Latest news with #Sipe
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Greene County's Kinser Bridge to reopen Friday
GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Greene County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) announced on Tuesday that a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the SR-107/Kinser Bridge replacement will take place Friday. Storm Team 11: Scattered to widespread severe storms starting this afternoon The Kinser Bridge was one of several bridges in the region that were completely wiped out by floodwaters brought on by Hurricane Helene in September. The Tennessee Department of Transportation said the damage to bridges that pass over the Nolichucky River was unprecedented during the hurricane. According to a post by the Greene County EMA, a ribbon-cutting will take place at the bridge on Friday, and it will be opened to traffic afterwards. The full post by Sipe can be viewed below: On October 2nd, 2024 , as the EMA Director, I stood near the edge of the 60 foot collapsed Kinser Bridge, asking God a lot of questions, praying for direction & asking for him to hold our community in his hands as we recovery from this disaster, together ….. Almost 8 months later, May 20, I was given the opportunity, along with my EMA Operations Officer, Letisha Ricker and Tusculum Police Officer, Chan Humbert, to walk on to the newly built , Kinser Bridge…. Honestly, I thought I was going to throw up , as all the overwhelming emotions rushed back , but I wouldn't have missed this opportunity to walk with 2 of my friends & coworkers….I was also able to speak to a crew members & thank them for their exceptional dedication & work on the bridge…… This is so exciting for our community and some much needed healing….. A Ribbon Cutting will occur on Friday, May 23rd. Watch your local news outlets for more details…… Heather Sipe; Greene County EMA Director Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Jury trial begins Tuesday for Waynesboro man charged with murder
WAYNESBORO — A three-day jury trial for a Waynesboro man charged with murder is scheduled to begin Tuesday. Jacob P. Sipe, 24, pleaded not guilty on March 14 during his arraignment to charges of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, shooting at or into an occupied dwelling, and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Sipe is accused of killing 33-year-old Trevor Hill of Waynesboro on the front porch of his James Avenue home the morning of July 23. Hill's 2-year-old son was in the residence at the time of the killing, resulting in the contributing charge. The two men spent several hours together before the shooting, with Sipe arriving at Hill's home at 1 a.m. Sipe admitted to drinking liquor and using cocaine while at Hill's before falling asleep, according to court documents. He claimed he awoke to Hill screaming at him and said Hill began punching him. "I was fearful," Sipe said in a comment that was picked up by a Waynesboro police officer's body camera. The shooting took place at about 9 a.m. Sipe, who stayed at the scene, told a police officer he thought he "had no choice." When asked how many times he pulled the trigger, he estimated seven times and said Hill fell after the third shot. Hill was shot multiple times with a Beretta APX handgun. Sipe's nose was fractured during the incident. It was also revealed at an October bond hearing that Sipe became a father five days before the killing after his son was born prematurely and had to be hospitalized, his attorney said. More: Middle school football to launch in the fall after Augusta County School Board approves program Augusta County Commonwealth's Attorney Tim Martin is handling the case as a special prosecutor, along with Augusta County Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Alexandra Meador, after Waynesboro Commonwealth's Attorney David Ledbetter and his staff stepped aside in August because of an undisclosed conflict of interest. At the bond hearing, Martin noted multiple shots were fired at Hill, and said most of them came from a distance. The prosecutor said a trail of shell casings led to Hill's body on the porch, with the last shot reportedly coming from relatively close range. "He emptied his gun into his friend while high on cocaine and alcohol," Martin said at the hearing. Denied bond, Sipe remains at Middle River Regional Jail in Verona. The murder trial will be held in Waynesboro Circuit Court with jury selection beginning Tuesday morning. The trial is scheduled to conclude Thursday. More: Nourishing Strides 5K, Project Grows youth program and SAW Housing Lunch & Learn: The Digest Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@ You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter) This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Three-day murder trial set to start Tuesday in Waynesboro
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Greene Co. EMA works to stay ahead of potential flooding
GREENE CO., Tenn. (WJHL)—Greene County continues to be on high alert as increased rainfall threatens the region with flooding. For emergency officials, preparing for the rainfall starts with gathering a baseline. 'We've kind of started earlier with everything with the river and things, just monitor and seeing where things were at before the rain came in,' said Letisha Ricker, Operations Officer for Greene County EMA. Once the baseline is set, it's all hands on deck. Unicoi County Hospital receives $9.8 million to rebuild 'We had a meeting early on in the week with all our response departments because they're our eyes and ears,' Ricker said. 'So our local police departments, fire departments, all them, they stay out, and they monitor things.' Following Hurricane Helene, the community has become more aware of the potential risks throughout the county. 'There's always a heightened awareness; people are always a little antsy about what's coming their way,' said Heather Sipe, Greene County EMA director. Due to the heightened awareness, Sipe said the department works to inform the public before the storm arrives. 'We're already in that planning mode, several days ahead,' Sipe said. 'And we're letting the community know that this is upcoming, so we're in preparedness mode even before it even gets here.' On Wednesday morning, the water levels remained below the roads. However, officials said the public should remain aware. 'Just stay situationally aware or pay attention,' said Ricker. 'Especially night driving because it makes flooded roadways harder to see. If you do encounter a flooded roadway, please turn around.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
