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Former AC school employees charged with theft

Posted at 1:54 pm February 17, 2022
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Two former Anderson County Schools employees have been charged with stealing more than $10,000 in a two-year period between January 2018 and January 2020.

Heather Dawn Heatherly, 44, of Jacksboro, and Stephanie Leann Jenkins, 43, of Powell, were indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury on a single felony count of theft or more than $10,000 but less than $60,000 on February 1.

“The investigation was initiated by a complaint from a merchant that was concerned about the types of purchases being made with a government account,” said Dave Clark, Seventh Judicial District attorney general in Anderson County. “The Anderson County Schools promptly reported the matter to the Sheriff’s Department and suspended the employees.”

The lengthy investigation that followed included the ACSO, Anderson County Schools, Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, and the District Attorney General’s Office.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Courts, Education, Front Page News, K-12, Slider Tagged With: Anderson County Schools, Dave Clark, Heather Dawn Heatherly, Russell Barker, Stephanie Leann Jenkins, theft, Tim Parrott

Many schools closed due to illness

Posted at 1:54 pm January 20, 2022
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A graph of COVID-19 case counts in the Knoxville-Knox County region through Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, by the Tennessee Department of Health.

Many schools in the area are closed this week due to illness, but Oak Ridge Schools have remained open.

Anderson County Schools were closed Wednesday and Thursday and will remain closed Friday “due to staffing concerns related to illness.”

Clinton City Schools were open Wednesday but closed Thursday, and they will remain closed Friday due to student illness.

Knox County Schools were also closed Wednesday and Thursday and will remain closed Friday “due to staffing challenges related to illness.” The school system cannot shift to virtual learning district-wide because of rules established by the Tennessee Board of Education, Knox County Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas said in a letter to families. But individual schools may have to switch to virtual learning in the next several weeks depending upon absences, and the district could submit waiver applications to the Tennessee Department of Education.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: COVID-19, Education, Front Page News, Health, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Schools, Bob Thomas, Campbell County Public Schools, Clinton City Schools, COVID-19, flu, illness, Knox County Schools, Loudon County Schools, Oak Ridge Schools, Roane County schools, virtual learning

AC Schools switches to online learning, cancels extracurricular activities

Posted at 4:32 pm December 14, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Anderson County is switching to online teaching starting Tuesday and canceling extracurricular activities because of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases and quarantines, among other considerations.

The changes could be in effect through January 5.

Here is what the school system posted online:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: COVID-19, Education, Front Page News, Health, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Schools, COVID-19, online learning

AC Schools, Clinton Community Center closing

Posted at 10:33 am March 16, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Anderson County Schools will be closed through the end of Spring Break on March 27, and extracurricular activities are being suspended. The Clinton Community Center will be closed through at least March 30.

The school system closure is to be cautious and to be in accordance with the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about social distancing, Anderson County Schools said.

The school system is closing its buildings to all outside organizations.

Teachers and staff members were expected to report to work on Monday, March 16 to begin preparing an alternative education plan for students.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, COVID-19, Education, Health, K-12 Tagged With: Anderson County Schools, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Clinton Community Center, coronavirus, COVID-19, Roger Houck, social distancing

Current risk of coronavirus is low, but schools, health dept. provide info

Posted at 6:39 pm February 28, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The immediate risk of the coronavirus in the United States is believed to be low, but Oak Ridge Schools, Anderson County Schools, and the Anderson County Health Department are providing information to help respond to the emerging public health threat.

“Oak Ridge Schools is committed to keeping our students and staff safe and are currently working to determine the appropriate steps to address the potential coronavirus outbreak,” the school system said in a message sent to staff members on Friday afternoon. “We are communicating with the Anderson County Health Department to attain the latest information and recommendations from federal, state, and local authorities.”

Oak Ridge Schools said it will use that information to create a plan to keep students and staff safe.

“Staff, students, and parents will receive information regarding a coronavirus plan should the implementation of such action become necessary,” the message said.

The school system said it will communicate with students, staff, and parents about the importance of consistently practicing these recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Education, Front Page News, Government, Health, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Health Department, Anderson County Schools, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronavirus, COVID-19, face masks, Oak Ridge Schools

Oak Ridge Schools delayed two hours

Posted at 5:55 am December 11, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

Oak Ridge Schools are delayed two hours Wednesday.

Snow fell in East Tennessee starting Tuesday afternoon, and the National Weather Service in Morristown warned of possible ice on roads in some spots on Wednesday morning due to sub-freezing temperatures combined with snow, ice, and residual moisture on roads.

Anderson County Schools are closed Wednesday due to the weather and road conditions.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Slider, Weather, Weather Tagged With: Anderson County Schools, Clinton City Schools, ice, Oak Ridge Schools, snow

Arctic front brings snow to East Tennessee; some schools closed, delayed

Posted at 7:52 am November 12, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Snowfall Forecast Nov 12 2019
A snowfall forecast map by the National Weather Service in Morristown at 3:36 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019. (Image courtesy NWS Morristown)

An Arctic front brought snow to East Tennessee early Tuesday morning, and some schools will be closed or start later than normal.

A small amount of snow fell in Oak Ridge, maybe a half-inch or so. Oak Ridge Schools are operating on normal schedules.

Anderson County Schools and Clinton City Schools are both closed due to road conditions.

Roane State Community College campuses are opening at 10 a.m. local time.

The forecast for the Knoxville area called for a 50 percent chance of snow before 10 a.m. Tuesday. Conditions were expected to be cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 33.

The temperature is forecast to drop to about 16 degrees overnight Tuesday night before warming about 10 degrees on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service said widespread record cold is spreading from the Plains eastward toward the East Coast.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Slider, Weather, Weather Tagged With: Anderson County Schools, Arctic front, Arctic Storm, Clinton City Schools, East Tennessee, National Weather Service, NWS, Oak Ridge Schools, snow

For members: With no increase, AC schools budget could have $1.4 million in cuts

Posted at 1:07 pm May 17, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Without a tax rate increase or other new revenues, the Anderson County Schools budget could include more than $1.4 million in cuts, compared to last year, school officials said during an Anderson County Board of Education meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

CLINTON—Without a tax rate increase or other new revenues, the Anderson County Schools budget could include more than $1.4 million in cuts, compared to last year, school officials said Thursday.

There are already $650,000 in cuts included in the budget, according to information presented by Tim Parrott, director of Anderson County Schools, during an Anderson County Board of Education meeting on Thursday. That budget, which the school board approved last month, would have required about $820,000 in new revenue, said Scott Gillenwaters, chair of the school board’s Budget Committee.

Without a tax rate increase or other new revenues, the Anderson County Schools budget could include more than $1.4 million in cuts, compared to last year, school officials said during an Anderson County Board of Education meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

CLINTON—Without a tax rate increase or other new revenues, the Anderson County Schools budget could include more than $1.4 million in cuts, compared to last year, school officials said Thursday.

The cuts could include reductions in elementary school, middle school, and high school positions, and Central Office, technology, custodial, and maintenance staff; cuts to materials and supplies, and band equipment at the high schools; not finishing the gymnasium at Grand Oaks Elementary School; cutting a full-time nurse, high school coaching supplements, and a school resource officer vehicle; and reductions to transportation safety, special education assistants, and City of Rocky Top field maintenance, among a long list of potential cuts.

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If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 Note: Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. Some are considered premium content. This story is premium content. Premium content can include in-depth, investigative, and exclusive stories.

Filed Under: Anderson County, Education, Education, Front Page News, Government, K-12, Premium Content, Slider Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Board of Education, Anderson County Commission, Anderson County Schools, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, balanced budget, BOE, cuts, Jerry White, John S. Burrell, pay raise, property tax rate, schools budget, Scott Gillenwaters, tax rate increase, Tim Parrott

County Commission has special budget meeting Monday

Posted at 11:00 am May 6, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Commission will have a special budget meeting on Monday afternoon. The meeting is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Monday, May 6, in Room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

During the special meeting, the Anderson County Commission will review the recommendations of the Budget Committee, discuss them, and then send the Commission’s recommendation’s back to the Budget Committee.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Commission, Anderson County Schools, budget, Budget Committee, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Oak Ridge Schools

SR 116 closed after landslide in north Anderson County

Posted at 12:51 pm February 7, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

State Route 116 is closed Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, in north Anderson County between Indian Fork Lane and Bunch Cemetery due to a slide after heavy rains on Wednesday, Feb. 6. (Photo courtesy Tennessee Department of Transportation)

A section of State Route 116 is closed Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, in north Anderson County due to a landslide after heavy rains on Wednesday, Feb. 6. (Photo courtesy Tennessee Department of Transportation)

 

Note: This story was updated at 12 p.m. Feb. 8.

A section of State Route 116 was closed Thursday morning in north Anderson County after a landslide following heavy rains on Wednesday, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The hillside alongside and beneath the road gave way, and part of the road collapsed.

TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi said there is no timeline for how long the road might be closed, but it will be a long-term closure.

On Friday, WYSH Radio in Clinton reported that one lane of the road was open. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Slider, State, Weather, Weather Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Schools, Bunch Cemetery, Clinton High School, heavy rain, Indian Fork Lane, landslide, Mark Nagi, SR 116, State Route 116, TDOT, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tim Parrott

ACSD: Juvenile suspect confesses to making bomb threat at Claxton Elementary

Posted at 5:28 pm November 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A juvenile suspect has confessed to making the bomb threat that forced the evacuation of Claxton Elementary School on Tuesday, authorities said.

The bomb threat to the elementary school was reported to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department just before noon on Tuesday.

The school was immediately evacuated, and students and staff were placed off property at Zion Baptist Church. Students were not able to return to school and were dismissed from the church, according to a press release from Tyler Mayes, director of administrative services for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Education, Front Page News, K-12, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Schools, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, bomb threat, Claxton Elementary School, Greg Deal, Russell Barker, Tyler Mayes

Claxton Elementary evacuated Tuesday after bomb threat; nothing found

Posted at 8:18 am October 31, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Note: This story was last updated at 9:15 a.m.

Claxton Elementary School was evacuated Tuesday when a bomb threat was reported, and the school was searched but nothing was found, authorities said.

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to the school after the bomb threat was reported just before noon Tuesday.

All students were evacuated and moved to Zion Baptist Church on the other side of the Claxton Volunteer Fire Department on Clinton Highway, said Tyler Mayes, director of administrative services for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Claxton, Front Page News, Knox County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Schools, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, bomb threat, Claxton Elementary School, Knox County Sheriff’s Department, Tyler Mayes

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