Oak Ridge Today

Guest column: Majority of families, staff favor balanced calendar

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Christopher J. Marczak

Christopher J. Marczak

By Chris Marczak

The voting results for the 2015-16 school calendar year in Oak Ridge have been counted.

Parents and staff members were called Monday, Feb. 10, and asked if they preferred a balanced calendar or a traditional calendar for all schools, including Willow Brook and the PreSchool, for the 2015-16 school year.

The traditional calendar is the calendar that most of the Oak Ridge Schools have had for quite a while. Students come to school in the middle of August, have a one-week fall break, two weeks off for winter, a one-week spring break, dismissal at the beginning of June, and an eleven- to twelve-week summer.

The balanced calendar is a new calendar that Oak Ridge has never had before. It is called a balanced calendar due to the balance that it gives for instructional time in the classroom—about nine weeks at a time. Students typically arrive for school the first week in August, have a two-week fall break, two weeks off for winter, two weeks off for spring break, dismissal at the beginning of June, and a seven- to eight-week summer. The balanced calendar is not like the Willow Brook Elementary or PreSchool calendar where students start school in mid-July and have three-week breaks. [Read more…]

Anderson County budget director resigning to take Lake City job

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Chris Phillips

Chris Phillips

CLINTON—Chris Phillips, Anderson County accounts and budget director, has resigned his position effective Feb. 21 to take a job as city recorder in Lake City.

“As many people know, Lake City is my hometown,” Phillips said in a press release. “They have struggled for the last few years in keeping someone qualified in the city recorder’s position.”

Phillips said the state mandates that each municipality must have a certified municipal finance officer on staff, and his designation as a certified government financial manager satisfies this requirement.

“Lake City is embarking on an historical time with the change to become Rocky Top,” Phillips said. “The leaders of Lake City have reached out to me, and I felt compelled to contribute in the areas (in which) I have considerable skill, education, certification, and experience.” [Read more…]

Significant snowfall possible, forecasters say; one to five inches locally

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A major winter storm hitting the Southeast on Tuesday and Wednesday could dump three to five inches in the Tennessee Valley and southern Cumberland Plateau, and six to nine inches in the mountains, the National Weather Service in Morristown said.

Accumulations in Anderson and Roane counties could range between one and five inches from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning. Knoxville and Knox County are expected to get between three and five inches.

The forecast near Oak Ridge calls for a 20 percent chance of snow as early as Tuesday night, with a low of 26 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of snow all day, with a high of 36 and a low of 27. The chance of snow falls to 20 percent on Thursday, with a high of 43.

A local winter storm watch is in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday. [Read more…]

Second and final state approval granted for Oak Ridge Mall redevelopment

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Oak Ridge Mall Concept Plan Featured

The site plan for the redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall shows a multi-use, town center development with retail, office, hotel, and residential properties. (Submitted image)

The two state approvals required for the $13 million tax financing agreement for the proposed redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall have now been granted.

Tennessee Comptroller Justin P. Wilson notified mall redevelopment representatives of his approval in a Feb. 5 letter.

Earlier, in January, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development notified project representatives that it had approved the proposed tax increment financing, or TIF, but would not issue a separate letter.

Under Tennessee law, the comptroller and ECD both had to approve the TIF after considering whether its use is in the state’s best interest. The comptroller said it was in the Feb. 5 letter.

ECD approval was granted in a different manner. In a January e-mail, ECD General Counsel Sharon Kolb said the department had received the request for a “best interest” determination for the Oak Ridge Mall on Dec. 19. Since the department did not approve or deny the request within 30 days, it was deemed approved under the Tax Increment Financing Act, Kolb said. [Read more…]

No damage to house in Monday afternoon chimney fire

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Louisiana Avenue Chimney Fire

There was no damage to a Louisiana Avenue home that had a Monday afternoon chimney fire. (Photo by Tom Scott)

There was no damage to a Louisiana Avenue home during a chimney fire on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

The chimney fire occurred at about 4:55 p.m. Monday at 330 Louisiana Ave., Oak Ridge Fire Department Chief Darryl Kerley said. The fire was contained in the chimney with no damage to the house, Kerley said.

Police ID driver who died in Sunday morning crash

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Hillside Road Fatal Crash

The Oak Ridge Police Department has identified the driver who died in a crash early Sunday morning after hitting a utility pole on Hillside Road near the intersection with Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Oak Ridge Police Department has identified the driver who died in a crash on Hillside Road early Sunday morning.

The driver was Hobert L. Mitchell, 32, of Oak Ridge, the ORPD said in a press release.

Mitchell was driving a white 2003 Nissan Murano registered to Jordan Jones, also of Oak Ridge, the release said.

Mitchell’s body was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where an autopsy was to be performed, and the investigation of this incident remains ongoing, the ORPD said. [Read more…]

Woman faces first-degree murder charge in death of boyfriend’s uncle

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Tammy Sue Chapman

Tammy Sue Chapman

A former Claxton woman is facing a first-degree murder charge for her alleged role in the death of a 79-year-old man whose body was found hidden underneath an apartment staircase on Patt Lane two years ago.

Tammy Sue Chapman, 45, was indicted on the murder charge by an Anderson County grand jury on Feb. 4. She was arrested Friday.

She and her boyfriend Norman Lee Follis Jr., 50, both now face the first-degree murder charge.

The victim, Sammie J. Adams, 79, of Patt Lane in Claxton, was Follis’ uncle. [Read more…]

Honors: Norwood Elementary names teacher of the year

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Amy Gaskins

Amy Gaskins

Amy Gaskins, a fourth-grade teacher, has been named the 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year at Norwood Elementary School in Oliver Springs.

Gaskins has been teaching at Norwood, which are part of Anderson County Schools, since 2006. She taught first grade for six years, and this is her second year teaching fourth grade.

In addition to teaching, Gaskins in the coordinator for the UTrust program, sponsor of The National Junior Beta Club, and co-sponsor of the Spelling Bee Club, a press release said. [Read more…]

Wealth management adviser to discuss women, money with Altrusa Club

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Ali Swofford

Ali Swofford

An independent wealth management adviser will discuss women and money during a Wednesday meeting of the Altrusa Club of Oak Ridge.

The presentation by Aleen “Ali” Swofford is titled “Women and Money—Taking Charge of Your Financial Future.”

The meeting will take place at the Oak Ridge Utility District office conference facility at 120 S. Jefferson Circle.

“Women often face unique financial challenges that their male counterparts don’t,” Swofford said in a press release. “They have longer life expectancies, and may have less income and therefore reduced savings as they head into retirement. Women are also more likely to take a career break at some point to be a caretaker, and we tend to invest too conservatively.” [Read more…]

Former Sweet Honey in the Rock member to lead music workshop at ORUUC

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Ysaye M. Barnwell

Ysaye M. Barnwell

Ysaye M. Barnwell, a former longtime member of Sweet Honey in the Rock, an a cappella group, is returning to Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church to lead a three-night workshop series: Evolution of African-American Music from Africa to Civil Rights.

The evenings of singing and learning will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 20, 21, and 22 at ORUUC, a press release said. ORUUC is located at 1500 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Those who attend will experience singing in the African-American tradition of music from Africa to the civil rights era, the press release said. The workshop begins on Thursday, Feb. 20, with the chants of Africa and the diaspora. Spirituals and slave songs will be the focus on Friday, Feb. 21. The series will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 22, with songs of the civil rights era. [Read more…]

Free small business start-up seminar on Feb. 28

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A free Feb. 28 workshop will give small business owners and entrepreneurs a better understanding of how to start a new business.

The workshop is from 11:30 a.m.– 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The workshop is offered by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center.

Registration is required. To see more details, and to register, please visit www.roanestate.edu/tsbdc. For questions, contact Jutta Bangs at (865) 483-2668 or jbangs@tsbdc.org.

A Hero’s Welcome: Community thanks soldier returning from Afghanistan

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Welcome Home Sgt. Neal Martin

An estimated 150 people welcome home U.S. Army Sgt. Neal Martin, who served 10 months in Afghanistan.

It might have been the first organized welcome-home ceremony for a veteran returning home from overseas in more than two decades. Organizers hope it won’t be the last.

An impromptu, grassroots ceremony on Monday morning welcomed home U.S. Army Sgt. Neal Martin, who returned to Oak Ridge after serving for 10 months in Afghanistan.

Val Emery, a friend of Martin’s wife Julie Martin, was the chief organizer.

“Every soldier deserves a hero’s welcome,” said Emery, who described herself as a “military brat” whose grandfather was killed in Laos in 1966 and has his name inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. [Read more…]