High hopes Bomber Hard-working Science Hill wrestlers strikes ranked second in state. B1 New York. 4A Johnson City Press TRI-CITIES, TENNESSEE | johnsoncitypress.com TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017 | $1.00 Hospitals waiting to set a merger date that protects it close until the FTC cordially con- tight-lipped about their findings, Mountain States, Wellmont marriage held up by from antitrust ducted a 30-day review. the merger still appears to be on Federal Trade Commission concerns about monopoly scrutiny. Tennessee approved its track. Early during the Certificate of Public Advantage in “The investigation is still open, By Sue Guinn Legg System from merging is an offi- process, hospital September, followed by Virginia and we are aware that the state of PRESS STAFF WRITER cial closing date. executives Alan Department of Health Tennessee has yet to officially [email protected] Hospital officials expect the Levine and Bart Commissioner Marissa Levine issue the COPA certificate. That’s merger to close sometime before Hove said they approving a Cooperative about as much as we have to say With the Federal Trade Jan. 31, at which time the reached an agree- Levine Agreement on Oct. 30, the day the right now,” FTC Senior Public Commission’s 30-day review now Tennessee Department of Health ment with FTC FTC review commenced. Affairs Specialist Betsy Lordan complete, the only thing sepa- will grant the merged system, to officials that, if the merger was Thirty days later, on Nov. 29, is said in an email to the Johnson rating Mountain States Health be called Ballad Health, a approved in Virginia and when the review concluded, and City Press. Alliance and Wellmont Health Certificate of Public Advantage Tennessee, the deal would not although FTC officials remain See DATE, Page A2 East Tennessee State researchers have learned one big thing about our eight-legged friends We look different Spiders have rhythm today By Brandon Paykamian PRESS STAFF WRITER [email protected] Welcome to your new Johnson City Press. Do spiders dream of arachnid Almost 10 months ago we, along sheep? Two East Tennessee State with our partners at Creative University researchers don’t Circle Media Solutions, embarked have that answer, but their on a focused mission to revamp groundbreaking work studying the Johnson City Press. Our goal orb-weaving spiders’ body clocks was straightforward: Design your led to new discoveries related to newspaper easier and faster to the cycles governing life. read and deliver more relevant By looking at spiders’ natural content. habits, Drs. Darrell Moore and The first — and most obvious — Thomas Jones, professors in the change is to our nameplate above. ETSU Department of Biological More than 60 options were pre- Services, found the shortest and sented in a wide range of configu- longest circadian rhythms — bio- rations and type faces. Change logical cycles that tell organisms from a familiar look that has been when to sleep, rise and eat — in place for more than a decade currently known to science. isn’t easy, so we chose to not The study started when Jones’ shock (we hope) our readers with arachnology class set out to a radical change. learn more about spiders’ pat- While the nameplate might be terns of aggression and pas- the most obvious initial change, sivity, which are necessary for we believe something less obvious survival. will be more welcome. That is a Noting a new type face for the copy. Yesterday’s copy had a myriad of peak in their Dr. Thomas Jones behavior technical problems that made it a with Nephila challenge to read. Today’s is every 24 clavipes, the rounder, a bit less bold and the hours, Jones American golden turned to orb weaver spider. spacing between letters has been adjusted for maximum clarity. Moore, a neu- CONTRIBUTED/ETSU robiologist Additionally, you might notice who primarily studies the that the right edge of our stories behavior of honeybees, to map TUESDAY TRIVIA 3. Spiders eat other spiders. A. 35,000 B. 10,000 C. 800 D. 3,000 are uneven – or ragged right. Big deal, right? Actually, it is. Making the spiders’ circadian rhythms. A. True B. False 6. Spiders produce how many kinds the columns ragged right elimi- “In order to get a precise idea 1. Spiders eat as many as ______ of silk? about the biological clock on the 4. The most poisonous spider in nates those odd spaces between insects in a year. spiders, we ran more experi- North America is: A. Five B. Seven C. 100 D. 200 words that happen when you ments where they were put in a A. 10,000 B. 100 C. 2,000 D. 1,000 A. Brown Recluse. B. Wolf Spider. C. 7. A spider can have as many as make every line the same length. That slows your reading and tube with an infrared emitter 2. Jumping spiders can jump how Daddy Longlegs. D. Black Widow ____ eyes. system so we could find out when lowers comprehension. Again, many times their body length? A. 20 B. 8 C. 6 D. 12 they were inactive and active,” 5. About how many species of easier readability. See SPIDERS, Page A2 A .50 B. 100 C. 250 D. 300 spiders are there in the U.S.? Answers on Page A2 See REDESIGN, Page A2 Niswonger patients to get special gifts By Jessica Fuller children in the region. Monday ground.“It has definitely been a PRESS STAFF WRITER afternoon, Jim Stouffer, one of labor of love for the children [email protected] the men in the club who churned here at Niswonger Hospital,” out the wooden toys in the span Stouffer said. “I think anytime Patients of Niswonger of about 10 months, donated 110 you can do anything for chil- Children’s Hospital will have a of them to the hospital so they See GIFTS, Page A2 special and unique gift waiting can be gifted as presents to for them on Christmas morning. patients on Christmas.All the Wesley Memorial United designs have moving parts. One Jim Stouffer holds one of the toys the Methodist Church’s men’s club toy is a gorilla that can be tugged men’s club of Wesley Memorial United spent about 3,000 hours cutting, along on a string and another is Methodist Church built for children at sanding, painting and assem- a duck with wings that flap when Niswonger Children’s Hospital. bling almost 200 wooden toys for it’s pushed around on the JESSICA FULLER/JOHNSON CITY PRESS CONTACT US WEATHER 2A DEATHS A3, A6 INSIDE To suggest a story, call 722-1330 High Low Alma Turnmire ELIZABETHTON JONESBOROUGH Classified ads B4 High schools B1 To buy a classified ad, call 722-0509 JOHNSON CITY Lois Ramey Wright Juanita “Sue” Rittner Comics A5 Local A2, A6 B5 B2 For display advertising, call 929-3111 35 16 Carl “Cotton” Miller GRAY PINEY FLATS Dear Abby On the Air Snow showers John Robert Brinkley Teresa Ann Brooks Doug Fritz B1 Stocks A4 To subscribe, call 722-0510 Thomas M. “Tommy” precede cold Altman Fun & Games B5 Tennessee Vols 3B Page A2 | Tuesday, December 12, 2017 FROM PAGE ONE johnsoncitypress.com | Johnson City Press REDESIGN From Page A1 Park land purchased despite protest Parts of the redesign By John Thompson Committee. The park is inside the property and found it suitable. The fund transfer to Parks and process have actually been ELIZABETHTON BUREAU CHIEF city limits of Elizabethton and This is our chance to be Rec was approved, with only Von implemented over the last [email protected] near the Overmountain Victory proactive.” Jenkins said. Cannon and Ronnie Trivett voting few months. Some of you National Historic Trail and the He said it was obvious the against it. noticed the changes and ELIZABETHTON — After a Tweetsie Trail. development of the park would knew what they were. heated debate from Commissioner Von Cannon raised questions take a lot of money, but he said ANIMAL SHELTER Some noticed, but couldn’t Charles Von Cannon, the Carter about the value of the deal. He grant money would be available The Animal Shelter was quite put your fingers on County Commission voted 19-2 to said access to the ball fields would for the project, but only if the discussed during the time for them. approve the transfer of $44,000 for require a bridge, plus the county owned the property. citizens to speak. Robin McKamey, One of those changes the purchase of 9.2 acres of land construction of a road to the place Schuettler said the property has a former volunteer at the shelter has been a focus on a for a new park just off the Old Gap where the ball fields would be been assessed by Randal said the comptroller’s report had different way of writing Creek Highway. The county’s Park located. He said there was not Birchfield Real Estate and Auction “14 issues with management,” and headlines. In an effort to and Recreation Commission enough room for parking. at $112,000. He said one of the criticized leadership of the shelter make the headlines speak proposes to use the property to Carter County Planning property owners wanted to trade over the last year when it was to you, our goal has been build two softball fields, a Director Chris Schuettler his half for a $50,000 tax credit. He directly supervised by Carter to make them more playground and a dog park. addressed each of Von Cannon’s said the other half could be County Mayor Leon Humphrey. personal. The use of ‘you’ The Elizabethan/Carter County objections.