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Robertsville LEGO team headed back to world tournament

Posted at 12:30 pm December 11, 2012
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Robertsville Middle School LEGO Team

Robertsville’s LEGO team receives a check for $1,000 as the school wins the East Tennessee LEGO Tournament, advancing to the world tournament next spring. From left are Marie Westfall of Oak Ridge Associated Universities and Robertsville students Maddy Buckner, Eric Thornton, Caden Webb, and Rhyannon Karney. (Submitted photo)

Oak Ridge’s Robertsville Middle School’s LEGO team—using miniature robots to perform required functions on a table—has once again earned a spot in next spring’s world LEGO tournament in St. Louis after winning Saturday’s East Tennessee championship in Cookeville, a press release said.

The team only found out two weeks before the region tournament that it was going to be able to compete after having earlier had to cancel.

“The last two weeks have seen us being at school about three to four days a week from after school until the end of the day,” said Lisa Buckner, one of Robertsville’s coaches. “What was really cool was the fact the kids who had dropped out because of other commitments that came up still came back to help the team get ready. In the end, the whole team worked to finish it even though only four could come to the tournament.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Top Stories Tagged With: LEGO, LEGO tournament, Lisa Buckner, Robertsville Middle School

Public hearing on Andersonville Fire subscription plan draws huge crowd

Posted at 11:57 am December 11, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

An overflow crowd of Andersonville residents unhappy about the Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department’s subscription plan jammed the hallways on the third floor of the Anderson County Courthouse on Monday to express their anger and frustration over the new fees scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1.

The fire department says it needs an increase in revenue or it will have to close its doors. But many citizens call the subscription plan “extortion.”

Earlier this year, the department’s board of directors voted to implement the plan after donations continued to lag far behind budgetary needs.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Commission, Anderson County Courthouse, Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department, AVFD, fees, Operations Committee, subscription plan

After week of debate, Beehan re-elected mayor, Miller vice mayor

Posted at 8:29 pm December 10, 2012
By John Huotari 13 Comments

Tom Beehan

Tom Beehan

Jane Miller

Jane Miller

After a week of spirited public debate, the Oak Ridge City Council re-elected Tom Beehan to a third term as mayor in a 4-3 vote on Monday.

He narrowly beat Oak Ridge City Council member David Mosby, who announced his candidacy this past weekend.

Council also re-elected Jane Miller to a third term as vice mayor—or mayor pro tem—on Monday. She received four votes, and Mosby, who hadn’t sought the position, received three.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: 2012 Election, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Jane Miller, mayor, mayor pro tem, Oak Ridge City Council, Tom Beehan, vice mayor

Y-12 protesters’ trial rescheduled to May

Posted at 3:38 pm December 10, 2012
By John Huotari 2 Comments

The federal trial against the three protesters accused of sneaking into the Y-12 National Security Complex in July and vandalizing a uranium storage building has been reset to May 7.

It had most recently been set for Feb. 26, 2013. But the U.S. Attorneys’ Office said last week that the date would likely change after a federal grand jury in Knoxville returned new three-count indictments against the three defendants—Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, and Michael R. Walli.

The new indictments, which supersede earlier three-count indictments from August, added a more serious charge of injuring national defense premises. That charge carries a longer prison sentence of up to 20 years.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Police and Fire, Top Stories, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, Michael R. Walli, protesters, security breach, U.S. Attorneys' Office, U.S. District Court, U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley Jr., Y-12 National Security Complex

Two outdoor classrooms dedicated at Anderson County schools

Posted at 11:45 am December 10, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Dutch Valley Elementary School Outdoor Classroom

Dutch Valley Elementary School students, Theresa Beavers from Lowes, and Principal Jennifer Foust after a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating a new outdoor environmental classroom. (Submitted photo)

Construction has been completed on new outdoor environmental classrooms at Dutch Valley and Fairview Elementary Schools in Anderson County. Students, officials, and volunteers celebrated with a Nov. 20 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The open air classrooms were built with a $20,000 grant awarded to Keep Anderson County Beautiful in the spring of 2012, a press release said. The grant was from Lowes Charitable and Educational Foundation.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Education, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Schools, Dutch Valley Elementary School, Fairview Elementary School, KACB, Keep Anderson County Beautiful, Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, outdoor environmental classrooms, Ruby Miller

Anderson County has Christmas open house Dec. 19

Posted at 10:13 am December 10, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Anderson County will have a Christmas open house on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

The open house is scheduled from 2-4 p.m.

Employees will be collecting new stuffed animals for foster children in Anderson County.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Christmas, open house

Chamber of Commerce announces parade award winners

Posted at 9:47 am December 10, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Christmas Parade

The Oak Ridge Christmas Parade on Saturday featured floats and more than 100 businesses, clubs, and community organizations. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has announced the winners of six awards at Saturday’s Christmas parade.

Here is a list of the winners:

  • Spectacular Sparkles Award—TransTech
  • Elfin Magic Award—Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association
  • Spirit Award—Girl Scouts
  • Director’s Award—Oak Ridge High School WildBand
  • Chamber Award—Calvary Baptist Church
  • Judge’s Award—Oak Ridge Electric Department
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Top Stories Tagged With: Christmas parade, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

Organizations help move Christmas toys for children

Posted at 4:22 pm December 9, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Kiwanis and Enrichment Federal Credit Union

Members of the Oak Ridge Kiwanis, Enrichment Federal Credit Union, and Keys clubs in Oak Ridge and Clinton help move toys and gifts at the Holiday Bureau. (Submitted photo)

Members of the Oak Ridge Kiwanis, Enrichment Federal Credit Union, and Keys clubs in Oak Ridge and Clinton recently helped move toys and gifts at the Holiday Bureau, preparing them for distribution later to needy families.

The Kiwanis Club of Oak Ridge announced last month that it was collecting toys, games, books, stuffed animals, and movies through Dec. 4 to give to the Holiday Bureau.

The Holiday Bureau distributes them to families with children before Christmas, selecting recipients based on household income.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Top Stories Tagged With: Christmas, Enrichment Federal Credit Union, Holiday Bureau, Keys Club, Kiwanis Club of Oak Ridge, toys

Council to elect mayor, vice mayor; could hire shelter veterinarian

Posted at 3:41 pm December 8, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Council will appoint a mayor and vice mayor on Monday, one month after the Nov. 6 election.

Council will also consider hiring a full-time veterinarian at the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter and approving a pair of $17,000 demolition contracts for two city-owned homes.

The current mayor, Tom Beehan, and vice mayor, Jane Miller, have both asked to be appointed to a third two-year term. In Oak Ridge, the mayor and vice mayor—officially called mayor pro tem—are also council members, and they are appointed after each municipal election.

There has been some public opposition to re-appointing Beehan as mayor. It has been led by new Oak Ridge City Council member Trina Baughn.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Top Stories Tagged With: demolition, housing specialist, James T. Akagi, Jane Miller, Mark S. Watson, Matt Jinks, Matt Widner, mayor, Oak Ridge Animal Shelter, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Police Department, Tom Beehan, Trina Baughn, veterinarian, vice mayor

Oak Ridge, Woman’s Club light Christmas tree

Posted at 2:45 am December 8, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Christmas Tree Lighting

The Oak Ridge Woman’s Club and the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department had the annual Christmas tree lighting at A.K. Bissell Park on Friday night.

Several hundred people attended the annual Christmas tree lighting and concert at A.K. Bissell Park and Civic Center on Friday night.

It was sponsored by the Oak Ridge Woman’s Club and the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department.

Entertainment after the tree lighting included music by the Jefferson Middle School Orchestra, a Linden Elementary School chorus, and the Oak Ridge Community Band.

Filed Under: Community, Top Stories Tagged With: A.K. Bissell Park, Christmas tree, concert, lighting, Oak Ridge Civic Center, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department, Oak Ridge Woman’s Club

ETEC presents 2012 Muddy Boot awards, Young Professional Medal

Posted at 1:35 am December 8, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Jim Campbell

Jim Campbell

Bonnie Carroll

Bonnie Carroll

The East Tennessee Economic Council on Friday named three new recipients of the Muddy Boot Award, a tribute to individuals who through their work and community activities make East Tennessee a stronger region. It also presented the eighth annual Postma Young Professional Medal.

This year’s Muddy Boot honorees were Bonnie Carroll, chairman of the board and chief knowledge officer of Information International Associates, or IIa; Jenny Freeman, vision implementation manager of Strata-G; and Jim Campbell, president of ETEC.

The 2012 Postma Young Professional Medal winner was Rebecca Crowe, small business advocate for Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Top Stories Tagged With: Bonnie Carroll, East Tennessee Economic Council, IIa, Information International Associates, Jenny Freeman, Jim Campbell, Muddy Boot Award, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Postma Young Professional Medal, Rebecca Crowe, Strata-G

Opposed to nuclear weapons work, Y-12 protesters refused to plead guilty

Posted at 12:44 am December 8, 2012
By John Huotari 1 Comment

The Fruit of Justice is Peace Slogan on HEUMF at Y-12

Three anti-nuclear weapons activists who sneaked into the Y-12 National Security Complex on July 28 allegedly splashed human blood and, quoting Proverbs, sprayed paint on the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility. The protesters also hammered the building, causing it to chip, and strung up crime scene tape. (Submitted photo)

The three protesters who vandalized a uranium storage building at Y-12 National Security Complex in July said they would not accept a plea deal from the federal government earlier this year, even though prosecutors threatened to charge them with more serious sabotage crimes.

“We chose to exercise our constitutional right to a jury trial and refused to bow down to their threats,” the trio said in a statement released Wednesday. “We remain convinced that making and refurbishing nuclear weapons at Y-12 is both illegal under U.S. and international law, and it is also immoral. Ultimately, we are required to follow the law of love and our consciences.”

Calling themselves Transform Now Plowshares, the three protesters—Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, and Michael Walli— allegedly cut through fences at Y-12 before dawn on Saturday, July 28, entered a high-security area where deadly force is authorized, and splashed human blood and spray-painted slogans on the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, where bomb-grade uranium is stored.

On Tuesday, a federal grand jury in Knoxville returned a new charge against the trio for this summer’s unprecedented intrusion. The new count of injuring national-defense premises carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years, longer than any of the earlier potential penalties.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Police and Fire, Top Stories, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: federal grand jury, Greg Boertje-Obed, Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, indictment, intrusion, Megan Rice, Michael Walli, nuclear weapons, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, plea deal, protesters, security breach, Transform Now Plowshares, U.S. District Court, uranium processing facility, Y-12, Y-12 National Security Complex

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