Oak Ridge Today

For members: Man sentenced to 10 years in shooting death of girlfriend’s mother

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William James McMillan

CLINTON—An Andersonville man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday when he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his girlfriend’s mother four years ago.

The charge against William James McMillan, 52, was reduced from second-degree murder, a Class A felony, to voluntary manslaughter, a Class C felony, as part of the plea deal.

William James McMillan

An Andersonville man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday when he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his girlfriend’s mother four years ago.

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NRC still reviewing early site permit for Clinch River Nuclear Site

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Clinch-River-Site-Bear-Creek-Road-Entrance-March-27-2016
The small nuclear reactors that could be built along the Clinch River could provide enough electricity to power several cities the size of Oak Ridge. The Bear Creek Road entrance to the Clinch River Site, where the reactors could be built by the Tennessee Valley Authority, is pictured above on Sunday, March 27, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is still reviewing a permit application for a site in west Oak Ridge where two or more small modular nuclear reactors could be built.

The application for the early site permit for the Clinch River Nuclear Site was submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority on May 12, 2016. The application was supplemented by a revision on January 18, 2019, the NRC said in a notice published in the Federal Register on Friday.

The 935-acre Clinch River Nuclear Site is located in the Roane County portion of Oak Ridge along the Clinch River.

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No tax rate increase requested for Oak Ridge schools budget

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The Oak Ridge Schools budget approved in the first of two readings, or meetings, on Wednesday does not request a property tax rate increase from the City of Oak Ridge.

There is also no request for an increase in the “maintenance of effort” funds, the amount of money that, once appropriated, has to continue to be funded year after year.

But school officials would like, if they are able to get it, an increase in capital improvement funds, money that could be used to fix and improve buildings but wouldn’t be recurring. No number has been attached to that request, but school officials would like the Oak Ridge City Council to consider it. During Wednesday’s meeting, the school board discussed ways to “get past conversation,” possibly with a collective effort, roundtable discussion, and comprehensive plan.

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For members: With no increase, AC schools budget could have $1.4 million in cuts

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Without a tax rate increase or other new revenues, the Anderson County Schools budget could include more than $1.4 million in cuts, compared to last year, school officials said during an Anderson County Board of Education meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

CLINTON—Without a tax rate increase or other new revenues, the Anderson County Schools budget could include more than $1.4 million in cuts, compared to last year, school officials said Thursday.

There are already $650,000 in cuts included in the budget, according to information presented by Tim Parrott, director of Anderson County Schools, during an Anderson County Board of Education meeting on Thursday. That budget, which the school board approved last month, would have required about $820,000 in new revenue, said Scott Gillenwaters, chair of the school board’s Budget Committee.

Without a tax rate increase or other new revenues, the Anderson County Schools budget could include more than $1.4 million in cuts, compared to last year, school officials said during an Anderson County Board of Education meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

CLINTON—Without a tax rate increase or other new revenues, the Anderson County Schools budget could include more than $1.4 million in cuts, compared to last year, school officials said Thursday.

The cuts could include reductions in elementary school, middle school, and high school positions, and Central Office, technology, custodial, and maintenance staff; cuts to materials and supplies, and band equipment at the high schools; not finishing the gymnasium at Grand Oaks Elementary School; cutting a full-time nurse, high school coaching supplements, and a school resource officer vehicle; and reductions to transportation safety, special education assistants, and City of Rocky Top field maintenance, among a long list of potential cuts.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or recent contributor to Oak Ridge Today.  Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here. Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here: Basic

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If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 Note: Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. Some are considered premium content. This story is premium content. Premium content can include in-depth, investigative, and exclusive stories.

Learn about civil rights movement in lecture by Booker at Roane State

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Robert Booker

Robert J. Booker, local civil rights historian and Knoxville News Sentinel columnist, will present a talk titled “100 Years of the Civil Rights Movement” on Thursday, May 23, at 3 p.m. in the City Room at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge. A Knoxville native, Booker is a graduate of Knoxville College, where he initiated and led the Sit-in Movement to desegregate lunch counters and movie theaters in Knoxville, a press release said. He was the first African American representing Knox County to be elected to the state legislature, where he served three terms, the press release said. He was administrative assistant to the Knoxville mayor for seven years and was executive director of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center for 17 years. He has also held positions on the State Civil Service Commission and the Tennessee Committee on Humanities. [Read more…]

Democratic Women’s Club meets Monday at The Other One

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The Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club will host a social and brainstorming session at 6 p.m. Monday, May 20, at The Other One, a deli at 178 Randolph Road in Grove Center, Oak Ridge.

Those attending will be invited to gather in small groups to discuss issues that will be presented, as well as activities and the role of the Democratic Women’s Club as the country approaches the 2020 elections. The group will gather together after the small groups to develop plans based on the discussions.

The meeting is being held a week earlier than usual because of Memorial Day weekend. No reservations for the meeting are necessary. Those attending may order dinner from the menu. For more information, send an email to Ann Mostoller at amostoller@msw-law.com or call Mary Matheny at (865) 483-8937.

This press release was submitted by Kay Brookshire.

Oak Ridge city manager earns doctorate degree from UT

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Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson received his doctorate degree in philosophy from the University of Tennessee on Thursday, May 9, 2019. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson received his doctorate degree in philosophy from the University of Tennessee on Thursday, May 9. In March, Watson successfully defended his dissertation titled “City Managers, Mayors and Councilmembers: Local Stability in Tennessee.”

“It has always been a belief of mine for continuous learning, and being close to the University of Tennessee allowed me to fulfill the heights of my profession while learning new technical and research skills along the way,” Watson said in a press release on Monday. “I shall continue to use those skills in serving Oak Ridge in the years ahead. It has been quite a seven-year academic journey while working full time as a city manager.”

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TDEC announces $3.2 million drinking water loan for Oak Ridge

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Low-interest loan will go toward new water treatment plant 

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner David Salyers on Monday announced approximately $3.2 million in a low-interest loan for drinking water infrastructure improvements for the City of Oak Ridge.

“This loan will help Oak Ridge to meet one of the vital needs of its citizens,” Lee said in a press release. “I am pleased to support infrastructure upgrades that will help to provide safe and reliable drinking water for more Tennesseans.”

The City of Oak Ridge will receive a planning and design loan in the amount of $3,288,000 to develop plans and specifications for construction of a new 16-million-gallon-per-day water treatment plant, the press release said. The effort is funded from the State Revolving Fund Loan Program with a five-year repayment period and an interest rate of 1.08 percent.

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ACSO helps Florida agency with child sex abuse arrest

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David Cox

On April 4, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office arrested David Andrew Cox, 55, on a warrant from Gilchrist County, Florida, alleging Cox engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of 12 by a family member or custodial authority. The bond on the arrest was $1 million with nationwide extradition.

In late November, detectives with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office were contacted by Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office about a possible child sex abuse act that occurred in their county, the ACSO said in a press release Thursday. The victim, a minor child, became pregnant after the alleged abuse. They advised that the alleged perpetrator, Cox, was living in the Oliver Springs community in Anderson County. The alleged act took place while Cox was visiting his family in Florida.

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OSPD arrests man after burglaries, vehicle theft

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Marcus Lively

The Oliver Springs Police Department arrested a 22-year-old man on Tuesday after investigating store burglaries, a home burglary, and a vehicle theft, police said Wednesday.

The OSPD investigated a report of a vehicle theft at 1410 East Tri County Boulevard on Sunday, May 12, and a burglary at Oscars Market at 1304 East Tri County Boulevard on Tuesday, May 14, the department said in a press release sent by Police Chief Kenneth Morgan.

During the investigation, police officers followed up on information that led to a suspect identified as Marcus Lively, 22, of Oliver Springs, the press release said.

“The investigation suggested that Mr. Lively was responsible for both incidents inside the city as well as a burglary of Gingers Market in the Briceville area of Anderson County,” the press release said.

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Today: ORPD has Peace Officers Memorial Day Ceremony

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The Oak Ridge Police Department Peace Officers Memorial in 2018 is pictured above. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Police Department is joining other law enforcement agencies across the country in celebrating National Police Week, May 12-18. As part of the week-long observance, the department will host a Peace Officers Memorial Day Ceremony on Wednesday, May 15, to honor law enforcement personnel.

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. in front of the Oak Ridge Municipal Building. The keynote speaker will be Rick Scarbrough, executive director of the University of Tennessee’s Law Enforcement Innovation Center in Oak Ridge and former chief of the Clinton Police Department. The public and all law enforcement officers are invited to attend, a press release said.

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DA: Granddaughter in murder case was malnourished, smothered

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Valerie Stenson

The young granddaughter who died in Oak Ridge in 2011 was malnourished and had been smothered, District Attorney General Dave Clark said Friday, after the child’s grandmother pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last Tuesday.

Emergency workers and law enforcement officers responded to a 911 call at Teller Village Apartments around 1:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, 2011. The grandmother, Valerie Stenson, now 54, was trying to revive her granddaughter, Manhattan Inman, using cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, Clark said in a press release Friday.

“An autopsy reveled that the child was malnourished, and the cause of death was smothering,” said Clark, who is DA in the Seventh Judicial District (Anderson County).

Manhattan was two years and nine months old when she died, Clark said.

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