Anderson County Emergency Medical Services will host a “State of EMS” briefing for county commissioners on June 15, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
This briefing will cover the current operations of Anderson County EMS, potential upcoming changes in EMS nationally, and current reimbursement issues.
The briefing, which is open to the general public, will be held at EMS headquarters, 314 Public Safety Lane in Clinton.
David Crowley
From WYSH Radio
The Anderson County Commission’s Operations Committee will consider Public Works Director David Crowley’s request that his legal bill be paid after he was acquitted of criminal charges last month. Crowley had been charged with illegally inspecting five buildings without the proper certification, but he was acquitted on those charges in April.
In fighting the charges, Crowley’s legal bill came to $59,258.62. In the past, the County Commission has approved the payment of legal fees for county employees charged with crimes connected to their positions when they are cleared out of the county law director’s budget. The request was considered earlier this month and approved by the county’s budget committee. [Read more…]
Gloria Johnson
Gloria Johnson, Democratic candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 13 in Knoxville, will be the guest speaker at the Monday, May 23, meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club.
The club will meet at 6 p.m. at the Pizza Inn, 1501 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge.
Johnson is a retired Knox County school teacher with 27 years’ experience educating special needs children, a press release said. Her advocacy work during the past year with health care and education has inspired her new consulting business, Tennessee Alliance for Learning and Leadership, or TALL. [Read more…]
A few options have been considered, and Anderson County will now study whether to move the General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
A few options have been considered, and Anderson County will now study whether to move the General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road.
Related to that proposal are plans to move the Oak Ridge Senior Center, which is now at the Emory Valley Road building, to the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Oak Ridge Turnpike.
Also up for a possible move is the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department. That department now occupies part of the Civic Center, where the Senior Center could move, but the department’s administrative offices could move to a vacant building on Badger Road that once housed Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.
The idea is that moving the administrative wing of Recreation and Parks to the Badger Road building could free up space for seniors at the Civic Center, which in turn would help create space at the county-owned building for the General Sessions Court. [Read more…]
David Crowley
Note: This story was last updated at 5:50 p.m.
CLINTON—Anderson County Public Works Director David Crowley has been found not guilty on charges that he conducted building inspections without proper certifications.
A seven-man, five-woman jury found Crowley not guilty on all five counts after deliberating for about one hour and 45 minutes Thursday.
Crowley had been accused of violating the state’s building official certification law.
With the acquittals on Thursday, he can seek to have the charges expunged from his record, Anderson County Criminal and Circuit Court Judge Don Elledge said.
A few key questions raised in the trial had been whether five building inspections conducted by Crowley between October and December 2013, when he was not certified by the state, were within a 12-month grace period and whether they posed a danger to life, safety, health, and welfare. The question of when the grace period started depended upon whether Crowley’s interim hiring in September 2012 should be considered the starting point, or whether it should be his permanent appointment in November 2012 or his first inspection in February 2013.
The trial started Wednesday morning in Anderson County Criminal and Circuit Court, and it ended Thursday afternoon. [Read more…]
DOE generates largest county taxes; automotive moves up in rankings
From Anderson County Mayor’s Office
CLINTON—In reviewing a list of Anderson County’s largest taxpayers, one fact is apparent—the U.S. Department of Energy and a privately owned, DOE-related facility are the county’s largest source of county property taxes.
“DOE annually pays approximately $630,000 of in-lieu taxes for the property it owns in the county,” said Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank. “When you add to that, the $934,000 of property taxes generated by the private LLC that owns the New Hope Center at the CNS Y-12 National Security Complex, the combined total is by far our county’s largest source of property tax revenue.
“Ten years ago, Anderson County’s top three taxpayers were Bell South, Summit Properties, and Boeing Inc. This year, manufacturing makes the splash as Anderson County’s top taxpayer is Lawler-Wood LLC, formerly known as Oak Ridge Project LLC (at the Y-12 complex), followed by automotive giants Samlip (SL) Tennessee, and Magna.
“Other significant sources of revenue that should be considered include in-lieu of taxes for another automotive industry titan, Aisin Automotive, at approximately $1.2 million. In addition to DOE, our top ten this year reflects a substantial automotive presence.” [Read more…]
Tim Isbel
Information from WYSH Radio
Anderson County Commissioner Tim Isbel has withdrawn from the race for Tennessee House of Representatives in the 33rd District, which includes most of Anderson County. The seat is currently held by John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican.
Last week, Isbel had announced his intention to run against Ragan in the Republican primary in August. The deadline to withdraw from the ballot was noon today (Thursday, April 14), and Isbel has done so.
Isbel said that after speaking with officials at the state level and consulting with his pastor, he has decided to hold off on running for the Tennessee House for at least another two years. He said there are still “some great opportunities and tasks for the people I (currently) represent,” adding that he feels he is “best suited to help accomplish these tasks.”
WYSH will have more on this developing story on Monday on “Ask Your Neighbor,” when Isbel will join the Clinton radio station (AM 1380, FM 101.1) for an exclusive interview.
Phil Yager
Note: This story was last updated at 12 p.m. June 5.
Phil Yager has announced that he is a candidate for Anderson County Commission in District 8, which includes the Woodland, Hendrix Creek, and Emory Valley precincts.
“I am running for this position because I want to work hard on issues that are important to all of us: safe neighborhoods, economic development, quality education, and improving our housing stock,” Yager said in a press release. He wants to help expand business and industrial opportunities, maintain the county’s quality of life, and make sure children have excellent schools.
Community service is important to Yager, who has served as a community volunteer for a number of organizations, the press release said. He was appointed by Oak Ridge City Council to serve on the Industrial Development Board and serves as treasurer on that board. He was also appointed to serve on the Oak Ridge Board of Building and Housing Code of Appeals.
Serving on those boards, Yager has been actively involved in important issues facing Oak Ridge—industrial and retail growth, as well as the issue of distressed housing, the press release said. Yager was also selected to serve on the Oak Ridge Charter Review Committee. [Read more…]
The Clinch Bend Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with Anderson County government, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, at the War Memorial in front of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton. The local ceremony recognized and honored Vietnam veterans with the placing of a wreath on the Courthouse War Memorial and the raising of a special flag commemorating the 50th anniversary of the years-long conflict. (Photo by Leean Tupper)
Information from WYSH Radio
CLINTON—A crowd of about 100 people gathered outside the Anderson County Courthouse on Tuesday for a ceremony honoring Vietnam veterans on the fourth observance of what has been declared “Vietnam Veterans’ Day” by President Obama.
The event took place at the War Memorial in front of the Courthouse and included the laying of a wreath at the Memorial, the reading of the names of the 29 Anderson County soldiers who died in the conflict, and the raising of a special flag marking the 50th anniversary of U.S. involvement in the southeast Asian nation.
Remarks were made by County Mayor Terry Frank, and Veterans Services Officer Leon Jaquet read a special proclamation from the president.
The local observance was part of a nationwide effort led by the U.S. Department of Defense to thank veterans of the war for their service and sacrifice. Many Vietnam veterans were met with hostility, not gratitude, upon their return to U.S. soil from the unpopular war. In the years since, many organizations have taken up the cause of making sure that these veterans receive the recognition they deserve. [Read more…]
CLINTON—The Clinch Bend Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with Anderson County government, will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War at noon today.
The commemorative event will be held at noon Tuesday, March 29, at the War Memorial in front of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.
“Everyone is invited, but especially our Vietnam veterans,” said Gwen Cole, a member of the Clinch Bend Chapter of DAR. “We want to honor them and thank them.” [Read more…]
First prize in the TN Team Trail Fishing Tournament at Anderson County Park on Saturday, March 19, 2016, was won by B.J. Henderson and Billy Joe Henderson from Clinton, with a total of 22.14 pounds. (Submitted photo)
Submitted
The TN Team Trail Fishing Tournament was a huge success with 176 boats and 348 anglers participating in the event on Saturday, March 19, at Anderson County Park on Norris Lake. Participants came from West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and throughout East and Middle Tennessee.
First prize was won by B.J. Henderson and Billy Joe Henderson from Clinton, with a total of 22.14 pounds. Second place was Jordan Lane and Roger King with 19.72 pounds. Third place was Wayne Moyher and Casey Baker with 19.65 pounds.
The Largemouth Lunker was caught by Rick Disney and Mike Miller with a weight of 7.35 pounds.
A total of 486 bass were caught and released at a total weight of 1,342 pounds. Total cash payout for the tournament was $39,350. [Read more…]
Information from WYSH Radio
The Anderson County Commission learned Monday night that the county has been chosen by the state to be the next home of a Tennessee College of Applied Technology—or TCAT. TCATs are training facilities aimed at improving the skill levels of members of Tennessee’s workforce and are seen by potential industries as great training grounds for potential employees.
Anderson County Economic Development Association President Tim Thompson told commissioners Monday that his organization and the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce have been working hard on securing the facility for more than a year and that the county had beaten out Blount County.
Thompson credited the owners of the former Hensley’s IGA grocery store in Andersonville and SL Tennessee in the I-75 Industrial park for their roles in making the TCAT a reality. The Hensley owners have agreed to donate the vacant 20,000-square foot store to the state to renovate and use as a temporary training facility for a period of about two years. The temporary facility will be needed while the state builds the new College of Applied Technology on a seven-acre parcel of land donated for the project by SL Tennessee. [Read more…]
