The Anderson County Animal Welfare Task Force will meet at 4 p.m. Monday, March 30. The meeting will be in Room 118A at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.
Chancellor rules no conflict on school propane deal
Information from WYSH Radio
A specially appointed chancellor has ruled on a seemingly routine propane gas contract awarded last year that became controversial when some county officials learned of a possible conflict of interest.
Last spring, the county awarded a propane gas contract to Blossman Gas Incorporated to supply propane to the county school system after it had gone through the Purchasing Committee. Scott Daugherty, the manager of Blossman’s Knoxville location, is an Anderson County resident and serves on the Purchasing Committee. [Read more…]
Bobby Osborne, Rocky Top X-press to headline Rocky Top Bluegrass Festival
Bobby Osborne (Submitted photo)
Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top X-Press will headline the inaugural Rocky Top Bluegrass Festival.
The festival is scheduled for 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, April 24, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the George Templin Memorial Athletic Field located at 214 North Main Street in Rocky Top (formerly Lake City).
“Mr. Osborne contacted us because the Osborne Brothers were the first to perform and record ‘Rocky Top,’ and he wanted to be the first to perform the song in our newly named town of Rocky Top, Tennessee”, said Mike Lovely, Rocky Top mayor. “As a result of his interest, we decided to have a festival featuring some of the top groups in bluegrass.” [Read more…]
AC Commission meeting wrap-up
Information from WYSH Radio
The Anderson County Commission met for the first time since January on Monday night and voted unanimously to release the $20,000 in funding that had been held back from the Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department and place them back in the rotation (beginning next year) for county purchase of a new fire truck after the department abandoned its controversial and wildly unpopular subscription program and returned to all-volunteer status.
Commissioner Phil Warfield said that the department “went above and beyond what Commission asked of them” as far as making things right with county leaders and more importantly the citizens they serve.
Commissioners were also introduced to the new fire chief, Del Kennedy. [Read more…]
Repair work done, Johnson Gap Road bridge open again
The repair work is down, and the Johnson Gap Road bridge re-opened last week. (Photo by Robert McKamey)
Information from WYSH Radio
The bridge on Johnson Gap Road in Anderson County’s Dutch Valley community re-opened last week, a year and a half after it was shut down due to safety concerns.
State inspectors ordered the 100-year-old wooden bridge closed in July 2013 after finding that the wooden support structures were compromised and posed a safety hazard.
The bridge is owned by CSX Railroad, and it is the primary shortcut that Dutch Valley residents use to get to and from Clinton and Oak Ridge, and the shutdown frustrated many.
Work to repair the bridge finally got under way last month.
AC committee to discuss 2020 reappraisals, volunteer fire department funding
Johnny Alley
The Anderson County Operations Committee will discuss a plan for reappraisals in 2020 and a new funding plan for volunteer fire departments during a Monday evening meeting.
The discussion of the 2020 reappraisal plan has been requested by Anderson County Property Assessor John K. Alley Jr.
A Fire Commission proposal related to the new funding plan for volunteer fire departments has been requested by Anderson County Commissioner Tim Isbel.
The Operations Committee meeting starts at 6 p.m. Monday, March 9, in Room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.
See the agenda here.
Church Women focus on services for aging residents
Note: This event has been canceled.
Cherie Phillips of the Anderson County Office on Aging will be the guest speaker at the Friday, March 6, meeting of Church Women United at Oak Valley Baptist Church at 194 Hampton Road in Oak Ridge.
“Whether you have retired, are contemplating retirement, or have friends and family who are retired, come find out what advice and services are available to the aging in Anderson and Knox counties,” a press release said.
The meeting is open to the public. Fellowship begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by a short meeting at noon and the program thereafter. Drop in and stay however long you can. For more information, contact Gay Marie Logsdon at (865) 483-7940.
CWU is a national interdenominational movement that brings together women of diverse races, cultures, and traditions in closer Christian fellowship, prayer, advocacy, and action for peace with justice in the world.
Closings: Oak Ridge, Roane Schools; some city, county, state offices
Oak Ridge Schools and Roane County Schools are both closed today. So are Anderson County government offices, and the Oak Ridge Public Library and Senior Center. All other municipal offices will operate on a regular schedule.
Anderson County courts are also canceled, and daytime classes at Roane State Community College campuses, including in Oak Ridge, have been canceled. A decision on nighttime classes (those that begin after 4:30 p.m.) will be made later.
State offices are also closed because of the current weather situation in West and Middle Tennessee and forecasted winter weather moving east. [Read more…]
Weather: County Commission meeting, Habitat dedication canceled
The Anderson County Commission meeting that had been rescheduled for tonight has been canceled due to the weather. It will not be rescheduled again, but will instead be combined with the regular meeting in March.
The Myrick Build Dedication that had been scheduled for Saturday has been postponed. Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County said the dedication has been postponed to March 28, with the same schedule of events.
Meanwhile, the City of Oak Ridge announced that Waste Connections will begin Wednesday’s routes today (Thursday, February 26) on main roads that are clear, and then go to secondary streets to pick up garbage and recyclables as the day progresses. [Read more…]
Anderson government closed; Y-12, Oak Ridge, UCOR, DOE, ORAU start late
Several inches of snow fell in Oak Ridge and across East Tennessee overnight. (Photo by Bruce Phillips)
Note: This story was last updated at 9:23 a.m.
Several inches of snow fell in East Tennessee overnight, and there are more closings and delays because of weather and road conditions.
The Y-12 National Security Complex is still clearing some areas at the site. Non-essential employees should delay arrival at the site until 11 a.m. UPF Offsite Offices also should delay until 11 a.m. Personnel are urged to use caution when driving and walking throughout the site and to use designated snow routes.
Anderson County government offices will be closed Thursday. The Roane County Courthouse is also closed. [Read more…]
Weather: County Trustee will accept in-person, postmarked tax payments through Monday
Rodney Archer
Anderson County Trustee Rodney Archer understands citizens’ frustrations and concerns about being able to pay their property taxes on time, a press release said.
“With county offices being closed much of last week, and again yesterday, because of inclement weather and dangerous road conditions, it has made people nervous about being able to pay their property taxes by the February 28 deadline,” Archer said Wednesday morning. “The inclement weather that’s predicted for tonight doesn’t help that.”
The National Weather Service is predicting a 40 percent chance of snow today after 4 p.m., with increasing chances overnight, mainly between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m. New snow accumulation of one to three inches is possible. A chance of snow continues through Thursday as well. [Read more…]
AC tax deadline looms, alternate plans being made
Information from WYSH Radio
Anderson County property taxes are due on Saturday, February 28, but with the winter weather in the area, officials are making plans to allow citizens to pay those taxes without undue stress.
The Courthouse is open today (Wednesday, February 25), and County Trustee Rodney Archer’s staff is exceptionally busy as residents who have been snowbound have been paying their taxes steadily all day.
County Mayor Terry Frank said this morning on WYSH’s “Ask Your Neighbor” program that the Trustee’s office will be open—weather permitting—on Saturday in Clinton, Andersonville, and Oak Ridge so that you can pay your taxes before the deadline.
If the weather does not permit, property tax payments will be accepted as “on time” by mail as long as they are postmarked no later than Monday, March 2.
For more information, call the Trustee’s office at (865) 457-6233.
