Tag: writing
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Kingsport’s Best: Russ & Joyce Brogden
Over the next several weeks, we’ll be recognizing the 2026 recipients of the Kingsport Community Fund’s “Kingsport’s Best”, celebrating those whose service, generosity, and commitment make Kingsport a better place to live. While you’re thinking about it, mark your calendar for the next round: August 6, 2027. Kingsport Community Fund is the new name for…
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Sullivan 250 | 1779: Why Sullivan County Took Its Name
11th in a 12-part monthly series to commemorate Sullivan County’s role in the 250th birthday of the United States of America November | 11 of 12 Have you ever wondered how Sullivan County got its name? The answer takes us back to 1779, when Tennessee didn’t even exist. We were part of North Carolina, and…
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Standing in the Gap: A Tribute to Kingsport 9-1-1
I recently completed my four-year term on the Kingsport 9-1-1 Board as “Citizen Fleming.” It was a tumultuous time in the aftermath of COVID, and the mayor thought my experience might be useful. So I was happy to take a turn. But I came away with something more valuable than I expected: a renewed appreciation…
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Sullivan 250 | Why Blountville?
Tenth in a 12-part monthly series to commemorate Sullivan County’s role in the 250th birthday of the United States of America October 2026 | 10 of 12 The name Blountville was not chosen by accident. Neither was its location. By the 1790s, Sullivan County was moving beyond its earliest frontier days. Government needed permanence. Until…
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The History and Mystery of the D.W. Moulton Bridge
Thousands of people cross it every day. Ask them the name of the bridge carrying West Stone Drive across the North Fork Holston River, though, and you may get a blank stare. The Stone Drive bridge? The 11W bridge? The bridge north of Netherland Inn Road? All are understandable answers. But the State of Tennessee…
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The Power of Community Compound Interest
By Jeff Fleming I was taught early in life that whenever I received a pay increase, I should invest a portion of it for the long term. The advice was simple: if I never got accustomed to spending all of the increase, I wouldn’t miss the money. More importantly, the earlier I invested it, the…
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What Time Teaches Us About Loss
September 24 would have been my brother Larry’s 77th birthday. The same year I started first grade, he started college. I’m told he was thrilled to have a baby brother, but with that age difference, our relationship was always a little different. By the time I was growing up, he was already building a family…
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Kingsport’s Fastest-Growing Age Group Isn’t Seniors. It’s Younger Adults.
Recent Census Bureau data tell an important story about where America is headed — and where Kingsport may be headed with it. Between 2020 and 2025, the South grew 6%, almost twice the national rate. More important, it was the only region to gain population in every major age group. Children under 18 increased 1.1%.…
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The Case for Grounded Growth
There is a line on the population map that Northeast Tennessee should pay attention to. The map tracks net domestic migration—Americans moving from one part of the country to another—between 2020 and 2024. Green counties gained residents through migration. Purple counties lost them. Northeast Tennessee is on the green side, but just barely. Most maps…
