Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge fire chief selected to serve on state commission

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Darryl Kerley

Darryl Kerley

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has announced the appointment of Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley to the Commission on Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education as a representative of the Tennessee Fire Chief’s Association, the Tennessee Fire Safety Inspectors Association, and the Tennessee Fireman’s Association.

The appointment is effective immediately and runs through July 31, 2020, a press release said.

Kerley has more than 37 years’ experience in fire and emergency services, serving in various capacities for several East Tennessee agencies, including fire chief for the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department, rescue technician and diver for the Knoxville Rescue Squad, and fire chief for the U.S Department of Energy at the K-25 Gaseous Diffusion plant in Oak Ridge.

In a letter to Kerley, Haslam stated: “I consider it very important to ensure that Tennessee’s boards and commissions are filled with the most dedicated and qualified citizens. I believe your participation is certain to leave a positive impact on this board and the work it does.” [Read more…]

Reminder: National Night Out today features food, family-friendly activities

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Bucket Ride

The National Night Out celebration on Saturday, October 11, will feature bucket rides on an Oak Ridge Electric Department bucket truck. (Submitted photo)

 

This is a reminder: The National Night Out celebration at A.K. Bissell Park today will feature free food, family-friendly activities for children and adults, and crime prevention presentations and information.

The National Night Out is from 3-7 p.m. Saturday, October 11, at A.K. Bissell Park near the Oak Ridge Civic Center. The community is invited.

The Oak Ridge Police Community Resource Office and the Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program will host the 2014 National Night Out celebration, a crime prevention program promoted by National Association of Town Watch. This year marks the 31st anniversary of this community-police partnership, a press release said.

Magician Danny Whitson will perform feats of magic during the celebration. Festivities will also include Oak Ridge Police K-9 demonstrations, the Mobile Meth Lab exhibit, safety and health exhibits, Oak Ridge Electric Department bucket rides, drug abuse prevention information, Doug LaVerne on steel drums, music, and games. Child fingerprinting and bike registration will be offered. In case of rain, the celebration will move into the Civic Center. [Read more…]

Contractor, businessman seeking seat on City Council

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Rick Chinn

Rick Chinn

Rick Chinn, a lifetime resident of Oak Ridge, is seeking a seat on the Oak Ridge City Council in the upcoming November 4 election.

Chinn, who is a licensed contractor and local businessman, serves on a number of nonprofit boards and has been active as a civic leader in working to improve the quality of life for all Oak Ridge families, a press release said.

Chinn explained his reasons for seeking to serve on City Council.

“A lot of people in Oak Ridge have invested their time and energy over the years to help me better understand and appreciate how rewarding it is to live and work in Oak Ridge,” he said in the press release. “I have worked hard to continue that tradition of excellence by volunteering my time and resources over the past 20 years. I want to ensure that my children have the same opportunities in the future that have been provided to me. I am ready to work hard for the future of Oak Ridge.” [Read more…]

Updated: Anderson County building commissioner faces charges in TBI case

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David Lynn Crowley

David Lynn Crowley

Note: This story was updated at 3 p.m.

Anderson County Public Works Director David Lynn Crowley was arrested Thursday morning by agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on five charges of violating state laws dealing with having the proper licenses to perform building inspections.

In a press release, the TBI said Crowley, 62, of Clinton, is accused of performing building inspections he wasn’t certified to do. Crowley was indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury. He is charged with five misdemeanor counts of violating the state’s building official certification law.

Crowley was booked into the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton at 9:45 a.m. Thursday and released on a $1,000 bond a little more than an hour later. [Read more…]

Lincoln’s able to sell beer again while appeal pending

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Lincoln's Sports Grille

Lincoln’s Sports Grille on South Illinois Avenue is pictured above on Monday evening.

 

They weren’t able to sell beer for more than a month, but an agreement reached with a city board in September, modified on Thursday, and approved by a judge on Friday allows Lincoln’s Sports Grille to resume selling the alcoholic beverage for now.

The Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board revoked Lincoln’s beer permit on August 28. The revocation went into effect immediately.

But Lincoln’s has appealed that decision and had asked that the revocation be put on hold while the legal case is pending. On September 16, the Beer Board agreed in a 5-2 vote.

The board’s agreement was initially conditioned upon a list of 13 items. One of the conditions, which would have required an owner to be present at all times, has since been removed. (The board approved the removal in a 4-0 vote on Thursday after a pair of split 2-2 votes.) [Read more…]

DFET: Meet the candidates on Thursday

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A local organization is sponsoring a Meet the Candidates event from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, October 9, in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Gymnasium. It’s been organized by Democracy for East Tennessee, and residents of Anderson and surrounding counties are invited, a press release said.

Candidates for the following offices have been invited: Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Tennessee House of Representatives 33rd District, State Senate 5th District, 3rd U.S. Congressional District, and U.S. Senate.

The election is November 4. The October 9 event will offer residents a chance to become better informed and acquainted with candidates by meeting with them on an individual basis at a single event, a press release said. [Read more…]

Presidential museum, Baker Center director featured at AMSE meeting Thursday

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Alan Lowe

Alan Lowe

Alan Lowe, director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas, will be the featured speaker this week in the third of a series of community meetings on the future of the American Museum of Science and Energy.

The community meeting is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, October 9, at AMSE.

Lowe was previously founding director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Thursday’s meeting has been organized by the City of Oak Ridge and the American Museum of Science and Energy Foundation. Lowe’s presentation is titled “The Path Forward for AMSE: Lessons Learned from a Life in Museums.” [Read more…]

Engineering design contractor running for City Council

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Gary Love

Gary Love

Gary Love, an engineering design contractor, is running for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 4 municipal election.

“I am a proud native of Oak Ridge—and I am ready to roll up my sleeves to work with the people to make this community an even better place to live in the 21st century,” Love said in a press release.

Love said he grew up in the Woodland Community and graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1974. After graduating from East Tennessee State University in 1979 with a degree in biology, he went to work for the city of Chattanooga.

Later, he extended his education with a two-year degree in computer engineering and joined the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga, where he spent 18 years as a power design engineer, the press release said.

“I’m glad to be back in Oak Ridge, where I live with my wife, Toni,” Love said. “We have three grown children, including my son, who now works with me at Tennessee Valley Authority, where I work as a contractor in engineering design. We also have a teenage granddaughter.” [Read more…]

Senior Citizen Appreciation Day in Clinton

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Information from WYSH Radio/Submitted

Several organizations and businesses have organized a Senior Citizen Appreciation Day today (Tuesday, October 7) in Clinton.

It’s today (Tuesday, October 7) from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., rain or shine, at The Underwood Pavilion at the Clinton Fairgrounds.

Join organizers for a fun-filled day of music, games, free barbecue lunch, door prizes, flu shots, blood pressure checks, and lots of information on health issues, and health insurance, a press release said. There will be entertainment by Clinton’s own “Golden Girls” at 2 p.m. “You won’t want to miss this!” the press release said. [Read more…]

Developer, businessman running for City Council

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Eric Tobler

Eric Tobler

Local developer and businessman Eric Tobler is running for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 4 election.

“I love Oak Ridge,” Tobler said. “I have committed myself to do all I can, to help Oak Ridge reach its full potential. I’m all in, personally and financially.”

Tobler is probably most well-known for the Crossroads at Wolf Creek subdivision, which if located off Illinois Avenue. It provides Oak Ridge with a big part of the new housing inventory for the area, a press release said.

Tobler graduated from Oak Ridge high school in 1983. He is also a graduate of Roane State, with two degrees, one in contemporary management and the other in technology. He has also received a bachelor’s degree from Tusculum College in business administration.

Professionally, he is the chief executive officer of Tobler Enterprises and the managing partner for the CRWC partnership. He is a licensed general contractor and a licensed real estate agent, with Linda Brown Realty. [Read more…]

Three speakers to discuss three proposed constitutional amendments

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Corinne Rovetti

Corinne Rovetti

Two college professors and a co-director of a reproductive health center will discuss three proposed constitutional amendments that will be considered by Tennessee voters in the November 4 election.

The proposed amendments will be discussed during a Tuesday evening forum in Oak Ridge.

Corinne Rovetti, co-director and family nurse practitioner for the Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health, will address Amendment 1, which deals with reproductive choice and privacy, a press release said. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs, Rocky Top receive grants for water, sewer system improvements

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Governor Bill Haslam

Bill Haslam

State officials announce 80 Community Development Block Grants

Oliver Springs received a $525,000 grant for sewer system improvements, and Rocky Top (formerly Lake City) received a $360,840 grant for water system improvements, Tennessee officials announced last week.

Oliver Springs and Rocky Top were among the Tennessee communities that will receive funding after Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty approved more than $28 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to help with infrastructure, health and safety projects, and downtown improvements, a press release said.

The Oliver Springs grant will be matched with $225,000 in local funding (for $750,000 in total funding), and the Rocky Top grant will be matched with $27,160 in local funding for a total of $388,000. [Read more…]