Roses & Thorns: Good and bad from around the region

Roses & Thorns is a feature by the Six Rivers Media Editorial Board.A "rose" is a tip of the cap to acknowledge above-and-beyond efforts. A "thorn" is a poke in the eye to someone responsible for failures or unnecessary heartache.THORN: To Sullivan County Commissioner Joe Carr, who still has not resigned after his arrest on charges of public intoxication and sexual battery.ROSE: To Kingsport city officials and school board members who volunteered to help with the CSX Santa Train.THORN: To Sullivan County Commissioners for not seeking Joe Carr's resignation.ROSE: To Dan Royston for his many years of service on the CSX Santa Train.THORN: To Eastman Chemical Co. for violating multiple permits, mostly in 2023 and 2024.ROSE: To the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for staying on top of the Summer Wells' case.THORN: To Mother Nature for a winter predicted to be warmer and drier than usual.ROSE: To the Hawkins County Commission for allocating $100,000 to addiction recovery programs.THORN: To Jasper Hendricks, who an ethics board found most likely violated the Nashville's code of conduct in his dealings with Bristol Motor Speedway. The ethics hearing determined Hendricks likely gave the impression BMS could influence him in his official capacity as chairman of the Nashville Fair Board.ROSE: To the Kingsport, Sullivan County, Hawkins County and Rogersville schools that were recognized by the Tennessee Department of Education for being among the state's best.THORN: The Trump administration's proposal to weaken several protections for wildlife under the Endangered Species Act, the 50-year-old-law that that protects thousands of species across the U.S., as part of its agenda to expand fossil fuel production.ROSE: To everyone giving to charity or volunteering their time to help others this Thanksgiving.THORN: To the Environment Protection Agency for deciding Monday night to abandon a rule that would tighten regulation on particle pollution. The rule would have lowered the acceptable level of particle pollution.ROSE: To People Loving People and Of One Accord in Hawkins County, for giving out almost 1,000 Thanksgiving meal boxes last weekend. People Loving People helped raise donations; Of One Accord organized the distribution for those in need. The boxes — which cost $30 each to prepare — held a turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and more.ROSE: To Layne Maddox for building the Ghost Bike Memorial for Halie Ann Rex, an East Tennessee State University student, who was struck and killed a year ago by a drunken driver near campus.ROSE: To East Tennessee State University for ending the football season with a win.ROSE: To Rocky Fork State Park, along with other parks across the state, for working to make facilities more accessible for all visitors.ROSE: To Bristol Motor Speedway President and General Manager Jerry Caldwell and East Tennessee State University President Brian Noland for being named to the Tri-Cities Business Hall of Fame.ROSE: To retiring Nolichucky Valley Volunteer Fire Department Chief Charlie Baines' 50 years of service to Washington County this Sunday. Baines, according to a press release, has been "a cornerstone of leadership, bravery, and commitment within our community for decades," with impact to everyone from families to fellow firefighters and "the countless lives he has helped protect."ROSE: To the Washington County Commission for adding $117,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the $500,000 originally approved in 2022 going toward the construction of an agriculture learning center at Jonesborough Elementary. The center will teach students farming and gardening skills and assist with furthering new generations of farmers.ROSE: To First Baptist Church of Elizabethton for its annual Feast of Sharing to the community on Thanksgiving. This is a traditional Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings, served free to anyone in need of a good meal on the special day of the year.ROSE: To the Church of Latter-Day Saints for its donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee that will help feed "thousands of people" across the region.Have a rose or thorn? Email Six Rivers Media Content Director Rob Walters at rwalters@sixriversmedia.com.