“After 37 years almost, I’m kinda glad I made the move, because there’s more room. I have more space and I like the location much better,” said co-owner Nancy Mack, who runs the bar with her daughter, Chanda Hughes.

The Mecca made its move to 117 Spring St. and had its grand reopening Friday.

The new space is four times the size of the original Mecca, which means the bar will have more room for live entertainment and other events.

The Mecca got its start as a restaurant during the 1940s. In 1976, Mack’s mother, Melinda Rhea, turned the cafe into a bar.

Rhea, who recently turned 90, retired from the business in October.

Mack and Hughes took over the business after Rhea’s retirement, but decided to keep the Mecca tradition downtown after finding out they were going to have to relocate.

“If I’ve got a chance to move and do better for myself and the family and still do my mother proud, I want to keep my mother’s name and her bar respected. Since my daughter and I have taken over, there’s going to be a few changes but Peanut’s Mecca Lounge will always be respected,” Mack said.

Hughes said her mother refused to move the business anywhere other than downtown.

Mack added that being a part of downtown Johnson City is all part of the Mecca Lounge’s identity.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to relocate and business is good. People know we’re here. I’m looking forward to Blue Plum. I just thank God every day for my faithful customers and the entertainment world that has supported me,” Mack said.

With all the development that’s taking place in the downtown area, Mack said she’s excited to remain a downtown institution that is working to keep a family tradition alive.

“I’m going to thrive on that. I’m going to keep the Mecca going strong as long as God grants me the strength. We’re going to keep on keeping on,” she said.

“The announcement itself does represent for us a culmination of a search process that’s been driven by a rapidly changing health care environment that we face and it’s designed to better position our organization in particular for success under health care reform,” Mountain States President and CEO Dennis Vonderfecht said during Friday morning’s press conference.

The partnership is part of Mountain States’ 10-year strategic plan.

Vonderfecht said Mountain States had been looking for a partner for about three years.

Vanderbilt Health System CEO Wright Pinson said the system was looking to create a collaborative network of integrated health systems. After forming one in the Nashville area, Vanderbilt formed an affiliation with West Tennessee Healthcare six months ago.

With the addition of Mountain State facilities in Tennessee and Virginia, Vanderbilt’s affiliate network now includes 32 hospitals.

“We are completely focused on how we continue to deliver high quality service and high quality outcomes to patients in a more cost-effective way,” Pinson said.

Pinson likened the partnership with Mountain States to a wedding.

“The reason weddings are happy is because people are delighted about what they’ve accomplished in finding a relationship. Weddings are also happy because they think about the future and what all is going to come out of the relationship, and for me when I think about what we are going to be able to do for patients of this relationship, that is a reason for celebration. I am here to guarantee you people across this state are going to benefit from this relationship,” he said.

The agreement will allow Mountain States to work alongside Vanderbilt in the recruitment of specialists and sub-specialists – which are often hard to find, according to Vonderfecht – to the region.

It will also enhance the level of patient care and allow residents of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia to stay closer to home to receive treatment.

“We do know at this point it provides a further continuum of care that our patients need in this day and time all the way from the basic services in health and wellness to the complex medical treatments that are given out at Vanderbilt,” Vonderfecht said.

Legislators from both Tennessee and Virginia praised the affiliation for what it means to the residents of this region.

“It enhances the quality of health care that they’re going to be exposed to, but even greater than that, it brings together a group that says, ‘We are looking to the future and we’re interested in improving how we deliver health care,’ and that’s a significant challenge today,” Virginia Sen. Phillip Puckett said.

State Sen. Rusty Crowe agreed, saying the partnership between Mountain States and Vanderbilt will be invaluable to the people of this area.

“We’re very proud of this alliance and what it’s going to do for the people that we both serve,” he said.

Corker spoke to a crowd at East Tennessee State University on Thursday morning, fielding questions in a town hall-style meeting that began shortly after 10.

Speaking to the media afterward, Corker said it was unfortunate that because of the way the TVA has been operated over the years the utility is worth less than its debt, so that means selling the TVA to generate deficit reduction is going backward.

“On the other hand, I’m all for looking at entities like TVA from time to time and seeing what’s best for the taxpayers,” he said.

He doesn’t think the TVA has invested wisely over the years, has been poorly managed and has huge pension problems that need to be addressed.

“That’s why I’ve been pushing to have a professional board, people that understand a balance sheet and understand business, to be there,” he said.

Corker also touched on the Wednesday nomination by Obama of U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Democrat, to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

This agency was created in 2008 to oversee Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks.

Corker said now that taxpayers have $180 billion invested in these mortgage lenders.

“First of all, we’ve got to unwind Freddie and Fannie,” Corker said. “This can not continue as is. In order to unwind Fannie and Freddie, we need a technocrat overseeing these entities. We don’t need a politician. I mean, it’s politicians that fouled up Fannie and Freddie in the first place, so I was really despondent when I saw yesterday” that a politician had been nominated to lead the FHFA.

Corker also touched on international issues, including the civil war in Syria, where rebels are fighting the forces of president Bashar al-Assad.

According to the Associated Press, the Obama administration is rethinking its opposition to arming Syrian rebels.

This rethinking is a result of the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria.

“We’re trying to look at the chain of custody right now, and by the way, where the human samples came from,” Corker said of the chemical weapons allegation.

“My sense is, though, we do need to play a role in changing the equation in Syria,” he said.

Corker said there are secular and extremist forces at work in Syria. The extremists are affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

He wants to provide humanitarian help and arms to the appropriate groups.

“I don’t think there’s any question that over time Assad is going to fall,” Corker said. “We just want to make sure that when he falls, you end up having a group that can govern the country in an appropriate way. Syria touches Jordan, touches Lebanon, touches Israel, touches Iraq. You can imagine if it fell to Al-Qaeda what a disaster it would be for that hotbed in the middle of the Middle East.”

In a joint meeting between the City Council and the Industrial Development Authority, purchase agreements and contracts were executed today with Calhoun’s, Smoky Mountain Brewery, Zaxby’s and Sheetz.

City Manager Dewey Cashwell said the tenants completes recruitment efforts for Phase I of the development that totals 237,300 square feet, with estimated retail sales approaching $100 million annually. Cashwell added that negotiations are near complete with an additional fifth tenant, and that announcement would be forthcoming.

“With the tenants in place for Phase I, we have have already achieved many firsts with this project,” he said in a news release. “Bristol will be the first location in the Commonwealth not only for Cabela’s, but for regional superstars Calhoun’s and Smoky Mountain Brewery.

“Anyone who has traveled to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge knows what a huge draw these restaurants are. The dining experience they offer, along with events and live music, will further solidify The Falls’ draw as a true retail tourism destination."

Cashwell said interest in The Falls has been high, putting the city in the enviable position of having many emerging and established businesses to choose from.

“We are fortunate in that there has been a tremendous amount of interest in our project from potential tenants, with established businesses contacting us through a myriad of information channels. Essentially, this allowed us to hand pick the premier businesses to set up shop at The Falls. What we have announced today is truly the best of the best with more to come,” he said.

Assistant City Manger Andrew Trivette said preliminary site work has begun on the property, including prepping, grading and the relocation of a cell tower that currently exists on the site. Trivette said short periods of blasting will be included in the site preparations at times.

With a total project cost of more than $200 million, development of The Falls property will occur in structured phases. When complete, it will house 1.47 million square feet of retail space and garner an estimated $500 million in annual sales.

The newly announced tenants:

• Calhoun’s: The original Calhoun’s BBQ Barn opened in October of 1983 on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. Calhoun’s has nine locations spread between East and Middle Tennessee, including Knoxville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Nashville.

• Smoky Mountain Brewery: Smoky Mountain Brewery features an outdoor patio and live entertainment nightly. Smoky Mountain Brewery is one of the largest working micro breweries in East Tennessee. Current locations include Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Maryville. The 10,000-square-foot brewery at The Falls will be the largest Smoky Mountain Brewery location.

• Zaxby’s: Zaxby’s offers its guests prepared-at-order Chicken Fingerz, Traditional or Boneless Wings, sandwiches, salas and appetizers. Childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley hatched the Athens, Ga.-based chain in 1990 to provide a fun, relaxing atmosphere that would keep guests coming back for more. The company operates more than 570 locations in 13 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

• Sheetz: Founded in 1952 by Bob Sheetz, Sheetz Inc. offers fuel and food. With more than 400 locations across six states – Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina – Sheetz employs more than 13,600.

And that couldn’t be more true for another area in downtown: retail businesses.

Four new specialty shops have either opened or are in the midst of opening in the next few months, and all of the new business owners agree on one thing – they believe in the continued revitalization of the downtown area.

Lucy Hull, co-owner of The White Picket Fence, 236 E. Main St., said she and her business partner, Tanya Freeman, opened the consignment store earlier this month after watching all the progress in downtown over the last several months.

“I thought it would be neat to have something like this downtown here and now it’s starting to pick up. We thought this would be great. We liked the foot traffic and you can see that people are out with their boyfriend, girlfriend, family and it’s just a neat atmosphere,” she said.

The White Picket Fence carries a variety of products, including antiques, local artwork and gift baskets.

Hull said she hopes to begin serving tea, coffee and light lunches within the next several weeks.

“We wanted to do something different and we wanted to have different things,” she said of the new shop. “I’m hoping to bring more people downtown, bring more traffic through here.”

Just a few doors down inside the King Centre at 300 E. Main St., Suite 100, is the Tri-Cities’ only certified fair trade store, Artisans’ Village.

“Everything that you buy ensures that people are getting a better life. They’re able to support their family,” said Leah Short, who runs the shop with her husband, Michael.

Fair trade simply means the goods in the store come from developing countries and the people who make the various products receive a fair wage, have good working conditions and are made without using forced labor of any kind.

After testing the market during the holiday shopping season with a kiosk in The Mall at Johnson City, the Shorts decided there was enough interest in fair trade products to open a full store in the area.

When it came to picking a place to set up shop, Short said downtown just seemed like the logical place to go.

“We are just really excited about the progress that’s going on down here. The revitalization that’s going on. The different businesses that are starting to come in downtown that are starting to attract the type of people that will shop fair trade. We really wanted to be a part of that,” she said.

Short said she’s excited to be a part of the new slew of boutique-type shops that are opening downtown, including The White Picket Fence and The Uncommon Gallery, which is opening in the former home of Venus & Fur at 257 E. Main St.

Michele and Alice Peterson will run the art gallery, which is tentatively scheduled to open in May.

In addition to a number of new Main Street shops is Downtown Farming, which is opening in the former Honey-Krust Bakery building along Cherry Street.

Yancy Grimmett and his wife, Valda, will run the store, which is focusing on selling organic gardening supplies.

“The closest to get the product we sell is Asheville, N.C., and our community is going closer to what theirs is anyway with the downtown and they’re trying to promote buying local and restaurants serving local food,” he said.

As the downtown area moves away from the bar scene to a more diverse place, Grimmett said it was the perfect time to open the specialty gardening store.

Downtown Farming’s proximity to the Farmers Market and the future home of Tupelo Honey Cafe couldn’t be any better, Grimmett said.

“I don’t think I could’ve picked a better place. In fact, Tupelo Honey will be right across the street from me, so you can’t beat that really,” he said.

Grimmett said Downtown Farming will likely open in mid-May.

All of the new shops reinforce the revitalization efforts that have been going on over the past year, according to Washington County Economic Development Council Director of Redevelopment Shannon Castillo.

“I think we’re on the upswing now that we get to look at these brand new retailers that are investing their money, time in downtown. I think that’s just another integral part of downtown revitalization,” she said.

Tony Benton, vice president of communications for Mountain States, said BlueCross agreed Tuesday to give MSHA a 30-day extension that would continue through July 1.

Benton said Mountain States will accept the 30-day extension after initially asking for a 90-day extension last week while both companies continue negotiations.

“For us, we’re cautiously optimistic that this is a step in the right direction and hopeful that this will allow the appropriate amount of time to reach an agreement with as little disruption and impact to patients as possible,” Benton said.

Last week, BlueCross notified 26,500 members that its coverage at MSHA facilities will end June 1.

Facilities that will be affected if BlueCross leaves the network include Johnson City Medical Center, Franklin Woods Community Hospital, Indian Path Medical Center, Johnson County Community Hospital, Kingsport Ambulatory Surgery Center, Sycamore Shoals Hospital and a number of other facilities and services.

The point of contention between both companies centers around a proposed reduction in BlueCross reimbursement rates.

Representatives with Mountain States have said BlueCross is wanting to cut reimbursement rates at double digit rates, while the insurance provider contends the reduction is a single-digit percentage of the rate the company pays MSHA that is comparable to the reimbursement rate offered to health care providers in the area.

By accepting the extension offered by BlueCross, Benton said patients who are currently covered in-network will continue to be covered until July – hopefully allowing enough time for both companies to come to an agreement.

“We want to be able to negotiate in good faith and the extension will allow a little bit of additional time to make that occur,” Benton said.

If an agreement is not met and BlueCross does terminate its coverage at MSHA facilities in Tennessee, Benton said it would affect a “significant number” of patients who use the insurance provider.

“That’s why we’re really both working to find a way to reach an agreement and hope that we again can continue a partnership that will be able to provide care for their customers that we’ve been able to do for years and years and years,” he said.

Based on the ever-growing liquor market and the need for more space, owner Phil Scharfstein said it was simply time to move to a location that was better suited to One Stop’s needs.

“We have stretched our walls about as far as I can go and not interfere with the convenience store’s business,” he said.

The Scharfstein family will still maintain the convenience store, which means customers will still be able to get their broasted chicken fix.

One Stop Wines and Liquors will set up shop next door to Earth Fare in University Plaza in mid-July.

Scharfstein said he has looked at options for a new location over the past few years – including purchasing the Burger King that sits next door to One Stop’s current location, and moving across the street to the old Kroger shopping center – but none of those options have offered the kind of growth the University Plaza location offers.

“I’m really at a situation where in order to get new products in, I have to cut products and in today’s market, wine, spirits and high-gravity beer – we’re having more new products introduced to us on a weekly basis,” he said.

The current One Stop has a 3,500-square-foot sales floor and a warehouse that’s roughly the same size. Scharfstein said the new location is 8,000 square feet, and a large majority of the store’s product will be able to be displayed on the floor instead of it sitting in the back.

“I think it’ll help us in two different ways: it’ll get visibility for our product and our customers and also help us on the inside of the operation. I think there will be more dedication to trying to help the customer rather than trying to go into the warehouse and pull stock like what we’re having to do here,” he said.

Another added bonus of the new location is a major boost in parking.

With the development along the State of Franklin corridor and expansions at ETSU, Scharfstein said the new location will offer more opportunities as One Stop continues to grow.

One Stop Wines and Liquors was opened in 1982 by Scharfstein’s father, Ben. A move from South Roan shouldn’t be seen as abandoning the south side of town, Scharfstein said. Instead, he’s hoping loyal customers will travel the short distance to the new spot.

“We’re trying not to leave what brought us to the dance but give our customers a chance to have a better variety to shop and just moving slightly down the street,” he said.

Scharfstein said he hopes the new location, which sits across the street from Universal Wine and Spirits, will also capitalize on the new market of customers, including those who work at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Mountain Home and of-age students at the university.

“I think it’s a great corridor to pick up. There’s niche shopping throughout that area, so I think that will work for our benefit as well,” he said.

With the new location’s proximity to ETSU, Scharfstein said he is worried about underage drinking, but One Stop employees will continue to check the IDs of everyone buying alcohol.

“I will still worry about that over there, but we’ll keep a strict carding policy in place and just do everything that we possibly can in order not to sell to those under 21,” he said.

Although the wine in grocery stores bill fell through this year, Scharfstein acknowledged the issue could return.

If the bill is ever passed, the new location would put One Stop in direct competition with Earth Fare, but despite being next door to one another, Scharfstein signed the lease on the property before the vote was ever cast.

“I can’t find another building to suit our needs and I’ve been looking for several years, so good, bad or indifferent, we’re there,” he said.

As for the current One Stop location, Scharfstein said there are no definite plans in the works at this point. He’s had some interest in the property, but no leases have been drawn up and no sales have been made.

Scharfstein said he will begin looking into what to do with the property when renovations are well under way.

Loyal PR’s customers mourned the loss of the restaurant when it closed its doors in late November, but a former customer and employee are hoping to return Poor Richard’s to its former glory when they reopen the eatery in May.

“It just kind of broke my heart to see it closed and we had been talking about it,” new owner Daniel Shell said. “We just kind of jumped off the deep end, because I couldn’t stand to see it go downhill.”

Shell, a former bar manager of the restaurant, and his wife, Donna Vitoux, are the new owners of Poor Richard’s, and they’ve been working around the clock to get the restaurant up and running before the tentative grand opening May 3.

The couple had always wanted to open a restaurant and had looked into doing something in Piney Flats, but Shell said he and his wife ultimately decided they would try to bring Poor Richard’s back to life.

“This was just one of the stops when I was in college. You wanted to get out and come here and the lunch was phenomenal,” he said.

With those kind of memories, Shell said it was important to try to restore as much of the Poor Richard’s of old as he could, which is why he plans on using the original menu.

“You could come to Poor Richard’s and no doubt it was the best sandwich you’d ever ate. You’d come through and take a bite out of a sandwich and it’d just melt. We was the first one around to steam sandwiches. We’re taking it back to a lot of the original stuff.” he said.

That means customers will still be able to order the Super Hoagie, the RB Delight, The General, and, of course, a cup of Maxine’s Finest Iced Tea.

“It’s going to go back, as close as I can get it, to the original menu the way it was in the mid-80s and ’90s. We’re going to put a twist on some things and make some more modern stuff, but we’re still going to have the same sandwiches,” Shell said.

Shell said Brian Hilton, Poor Richard’s original deli manager, is returning to run the deli operations.

The restaurant’s new owners are busy prepping the restaurant for the May opening, and Shell said he’s looking for any old pieces of memorabilia pertaining to either Poor Richard’s or ETSU to help decorate the walls.

“It’s a staple. It’s Poor Richard’s Campus. It’s a Johnson City tradition. That’s the big thing we’re pushing,” he said.

In addition to bringing back one of Johnson City’s most famous eateries, Shell said he hopes the new Poor Richard’s will give a boost to other West Walnut Street businesses.

“I’m hoping that putting it back will bring more businesses in and I’m hoping I’m a big enough draw. At one point, Poor Richard’s had the biggest lunch business in Johnson City, hands down. We’d compete with anybody. I want that back. Even though our names are on the paperwork, this is Johnson City’s restaurant,” he said.

Places like Numan’s, Capone’s and Tipton Street Pub have the bases covered on the night life in downtown. One 12 Downtown, The Battery, Mid City Grill, Holy Taco and The Main Street Pizza Company also cater to the late-night crowd, while offering extensive menus featuring sushi, pizza and seafood in addition to

Downtown’s restaurants are rounded out by Freiberg’s, Beckner on Main, Taste Budz, the Brew Plum coffee shop inside Nelson Fine Art, and Tupelo Honey Cafe, which is slated to open next year.

The area’s newest restaurant, Buffalo Street Downtown Deli, 109 Buffalo St., hopes to capitalize on the deli market.

“We wanted to do something that would fit a concept for our food but we also wanted to be able to offer fresh-sliced deli meats, fresh cheeses because there’s quite a few residents in the area,” chef and owner Tim Swinehart said.

Downtown Deli is located in the former home of Schmucks, which closed its doors in February.

Swinehart, a former partner at both Holy Taco and Tipton Street Pub, stepped down from his position with those establishments in order to focus all of his time and energy into opening the Downtown Deli.

Swinehart has been eyeing the location for about 10 years and jumped at the opportunity when Schmucks closed up shop.

“Now there’s incredible access. We’re going to be getting away from the flood zone and they’ve put in all the beautiful brick and the city has just done a beautiful job of making these three blocks more beautiful and more accessible,” he said.

After the restaurant was gutted, the deli came together in about a month and is in the midst of a soft opening.

Swinehart said the grand opening will be in a couple of weeks.

Downtown Deli’s menu is focusing on specialty sandwiches, flatbread pizza, salads and appetizers, in addition to offering root beer and several other beers on tap.

“You’ll see that we can rotate and change the menu on a regular basis. We’ll be baking breads and our own flats hopefully in the next six months to a year,” Swinehart said.

Swinehart said he hopes his focus on providing fresh, good-quality food will entice more families to dine downtown.

“It’s just to follow up on continuing to bring more family restaurants to downtown. It’s more positive to bring the draw for downtown, and I’m just trying to bring another place that says, ‘Bring your family downtown,’” he said.

Washington County Economic Development Council Director of Redevelopment Shannon Castillo said having more and more restaurants opening in the downtown area is one of the major signs of revitalization.

“I think the dining aspect of downtown Johnson City is a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to revitalization, and I don’t necessarily think you can have too many restaurants. Those restaurants bring people down,” she said.

The variety of places in downtown shows there’s a desire for local eateries, and Castillo said there is still room to grow as the downtown area continues to develop.

“I would love to see a white tablecloth restaurant come into downtown. That would bring a different element and a different kind of food and a different expectation, so I think there’s room to grow when it comes to restaurants,” she said.

With the downtown area shifting from a bar focus to other types of restaurants opening their doors, Castillo said downtown Johnson City continues to diversify its restaurant options.

“Knowing that we have good, family restaurants and good sandwich shops and good, distinct, different kinds of foods, like from Taste Budz or Freiberg’s, that brings another element of diversity to downtown,” she said.

BCBS notified approximately 26,500 Blue Cross members this week that its coverage for care provided by MSHA facilities, including hospitals in Johnson City, Kingsport, Elizabethton and Mountain City, will end June 1.

Community relations representatives for BlueCross and Mountain States said Friday the sticking point is a proposed reduction in BlueCross reimbursements rates that both sides hope will be resolved without any interruption of coverage.

Mountain States contends the reduction is an unacceptable “double-digit” percentage that will move dollars used to improve health care in Northeast Tennessee “into the coffers of a commercial insurer.” Blue Cross counters the reduction is a single-digit percentage of the current reimbursement rate the company pays Mountain States and comparable to its reimbursement of other providers in the region and across the state.

“Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach an agreement on rates with Mountain States Health Alliance. They will leave Networks P and S June 1,” BlueCross Senior Vice President G. Henry Smith said in the letter mailed Wednesday to members in Mountain States’ Tennessee coverage area.

“When MSHA providers leave the network, you will not be able to get in-network care from them. ... You have a choice to go to any emergency room, hospital, doctor or other provider you choose. However ... if you choose to go to providers who are not in your network, you will pay them more for your care.”

Smith said Mountain States facilities to be impacted include Johnson City Medical Center, Franklin Woods Community Hospital, Sycamore Shoals Hospital, Johnson County Community Hospital, Indian Path Medical Center, Kingsport Ambulatory Surgery Center, Princeton Transitional Care, Indian Path Transitional Care, Medical Center Hospice, Medical Center Home Care, Johnson County Home Health, Mountain States Medical Group/ Blue Ridge Medical Management Corp., Mediserve Medical Equipment, Wilson Pharmacy Durable Medical Equipment and Wilson Pharmacy Home Infusion Therapy.

Tony Benton, vice president of communications for Mountain States, said the contract impacts only Blue Cross members in Tennessee and does not effect anyone insured by Blue Cross in other states or by BlueCare, TennCare, Medicaid or other government programs.

Mountain States has created a website at www.msha.com/   BCBSTN to keep patients insured by BlueCross informed during ongoing contract negotiations.

A notice posted at the website Friday states, “BlueCross has demanded significant cuts in reimbursements and we are negotiating with them in good faith to reach an agreement by the June 1 deadline.... We are doing everything in our power to ensure a continued relationship with BlueCross.”

The notice cites “catastrophic reimbursement cuts from the federal government” faced by health care providers in the region, including Medicare cuts of $503 million over the next 10 years to Mountain States alone.

“Given the already fragile state of our reimbursements, we cannot sustain significant cuts from commercial insurers, particularly when those cuts will be to the benefit of the insurance company and ultimately to the detriment of patient care in Northeast Tennessee. We do not believe that a reduction in our reimbursement will translate into lower costs for premiums.”

MSHA requests BlueCross members provide a copy of the notice to their employers and direct questions regarding the information to Marketing@msha.com  .

BlueCross is advising members in need of help finding a doctor, hospital or other provider in their network’s coverage to use the “Find a Doctor” tool on the company’s website at bcbst.com  ,or to call BCBS at 800-565-9140 or the number on the back of their member ID card.

Smith’s letter states, “BlueCross sees MSHA as a valued partner, and we want to keep them in our networks. We will continue working to reach an agreement, and we will let you know if that happens.”

Benton said, “First and foremost, we all want this to work out and we are still actively negotiating. ... Hopefully we’ll come to resolution pretty soon.”

The seven-member board voted 5-1 to approve the definitive agreement. While she said she “whole-heartedly” supports the board’s decision in choosing MSHA to acquire UCMH, Erwin Mayor Doris Hensley abstained from voting Thursday as she said she has relatives who are employed by entities affiliated with MSHA. Board member Sue Jean Wilson cast the lone dissenting vote.

Following the board’s vote, MSHA President/CEO Dennis Vonderfecht said the board’s approval of the final sale agreement should bring a sense of relief to both MSHA officials involved in the acquisition process and the staff at UCMH.

“We’re pleased to be where we’re at, and I think, as we’ve said all along persistence pays off,” Vonderfecht said, “and we’ve been very persistent because we know it’s the right decision for the community and for the patients.”

The events that led to Thursday’s vote date back nearly a year. Last May, the Erwin Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to loan cash-strapped UCMH $800,000 to cover operational expenses. A caveat of the loan agreement was that the Board of Control was to hire a consulting firm to assess overall hospital operations. To comply with this stipulation, the board hired Spectrum Health Partners in July, and the firm would eventually recommend UCMH look to partner with a larger health care organization.

In late July, the board solicited requests for proposals to both MSHA and Wellmont Health System to see what each entity would bring to the table in acquiring UCMH. Both organizations submitted proposals, and the board’s Executive Committee subsequently met in a strategic planning session, where it opted to move forward with MSHA’s proposal.

On Oct. 4, the board held a public meeting to formally accept the MSHA proposal, but when this meeting was opened for public comment, the board held off on making a decision and allowed other health care entities interested in acquiring UCMH to submit proposals. Both MSHA and Wellmont submitted revised acquisition proposals, and at a public meeting on Nov. 28, the board voted to accept MSHA’s proposal.

Board of Control Secretary/Treasurer Russell Brackins made the motion to approve the resolution effecting the definitive agreement, which was seconded by board vice chair Todd Love. After the vote, Board of Control Chairman Roland Bailey commended the board’s efforts and said the vote has assured the future of medical services in Unicoi County for “at least another 60 years.”

“It symbolizes success,” Bailey said of the vote. “It demonstrates the hard work that was put in by the Board of Control. It has taken a lot of work to reach this point.”

Others involved in the process also praised the board’s decision. UCMH interim CEO Jete Edmisson said the action was needed.

“It’s that next step that we needed to get done so now it can get on to the attorney general, and I’m hoping they’ll look at the documents and make a swift decision so we can get all this stuff finalized and really take on the full benefit of what Mountain States can bring us,” Edmisson said.

The signed agreement and other documents related to the transaction will now be submitted to the state attorney general’s office for its review. The office will look to see if adequate documentation has been sent and once documents have been “deemed complete,” the office will have 45 days to review the acquisition process, although this time frame can be extended. After its review, the attorney general’s office will either object to the sale or take no action. Closing of the transaction will take place if the attorney general takes no action.

Wellmont Media Relations Coordinator Jim Wozniak said his organization will respect the attorney general’s review process and will participate if needed.

“It’s in the attorney general’s hands, and we’re certainly interested in what the attorney general has to say,” Wozniak said.

Wozniak also said Wellmont officials are appreciative of those in the community who supported a Wellmont acquisition of UCMH.

“Wellmont continues to be grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support in the community for our services,” Wozniak said. “We thank everyone who has worked on our behalf.”

Wilson said it was this support that led her to cast the dissenting vote Thursday. She said she felt the majority of the county’s residents supported a Wellmont acquisition of UCMH.

“I felt that’s what needed to be done, so that’s why I voted ‘no,’ ” she said.

However, Vonderfecht said he is confident county residents will be happy with the ultimate outcome of the MSHA acquisition.

“It’s kind of a new era for health care for Unicoi County Memorial Hospital,” Vonderfecht said. “Being a part of a system with all of the benefits a large system like Mountain States can bring to the table. They haven’t had the ability to have a lot of those assets, really, that could be brought into play in providing health care for the residents here.”

“As an organization, certainly at Mountain States we are supportive of the governor’s efforts to approach providing coverage for those folks this way and certainly urge the federal government to do everything in their power to hopefully approve this,” Mountain States Health Alliance Chief Financial Officer Marvin Eichorn said Wednesday.

Haslam announced Wednesday that he would not expand the state’s Medicaid program since he could not get his plan that would use federal money to subsidize private insurance for uninsured Tennesseans approved by the federal government.

The governor has said he will continue to negotiate with the federal government in order to gain approval.

Since the federal exchange under the Affordable Care Act goes into effect the first of next year, Eichorn said it’s important lawmakers work quickly to ensure the nearly 200,000 uninsured people in the state receive coverage.

“We certainly hope we can get some answers and get approval of this in a very short time frame,” he said.

Until something gets worked out, Eichorn said there’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding how it will affect Mountain States and other systems across Tennessee.

“It does give us some degree of concern. It’s sort of another element of uncertainty and timing and everything else. It’s certainly very concerning to us, but at the same time, we’re very hopeful that this can pass. It certainly seems like they’re doing everything in their power, from a state government standpoint, to get (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) or the federal government to make a decision as quick as possible, which obviously would be good for everybody,” he said.

Without expansion, hospital officials have said the state stands to lose 90,000 jobs statewide and about 9,000 jobs in the region. It would also impact facilities, particularly those hospitals in rural areas.

Until an agreement is made, Eichorn said there aren’t specifics to how it would affect Mountain States, but the system is in the midst of bracing for the worst.

“We’re going to have to do various things assuming this does not go forward. Again, that’s why we’re urging and really want this want this to go forward, so we’re certainly urging the federal government to act very positively about this so we can get this resolved and move ahead to try to get it implemented so we can avoid some of things that aren’t good for anybody,” he said.

If the plan doesn’t get approved, Eichorn said it would be very difficult for independent hospitals to survive.

“As Mountain States, thankfully we’re big enough we can withstand even this, but we’re going to have to do some things to adjust our expenses if it doesn’t go forward,” he said.

Wellmont Health System officials also voiced their support of Haslam’s decision, adding they hope the plan is approved at the federal level.

“Gov. Haslam’s alternative approach to the federal government’s plan is potentially promising if it can be achieved. Wellmont will need to see additional details about the governor’s proposal, but it remains essential that health insurance coverage be expanded in Tennessee,” a Wellmont statement read. “We appreciate the governor’s comments about the efforts of our health system and others across the state to work with him on a more effective healthcare delivery model. We look forward to working further with Gov. Haslam and his administration as this process moves foward.”

The advertisement featured a picture of downtown Jonesborough with the Chamber’s national marketing tagline “Start Your Adventure in Johnson City” emblazoned over the photo.

Jonesborough resident and business owner Steve Cook said the ad borders on false advertising.

“To use that and not mention that it’s Jonesborough at all in the picture, I think, is almost a form of false advertising, so you know it’s just kind of disheartening for the Chamber to use something like that because we are attractive and have a lot of events going on and not give us any credit whatsoever,” Cook said.

Cook, owner of Jonesborough Art Glass Gallery, said he would just like the Chamber to give credit where credit is due.

“We just thought it was real strange that they would post that and then they come down here and want businesses to join their Chamber ... and they give you a sticker that says ‘Start Your Adventure in Johnson City,’ ” he said. “I don’t think so. I’ll do something that recognizes the Chamber and the three entities there, but they’re very self-serving, in my opinion, and it wouldn’t hurt them a bit to acknowledge Jonesborough.”

Chamber President and CEO Gary Mabrey said the advertisement was anything but a gaffe or false advertising. The organization doesn’t typically caption photos of the area when using them in national publications.

“We did not leave the name or a caption on the picture off. We just chose to use that picture. ... I see it as advertising this community. I see it as Johnson City advertising a community and all that we have to offer and all that we offer around us,” he said.

Mabrey said the Chamber uses a number of pictures from the surrounding area, such as the Gray Fossil Site, Jonesborough, Johnson City and other local attractions, in its advertising, which includes ads placed in national publications like Southern Living.

“Historically, for all of my career here, we have utilized pictures of as many attractions (and) reasons for people to visit here as we can, whether it’s (East Tennessee State) university’s library or the downtown library or the Lady of the Fountain. In this particular ad, we chose a picture of downtown Jonesborough and that’s why that picture is there,” he said.

“Adjusted for inflation, retail sales were down in the Tri-Cities metro area, one of the three cities and five of the seven metro counties. Bristol, Kingsport, and Sullivan County were the only clear winners in the holiday selling sweepstakes,” Hipple said in the report released Tuesday by the East Tennessee State University Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

When adjusted for inflation, retail volume in Johnson City fell 2.5 percent, but grew 5.6 percent in Bristol and 1.1 percent in Kingsport. Real sales dropped 1.8 percent in the Tri-Cities metro area, but increased 0.7 percent in the state and 2.5 percent across the country.

Annual data shows dollar sales in each of the Tri-Cities increased. Bristol’s retail sales rose 7.3 percent to $1.1 million, Kingsport grew 2.4 percent to $1.5 million and Johnson City increased 1.2 percent to $1.9 million.

During the fourth quarter, dollar sales were flat, increasing 0.1 percent to $1.8 million in the Tri-Cities combined statistical area. Inflation- adjusted retail sales decreased 1.8 percent.

“Retail sales in the fourth quarter are more significant than the other periods of the year due to the holiday selling season. For many retail stores, the holiday sales account for 40 percent of total annual activity and determine the profit or loss for the entire year. From this perspective, the holiday selling season was a disappointment in the region and modestly successful in the state and the nation,” Hipple said in the report.

In dollar sales, Hipple said Johnson City has had diminishing retail sales for the past six months.

While the unemployment picture improves in the region, Hipple said people aren’t spending money the way they were before the recession.

“We know that if we look at the region as a whole that employment levels are back at a pre-recession level and that means people are working, people are earning paychecks, they have an income, but it’s very apparent from a regional perspective that they have cut back on spending in the last couple of quarters,” Hipple said.

In Johnson City, employment fell 1.5 percent during the fourth quarter of 2012.

Hipple said that could factor into the low retail sales in Johnson City.

“You do have a link here between a lower employment level in the Johnson City area and the declines in retail spending,” he said.

Chattanooga had the best retail performance, with dollar sales increasing 1.9 percent to $1.9 million, while Knoxville saw a 1.8 percent decrease to $3.2 million. Sales volume adjusted for inflation was down 3.5 percent in Knoxville, 1.8 percent in the Tri-Cities and remained the same in Chattanooga, the report said.

While all three metro areas reported higher dollar sales in 2012, Hipple said the growth rate was lower than that of 2011.

“The national picture is more positive. Employment is growing at the best rate in five years and retail sales are back to 2007 levels. But as we noted in the previous labor market report, 16.7 million workers are still jobless due to the continuing weakness of the U.S. economy. Until these millions are put back to work, further retail growth becomes difficult,” Hipple said in the report.

Food City President/CEO Steve Smith said Friday that his company is interested in the possibility of bringing a Food City grocery store to Unicoi County and the opportunity has been explored for “several months.” Smith said his company is in the process of doing its homework and evaluating the geography of Unicoi County.

“It’s part of our market that we don’t service,” Smith said. “Again, we don’t have a store in the county at this point in time and, certainly, we get some Unicoi County customers that come over to Johnson City and shop with us. But we’re all the time looking at population numbers and demographics of particular locations to see what the viability is of having a store in a town or a county.”

Whether Unicoi County has the traffic to support a new store would be determined upon completion of Food City’s due diligence process, Smith said. He also said that just because officials are studying Unicoi County does not mean a new store here is a certainty, as it may be determined through the evaluation that the area is not a viable option to support a new store.

“Unfortunately, sometimes you do your homework and it comes back that, maybe, it’s not justified or whatever the situation is,” Smith said.

“So, again, you’re constantly looking at towns, even towns where you have stores. You’re always looking. Is there an opportunity, has there been a shift in the population, is there some area that’s growing that may be underserved by supermarkets? That’s part of what we do as grocers. You’re always looking for opportunities to build new stores or even sometimes replace older stores with newer stores, bigger stores.”

Smith also said potential locations in Unicoi County would be kept under wraps while the company is studying the area.

Should Food City eventually determine Unicoi County could support a new store and the company decides to move forward, Smith said it could be some time before the store is constructed and opened to county residents.

“I’ve seen it literally take years before,” he said. “Sometimes you look and the population is not quite there, sometimes the location is not there. It just varies. Sometimes it can go very quickly and sometimes it can take years, so there’s really no fast and hard rule on that.”

Food City is based in Abingdon, Va., and has more than 100 stores in the region, with new stores opening soon in Vonore and Knoxville. The company employs around 13,000 associates.

Both Erwin Mayor Doris Hensley and Unicoi County Economic Development Director Tish Oldham said their offices have not been contacted by Food City officials.

Although a possible landing spot for a new Food City store has not been determined, the town of Erwin has available properties along Second Street, which should see improved access upon completion of the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s railroad overpass project. Hensley said local officials have undertaken efforts to attract prospective businesses to the former Hoover Inc. and Morgan Insulation properties.

“Right now, we’re just trying to work with owners of the property to find a buyer for them,” Hensley said. “I know some of the officials would like to see retail go in there, which certainly the Food City would be one, it would fit right in there. However, that property on Second Street is about the best manufacturing site that we have simply because they’re located on the railroad. It would be easy to put in a rail spur in there.”

While officials have not yet determined how they would like to see the property used, Hensley said she expects the matter to be a subject of discussion at an upcoming strategic planning session of the Unicoi County Economic Development Board. She said officials will also likely discuss the economic directions of the towns of Erwin and Unicoi, as well as the county as a whole.

“It just stands to reason that, with the (new Unicoi County Memorial Hospital) going on the south end, we’re looking out there,” Hensley said. “Probably the main part of our growth will be in the south end first, but we don’t want to overlook all the other assets we have inside the city.”

“At the time I retire, I’ll be 63 and really want to spend time with my family and I’ve got two grandchildren now to spend time with and hobbies I haven’t had a whole lot of time to spend time on and travel with my wife and do all those types of things,” he said of his decision to retire after 23 years with the system.

Vonderfecht’s career in Johnson City started in 1990 when he joined Johnson City Medical Center as CEO, following his time as regional vice president of Research Health Services Systems in Kansas City, Mo.

At that time, Mountain States didn’t exist. The area only had a number of independent hospitals, and Vonderfecht said he saw room for growth beyond just Johnson City Medical Center.

“My goal when I came in was to make it really a tertiary referral hospital and part of a larger organization and we’ve certainly been able to accomplish both of those things over the years,” he said.

A year after joining the hospital, Vonderfecht created Mountain States Health Care Network, an affiliate network of regional hospitals that shared resources.

Mountain States Health Alliance formed in 1998 after JCMC purchased six hospitals from Columbia HCA.

That formation allowed the health care provider to keep a number of services in the region while allowing Mountain States to grow into what it has become today.

“A good example of that is a lot of our children’s hospital services. In 1990, there was no children’s hospital and very few pediatric specialists here. ... With the development of the children’s hospital in 1992 and the recruitment of a whole bunch of pediatric subspecialists in here ... that’s allowed a lot of parents and kids to stay here in the region as opposed to traveling long distances,” he said.

Vonderfecht said the system’s strong focus on providing quality, patient-centered care is another thing that has helped Mountain States grow under his tenure.

Dr. Paul Stanton Jr., former president of East Tennessee State University, met Vonderfecht on his first day as CEO of Johnson City Medical Center.

“We worked together ever since,” Stanton said. “We would not be anywhere close to where we are now without Dennis Vonderfecht.”

At the time Vonderfecht came to JCMC, Stanton was dean of the ETSU medical school and vice president of health affairs. Stanton said he had been asked by the accrediting body for medical schools, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, to begin residency programs in OB/GYN and pediatrics.

This was in 1990, just before Vonderfecht took over at JCMC. Prior to his arrival, Stanton said all local hospitals had rejected the idea of these new residencies.

“Long story short, he and the JCMC board agreed to support both programs fully,” Stanton said.

Those residencies are still successful today. The pediatrics residency program was instrumental in establishing the Niswonger Children’s Hospital, Stanton said.

Besides the residencies, Stanton said MSHA under Vonderfecht’s leadership has been a major source of scholarships for the College of Nursing and a strong supporter of the physical therapy program and the College of Pharmacy.

“I can’t imagine what it would have been like without Dennis,” Stanton said.

By the time Vonderfecht retires, he will have been with the system for 24 years. Less than 4 percent of hospital CEOs stay in one place for more than 20 years.

Vonderfecht said the opportunity for continued growth has kept him busy during his time with Mountain States.

“I saw a lot of opportunity and because of that opportunity it’s one of those situations where you don’t get bored because there’s always lots that can challenge your mind that you want to do,” he said.

As the system continues to grow and react to the ever-changing world of health care, Vonderfecht said he believes Mountain States is in a good position to weather the changes that are coming through health care reform.

“It’s going to be challenging for any health care system and no matter how well prepared we are right now, there’s still a lot of work that’s going to have to be done, because we’re looking at substantial reductions in reimbursements from the federal government for probably all payers over the next number of years,” he said.

The search for Vonderfecht’s replacement has already begun.

The MSHA board of directors have formed a search committee that is working with an outside company to identify some internal candidates.

“Obviously, it’s going to be a new era since Dennis has been here for 23-plus years. He is Mountain States and really and truly he is the one that has led us through the acquisition of the various hospitals in creating the system as we know it today, so he will be sorely missed,” said board Chairman Clem Wilkes.

Wilkes said the search committee will work over the next several weeks to identify other candidates so the board can begin paring the list down.

“By May, we should have the candidate evaluations and we’ll be able to look at those and do the candidate reviews, then we’ll have interviews with the semifinalists,” he said.

The new CEO is expected to be brought on board by Oct. 1 and will work alongside Vonderfecht until he retires Dec. 31.

The following is the text of the news release:

NASHVILLE — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty along with Festiva Hospitality Group representatives today announced the company has opened a call center in Johnson City. The announcement represents an investment of $1.1 million and will create 100 jobs in Carter County.

“We are thankful for Festiva Hospitality Group’s decision to locate in Johnson City and the investment in our state and its citizens,” Haslam said.  “I’m certain the company will find a welcoming home in Tennessee and the Tri-Cities area as we continue our work to make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.” 

“Festiva Hospitality Group is another great addition to the state,” Hagerty said. “In this globally competitive economic environment, Tennessee’s business-friendly reputation continues to be an attractive choice for companies.  I am pleased Festiva recognizes this and has chosen to include our state in its path to success.”

The Asheville, N.C.-based vacation ownership company is owned by Festiva Adventure Group and employs approximately 900 people worldwide. The new inbound/outbound call center is housed in the Borla facility at 500 Borla Drive in south Johnson City. Festiva manages and operates a wide array of resorts throughout the United States and Caribbean, as well as a fleet of luxury yachts.

Festiva cites the metro area’s strong labor pool and the willingness of state and local officials to help establish operations successfully as primary keys to its decision to locate in Johnson City.

“This community has long embraced call centers,” Mike Ross, director of marketing, Festiva, said. “So when the opportunity came to find a home that would support growth, Johnson City was an easy decision.”

“It has been wonderful to work with Mr. Ross and Festiva Hospitality Group in bringing new jobs to our region,” Tom Anderson, president, Carter County Tomorrow, said. “Through collaborative efforts and multi-jurisdictional cooperation, Mitch Miller of Washington County Economic Development Council, Alicia Summers with the state of Tennessee, and Carter County Tomorrow have worked together for a common solution for job creation.”

“This project has many positives,” Mitch Miller, executive vice president, Washington County Economic Development Council, said. “A company with growth potential is bringing jobs to the area. They’ve settled in a facility, Borla, that could become a hub for data centers and light manufacturing. And part of the reason they’re here is because of the cooperative approach taken by multiple local governments who had the best interests of the metro area’s economy in mind without respect to city or county lines.”

“I’m pleased to see these jobs being created in Johnson City,” Johnson City Mayor Dr. Jeff Banyas said. “It’s particularly gratifying to see an existing building become a site of new job creation, and to see the cooperative spirit that multiple local governments, economic development officials and the State of Tennessee took in helping make sure this project succeeded.”

“Carter County welcomes Festiva. We are excited to have this new company and the employment opportunities it provides for our citizens. I am impressed with Mr. Ross’s drive, as well as, his commitment to a rapid expansion of the operation. Both of us look forward to a very lengthy and prosperous community partnership”, said Leon Humphrey, Carter County Mayor.

Festiva is currently seeking qualified candidates to help expand their Johnson City operations. Interested candidates should contact Mike Ross at mross@festiva.travel.

That opening date will likely be in early 2014.

“We’re continuing to look forward to being in Johnson City. All of the details of our agreement with (developers Greg Cox and Joe Baker) have been a little slower than we thought but we’re getting there,” said Elizabeth Sims, director of marketing for Tupelo Honey Cafe.

The Asheville, N.C.-based restaurant announced in July its intention to open its new location in downtown Johnson City.

Sevierville attorney Joe Baker purchased the historic landmark from the Johnson City Development Authority in July for $5,000 in order to open a brewery and locally-themed restaurant.

When discussions with Tupelo Honey Cafe began following Baker’s purchase, the developers decided to put the brewery on hold in order to sign a deal with the restaurant.

“There’s just not enough space for a brewery to go in there. It was pretty much either Tupelo or the brewery and we hope we’ll find somewhere else to do the brewery after we get this project done. We didn’t want to lose Tupelo,” said co-developer Cox.

Meanwhile, Tupelo Honey Cafe has opened its downtown Knoxville location – the first location outside the restaurant’s Asheville, N.C., home – and is working on opening a new location in Greenville, S.C., in the summer.

“We’re just on hold, you know, waiting on them to tell us when they want to start that work and complete that work, so we can start what we need to do,” Sims said.

Cox said he met the contractor and architect last week to iron out the details as the project moves further in the renovation phase, which is being done by Rainey Contracting.

“I told the architect to have it done this week and he said he would so permits could be pulled. I told the contractor I’d give him two weeks to get his guys there,” Cox said.

New renderings by architect Uwe Rothe show a major facelift to the aging building. One of the biggest changes to the look of the structure will be the return of the original red brick.

Crews had been doing some preliminary work on the structure to prep it for the shell work that has to be done, but the onslaught of rain and winter weather kept much of that work from being done.

Cox said he decided to wait until a full crew was on site for the work to be done.

When all of the permits have been pulled and the city’s Historic Zoning Commission has signed off on the architect’s designs, it’s full steam ahead for the project.

“We’ve got to work with Tupelo to get their design with what we want, and then they all have to be engineered. You got to get all your mechanical, electrical, plumbing drawings made off of what the architect does,” Cox said.

A pending land swap between Baker, Cox and the city is in the works so the city can extend its walkway along West State of Franklin Road. In return, the city plans to give the developers about five feet to straighten their property line.

When the renovation is complete, Cox said it should complement the downtown area and all of the work that is being done along the State of Franklin corridor.

“The city’s worked really well with us. We’re trading some land for that walkway. We’ve worked really well together to make sure what we do and what the city does is going to work together,” he said.

Cox said renovation will take about seven months to complete, at which point the building will be handed off to the Tupelo Honey design team, who will take care of restaurant construction.

After the team makes sure all the equipment is in place, Sims said a training team will begin working on hiring.

The entire process to open the restaurant will likely take about four months from the time the Tupelo Honey design team takes over, Sims said.

As the city continues to make strides toward revitalization, Sims said they are excited about being in Johnson City.

“All of the wonderful work that the city is doing with the farmers market and Founder’s Park and ... the improvements to the road, I think that will hopefuly be done and so we’ll be ready to open with a great fanfare,” she said.

Although they haven’t opened yet, Tupelo Honey Cafe is already getting involved in the community. Chef Brian Sonoskus will be supplying food for the Cocktails and Catwalks event March 17 at The Mall at Johnson City.

The event is hosted by the Junior League of Johnson City, and will be sponsored by Tupelo Honey Cafe, One Stop Wine & Liquors and Daytime Tri-Cities.

For more information, visit www.mallatjohnsoncity.com/events.

The show, which kicks off Saturday at Freedom Hall Civic Center, will feature 90 different exhibitors showing off the latest and greatest in home building, remodeling, landscaping and sustainable building.

“What we’re doing with the show this year is going back to the basics of if you want a new home built, we’ve got the people that can build a home for you. If you’re looking to remodel, we’ve got the people that will help you. If you’re wanting to shop around to see what you want to put in your home, we’ve got the people here,” JCAHBA Executive Director Lisa Luster said.

This year’s theme highlights indoor and outdoor living, and professionals will be on hand to field questions about virtually any product or project one might have.

While the world of homebuilding was hit hard during the economic downturn, Luster said the industry is slowly turning around with more and more people taking on home renovation and landscaping projects.

She hopes this weekend’s show will spur more construction in the region.

“We’re definitely better this year than we were last year at this time, and there’s still not as new much new construction going on but the remodeling side is still very prevalent,” she said.

Students from David Crockett High School will once again be participating in the Kid’s Zone, which was a hit last year. In this area, children will get to participate in a workshop where they will build birdhouses.

Other workshops will be hosted throughout the weekend, including workshops presented by the Northeast Tennessee Master Gardeners, the Orchid Society of East Tennessee and Englewood Lawn & Landscapes.

The showrooms will be open Saturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

The first 100 people to arrive on either day will be entered a special prize drawing. A grand prize drawing for a $500 shopping spree will be awarded at the end of the show Sunday.

Tickets are $3 per person per day and a weekend pass is available for $5. Children 12 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

For more information, call the JCAHBA at 282-2561.

In fact, the deal could potentially have some major benefits for the regional airport.

“We would not see a merger reducing any service we currently have. We’re hopeful that a healthier, larger, hopefully more profitable combined American Airlines would potentially have an opportunity to add aircraft into their fleet, which may present Tri-Cities an opportunity to be served the additional destinations in the future by American,” Tri-Cities Airport Authority Executive Director Patrick Wilson.

The $11 billion deal was announced Thursday.

According to the Associated Press, the new carrier will be called American Airlines and will be overseen by US Airways CEO Doug Parker.

The merger would create the largest airline in the world, while reducing the number of major U.S. airlines to four: United, Delta, Southwest and American.

Three airways operate at Tri-Cities Regional Airport: US Airways, Delta and Allegiant Air.

American Airlines has served the Tri-Cities at various times throughout the airport’s history. It was the first air carrier to operate at the airport when it opened in 1937, according to Wilson.

The last time American served the Tri-Cities was in January 2012.

Wilson said airline mergers take a long time before consumers begin to see any changes take place. Once the deal has been approved by all of the necessary channels, Wilson said it takes about two years for an airline to consolidate.

“So there really should not be anything of an immediate effect on Tri-Cities, and on a longer term, we hope that a larger airline’s going to create competition. Competition usually has a good effect on keeping fares moderate,” he said.

The Beckner on Main, 232 E. Main St., has taken on the name of the jewelry store that was in business for nearly a century in the downtown area.

Inspired by Beckner’s Jewelers and its longevity in downtown Johnson City, business partners Vincent Massarelli and Duane Wardally have opened a coffee shop that will serve everything from lattes to nightly entertainment.

“After hearing from different people that there’s no breakfast, no coffee (downtown) ... we decided to keep the name of the original jewelry store and give it that kind of underground feel of Little Chicago from the Al Capone days,” Massarelli said.

Massarelli and Wardally, both of whom are from New York, visited Johnson City last April and thought there might be an opportunity for business.

After coming back during the Blue Plum Festival, the business partners were set on taking advantage of the budding growth happening in Johnson City, and in particular, the downtown area.

“Johnson City has a pretty interesting makeup all the way around that from the first couple of visits, and especially after Blue Plum, we felt that this is a unique part of the country and unique part of the state where opportunity abounds,” Wardally said.

The Becker on Main team, which is rounded out by Ryan Camargo and Dean Stewart, plans to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, in addition to offering beer and liquor when their license is obtained.

With downtown Johnson City taking strides in the last year toward major revitalization, setting up shop along Main Street wasn’t a difficult decision to make for the Beckner on Main team.

Wardally said their aim is to create a place that will help the downtown area as the major pieces of the revitalization puzzle come into play.

“Being a part of and plugged into a community is incredibly important, so bringing that together with breakfast ... you start to create a social pattern for people gathering in one place and you create a lifestyle. It’s not a place where you’re going through a drive-thru where you’re picking up what you want,” he said.

The new business owners are happy to see future downtown projects, such as Tupelo Honey Cafe and the 26-unit Paxton Place apartment complex, making progress, and they hope it will only create more traffic downtown.

Massarelli said he can see the potential in downtown, but there are three things that need to happen: continued work on flood alleviation, a greater focus on addressing the issue of the homeless population, and creating a greater college presence in the downtown area.

If those things are addressed, Massarelli said more people, particularly the younger crowd, will choose to spend their time and money in the downtown area. All that’s needed are more businesses to cater to those people.

“If we can bring in better businesses, these are young generations that can make Johnson City more than just a medical town,” he said.

For more information about Beckner on Main, visit www.  facebook.com/TheBeckner   or call 434-2325.

“We really believe that patients who suffer from cancer and other blood disorders, they have a hard enough journey without having to travel long distances for their care, and we know that patients who live in this community, they want a choice close to home and we’re proud that we can offer that today,” said Wellmont Cancer Institute Vice President Sue Lindenbusch.

The institute opened its first Johnson City office at 302 Wesley St., Suite 3, earlier this month. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday morning.

The new office is located in one of the former offices of McLeod Cancer & Blood Center, which closed its doors in November following a federal investigation that centered around misbranded cancer medications.

“We also know that with some changes that have happened in the community with the oncology world that we really thought it’s a great time to bring our treatment options to Johnson City,” Lindenbusch said. “We are so proud of what we do. Our goal is to always provide exceptional service to our patients and quality treatment, so we thought it was the right thing to do.”

The office has only been open for a little more than two weeks, but it is already providing a number of services such as oncology, hematology, genetic counseling, clinical trials and infusions, including chemotherapy, hydrations and injections.

Drs. Jamal Maatouk and Fadi Abu-Shahin, both of whom are board-certified oncologists, will act as the new office’s physicians. Other caregivers include nurse practitioner Wendy Vogel, board-certified and licensed genetic counselor Debbie Pencarinha, and clinical trial program coordinator Teresa Bailey.

Maatouk said the Johnson City office is an extension of the high-quality care that’s offered in the cancer institute’s other facilities in the region.

“Compassionate care in our Wellmont Cancer Institute is now in Johnson City and compassionate care in our Wellmont Cancer Institute is our health care priority,” she said. “As oncologists today, our only goal is to fully fill a human being’s existence and as oncologists at WCI, we promise to respect our patients strengths and weaknesses with a strong will and firm desire to alleviate their distress and their pain.”

Johnson City patients will also have access to other cancer institute facilities, including the Wellmont Breast Center locations in Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol. Other forms of cancer can also be treated at the Christine LaGuardia Phillips Cancer Center at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, the J.D. and Lorraine Nicewonder Cancer Center at Bristol Regional Medical Center and the Southwest Virginia Cancer Center in Norton, Va.

Tom Seaton, 2012 Chamber chairman and owner of The Firehouse Restaurant & Catering, handed the gavel to the 2013 chairman, Dr. Larry Calhoun, dean of East Tennessee State University’s Gatton College of Pharmacy.

“Starting out the year with an event of this magnitude, supported by the Chamber membership, is certainly a way to honor our 2013 theme ‘RX for Success: Partnerships.’ Partnerships are the building blocks for our Chamber and our community.”

Each year, a business leader is inducted into the Chamber Hall of Fame. The 35th inductee, Dr. Richard A. Manahan, ETSU’s Vice President for Advancement and President of the ETSU Foundation, was this year’s recipient. Manahan was the first recipient of the Amzi Smith award in 2010.

This year’s Chamber officers are:

n Calhoun.

n Lottie Ryans, CenturyLink, chairwoman-elect.

n Jeff Jones, Citi, treasurer/secretary.

n Tom Seaton, Firehouse Restaurant & Catering, immediate past chairman.

n Gary Mabrey, Chamber of Commerce, president/CEO.

Other members include Tembra Aldridge, The Mall at Johnson City; Tim Burchfield, Chick-Fil-A; Joe Carr, Bank of Tennessee; Mike Elbers, KatzAmericas; Larry England, Cartridge World; Judy Fowler-Argo, Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Dr. Janice Gilliam, Northeast State Community College; Candace Jennings, Mountain States Health Alliance; Jerome Julian, TriSummit Bank; Mark Kinser, General Shale; Dave McAuley, Summit Leadership Foundation; Dr. Brian Noland, ETSU; Kelly Price, Eastman Credit Union; Dave Quick, United Healthcare; and Grant Summers, Summers Taylor Inc.

One-year appointees include Steven Bales, Courtyard by Marriott; Jerry Caldwell, Bristol Motor Speedway; Dr. Bill Greer, Milligan College; CeeFee McCord, Eastman Chemical Co.; Carolyn Pierson-Cook, Absolute Communications Inc.; Neil Poland, Mullican Flooring; Phil Scharfstein, One Stop Wines & Liquors; and Tim Swecker, Pepsi.

Washington County Mayor Dan Eldridge serves in a dual role as a Chamber board member and chairman of the Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County Economic Development board. Vince Hickam, TriSummit Bank, is the chairman of the Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County Chamber Foundation. Robert Reynolds, Washington County Economic Development Council, serves as an ex-officio member, as do Hank Carr, chairman of the WCEDC, and Logan McCabe, chairman of the Johnson City Development Authority. Chad Whitfield, Hunter, Smith & Davis, will serve as the Chamber’s general counsel. Scott Folsom, TruPoint Bank, and Dr. Linda Garceau, ETSU College of Business & Technology, have completed their terms on the board.

Alfredo’s Mediterranean & Italian Cuisine, 1109 W. Market St., opened Friday.

The restaurant has operated at 812 Commonwealth Ave. in Bristol, Va. for three years, according to Aymaan Elshouki, manager of the new Johnson City location.

Elshouki said Alfredo’s customer base from Johnson City had always wanted the restaurant to expand its operations.

“A lot of people from Johnson City ask us why you don’t open over there ... and that’s why we decided to open. It’s a pretty good location for the business over here,” he said.

For those who enjoyed the menu at Jane’s Lunch Box, don’t fret. Elshouki said Alfredo’s will keep the home-style menu for a little while as they slowly phase the new menu in.

“We’re just opening slowly. We’re not rushing our menu at one time,” he said.

While some customers are sad to see the old restaurant close, Elshouki said there are many people excited about having a new Mediterranean restaurant in Johnson City.

Alfredo’s menu features specialty sandwiches, pizza, calzone and Greek cuisine. The restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

For more information, call 434-2665.

The affiliation with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center will give patients at Niswonger access to specialized services.

“This affiliation will not only help us improve the care we can offer at Niswonger Children’s Hospital, but it will also allow us to keep more children close to home for their care,” Steven Godbold, vice president and CEO of Niswonger Children’s Hospital, said in a news release. “We’re excited to be able to tap into the clinical expertise of such a world-renowned organization to benefit children and families right here at home.”

According to the news release, Cincinnati Children’s will provide the following specific services to Niswonger, which is part of Mountain States Health Alliance's Johnson City Medical Center campus:

– Create and manage, in collaboration with faculty from East Tennessee State University’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine, a dedicated onsite hospitalist program. A hospitalist is a physician who specializes in the care of hospitalized patients. The program will, for the first time, devote dedicated resources to this specialty.  The program will also include a focus on quality improvement, standardization of best practices, patient safety, and driving down costs.

– Electronic interpretation of electroencephalograms (Tele-EEGs) by pediatric neurophysiologists to diagnose epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

Niswonger’s new hospitalist program will work closely with all clinical faculty from the ETSU Department of Pediatrics and the Quillen College of Medicine.

“We look forward to working alongside our colleagues from Cincinnati Children’s to create a superior hospitalist program for our region and an enhanced teaching site for ETSU medical students and resident physicians,” said Dr. Philip Bagnell, dean of the ETSU James H. Quillen College of Medicine.

“We are looking forward to working with our colleagues at Niswonger Children’s to enhance existing health care capabilities and address specific unmet needs for patients and families in the region,” said Dr. Arnold W. Strauss, director of the Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation.