Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge receives $500,000 housing grant

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Oak Ridge has received a $500,000 state housing grant from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.

The city will use the THDA funds to renovate and weatherize 63 owner-occupied, single-family homes in the Manhattan District Overlay zone, a press release said.

The grant award will be presented to the City of Oak Ridge at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 8, at 138 South Purdue Avenue in the Woodland neighborhood.

That property at the corner of South Purdue Avenue and Northwestern Avenue is the site of a recent project that is part of the city’s effort to renovate substandard houses. The City of Oak Ridge bought a blighted home there in April 2014 and demolished it in June 2014. [Read more…]

McKamey suspends state House campaign; Collins will be write-in candidate

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Herman Collins

Herman Collins

Michael McKamey of Clinton, who had been a candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 33, announced Tuesday that he has suspended his campaign, a party official said.

The campaign suspension was announced by Anderson County Democratic Party Chair Catherine Denenberg.

McKamey is supporting Herman Collins, who has announced as a write-in candidate in the Democratic primary for the same office, Denenberg said. Collins, who also lives in Clinton, now serves as the first vice chair of the Anderson County Democratic Party.

McKamey made his decision to suspend his campaign due to a family illness that is requiring his full attention, Denenberg said. [Read more…]

Council approves budget with no tax increase, more money for schools

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Note: This story was last updated at 12:15 a.m.

The Oak Ridge City Council approved a budget on Monday that does not include a property tax rate increase, but it does include more money for schools and it anticipates increases in the trash fee and water and sewer rates.

The budget passed in a 6-1 vote in the first of two readings this month. The second and final reading is Monday, June 13.

Council rejected one motion to lower the $2.52 property tax rate by 4.4 cents and another to take away the additional $538,048 requested by Oak Ridge Schools and put it into the capital fund instead.

The budget does not increase the property tax rate for the ninth year in a row. After five-year reappraisals last year, the rate is now set at $2.52 per $100 of assessed value.

As approved on first reading Monday, the budget includes a 3 percent pay adjustment that will move municipal employees along their pay scales, helping to separate those who have worked for the city for a while from those who have just started. The school budget, which was approved by the Oak Ridge Board of Education in May, also includes 3 percent salary increases. [Read more…]

Dodson—teacher, community leader—running for City Council

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Jim Dodson

Jim Dodson

Jim Dodson, an Oak Ridge art teacher and community leader, has announced that he will be a candidate for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.

Dodson, a teacher with Oak Ridge Schools for 29 years, has a strong record of community service and leadership on several civic boards and organizations, a press release said.

“I will definitely work alongside my Oak Ridge and East Tennessee neighbors for a better quality of life in our community,” Dodson said. “I hope to give our residents a voice on City Council and continue to promote excellent educational opportunities for all our kids and young adults.

“I will also continue to help recruit businesses and families to Oak Ridge as the place to relocate. I look forward to working as an Oak Ridge City Council member to maintain and improve all city services while providing safe and thriving neighborhoods. It’s my vision that what Oak Ridge has to offer should not be a secret anymore.” [Read more…]

Small business owner seeks to retain seat on County Commission

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Angeleque McNutt

Angeleque McNutt

Anderson County Commissioner Angeleque McNutt wants to keep her seat on County Commission, and she has announced that she is a candidate in the August 4 election.

McNutt, who owns Rainbow Florist in Oak Ridge, was appointed to replace Robin Biloski on Anderson County Commission when Biloski resigned on August 3 because she and her husband Bill moved to Madeira Beach, Florida.

McNutt now represents District 8, one of two commissioners in that district (Myron Iwanski is the other commissioner). The district includes Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, and Woodland in Oak Ridge.

McNutt’s appointment to the seat by the County Commission in August 2015 was through the August 2016 county general election. [Read more…]

Boy Scouts place flags on veterans’ graves for Memorial Day

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Boy Scouts Visit Grave of James Johnston May 28 2016

Boy Scout Troop 328 visits the grave of James Johnston, an Eagle Scout from the troop and veteran who died last year, at Anderson Memorial Gardens on Saturday, May 28, 2016, for Memorial Day. (Photo courtesy Boy Scouts)

 

Boy Scout Troop 328 from Kern United Methodist Church met at the church and proceeded to the Anderson Memorial Gardens where they were met by members of the American Legion Post #199 with a breakfast donated by Bojangles of Oak Ridge.

The Troop had 20 scouts and 10 adults participate in placing a flag on each veteran’s grave within the cemetery. After placing the flags, they visited the grave of James Johnston, an Eagle Scout from the troop and veteran who died last year, to pay their respects.

Next, the Troop went over to Woodhaven Memorial Gardens (Tennessee Valley Memorial Gardens). After placing the flags, they were treated to refreshments by the cemetery staff and were done around noon. On Tuesday, May 31, they planned to meet to retrieve the flags and retain them for next year’s placement. [Read more…]

MORE2 meeting on June 14 for residents who want to reduce electrical use

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There will be a public meeting on Tuesday, June 14, for the Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient, or MORE2, a program meant to reduce electrical use in all-electric homes that are at least 20 years old.

The meeting is an opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about the application process for qualified, low-income Oak Ridge residents, a press release said.

The meeting is scheduled from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, June 14, in the Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church, which is at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Information on other energy saving programs will also be available for those who do not qualify for the MORE2 program. MORE2 representatives will be at the meeting to help interested applicants complete applications, the press release said. [Read more…]

Part of Manhattan Avenue to be rebuilt, closed for about three weeks

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Manhattan-Avenue-and-Northwestern-Avenue-June-3-2016

Road work is scheduled to begin Monday, June 6, 2016, on a small portion of Manhattan Avenue between South Purdue Avenue and Northwestern Avenue. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A short section of Manhattan Avenue will be rebuilt, and that section of the street could be closed for about three weeks.

The work is scheduled to start Monday, June 6, on Manhattan Avenue between South Purdue and Northwestern avenues.

Manhattan Avenue will be closed there to through traffic, and alternate routes could be in place for about three weeks, a press release said. Only residents will be allowed access to the roadway and their driveways.

“A road reconstruction is a major project for the City of Oak Ridge, as usually we only mill and resurface streets,” the press release said. “Due to the subsurface failure of this portion of Manhattan Avenue, reconstruction of the roadway is necessary.” [Read more…]

City representatives attend Energy Communities Alliance conference, meet with DOE officials

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Watson Klaus and Hope at DOE Headquarters

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, left, and City Council member Chuck Hope, right, meet with David Klaus, the U.S. Department of Energy under secretary for management and performance, at DOE Headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

Oak Ridge City Councilman Chuck Hope and City Manager Mark Watson recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend a conference sponsored by the Energy Communities Alliance, or ECA. The ECA is the membership organization of local governments that host or are located near U.S. Department of Energy sites. The ECA supported attendance at the meeting with travel grants to the participants.

The two-day conference focused on DOE’s Environmental Management program. DOE staff made presentations on topics such as waste disposition, accomplishments in the cleanup mission, fiscal year 2017 budget planning, and a “view from the secretary’s office,” a press release said.

Additional sessions were held on the local government role in cleanup agreements, and working with local communities to improve contracting, the press release said. Hope helped lead a session on fiscal year 2017 appropriations and implications for DOE cleanup, while Watson was a panelist in a session on the future of DOE contracting. [Read more…]

See the city manager’s budget presentation here

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Oak Ridge Today has uploaded a copy of the city manager’s budget presentation to Oak Ridge City Council. You can see a PDF version of the budget presentation here: City of Oak Ridge (Fiscal Year 2017 Budget).

Council received the PowerPoint presentation during a special meeting on Tuesday.

Here are a few highlights from the Tuesday meeting: [Read more…]

ORHS junior running for City Council, wants to represent youth

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Mark Lenoir

Mark LeNoir, right, a junior at Oak Ridge High School, is running for Oak Ridge City Council in November. (Submitted photo)

 

A 17-year-old junior at Oak Ridge High School is running for Oak Ridge City Council, and he said he wants to represent the city’s youth on the seven-member body.

Mark LeNoir, the first candidate to publicly announce a City Council campaign this year, at least to Oak Ridge Today, will turn 18 on October 5, about one month before the November 8 election.

On Wednesday, LeNoir said he kicked off his campaign a few weeks ago at a banquet for Youth Leadership of Oak Ridge at the DoubleTree Hotel.

“My biggest thing is that there is a lot of unrepresented youth in this town,” LeNoir said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. “It’s kind of stayed on the same path for the last 20 years. I want to get change happening.”

LeNoir said he wants more cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, including possibly having the city take over the American Museum of Science and Energy, or AMSE, and Clark Center Park. [Read more…]

Norris Dam added to National Register of Historic Places

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TVA Norris Hydoelectric Project

TVA Norris Hydoelectric Project (Submitted photo)

 

Norris Dam is one of three Tennessee sites added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 20, state officials said Wednesday.

The Tennessee Historical Commission announced the addition of the three sites. Besides Norris Dam, the other two sites are Jefferson Street Historic District in Brownsville in Haywood County and Kenner Manor Historic District in Nashville.

Norris Dam is referred to as the Norris Hydroelectric Project. Built in Anderson and Campbell counties between 1933 and 1936, the Norris Hydroelectric Project was the first project for the newly established Tennessee Valley Authority, a press release said. Named after Nebraska Senator George Norris, who advocated for public power facilities, the dam and associated properties provided electricity to the rural areas of Tennessee and the surrounding states, helped with seasonal flood control, and provided power for wartime industries.

Norris Hydroelectric Project had a dramatic impact on the landscape since people were displaced when Norris Lake was flooded, recreation areas were created, and the community of Norris was built, the press release said. [Read more…]