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Roane Commission sends ‘In God We Trust’ proposal to committee

Posted at 1:04 am May 13, 2014
By Sara Wise Leave a Comment

Roane County Courthouse

An “In God We Trust” sign could be placed above the main entrance of the Roane County Courthouse in Kingston under a proposal being considered by county officials. The signs could also be displayed in the Roane County Commission chambers. (Photos by Sara Wise)

 

KINGSTON—The Roane County Commission voted on Monday to defer a resolution to the property committee that would place signs that say “In God We Trust” on the County Courthouse in Kingston.

The vote to defer was closely split, at 8-7. Commissioners James Brummett, Ray Cantrell, Bobby Collier, Randy Ellis, Jerry Goddard, Chris Johnson, and Fred Tedder all voted not to defer the resolution.

Many commissioners who voted against deferment argued that deferral would only delay the process further. Others, however, felt that the issue should have gone through the committee before the commission had any say in the matter.

Ellis, who filed the resolution in favor of the signs, said that the resolution would reach the committee either way, and that the committee would have the final say in the design and placement of the signs.

“Roane County is deep in its faith,” he said. “Not one of my constituents…has come to me against this.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Faith, Government, Government, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Courthouse, Bobby Collier, Chris Johnson, Fred Tedder, George Nelson, In God We Trust, James Brummett, Jerry Goddard, national motto, property committee, Randy Ellis, Ray Cantrell, Roane County Commission, Roane County Courthouse, Tom McFarland

Lincoln’s to have beer permit suspended at least one week

Posted at 12:37 am May 13, 2014
By Sara Wise 1 Comment

Lincoln's Sports Grille

Lincoln’s Sports Grille will have a one- or two-week beer permit suspension depending upon improvements made before a June 9 meeting. (File photo)

The Oak Ridge Beer Board voted on Monday to suspend the beer permit of Lincoln’s Sport Grille for one or two weeks, depending upon improvements made before the board’s June meeting.

Lincoln’s has met with the board four times within the past two years. Monday’s meeting was in response to an April altercation between two male patrons.

The motion to allow Lincoln’s the opportunity for a reduced suspension was passed in a 4-3 vote, with opposition from Theresa Scott, Barton Bailey, and Randy Tedford.

The vote requires that Lincoln’s provide proof that they have made efforts to improve their business before the beer board’s next meeting on June 9. If they can not meet the board’s requirements for improvement, they will face a two-week suspension.

Tedford, who is Beer Board chair, said Lincoln’s must provide “a more comprehensive plan” to fix problems involving over-service and the patio gate at the popular restaurant, and add eight surveillance cameras around the premises and at least two more staff members to make sure the patio is adequately monitored. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: altercation, Barton Bailey, beer board, beer permit, beer permit suspension, Lincoln's Sports Grille, Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board, Randy Tedford, suspension, Theresa Scott

Photos: Riley Mozingo parade, carnival

Posted at 1:05 am May 3, 2014
By Sara Wise Leave a Comment

Riley Mozingo

Five-year-old Riley Mozingo was diagnosed with brain cancer May 10, 2010. A princess-themed carnival was held Friday at Lake City Elementary School in her honor. All proceeds from the carnival will help fund her bedroom renovation. See story here. (Photos by Sara Wise)

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Media, Nonprofits, Photos, Top Stories Tagged With: brain cancer, brain tumor, Carnival, Emilee Hooks, Heather Herrin, Lake City Elementary School, Little Mermaid, parade, Riley Mozingo

Riley, 5, loves princesses but battles brain tumor

Posted at 12:02 am May 3, 2014
By Sara Wise Leave a Comment

Riley Mozingo

Five-year-old Riley Mozingo was diagnosed with brain cancer May 10, 2010. A princess-themed carnival was held Friday at Lake City Elementary School in her honor. All proceeds from the carnival will help fund her bedroom renovation. (Photos by Sara Wise)

LAKE CITY—“Come on, let’s go,” shouts Riley Mozingo as she drags her good friend, Anderson County Schools junior Emilee Hooks, toward the bounce house outside Lake City Elementary School.

Riley is a typical five-year-old. She loves princesses—especially The Little Mermaid, Ariel—and has big dreams to become a doctor when she grows up. But one thing sets Riley apart: she was diagnosed with astrocytoma grade 3.

She has had eight procedures since she was diagnosed with the brain tumor on May 14, 2010, and has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Now, she has to attend physical therapy sessions because she has trouble with her left side. Her tumor hasn’t shrunk—it actually got bigger during chemo—but it’s stayed about the same size with radiation.

Riley Mozingo and Little Mermaid

Riley admires a Little Mermaid-themed game during the carnival.

But it’s not all bad for Riley. She’s about to have her bedroom renovated by Special Spaces of Knoxville. The nonprofit organization renovates rooms for sick children all across the country, especially those with life-threatening illnesses. Riley is getting a princess-themed room.

Melanie Lamberson of Special Spaces said that once she heard about a five-year-old with cancer, she knew she had to help. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Community, Education, Health, K-12, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Ariel, astrocytoma, brain tumor, cancer, Carnival, chemotherapy, Cinderella, Clinch River Community School, Disney, Emilee Hooks, Hat Day, Heather Herrin, kindergarten, Lake City Elementary School, LCES, Little Mermaid, Melanie Lamberson, physical therapy, princess, radiation treatment, Riley Mozingo, Snow White, Special Spaces, Tomeka Mozingo, Wood Maryville

School board approves balanced calendar

Posted at 8:38 pm April 28, 2014
By Sara Wise 2 Comments

Oak Ridge Board of Education

The Oak Ridge Board of Education and school administrators are pictured above during a recent meeting.

Note: This story was last updated at 11:30 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education on Monday approved a new balanced calendar for the 2015-2016 school year. The balanced calendar, which is different than the traditional school calendar, gives students about nine weeks of classroom instruction at a time. This will be the first time that Oak Ridge has had a balanced calendar.

The school board approved the change in a 4-1 vote on Monday. Board member Jenny Richter was opposed.

A separate motion to outsource substitute teachers died with little discussion.

The vote on the balanced calendar came after input from three community members who were opposed to the change from the traditional calendar, which is now being used at most Oak Ridge schools. The board discussed the calendars for nearly an hour before the vote. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Education, K-12, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: balanced calendar, Chris Marczak, Dan DiGregorio, Jenny Richter, Joe Stevens, Keys Fillauer, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Oak Ridge Schools, Sara Wise, school board, substitute teachers, traditional calendar

Oak Ridge Schools seeks to become top STEM district in country

Posted at 2:38 pm April 15, 2014
By Sara Wise Leave a Comment

Bruce Borchers Introduces Discovery Education

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers introduces Discovery Education to members of the PTA Council on Thursday, April 10. (Photos by Sara Wise)

Superintendent: ‘It’s a big deal nationally’

Oak Ridge Schools is attempting to become the premier district in the nation for science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, education. Superintendent Bruce Borchers has a $3.4 million plan to make that happen using Microsoft Surface tablets and Discovery Education. The money will be spent over a five-year period.

Borchers calls the needed changes a “digital transformation” that will, he hopes, bring a tablet to every student in the school system. This is especially important in Oak Ridge, a district with a free and reduced lunch rate of more than 50 percent. The digital transformation would allow every student in the district to have the same educational opportunities, regardless of income.

The first of three steps toward transformation is to create a technological infrastructure capable of handling all the tablets. Those improvements have a $1 million price tag that the Oak Ridge Board of Education and the city have already approved. Borchers hopes for the upgrades to be completed before students return to school in the fall. The upgrades are projected to last until at least 2022. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Education, K-12, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: 1:1 device integration, Bruce Borchers, digital transformation, Discovery Education, engineering, Jefferson Middle School, Jenna Whitney, mathematics, Microsoft Surface, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Oak Ridge Schools, professional development, science, Sindu Jaggadamma, STEM, Steve Reddick, Streaming, tablets, techbooks, technology, upgrades

With K-25 demolition complete, DOE plans to preserve building ‘footprint’

Posted at 6:52 pm April 11, 2014
By Sara Wise 1 Comment

K-25 Building Demolition March 2014

Demolition work at the K-25 Building in west Oak Ridge is complete, and cleanup work is expected to be complete this summer. Pictured above is the former south end of the east wing. (Photo by John Huotari)

Demolition of the K-25 Building in west Oak Ridge has been completed. Now, the U.S. Department of Energy looks toward the future and preserving the footprint of the Manhattan Project building.

The building was about 44 acres “under roof,” according to Susan Cange, deputy manager of DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. K-25 was built to enrich uranium for atomic bombs during World War II.

“There was a lot of discussion over the years about whether we could retain a portion of the building as a part of historic preservation,” Cange said. “From a safety and security perspective, it really wasn’t a viable alternative.”

In 2012, Cange and others signed a Memorandum of Agreement, and they envisioned completion of a preservation project within five to seven years. They also agreed to retain the footprint of the building and dedicate it in some way to allow visitors to see the enormity of the former mile-long, U-shaped building. [Read more…]

Filed Under: East Tennessee Technology Park, ETTP, Oak Ridge Office, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Congress, demolition, DOE, equipment building, footprint, Gerald Hilfery and Associates, historic preservation, history cneter, K-25, K-25 Building, Manhattan Project, memorandum of agreement, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, Smee + Busby Architecture, Susan Cange, U.S. Department of Energy, UCOR, viewing tower, virtual museum, World War II

Without Republicans, little opposition, few questions at League forum

Posted at 1:03 am April 9, 2014
By Sara Wise Leave a Comment

David Dunkirk and J. Michael Clement

David R. Dunkirk, left, and J. Michael Clement, Democratic candidates for Juvenile Court judge in the May 6 Anderson County primary election, answer questions during a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge on Tuesday. (Photo by Sara Wise)

Note: This story was last updated at 9:10 a.m.

There was little opposition and only a few questions at a Tuesday night candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.

All of the Democratic candidates were at the League forum, which was held in the Pollard Auditorium at Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

But most of the Republican candidates were a few blocks away at their own forum, and none of them attended the League forum. Still, many sent representatives to speak on their behalf.

The dueling forums were held with less than a month remaining before the May 6 primary election. Most of the competition is on the Republican side, with more than one GOP candidate for mayor, sheriff, chancellor, and Juvenile Court judge. The only contested Democratic race is for juvenile judge. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2014 Election, Anderson County, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: candidate forum, CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, David R. Dunkirk, Democrat, early voting, J. Michael Clement, Jim Hackworth, Jo Ann Garrett, juvenile court judge, League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, primary election, Republican, Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, VORP

Dragon Boat racers prepare for inaugural festival in May

Posted at 12:43 am April 1, 2014
By Sara Wise Leave a Comment

Penny Behling Emerald Youth Dragon Boat Racing

Penny Behling teaches youth and mentors of Emerald Youth’s Just Lead program the fundamentals of dragon boat racing on Monday at Melton Lake Park. (Photos by Sara Wise)

On Monday, Dynamic Dragon Boats came to Oak Ridge to prepare locals for the city’s Inaugural Dragon Boat Race scheduled for May 31.

Monday’s event served as a beginner’s guide to the city’s first event, but also hosted young adults in Emerald Youth Foundation’s JustLead group.

Penny Behling and her husband, Chris, own the Dragon Boat company, a Knoxville firm that participates in dragon boat events around the country. The pair said the sport is really gaining interest in the Knoxville area, with inaugural events in Oak Ridge and Blount County scheduled this spring and summer, as well as Knoxville’s Dragon Boat race June 21.

Dragon boats are long canoe-like boats adorned with the faces of Chinese dragons. They hold teams of 20 with participants arranged by size.

Behling said dragon boat festivals are gaining steam in the area simply because dragon boating is easy to do. This year, she has five scheduled events in Tennessee, and more nationwide.

“It’s very popular,” she said. “People realize they can do it and that it doesn’t take a super fit human being. This is something anybody can do.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clubs, Community, Recreation, Sports, Top Stories Tagged With: Chris Behling, Dragon Boat Race, dragon boats, Dynamic Dragon Boats, Emerald Youth Foundation, JustLead, Keith Kahl, Mark Watson, New China Palace, Oak Ridge Rotary Association, Oak Ridge Rotary Club, ORRA, Penny Behling

Council does not extend traffic camera contract

Posted at 8:58 pm March 24, 2014
By Sara Wise 7 Comments

Traffic Camera at Oak Ridge Turnpike and New York Avenue

The Oak Ridge City Council did not extend the traffic camera contract with Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz., on Monday, and the current five-year contract expires April 21.

Note: This story was last updated at 8:30 a.m. March 25.

After five years, some vigorous opposition, and a few contentious meetings, the traffic cameras in Oak Ridge will be removed. The Oak Ridge City Council did not extend the five-year contract with the camera vendor, Redflex Traffic Systems, on Monday.

The vote to extend the contract for two years with a few changes was 3-4.

Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, Mayor Pro Tem Jane Miller, and Council member Charlie Hensley voted in favor of the extension. Council members Trina Baughn, Anne Garcia Garland, Chuck Hope, and David Mosby voted “no.” The current contract expires April 21.

Among the proposed changes, if an extension had been granted, were mobile units, different camera locations, and a new revenue split between the city and Redflex.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Anne Garcia Garland, Charlie Hensley, Chuck Hope, citations, David Mosby, Jane Miller, Jody Ryan, Joseph Lee, Miriam Wildgrouper, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge Turnpike, red light cameras, Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., Sharon Crane, speed limit, Tom Beehan, traffic cameras, Trina Baughn

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Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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