Oak Ridge Today

Letter: Let’s return to civility, good government; vote for Hackworth

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To the Editor:

To elect Jim Hackworth to the office of mayor of Anderson County would be a good and necessary thing. Jim is experienced in both state and local government, having served as county commissioner and state representative from the 33rd District.

He has a master’s degree in organizational management and has had leadership roles and recognition in consumer and employees affairs, utilities, and environmental protection.

By nature and from experience, Jim is calm and thoughtful in his deliberations.I know this because he and I served in county offices at the same time: he as county commissioner and I as circuit court clerk. When he became a state legislator, I kept up with his work for us in Nashville, and was pleased to see that he had positions of leadership. [Read more…]

Guest column: Clarification on Oak Ridge Schools’ administrative positions

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Note: Due to a technical error, this Oak Ridge Schools press release did not publish earlier this month with a chart comparing the Oak Ridge and Maryville school districts. We did publish the chart, which you can see here.

There have been a lot of questions recently about the number of Oak Ridge Schools’ administrative positions.

On the state website, it gives the impression that Oak Ridge Schools has added multiple administrative positions between 2007 and 2013. If the numbers reported were correct, it would appear that the number of administrators increased by about 63 percent since 2007.

In reality, Oak Ridge Schools only reclassified one existing position to an administrative position in that time period. Why is there a discrepancy between district data and state reporting?

First, we need to define administrator. In Oak Ridge, administrators are defined as superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals, vice principals, district directors, district supervisors, and district assistant supervisors. If you look at Oak Ridge Schools’ human resource files, we have had the following numbers of administrative positions between 2007 and 2013: [Read more…]

Honors: Sheriff White, Lt. Sharp receive Patriot Award for Guard, Reserve support

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Paul White and Kenny Sharp ESGR Award

 

Anderson County Sheriff Paul White and Patrol Lieutenant Kenny Sharp were awarded the Patriot Award from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, at the Anderson County Commission meeting on Monday, July 21, a press release said.

Retired Major General John R. D’Araujo Jr. and Retired Lieutenant Colonel John L. Dyess presented the awards on behalf of the ESGR, the release said.

White and Sharp were nominated by Sergeant Charles Beach and were recognized for their commitment and support of the employees of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department who are members of the National Guard or Reserves of the U.S. military. An employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve, or the spouse of a Guard or Reserve member, may nominate individual supervisors and bosses for support provided directly to the nominating service member and his or her family. [Read more…]

Sheriff offers back-to-school traffic safety tips

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Anderson County Sheriff's Department Motor Squad

Another school year begins on Monday, August 4, for Anderson County high school students, and the first day of school for all students is Wednesday, August 6.

In a press release, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department offered tips to make school zones safer and improve traffic safety.

“With school in session, there will be significantly more traffic,” Sheriff Paul White said in a press release. “Pedestrians, buses, and parents all contribute to school zone congestion. Many schools in Anderson County are faced with traffic issues, especially during the first few days.”

White said motorists should have a heightened awareness in and around a school zone. [Read more…]

OSM grant provides public water to Seiber Flats

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Seiber Flats

Maxine Gernert, far left, field representative for Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, Anderson County Water Authority General Manager Larry Clowers, Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, and project engineer Bob Colvin, far right, gather with Seiber Flats homeowner Joe Goans and his son Joel. (Photo courtesy of Anderson County Government)

 

Submitted

SEIBER FLATS—Father and son Joe and Joel Goans, of Anderson County’s rural Seiber Flats community, have done things to their home they’ve never been able to do before, all because they now have public water.

For years, Joe and his family used well and pond water to do everything around their property, including flushing toilets inside their home.

The Anderson County Water Authority recently completed the extension of approximately 9,400 linear feet of water lines to the rural area beyond Briceville.

Now, the Goans family and others in their neighborhood, have public water and they’ve already put it to good use. [Read more…]

Letter: Picks Clement based on experience, knowledge, compassion

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To the Editor:

The children of Anderson County deserve the best juvenile judge Anderson County can offer. Careful thought must be given in the selection process to ensure our children will receive a proper review and disposition of their respective cases, starting with the first day the new judge is in office.

As a retired volunteer court-appointed special advocate (CASA), I approached my selection by first attending a forum to listen to each candidate present his experience and answer questions. I selected Mr. Clement based on his expressed experience and the quality of his answers to questions. I concluded he had the legal knowledge, juvenile court experience, life experience, and the compassion and tolerance along with a strong commitment to consider the need of the child first in all decisions.

I considered his opponent as ready for internship. [Read more…]

SL Tennessee expansion could be largest in industrial employment since World War II

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SL Tennessee Expansion Media Availability

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, center, announces 1,000 new jobs as part of an $80.5 million expansion at auto parts manufacturer SL Tennessee in Clinton. Also pictured from left are Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, Clinton Mayor Scott Burton, and U.S. Senator Bob Corker.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:30 a.m. July 26.

CLINTON—The 1,000 new jobs announced at SL Tennessee in Clinton on Friday could be the largest expansion of industrial employment in Anderson County since World War II, officials said.

SL Tennessee, an auto parts manufacturer, plans to invest $80.5 million to build a 250,000-square-foot plant on Frank L. Diggs Drive in the Clinton I-75 Industrial Park. It will be SL Tennessee’s LLC third building in the park, and the company’s fifth expansion since locating in Clinton in 2001. The new building will manufacture automobile head lights and tail lamps for General Motors.

The jobs announcement was made in the South Korean company’s Chassis Plant on Friday near workers assembling gear shifters and brake assemblies, mostly for GM. Marking the importance of the announcement, Gov. Bill Haslam was invited to speak and so were U.S. senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander and Rep. Chuck Fleischmann.

“This is obviously a big day,” said Haslam, who announced the new jobs. “It shows our growth in the automotive business.”

It’s the second announcement of more than 1,000 jobs at an automotive plant in East Tennessee in the past two weeks. Last week, Volkswagen announced a $600 million investment and 2,000 new jobs in Chattanooga. [Read more…]

State, SL Tennessee announce 1,000 new jobs in Clinton

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Submitted

CLINTON—Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty, along with SL Tennessee LLC officials, announced Friday that the company will build a new 250,000 square foot building to join its two existing facilities in the Clinton/I-75 Industrial Park, a Select Tennessee Certified Site. The South Korean automotive parts manufacturer will invest $80.5 million and create 1,000 new jobs in Anderson County. Located in Clinton since 2001, this will be the company’s fifth expansion.

“I want to congratulate SL Tennessee on its latest expansion and thank the company for the 1,000 new jobs created in Clinton,” Haslam said. “SL Tennessee has been an outstanding corporate citizen in Anderson County for nearly 15 years, and we are grateful to the company for bringing us one step closer to our goal of making Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.”

“Tennessee has the greatest concentration of automotive industry employment in the South and with the addition of 1,000 new jobs from today’s announcement, we continue to build on this momentum,” Hagerty said. “Upon completion of this project, SL Tennessee will more than double its workforce, making it the largest employer in Clinton and one of the largest in Anderson County. I appreciate SL Tennessee’s continued investment in our state and for providing quality jobs to our citizens.”

This is the second 1,000 plus jobs announcement in the past two weeks in the automotive sector. Last week, Volkswagen announced a $600 million investment in Tennessee and 2,000 new jobs being created in Chattanooga. [Read more…]

Forty-two arrests in meth-making conspiracy in Anderson, Campbell

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Forty-two people have been arrested in a conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine using pseudoephedrine in Anderson and Campbell counties, and another 17 have been indicted, authorities said.

The arrests and indictments of the 59 people on July 16 followed an investigation by more than a dozen agencies. The investigation found that those involved were buying pseudoephedrine at local pharmacies and using it to manufacture methamphetamine at various places in the two counties, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said in a Thursday press release.

Those indicted include: [Read more…]

Heiskell woman dies in Wednesday crash

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A Heiskell woman died in a two-car crash on Wednesday afternoon on East Wolf Valley Road in Anderson County.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol said the crash happened shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday when Patricia Beckinger, 68, of Heiskell, lost control of her westbound Chevy Cavalier. It crossed into the eastbound lane and hit a 2000 Toyota Camry being driven by Alexandria Bone, 18, of Andersonville.

Beckinger died in the wreck, while Bone suffered what were described as minor injuries. Neither driver was wearing a seatbelt, according to a preliminary report by the THP. [Read more…]

Fatal crash reported on East Wolf Valley Road on Wednesday

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There was a fatal two-car crash on East Wolf Valley Road in Anderson County on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

The driver of one car died, and the other driver had minor injuries, Anderson County Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.

The road was closed for about three hours while the Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated the crash.

Lucas said the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department assisted the Tennessee Highway Patrol at the crash site. Oak Ridge Today has requested additional information from the THP and will update this story as new information becomes available.

Letter: Frank earns ‘Realtor Champion’ endorsement

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Terry Frank and Jennifer Roche

Jennifer Roche, KAAR governmental affairs director, presents Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank with the organization’s Realtor Champion Endorsement. (Submitted photo)

Submitted by Terry Frank

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, a Republican seeking re-election in the August 7 election, has received an endorsement as a “Realtor Champion” of the Knoxville Area Association of Realtors’ political action organization.

The Knoxville Area Association of Realtors, or KAAR, covers 12 counties including Anderson County and has 3,000 members. KAAR donated $1,000 to Terry Frank’s campaign from the RPAC (Realtor Political Action Committee), the nonpartisan fundraising arm of the National Association of Realtors’ governmental affairs programs.

RPAC’s mission is to identify candidates for elected office on the local, state, and national levels who will work with Realtors to promote and protect the American Dream of home ownership. [Read more…]