debate, the Healthcare Reform Bill has finally become law. It will not take full effect until 2014.

Race Weekend in Bristol

It’s race weekend in Bristol. The Scotts Turf Builder 300 and the Food City 500 are this weekend. If you don’t have tickets, don’t worry. The Scotts Turf Builder 300 is Saturday at 2pm on ABC, and the Food City 500 is Sunday at 1pm on FOX.

Upcoming Storm Spotter Training Classes

If you missed the National Weather Service’s Storm Spotter Training Class last month, don’t worry. You still have a chance to attend one of the two classes in the Tri-Cities. There will be one in Elizabethton, TN on April 17 and in Church Hill, TN on April 20th. Area meteorologists will agree that it’s a big help in alerting the public of severe weather.

Corrina Steinmann Fund

A fund has been set up to cover the funeral and medical bills for the family of Corrina Steinmann who died in a car wreck last Friday in Hamblen County. Her daughter was driving the car along I-81 when it slid into the median and struck a tree. Steinmann left behind her husband and nine children. If you would like to contribute to the Corrina Steinmann Memorial Account, visit a local First Tennessee Bank or mail to:

First Tennessee Bank
c/o Corrina Steinmann Memorial Account
1101 North Eastman Road
Kingsport, TN 37664.

Kingsport Woman Dies in Car Wreck

A Kingsport woman was killed and another was injured in a car wreck yesterday evening in Hamblen County at around five o’clock. Eighteen year old Julia Steinmann was driving northward along interstate 81 near mile marker 14 when she left the road into the median before striking a tree on the passenger side of the car. Her passenger, forty-two-year-old, Corrina Steinmann died on impact. The Tennessee Highway Patrol says that both women were wearing their seatbelts.

Terry's Sold to Shearer's Foods

Snack Alliance, the producer of the regional favorite Terry’s Chips, has been sold to the snack food company, Shearer’s Foods. Shearer’s says that they hope to keep everything the same at the plant in Bristol, VA.

Pennies for Haiti

One elementary school in the region is doing all they can to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Stonewall Jackson Elementary has just finished their program, titled “Pennies for Haiti”, where students collected pennies and other change to send to the American Red Cross to help the victims. Students at the school were very enthusiastic about the project. You can read more about this story in today’s edition of the Bristol Herald Courier.

Cater County Makes Up Snow Days

Carter County Schools Director Dallas Williams has announced how the school system will be making up its now 22 days out for snow. The Easter break will be taken away making Good Friday and the Monday after Easter regular school days. Three inservice days during the year will then become regular school days as well. The remaining four days will be added to the end of the year making the last day of school May 27th. Carter County Schools hasn’t had a full week of school since December.

Johnson City Installs Red Light Cameras

After much discussion, Johnson City has finally begun to install red light cameras. The cameras will be up and running by February 28. The cameras will take pictures of those who run red lights as they do so. The hope is that Johnson City’s roads will become safer. Redflex, the company who owns the cameras, will get a certain percentage of the fines depending on how many citations are issued.

Johnson City Installs Red Light Cameras

After much discussion, Johnson City has finally begun installing red light cameras. They aren’t the first to speak of using them. We told you in December of 2008 about Kingsport’s success with them and Jonesborough’s installation of them. The first camera will be up and running by the end of the month with all of the cameras installed and running by the end of April. There will be a 30-day grace period with a fine of $100 after that.

Bristol Sign Turns 100

The Bristol Sign turns 100 this year. There will be many festivities through July. Most of it will be on April 30 though with a rededication on that day.

WKID 6 on WCYB

While attending the National Weather Service’s Storm Spotter Training Class last weekend, we spoke with Marcus Lynch of WCYB-TV about the classes. We then sent the report that he was in to him at the station. He then showed that report to Johnny Wood, who in turn sent it to Jim Conrad. On Wednesday, Conrad came to visit our station and created a Region Focus report on what he saw. We send a special thanks to Jim for creating that report.

A Very Snowy Winter

The snow has finally ended, but the effects are still felt. Many towns have gone over their budgeted amount for snow clean up. In Kingsport, they have used about 4,000T of salt when they had budgeted for 1,500T. The snow has also caused problems for school schedules. Many school systems haven’t gone to school a complete week since December.

Vancouver Olympics

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics started off with a spectacular opening ceremony. Hundreds of projectors were used over a stage to create special effects during the presentation of the cultural regions of Canada. The Vancouver Winter Olympics airs each afternoon and night on NBC.

Storm Spotter Training Classes

This weekend at the Bristol Public Library, WCYB-TV and the National Weather Service hosted a storm spotter training class. The class taught participants about what leads to severe weather and what to do when it strikes. The spotters will be used to report severe weather when it happens so that the National Weather Service can issue warnings and alert the public. WCYB Meteorologist Marcus Lynch told us about what he hopes the class will accomplish for his ability to alert viewers of severe weather. The National Weather Service will be hosting another class tomorrow at 6:00pm in Greeneville.

Final Round of NFL Playoffs

Last weekend was the final round of the NFL Playoffs. The Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints are the two teams that will go to the Super Bowl. That game airs February 7 at 6:25pm on CBS.

State of the Union Address

On Wednesday night, President Obama gave his first State of the Union Address. He focused mostly on jobs and the economy. The speech aired Wednesday at 9pm on most broadcast networks.

Sports Predictions

Now that we have added people to our team that know something about sports we have a sports segment. Here are some score predictions brought to you by Hunter Buchanan.

NCAA College Basketball Games:
Villanova 97 at St. Johns 83 12pm ESPN
Ohio State 65 at West Virginia 73 2pm CBS
Texas 89 at Uconn 61 4pm CBS

NFL Playoffs:
Minnesota 41 at New Orleans 38 CBS 3pm
New York (J)24 at Indianapolis 21 FOX 6:40

Final Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

The late night battles at NBC have finally come to an end. Conan O’Brien hosted his last Tonight Show last night. Jay Leno will take over the program after the Winter Olympics. Conan received a settlement and cannot start another show until September 1.

Hope for Haiti Now

Last night over twenty American Networks and several other international and Canadian Networks aired a two hour telethon to raise money for the Haiti relief efforts. That program aired last night at 8pm. If you missed the program, don’t worry. You can still donate at hopeforhaitinow.org.

NBC Late Night Host Deal

NBC may strike a deal with Conan O’Brien over the huge late night controversy. They originally wanted to move his show and Late Night half an hour later to allow Jay Leno to move back to 11:35, but Conan refused. Now some reports say that NBC may offer Conan up to $30 million to leave The Tonight Show. NBC could also enforce a non-compete period keeping him from moving to another network for a certain amount of time. There is no word yet on if O’Brien and NBC have reached an agreement.

New UT Head Football Coach

The University of Tennessee has found a replacement for their former coach Lane Kiffin. They have chosen Derek Dooley who was coach and athletic director at Louisiana Tech until he resigned after being offered the position at UT. Lane Kiffin had left the Vols to become head coach at the University of South Carolina.

How to Help in Haiti Relief

Much help is needed in getting supplies to victims of Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti. There is a lack of shelter food and water in the affected area. You can donate $10 by texting HAITI to 90999. You can also visit http://www.redcross.org/ or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. Former Presidents Bush and Clinton have set up a website to collect money for the efforts you can find that at http://www.clintonbushhaitifund.org/.

FCCs Plan for the Expansion of Broadband

The Federal Communications Commission has come up with a plan to expand the spectrum allotted to wireless broadband services. These are the services that provide internet on mobile phones. They want to take a large portion of the spectrum given to Broadcast television and give it to cell phone companies that operate those services. Over the years the FCC has slowly taken away spectrum allotted to TV broadcasting. Until the 1980s television stations could broadcast on any channel from 2 to 83. Then channels 70 and up were taken back and given to cell phone companies. Then during the digital transition channels 52-69 were given to emergency services. Now that the FCC wants to give another significant chunk of the spectrum to mobile internet the National Association of Broadcasters is upset. They are trying to convince the FCC to find another way to give spectrum to the mobile phone companies. They are urging citizens to contact their local congressman to voice their concerns.

Changes to NBC Late Night

Due to low ratings, NBC will move The Jay Leno Show to another time period. NBC says that they don’t want to get rid of Jay Leno or Conan O’Brien. The most likely change is moving Leno back to 11:35PM with a half hour version of The Jay Leno Show. Conan would air at 12:05 and Jimmy Fallon would come on at 1:05. Any changes would take effect after NBC’s coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics which airs at the same time as the regular primetime and late night programming.