Oak Ridge Today

County Commission considers ‘In God We Trust’ signs after legal, design review

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Anderson County Operations Committee National Motto

Anderson County Commisisoner Robert McKamey, left, who has made motions to put the national motto “In God We Trust” on the County Courthouse in Clinton, and Commissioner Whitey Hitchcock, who has voted against the proposals.

They’ve already approved a proposal to put “In God We Trust” on the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton, and county commissioners this evening will consider a committee’s recommendation to install the national motto on black metal signs above the courthouse’s four entrances.

The Anderson County Operations Committee endorsed the signs in a 5-3 vote last week. They would have white lettering that says “In God We Trust,” and they are expected to cost $500 or less.

The County Commission agreed to put the motto on the courthouse in a 12-4 vote last month, but members asked the Operations Committee and Anderson County Law Director Jay Yeager to review legal, liability, and design issues. The committee has now referred the specific sign proposal back to the full commission.

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Anderson not included in latest judicial redistricting, but legislative session not over

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Dave Clark

Dave Clark

The most recent proposal to redraw judicial districts in Tennessee did not include Anderson County, but the battle isn’t over yet, an official said Wednesday.

Roane County also would not be affected under the proposal, announced Monday by Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, a Blountville Republican. The proposal could affect 22 of the state’s 95 counties, said Dave Clark, Anderson County district attorney general.

Still, there is a month or more left in the legislative session in the Tennessee General Assembly in Nashville, and the proposals—there are more than a dozen—are subject to amendment, Clark said during a Wednesday morning presentation to the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club.

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Four arrested after alleged theft of more than $3,000 at Walmart

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Information from WYSH Radio

Four people were arrested and charged Wednesday in connection to the theft of more than 600 items from the Clinton Walmart.

Knoxville Police called the Clinton Police Department and informed them that there had been a theft at the Walmart in Clinton and that four suspects had been detained in Knoxville in connection to thefts at several area Walmarts, including the one in Clinton.

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Anderson committee to discuss ‘In God We Trust’ motto, county vehicle

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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.

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Oak Ridge, Clinton companies receive training grants

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Information from WYSH Radio

Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis have awarded Incumbent Worker Training Program grants totaling $29,947 to Protomet Corp. in Oak Ridge and $25,000 to Techmer PM in Clinton.

“If Tennessee is going to become the number one location in the Southeast for high-quality jobs, then we must offer a well-trained workforce to employers,” Haslam said. “This kind of training grant not only helps educate workers, but also provides incentive to employers looking to relocate or expand in Tennessee.”

Since the program’s inception, Incumbent Worker Training grants have assisted more than 600 businesses by providing $14 million to train approximately 50,000 employees.

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Travel accusations forced press conference, county mayor says

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Terry Frank Press Conference

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.

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Clinton zoo needs help

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue in Clinton is asking for donations from the community to help them pay for repairs to their walk-in cooler. The compressor on the cooler broke last month and the repairs are estimated to cost approximately $2,000.

The problem has left the employees of the nonprofit zoo without a place to chill the meat and produce needed to feed the nearly 700 animals that call their Granite Road facility home.

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WYSH: Anderson man pleads in robbery

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Information from WYSH Radio

An Anderson County man pleaded guilty last week to charges stemming from a robbery at the Dollar General Store in Clinton in May of 2011 that left a clerk with a broken leg.

Kelly Matthew Dick, 30, of Heiskell, was originally charged with aggravated robbery in connection to the May 14 incident in which he pushed a 57-year-old store employee to the ground, causing her to break her leg, before fleeing with $120 in cash.

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Damage from two Clinton fires estimated at $300,000

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Information from WYSH Radio

Following up on last week’s fires at a pair of industries in Clinton, we now have damage estimates from Rexnord and Eagle Bend Manufacturing.

A Thursday night fire at Rexnord caused approximately $105,000 worth of damage. That blaze was sparked by an equipment malfunction.

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Two industry fires reported in Clinton

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ORFD Tower Truck

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responded with a tower truck and personnel to a Thursday evening fire at Rexnord Link Belt Plant on J.D. Yarnell Industrial Parkway in Clinton. (Photos by Tom Scott)

Two fires were reported Thursday night and early Friday morning at businesses in Clinton.

The first fire broke out Thursday night at Rexnord, and the second one occurred early Friday at Eagle Bend Manufacturing, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton. In both fires, no injuries were reported, and they are not believed to be suspicious in nature.

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Clinton schools to be patrolled by uniformed officers

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Clinton city schools may have been closed today but when they do re-open, students and staff will be protected by uniformed police officers.

In the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting in December that left 20 elementary school students and six adults dead, school and city officials tried to find ways to protect children close to home.

The city and the school system are splitting the $50,000 cost for the officers through the end of the semester and will look for funding options when the budget process begins later this year to keep the officers there all the time.

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Auto parts manufacturer SL Tennessee expanding in Clinton

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SL Tennessee, a company that manufactures automotive parts in Clinton, is expanding their operations, the Anderson County Economic Development Association announced Friday.

The company will lease a 65,000-square-foot building owned by the Hollingsworth Companies in the Eagle Bend Industrial Park. The building will be used primarily for warehousing and distribution and will house about 25 employees, a press release said.

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