An image from an Anderson County Fair poster from 2009.
The annual week-long Anderson County Fair in Clinton ends today (Saturday).
See the Anderson County Fair website for more information, including admission prices and a schedule.
Chuck Fritts
Chairman Chuck Fritts is seeking re-election to the Anderson County Commission, representing District 1. District 1 includes the Bull Run and Claxton precincts.
“It has truly been an honor and a privilege to represent the residents of District 1 on the Anderson County Commission,” Fritts said in a press release. “I take very seriously the trust that you have placed in me, and it is my desire that you will allow me to continue to serve you and, working with my fellow commissioners, to move Anderson County forward.”
First elected in 2002, Fritts said he brings valuable experience, knowledge, and leadership to the Anderson County Commission and has worked hard to represent the residents of District 1.
“He has taken this position very seriously and has worked long hours to do the job he felt he was elected to do,” the press release said. “He is not only well-known throughout Anderson County, but also throughout the state of Tennessee.” [Read more…]
From left to right are Anderson County Veterans Affairs Officer Leon Jaquet, General Sessions Judge Ron Murch, and Assistant Commissioner Don Smith. (Submitted photo)
Judge Ron Murch recently met with Anderson County Veterans Affairs Officer Leon Jaquet and Tennessee Assistant Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Don Smith to discuss the implementation of a Veterans Court/Docket in the Anderson County General Sessions Court. Smith has been visiting judges in East Tennessee to discuss the commencement of veterans courts, a press release said.
The Veterans Court/Docket would operate within the framework of the existing Sessions Court and would identify veterans within the court system, the release said. It would coordinate services available to them through the VA that would assist with drug and alcohol problems, stress problems, and other needs such as housing, education, job training, medical services, or any other services or VA benefits available to them. The Veterans Court/Docket would involve mentors, who are also veterans, that would assist veteran defendants in getting to court and to any scheduled appointments for services, and working with the County Veterans Office to coordinate available benefits. [Read more…]
Steve Fritts
Steve Fritts is seeking re-election to the Anderson County School Board in District 7, which includes the Pine Valley, Glenwood, and Highland View precincts in Oak Ridge.
Fritts, who has lived in the district since his youth, was first elected in 2010, a press release said.
Fritts graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1967, and he was an All-State football player, the release said. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in history. Fritts also served as captain of the Vanderbilt Commodore football team in the early ’70s.
Fritts worked as a carpenter until his retirement and was a member of Local 50. [Read more…]
Harborside Rowing at the at the 2014 USRowing Club National Championships in Oak Ridge. (Photos courtesy USRowing)
By Ella Odland/USRowing
“‘Olé, olé, olé,’ rang out across Melton Hill Lake Friday morning as crews battled for the title of club national champion in the first bout of finals at the 2014 USRowing Club National Championships.
The “olé” cheer could be heard during every race in which Harborside Rowing competed. Harborside won a gold medal in the lightweight women’s intermediate pair and two silver medals—one in the women’s senior four with coxswain and one in the lightweight women’s intermediate pair.
“We still have a lot to go; we are very excited,” said Harborside coach Hugo Guardo. “We hope the next three days are also good. It was a great day for Harborside.”
As for the unique “olé” cheer, Guardo says that it stems from his Mexican heritage, and it is something the crew has done for a few years now.
“It is one of the first things the kids learn,” Guardo joked. [Read more…]
Submitted
The location and time of the Oak Ridge After Dark event tonight has been changed due to rain and storms expected to remain in the region this evening. The event will now take place in the gymnasium of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, and the movie will start promptly at 7 p.m. No chairs can be brought into the facility, but blankets are allowed and the bleachers will also be available for seating.
“Although the weather poses a threat, we plan to keep the momentum of Oak Ridge After Dark going,” said Sam Jones, Oak Ridge After Dark coordinator. “The plan to host the event inside the Civic Center gym will ensure safety and comfort for all attendees. We hope a large crowd will come out to support the second installment of the series.”
The theme of tonight’s After Dark event is Pirate Night. Children are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters in conjunction with each theme. Themed characters will be on hand for photo opportunities. Visit the Historic Oak Ridge Facebook page or http://oakridgevisitor.com/2014/07/01/oak-ridge-after-dark/ for a complete list of scheduled films.
The After Dark series also includes a Comedy Night on Friday, August 8, followed by Hero Night on Friday, August 15. [Read more…]
Note: This story was updated at 3:15 p.m. July 18.
Almost 1,000 people attended the first-ever After Dark event in Oak Ridge last week, and the summertime entertainment series continues again this week, with Pirate Night scheduled for Friday, July 18.
The movie, “The Goonies,” will be be shown indoors in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Gymnasium because of the rain. It’s expected to start around 7 to 7:30 p.m. The Civic Center is at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
Call the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau at (865) 482-7821 or visit the Historic Oak Ridge Facebook page for details or questions.
Children are encouraged to dress as their favorite character in conjunction with the movie, a press release said. Characters from the movie will be on hand for photo opportunities.
“So, bring your blankets to sit on the gymnasium floor or you can sit on the gymnasium bleachers,” the press release said. “Get out of the rain and enjoy a movie with your fellow Oak Ridgers!” [Read more…]
Paul White
Eighteen of the 26 people indicted on drug-related charges by an Anderson County grand jury in June and July have been arrested, Sheriff Paul White said Thursday. Four were arrested in June after the indictments were returned, and the other 14 have been arrested since Monday, the sheriff said in a press release.
The arrests are the result of long hours of hard work by investigators of the Sheriff’s Special Operations Unit, White said. The agencies that cooperated in the investigations were the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, the Clinton Police Department, the Oak Ridge Police Department, the Rocky Top (Lake City) Police Department, the 7th Judicial District Crime Task Force, and the District Attorney General’s Office.
“Our thanks for the teamwork from all the law enforcement agencies involved in these investigations,” which are ongoing, White said.
Here is the list of those arrested and their charges, as reported by the Sheriff’s Department: [Read more…]
The USRowing Club National Championships started Wednesday and ends Sunday at the Oak Ridge Marina. (Photo courtesy USRowing)
Story courtesy USRowing/Luke Reynolds
Crews from across the country ranging in every age and skill level converged on Oak Ridge this week for the 2014 USRowing Club National Championships, which started Wednesday and ends Sunday on Melton Hill Lake.
Philadelphia’s Vesper Boat Club is the defending overall team points trophy winner. The team brought nearly 200 junior men and women to compete on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J., in 2013 and also took the men’s and women’s trophies to sweep the event.
This year, around 1,500 athletes from 80 different clubs will be participating in the event, which is hosted by Oak Ridge Rowing Association.
“The city is really trying their best to welcome people to Oak Ridge,” said Oak Ridge Rowing Association President Terry Holley. “The businesses are very excited for this regatta and all regattas hosted by USRowing. [Read more…]
The main entrance to Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge is pictured above at night. (Photo courtesy Covenant Health)
Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge tied for fourth in the state in an annual ranking of America’s best hospitals compiled by U.S. News and World Report.
MMC tied for fourth with Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in Knoxville. Covenant Health’s third major medical center, Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville, ranked ninth in Tennessee.
All three were in the Top 10 for metro areas, a press release said. All three were lauded for high performance in a variety of specialties such as gastroenterology and GI surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and pulmonology, among others. All three hospitals also achieved patient satisfaction levels that are higher than national and state averages. [Read more…]
Kathie Creasey, right, holds a sign during Thursday’s protest against Oak Ridge Schools’ expanded parent responsibility zone. The zone change eliminates transportation services for students who live within 1.5 miles of their school. (Photo by Sara Wise)
Critics of Oak Ridge Schools’ expanded parent responsibility zone protested Thursday morning at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue.
Laurie Paine, who lost her daughter, Ashley, at the intersection in 2007, joined almost 15 other parents and community members to rally for change.
“I don’t want anyone to go through what my family went through,” Paine said. She started a Facebook page to unite community members who were against the walk zone and used that website to spread the word of the protest.
Robertsville Middle School parent Kathie Creasey became emotional at the protest, saying that her own son was close to Ashley. She was protesting because she doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her kids. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer, left, and Oak Ridge Schools Assistant Superintendent Chris Marczak say a Wednesday change in how mileage is calculated could reduce the number of students affected by a new “parent responsibility zone” for transportation from 1,800 to 1,300. Marczak says his family is also affected by the expanded zone, where bus service is not provided.
The Wednesday change in how bus service is mapped could help about 500 students, reducing the number of children affected by expanded zones where parents will have to provide transportation to schools from 1,800 to 1,300, officials said.
Those students would have been in the expanded 1.5-mile “parent responsibility zone,” where bus service is not provided and parents have to arrange transportation. The expanded parent responsibility zone, which is also sometimes called a PRZ or walk zone, was approved by school officials in June.
Oak Ridge school officials announced Wednesday that they were changing how the 1.5 miles is calculated, switching from a 1.5-mile radius measured by air (also known as “as the crow flies”) to actual walking distance. That means the expanded no-bus service zone will now affect fewer families. Parents called the change a small but positive step.
Even with the modification, though, parents continue to have concerns. The protests kicked into high gear last week, and some parents expressed concerns during a Wednesday evening meeting at Girls Inc. Among the concerns were children who have to cross busy roadways or pass by the homes of registered sex offenders.
“We are paying property taxes, and our children’s safety should come first,” parent Beverly Heun said. “Our transportation should not have been cut.” [Read more…]
