A bear was sighted first along South Cherokee Street then along North Lincoln Avenue in the Foster Signs parking lot around 5:30 p.m. Monday, according to Jonesborough Department of Public Safety.The bear was described as a baby bear, but was later thought to be a young adult bear in search for food. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency was attempting to locate the bear Monday, but it was unable to be located and the search was called off.  

The first three innings told the tale of the Johnson City Cardinals’ first loss of the season.While the Danville Braves scored six runs over those innings,  the Cardinals stranded five runners over the same stretch. Ultimately, it led to a 9-2 loss at Cardinal Park.The Braves improved to 3-1 with the victory, and the Cardinals fell to 4-1 after leaving a total of 13 runners on base and committing four errors.“We had some opportunities early in the game, but we didn’t capitalize on them,” Johnson City manager Joe Kruzel said. “We gave them too many opportunities and didn’t make pitches when we needed to. Unfortunately, that’s what’s going to happen when you give teams extra outs. We couldn’t execute when we needed to.”Hansel De Los Santos suffered the loss for Johnson City, giving up five hits and hitting two batters over the first three innings. All six of the runs he allowed were earned.Bryan DeLaRosa provided the Braves’ first run in the top of the second with a RBI double. Kyle Wren later added a RBI triple as Danville took a 3-0 lead.The Braves tacked on three more runs in the top of the third. Connor Lien had a two-run triple, followed by a RBI single by DeLaRosa.Down 7-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Cardinals finally got on the scoreboard with a bases-loaded walked by Justin Ringo to score Lance Jeffries Jr.Lead-off hitter Richy Pedroza had Johnson City’s only extra-base hit, a RBI double to score Jeffries in the eighth inning. Pedroza led the Cards at the plate, going 2-for-3, while Ringo reached base three times on walks.Johnson City also had some good moments in the late innings from reliever Steven Sabatino. After giving up one run in the fifth inning, he struck out the side in both the sixth and eighth innings. Sabatino ended with seven strike outs in four innings of work.“He gave us really what we needed,” Kruzel said. “We needed someone to go out there and throw multiple innings. Tonight, he was the guy who kept us in it. Unfortunately, we couldn’t cash in tonight offensively or defensively.“That’s going to happen once in a while, but tomorrow is a new day. We still have a chance to win the series so that’s what we have to try to do.”After the teams split the first two games of the series, the deciding game is scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m.

A $9.2 million spending plan based on Washington County’s immediate needs was shot down Monday in a 13-12 vote, sending the matter back to the Budget Committee. 
Following a lengthy statement by Director of Schools Ron Dykes, who told commissioners cutting school personnel and dipping into fund balance were the only short-term solutions to combat recurring capital needs and disappearing stimulus money, Commissioner Mark Ferguson turned to County Mayor Dan Eldridge for answers.
“I’ve been to the last three budget meetings and I’ve heard nothing about addressing this,” Ferguson said about the school system being $3.4 million in the red. “I’m a little concerned that we’re borrowing all this money.”
The school portion of the debt, which would be repaid from its budget, would come from about $2.8 million and help fund building improvements. About $840,000 would go toward reimbursing the school system for capital projects, such as the new Fall Branch roof, the Boones Creek chiller and architect fees. Finally, $510,000 would  help reimburse the school system for bus purchases this year.
When asked directly by Ferguson if he wanted the $2.8 million to be approved, Dykes said he did indeed support borrowing the money.
“If we’re in a hurry, as obviously Mr. Ferguson is, we can raise taxes,” Eldridge said. “If that’s not what we’re focused on, we need to give the school system time to close out its books for this year and see where their fund balance is at.”
The $9.2 million, which would be issued next year with payments beginning in 2015, would help pay for 23 separate items, including more than $1 million for a new asphalt plant. About $120,000 in improvements has been proposed for the Jaynes Justice Center, including about $15,000 for new bollards that would line the front of the building and $60,000 to construct a security fence around the back of the center and part of the jail. Also, an estimated $225,000 would pay for three new solid waste compactors. 
Eldridge asked more than once if commissioners would like to go over each item one-by-one and take out which ones they did not like. But that’s not the way things worked out. He also explained that the majority of debt would be placed in the various departments’ line items and that they would be responsible for repayment.
Commissioner David Shanks made the motion to send the three separate resolutions that comprised the $9.2 million back to the Budget Committee to be “pared down” and returned to the commission with a proposed budget to review.     
“I understand two of these resolutions deal with school issues,” Shanks said. I say pay as you go. Normally, operational needs come from operational expenditures.”
Commissioner Ethan Flynn, also a Budget Committee member, said he would rather approve the debt issuance right away while interest rates were low and the county’s bond rating high.
“I understand the schools’ needs,” Ferguson said. “But other than the schools’ needs, I see about 30 percent wants and 70 percent needs.”
Department heads have attended a handful of lengthy Budget Committee meetings over the past few months. During that time Dykes has continued to plead with committee members about long-term funding needs. And yes, Ferguson did make a remark about how he felt the entire plan should be scrapped and redone.
But for the most part, committee members appeared to have methodically raked through the plan before presenting it in the form of the three resolutions, and Monday’s vote sparked some head shaking and eye rolling among those who voted to move the plan forward.
Commissioners voting to send the resolutions back to committee: Doyle Cloyd; Sam Humphreys; Joe Sheffield; Sam Phillips; Alpha Bridger; Phyllis Corso; Richard Matherly; Gearld Sparks; Roger Nave; Ben Bowman; Steve Light; Shanks and Ferguson.
Commissioners voting not to send the resolutions back to committee: Greg Matherly; Pete Speropulos; Skip Oldham; Mitch Meredith; David Tomita; Lee Chase; Ken Lyon; Ethan Flynn; Joe Grandy; Mark Larkey; Mike Ford and Pat Wolfe. 
In other business, commissioners approved a $5.9 million, 10-year contract between the county and Waste Management Inc. for disposal of solid waste at the Iris Glen Environmental Center in Johnson City.
The county will pay Waste Management a disposal charge of $26.65 per ton, a cost also known as a “tipping fee.” The per-ton cost increases annually to $34.20 in 2023. More than $2 million in savings is expected over that time. Three bids received earlier this year were all under what the county has been paying to dump waste at the city-owned Iris Glen landfill, which was $42.50 a ton.
In November, the county received bids from Advanced Disposal Services, which opened a new landfill in Blountville last year and serves Kingsport; Republic Services, which operates Carter Valley Landfill in Hawkins County; and Waste Management.
The county will haul waste from its five convenience centers to the landfill.   A previous story is available here.

A man killed by a train near West Market Street was sitting near the tracks and waved to the engineer before he was struck.
Larvern Wampler, 50, was killed on the CSX Railroad tracks near the Johnson City Washington County Boys and Girls Club just after 10 p.m. Saturday.
Johnson City Police Department Investigator Justin Adams said the engineer and conductor of the northbound train saw Wampler sitting in the gravel adjacent to the tracks about 500 feet from West Market.
The engineer sounded the train’s horn and Wampler turned toward the train, raised his hand and waved, Adams said. 
“They took that as an acknowledgement that he saw the train and was far enough away that it wouldn’t hit him,” Adams said. “They continued on but after they passed him they heard the thud and they knew he was too close.”
Wampler was pronounced dead at the scene. A police report said he was from Cherokee, Iowa, and had lived in the Johnson City area since 1999.
Adams said police officers were familiar with Wampler as a homeless person who lived or slept near the tracks in the area where he was killed.
A check of local police records showed he had been arrested numerous times since 1999 but never for anything more serious than public drunkenness and panhandling.
Adams said a blood sample was taken and would be sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation crime lab to determine if Wampler was intoxicated or if alcohol or another intoxicant contributed to his not moving away from the train.
“We have real good witness statements from the conductor and engineer and we don’t suspect any one pushed him or foul play of any kind,” Adams said. “It’s kind of just a sad situation.”
Good Samaritan Ministries Director Sarah Wells said Wampler received his mail at the ministry and frequently came there for showers and clothing.
While he indicated at one time he received a small monthly benefit from the Veterans Administration, Wells said no record of that benefit was found when the ministry attempted to secure housing for him through a VA program for homeless veterans.
“When he had money, he stayed in the hotels on West Market,” Wells said. 
She said Wampler had only asked for other assistance from the ministry on one occasion about three months ago. 
At that time, Wells said, Wampler was living at Johnson Inn and told the ministry he was undergoing treatment for cancer. “We were taking food out to him while he was there,” she said.For an earlier report, visit this link.

Work on long-awaited renovations at the Washington County Courthouse was shut down weeks ago when it was found the State Fire Marshal’s Office had not received construction plans from local architect Fred Ward. 
“For whatever reason the plans had not been submitted,” County Mayor Dan Eldridge said Monday. “But we found out about it and actually stopped work. We did submit an initial plan review in early May. Then on May 21, the state office sent us back a list of three concerns that we need to address.” 
A copy of the state’s Department of Commerce and Insurance plan review shows Deputy Fire Marshal Frank Harris received the plans for the courthouse’s second-floor renovations May 20 and reviewed them May 21.   
“Starting construction before plans approval may be considered as a just cause, by the state, to issue a stop-work order. It will also compromise, if not prevent, the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy upon completion of the project,” Harris wrote.         
Construction began near the start of this year.
The concerns marked in a checklist include making sure there are fire prevention features in the construction of the platform on which commissioners will sit, as well as confirmation of any fire sprinkler configuration changes, according to the plan review. 
Meanwhile, state inspector Rick Talley last week determined during an on-site inspection that Washington County had not completed the plan review and approval process prior to beginning construction near the first of the year. Talley asked Eldridge for a “Voluntary Stop Work Order,” until all issues were resolved, and Eldridge agreed.
“That’s correct,” he said. “But we stopped work there weeks ago, and we’re working out the issues. For some reason there was miscommunication with Fred Ward and (county purchasing agent) Willie Shrewsbury.
Commissioner and County Owned Property Committee Chairman Mark Ferguson accompanied Talley during last week’s tour.
“(Eldridge) got that letter on May 21, and he didn’t even tell anybody,” Ferguson said. “I got a phone call asking me if the mayor had given me any information. I asked County Attorney John Rambo to interpret it for me, but he said he hadn’t seen it. Mr. Talley determined that Washington County had not completed the plan review and approval process prior to beginning construction. No approved plans were on site.”
For now, courthouse renovation cost estimates are still hovering around $250,000. The courthouse was last renovated in 1986, but the work will provide the County Commission with new chambers. The county plans to save money by using use inmate labor, and some of the materials and labor will be outsourced to the state, meaning the county will go through the state for furnishings, carpet, blinds and other materials.
The large front doors at the main entrance will be replaced, and a key card swipe to access the second floor at the stairwell will be installed.
The second and third floors both will get new carpeting and vinyl cove bases, and the entire second floor will get a new HVAC system, acoustical ceilings, plumbing and electrical, blinds and doors and frames. In addition to these changes, the courthouse’s exterior will undergo lead abatement and get a fresh coat of paint. 
Eldridge has reported to commissioners that the architect’s estimate for painting was about $40,000. But the county received only one bid, which came in at a surprising $150,000. The mayor said Shrewsbury is looking into other alternatives. 

Cards vs Danville Dave Boyd/Johnson City PressCards vs Danville in game two of the series

1. RUSSIA CALLS DEMAND FOR EXTRADITING SNOWDEN 'UNACCEPTABLE'Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov lashed out at the U.S. for warning negative consequences if Russia doesn't turn over the NSA leaker.2. SEARCHING FOR SNOWDENLavrov says Snowden hadn't crossed the Russian border. He didn't board a Cuba-bound flight he was registered on in Moscow and the country where he sought asylum doesn't know where he is.3. ATTACK ON AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL PALACETaliban militants with military-style uniforms infiltrated one of the most secure areas of the capital; all eight attackers died. It wasn't clear whether Karzai was at the palace.4. INTERNET SHUTDOWN ON KOREA ANNIVERSARYMajor websites in both North and South Korea crashed for hours on the 63rd anniversary of the start of the Korean war.5. WHAT PROSECUTORS WANT ZIMMERMAN JURY TO HEARThey will ask a judge today to allow phone calls the ex-neighborhood watchman made to police about suspicious people in his neighborhood.6. OBAMA'S CLIMATE CHANGE PLANThe president will propose the first-ever carbon dioxide emission limits on new and existing power plants at a speech today.7. IMMIGRATION TEST CLEARS WAY FOR SENATE VOTESenate passage of the overhaul that allows millions a chance at citizenship is likely this week, but House Republicans have shown little support.8. WHY THE WEATHER IS SO EXTREMEThe AP's Seth Borenstein says the jet stream that generally rushes from west to east in a straight line has been wobbly and going north and south.9. ANOTHER BUSINESS DROPS PAULA DEENSmithfield Foods, which sold hams with Deen's name on it, ended its relationship with the food celebrity after she admitted using racial slurs.10. LAST-MINUTE GOALS POWER CHICAGO TO STANLEY CUPBrian Bickell and Dave Bolland each scored 17 seconds apart to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins and its second Cup in four years.

MOSCOW — Russia's foreign minister bluntly rejected U.S. demands to extradite National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, saying Tuesday that Snowden hasn't crossed the Russian border.Sergey Lavrov insisted that Russia has nothing to do with Snowden or his travel plans. Lavrov wouldn't say where Snowden is, but he lashed out angrily at Washington for demanding his extradition and warning of negative consequences if Moscow fails to comply. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday urged Moscow to "do the right thing" and turn over Snowden."We consider the attempts to accuse Russia of violation of U.S. laws and even some sort of conspiracy, which on top of all that are accompanied by threats, as absolutely ungrounded and unacceptable," Lavrov said. "There are no legal grounds for such conduct of U.S. officials."The defiant tone underlined the Kremlin's readiness to challenge Washington at a time when U.S.-Russian relations are strained over Syria and a Russian ban on adoptions by Americans.U.S. and Ecuadorean officials said they believed Snowden was still in Russia. He fled there Sunday from Hong Kong, where he had been hiding out since his disclosure of the broad scope of two highly classified U.S. counterterror surveillance programs. The programs collect vast amounts of Americans' phone records and worldwide online data in the name of national security.Lavrov claimed that the Russian government found out about Snowden's flight from Hong Kong only from news reports."We have no relation to Mr. Snowden, his relations with American justice or his travels around the world," Lavrov said. "He chooses his route himself, and we have learned about it from the media."Snowden booked a seat on a Havana-bound flight from Moscow on Monday en route to Venezuela and then possible asylum in Ecuador, but he didn't board the plane. Russian news media have reported that he has remained in a transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, but journalists there haven't seen him.A representative of WikiLeaks has been traveling with Snowden, and the organization is believed to be assisting him in arranging asylum. The organization's founder, Julian Assange, said Monday that Snowden was only passing through Russia and had applied for asylum in Ecuador, Iceland and possibly other countries.A high-ranking Ecuadorean official told The Associated Press that Russia and Ecuador were discussing where Snowden could go, saying the process could take days. He also said Ecuador's ambassador to Moscow had not seen or spoken to Snowden. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, hailed Snowden on Monday as "a man attempting to bring light and transparency to facts that affect everyone's fundamental liberties."He described the decision on whether to grant Snowden asylum as a choice between "betraying the citizens of the world or betraying certain powerful elites in a specific country."State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the U.S. had made demands to "a series of governments," including Ecuador, that Snowden be barred from any international travel other than to be returned to the U.S. The U.S. has revoked Snowden's passport."We're following all the appropriate legal channels and working with various other countries to make sure that the rule of law is observed," President Barack Obama told reporters.Some experts said it was likely that Russian spy agencies were questioning Snowden on what he knows about U.S. electronic espionage against Moscow."If Russian special services hadn't shown interest in Snowden, they would have been utterly unprofessional," Igor Korotchenko, a former colonel in Russia's top military command turned security analyst, said on state Rossiya 24 television.The Kremlin has previously said Russia would be ready to consider Snowden's request for asylum.The Interfax news agency, which has close contacts with Russian security agencies, quoted an unidentified "well-informed source" in Moscow as saying Tuesday that Snowden could be detained for a check of his papers. The report could reflect that authorities are searching for a pretext to keep Snowden in Russia.Snowden is a former CIA employee who later was hired as a contractor for the NSA. In that job, he gained access to documents that he gave to newspapers The Guardian and The Washington Post to expose what he contends are privacy violations by an authoritarian government.Snowden also told the South China Morning Post newspaper in Hong Kong that "the NSA does all kinds of things like hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal all of your SMS data." He is believed to have more than 200 additional sensitive documents in laptops he is carrying.Some observers said in addition to the sensitive data, Snowden's revelations have provided the Kremlin with propaganda arguments to counter the U.S. criticism of Russia's crackdown on opposition and civil activists under President Vladimir Putin."They would use Snowden to demonstrate that the U.S. government doesn't sympathize with the ideals of freedom of information, conceals key information from the public and stands ready to open criminal proceedings against those who oppose it," Konstantin Remchukov, the editor of independent daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta, said on Ekho Moskvy radio.Putin has accused the U.S. State Department of instigating protests in Moscow against his re-election for a third term and has taken an anti-American posture that plays well with his core support base of industrial workers and state employees.

In case you missed these items, here are 10 stories worth reading on JohnsonCityPress.com:• Johnson City police: Man waved to engineer, conductor before being killed by train. A man killed by a train near West Market Street was sitting near the tracks and waved to the engineer before he was struck.
• Updated: Charges dismissed against Johnson City man accused of killing mother, having sex with corpse. Four years after his mother’s death and his arrest for her murder, Codey Miller walked out of a Washington County courtroom a free man Monday.
• Bear wanders around Jonesborough. A bear was sighted first along South Cherokee Street then along North Lincoln Avenue in the Foster Signs parking lot around 5:30 p.m. Monday, according to Jonesborough Department of Public Safety.
• Danville hands JC Cards first loss.The first three innings told the tale of the Johnson City Cardinals’ first loss of the season.
• Drug reaction results in child endangerment, meth charges for Stoney Creek woman. ELIZABETHTON — An investigation into an apparent drug reaction led to several drug charges being placed on a Stoney Creek woman.
• Washington County jail officials looking into carbon monoxide detection system. A local security firm will examine the Washington County Detention Center to determine what kind of carbon monoxide detection system is needed after nearly two dozen inmates were sickened by the invisible gas this past weekend.
• Arrest warrant filed for man accused in Johnson City bomb incident. Police have obtained a warrant for the arrest of a man accused of making a homemade bomb on Lamont Street earlier this month.
• Update: No injuries reported in auto repair business fire. Firefighters were on the scene of a large business fire in Limestone north of Washington College Academy on Monday.
• ‘Heart full of Jesus and a head full of knowledge’: Johnson City church honors scholars. For more than 25 years, Friendship Baptist Church has been recognizing students in the congregation of all ages for their academic success and excellence.
• Rucker gladly joins the cause at Niswonger Golf Classic. BRISTOL, Va. — If you happen to be looking for Darius Rucker these days, he shouldn’t be difficult to find. Chances are if he’s not on stage, he’s on the golf course.

A number of polls show Americans are divided on Edward Snowden, the 28 year-old U.S. Department of Defense contractor who leaked information about the National Security Agency surveillance programs to a British newspaper. Some think Snowden is a whistleblower and a hero for exposing the activity. Others, however, believe he is a traitor who has harmed this nation’s security. Opinions on Snowden sometimes cross ideological and political lines. Libertarians, liberals and conservatives who decried similar activity under former President George W. Bush say they are equally appalled by the Obama administration’s mining of phone data. On the other hand, Republicans who defended Bush in 2006 when a similar case was made public are now calling for congressional hearings, while Democrats who criticized Bush for his surveillance now say the latest spying is not the same thing. U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has called Snowden a traitor. The representative from Tennessee’s 1st District thinks differently.“I don’t think he’s a traitor,” Congressman Phil Roe, R-Johnson City, said last week.Pollsters say public reaction to the case is based on an individual’s thoughts on the real threat terrorism poses to the United States. A Pew Research Center/Washington Post survey released earlier this month found 56 percent of those surveyed said they believed the NSA’s tracking of Americans’ phone calls to combat terrorism to be perfectly acceptable. Another 41 percent said it isn’t. The USA Today reported last week that opinions on whistleblowers like Snowden often differ depending on circumstances. With the help of Snowden, The Guardian and The Washington Post have recently published a series of top-secret documents detailing the government surveillance programs.Many believe this case is not so very different from that of the Pentagon Papers, which were published by The New York Times in 1971 after being leaked by Daniel Ellsberg.“We’ve seen this again and again,” said Stephen Kohn, director of National Whistleblowers Center and a lawyers who has defended whistleblowers, told the USA Today last week.He said public support for a whistleblower is often connected to a political issue, which in Ellsberg’s case was opposition to the Vietnam War.Kohn said some people who would otherwise support Snowden’s actions in principle are so concerned about terrorism that “they’ll say, at the end of the day, you can’t have civil servants or contractors acting in this way.” We want to hear from you. Do you think Snowden is a traitor?Send your comments to Mailbag, P.O. Box 1717, Johnson City, TN 37605-1717, or mailbag@johnsoncitypress.com Please included your name, telephone number and address for verification.We will print your responses on the Opinion pages in the coming weeks.

KINGSPORT  — A bicyclist was killed in Kingsport on Monday evening after he rode into the path of an oncoming vehicle, Sullivan County authorities said.Jessie G. Cox, 20, of Kingsport, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. A Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman said the wreck occurred just before 7 p.m. at the 2700 block of Princeton Road in Kingsport.Read more of the story at TimesNews.net.

BRISTOL — Two people have been arrested after the alleged discovery of a methamphetamine operation at a tent along the northern most part of Sullivan County.The incident occurred Monday on Sweet Hollow Road, east of South Holston Lake at the Virginia border. Sullivan County Sheriff's Office personnel responded to the property on a tip that Dustin James Stamper, 34, of Rhymer Road in Damascus, Va., was making meth at a tent. When police arrived they allegedly observed a smoking bottle that contained a white substance. SCSO Public Information Officer Leslie Earhart says the property owner consented to a search, saying Stamper and a female had been staying in the tent for the past week.Read more on the case at TimesNews.net.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act cannot be enforced unless Congress comes up with an up-to-date formula for deciding which states and localities still need federal monitoring.The justices said in 5-4 vote that the law Congress most recently renewed in 2006 relies on 40-year-old data that does not reflect racial progress and changes in U.S. society.The court did not strike down the advance approval requirement of the law that has been used, mainly in the South, to open up polling places to minority voters in the nearly half century since it was first enacted in 1965. But the justices did say lawmakers must update the formula for determining which parts of the country must seek Washington's approval, in advance, for election changes.Chief Justice John Roberts said for the conservative majority that Congress "may draft another formula based on current conditions."That task eluded Congress in 2006 when lawmakers overwhelmingly renewed the advance approval requirement with no changes in which states and local jurisdictions were covered, and Congress did nothing in response to a high court ruling in a similar challenge in 2009 in which the justices raised many of the same concerns."The coverage formula that Congress reauthorized in 2006 ignores these developments, keeping the focus on decades-old data relevant to decades-old problems, rather than current data reflecting current needs," Roberts said.The decision means that a host of state and local laws that have not received Justice Department approval or have not yet been submitted will be able to take effect. Prominent among those are voter identification laws in Alabama and Mississippi.Going forward, the outcome alters the calculus of passing election-related legislation in the affected states and local jurisdictions. The threat of an objection from Washington has hung over election-related proposals for nearly a half century. At least until Congress acts, that deterrent now is gone.That prospect has worried civil rights groups which especially worry that changes on the local level might not get the same scrutiny as the actions of state legislatures.Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, joined by her three liberal colleagues, dissented from Tuesday's ruling.Ginsburg said no one doubts that voting discrimination still exists. "But the court today terminates the remedy that proved to be best suited to block that discrimination," she said in a dissent that she read aloud in the packed courtroom.Ginsburg said the law continues to be necessary to protect against what she called subtler, "second-generation" barriers to voting. She identified one such effort as the switch to at-large voting from a district-by-district approach in a city with a sizable black minority. The at-large system allows the majority to "control the election of each city council member, effectively eliminating the potency of the minority's votes," she said.Justice Clarence Thomas was part of the majority, but wrote separately to say again that he would have struck down the advance approval requirement itself.Civil rights lawyers condemned the ruling."The Supreme Court has effectively gutted one of the nation's most important and effective civil rights laws. Minority voters in places with a record of discrimination are now at greater risk of being disenfranchised than they have been in decades. Today's decision is a blow to democracy. Jurisdictions will be able to enact policies which prevent minorities from voting, and the only recourse these citizens will have will be expensive and time-consuming litigation," said Jon Greenbaum, chief counsel for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The group represented a black resident of the Alabama County that challenged the law.Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said, "This is like letting you keep your car, but taking away the keys."The decision comes five months after President Barack Obama, the nation's first black chief executive, started his second term in the White House, re-elected by a diverse coalition of voters.The high court is in the midst of a broad re-examination of the ongoing necessity of laws and programs aimed at giving racial minorities access to major areas of American life from which they once were systematically excluded. The justices issued a modest ruling Monday that preserved affirmative action in higher education and will take on cases dealing with anti-discrimination sections of a federal housing law and another affirmative action case from Michigan next term.The court warned of problems with the voting rights law in a similar case heard in 2009. The justices averted a major constitutional ruling at that time, but Congress did nothing to address the issues the court raised. The law's opponents, sensing its vulnerability, filed several new lawsuits.The latest decision came in a challenge to the advance approval, or preclearance, requirement, which was brought by Shelby County, Ala., a Birmingham suburb.The lawsuit acknowledged that the measure's strong medicine was appropriate and necessary to counteract decades of state-sponsored discrimination in voting, despite the Fifteenth Amendment's guarantee of the vote for black Americans.But it asked whether there was any end in sight for a provision that intrudes on states' rights to conduct elections, an issue the court's conservative justices also explored at the argument in February. It was considered an emergency response when first enacted in 1965.The county noted that the 25-year extension approved in 2006 would keep some places under Washington's oversight until 2031 and seemed not to account for changes that include the elimination of racial disparity in voter registration and turnout or the existence of allegations of race-based discrimination in voting in areas of the country that are not subject to the provision.The Obama administration and civil rights groups said there is a continuing need for it and pointed to the Justice Department's efforts to block voter ID laws in South Carolina and Texas last year, as well as a redistricting plan in Texas that a federal court found discriminated against the state's large and growing Hispanic population.Advance approval was put into the law to give federal officials a potent tool to defeat persistent efforts to keep blacks from voting.The provision was a huge success because it shifted the legal burden and required governments that were covered to demonstrate that their proposed changes would not discriminate. Congress periodically has renewed it over the years. The most recent extension was overwhelmingly approved by a Republican-led Congress and signed by President George W. Bush.The requirement currently applies to the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. It also covers certain counties in California, Florida, New York, North Carolina and South Dakota, and some local jurisdictions in Michigan. Coverage has been triggered by past discrimination not only against blacks, but also against American Indians, Asian-Americans, Alaska Natives and Hispanics.Towns in New Hampshire that had been covered by the law were freed from the advance approval requirement in March. Supporters of the provision pointed to the ability to bail out of the prior approval provision to argue that the law was flexible enough to accommodate change and that the court should leave the Voting Rights Act intact.On Monday, the Justice Department announced an agreement that would allow Hanover County, Va., to bail out.

GREENEVILLE — The owner of a Norton, Va., coal marketing company has agreed to plead guilty to a federal wire fraud charge in connection with a scheme where he sold low quality coal to Eastman Chemical Co.A federal indictment charged Dale Edward Stanley with 22 counts of wire fraud in connection with the scheme. The indictment was filed in U.S. District Court in Greeneville in November 2012.Stanley, of Clintwood, Va., pleaded guilty to one count of the indictment earlier this year and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 21. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.Read more about the plea at TimesNews.net.

A Bristol, Va. woman was arrested over the weekend after Johnson City police responded to a complaint about human trafficking at a local motel.
Two teenage girls, also from Bristol, Va., told police “they were told if they wanted to make some money ... they could do so by being tricked out,” according to a police report.
Tracy Lynn Marziani, 27, 706 Chester St., Apt. 1, was charged Saturday with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according court records. Two other people, Mellisa N. Roper, 34, 1603 Cherokee Rd., Johnson City and Jerry Johnson, 50, 807 N. Boone St., Johnson City, were issued misdemeanor citations for the same charge.
According to a police report, Marziani was arrested on the misdemeanor charge because she is not a Tennessee resident, which is a requirement for police to issue a citation.
Police and court records indicate Mariziani and Johnson picked up the teenaged victims, ages 14 and 17, in Bristol, Va. and brought them to Johnson City. During the drive, the teens were told they could make money by being “tricked out,” according to the police report.
After they arrived at Motel 6 on Mountcastle Drive, the group smoked a marijuana blunt, which is marijuana rolled in a cigar wrapper leaf. The teens told police that Roper provided the blunt.
Police went to the motel around 1 a.m. Saturday after management called about numerous young females, who were not paying motel customers, in and outside Room 232. When an officer knocked on the door, a male answered and denied that any females were inside. In the room next door that adjoined Room 232, officers found Marziani, Roper, Johnson the 4-year-old and three other men.
Officers discovered the 17-year-old was in Room 232 with a fifth man, according to the report.
After being booked into the Washington County Detention Center early Saturday morning, Mariziani was released on a $1,000 bond.
Mariziani, Roper and Johnson are all scheduled to appear in court on the misdemeanor charge July 9.

East Tennessee State University conferred nearly 1,800 degrees in two spring commencement ceremonies, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, on May 11.  
Graduating students who achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average during their undergraduate careers were Alisha Carpenter of Thompson Station, Brittany Drake of Farmersburg, Ind., Chelsea Gilbert of Erwin, Amy Johnson of Madison, Kelly Lane of Evensville, Khyri Pathan of Knoxville, Huisong Sun of China, Xiqiao Wang of China and Denise Yeo of Knoxville.
In addition to awarding bachelors, masters, and educational specialist (Ed.S.) degrees, as well as graduate certificates, ETSU bestowed doctor of education (Ed.D.), doctor of public health (Dr.P.H.), doctor of physical therapy (D.P.T.), doctor of audiology (Aud.D.), doctor of nursing practice (D.N.P.) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees on successful candidates.
The featured speakers were Dr. Philip Bagnell, retiring this July as dean of ETSU’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine, who spoke at the morning ceremony, and Mike Smith, ETSU alumnus and coach of the Atlanta Falcons, who spoke in the afternoon. 
The Distinguished Faculty Marshals for the ceremony were Dr. John Yao, recipient of the 2012 ETSU Distinguished Faculty Award in Research, and Dr. Rosalind Gann, recipient of the 2012 ETSU Distinguished Faculty Award in Service. The Mace Bearer was Forsman, recipient of the 2012 ETSU Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching.
TENNESSEE
Afton: Brittany N. Bolton, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Jeffrey K. Elkins,Bachelor of Arts-Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies; Chelsey B. Johnson, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Jessica B. King, Bachelor of Science-Human Services
Antioch: Monique M. Richard, Master of Science-Clinical Nutrition; Kristen N. Thorpe, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing
Athens: Sarah E. Brown, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Corey A. Clark, Bachelor of Arts-Economics; Nicole D. Leland, Bachelor of Fine Arts; Molly K. Patterson,Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Mary J. Underdown,Bachelor of Science-Allied Health
Baneberry: Franklin D. Hearl, Bachelor of Science-Computing
Baxter: Dianne G. Peterson,Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene
Bean Station: Whitney L. Bevens, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Macy N. Collins, Bachelor of Social Work; Stevvi S. Cook, Certificate-Archival Studies; Candace M. Emery, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Courtney F. Trent, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting
Blaine: Chelsea M. Sands, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting
Blountville: Morgan L. Clark, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Deborah N. Conner, Master of Arts in Teaching; Stephen E. Fields, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; Stephanie J. Glowicki, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Jacob A. Hamill, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Caleb E. Horner, Bachelor of Science-History; Candice L. Hutchens, Master of Arts-Counseling; Hana M. Milchuck, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Victor N. Norwood, Bachelor of Applied Science; Laura Pepper-Weiler, Master of Social Work; Jennifer B. Rodefer, Bachelor of Social Work; Erika R. Sluss, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Jordan T. West, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Heather M. Winkle, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Bluff City: Jayson M. Arnold, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Alexa J. Cassell, Bachelor of Science-Political Science; Sherri L. Gentry, Master of Science-Technology; Stephen B. Griffin, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Cara N. Hagy, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Marie G. Jacobs, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Sara E. Lilly, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Hannah E. Lindamood, Bachelor of Social Work; Amy N. Massengill, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; James W. Massey, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Elise K. McFall, Bachelor of Arts-English; Kristen L. McHenry, Master of Science-Allied Health; Lindsey L. McKinney, Master of Education-Educational Media & Educational Technology; Anna M. Patrick, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Austin D. Peterson, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Justin D. Ray, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Shelby A. Slipek, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Terra A. Smalling, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Mackenzie A. Smith, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Ashlee N. Watson, Bachelor of Social Work; Christopher R. Wolfe, Bachelor of General Studies
Bon Aqua: Nicole C. Payne, Doctor of Audiology
Brentwood: Ann-Maria H. Fleming, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Shae C. Keane, Bachelor of Arts-Women's Studies
Bristol: Jesse R. Adams, Master of Science-Technology; Ashton L. Blair, Bachelor of Science Public Health; Christopher R. Boyd, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Destiny S. Clark,Master of Education-Educational Leadership; Brandy E. Davenport, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Josh L. Davidson, Bachelor of Arts-Art; Caitlin L. Davis, Master of Science-Clinical Nutrition; Scott I. Dishner, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Kayla N. Evans, Bachelor of Social Work; Suzanne K. Faust, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Sheri L. France, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Natasha Y. Goins, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Amanda D. Harter, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Allison Hodge, Master of Education-Elementary Education; Sarah J. Hoelscher, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Tamara J. Hutson, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Michael D. Hutton, Master of Business Administration; Monica N. Kaylor, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Kassie M. Kirk, Bachelor of Arts-English; Caitlin S. Martin, Bachelor of Social Work;  Eric C. McCall, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Catherine R. Metcalf, Certificate-Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages; Sara K. Millard, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Abby V. Mullins, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Amanda B. Norman, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Christa M. Owens, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Katherine E. Pedziwol, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Benjamin C. Perrin, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Jaclyn C. Raines, Bachelor of Science Chemistry; Jessica N. Ratliff, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene; Lauren E. Ray, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Samantha S. Rose, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene; James Smith, Master of Education-Elementary Education; Natasha E. Snyder, Master of Arts-English; Kacy E. Tiller, Bachelor of Arts-Theatre; Robert Vuckovic, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Nicholas F. Wade, Bachelor of Social Work; Erica Walker, Master of Social Work; Terry A. Warden, Bachelor of Science-Physics; Kimberly F. Wheeler, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Brian N. Wilson, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; Mitchell R. Wilson, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; Samantha K. Witt, Bachelor of Science-Human Services
Burns: Thomas C. Brown, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science-Biology
Butler: Zachary M. Lizee, Master of Arts-History; Kimberly G. Woodring, Master of Arts-History
Calhoun: Andrew D. Sorah, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences
Centerville: Joshua S. Pawlak, Bachelor of Science-Computing
Chattanooga: Derrick J. Angermeier, Master of Arts-History; Marianna Bird, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Allison J. Cofer, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Heramb A. Dave, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Rebecca L. Day, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Emily A. Denton, Bachelor of Fine Arts; Linda G. Diaz, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Robert F. Goff, Master of Public Health; Jigar D. Govan, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Rudy S. Hausler, Bachelor of Science-Professional Studies; Sharon Melton, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Joseph M. Nowotarski, Bachelor of Science-History; Hershal P. Patel, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Martha L. Price, Certificate-Healthcare Translation and Interpreting; Geneva M. Record, Bachelor of Science in Nursing 
Chuckey: Kara A. Clark, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Dustin B. Dunbar, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Kaitlyn R. Frye, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Chelsea F. Herald, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Robert A. Lamb, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Gloria E. Peniche, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Lukasz Rog, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Laura A. Simpson, Master of Arts-English; Trisha E. Smith, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Elizabeth J. Williams, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management
Church Hill: Brandy N. Barton, Bachelor of Social Work; Jordan C. Britton, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Brian J. Capps, Bachelor of Applied Science; Nickolas T. Cradic, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Tammy M. Enlow-Lawson, Master of Social Work; Ashlee L. Gilliam,Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; James T. Hensley, Bachelor of  Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Ashton N. Lovelace, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Kathie L. Lucas, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Rachel M. Maher, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Clay Oaks, Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science-Accounting; Timothy P. Ofiero, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Lauren N. Simerly, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Sarah E. Simpson, Master of Arts in Teaching; Paula D. Wiggins, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology
Clarksville: James A. Williamson, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management
Cleveland: Maggi L. Hines, Bachelor of Arts- Anthropology; Carly M. Louderback, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Terrance R. McDermott, Bachelor of Science-Physics; Jennifer D. Muncy, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Jacob M. Poole, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Cason L. Suits, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Geneva M. Ware, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Andreas N. Westfield, Bachelor of Science- Interdisciplinary Studies; Ross W. Yost, Bachelor of Science-Biology
Clinton: Jillian N. Carroll, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Jared T. Cranmore, Bachelor of Arts-Anthropology; Jared T. Cranmore, Bachelor of Science-Anthropology; Clarice M. Gauvreau, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Jessica Heidle, Bachelor of Science in Education and Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Stephanie A. Langley, Master of Public Administration; Allison C. Owens, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Robert J. Owens, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media
Collierville: Austin R. Lepeard, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry
Columbia: Geoffrey E. Fryer, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Amanda M. Hicks, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders
Cookeville: Jessica L. Copeland, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Jenna M. King, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Peri N. Loftis, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science-Biology; Sarah R. McKinney, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene; Laura K. Osteen, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; Michael A. Railling, Certificate-Health Care Management; Monica Safis, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Mary A. Stringer, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene; Cassandra C. Valerio, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science-Psychology
Copperhill: Jeremiah S. Barker, Bachelor of Science-Psychology
Corryton: Allyson E. Boggs,Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Kendra D. Ramsey, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene; Jennifer R. Sexton, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Cosby: Kelsey L. Gentry, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; April L. Goodpaster, Bachelor of General Studies; Joseph D. Grieves, Bachelor of Arts-Art
Cowan: Tiffany D. Alexander, Bachelor of Science-Public Health
Crossville: Allison L. Gentry,Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Byron J. Roland, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Karla M. Roland, Bachelor of Arts-English
Cumberland Gap: Kristin L. Tuttle, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies
Dandridge: Brittany L. Gaylor, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Jillian E. Hall, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Brittany T. Henderson, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Casey J. Jones, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Rebekah J. Linn, Master of Arts-Counseling; Anna M. Mayfield, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Casey L. Phillips, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Heather L. Powers, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Christopher A. Reidy, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management
Dayton: Lauren E. Harris, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Shannon L. Harris, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Kelly A. Lane, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Jessica D. Yearwood, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Matthew D. York, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education
Del Rio: Corbin T. Self, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education
Dickson: Keith R. Brake, Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Todd R. Brison, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications
Elizabethton: Samuel P. Adams, Bachelor of Arts-English; Nicholas L. Anderson, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Chassity L. Arnold, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Sarah L. Blevins, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Tiffany L. Buckles, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Scott Burleson, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Sarah A. Calhoun, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Kelli Campbell, Master of Education-Educational Leadership; Logan C. Cannon, Bachelor of Science-Mathematics; Cynthia D. Carnahan, Bachelor of Social Work; Robert J. Carter, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Nicole M. Castle, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Cheri W. Clavier, Doctor of Education; Leendert M. Craig, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Heather M. Culler, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Joshua E. Day, Bachelor of Arts-Geology; Joshua E. Day, Bachelor of Science-Geology; Randa L. Dunlap, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Brittney L. Eggers, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Natalie A. Estep, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; William D. Etter, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Chelsey A. Fagan, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Carol A. Gallagher, Bachelor of General Studies; Lou Gallagher, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Luanne Grindstaff, Bachelor of Applied Science; Franklin M. Hardy, Master of Public Administration; Samual J. Harrison, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Amanda R. Hartley, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Mary M. Hatfield, Master of Science in Nursing; Dixie Heiss, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Danielle L. Honeycutt, Bachelor of Social Work; Marybeth A. Ingram, Bachelor of Social Work; Heather M. Jackson, Master of Arts-Counseling; David V. Johnson, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Ruth N. Kraus, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Brittney S. Madden, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Morgan L. Manning, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Kelli A. Mashburn, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Samantha May, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Brandon P. Maye, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Ashley D. McFarland, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Whitney L. McNeil, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Cory D. Miller, Bachelor of Arts-English; Bobby A. Morton, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Jamie A. Nave, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Whitney M. Nelson, Master of Education-Educational Media and Educational Technology; Benjamin M. Norris, Bachelor of Social Work; Connie E. O'Neill, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; Aaron P. Peters, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Justin T. Peters, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Tracey M. Powell, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; John W. Ramsey,Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; Alicia B. Riffe, Master of Social Work; Melanie Scalf, Bachelor of General Studies; Yuri D. Seal, Bachelor of Arts-Economics; Sherry L. Shepard, Master of Science in Nursing; Christopher M. Shields, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Landon C. Shields, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Elizabeth D. Slagle, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Rebecca L. Thompson, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Stephanie M. Unbewust, Bachelor of General Studies; Julie N. Waters, Master of Social Work; Ashley E. White, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Andrew C. Willams, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Tyler Williams, Master of Accountancy; Whitney M. Williams, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Jonathan R. Wilson, Bachelor of Social Work; Jeremy L. Wright, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting
Englewood: Mallory J. Dingess, Bachelor of Science-Psychology
Erwin: Joanna L. Barnett, Bachelor of Arts-Art; Ethan A. Bennett, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Mary R. Brown, Master of Social Work; Michelle L. Broyles, Master of Education-Educational Media and Educational Technology; Anna M. Bucchi, Bachelor of Science in Nursing;
Luke D. Champouillon, Bachelor of Arts-English; Cynthia D. Cole, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Jordan M. Cooper, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Chelsea N. Gilbert, Bachelor of Arts-English; Whitley J. Hensley,Bachelor of Science-Nursing; Bruce M. Howell, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Derrick A. Leonard, Master of Education-Elementary Education; Mary B. Leonard, Master of Education-Elementary Education; Daniel H. Morefield, Bachelor of Arts-History; Tanya N. Odom, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Ben T. Peterson, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Ryan B. Powers, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Kimberly F. Quillen, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Bradley C. Renfro, Bachelor of Science-History; Joshua C. Rice, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications;
Jay Shelton, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; Shannon C. Tipton, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Jacob N. Wheeler, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Gabrielle A. Williams, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Marilyn S. Yates, Master of Education-Elementary Education
Ethridge: Carol F. Lampley, Master of Social Work
Fall Branch: Adam S. Dinsmore, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Samantha J. Dunsmore, Bachelor of Arts-English; Jonathan M. Phebus, Master of Business Administration
Fayetteville: Chadwick E. Burton, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media
Flag Pond: Kenneth S. Loveday, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science
Franklin: Betsy T. Welch, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene
Gainesboro: Kayla L. Agee, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene; Joshua K. Argo, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science-Biology
Gray: Andrea L. Andrews, Education Specialist-Educational Leadership; Jaimie M. Barnett, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Chad T. Bishop, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Jayna B. Blevins, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Hannah J. Cagle, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Haley C. Carter, Bachelor of Arts-Anthropology; Steven C. Cromie, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Hannah L. Cullen, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Kara A. Dickerson, Master of Science in Nursing; Christopher A. Earp, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Maddison A. Gray, Bachelor of Arts- Art; Bradley A. Green, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology;
Leyla A. Haverlock, Master of Social Work; Darnell J. Holland, Master of Arts-History; Nicholas S. Jones, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Brandon R. Lewis, Bachelor of Science-History; Lauren J. Milhorn-Earp, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Joshua R. Padgett, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Darrell L. Russell, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Morgan A. Saunders, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Rachael E. Scott, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Alexander Slonopas, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Adam H. Stewart, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Clanci J. Tipton, Master of Arts-Counseling; Lindsay B. Weaver, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Thomas B. Weems, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Ian A. Williams, Bachelor of Science-Computing
Greenback: Katie L. Butcher, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Greeneville: Hannah N. Abelson, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Megan K. Andrukonis, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Alex D. Arwood, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Brian A. Belt, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Matthew T. Bible, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Matthew J. Bowman, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Christopher C. Brewer, Bachelor of Science-Mathematics; Casey N. Calkin, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Andre A. Campbell, Master of Science-Mathematical Sciences; Brandy R. Cannon, Bachelor of Social Work; Ethan T. Carver, Bachelor of Arts-Economics; Kayla L. Cutshall, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Joanette Darnell, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Chelsea D. Davis, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Leslie A. Davis, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Beth A. Denney, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Dallas S. Dunn, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Kellye S. Evans, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Katherine L. Fields, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Zachary E. Fillers, Bachelor of Science—Computing; Deborah J. Gass, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; David T. Gazzo, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Vera S. Harrison, Bachelor of Applied Science-Applied Science; David K. Helle, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Rachel E. Humphreys, Master of Arts-Counseling; Halie R. Jones, Bachelor of Science-Mathematics; Tracy A. Kilday, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Miranda L. Lantz, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Sherre'ne V. Manuel, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Cynthia L. Maupin, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Marissa McNeese, Bachelor of Arts-Foreign Languages; Kristen N. Medley, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Brittany N. Melton, Bachelor of Science-Political Science; Tiffany D. Morgan,Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Andrew L. Partin, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Cody W. Pasco, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Ethan T. Perkins, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Rhonda G. Ratliff, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Brittani J. Renner, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Brooke L. Ricker, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Jarrod A. Ricker, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Eric M. Rohm, Bachelor of Arts-Psychology; Karyn K. Rose, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Kathryn A. Sanders, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Ashton L. Smith, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Jo A. Smith, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Rebecca K. Solomon, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Stephanie R. Tweed, Doctor of Education; Matthew D. Underwood, Master of 
Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Erin R. Waddell, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Leah C. Ward, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Gentson C. Weems, Bachelor of Science-Surveying and Mapping Science; Tiffany N. Wheatley, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Victoria C. Whitaker,Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Hannah M. Wilds, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Daniel L. Wilhoit, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Samuel A. Wilhoit, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Thomas M. Willett, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Jillian M. Woods, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Marc Wright, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education
Hampton: Jessica L. Billings, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Glenna L. Cates, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Amber D. Cole, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Rebecca L. Osborne, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Brandon A. Potter, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Amber L. Street, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Harriman: Steven D. Hansard, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology
Harrison: Christen J. McElvain, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing
Harrogate: Alyson V. Gilbert, Bachelor of Science-Psychology
Helenwood: Brandon U. Sexton, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health
Henderson: Pashupati Shah, Bachelor of Science-Physics
Hendersonville: Samantha C. Incorvaia, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Sydney S. Roland, Bachelor of Science-Human Services
Hermitage: Cory M. Azlin, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Ashley B. Cole, Bachelor of Science-Social Work 
Hixson: Alexander S. Honkonen, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management
Huntsville: Bradley F. Phillips, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology
Jacksboro: Anthony D. Coleman, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Lacey B. Housley, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Chelsea D. Morris, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education
Jackson: Lubna A. Al-jafari, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies
Jamestown: Morgan T. Flowers, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Tambra R. Sweet, Master of Arts-Counseling; Lindsey J. Wright, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders
Jefferson City: Sarah L. Doute, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Brittany L. Harvey, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Amy D. Johnson, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies
Johnson City: Alyssa M. Adams, Bachelor of Science-Physics; Andrew J. Adkins, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Robert Aggrey, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Iqra Ahmad, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Ifrish Alberg, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Heather L. Algood, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Ellen L. Allen, Certificate-School Library Professional; Stephanie F. Allen, Master of Science-Clinical Nutrition; Rebekah J. Altizer, Master of Arts  in Teaching; Adam M. Andrews, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Kari A. Arnold,Doctor of Education; Michael T. Arnold, Bachelor of Arts-Foreign Languages; Ryan D. Arze, Bachelor of Arts-Political Science; Erin E. Austin, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Salma M. Ayad, Master of Arts-Professional Communication; Mary K. Baker, Doctor of Public Health; Hannah R. Banks, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Mary T. Barberi, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Wendy G. Bare, Master of Arts-History; Christina N. Barker, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Byron F. Barnes, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Steven N. Barnett, Doctor of Education; Stephanie N. Bashor, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Lauren M. Baufield, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Jeremy A. Beachner, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Lindsey J. Beard, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Alyssa N. Belanger, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Amanda J. Bergeron, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Rhonda L. Bier, Bachelor of Social Work; Randall A. Black, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health;  David J. Blackley, Doctor of Public Health; Brittany D. Blair, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Elizabeth T. Blair, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Jennifer M. Boggs, Doctor of Nursing Practice; Kristina L. Bogue, Bachelor of Social Work; Gabriel K. Bolling, Bachelor of Social Work; Eric S. Borman, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Mindy P. Bowman, Master of Social Work; Kathryn M. Bravender, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Spenser D. Brenner, Bachelor of Fine Arts; Michael B. Brewer, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Chance C. Brown, Bachelor of Science-Physics; Matthew D. Brown, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Leslie G. Broyles, Bachelor of Science-Communication Studies; Carmen B. Bryant, Doctor of Education; Brandon W. Buchanan, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Lindsey E. Buck, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Kelley N. Bumgarner, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Benjamin P. Burdett, Bachelor of Science-Political Science; Terence G. Burdett,Bachelor of Science-Geology; Bridget A. Burger, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Allison L. Burke, Bachelor of Arts-English; Heather N. Burke, Bachelor of Arts-Art; Joshua C. Burts, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; James B. Caldwell, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Whitney N. Caldwell, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Brinton T. Camp, Bachelor of Arts-Economics; Jackie K. Cash, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; James M. Cates, Master of Arts-English; Catherine E. Chambers, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Lincoln N. Chandler, Master of Accountancy; Heng-Shien Chiang, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Melissa M. Christian, Master of Arts-Early Childhood Education; Nicholas C. Chronis, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Chad M. Clark, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Emily J. Clark, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Hannah K. Clark, Master of Arts-Counseling; Katie S. Clark, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Ivy A. Click, Doctor of Education; Selena F. Cline, Bachelor of Arts-English; Brandy M. Coffman, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Nathan W. Cole, Bachelor of Business Administration; Ashley C. Coles, Master of Social Work; Pearl Coleshill, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Heather K. Covington, Bachelor of Science-Sociology; Courtney M. Crackel, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Casey G. Crapps, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Stacey A. Cross, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene; Patricia B. Curley,Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Jeremiah Y. Dangler, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; John M. Daniels, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; Autumn B. Davidson, Bachelor of Arts-English; John B. Davis, Master of Arts-Counseling; Megan A. Davis, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Joshua E. Dean, Bachelor of Arts-English; Rachel L. Dean, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Peter C. Debrah, Bachelor of Science-Sociology; Julia E. Decker, Doctor of Education; Rachel B. Deloach, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Kristina N. Dempsey, Master of Arts  in Teaching; Marcia C. Dempsey, Bachelor of Arts-Foreign Languages; Matthew J. Dernovshek, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Aaron G. Doyka, Bachelor of Arts and  Bachelor of Science-Geology; Nan Tong Du, Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Elizabeth S. Dukes, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Chase M. Duty, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Christopher D. Eaton, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Joseph W. Edens, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Rebekah E. Edgar, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Eriel S. Edwards, Bachelor of Arts-International Affairs; Jacob D. Edwards, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Lauren Edwards, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Raghda Y. Elhindi, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; William C. Ellis, Bachelor of Social Work; Francis Esuon, Master of Science-Chemistry; Jeffery T. Fields, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Larry M. Fischer, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies; Michelle E. Fleming, Master of Social Work; Ivan J. Flores, Master of Public Administration; George T. Ford, Master of Arts-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Kerry E. Fox, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Doronita A. Francis, Master of Social Work; Mykal G. Gallardo, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Yi Gan, Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Ngeche R. Gang, Master of Social Work; Michael T. Garland, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Jesseman B. Gilbert,Bachelor of General Studies; Laura S. Gilmore, Master of Science-Geosciences; Jeremy D. Gingerich, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Melody D. Giovannetti, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Jessica Giuggioli, Master of Arts-Professional Communication; Jhones J. Gonzalez, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Ava E. Gooding, Bachelor of Arts-English; Jennifer R. Grant, Bachelor of Arts-English; Andrew G. Graves, Bachelor of Arts-Foreign Languages; Jessee M. Gray, Bachelor of Arts-Theatre; Nolan C. Gray, Bachelor of Science-Political Science; John W. Greenlee, Master of Arts-History; Darrell J. Greer, Master of Science-Technology; Clint R. Gregg, Bachelor of Arts-Philosophy; Craig Griffie, Certificate-Business Administration; Chelsea N. Griffin, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Prentice A. Griffin, Master of Arts-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Melissa A. Grigg, Master of Education-Elementary Education; Erika K. Grogan, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Ayla E. Gross, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Yicen Guo, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Stephen C. Gustafson, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Daniel J. Hallihan, Master of Arts  in Teaching; Brandilyn K. Hamm, Bachelor of General Studies; Maxwell T. Hardoby, Bachelor of Science-Philosophy; Abigail C. Hardt, Bachelor of Social Work; Susan R. Harp, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Madison A. Harr, Bachelor of General Studies; Jack C. Hartsell, Bachelor of Science-Physics;
Kaley S. Haws, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Huston T. Heatherly, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Ryne A. Heaton, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Molly T. Hendery, Master of Social Work; Amber L. Hensley, Bachelor of Science-Sociology; Justin I. Herald, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Bryce B. Herlong, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Ryan L. Herlong, Master of Business Administration; Ian M. Herrin,Bachelor of Business Administration-Economics; Amanda S. Herrmann, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Brandon W. Hess, Bachelor of Arts-History; Brittany M. Higgins,Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Kelcie N. Hill, Bachelor of Science-Communication Studies; Lauren H. Hills, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Deborah G. Hodge, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Kelly L. Holtzhausen, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Dallas E. Honeycutt, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Eric Hosgood, Master of Business Administration;
Amanda K. Howard,Master of Science in Nursing; David R. Howard, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; Stephanie E. Howington, Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Jazmine M. Hubbard, Bachelor of Arts-English; Steven N. Hubbard, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Dannica' C. Huening, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Michael J. Huening, Bachelor of Science-History; Jeremy E. Hughes, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; Benjamin A. Hunt, Bachelor of Arts-Speech; Ora Hyder, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Brittney A. Iasiello, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Sachiho Iba, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Chris D. Ivanich, Bachelor of Fine Arts; Eric S. James, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; William B. Jamieson, Bachelor of Science-Mathematics; Rachael L. Janes, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Taylor D. Jefferson, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Sarah N. Jeffery, Bachelor of Science-Communication Studies; Devan M. Jencks, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Casey N. Jenkins, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Ashley P. Johnson, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene; Ashley R. Johnson, Master of Social Work; Candra R. Johnson, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Krisztina B. Johnson, Doctor of Audiology; Mary E. Johnson, Master of Arts-Counseling; Sarah R. Johnson, Bachelor of Arts-Anthropology; Sasha A. Johnson, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Schyler T. Johnson, Master of Arts-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Brooke D. Jones, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Eric Jones, Bachelor of Arts-History; Rebecca M. Jones, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Kristie Jordan, Bachelor of Science-Sociology; Sonali R. Kadam, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Brianna S. Keebler, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Brandon P. Keen, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Sheri A. Keenan, Bachelor of General Studies; Zane C. Kelley, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Jeffery L. Kennedy, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Heath D. Kershaw, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Adam N. Kilby, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Adam L. Kincaid, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Chelsea R. Kinser, Bachelor of Arts-Theatre; Taylor M. Kiser, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Kalpesh Koli, Master of Public Health; Joseph Kusi, Master of Science-Biology; Andrew M. Lacy, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Tracy C. Lagerblade, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Brandy L. Lane, Master of Social Work; James A. Lane, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Colby W. Laney, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Angela H. Lasater, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Derek K. Laurendeau, Bachelor of Fine Arts; Matthew D. Lee, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Bethany R. Lender, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Joshua A. Leonard, Bachelor of Arts-Anthropology; Melinda L. Levasseur, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Michael R. Lewis, Bachelor of Applied Science; Meng Li, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Jie Liu, Bachelor of Science-Biology; John N. Livaditis, Bachelor of Arts-History; Joslyn R. Livingston, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Kayla M. Lofquest, Master of Science-Clinical Nutrition; Colin J. Lokey, Certificate-Business Administration; Amanda J. Long, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Yuan Long, Master of Accountancy; Victoria M. Longworth, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Elizabeth L. Lott, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Christopher L. Lowe, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Xiaopeng Lu, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; Ashley N. Lyons,Master of Arts in Teaching; Rachael A. Maciver, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Hannah N. Macke, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Phillip G. Madden, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Kylie B. Mansfield, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Joshua D. Marcus, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Annie C. Martin, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Ronnie S. Martin, Bachelor of Science-Mathematics; Heather Maxwell, Bachelor of Science-Sociology; Eric McBride, Bachelor of Arts-Political Science; Ben A. McCurry, Bachelor of Social Work; Morgan D. McCurry, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Joseph D. McDaniel, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Jennifer S. McGhee, Master of Arts-Counseling; Lacey A. McInturff, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Shana M. McKeever, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Courtney E. McKinney, Master of Science-Clinical Nutrition; Jeffrey S. McKinney, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Tyler A. McMurtry, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Erin M. Middlemas, Bachelor of Science-Mathematics; Melissa A. Miesner, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Myra G. Miller, Bachelor of Arts-Anthropology; Ryan C. Mills, Bachelor of Science-Mathematics; Sara B. Milton, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Kayla R. Mitchell, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; James-Austin Moody, Bachelor of Fine Arts; Oluwole A. Moronkeji, Master of Public Administration; Felisha J. Moseley, Master of Public Health; Joshua D. Mowell, Bachelor of Science-Mathematics; Katie A. Moyers, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Sen Mu, Master of Science-Biology; Joshua L. Murphy, Master of Arts-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Ranjani N. Murthy, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Christopher R. Nadeau, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Benjamin Y. Ndi, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Safi L. Ngoy, Bachelor of Social Work; Natalia T. Nguyen, Bachelor of Arts-English; Jonah G. Nickles, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Chasity S. Norris, Master of Arts-Counseling; Harold H. Norwood, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; Lauren E. Ochoa, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Cara M. Oliphant, Bachelor of Arts-Bluegrass,Old Time and Country Music Studies; David A. Ollis, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Keith R. Olson, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Ofosuhene Osei, Master of Science-Mathematical Sciences; Stacey Parker, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Maria V. Paz Tagle, Master of Education-Secondary Education; Joanna L. Pearson, Doctor of Audiology;  Ashley M. Pease, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Wesley D. Pendleton, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Kayla A. Perkins, Master of Arts-Counseling; Jon C. Phillips, Master of Arts-History; Lindsay O. Phipps, Bachelor of Arts-English; Sean A. Pickel, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Sharon D. Pickering, Doctor of Education; David B. Pickett, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Lukas Poderis, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Brian S. Pridemore, Master of Business Administration; Raquel A. Prieto, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Eric S. Prinz, Master of Business Administration; Nathan J. Quellmalz, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Jillian M. Quirante, Master of Business Administration; Carolina A. Quiroga Hurtado, Certificate-Reading; J. A. Rabon, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Ashley D. Raines, Master of Arts-History; Norman C. Reece, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Guilherme H. Reis, Master of Business Administration; Amber P. Reynolds, Master of Science-Clinical Nutrition; Myriah L. Roberts, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Stefanie K. Robinson, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Cassandra E. Rodgers, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Ricardo A. Rojas-Leal, Master of Business Administration; Benjamin K. Ronoh, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Jonathan D. Rosenberger, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Chelsea R. Ross, Bachelor of Science-Mathematics; Christopher E. Rosselot, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Colleen E. Rudd, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Brittany G. Ryden, Master of Arts in Teaching; Jeannine M. Sanders, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Robert J. Santos-Prowse, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Bardia Sareh, Certificate-Business Administration; Kathleen B. Schweitzer, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Brittany L. Scott, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Elsa B. Severijn, Bachelor of Arts-Political Science; Brandon T. Sexton, Bachelor of Science-Physics; Brittany N. Sexton, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Bridget Shanahan, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Jason M. Shelton, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Johnathon N. Shepherd, Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Rachel M. Shirley, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Rachel A. Short, Master of Science-Geosciences; Katherine M. Sledge, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Christin R. Smith, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Christopher Smith, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Demia S. Smith, Bachelor of Social Work; Dustin L. Smith, Bachelor of Science-Political Science; Misha R. Smith, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Sarah J. Snipes, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology;
Yao Song, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Judith M. Sonneberger, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Vincent J. Spencer, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Derriell M. Springfield, Doctor of Education; Ruta I. Stallard, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Chad D. Stamper, Bachelor of Science-History; Megan R. Stanfill, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Debra J. Stanulevich, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Audrey N. Steele, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Houston K. Steele, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Patty L. Stidham, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Yasmin A. Stoss, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Jason L. Street, Bachelor of Science-Communication Studies; Matthew D. Styles, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; Huisong Sun, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Melissa D. Sutphin, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Gorica Svalina, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Eva J. Swatzell, Bachelor of General Studies; Jennifer T. Swiatek, Master of Public Health-Health Care Management; Tei Takenaka, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Ricardo Tapia Mosqueda, Bachelor of Arts-International Affairs; Everett E. Tarlton, Bachelor of Arts-Theatre; Chelsea R. Taylor, Bachelor of Arts-History; Sarah A. Taylor, Master of Science in Nursing; Stephanie G. Tejeda,Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Grant B. Thomas, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Guadalupe G. Thornton, Bachelor of Social Work; Leah B. Tilson, Bachelor of Science-Speech; John L. Tindell, Master of Arts-Counseling; Logan A. Tipton, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Gabriel Tocci, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; Silas A. Tolan, Master of Public Health; Clinton D. Tompkins, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Morgan J. Townes, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Benjamin C. Treadway, Master of Accountancy; Taylor A. Trent, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Danielle S. Triplette, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Kristopher R. Truelsen, Bachelor of Arts-Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies; Katelyn R. Turley, Bachelor of Social Work; Iftekhar Uddin, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Richard Valente, Master of Social Work; Mary E. Van Huss, Master of Social Work; Samantha K. Vandyke, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Inna Vasylieva, Master of Science-Mathematical Sciences; Jacob L. Vines, Bachelor of Arts-English; Gary Wagner, Bachelor of Arts-International Affairs; Anne E. Waldrop, Master of Science in Nursing; Amanda K. Walker, Bachelor of Arts- Philosophy; Jessica J. Walker, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Christopher J. Walsh, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Shannon N. Walsh, Bachelor of Science-Sociology; Carla D. Wampler, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Xiaoqing Wang, Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Xiqiao Wang, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Yong Wang, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; Garett W. Ward, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Loren M. Ward, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Monica C. Warwick, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Ezekiel K. Watterson, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Catherine M. Weinhold, Master of Science-Technology; Sarah E. Welborn, Master of Science-Clinical Nutrition; Travis F. Welch, Bachelor of Arts-Theatre; Beichen Wen, Master of Accountancy; Joshua L. Whitlock, Master of Business Administration; Cara N. Wicks, Master of Public Health; Sheri G. Wiggins, Bachelor of General Studies; Tiffany B. Wilkinson, Master of Arts-Kinesiology and Sport Studies; Bethany E. Williams, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Bruce E. Williams, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Karen T. Williams, Master of Social Work; Katie S. Williamson, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Amy E. Willingham, Master of Social Work; Alexis P. Wilson, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Jacob N. Wilson, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Keith J. Wilt, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Amanda J. Winter, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene; Sarah E. Witkowski, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Eli L. Woods, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Allison N. Woody, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Tabetha A. Wynn, Master of Arts in Teaching; Zheng Xu, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Shahin Zare, Certificate-Health Care Management; Holley M. Ziglar, Master of Education-Elementary Education; Nicholas R. Zockoll, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; David A. Zollinger, Master of Science-Technology
Jonesborough: Jarrod Adams, Doctor of Education; John C. Adams, Bachelor of Science-Physics; Jessica D. Anderson, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Kristina M. Arrowood, Master of Social Work; Amber N. Ball, Master of Social Work; David W. Barefield, Bachelor of Science-History; Wayne Benny, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Jonathan E. Benson, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Emma K. Bowers, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Rachel H. Bowers, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Natalie J. Burke, Doctor of Philosophy-Biomedical Sciences; Andrea M. Cannon, Master of Education-Secondary Education; Brian M. Cartwright, Certificate-Epidemiology; Aaron P. Cash, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Daphne R. Chester, Master of Arts-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Cameron S. Cook, Bachelor of Business Administration-Finance; Jessica D. Cooper, Bachelor of Arts-Psychology; Jennifer C. Crow, Master of Education-Elementary Education; Courtney M. Davenport, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; John R. Dillow, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Rebecca A. Eccles, Master of Business Administration; Andrew M. Edwards, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Jennifer D. Estepp, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Lea C. Florence, Master of Public Health; Misti D. Gardner, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Kimberly D. Garland, Master of Social Work; Anne L. G'Fellers-Mason, Master of Arts-History; Amber J. Gibson, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Amanda L. Gosnell, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Kelli R. Harrison, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Sarah D. Hasch, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Justin A. Haston, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Cody T. Haun, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Claire J. Hawkings, Master of Business Administration; Brandon L. Hill, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Nicolette L. Hill, Bachelor of Science-Geology; Megan A. Jackson, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies;
Dennis W. Kilby, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Rachel M. Konnick, Master of Arts-Reading; Stephen M. Kron, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Revathi Lakkakula, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Matthew Z. Landers, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; William L. Laws, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Rachel L. Lyons, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Sarah E. Miller, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Emil W. Montano, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Christopher S. Moore, Master of Science-Chemistry; Ashlie L. Newsome, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Jason S. Nicholson, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Caroline C. Peck, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Stacy M. Perry, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Lester B. Redd, Bachelor of Fine Arts; Alexander W. Reynolds, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Jessica M. Roberts, Bachelor of Social Work; Galina Rozhkova, Master of Arts in Teaching; Anita M. Sams, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Allison H. Sherfey, Master of Social Work; Laura D. Story, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Lindsey A. Teague, Master of Business Administration; Jeffrey B. Thomas, Master of Science-Technology; Jessica M. Tiller, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Clayton A. Van Huss, Bachelor of Arts-Theatre; Rachel A. Werkheiser, Master of Science-Clinical Nutrition; Jennifer L. Wilson, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Chung-Nga Wong, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting 
Kingsport: Vanessa E. Addington, Master of Social Work; Melissa K. Allen, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Samuel M. Arnold, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Cody P. Baker, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Cory B. Ball, Bachelor of Science-Physics; Lisa M. Bear, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Jordan R. Bedford, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Amanda K. Begley, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; John D. Bellamy, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Anthony R. Blair, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Jonathan D. Blankenship, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Joshua A. Boggan, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health; Danielle N. Bowker, Bachelor of Arts-English; Summer D. Brickey, Bachelor of Arts-Economics; Nathan P. Buhr, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies; Emmy C. Canada, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Chasity N. Carter, Master of Business Administration; Whitney K. Chadwell, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Emma C. Clark, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Robert J. Clemons, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Carolyn E. Conerly, Master of Social Work; Jesse R. Cornett, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Marshall B. Couch, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Leanne M. Culbertson, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Colleen P. Cummings, Bachelor of Social Work;Joan C. D'Cruz, Doctor of Nursing Practice; Jane L. Dean, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Morgan M. Droke, Bachelor of Arts-History; Elizabeth L. Dye, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Elizabeth J. English, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Matthew R. Fickey, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Robert A. Flanagan, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Anthony B. Frazier, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Jesse E. Fritz, Bachelor of Arts-History; Haleigh R. Garber, Bachelor of Science-Mathematics; Michael S. Gilly, Bachelor of Arts-Sociology; Kristin E. Goins, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; Ellen V. Gooch, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Heather N. Good, Bachelor of Science-Political Science; Carla L. Green, Master of Science in Nursing; Nupur Gupta, Master of Business Administration; Andrew G. Hall, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Katy L. Hancock, Bachelor of Arts-English; Marsha Y. Harper, Bachelor of Social Work; Angela B. Harris, Certificate-School Library Professional; Traci R. Harris, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Charles J. Hayes, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Victoria L. Head, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Leigh A. Hillman, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Kimberly L. Humphreys, Master of Education-Educational Media and Educational Technology; Carly L. Hutchins, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Joshua M. Hutchins, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Joshua A. Ison, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Tina L. Ison, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Bridgette C. Johnson, Bachelor of Arts-English; Rachel S. Jones, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Ryan C. Jones, Bachelor of Science-Geography; John D. Kaywood, Bachelor of Arts-Theatre; Elizabeth C. Kennedy, Bachelor of Science-Psychology; Victoria A. Ketron, Bachelor of Science-History; Blake E. Lawrence, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Whitney C. Laws, Bachelor of Science-History; Krista L. Lawson, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Kristen N. Looney, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Kylee J. Looney,Bachelor of Arts-Anthropology; Erin M. Lovelace, Bachelor of Arts-Art; Meredith M. Maddox, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Darrell W. Marshall, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Miranda B. Maultbay, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Ronald J. McCall, Master of Arts-History; Craig W. Mitcham, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Brad E. Moore, Bachelor of Science in Nursing;Allison B. Morelock, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Brandi S. Morrell, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Kayla C. Mullins, Bachelor of Social Work; Keli R. Murdock, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Marsha L. Musick, Master of Social Work; Tera G. Norton, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Bethesda J. O'Connell, Master of Public Health; Kayla P. Owens, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Erik C. Peterson, Bachelor of Arts-English; Natalie R. Pickwell, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Jordan A. Pugh, Bachelor of Social Work; Matthew K. Rhoten, Bachelor of Science-Political Science; Callie E. Richardson, Master of Business Administration; Kristi J. Richardson, Master of Science-Communicative Disorders; Kimberly D. Rigsby, Master of Arts in Teaching; Estuardo V. Rivera, Master of Arts in Teaching; Angela M. Roberts, Master of Accountancy; Maria V. Samples, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Katherine L. Shaffer, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Daniel M. Shepherd, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Sandra M. Sloan, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Savanna S. Smith, Bachelor of Arts-English; Jessica M. Stamey, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Tyler J. Strong, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Derek J. Terry, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Adam N. Thomas, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; Sarah M. Tillson, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Jason E. Tipton, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Kimberly H. Valentine, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Amanda C. Vance, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; James A. White, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; Aaron D. Willey, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Cassaundra L. Williams, Bachelor of Fine Arts; Laura A. Williams-Bailey, Bachelor of Science-Special Education; Natallia Winborn, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Bryan J. Winegar, Bachelor of Arts-English;
Matthew C. Woods, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Phillip T. Wyrick, Master of Arts-Criminal Justice and Criminology
Kingston: Lauren E. Couch, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Holly M. Parkison, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Knoxville: Catrina A. Adams, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Blair H. Alley, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Cynthia D. Atkins, Master of Science-Computer and Information Science; Larry K. Austin, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Jennifer P. Barnes, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Lacey N. Beeler, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Casey L. Bevill, Bachelor of Science-Early Childhood Development; Jordan M. Blevins, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Amanda J. Carmichael, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Jill Carro, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Laura E. Chambers, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications; Min-Zhi Chin, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; Nickolas S. Coffey, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Caitlin M. Collins, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education; James M. Cook, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Kelly A. Cox, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Heather E. Cummins, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Molly A. Davis, Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Shawn C. Dawson, Certificate-Forensic Document Examination; Matthew Deaton, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Andrew D. Ensor, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Devon P. Fails, Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Shelby L. Frye, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Joshua D. Gadd, Bachelor of Science-History; Justin T. Gagel, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Judith L. Gerrity, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Robert K. Giles, Bachelor of Science-Health Sciences; Susanna L. Grove, Bachelor of Arts-English; Brandon   Haney, Bachelor of General Studies; Megan L. Harrah, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Eboni D. Hayes, Bachelor of Science-Sociology; Chadwick A. Hill, Bachelor of Science-Public Health; Lori B. Hill, Master of Arts in Teaching; John M. Howard, Bachelor of Science-Sport and Leisure Management; Alicia M. Hull, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Brittany A. Hunley, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene;Rachel E. Hyder, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology; Daryll O. Inso, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Diondre' I. Jackson, Bachelor of Science-Criminal Justice and Criminology; Jarrod A. Johnson, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Brenda C. King, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; John A. Kline, Bachelor of Science-Digital Media; Katelyn E. Lee, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Anthony J. Lundy, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science-Biology; Christopher D. Lyttle, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Stephanie K. Magoon, Bachelor of Arts-Anthropology; Tiffany J. Marshall, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Gerald D. Mays, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Madeline S. Medina, Bachelor of Science-History; Jeffrey B. Miessau, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Connie J. Miller, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Jennifer N. Mincey, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Michelle N. Munchenburg, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health; Erika D. Neely, Bachelor of Business Administration-Accounting; Virginia M. Nystrom, Master of Professional Studies; Adil K. Pathan, Bachelor of Science-Computing; Brandon J. Patteson, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management; Brian A. Rich, Bachelor of Science-Chemistry; Lauren G. Roberts, Bachelor of Arts-Art; Vinay K. Sachan, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Rachel A. Saunders, Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing; Shelby E. Schmid, Bachelor of Arts-History; Sarah E. Seaton, Bachelor of Science-Biology; Tabatha E. Shell, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene; Alix M. Starnes, Bachelor of Arts-Anthropology; Rebekah K. Strand, Bachelor of Arts-Foreign Languages; Kimberly A. Stringfellow, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Steven E. Templin, Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Jessie R. Tipton, Bachelor of General Studies; Whitney A. Tisdale, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Summer G. Turner, Master of Business Administration; Jessica Weltner, Bachelor of General Studies; Eve L. Whittenburg, Bachelor of Arts-History; Rebekah E. Wilson, Bachelor of Arts-Mass Communications; Denise H. Yeo, Bachelor of Business Administration-Management
Kodak: Samantha S. Moore, Bachelor of Science in Education-Interdisciplinary Studies; Louis R. Sakacsi, Bachelor of General Studies; Laurenda J. Slusher,Master of Education-Special Education; Chelsea E. Taylor, Bachelor of Science-Mass Communications
LaFollette: Zachary R. Walden, Bachelor of Arts-English and Bachelor of Business Administration
Lake City: April D. Freeman, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Noel N. Wright, Bachelor of Science-Engineering Technology
Lebanon: James E. Denney, Bachelor of Science- Chemistry; Elizabeth S. Spencer, Certificate-Healthcare Translation and Interpreting
Lenoir City: Emily L. Matlock, Bachelor of Science-Interior Design; Allison A. Morton, Bachelor of Science-Sociology
Lewisburg: Michelle R. Hobby, Bachelor of Science-Allied Health
Limestone: Chassidy N. Collins, Bachelor of Science-Interdisciplinary Studies; Kelly A. Dunn, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Jessica N. Johnson, Bachelor of Science-Human Services; Wesley W. Tate, Bachelor of Science-Physical Education
Livingston: Kristen R. Williams, Bachelor of Science in

NASHVILLE — Byron Looper, a Tennessee inmate serving a life sentence for the murder of state Sen. Tommy Burks, was found dead in his cell in the Morgan County Correctional Complex on Wednesday, state officials said.A statement from the Tennessee Department of Correction said the 48-year-old Looper was found dead at about 11:10 a.m. EDT Wednesday. The commissioner has asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to investigate the cause of his death."That is routine particularly when there is not an obvious sign of death," said Dorinda Carter, a spokeswoman for the correction department.Looper, a former Putnam County property assessor, was convicted of murder in the Oct. 19, 1998, fatal shooting of Burks while he sat in his pickup truck near his Cumberland County farm. Looper, who legally changed his middle name to "Low Tax," was running as a Republican against Burks for the state senate seat and he continued campaigning from a jail cell after being charged with the killing.Charlotte Burks, who is still a senator from the Cumberland Plateau district, won a write-in campaign to replace her husband. She never campaigned publicly but dozens of volunteers came to her aid, working to educate voters about Mrs. Burks and how to write in her name.In the end, 30,906 people voted for her — 95 percent of all the ballots cast — and Mrs. Burks became the first write-in candidate to win election to the Senate.Kristin Helm, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said a crime scene team was on its way to the prison to collect evidence. His body will be taken for an autopsy.Carter said a nurse first noticed that he was unresponsive in his cell. She said that she did not have any details about any medical issues he may have had and the events leading up to his death are under investigation.

NEW YORK — Paula Deen lost another chunk of her empire on Wednesday.Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced that it has ended its relationship with the Southern celebrity chef, part of the continuing fallout in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past. The world's largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark., currently carries a variety of products under her moniker, including food items, cookware and health and wellness products, at all of its 4,000 U.S. namesake stores. The retailer began selling her merchandise several years ago."We will not place new orders beyond those already committed," said Dave Tovar, a Wal-Mart spokesman. "We will work with suppliers to address existing inventories and agreements."Tovar said the retailer is still working through the details with suppliers.The severed ties with Wal-Mart are the latest blow to Deen's business. Meanwhile, Paula Deen's name is being stripped from four buffet restaurants owned by Caesars. Caesars said Wednesday that its decision to rebrand its restaurants in Joliet, Ill.; Tunica, Miss.; Cherokee, N.C.; and Elizabether, Ind., was a mutual one with Deen.Last week, the Food Network said that it would not renew the celebrity cook's contract. And on Monday, Smithfield Foods said it was dropping her as a spokeswoman. Smithfield sold Paula Deen-branded hams in addition to featuring her as a spokeswoman.Meanwhile, the celebrity chef's representatives distributed nine letters supporting Deen from other companies that work with her, as she fights to keep her business empire from crumbling.Target Corp., which carries Paula Deen-branded products, reiterated Wednesday it was "evaluating the situation."Deen appeared in a "Today" show interview earlier Wednesday, dissolving into tears and saying that anyone in the audience who's never said anything they've regretted should pick up a rock and throw it at her head.The chef, who specializes in Southern comfort food, repeated that she's not a racist.__AP Television Writer Dave Bauder contributed to this report.

ATTLEBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder in the shooting death of a friend prosecutors say had angered the football player at a nightclub a few days earlier by talking to the wrong people.Hernandez, 23, was taken from his North Attleborough home in handcuffs just over a week after Boston semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd's bullet-riddled body was found in an industrial park about a mile away.Less than two hours after the arrest, the Patriots announced they had cut Hernandez, a 2011 Pro Bowl selection who signed a five-year contract worth $40 million last summer.Lloyd was a 27-year-old athlete with the Boston Bandits who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. He was shot repeatedly in the back and chest, authorities said.Hernandez could get life without parole if convicted."It is at bottom a circumstantial case. It is not a strong case," his attorney, Michael Fee, said at a court hearing during which Hernandez was ordered held without bail on murder charges and five weapons counts.Lloyd's family members cried and hugged in the courtroom as prosecutor Bill McCauley outlined the killing. Two relatives were so overcome with emotion that they had to leave the courtroom.McCauley said the crime stemmed from a night out at a Boston club called Rumor on June 14. He said Hernandez was upset about certain things, including that Lloyd had talked to some people Hernandez "had troubles with."Two days later, McCauley said, on the night of June 16, Hernandez texted two friends from out of state and asked them to hurry back to Massachusetts.Surveillance footage from outside Hernandez's home showed him leaving with a gun, and he told someone in the house that he was upset and couldn't trust anyone anymore, the prosecutor said.The three men picked up Lloyd at his home around 2:30 a.m., according to authorities. As they drove around, they discussed what happened at the nightclub, and Lloyd started getting nervous, McCauley said.Lloyd texted his sister, "Did you see who I am with?" When she asked who, he answered, at 3:22 a.m., "NFL," then, a minute later, "Just so you know."Within a few minutes after that, people working the overnight shift at the industrial park reported hearing gunshots, McCauley said.Investigators did not specify who fired the shots and did not identify the two other people who were with Hernandez.In arguing unsuccessfully for bail, Hernandez's attorney said the athlete is unlikely to flee, is a homeowner, and lives with his fiancee and an 8-month-old baby. He also said Hernandez had never been accused of a violent crime.As he was led from his home in the morning, Hernandez was wearing a white V-neck T-shirt, with his arms inside the shirt and behind his back. He spit into some bushes on his way to a police cruiser.Later, as he was taken from the North Attleborough police station to court, two dozen supporters cheered, some yelling, "We love you Aaron!""Words cannot express the disappointment we feel knowing that one of our players was arrested as a result of this investigation," the Patriots said in a statement announcing he had been cut.The team added: "We realize that law enforcement investigations into this matter are ongoing. We support their efforts and respect the process. At this time, we believe this transaction is simply the right thing to do."The Patriots drafted Hernandez, who is originally from Bristol, Conn., in 2010 out of the University of Florida, where he was an All-American.During the draft, one team said it wouldn't take him under any circumstances, and he was passed over by one club after another before New England took him in the fourth round.Afterward, Hernandez said he had failed a drug test in college — reportedly for marijuana — and was up front with teams about it.In other off-the-field troubles, a Florida man filed a lawsuit last week claiming Hernandez shot him in the face after they argued at a strip club in February.And The Boston Globe reported that Hernandez lost his temper and threatened a teammate during an argument in the team's weight room shortly after he was drafted.Hernandez became a father on Nov. 6, and said he intended to change his ways: "Now, another one is looking up to me. I can't just be young and reckless Aaron no more. I'm going to try to do the right things."___Associated Press writers Bridget Murphy in Boston and Howard Ulman in North Attleborough contributed to this story.

Johnson City will not have a methadone clinic any time soon.
Members of the Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency denied a certificate of need filed by Tri-Cities Holdings, Inc. earlier this year to locate a methadone clinic at 4 Wesley Court in a hearing Wednesday in Nashville.
Mark Farber, deputy director at THSDA, said via email Wednesday evening that the CON was denied.
A representative who answered the phone Wednesday at the THSDA office said there was a lot of opposition to the CON at the hearing.
Specific details of the hearing were not immediately available Wednesday evening.
Steve Kester, a co-owner of Tri-Cities Holdings, filed the certificate of need for the clinic back in March.
He said his own research indicated about 1,000 people in the Tri-Cities were seeking treatment for opiate addiction and that the closest locations for these patients to get that treatment was in Knoxville or Asheville, N.C.
A call to Kester seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Methadone clinics dispense methadone, a schedule II narcotic analgesic, for people who have abused heroin or other opiates.
A suit was filed on behalf of Tri-Cities Holdings April 19 claiming Johnson City’s refusal to grant a permit for the clinic to locate at 4 Wesley Court caused financial damage and forced opiate-addicted residents to travel unnecessary distances to seek treatment. Johnson City was also violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, the suit alleged.
U.S. District Court Judge Ronnie Greer dismissed the suit earlier this month, concluding that the plaintiff’s claims were not “ripe for decision” in part because it was impossible for the court to know whether the harm alleged would ever happen.
The public was able to make arguments for and against the clinic by writing THSDA and at a public hearing in late May at the Johnson City Public Library.
Many people showed up at that hearing to express opposition to the clinic but so did those who supported the clinic.
Kester said at that hearing that the clinic would have offered services other than just opiate treatment.
Shortly after the CON was filed, a resolution opposing a resolution opposing the clinic was drafted and presented at the March meeting of the Washington County Commission.
That resolution was unanimously approved.Read more about the proposed methadone clinic here.