Oak Ridge Today

Guest column: Alexander supports Manhattan Project park in Oak Ridge

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

The Manhattan Project is one of the most significant events in American history, and according to some historians, it is the single most significant event of the 20th Century.

In 2004, I joined Sen. Jeff Bingaman as a cosponsor of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Study Act, which directed the Department of Interior to conduct a study of the Manhattan Project sites to determine the feasibility of including the sites in the National Park System.

In 2011, Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, recommended the creation of a Manhattan Project National Historical Park with units at Oak Ridge, Tenn.; Los Alamos, N.M., and Hanford, Wash. According to Secretary Salazar, “The Manhattan Project ushered in the Atomic Age, changed the role of the United States in the world community, and set the stage for the Cold War.”

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State officials issue fire advisory due to hot, dry conditions

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The number of fires across Tennessee has increased since mid-June, and state officials have issued a fire advisory due to the unusually hot, dry weather.

A burn ban is in effect in 18 of Tennessee’s 95 counties, including Sevier and Fentress.

Normally, burning permits are required by the state only during official fire season, Oct. 15 through May 15. But the Tennessee Forestry Division is asking residents to delay any outdoor burning or other activities that could cause fires until after the state gets a significant amount of rain.

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Oak Ridge property tax payments due July 31

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Oak Ridge property tax bills have been mailed, and property owners should have received them by now, city officials said this week.

Taxes are due by July 31. Fines will be added to taxes paid after that, a city press release said.

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Oliver Springs has new city manager

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Oliver Springs has a new city manager.

The Oliver Springs Town Council agreed last week to offer the job to Tina Treece, a former city recorder and interim city manager in Spring City, and she has accepted, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton.

Treece started Monday.

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Republicans look to November for repeal of health care law

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

Republican politicians looked to the November elections and a possible repeal of the health care law after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the controversial bill Thursday, including its requirement that people buy insurance.

“Congress should repeal the law and then proceed step-by-step to reduce the cost of health care so more Americans can afford to buy insurance,” said U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican.

In a statement, Alexander said the bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was a historic mistake, and he voted against it. He said it expanded a system the nation already couldn’t afford.

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Fleischmann shocked by Supreme Court health care decision

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U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann

Chuck Fleischmann

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann said he is shocked and disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold most of a health care overhaul that includes an individual insurance requirement.

“In my view, the entire law was unconstitutional,” said Fleischmann, a Republican whose district includes Oak Ridge.

The decision was announced Thursday morning. The justices voted 5-4 to leave in place the basic provisions of the controversial health care overhaul.

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Anderson County mayoral candidates spar over DOE support

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Two candidates for Anderson County mayor sparred over their support for the U.S. Department of Energy during a Tuesday forum at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

Democrat Warren Gooch said Republican Terry Frank has a low regard for DOE and has said so publicly.

But Frank said Gooch had mischaracterized her position.

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Clinton budget includes pay raise, no new taxes

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For the second year in a row, Clinton officials have approved a budget that does not include a property tax rate increase.

However, it does give 103 municipal employees a 2 percent pay raise, City Manager Roger Houck said Wednesday.

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Nonprofits release Congressional testimony for Manhattan Project park

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Two nonprofit organizations have released the testimony they are submitting to Congress this week for hearings on a Manhattan Project national park that would include Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan will testify at a Senate hearing at 3 p.m. today on behalf of the nonprofit Energy Communities Alliance. His testimony is available here.

The nonprofit Atomic Heritage Foundation has also released its testimony to the Senate and House, where Y-12 National Security Complex D. Ray Smith will testify at 10 a.m. Thursday.

The House testimony is available here, and the Senate testimony is available here.

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Former Lake City mayor ‘Buck’ Wilson dies at 83

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Former Lake City Mayor Virgil E. “Buck” Wilson died Sunday at the North Knoxville Medical Center in Powell. He was 83.

Wilson was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean War and later served two terms as Lake City’s mayor, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton.

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Girls Inc. receives $46,000 clean energy grant

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National Guard Armory

Girls Inc. has received a $46,000 state clean energy grant to replace the roof at the former National Guard Armory on Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Tennessee officials have announced a $46,164 clean energy grant to Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge to replace the roof at the former National Guard Armory.

The roof renovations will prepare Girls Inc. to complete other projects at the building on Oak Ridge Turnpike, such as installing a solar panel array and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, lighting, and energy-efficient windows, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said in a press release.

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League schedules Roane, Anderson candidate forums

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The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge has scheduled two forums in July for political candidates in Anderson and Roane counties.

The first forum starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 10, at the Clinton Community Center. Participants could include candidates for Anderson County mayor, property assessor, County Commission District 8, School Board District 3, and Oak Ridge City Council.

The second forum starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 12, in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Social Room. The forum could feature candidates for Roane County offices including property assessor, road superintendent, school board districts 5 and 6, as well as the two Oak Ridge City Council candidates.