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The
Importance of
Commercial Truck Insurance in Johnson City, TN
- Let's face it - truckers in America have always been the backbone of our great country. They still are in modern times. On any given day, thousands of trucks traverse our highways and local roads, delivering goods and products on time so that businesses and consumers have what they need to live life. And while commercial trucking can be an incredibly lucrative way to make a living and put food on the table, it can also be risky and expensive.
- Whether you're the owner of a fleet, an independent trucker, or have a business that uses big rigs to transport goods, you need commercial trucking insurance to protect you and your client's investments, shield you from liability, and more.
- That's where working with a reliable truck insurance agency comes into play. Unfortunately, for many commercial truck insurance providers, serving the needs of truckers is low on the proverbial totem pole. At Independence Insurance Agency, nothing could be further from the truth.
Service Areas
The Commercial Truck
Insurance Agency in Johnson City, TN You Can Trust
Much like you pride yourself on running a successful trucking business, Independence Insurance Agency prides itself on its years of experience providing truck insurance for hardworking men and women across the country. And in our experience, insurance rates for truckers are just too high - so high, in fact, that they eat away at their bottom line, making it more difficult to run a business and make a profit. Fortunately, at Independence Insurance Agency, we provide truckers the freedom they need from astronomically high insurance rates so they can stay on the road and keep driving America forward.
As one of the most trusted commercial trucking insurance agencies in the U.S., we understand the challenges that you face daily as a trucker. We also know how important it is to protect your business. That's why we go above and beyond to find you the best-priced coverage available, whether you're an operator, own a small fleet, a large fleet, or something in between.
We Put Truckers First Because Others Don't
Truckers across the country choose to work with Independence Insurance Agency because we put their needs first before anything else. As experts in transportation insurance, we proudly offer a range of quality insurance products that are both practical and affordable for them. Our industry-leading carriers provide coverage that caters to the unique challenges faced by the trucking industry, ensuring that your business is protected at all times.
At our core, we are committed to finding the best possible price for your coverage without compromising the quality of service you deserve. The truth is, we understand how essential truckers are to the United States and take pride in making their insurance experience more streamlined and affordable.
One way we do so is by simplifying the insurance process. Our transportation specialists take the time to understand your specific needs and budget to tailor a comprehensive plan that works for you. You won't ever have to worry about cookie-cutter plans or uninterested agents when you work with our commercial trucking insurance agency. We take an educational approach to ensure that the entire big rig insurance process is quick, painless, and easy to understand. If there's something you don't understand, we're happy to take the time to explain. After all, the success and safety of your business are on the line.
Looking to the future, we are committed to providing innovative new products that cater to the ever-changing needs of truck drivers. As your one-stop shop for commercial trucking insurance, we are dedicated to your success, one policy at a time.
If you're a commercial trucker looking to ensure your rig, you can rest easy knowing that Independence Insurance Agency provides:
- Affordable Trucking Insurance Plans for Any Budget
- Exemplary Customer Service
- Seasoned Transportation Specialists Who Customize Plans to Your Needs
- A+ Carriers Across the Country
- Simple, Easy Quote and Bind Process
- Multiple Insurance Carriers Quoted to Find You the Best Rates
- Truck Insurance for New Ventures
Call us or send us a message today to learn more about the best 18-wheeler insurance options for your trucking business.
The Commercial Truck
Common Types of Big Rig Truck Insurance in Johnson City, TN
At Independence Insurance Agency, we offer several types of insurance coverage for local, intermediate, and long-haul trucking needs. Here are just a few categories of trucking insurance coverage that our agency offers.
As the foundation of your insurance policy, liability coverage is required by law in most states in the U.S. It provides coverage for damage or injuries caused to properties or other people if your 18-wheeler is responsible for the crash. Without liability coverage, it's almost impossible to drive a truck or run a trucking business without major legal consequences.
Having physical damage coverage is an essential component that shouldn't be overlooked. This insurance is responsible for covering the expenses related to repairing or replacing your truck in situations such as accidents, theft, vandalism, and other damaging events. By having this coverage, you can rest assured that your business won't be affected significantly by unexpected incidents, and you can continue running your operations smoothly even in challenging times.
For trucking companies, the goods they transport are crucial to their operations. To protect these goods from damage, loss, or theft while in transit, cargo insurance is essential. This coverage provides much-needed peace of mind for both you and your clients, allowing you to reimburse clients for any losses sustained while protecting your reputation and brand identity.
Non-Trucking Liability Insurance is designed to cover property damage or bodily injury that may occur during personal time when the driver/truck is not under dispatch. This coverage can be applied with or without a trailer and is added to a commercial policy as an endorsement.
While Independence Insurance Agency has built a reputation of excellence in serving the needs of truckers, we also offer general liability. Also known as Truckers General Liability, this coverage insures for bodily injuries or property damage that happen due to business activities that are NOT the cause of operating a truck. It covers accidents that occur in parking lots, rest stops, also while loading or unloading. General liability can also cover losses related to theft and vandalism. Most brokers and shippers will require this coverage to work with you.
Bobtail insurance is a type of coverage that is comparable to non-trucking liability, which is designed to offer protection when driving a truck without a trailer attached. This is commonly referred to as "bobtailing." With bobtail insurance, the tractor is covered at all times, even when it is not attached to a trailer, regardless of whether or not the truck is under dispatch.
Trailer interchange insurance is a must-have if you're involved in a trailer interchange agreement. This essential coverage offers protection for trailers owned by other parties that you're using under a contractual agreement. It covers damages caused by collisions, fire, theft, and vandalism, providing assurance to all parties involved.
Curious whether our commercial truck insurance agency in cityname, state offers additional coverage? The following options can be bound in your insurance policy:
- Business Interruption Insurance
- Reefer Breakdown Insurance
- Occupational Accident with Contract Liability Insurance
- Rental Reimbursement Insurance
- Underinsured or Uninsured Motorist Insurance
- Towing Insurance
- Electronics Insurance
- Much More
3 Safe Driving Tips to
Lower the Cost of Truck Insurance in Johnson City, TN
Keeping your drivers safe on the road is crucial not only for their own well-being but also for the safety of other motorists and the financial stability of your business. The Department of Labor has identified the trucking industry as one of the most hazardous sectors in the U.S. In fact, trucking and logistics fleets are known for their high injury and fatality rates. By improving how safely your truckers drive, you can help reduce expenses related to claim payouts, accidents, and insurance premium hikes.
Whether you own a large fleet or you're the owner and operator of a single rig, keep these safe driving tips in mind to help lower your insurance costs.
Implement Preventative Maintenance Plans
Ensuring the safety of your drivers begins with the safety of their vehicles. Trucks and tractor-trailers that do not receive regular maintenance, such as oil and brake pad changes, are more likely to experience breakdowns while on the road. Telematics devices provide real-time insight into engine and odometer data, including fault codes.
This information enables your mechanics to create comprehensive preventative maintenance schedules based on mileage, history of previous breakdowns, days, and more. Additionally, they can receive immediate notifications for critical fault codes. By implementing routine maintenance and proactive repair schedules, you can ensure that your vehicles are in top condition, minimizing the likelihood of breakdowns, which can help reduce the cost of trucker insurance.
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Practice Defensive Driving
This approach aims to mitigate the risk of fatal crashes and injuries by proactively identifying and responding to potentially dangerous situations and making informed decisions while driving. By adopting defensive driving techniques, drivers can reduce their likelihood of accidents, thereby minimizing the need for expensive repairs, claim payouts, and increased insurance premiums.
Some of the easiest ways for you or your drivers to practice safe driving include:
- Be Wary of Blind Spots: Operating a reefer or tractor-trailer means driving high off of the ground, which can make visibility limited, especially in blind spots. To check your blind spot, look over your shoulder and out of your windows while changing lanes.
- Be Ready for Emergencies on the Road: It's important for drivers to be ready for unexpected situations when driving, especially during long trips. They should be equipped to handle emergencies such as poor driving conditions or big rig breakdowns.
- Use the Three-Second Rule: Truck drivers should try to maintain a three-second gap between their vehicle and the car in front of them. This means that the truck driver should reach a certain point on the road three seconds after the car in front of them has passed that same point.
- Always Use Right and Left Turn Indicators: It's important for drivers to always use their turn signals when changing lanes or exiting highways, even if they don't see any other cars around. This is not only required by law, but it also reduces the chances of accidents occurring on the road.
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Find Ways to Prevent Distracted Driving
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), distracted driving is the primary reason behind truck driver accidents. Any activity that takes a driver's attention away from the road or the steering wheel is considered distracted driving. Distractions can come in various forms, such as eating while driving or gazing at a billboard outside the window. However, the most frequent form of distracted driving is the use of cellphones, specifically texting while driving.
Assuming you or your driver's rigs are equipped with dual-facing cameras, try reviewing footage of an unsafe driving incident. Coach your drivers on ways to correct their unsafe behaviors or look up ways to do so yourself if you're the one operating the big rig. The bottom line is that when your drivers aren't distracted, they drive safer. And when they drive safer, the cost of 18-wheeler insurance in cityname, state can be reduced.
Call Now
Ensuring the safety of your drivers begins with the safety of their vehicles. Trucks and tractor-trailers that do not receive regular maintenance, such as oil and brake pad changes, are more likely to experience breakdowns while on the road. Telematics devices provide real-time insight into engine and odometer data, including fault codes.
This information enables your mechanics to create comprehensive preventative maintenance schedules based on mileage, history of previous breakdowns, days, and more. Additionally, they can receive immediate notifications for critical fault codes. By implementing routine maintenance and proactive repair schedules, you can ensure that your vehicles are in top condition, minimizing the likelihood of breakdowns, which can help reduce the cost of trucker insurance.
Call Now
This approach aims to mitigate the risk of fatal crashes and injuries by proactively identifying and responding to potentially dangerous situations and making informed decisions while driving. By adopting defensive driving techniques, drivers can reduce their likelihood of accidents, thereby minimizing the need for expensive repairs, claim payouts, and increased insurance premiums.
Some of the easiest ways for you or your drivers to practice safe driving include:
- Be Wary of Blind Spots: Operating a reefer or tractor-trailer means driving high off of the ground, which can make visibility limited, especially in blind spots. To check your blind spot, look over your shoulder and out of your windows while changing lanes.
- Be Ready for Emergencies on the Road: It's important for drivers to be ready for unexpected situations when driving, especially during long trips. They should be equipped to handle emergencies such as poor driving conditions or big rig breakdowns.
- Use the Three-Second Rule: Truck drivers should try to maintain a three-second gap between their vehicle and the car in front of them. This means that the truck driver should reach a certain point on the road three seconds after the car in front of them has passed that same point.
- Always Use Right and Left Turn Indicators: It's important for drivers to always use their turn signals when changing lanes or exiting highways, even if they don't see any other cars around. This is not only required by law, but it also reduces the chances of accidents occurring on the road.
Call Now
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), distracted driving is the primary reason behind truck driver accidents. Any activity that takes a driver's attention away from the road or the steering wheel is considered distracted driving. Distractions can come in various forms, such as eating while driving or gazing at a billboard outside the window. However, the most frequent form of distracted driving is the use of cellphones, specifically texting while driving.
Assuming you or your driver's rigs are equipped with dual-facing cameras, try reviewing footage of an unsafe driving incident. Coach your drivers on ways to correct their unsafe behaviors or look up ways to do so yourself if you're the one operating the big rig. The bottom line is that when your drivers aren't distracted, they drive safer. And when they drive safer, the cost of 18-wheeler insurance in cityname, state can be reduced.
Call Now
FAQs About
Independence Insurance Agency
If you're looking for a commercial trucking insurance agency for your business, chances are you have some questions - and we've got answers. Keep reading to learn more about some of the most commonly asked questions we hear from truckers like you.
Why go with a "jack of all trades" when you can work with specialists who focus exclusively on transportation insurance? We have excellent relationships with major trucking insurance carriers and, as such, can provide the best assistance and reasonable rates.
Typically, companies will look at claims that date back three years or less.
We proudly work with more than 20 carriers to provide our clients with the most advantageous options at competitive prices, catering to the needs of owner-operators and big fleets alike.
Permit filings are typically done by insurance companies on the next business day. Federal (FMCSA) filings are completed online and updated immediately, while some states may take up to three weeks to process.
Independence Insurance Agency: Committed to the Trucking Industry
There's no question about it - you've got to protect your staff, your rig, and your trucking business with insurance. But choosing the right insurance partner isn't always easy. Thankfully, with Independence Insurance Agency by your side, you can rest easy knowing you're covered no matter where the road takes you. If you're in need of a commercial truck insurance agency in Johnson City, TN that caters to truckers like you, pick up the phone and contact one of our transportation specialists today. That way, you can get back on the road with confidence tomorrow.
Latest News in Johnson City, TN
ETSU Auntie Ruth's officially open
Laken Greenehttps://www.johnsoncitypress.com/news/etsu-auntie-ruths-officially-open/article_bd75c22c-eb89-11ee-ad68-2339e12deb4d.html
ETSU officials cut the ribbon on the brand-new Auntie Ruth’s location on campus this Tuesday. Despite the rainy weather, the event drew quite a crowd, including some notable campus celebrities like Bucky, Sgt. Pepper and SGA President Trent White.Roman Kauffman, a founder of Auntie Ruth’s, was a part of the ceremony and assisted in the ribbon cutting and passed out some free doughnuts and pretzels to the crowd.Stay EngagedReact to this article and join our community of readers sharing their feedback....
ETSU officials cut the ribbon on the brand-new Auntie Ruth’s location on campus this Tuesday. Despite the rainy weather, the event drew quite a crowd, including some notable campus celebrities like Bucky, Sgt. Pepper and SGA President Trent White.
Roman Kauffman, a founder of Auntie Ruth’s, was a part of the ceremony and assisted in the ribbon cutting and passed out some free doughnuts and pretzels to the crowd.
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React to this article and join our community of readers sharing their feedback.
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Find Top-Notch Health Care in Johnson City, TN
Patsy B. Weilerhttps://livability.com/tn/johnson-city/healthy-places/find-top-notch-health-care-in-johnson-city-tn/
This hub for health in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is also a national leader in rural care.The excellent options for health care in Johnson City provide a well-established health and wellness hub for Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia and is recognized as a national leader in rural health innovation.It is home to the Johnson City Medical Center, which houses the area’s only Level I trauma center, the Quillen College of Med...
This hub for health in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is also a national leader in rural care.
The excellent options for health care in Johnson City provide a well-established health and wellness hub for Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia and is recognized as a national leader in rural health innovation.
It is home to the Johnson City Medical Center, which houses the area’s only Level I trauma center, the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University and other health organizations working together to transform how people across the region access the care they need.
In This Article
Reimagining Rural Health
A modern, well-equipped hospital, Johnson City Medical Center is the surgical and medical flagship facility of Ballad Health, an integrated health organization serving 29 counties in the Appalachian Highlands. The comprehensive facility is a 445-bed, regional acute-care teaching hospital affiliated with ETSU and is the site of the Highlands Emergency Air Rescue and Transport, or HEART. The fleet is the region’s largest group of dedicated emergency air ambulances, with bases in Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky providing timely life-saving services throughout the region.
As part of the Ballad Health system, Johnson City Medical Center engages in the adoption of value-based payments, addresses health-related social needs and helps fund clinical and health systems’ research. Committed to the long-term investments in children and families, the medical center is focused on becoming a national model for rural health and health care.
While the Highlands has rich, cultural roots and a deep well of community strengths, the rural locales also face many socioeconomic issues affecting the region’s welfare. To positively address these challenges, Ballad Health works collaboratively with key local partners, such as serving as the backbone organization of the 300-member Striving Towards Resilience and Opportunity for the Next Generation or STRONG Accountable Care Community.
In addition, Ballad Health provides services through the Appalachian Highlands Care Network, which connects thousands of uninsured patients and their families with free or low-cost health, community and financial services, plus other assistance.
Experiences & Adventures
Community-Supported Care
Appalachian Mountain Project Access has connected low-income, uninsured individuals to donated medical care for 15 years and has an average of 1,000 patients actively enrolled in the program with many success stories.
“I remember a lady who came into our office and was out of work, in pain and needed a hip replacement,” says Andréa Brady Verzi, executive director of Project Access. “We were able to help her get the needed surgery. Afterward, she was able to return to work, got promoted and now has health insurance. We try to help intervene before the situation becomes an emergency.”
Positive outcomes like this are the fuel that keeps the passion to serve burning bright at Project Access.
The organization is also a member of the Appalachian Highlands Care Network. After screening participants for financial and medical needs, the organization tries to connect individuals with insurance, when possible, but regularly works with local physicians, hospitals and medical groups who have agreed to see patients at no cost to them.
“Having access to quality health care is a vital component of a thriving community,” Verzi adds.
Training Health Care Providers
East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine is consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s leading schools for rural medicine and primary care training. It is part of the university’s Academic Health Sciences Center, featuring the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, the College of Nursing, the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences and the College of Public Health.
The colleges are part of ETSU Health that, in addition to providing training for the next generation of caregivers, offers an expert team of more than 300 providers who serve the community inside health clinics and hospitals. Care is available in dozens of specialties, including pediatric and genetics, many that otherwise would not be available in the region. Plus, ETSU Health’s genetics clinic is one of only three centers in the state.
“Improving the quality of life for our region is our primary mission, both as an academic institution and as health care providers,” says Dr. Bill Block, ETSU’s vice president for clinical affairs and dean of Quillen College of Medicine. “Every day, we are proud to serve the underserved by providing innovative training across dozens of health science programs, thereby preparing a well-qualified workforce to meet health care shortages.”
Healthy Option: Head to the Farmers Market
Located in the heart of downtown is the Johnson City Farmers Market (JCFM), which sets up seasonally and sells fresh items from local farmers. JCFM operates every Saturday from April through October on West Main Street in the pavilion at Founders Park. Hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The market features local producers selling organic and naturally grown produce along with several varieties of meat, baked goods and fresh eggs. Also available are flowers, plants, herbs, artisan crafts and food trucks.
The market’s main objective is to support area farmers, gardeners, bakers, canners, artists and vendors.
Get to Know Johnson City
Want to learn more about living and working in Johnson City, TN? Check out the latest edition of Livability Johnson City.
How to Spend the Perfect Day in Johnson City, TN
Amy Antonationhttps://livability.com/tn/johnson-city/experiences-adventures/how-to-spend-the-perfect-day-in-johnson-city-tn/
Two residents give the inside scoop on fun things to do in Johnson City.For both recent transplants and natives, the perfect day includes enjoying the ample wilderness and water around Johnson City, TN. Here are two agendas – from former Floridian Alan Edwards and Tennessee native Grant Puckett – on how to spend an ideal day in and around the city, plus some bonus ideas to customize your own itinerary of fun things to do in Johnson City....
Two residents give the inside scoop on fun things to do in Johnson City.
For both recent transplants and natives, the perfect day includes enjoying the ample wilderness and water around Johnson City, TN. Here are two agendas – from former Floridian Alan Edwards and Tennessee native Grant Puckett – on how to spend an ideal day in and around the city, plus some bonus ideas to customize your own itinerary of fun things to do in Johnson City.
Life in the Bike Lane
Avid road biker Edwards first heard of Johnson City while he was living in his native Jacksonville, Florida, and a cycling buddy announced he was moving there. Edwards assumed the two would lose touch after the move, but he ended up visiting his friend and fell in love with the area.
Some may scoff at the idea of leaving Florida’s perpetual summer, but that was actually part of its appeal. “It’s completely different from Jacksonville, where there’s 11 months of summer and a month of winter,” Edwards says. “It’s nice to have the four seasons.”
Then there are the vast spaces for outdoor recreation, which Edwards has taken full advantage of since he himself relocated there in 2017.
“It’s all about the outdoors for me,” he says, reeling off a list of places he can access within a few minutes from his apartment: Cherokee National Forest, Smoky Mountain National Park and the Appalachian Trail, and Watauga Lake.
Unsurprisingly, Edwards’ ideal day revolves around getting out into nature, and heading out on his bike for a two- or three-hour ride is the first thing he’d do after a light breakfast at home. “My favorite area is the south mountains, but I don’t think anybody locally calls it that,” he says of the terrain between Johnson City and Asheville.
A section of Interstate 26 passing through Johnson City was completed in the mid-1990s, and according to Edwards, that leaves older, two-lane mountain roads primarily to bikers.
“You can be out for a four-hour ride – which I have been before – and you barely notice the cars,” he says. “It’s a challenge to go up those climbs. You do a climb and then have this thrilling descent into the valley, and immediately do another climb. It’s a heck of a workout, but it’s also a thrill.”
Afterwards, an afternoon on the water is the perfect way to cool down, so Edwards will grab some friends and his boat to make the 30-minute drive east of town to Watauga Lake. With just over 100 miles of shoreline, the lake is large enough to accommodate multiple activities.
His crew enjoys beaching the boat for a picnic onshore and spending time on the water kneeboarding (a kissing cousin of wakeboarding) and tubing. He’d end the day with an order of smoked wings slathered in Stoney Creek barbecue sauce and fries at Southern Craft Barbecue, a smokehouse that offers “great service” along with casual grub.
Thinking About Moving to Johnson City?
Find other reasons locals say they love to live in Johnson City at movetojohnsoncity.com.
Chasing Waterfalls
Grant Puckett, his wife and their 10-month-old child spend much of their outdoor time seeking out the many waterfalls in the region. The 80-foot-high Laurel Falls, located in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is a 20-minute drive from the city, and Cherokee National Forest’s Red Fork Falls is also nearby. His personal favorite, though, is Twisting Falls, “because it requires a little bit of skill to get to. In some spots you’re literally holding onto a (guide) rope with knots tied into it to get down the hill.”
Puckett is also a music buff, so he’d definitely search out live music on his ideal day.
“I know I can go to pretty much any restaurant and hear live music. We always have live music going on. There’s always a concert, there’s always a festival,” he says.
The Down Home, a local venue that’s been hosting musicians for nearly five decades, was just one of seven statewide showcases for Tennessee Songwriters Week in 2023. East Tennessee State University opened the Martin Center for the Arts, a 93,000-square-foot facility, in late 2020.
Another of Puckett’s in-town haunts, Mulligan’s Gaming Pub, has live music several nights per week as well as tasty Irish cuisine. He also shouts out BURG’r & BARREL (located inside a historic train station) as well as his favorite restaurant in Johnson City, the high-end Juniper (“Divine is the only word I would use” to describe the offerings, he says).
Bonus Picks
Residents who’d prefer to get some fresh air without leaving the city have plenty of options, thanks to the nearly 20 public parks in town. King Commons and Founders Park are two parks that are easily accessible from downtown. The Tweetsie Trail (so named for the sound of train steam whistles) runs nearly 10 miles from Johnson City to nearby Elizabethton.
Downtown Johnson City also offers a wealth of shopping and dining options. Specialty shops hawk everything from screen-printed T-shirts and women’s apparel to plants to skate gear to vinyl, while modern general store The Generalist stocks a fun mix of jewelry and accessories, home goods and grocery items. And to fuel up, check out the pies at Main Street Pizza Co., eclectic fare at the LABEL (one of Edwards’ favorites), local beers at Yee-Haw Brewing Co. and much, much more.
Get to Know Johnson City
Want to learn more about living and working in Johnson City, TN? Check out the latest edition of Livability Johnson City.
Johnson City to cut ribbon on new Winged Deer athletic complex
Murry Leehttps://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-city-to-cut-ribbon-on-new-winged-deer-athletic-complex/
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – After more than five years of purchasing, planning and construction, a major expansion at Winged Deer Park is set to open early in March.The City of Johnson City has invited the public to join staff and the city’s board of commissioners on Friday, March 8 at 1 p.m. to cut the ribbon on the new James K. Ellis Athletic Complex at the park. The complex is located at 277 Championship Lane.The complex is named for former Johnson City Parks and Recreation Director James Ellis, who retired in F...
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – After more than five years of purchasing, planning and construction, a major expansion at Winged Deer Park is set to open early in March.
The City of Johnson City has invited the public to join staff and the city’s board of commissioners on Friday, March 8 at 1 p.m. to cut the ribbon on the new James K. Ellis Athletic Complex at the park. The complex is located at 277 Championship Lane.
The complex is named for former Johnson City Parks and Recreation Director James Ellis, who retired in February 2023 and passed away a few months later.
To kick off the grand opening ceremony, Johnson City Mayor Todd Fowler will throw a first pitch.
The 37-acre site next to the existing park was purchased in 2018, and athletic complex expansion schematics were approved in 2020. The project exceeded $17 million in costs and was paid for using Capital Improvement Plan funding, according to the city.
The complex features four new ballfields and two synthetic turf fields for soccer, which the city stated will bring the total number of playing fields at Winged Deer to nine diamonds and nine rectangular fields.
In addition, the James K. Ellis Athletic Complex will include sports lighting, a warm-up area, a playground, a concession stand and a walking trail.
The expansion was initially scheduled to be completed by May 2023. However, the project faced setbacks after crews found the quality of the soil at the site was lacking, Johnson City Assistant City Manager Steve Willis told News Channel 11 in June 2023. Weather also impacted crews’ ability to complete work during 2023.
On Friday, Willis stated in a release that the complex will be a boon for Johnson City.
“This expansion is a game changer for Johnson City,” said Willis. “I am grateful to see the successful completion of a project that had its beginnings under the leadership of James Ellis during his tenure as the director of Parks and Recreation and championed by key stakeholders within the City. Their vision for what this park could become is being realized today with softball, baseball and soccer games scheduled through 2024.”
Which schools will dismiss early or be closed for the April 8 solar eclipse and why?
Slater Teaguehttps://www.wjhl.com/news/local/which-schools-will-dismiss-early-or-be-closed-for-the-april-8-solar-eclipse-and-why/
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Several school districts in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia will dismiss early or be closed on Monday, April...
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Several school districts in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia will dismiss early or be closed on Monday, April 8 due to the solar eclipse.
Some schools will be on a regular schedule while others have not decided yet if they will alter their schedules.
Some districts, like Sullivan County Schools, cited safety as a reason why they decided to close or dismiss early. The eclipse will begin around the time that schools normally dismiss. School officials also want to give students a chance to view the eclipse with their families.
Attendance is another factor.
“In preparation for this eclipse, we went back and looked at attendance and early withdrawals during the 2017 eclipse and concluded that an overwhelming number of our families at that time wanted to experience the event with their children,” Director of Bristol, Tennessee City Schools Dr. Annette Tudor said in a post on the school system’s website. “Therefore, we made the decision to dismiss early prior to the start of the eclipse. The early dismissal will allow our families the opportunity to share the experience together, and most importantly, dismiss our students safely prior to the start of the eclipse.”
Below is a list of school districts that will dismiss early or be closed on Monday, April 8. Districts that have confirmed they will be on a regular schedule are also listed.
This list will be updated.
Northeast Tennessee
Bristol, Tenn. City Schools
Bristol, Tennessee elementary schools will dismiss at 12:30 p.m. Tennessee Middle and Tennessee High School will dismiss at 11:45 a.m. Buses will run.
According to the school system, eclipse glasses will be distributed to students.
Carter County Schools
Carter County Schools will dismiss at 1 p.m. There will be no Carter Cares.
Elizabethton City Schools
Elizabethton City Schools will be closed on Monday, April 8.
Greene County Schools
Greene County Schools will dismiss early at 11:30 a.m.
Hawkins County Schools
Hawkins County Schools will dismiss early and busses will begin taking students home at 12:30 p.m.
Johnson County Schools
Johnson County Schools will dismiss at 11:30 a.m.
Kingsport City Schools
Middle and high school students will be dismissed at 1:30 p.m. After-school activities will be paused until 4 p.m.
Elementary and pre-K will operate on a regular schedule.
“Given that the eclipse will be taking place during our normal afternoon dismissal time for middle and high school students, the safety of buses and student drivers on the road during the peak eclipse time is a concern and the reason for the early dismissal,” Assistant Superintendent Andy True said.
Rogersville City School
Rogersville City School will dismiss at 12:30 p.m.
Sullivan County Schools
Sullivan County Schools will be closed on Monday, April 8.
Unicoi County Schools
Unicoi County High and Middle will dismiss at 11:30 a.m. Elementary schools will dismiss at 11:45 a.m.
Lunch will be served, according to the school system.
Southwest Virginia
Buchanan County Schools
Buchanan County Schools will be on a regular schedule.
Dickenson County Schools
Dickenson County Public Schools will dismiss at noon. After-school activities will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Lee County Schools
Lee County Public Schools will dismiss at 12:05 p.m.
Norton City Schools
Norton City Schools will be on a regular schedule.
Russell County Schools
Russell County Schools will be on a regular schedule.
Scott County Schools
Scott County Schools will dismiss at 12:30 p.m.
Washington County, Va. Schools
Washington County, Virginia Schools will be on a regular schedule. Students will receive eclipse glasses, according to the school system.
Wise County Schools
Wise County Schools will dismiss at 2 p.m.
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