The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce will host free and confidential one-hour business counseling sessions from 9-11 a.m. Wednesday.
Jutta Bangs, senior business specialist with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, will advise and assist future entrepreneurs and existing business owners.
To make an appointment for June or future scheduled sessions, call (865) 457-2559 or email accc@andersoncountychamber.org. To learn more about the TSBDC, visit www.roanestate.edu/tsbdc.
Natalie Erb
The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce announced the two winners of the R.C. “Dudley” Hoskins Volunteer Awards at their 3rd Annual “Tribute to Business” Dinner on June 6.
Natalie Erb, one of the two recipients, is co-owner of Allstate-The Erb Agency in Clinton. Natalie serves on the Chamber board, Youth Leadership Anderson County board, and Events Council, and she is currently enrolled in the Leadership Anderson County Class of 2015. A positive voice for the Chamber in the community, she has provided numerous hours of in-kind support to the Chamber.
Interested in the Chamber’s future, Natalie’s professional approach to business has been a driver to bring the Chamber to a higher level. Despite her busy schedule with business and family, she makes time to give back to the community.
Steve Sumner, the second recipient, is chief executive officer of Thermocopy of Tennessee and a longtime Chamber member. Steve serves on the Chamber board and Chamber Operations Council, offering support through financial and in-kind contributions. [Read more…]
The storefront of the Kroger Marketplace, under construction at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue. The new store is expected to open June 29.
A new traffic signal will be activated at the intersection of North Illinois Avenue (State Route 62) and Ivanhoe Road on Friday, June 20.
It’s part of the new Kroger Marketplace shopping center, the Westcott Center, at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue.
The signal will operate in flashing mode several days before it’s activated, a city press release said. Activation of the signal could be delayed due to bad weather. [Read more…]
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Proton Power was named 2014 Industry of the Year in Roane County. From left to right are Roane County Industrial Board Chair Tommy Thompson, Proton Power Human Resources Manager Sean Hensley, and Wade Creswell, president and CEO of The Roane Alliance. (Photos courtesy of The Roane Alliance)
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HARRIMAN—The annual Roane County Industry Appreciation Breakfast was held at the end of May at Roane State Community College. The Roane County Industrial Board announced this year’s Industry of the Year and Roane Beautification Awards.
The event was sponsored by the Harriman Utility Board and Rockwood Electric Utility.
Thom Mason, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was the guest speaker, speaking about how the lab wants to be used as a resource to businesses and industry in the state—and especially to Roane County. More than 95 percent of the lab is in Roane County. According to Mason, more than $450 million in products and services were spent by the lab last year, with around 40 percent of that being spent in the state, and much of that from local business and industry.
Mason spoke about specific examples of how ORNL was working with local businesses to help them grow and develop. He encouraged industries in attendance to reach out to them for their help with any challenges they may have.
“ORNL is a research and technology facility,” Mason said. “If we can help business and industry expand and ultimately grow jobs, then we have done our job.”
Proton Power was named 2014 Roane County Industry of the Year, and Volkswagen received the 2014 Roane Beautification Award. [Read more…]
Pictured above is the headquarters of Information International Associates on Union Valley Road in Oak Ridge.
Five-year contract could be worth $135 million
Information International Associates, or IIa, has been awarded a major 100-person, multi-year contract with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to provide a wide range of information technology support, a press release said.
The USPTO is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and it is an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its mission is “to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writing and discoveries” and to support the federal registration of trademarks.
“IIa continues to grow and to be recognized as a leader in IT services,” said IIa owner and Chief Executive Officer Bonnie C. Carroll. “In the past year alone, we have been awarded multiple new IT contracts in addition to our ongoing support to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information operations in Oak Ridge and at DOE Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and our contracts for IT infrastructure at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Maryland.”
In September 2013, II was awarded a U.S. Department of Defense contract to operate the DoD Homeland Defense and Security Information Analysis Center. In January 2014, IIa won a major, basic ordering agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to provide a wide range of IT support to the laboratory during the next five years. [Read more…]
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The 16th Annual Lavender Festival will be held on Saturday, June 21, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Oak Ridge’s Historic Jackson Square. This herb fair is a perennial favorite of folks from all around and focuses on all that is fresh, healthy, and good for the body and soul.
The Lavender Festival transforms Jackson Square into a hub of activity, information, fun, and of course, lavender. More than 100 vendors, exhibits, and demonstrations will offer products and information related to gardening, cooking, health, aromatherapy, and all things herbal.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” said Betsy Prine of Knoxville, who has attended the festival for about five years. “I love gardening. I love to see so many vendors together, and I love that it’s all natural.”
The Lavender Festival doesn’t just celebrate lavender. It also features the International Herb Association’s “Herb of the Year,” which this year is Artemisia. Artemesia isn’t just one herb, but a species which includes Tarragon, Mugwort, Wormwood, and Sweet Annie. Gardeners, cooks, and nature enthusiasts can be sure to find useful information about how to use Artemesia in healthy and beautiful ways. Visit the booth in front of the Jackson Square fountain to learn more about Artemesia this year. [Read more…]
Allen Schwartz, right, attorney for Lincoln’s Sports Grille, and restaurant consultant Roy McKinnon said Lincoln’s has made substantial changes.
Note: This story was last updated at 6:45 p.m.
The Oak Ridge Beer Board has suspended the beer permit of Lincoln’s Sports Grille for two weeks starting at midnight today (Monday).
The 14-day suspension will end just before midnight June 23. It was approved by Beer Board members in a 4-3 vote on Monday afternoon. Liquor and food sales are not affected.
Beer Board members said they weren’t satisfied with the remediation plan presented by Lincoln’s following a May meeting after an April fight.
“There is a cultural change that is occurring, but it has to occur faster,” Beer Board Chair Randy Tedford said. [Read more…]
Tim Isbel, president of the Rocky Top Marketing and Manufacturing Co., at a federal court hearing in May on Lake City’s proposed name change to Rocky Top.
Information from WYSH Radio
Officials in what is now called Lake City have announced that the City Council will meet on Thursday, June 26, at 5 p.m. to ratify the town’s name change to Rocky Top.
The name change is considered vital for the development of several attractions aimed at turning the sleepy town into a tourist destination for travelers along I-75, and it cleared its most significant hurdle a couple of weeks ago when a federal judge refused to issue an injunction to prohibit the name change from going forward.
The request for a preliminary injunction had been filed by the owners of the copyright to the song “Rocky Top,” who had argued that the name change amounted to a trademark violation. [Read more…]
The storefront of the Kroger Marketplace, which is under construction at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue. The new store is expected to open June 29.
The Kroger Marketplace is expected to open June 29.
The new, larger Kroger store is under construction at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue. Among other things, it will include a pharmacy, Little Clinic, Starbucks Coffee, Fred Meyer Jewelry, Sun Trust Bank, and fuel center.
The older, smaller Kroger store a few miles away on South Illinois Avenue will shut down after the Kroger Marketplace opens. The new 123,000-square-foot store is in a $33 million shopping center that is still under construction. The 25-acre site has been named the Westcott Center in honor of Ed Westcott, the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during the top-secret Manhattan Project in World War II. [Read more…]
Take a trip down under on Monday, June 9, where Outback Steakhouse in Oak Ridge will be serving up its signature steaks, seafood, sides, and more—with a portion of all sales going to support ADFAC’s work in the community. (Submitted photo)
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School is out, and Father’s Day is around the corner: These are just two of many reasons to celebrate with a Dine and Donate meal!
On Monday, June 9, five local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC. Officially launched last October, “Dine and Donate” is a yearlong event, with different restaurants participating on the second Monday of each month.
“Whether celebrating the fathers in our lives or simply beating the heat, dining out at least one of Monday’s Dine and Donate restaurants is a fantastic way to enjoy the season,” said ADFAC Board Member Cande Seay, who also chairs the Dine and Donate committee. “Plus, for kids of all ages who enjoy the outdoor pool in Oak Ridge, The Other One even offers poolside delivery!” [Read more…]
The Food Lion grocery store on Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge could close by June 20, a spokesperson said Thursday.
The Food Lion grocery store on Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge could close by June 20 because the company is not renewing its lease on the property, a spokesperson said.
Store employees were notified of the decision on Thursday, said Christy Phillips-Brown, a corporate spokesperson for Food Lion.
She did not know the precise number of employees at the Oak Ridge store, but she said there are, on average, about 40 associates at each store. [Read more…]
