• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds

Dodson, Hope, Vogel win City Council seats

Posted at 10:22 pm November 8, 2016
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Jim Dodson

Jim Dodson

Jim Dodson, Chuck Hope, and Hans Vogel won the three open seats on Oak Ridge City Council, according to unofficial results in Anderson and Roane counties.

Dodson, a Jefferson Middle School art teacher who has been heavily involved in community and volunteer activities, received a total of 6,902 votes, including 5,957 in Anderson County and 945 in Roane County. He collected the most votes in Anderson County.

Hope, the only incumbent in the race, received 6,040 votes, with 5,016 in Anderson County and 1,024 in Roane County. He was the top vote-getter in Roane County.

Vogel, an Oak Ridge National Laboratory employee who, like Dodson, was making his first run for a City Council seat, earned 4,439 votes, with 3,568 in Anderson County and 871 in Roane County. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Election, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anne Garcia Garland, Charlie Hensley, Chuck Hope, Hans Vogel, Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, Mark LeNoir, Oak Ridge City Council, Roane County, Trina Baughn, Wende Doolittle

Dodson, Hope, Vogel lead in early voting for City Council

Posted at 8:28 pm November 8, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Jim Dodson Cropped

Jim Dodson

 

Note: This story was updated at 9:15 p.m.

Jim Dodson, Chuck Hope, and Hans Vogel lead in early voting in Anderson County for Oak Ridge City Council, according to unofficial results posted on the Anderson County Election Commission website on Tuesday evening.

Dodson, running for City Council for the first time, had 4,088 early votes. Hope, the only incumbent, had 3,398. Vogel, who is also making his first run, received 2,544.

There are three open seats on the seven-member City Council. Two incumbents, Trina Baughn and Charlie Hensley, did not seek re-election.

Dodson, Hope, and Vogel also have a lead in early voting in Roane County, according to unofficial results posted at 8:33 p.m. Tuesday. Hope led with 853 early votes, Dodson had 786, and Vogel had 762. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Election, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Election Commission, Anne Garcia Garland, Charlie Hensley, Chuck Hope, early voting, Hans Vogel, Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, Mark LeNoir, Oak Ridge City Council, Trina Baughn, Wende Doolittle

Letter: Garcia Garland will steer Oak Ridge toward best decisions for citizens at large, not just privileged few

Posted at 10:01 am October 31, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Letters Leave a Comment

To the Editor:

I am writing to endorse Anne Garcia Garland for Oak Ridge City Council. She is kind, smart, and principled as are many of the other candidates. However, she unlike others, has no potential conflicts of interest: she is not an employee of any city entity, including the school system, nor is she a member of the Chamber of Commerce, which receives substantial monies from the City of Oak Ridge. She was not endorsed by the Chamber PAC either, which suggests that she will not be beholden or easily influenced by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce while sitting on Council.

Anne, unlike another City Council candidate, has never been a commenter on the website reportedly owned and maintained by a sitting School Board member, a site where fellow citizens are bullied and belittled.

And finally, I believe Anne has the temperament to be a good public servant. She has never, to my knowledge, threatened or “joked” about putting a sitting city council woman “six feet under.” Some readers may remember the details of an incident in which that so called “joke” was made public, an incident which I shall not revisit with any further detail now. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Letters, Opinion Tagged With: Anne Garcia Garland, City of Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Oak Ridge City Council

Hope responds to PAC endorsements

Posted at 9:44 am October 24, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Chuck Hope

Chuck Hope

Oak Ridge City Council member Chuck Hope, the one incumbent running for re-election in the November 8 election, has responded to the endorsements by the Progress PAC political action committee.

The Progress PAC endorsed Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, and Hans Vogel, who are all making their first runs for seats on the seven-member City Council. The endorsements were announced last week.

Hope was not endorsed. You can see his response here.

The PAC was established two years ago by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors, and it operates autonomously from the Chamber’s Board.

All six of the candidates endorsed by the Progress PAC two years ago were elected, although one candidate who wasn’t endorsed, Rick Chinn, was also elected. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Election, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Angi Agle, Anne Garcia Garland, Charlie Hensley, Chuck Hope, Hans Vogel, Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, Keys Fillauer, November 8 election, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Oak Ridge City Council, political action committee, Progress PAC, Rick Chinn, Stephen Whitson, Trina Baughn, Wende Doolittle

Oak Ridge Chamber to host City Council forum on Tuesday

Posted at 10:23 am October 17, 2016
By Kathy Gillenwaters Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy Committee is hosting its final forum of the 2016 election season. The forum for candidates running for Oak Ridge City Council will be held at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 18, in the Joyce Conference Room at the Chamber, which is at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The forum is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. All candidates for City Council—Jim Dodson, Wende Doolittle, Anne Garcia Garland, Chuck Hope, Joe Lee, Mark LeNoir, and Hans Vogel—have indicated their intention to participate in the forum, a press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Election, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Advocacy Committee, Anne Garcia Garland, Chuck Hope, CNS, Consolidated Nuclear Security, Gene Patterson, Greta Ownby, Hans Vogel, Jim Dodson, Joe Lee, Mark LeNoir, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Oak Ridge City Council, Wende Doolittle

Tuesday forum to feature candidates for City Council, Board of Education

Posted at 1:04 pm September 29, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A forum in Oak Ridge on Tuesday will feature candidates for Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Board of Education, and city judge.

The forum will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 4, in the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater at 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike. It’s been organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.

Candidates for Oak Ridge City Council [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Election, Education, Front Page News, Government, K-12, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Angi Agle, Anne Garcia Garland, Charles J. "Chuck" Hope Jr., forum, Hans Vogel, Jim Dodson, Joseph Lee, Keys Fillauer, League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, Mark LeNoir, Myra Mansfield, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge High School, Patrick Bryan, Robert A. McNees III, Wende Doolittle

Hensley withdraws from City Council race

Posted at 2:47 pm August 23, 2016
By John Huotari 8 Comments

Oak Ridge City Council Charlie Hensley and Kelly Callison Sept. 14, 2015

Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley, left, is pictured above with Kelly Callison during a meeting on Sept. 24, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:15 p.m. Aug. 24.

Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley has withdrawn as a candidate in the November 8 election, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Hensley was one of eight candidates for three seats on the seven-member Council.

The withdrawal was confirmed by the Anderson County Election Commission on Tuesday afternoon.

“This is a difficult decision but is made because I have my son’s family and two wonderful grandchildren living in the local area and with whom I want to spend more time,” Hensley said in a Tuesday statement. “Also, I want to spend time with other volunteer interests, hobbies, and related activities. Finally, there are some personal but manageable health issues that require attention.”

Hensley has served since 2007, or two terms. (Hensley served more than eight years because City Council terms were extended on a one-time basis from June 2011 to November 2012 when the dates of Oak Ridge municipal elections changed due to a revision of the City Charter that was approved by voters in November 2010.) [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Election, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Election Commission, Anne Garcia Garland, Charlie Hensley, Chuck Hope, Ellen Smith, Hans Vogel, Jim Dodson, Joseph Lee, Kelly Callison, Mark LeNoir, November 8 election, November 8 municipal election, Oak Ridge City Council, Rick Chinn, Trina Baughn, Warren Gooch, Wende Doolittle

Active in community organizations, former Council member seeks to serve again

Posted at 1:52 pm August 17, 2016
By Anne Garcia Garland 1 Comment

Anne Garcia Garland

Anne Garcia Garland

 

She was the first to pick up a petition and the first to qualify for the 2016 ballot, and now Anne Garcia Garland, a former Oak Ridge City Council member, has formally announced her desire to serve again, a press release said. She’s running for one of three seats on the seven-member Council in the November 8 election.

In the press release, Garcia Garland said she has no business or political agenda, only a continuing desire “to be responsive and accountable to the citizens and help this city thrive.”

She said her primary goals for the city are to:

  1. seek a clear return on investment in commercial and industrial development outlays,
  2. focus on what the community does exceedingly well in education and city management,
  3. develop an equitable relationship with U.S. Department of Energy headquarters, and
  4. publicize the extraordinary assets the city already enjoys to a much wider audience of prospective residents and visitors.

Garcia Garland said she works affably with corporate, government, and private organizations. She is active in the League of Women Voters, the American Association of University Women, United Church Chapel on the Hill, and the NAACP. Before retiring, she and her husband T.J. Garland established Noble Metals Inc., a small business that recycles metal scrap and continues to employ local workers. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Election, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: 2016 election, American Association of University Women, Anne Garcia Garland, League of Women Voters, NAACP, Noble Metals Inc., November 8 election, Oak Ridge City Council, United Church Chapel on the Hill

Council could consider backyard chicken ordinance in May

Posted at 12:30 pm April 22, 2016
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Mark-Watson-and-Kayla-Wyatt-April-19-2016

Pictured above during an Oak Ridge City Council work session on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, are Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, left, and Kayla Wyatt, an advocate for allowing a small number of hens at Oak Ridge homes. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 3:30 p.m.

The Oak Ridge City Council could consider a backyard chicken ordinance in May. If adopted, the ordinance could allow residents to have a small number of chickens, maybe up to a half-dozen hens, in places where they’re not allowed now.

Council is expected to use a Knoxville ordinance as a model. Knoxville allows domesticated chickens under an ordinance approved in 2010. An annual $25 permit is required to keep the birds, up to six chickens (hens only) are allowed, and they must be kept in a fenced enclosure at all times. They are for personal use only, and the slaughtering of chickens is prohibited.

Knoxville also requires a $50 fee for a building permit for the fenced enclosure and for a required henhouse, which must be covered and predator-resistant.

The Oak Ridge City Council could conceivably have several options in May: adopt the Knoxville ordinance without any changes, adopt a modified version of it, reject it, or defer it or send it to the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission for further review. Planning Commission can’t accept it or reject it but can recommend that Council do so.

Oak Ridge officials have considered allowing backyard chickens before. In April 2010, the Oak Ridge City Council voted 4-3 against a resolution that would have kept alive a previous proposal. Two current Council members, Charlie Hensley and Ellen Smith, voted in favor of referring the proposal to the Planning Commission, which could have then consulted with interested residents and other city boards. The rejected resolution also would have directed former Interim City Manager Gary Cinder to draft an ordinance to amend the city code. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: Anne Garcia Garland, backyard chickens, Charlie Hensley, chicken ordinance, Gary Cinder, Jane Miller, Kayla Wyatt, Kelly Callison, Knoxville ordinance, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge Backyard Chickens, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, Rick Chinn, Trina Baughn

Council ends review of spending at Oak Ridge Marina bathrooms

Posted at 2:20 am October 13, 2015
By John Huotari 16 Comments

Oak Ridge Marina Bathrooms

City workers build a block wall, patch the ceiling, and hang drywall for new bathrooms and changing rooms in part of the former New China Palace restaurant at Melton Lake Park in April 2014. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

After hearing from an auditor who said he found no irregularities, the Oak Ridge City Council voted 6-1 on Monday to end a financial review of the $281,000 project to build bathrooms and changing rooms in the structure that once housed the New China Palace Restaurant at the Oak Ridge Marina.

The audit had been requested by Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, who said there was an allegation at the last Council meeting that there was some problem.

“When you get in front of a camera and you allege that something bad is going on…” Watson said, then you need to hear from a third party.

Questions have been raised about the building renovation by Oak Ridge City Council member Trina Baughn, who pointed out that she wasn’t the first to raise concerns, and former City Council member Anne Garcia Garland, among others. Most of the questions and criticisms have focused on the cost. A few different numbers have been reported about what the project was initially expected to cost and what it ended up costing. The 2014 budget showed it had a projected cost of $75,000, Baughn said.

But auditor Adam Allen, a principal of Coulter and Justus, told Council members during a special report on Monday that the renovation cost about $281,000. About half of that was labor, and another 50 percent was materials, Allen said. The audit found no irregularities. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Adam Allen, Anne Garcia Garland, audit, bathrooms, Charlie Hensley, Coulter and Justus, Ellen Smith, Jack Suggs, Kelly Callison, Mark Watson, New China Palace, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Marina, Oak Ridge Public Works Department, Pat Fallon, Public Works, Trina Baughn, waterfront development plan

Merchants frustrated with progress at Jackson Square; protest sign posted

Posted at 4:23 pm July 4, 2015
By John Huotari 4 Comments

Jackson Square Parking Lot Renovations Sign

There has been some frustration among merchants at Jackson Square about not being able to use the partially paved parking lot while they wait for renovations to be completed. This protest sign saying “Free Our Parking Lot!!” was posted on Wednesday.

 

Merchants have grown frustrated with the pace of renovations at Jackson Square, and on Wednesday a protest sign was posted. “Free Our Parking Lot!” said the sign, which has since been removed.

For now, the parking lot inside Jackson Square remains closed off behind construction fencing as work continues on a $1 million renovation mostly funded by a state grant awarded in 2012.

But merchants wonder why they can’t use the parking lot since it was used for the Lavender Festival on June 20.

Compounding their frustration is the closure of the lower parking lot at Blankenship Field. It’s one of two lots on the north side of Broadway Avenue and Jackson Square. Employees at nearby businesses who used to park in the Blankenship Field lot are now using the second lot, the one used by the Farmers Market, reducing the parking spaces available there, one merchant said.

The Blankenship Field work, which was approved by the Oak Ridge City Council in June, is also causing concern for the Farmers Market. The Farmer Market’s vendors set up in the second parking lot on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, and they now don’t have parking available at either the Blankenship Field lot or inside the Jackson Square lot. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Angel Rich Johnson, Anne Garcia Garland, Bill Haslam, Blankenship Field, Broadway Avenue, City of Oak Ridge, construction, Ellen Smith, farmer's market, Gary Cinder, interactive fountain, Jack Armstrong Stadium, Jackson Square, Lavender Festival, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Farmers Market, parking lot, pedestrian plaza, protest, Rich Construction, Rich Construction Inc., Roger Flynn, Rogers Group, TDOT, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Department of Transportation Enhancement Grant, Trina Baughn, Warren Gooch

Letter: Former Council member remains committed to helping city prosper

Posted at 9:54 am December 17, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Letters 1 Comment

Anne Garcia Garland

Anne Garcia Garland

To the Editor:

There is no way to fully thank the people who have supported and inspired me during my service on Council and the run for re-election. For all of you who voted for me and helped in the campaign, I am very grateful. The past five-and-a-half years have been challenging and fun and fulfilling.

I am proud to have served during an economically difficult period and to have participated in many positive efforts that have begun to reinvigorate both the commercial and the residential interests of our city.

To any and all citizens who have questions or issues, I remain committed to helping the city prosper. Please feel welcome to email me at [email protected] or write to me at 120 Outer.

And thank you again for allowing me to serve.

Anne Garcia Garland

Oak Ridge

Filed Under: Government, Letters, Oak Ridge, Opinion Tagged With: Anne Garcia Garland, campaign, Council member, re-election

Next Page »

Search Oak Ridge Today

Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Recent Posts

  • Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival Announces 2025 Storytellers
  • Laser-Engraved Bricks Will Line Walkway of New Chamber Headquarters
  • Democratic Women’s Club to Discuss Climate Change, Energy and Policy
  • Estate Jewelry Show at Karen’s Jewelers Features Celebrity Jewelry
  • Keri Cagle named new ORAU senior vice president and ORISE director
  • ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal+ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal More than $1 million raised in past 10 years benefits United Way and Community Shares Oak Ridge, Tenn. —ORAU exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 in donations as part of its internal annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares nonprofit organizations. ORAU has raised more than $1 million over the past 10 years through this campaign. A total of $126,839 was pledged during the 2024 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign. Employees donate via payroll deduction and could earmark their donation for United Way, Community Shares or both. “ORAU has remained a strong pillar in the community for more than 75 years, and we encourage our employees to consider participating in our annual giving campaign each year to help our less fortunate neighbors in need,” said ORAU President and CEO Andy Page. “Each one of our employees has the power to positively impact the lives of those who need help in the communities where we do business across the country and demonstrate the ORAU way – taking care of each other.” ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, provides science, health and workforce solutions that address national priorities and serve the public interest. Through our specialized teams of experts and access to a consortium of more than 150 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to provide innovative scientific and technical solutions and help advance their missions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakRidgeAssociatedUniversities Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/orau Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orau ###
  • Children’s Museum Gala Celebrates the Rainforest
  • Jim Sears joins ORAU as senior vice president
  • Oak Ridge Housing Authority Receives Funding Assistance of up to $51.8 Million For Renovating Public Housing and Building New Workforce Housing
  • Two fires reported early Friday

Recent Comments

  • Raymond Mitchell on City manager’s ‘State of the City’ canceled due to weather
  • Raymond Mitchell on City manager’s ‘State of the City’ canceled due to weather
  • Mysti M Desilva on Crews clearing roads, repairing water line breaks
  • Mel Schuster on Crews clearing roads, repairing water line breaks
  • Cecil King on Crews clearing roads, repairing water line breaks
  • Rick Morrow on Roads, schools, businesses closed after heavy snow
  • Diana lively on Free community Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 25
  • Anne Garcia on School bus driver arrested following alleged assault on elementary student
  • Raymond Dickover on Blockhouse Valley Recycling Center now open 6 days per week
  • Mike Mahathy on School bus driver arrested following alleged assault on elementary student

Copyright © 2025 Oak Ridge Today