The annual tax-free weekend in Tennessee started early Friday morning and ends late Sunday, and it allows shoppers to save nearly 10 percent on sales tax on clothing, school and art supplies, and computer purchases.
Consumers will not pay state or local sales tax on clothing with a price of $100 or less per item, school and art supplies with a price of $100 or less per item, and computers with a price of $1,500 or less.
Professional and top amateur males race in a previous Oak Ridge Velo Classic. (Photo submitted by Lou Rabinowitz)
A bicycle racing event this weekend includes races in Oak Ridge and Anderson County, and proceeds benefit the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge.
The Fifth Annual Oak Ridge Velo Classic includes Tennessee State Road Races on Saturday on a challenging course that traverses scenic sections of rural Anderson County, time trial races on Saturday evening on Bear Creek Road, and criterium races at Horizon Center on Sunday, a press release said.
Note: This story was last updated at 1:14 p.m. Aug. 4.
KNOXVILLE—New felony property destruction charges were filed Friday against three anti-nuclear weapons activists who allegedly sneaked into the Y-12 National Security Complex on Saturday, and U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley agreed to release two of the defendants.
The new charges carry stiffer penalties than the previously filed misdemeanor trespassing charges, including up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The new charges were filed against Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, and Michael R. Walli, who have been detained at the Blount County Corrections Facility after being arrested at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday in the high-security Protected Area on the west end of Y-12.
Flames destroy a trailer on Pine Ridge Road in Marlow early Friday morning. (Photos by Tom Scott)
A fire early Friday morning destroyed a single-wide trailer on Pine Ridge Road in Marlow.
Departments in Oliver Springs, Blair, Medford, and Claxton assisted the Marlow Volunteer Fire Department in fighting the 12:20 a.m. blaze.
The Anderson County Emergency Medical Service and Sheriff’s Department also responded.
Demolition is almost complete on most of the K-25 Building’s east wing, and the project is ahead of schedule. (Photos submitted by UCOR)
UCOR celebrated its first anniversary as the U.S. Department of Energy cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge this week, and the company announced that its most high-profile project, demolition of the K-25 Building, is ahead of schedule.
Demolition of most of the building’s east wing is almost complete, and more than 10,000 loads of debris have been shipped off for disposal, UCOR said in a press release.
Located in west Oak Ridge, the K-25 site was built to enrich uranium during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project, but it’s been shut down since 1987.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is expected to receive about $1 million for battery research as part of a national project to improve the storage of energy.
The grants were announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Energy, which announced a total of $43 million for 19 projects across the country.
Terry Frank
Business owner Terry Frank, a Clinton Republican, has defeated attorney Warren Gooch, an Oak Ridge Democrat, in the race for Anderson County mayor.
Frank received 7,074 votes, or 58 percent, while Gooch collected 5,032, or 42 percent, according to unofficial results Thursday night.
She will serve a two-year term, completing the unexpired term of former mayor Rex Lynch, who resigned in January 2011.
Terry Frank
Business owner Terry Frank, a Clinton Republican, has an early voting lead over attorney Warren Gooch, an Oak Ridge Democrat, in the race for Anderson County mayor, according to early results posted Thursday evening on the Anderson County Election Commission website.
Results continue to be tabulated, but Frank has been collecting about 56 or 58 percent of the early, absentee, and election day votes, compared to about 42 to 44 percent for Gooch.
Also taking an early lead was City Council candidate Charles J. “Chuck” Hope Jr., who had about 58 percent of the vote around 8:42 p.m., compared to 42 percent for Trina Baughn.
Greg Boertje-Obed
Megan Rice
Michael Walli
KNOXVILLE—Three anti-nuclear weapons activists accused of illegally crossing four fences to get into a high-security area at the Y-12 National Security Complex pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal misdemeanor trespassing charges.
An Oct. 9 trial date was set for the three defendants, and U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley scheduled a Friday afternoon hearing to help determine whether they should continue to be detained.
The three defendants—Michael R. Walli, 63, of Washington, D.C.; Megan Rice, 82, of New York; and Greg Boertje-Obed, 57, of Duluth, Minn.—have been jailed at the Blount County Corrections Facility.
Today is election day. Polls are open until 8 p.m.
Elections in Anderson County includes special elections for Oak Ridge City Council, Anderson County Commission, and Anderson County mayor. There are also elections for Anderson County property assessor and Anderson County School Board.
Elections in Roane County include Roane County property assessor, Roane County road superintendent, and Roane County school board.
Myron Iwanski
Buzz Patrick
CLINTON—Anderson County Interim Mayor Myron Iwanski raised slightly more in campaign contributions in the past four months than County Commissioner Buzz Patrick.
Iwanksi raised $7,075 in campaign contributions from April 1 to July 23, and Patrick collected $6,237, according to campaign financial disclosure reports.
Patrick and his wife Laurel loaned the campaign $2,809, making their total receipts higher than Iwanski’s. Iwanski loaned his campaign $1,000.
The breach of a high-security area at the Y-12 National Security Complex by the three anti-nuclear weapons activists pictured above has not changed plans to cut up to 34 security officers. From left to right, the three are Michael R. Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed.
The plan to cut up to 34 security police officer jobs at the Y-12 National Security Complex hasn’t changed, despite a breach of a high-security area early Saturday morning by three anti-nuclear weapons activists, a federal spokesman said Wednesday.
Steven Wyatt, spokesman for the National Nuclear Security Administration, said the decision is not being re-evaluated.
“The size of the protective force is determined through a comprehensive process that considers a number of factors, which have not changed since the decision to reduce the size of the protective forces was made,” Wyatt said in a Wednesday evening e-mail.
