Oak Ridge Today

City to consider giving $30,000 per year to General Sessions Court

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Anderson-County-General-Sessions-Court-Interior-Oak-Ridge-Nov-19-2015

The 18-month lease on the Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, on Bus Terminal Road in Oak Ridge expires in June, and Anderson County commissioners are taking steps to move the court to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road. The interior of the courthouse on Bus Terminal Road is pictured above. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider approving $30,000 in funding per year for five years for the Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, in Oak Ridge.

The money would be used for court operations and capital costs. Council will consider the funding during its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, April 10, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

Anderson County commissioners have cited the expected Oak Ridge contribution in their discussions of keeping the court in Oak Ridge and moving it from a private building on Bus Terminal Road to a county-owed building on Emory Valley Road.

The City of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge City Council have supported having the General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge since its start on February 1, 1993, City Manager Mark Watson said in an April 4 memo to Council members. [Read more…]

TSBDC hosts free export seminar

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The Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Roane State Community College is hosting a free workshop for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to learn more about succeeding in the global marketplace.

The free workshop covers export financing options (Ex-Im Bank), logistics and freight forwarding, compliance, legal issues, and information about export assistance available, a press release said.

If you are just exploring exporting, or have done international business in the past, this workshop is for you, the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge receives $2 million wastewater loan

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The City of Oak Ridge has received a $2 million state wastewater loan, officials said Friday.

The loan is for the city’s Infiltration and Inflow Correction project. It will be used to rehabilitate approximately 30,000 linear feet of sewer line, a state press release said. The project will be funded with a 20-year, $1,860,000 loan with an interest rate of 1.89 percent and $140,000 in principal forgiveness that will not have to be repaid, Tennessee officials said.

The loan was announced Friday by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau. They said that three communities have been approved to receive more than $9.3 million in low-interest loans for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.

“The State Revolving Fund Loan Program helps citizens enjoy a better quality of life by assisting communities with current and future infrastructure needs for improved environmental health,” Haslam said.

Tennessee’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund Loan Program has awarded more than $1.7 billion in low-interest loans since its inception in 1987, the press release said. Tennessee’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Loan Program has awarded more than $296.2 million in low-interest loans since its inception in 1996. [Read more…]

Georgia judge to speak at Roane State forum on April 12

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Michael C. Clark

Michael C. Clark

Judge Michael C. Clark of Gwinnett County, Georgia, will discuss his career as a family court judge in the Atlanta area for the spring 2017 Roane State Social and Behavioral Science Forum.

The forum will be at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus at 701 Briarcliff Avenue. It’s scheduled from 12:30-2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, in the City Room (A111).

Clark, born and raised in Macon, Georgia, served for more than 21 years as Superior Court Judge in Gwinnett County. He became a member of the bar in 1980, worked briefly as a law clerk for a Superior Court Judge in Floyd County (Rome), as an assistant district attorney in Gwinnett County, and as a private lawyer before being elected to the bench in 1992. He was re-elected five times.

Before being elected to the bench, Clark had a reputation as an excellent trial and appellate lawyer, a press release said. In March 2014, he stepped down to return to the private practice of law. As a trial judge, he presided over approximately 150 jury trials and handled about 30,000 cases. [Read more…]

Reminder: Egg Hunt is Saturday in A.K. Bissell Park

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A previous Oak Ridge Egg Hunt is pictured above. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

A previous Oak Ridge Egg Hunt is pictured above. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

Reminder: The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2017 Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8, at 11 a.m. Hundreds of children are expected to participate in this annual spring event, a press release said. More than 15,000 candy and prize-filled eggs will be hidden in Alvin K. Bissell Park with a first-, second-, and third-place prize egg in each age group.

This event will be held rain or shine, so participants should dress for the weather, the press release said. If severe weather prevents hiding the eggs outdoors, they will be given away in the gym and a drawing will be held for the prizes.

Participants should arrive early and assemble in the Civic Center gymnasium prior to 11 a.m. The children will be divided into separate age groups and will be escorted to their respective hunt areas. The hunt is targeted for children age four through fourth grade. [Read more…]

Roane BOE backs off school consolidation plan

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Information from WYSH Radio

Meeting in a special session Thursday night in the auditorium of Roane County High School in Kingston, the Roane County School Board voted to scrap its controversial plan to consolidate the county’s five high schools into one 2,200-student “mega-school.”

Earlier this year, the School Board voted to move forward with a plan to combine Harriman, Midway, Oliver Springs, Rockwood, and Roane County (commonly called Kingston) high schools and passed it along to the County Commission for consideration. The proposal, however, parked an immediate backlash, as many parents—especially those from the Midway and Oliver Springs school zones—voiced concerns, specifically about the increased travel time for students to and from school. [Read more…]

Retired Oak Ridge school teacher, historian to discuss pre-Oak Ridge women

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The 1920's brought significant progress for women. (Submitted photo)

The 1920s brought significant progress for women, a press release said. (Submitted photo/ORHPA)

 

A retired Oak Ridge school teacher and historian will discuss the women who lived in this part of East Tennessee before Oak Ridge was built during World War II.

Eugene Pickel will also pay tribute to retired Oak Ridge teacher Catherine Ledgerwood during his talk to the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association on Thursday.

“Women are more equal today than ever in history,” Pickel said in a press release. “I thought I would describe women generally as they were in our area—Kingston, Clinton, Oliver Springs—before Oak Ridge was created. Then I thought I would go to Catherine Ledgerwood—the most creative change agent I have ever known. Her impact on young people was, and still is, remarkable!”

Oak Ridge was built during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project, a federal project to make the world’s first atomic weapons. The Manhattan Project production site that became Oak Ridge displaced century-old family farms and small crossroads communities: Scarborough, Wheat, Robertsville, and Elza. (Some have historical markers.)

The Thursday night ORHPA meeting starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at the Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project program: Celebrate National Junior Ranger Day at AMSE on April 15

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MAPR JR RANGER

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park encourages families to visit the park this week as part of National Park Week.

“Kids of all ages are invited to come learn how to explore, learn, and protect your national park on April 15, and become an official Junior Ranger,” a National Park Service press release said.

Visit https://www.nps.gov/mapr/oakridge.htm for a preview of the planned activities.

All participants will receive Junior Ranger badges or patches and a certificate upon completion of the program, the press release said. Junior Ranger activity guides may be obtained at the park visitor desk located in the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

“The program is designed for kids ages 8 to 12 years old, but is available to anyone young at heart,” the press release said. “Come out to explore, learn, and protect your national park.” [Read more…]

Author to discuss the Civil War, how it affected Morgan County

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Aaron Astor

Aaron Astor

 

Author Aaron Astor of Maryville College will discuss the Civil War and how it affected Morgan County in Wartburg on April 15.

The program, which includes a discussion and book signing, is hosted by Obed Wild and Scenic River. It’s scheduled from 1-2 p.m. Saturday, April 15.

Astor is the author of the book “The Civil War along Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau,” and he will be on hand to sign copies of his book following the program, a press release said. [Read more…]

Cybersecurity brown bag lunch on Monday: ‘Cyber Hygiene for Individuals and Small Businesses’

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The Cyber and Information Security Consortium, or CISC, and the University of Tennessee’s Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy have partnered to hold monthly brown bag lunches to hear talks on key topics regarding cybersecurity, a press release said.

The next lunch will take place next week in the UT Outreach Center in Oak Ridge, and it will be on the subject of cyber hygiene.

Topic: “Cyber Hygiene for Individuals and Small Businesses”

Speaker: Scott Partelow, managing consultant for enterprise solutions at Sword and Shield Enterprise Security [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Environmental Management has community budget workshop on Wednesday

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OREM Community Budget Workshop 2017

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management has a community budget workshop on Wednesday.

The annual workshop is scheduled from 4:30-6 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, in the U.S. Department of Energy Building 2714-G at 235 Laboratory Road in Oak Ridge.

Topics include the federal budget process, near-term priorities and plans, a question-and-answer session with the audience, and how to build on Oak Ridge’s recent cleanup successes.

Roane board to discuss school consolidation plans this evening

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Roane County School Board will have a work session at 6:30 p.m. today (Thursday, April 6) to revisit an earlier decision to begin the process of consolidating the five high schools in Roane County into one larger school.

The work session will be in the auditorium of Roane County High School in Kingston.

The board is meeting at the high school due to what is expected to be a large crowd. The proposal to consolidate the high schools has met with vocal resistance, especially from parents of students attending Midway and Oliver Springs high schools, who say the proposal would seriously affect travel time to and from school, making trips for students there much longer. [Read more…]