Oak Ridge Today

Mayor Frank wants to serve as chair of AC Commission, sit with legislative body at meetings

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank wants to serve as chair of the County Commission, and she’s asked to be considered as a candidate in September 2016.

In an October 14 letter, Frank also asked commissioners to sit with them during meetings.

The proposals could be considered by the Anderson County Commission on Monday.

If she were commission chair, Frank said, she would have to surrender her veto power. She would have a non-voting position, but she would be able to cast a vote to break a tie.

“While this may seem a shocking proposal at first, I think we can look back over the history of Anderson County and see that the county mayor as chairman—or county executive or judge as the position used to be called—was an effective structure,” Frank said. [Read more…]

Emert elected chair of Anderson Commission, Isbel is vice chair

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Steve Emert

Steve Emert

Anderson County Commissioner Steve Emert was elected chair of the Anderson County Commission on Monday, replacing former Chair Robert McKamey, and Commissioner Tim Isbel was elected vice chair of the 16-member legislative body.

McKamey had sought to be reappointed to a second one-year term as chair. But he only picked up two votes Monday, one from him and the other from Commissioner Philip Warfield.

Emert, who has been vice chair for one one-year term, voted “no” for McKamey, and all other commissioners who were present abstained, which was, under the rules, a vote for Emert. Nine votes were required.

Anderson County commissioners Myron Iwanski and Angeleque McNutt were absent.

Isbel was appointed vice chair. No one else sought that post. [Read more…]

McKamey, Emert candidates for AC Commission chair

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Robert McKamey

Robert McKamey

WYSH Radio/Oak Ridge Today

Note: This story was updated at 11 a.m.

The current chair and vice chair of the Anderson County Commission are both seeking the chairmanship when Commission elects new officers later this month.

Robert McKamey, the current chair, had already announced his intention to seek another one-year term. Now, vice chair Steve Emert has announced his intention to challenge McKamey.

McKamey and Emert were appointed chair and vice chair in September 2014. It was a first term for both. Both were re-elected to the County Commission last year.

McKamey represents District 5, which includes Marlow and Dutch Valley. [Read more…]

Making history: Corker the first Tennessee senator to serve as Foreign Relations chair

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U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

U.S. Senator Bob Corker is the first Tennessee senator to serve as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to his office and committee records.

Corker was elected chairman by committee members, and his appointment was expected to be confirmed Thursday during a meeting of Senate Republicans, his office said Tuesday.

A Chattanooga Republican, Corker also will be serving on the Senate Banking Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Aging Committee.

See previous story here.

Alexander elected chair of Senate Health, Education, Labor, Pensions Committee

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, to be the chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

“The work of no Senate committee affects the daily lives of more Americans more than this one—whether we are fixing No Child Left Behind, or reducing federal paperwork to make it easier for students to attend college, or making it simpler for medical treatments and cures to make their way through the Food and Drug Administration to patients who need the help,” Alexander said in a press release. [Read more…]

Updated: Corker elected chair of Senate Foreign Relations Committee

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U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

Note: This story was updated at 1:15 p.m.

U.S. Senator Bob Corker has been elected chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee by committee members, and his appointment will be confirmed Thursday during a meeting of Senate Republicans, his office said Tuesday.

Corker had a conference call with Tennessee reporters Wednesday morning to discuss his appointment, his goals for the committee, and this year in Congress.

A Chattanooga Republican, Corker also will be serving on the Senate Banking Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Aging Committee. [Read more…]

Anderson County Commission appoints new chair, vice chair

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Robert McKamey

Robert McKamey

The Anderson County Commission on Tuesday appointed a new chair and vice chair.

The new chair is Anderson County Commissioner Robert McKamey, who represents District 5, which includes the Clinton High, Dutch Valley, Marlow, and Norwood precincts.

The new vice chair is Steve Emert, who represents District 3, which includes Andersonville, Fairview, Glen Alpine, and Norris.

There were no other nominations for chair and vice chair during the five-minute special meeting at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton on Tuesday morning.

McKamey will replace Commissioner Chuck Fritts of District 1 (Claxton and Bull Run). Fritts did not seek to be re-appointed as chair after three terms. [Read more…]

Roane County Chamber has new board chair, members

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Gail Lyke

Gail Lyke

The Roane County Chamber of Commerce board of directors has a new chair and members.

The board chair for the 2014-2015 year is Gail Lyke, vice president and branch manager at First Bank of Tennessee in Rockwood. Lyke officially took over July 17 from outgoing board chair Chris Ahler of Visionary Horizons Wealth Management at the Chamber’s first board meeting of the new fiscal year. Lyke previously served as the Chamber’s treasurer for the past two years and has served on the board since 2008.

Lyke was named the 2013 Chamber Woman of the Year. She is a graduate of Leadership Roane County and serves on the Leadership Roane County Alumni Association Board, as well as the Roane County Association of Women Executives, where she previously served as past president, and as a member of the Rockwood Civitan Club. Lyke also served on the Rockwood Planning Commission.

Lyke said her focus for the year will be to work with the board of directors and the president to “help facilitate the transition and changes that have been put in place to move the Chamber into a new value-added membership structure, encouraging both membership growth and retention.” [Read more…]

Fritts re-elected chair of Anderson Commission

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Chuck Fritts

Chuck Fritts

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

CLINTON—Anderson County Commission Chair Chuck Fritts was easily re-appointed to a third one-year term as chairman by his fellow commissioners on Monday.

There were two other nominees: Robert McKamey and Mark Alderson. Fritts, whose district includes Claxton and Bull Run, won in a 12-1-3 vote. Alderson received three votes, and McKamey collected one.

[Read more…]

Anderson County Commission to elect chair, vice chair Monday

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Chuck Fritts

Chuck Fritts

Robert McKamey

Robert McKamey

The Anderson County Commission is scheduled to elect a chair and vice chair during a Monday evening meeting.

Commissioner Chuck Fritts, one of two commissioners representing Claxton and Bull Run, is the current chair, and he is seeking appointment to a third one-year term.

But Commissioner Robert McKamey—one of two commissioners representing Clinton High, Marlow, Norwood, and Dutch Valley—is also seeking the chairmanship. [Read more…]