Oak Ridge Today

Anderson County receives $18,000 clean energy grant

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Bill Haslam during Presidential Visit at Pellissippi State

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is pictured above in January 2016. (File photo by Rob Welton)

Anderson County has received an $18,000 state clean energy grant.

The project will consist of an LED lighting upgrade at the county’s Fleet Service Facility, Highway Facility, and Dickens Building, according to information from the state. The existing lights currently consume 160,200 kilowatts annually, and the new lights are estimated to reduce that energy usage by 35 percent—or 56,064 kilowatts on an annual basis.

The project will use the latest technology in LED lighting, and it is estimated that it will reduce 38 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents from the atmosphere per year, the information said. Over the lifetime of the project, the county is estimated to save nearly $144,000.

This project has been a high priority for the county for the last three years. [Read more…]

Anderson County Democratic Party Headquarters now open

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Anderson County Democratic Headquarters July 2016

Anderson County Democratic Party Headquarters is pictured above at 136 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

The Anderson County Democratic Party celebrated the grand opening of its headquarters at 136 South Illinois Avenue with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, a press release said. The headquarters are in the former Polaris Travel Building.

After the ribbon cutting, there was a watch party for the historic acceptance speech of Hillary Clinton, the press release said.

“We had such a large turnout, that headquarters couldn’t hold everyone, and some of the people met at Swifty’s across the street to watch it,” the release said. “The party headquarters will become the one-stop shop for all matters related to Team Hillary 2016.”

Among those attending were Melody Shekari, a candidate for the United States House of Representatives Third District and Herman Collins, write-in candidate for State Representative for the 33rd District. [Read more…]

Eighth lane could be added to Oak Ridge rowing course by March

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SIRA-Regatta-April-17-2016-6

Officials and referees used Oak Ridge Rowing Association boats to monitor the races on the seven-lane course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. The city plans to add an eighth lane by March 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

An eighth lane could be added to the Oak Ridge rowing course by March, officials said Tuesday.

The work is made possible with help from a $40,000 state Tourism Enhancement Grant announced Tuesday by Randy Boyd, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Officials celebrated with a brief ceremony at Calhoun’s Event Center on Melton Lake Peninsula.

The eighth rowing lane has been on the city’s wish list for at least a decade, possibly longer.

Oak Ridge has received a $250,000 state grant for the proposed eighth lane. The city has planned to contribute $150,000, and Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson has solicited more money from other agencies that would benefit from the rowing course improvements, including in Anderson and Knox counties. That meant there was enough money available to fund a project of about $560,000, which is close to a targeted estimate that Watson gave Oak Ridge City Council members in March. [Read more…]

Team Trump to open headquarters in Anderson County

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Team Trump will officially open the doors of a local headquarters for signs, shirts, bumper stickers, pins, and other campaign materials as part of Team Trump’s “Make America Great Again” effort, a press release said.

Working with County Trump Co-Chair Travis Hill, plans are to officially open the headquarters on August 13, the press release said.

“The support we’ve been receiving has been overwhelming,” Hill said in the release. “We don’t have enough yard signs and stickers to meet the need, and the goal is to fully stock the headquarters to allow Anderson County and surrounding county citizens to show their support for Trump.” [Read more…]

Anderson County gets $40,000 tourism grant

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Bill Haslam during Presidential Visit at Pellissippi State

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is pictured above during a visit by President Barack Obama at Pellissippi State Community College on Friday, January 9. (File photo by Rob Welton)

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd recently announced that 29 communities will receive close to $1 million in Tourism Enhancement Grants to assist communities with tourism infrastructure assets. Anderson County received a $40,000 grant.

“We want to congratulate all 29 communities on receiving Tourism Enhancement Grants,” Haslam said in a press release. “These grants showcase how great the partnership is between tourist development and economic development. With the support of these grants, each community will be better equipped to succeed in our state, and I look forward to seeing these Tennessee communities thrive.”

The grants assist counties and cities in improving local assets to increase the economic impact of tourism.

“I am pleased to announce these 29 communities that have been awarded the Tourism Enhancement Grant,” Boyd said. “It is always exciting when communities choose to invest in economic development initiatives to grow and succeed in our state. Tourism development is economic development, and with the assistance of the Tourism Enhancement Grant and our partnership with Commissioner Kevin Triplett and the Department of Tourist Development, each community will be able to invest in their assets and grow their local economy.” [Read more…]

Seventeen pick up petitions for seats on Charter Commission

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Information from WYSH Radio

As of Thursday morning, 17 people had picked up qualifying petitions to run for seats on an Anderson County Charter Commission in November.

The Charter Commission will be comprised of one person from each of the eight Anderson County Commission districts, and it will be responsible for studying possible changes to the county government. Their recommendations would then be placed in front of county voters to decide in a countywide referendum that would most likely appear on a ballot in 2018. Once elected and sworn in, the Commission would have nine months to complete its work.

Some of the possible changes that could be made include slicing the number of county commissioners from 16 to nine members, establishing term limits for commissioners and the county mayor, and making the county law director position an elected office. [Read more…]

Anderson County Democrats will watch convention July 28 at Swifty’s

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The Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club will gather at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 28, for a meeting and to watch the Democratic National Convention at Swifty’s Atomic Bar and Grill at 119 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The Anderson County Democratic Party will join the women’s club to watch the convention after a 6 p.m. ribbon cutting to open the new Democratic Party Headquarters at 136 South Illinois Avenue, across the street from Swifty’s. [Read more…]

School board rescue: Bell saves life of Martin

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Don Bell

Don Bell

Don Bell, an Anderson County School Board member, used his Red Cross training and the Heimlich maneuver to save the life of Gail Martin, a former School Board member, during a recent meal at Applebee’s in Oak Ridge.

Bell was honored by the Anderson County Board of Education on Thursday. He has also been recognized at Anderson County Commission meetings.

On Thursday, Bell said Martin choked on a piece of steak during the meal at Applebee’s about a month-and-a-half ago. She grabbed her throat and started turning blue, Bell said.

Bell had taken Red Cross training near the end of his career at Oak Ridge Schools. He is certified in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, an emergency technique that uses abdominal thrusts to help clear someone’s airway. [Read more…]

Anderson County Commission candidates at forum Thursday; Roane County forum on July 19

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Voter Registration Month

The League of Women of Voters of Oak Ridge will present two forums featuring candidates on the ballots in the August 4 elections in Anderson and Roane counties. The first forum, featuring candidates for Anderson County Commission, District 8, is tonight (Thursday, July 14).

Tonight’s forum will be held at the Oak Ridge campus of Roane State Community College in Room-111. It starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 14.

Three candidates are running to fill the unexpired term of Robin Biloski, who resigned from her District 8 in Oak Ridge in August 2015. The three candidates are Myra Mansfield, Angeleque McNutt, and Phil Yager. McNutt was appointed to the seat by Anderson County Commission in August, and that appointment was to last through the county’s general election this August.

District 8 includes the Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, and Woodland voting precincts in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Reminder: Anderson County Commission candidates at Thursday forum

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Reminder: A Thursday morning forum will feature three candidates for Anderson County Commission.

The three candidates are Myra Mansfield, Angeleque McNutt, and Phil Yager. They are running for one of two seats in District 8, which includes the Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, and Woodland voting precincts in Oak Ridge.

The candidate forum is from 7:30-9 a.m. Thursday, July 14, at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, which is at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Gene Patterson will be the moderator. The forum is free and open to the public.

See previous story here: [Read more…]

Photos: TDOT at Claxton meeting on Clinton Highway improvements

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Clinton Highway 10-Year Crash Map

A 10-year crash map shows 10 fatal crashes in 10 years in a 2.6-mile section of Clinton Highway between Edgemoor Road and the Anderson County-Knox County line. (Map by TDOT)

 

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is considering modifying a 2.6-mile section of Clinton Highway where there have been 10 fatal crashes in a decade. The four-lane roadway could be reduced to three lanes with a passing lane and a center turn lane.

The proposal was presented at a community meeting at the Claxton Community Center on Thursday evening. Here are photos and graphics from the meeting and a TDOT presentation.

Clinton Highway Alternative 1 July 2016

A widened five-lane roadway on Clinton Highway in a 2.6-mile section of road between Edgemoor Road and the Anderson County-Knox County line could cost $30 million and take 15 years, the Tennessee Department of Transportation said in a meeting in Claxton on Thursday, July 7, 2016. (Image by TDOT)

[Read more…]

TDOT considers three lanes with passing lane, center turn on part of Clinton Highway

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TDOT Claxton Meeting Clinton Highway Improvements July 7 2016

Tennessee Department of Transportation officials gave a presentation about possible improvements to a 2.6-mile section of Clinton Highway between Edgemoor Road and the Anderson County-Knox County line at a community meeting in Claxton on Thursday, July 7, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

CLAXTON—The Tennessee Department of Transportation is considering modifying a 2.6-mile section of Clinton Highway where there have been 10 fatal crashes in a decade. The four-lane roadway could be reduced to three lanes with a passing lane and a center turn lane.

The proposal was presented at a community meeting at the Claxton Community Center on Thursday evening. It wasn’t a TDOT public meeting, but TDOT officials gave a presentation at the request of Anderson County officials.

There have been 10 fatal crashes in 10 years on a 2.6-mile section of Clinton Highway between Edgemoor Road and the Anderson County-Knox County line, TDOT said.

“That’s pretty high in a small section of roadway,” said Nathan Vatter, TDOT regional traffic engineer. “It’s a significant number of fatalities.”

In addition to the fatal crashes, there have been 11 crashes with incapacitating injuries, 87 other injuries, and 252 total crashes.

The short section of roadway includes a hilly, curvy area with no median or center lane. The roadway shoulders are limited in areas, the speed limit is 50 mph, and there are several areas with no buffers between traffic traveling north and south, meaning vehicles zoom past each other around curves while moving in opposite directions. [Read more…]