To the Editor:
To answer Marion Burger’s letter and maybe a question that has been bothering me and probably other folks too.
Why were there only Baptists listed in a list of citizens supporting placing “In God We Trust” on the Anderson County Courthouse?
An Anderson County committee this evening will discuss legal and liability issues associated with placing the national motto “In God We Trust” on the County Courthouse in Clinton.
The Anderson County Commission agreed in a 12-4 vote last month to put the motto on the courthouse, although there were some unanswered questions about design and legal liability. The commission referred the decision to the Anderson County Operations Committee, which will discuss it at 6 p.m. today in Room 312 of the County Courthouse.
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank says the county commission chairman has made accusations against her related to county travel and vehicle policy, but she has violated no laws.
CLINTON—Her honesty has been questioned, and she has been the subject of a politically motivated smear campaign, Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said.
Anderson County Commission Chairman Chuck Fritts has accused her of taking advantage of taxpayers by using a county car and accepting travel payments, Frank during a Monday morning press conference at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.
Terry Frank
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank has called a Monday morning press conference to address what she has called “false allegations,” a Thursday afternoon press release said.
“During that time, Mayor Frank will address false allegations brought against her by county commissioners,” the release said. “No other information will be released prior to Monday’s press conference.”
Tom Byrge, director of missions for Clinton Baptist Association, explains a proposal to put the national motto “In God We Trust” on the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.
Note: This story was last updated at 9:26 a.m. Feb. 20.
CLINTON—Despite some unanswered questions about design and legal liability, the Anderson County Commission voted 12-4 on Tuesday to put the national motto “In God We Trust” on the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.
The vote came after more than an hour of discussion during a sometimes-raucous, standing-room-only meeting that, at times, resembled a church service.
Supporters of the proposal outnumbered opponents.
“We don’t want to impose our religion on anybody,” said Kelly Bates, an Anderson County resident and mother of Commissioner Zach Bates. “However, we think it’s unfair and unjust for our children to be robbed of our Christian heritage.”
Terry Frank
Pastors at about 50 churches in Anderson County have asked to put the motto “In God We Trust” on the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton, the county mayor said in a report to county commissioners.
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said that putting the motto on the courthouse wouldn’t cost the county anything. Instead, it would be funded by donations from churches, businesses, and individuals, she said.
Originally scheduled to open two hours late, the Anderson County Courthouse is closed today due to the winter storm that dropped a sheet of ice on local homes, driveways, and roads Thursday night.
Schools in Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Anderson and Roane counties are closed. The Y-12 National Security Complex has restricted access to essential employees, and Oak Ridge municipal offices are scheduled to open at noon.
The U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office announced that it had delayed its opening until 10 a.m. for employees of the Oak Ridge Office, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site Office, Oak Ridge Environmental Management Site Office, Oak Ridge Nuclear Energy Site Office, and Office of Scientific and Technical Information.
Oak Ridge Schools will be closed Friday, and the Anderson County Courthouse will open two hours late due to the threat of a major winter storm with freezing rain and ice.
Anderson County officials said they would continue to monitor the weather along with local emergency officials and make changes as necessary.
The phone system at the Anderson County Courthouse began working again at about 2:25 p.m. today.
The system had been down earlier today due to a reported cut in a fiber optic cable between Knoxville and Chattanooga.
Most Internet connections had also been down, said Leean Tupper, assistant to Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank.
A reported cut in a fiber optic cable between Knoxville and Chattanooga has knocked out telephone service and most Internet connections at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.
Workers are unable to call from the building, and residents are unable to call in, said Leean Tupper, administrative assistant to Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank.
“We apologize, but we’re waiting on our phone provider to fix the problem,” Tupper said early Wednesday afternoon.
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.
The Anderson County Commission will have a public hearing on Monday, Dec. 10, to hear citizens’ concerns about the Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department’s proposal to start a subscription/membership service.
The public hearing will start at 7 p.m. in Room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse at 100 N. Main St. in Clinton.
