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Neighbor charged with shooting gun too near Tiger Haven

A neighbor of a big cat sanctuary is charged after recklessly shooting a gun too near the property.

Roane Tea Party group says it was targeted by IRS

(WBIR- Kingston) An East Tennessee Tea Party member will head to Washington D.C. Wednesday to speak about his dealings with the IRS.

The Tea Party Patriots organization invited Roane County Tea Party Co-Chairman Greg Johnston to join them at the Capitol.

Johnston said his group has tried to get a 501 (c)(4) tax status since January 2010. He said for two years, the IRS reported no progress on the group's filing. Then, one day, everything changed.

Leon Houston now charged with threatening to kill lawyer

(WBIR-Kingston) A Roane County man with a long history of fighting law enforcement is accused of threatening to kill his former attorney.

A grand jury issued a superseding indictment that adds a new count to Leon Houston's previous federal charge of possession of a gun while using illegal drugs.

Court documents show that Houston threatened to kill his former attorney, Jim Logan, during a phone conversation on February 10.

Logan represented Houston in a murder trial for the death of a Roane County deputy and his friend.  Houston was acquitted in the case.

Local nursing graduate overcomes setback

Thousands of students took part in graduation ceremonies this weekend.

The Roane State Community College Nursing Class of 2013 Pinning Ceremony included a woman whose journey to this point is what many are calling a miracle.

Elaine Staggs of Nashville suffered from a traumatic car crash in August 2011.

As a student at Roane State, Staggs also worked as an EMT.

During a vacation in New York, Staggs said she pulled over to help a driver in trouble.

While assisting the victim she got hit by a car, throwing her over an overpass.

Kingston powering city services with solar panels

Residents in Kingston will get some help from the sun to power their city.

Starting Tuesday, the Kingston Water Treatment Plant will start using solar panels to help power some city services, including the water treatment plant.

The city installed 200 solar panels cells that should generate around 50 kilowatt hours annually.

The contractor says that's enough electricity to power 10 homes for an entire year.

Kingston's mayor says the goal is to show the city is ready to move forward, more than 4 years after it made headlines for an energy disaster.

All lanes of I-40 back open after rockslide

All lanes of I-40 have reopened after a rockslide closed one lane near the Roane-Cumberland County line earlier Monday.

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A rockslide closed one lane of I-40 West near milemarker 338 Monday morning, according to dispatchers.  The location is in Roane County, but is very close to the Roane County - Cumberland County line.

Bojangles' to open first Harriman location

Bojangles' plans to open its first Harriman restaurant later this month. The new location will be on Roane State Highway.

The company's regional VP says Bojangles' is excited to introduce the community to southern classics like chicken, biscuits and sweet tea.

The new store will employ between 25 and 35 people and is set to open May 20th.