Oak Ridge Today

AC budget process under way

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Information from WYSH Radio

As the budget process begins in earnest for the new fiscal year that begins on July 1, the Anderson County school system is seeking money to pay for employee raises, upgrades to school facilities, and to start a fund to pay for computer devices for each student beginning in the upcoming academic year.

The budget proposal recently approved by the Anderson County Board of Education is currently about $3.1 million out of balance, and in order to fully fund requests, it would require the equivalent of a 45-cent increase in the property tax rate.  Included in the request to the County Commission is roughly $2 million to fund 4 percent pay raises for all employees; $871,852 for capital projects like roof repairs and unfunded mandates from the state dealing with physical education and sports facilities; and $221,484 for textbooks.

The most ambitious request, though, is the creation of a reserve fund through the county government to set aside money to pay for computer devices for students similar to the reserve fund that has been set aside for industrial development. [Read more…]

AC seniors to protest Tuesday, ask for senior center

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Submitted/WYSH Radio

There will be a protest on Tuesday in front of Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton, and protesters will ask for a senior center and for Anderson County to take over the Anderson County Office on Aging.

The protest is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 5.

In a press release, organizers said that if attendees have trouble standing, they should bring a lawn chair. They are asking Anderson County seniors to bring their friends, family, and neighbors.

Organizers said “our seniors are just as important as our animals,” referencing efforts currently under way to build a temporary animal shelter in Anderson County.

Anderson County reappraisal shows overall 4 percent drop in total assessments

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John K. Alley Jr.

John K. Alley Jr.

By Anderson County Property Assessor’s Office

The 2015 reappraisal in Anderson County shows an overall drop in total assessments.

“In the past, values have always increased,” Anderson County Property Assessor John K. Alley Jr. said. “I promised a fair and accurate assessment for Anderson County, and I feel that is what I have delivered to the property owners.”

The primary purpose of this article is to explain the reappraisal process and set the guidelines for making an appeal, if desired.

2015 is a reappraisal year for Anderson County. [Read more…]

Anderson County budget workshops, meeting dates

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Anderson County has scheduled budget workshops and meetings for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

There will be no motions made during the budget workshops. Instead, they will include only discussion and formulation.

The workshops will be held in Room 312 in the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton at these times: [Read more…]

2015 US 25 Yard Sale returns to Berea, also Clinton, AC

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One leg of the US 25 Yard Sale will return to Clinton, Rocky Top, and Anderson County for the fourth time in early June.

The yard sale is scheduled for June 4-6. It stretches 565 miles from Woodfin, North Carolina, and Clinton, Tennessee, to Covington, Kentucky.

“This event has quickly become the nation’s fourth-longest yard sale event,” organizers said.

“Our goal is to get folks off I-75 and get them to slow down and visit our downtowns,” a press release said. “And we encourage people to have a huge yard sale to get folks to visit! Almost very city, village and town along the route participates.” [Read more…]

AC Animal Welfare Task Force meets Thursday

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The next meeting of the Anderson County Animal Welfare Task Force will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in Room 118A at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

Alternatives to Incarceration meets April 29

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There will be a meeting to discuss updates to the Anderson County Alternatives to Incarceration program on Wednesday, April 29.

The meeting starts at 4 p.m. April 29 at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton in Room 118 A.

The notice was sent by Mary Ann Young, the new director of the Alternatives to Incarceration program.

Frank, Gooch talk to Anderson County Tea Party on Tuesday

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Warren L. Gooch

Warren L. Gooch

The next monthly meeting of the Anderson County Tea Party will feature Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, at Clinton Church of God.

Frank and Gooch will discuss their goals for 2015 and the difficulties they see in reaching them, a press release said. [Read more…]

DA, public defender to discuss county justice system April 21

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Dave Clark

Dave Clark

Tom Marshall

Tom Marshall

League of Women Voters celebrates 69th birthday

Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark and Public Defender Tom Marshall will discuss the current status of the county’s justice system during Lunch with the League on Tuesday, April 21.

After their presentation, the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will celebrate its 69th birthday. Everyone is invited to stay after the meeting or come at 1 p.m. to celebrate with cake and social time, a press release said.

The presentation by Clark and Marshall is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Artwork by JMS sixth-grader chosen for homeless coalition poster

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JMS Misty Greenhalgh

Misty Greenhalgh holding the 2015 PIT Count Poster with art teacher, Jim Dodson; JMS Principal Phil Cox; and TORCH Art Show Director Sheila Michel. (Submitted photo)

 

Misty Greenhalgh, a sixth-grade art student of Jim Dodson at Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge, submitted artwork to the Second Annual TORCH Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Art Show that was then submitted to the TVCH (Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless) Point in Time Count Poster Contest.

In the past, TVCH chose one piece of art from each county to be that county’s PIT poster. This year, they created the same poster for all 12 counties they serve. Faces from artwork used in past year’s posters as well as the face from Greenhalgh’s work were used for this year’s poster.

The 2015 poster states: “We are more than just faces. Everyone counts.”

Greenhalgh was recognized at the Monday night meeting of the Oak Ridge Board of Education. [Read more…]

Breakfast Rotary, Altrusa award more than $20K in literacy grants

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Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotar and Altrusa International

Pictured from left to right front row are Ann Mostoller (Altrusa), Lisa Buckner, Kay Hall, Alana Hunsaker, Rhoni Basden,Gwen Harrell and Beck Hook. In the second row are Christina Young (ORBRC), Judy Trimble (Altrusa), Ginger Adams, Sheila Michaels, Terry Peck, Jill McMaster, Trudy Wideman, Liz Herdses, and Austin Lance (ORBRC). (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club and Altrusa International of Oak Ridge recently presented grant awards from the Literacy 4 Lunch Grant Award Program.

Lack of literacy skills continues to be a serious problem in the lives of many of our East Tennessee neighbors and for many throughout the world, a press release said.

“Non-readers and below-grade readers cannot realize their full potential in life, which in turn adversely affects our local and national economies and society in general,” the release said.

To address these needs, the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club and Altrusa International of Oak Ridge co-sponsor an annual fundraiser, Lunch 4 Literacy. Proceeds from the March 2014 event that featured Denise Kiernan, author of “The Girls of the Atomic City,” provide the financial basis for these grants. [Read more…]

Purchasing Department hosts inaugural Vendor Breakfast

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Purchasing Vendor Registry

Pictured from left are Anderson County Chamber of Commerce’s Norm Nelson, Anderson County Purchasing Department employees Karen Whaley, Toni Romero and Sheila Davis, Purchasing Agent Pamela Cotham, Mayor Terry Frank, and Vendor Registry’s Brian Strong. (Photo courtesy of Anderson County government)

 

CLINTON—On Tuesday, Anderson County Purchasing Agent Pamela Cotham and the Anderson County Purchasing Department hosted the inaugural Vendor Breakfast event.

Inspired by the City of Knoxville’s vendor events, the program was designed to educate local people and businesses on how to do business with Anderson County government, a press release said. Anderson County Purchasing partnered with both the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce and Vendor Registry to help spread the word, and also to answer questions. [Read more…]