Hugh Ward Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Despite censure, lawsuit, calls for resignation, Jones still running in May 1 primary

Posted at 7:57 am May 1, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Commission, which is pictured above on March 20, 2018, unanimously censured Anderson County Circuit Clerk William Jones on Feb. 20, and asked him to resign after sexual harassment allegations were reported. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Anderson County Commission, which is pictured above on March 20, 2018, unanimously censured Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk William Jones on Feb. 20, and asked him to resign after sexual harassment allegations were reported. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was updated at 10:40 a.m.

CLINTON—He’s been accused of inappropriate behavior that includes unwelcome sexual advances, unwanted touching, and lewd and vulgar text messages. He’s been unanimously censured and asked to resign by the Anderson County Commission. He’s been sued in federal court. And some residents have joined commissioners in asking him to resign, or at least not seek re-election.

Despite those pleas, though, Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk William Jones, who has denied many allegations and called others false, is seeking re-election in the Anderson County Republican Party primary election on Tuesday, May 1. Jones has filed counterclaims in federal court and filed a defamation lawsuit in state court.

Some of the sexual harassment allegations appear to have been forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies, including the Tennessee Attorney General, Tennessee Department of Labor, and Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts, according to records released by Anderson County. It’s not clear which outside agencies, if any, might be investigating the complaints, or whether the local district attorney general might be investigating.

Willliam T. Jones

Commission censures Jones, asks him to resign

The accusations against Jones, who is seeking his second four-year term, were publicly disclosed during a review of a sexual harassment complaint at an Anderson County Commission meeting on February 20.

During that meeting, Kim Jeffers-Whitaker, Anderson County’s chief deputy director of human resources and risk management, said her department had received five reports of inappropriate workplace behavior by Jones.

“The five reports create a harassing pattern,” Jeffers-Whitaker said.

She said the reports are supported by two affidavits and four sworn statements that the county’s human resources department obtained from the victims, who include four past or present employees and one citizen.

According to Jeffers-Whitaker, the alleged instances of unprofessional conduct include: [Read more…]

Seven of eight term-limit candidates defeated in Charter Commission race

Posted at 1:23 am November 9, 2016
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Pictured above is Bob Smallridge, a District 8 candidate who received the most votes of any candidate for Anderson County Charter Commission. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Pictured above is Steve Emert, a District 3 candidate who received the second-highest number of votes in the Anderson County Charter Commission election.

Seven of the eight candidates who said they will support term limits if elected to a new charter commission lost in the Tuesday election, according to unofficial election results posted by the Anderson County Election Commission.

In District 1 (Claxton, Bull Run), V.L. Stonecipher, a former director of Anderson County Schools, defeated Floyd Grisham, the term-limit candidate, by 1,500 votes to 1,292. A third candidate, Tim Risden, had 412 votes.

In District 2 (Clinton), Anderson County Commissioner Mark Alderson beat Jim Cooper, the term-limit candidate, 1,954 to 1,340.

In District 3 (Andersonville, Norris), Steve Emert, the Anderson County Commission chair, earned about 300 votes more than former commissioner Dusty Irwin, the term-limit candidate. Emert had 2,157 votes to Irwin’s 1,846.

In District 4 (Briceville, Rocky Top), Tim Isbel, an Anderson County commissioner, defeated Dennis Hashbarger, the term-limit candidate, 1,567 to 1,024. [Read more…]

Term-limit candidates trail in early voting

Posted at 9:05 pm November 8, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Bob Smallridge

Note: This story was updated at 1:30 a.m.

Seven of the eight candidates who said they will support term limits if elected to a new charter commission are behind in early voting, according to unofficial results posted on the Anderson County Election Commission website on Tuesday evening.

In District 1 (Claxton, Bull Run), Floyd Grisham, the term-limit candidate, trails V.L. Stonecipher by 1,019 early votes to 831. A third candidate, Tim Risden, had 286 early votes.

In District 2 (Clinton), Jim Cooper, the term-limit candidate, is behind Mark Alderson, an Anderson County commission 1,430 to 922.

In District 3 (Andersonville, Norris), Steve Emert, the Anderson County Commission chair, leads former commissioner Dusty Irwin, the term-limit candidate, 1,541 to 1,323.

In District 4 (Rocky Top), Tim Isbel, an Anderson County commissioner, is ahead of Dennis Hashbarger, the term-limit candidate, 773 to 620. [Read more…]

Letter: Anderson Charter endorses candidates based on survey responses

Posted at 1:13 pm October 25, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Letters Leave a Comment

Organizers of the Anderson County Charter movement have announced their endorsement of candidates who will support term limits, as well as announcing the formation of their Political Action Committee “Anderson Charter.”

To help Anderson County voters make informed decisions in the upcoming November 8 election, AndersonCharter.com sent the 19 Charter Commission candidates a questionnaire soliciting their views on a charter form of local government for Anderson County.

Only nine candidates returned the questionnaire, eight of which agreed or strongly agreed to the formation of a charter and to support term limits for the members of County Commission and the Office of Mayor. Concerning these issues, candidate Marjorie Lloyd responded “Don’t Know.” Verified candidates in support of term limits, as well as candidates supporting citizen speech and transparency in government are: [Read more…]

Charter Commission candidates debate term limits, reducing County Commission, electing law director

Posted at 9:14 am October 25, 2016
By John Huotari 3 Comments

anderson-county-oak-ridge-charter-commission-candidates-collage

Seven candidates for Anderson County Charter Commission sparred over term limits, cutting the Anderson County Commission almost in half, and electing the law director during a public forum in Oak Ridge in October. The candidates, all from three Oak Ridge districts, are pictured above. They are, from top left, top row, Marjorie Mott Lloyd, Steve Mead, Kathy Moore, Theresa Scott, and from bottom left, bottom row, Bob Smallridge, David Stanley, and Hugh Ward. (Photos by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Candidates for Anderson County Charter Commission sparred over term limits, cutting the Anderson County Commission almost in half, and electing the law director during a public forum this month.

There was also a heated exchange over whether two candidates—both county commissioners, including one in her first term and another halfway through his second—are permanent officeholders.

The seven candidates are running for three seats on the eight-member Anderson County Charter Commission in the November 8 election.

The debate over term limits has focused on whether the limits are necessary, whether they would encourage more young people to run for office, and whether Anderson County voters already have the right to impose term limits through elections, among other arguments for and against.

As proposed during the campaign, there could be a two-term limit on county commissioners and the county mayor. However, nothing will be official until the Charter Commission is elected next month, and the Charter Commission is not obligated to consider the proposal. Whether the commission even considers term limits could depend upon which candidates are elected. Any changes proposed by the Charter Commission will be considered by voters in November 2018. If approved, they would go into effect in September 2019. [Read more…]

Mead, a county commissioner, running for Charter Commission

Posted at 2:22 pm October 18, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Steve Mead

Steve Mead, an Anderson County commissioner representing an Oak Ridge district, is running for one of eight seats on the Anderson County Charter Commission in the November 8 election.

Mead has expressed some concerns about term limits, at least as proposed in Anderson County this campaign season. Term limits have become one of the defining issues of the Charter Commission campaign, although nothing official will be proposed, debated, or approved until after the eight-member commission is elected next month.

In a press release, Mead said eight candidates have made term limits the primary focus of their campaign. He said those eight candidates were recruited by Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and her supporters, although at least two candidates—Jim Cooper and Kathy Moore—have denied that in statements to Oak Ridge Today.

Mead said he supports term limits for career politicians that make a living from their elected offices. That’s similar to the position taken by other nation-wide organizations like U.S. Term Limits Inc., Mead said in the press release. [Read more…]

Ward, an attorney running for Charter Commission, supports term limits

Posted at 4:33 pm October 1, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Hugh Ward Jr.

Hugh B. Ward Jr., an attorney running for Anderson County Charter Commission, supports term limits for county mayor and county commissioners, a press release said.

Ward is running for the District 6 seat on the eight-member Charter Commission, which will be elected November 8. District 6 includes the Oak Ridge City Hall, Robertsville, and West Hills precincts.

“Charter government has worked well for the City of Oak Ridge since November 7, 1962; the City of Clinton since 1954; Knoxville; Knox County; and other East Tennessee cities,” the press release said. “I think it’s time we modernize and allow Oak Ridge citizens to have the same level of citizen input in county government as our own fine city government. I favor a charter government, including term limits for county commissioners and the office of county mayor. For stability, I believe we need to establish staggered terms of office for commissioners as occurs in our city and surrounding municipalities.”

If elected, Ward said, his priorities will include transparency and open government, citizen participation on county committees, and ensuring charter proposals are consistent with the state constitution and general laws. [Read more…]

Cocke County says case closed after widow releases suicide note, but parents dispute note

Posted at 3:07 pm June 16, 2015
By John Huotari 9 Comments

Alexander John Heitman

Officials say it was suicide. But the parents are skeptical.

So questions linger almost four years after Alexander John Heitman, 29, of Knoxville, was found dead in Cocke County after being reported missing by Oak Ridge Schools. Heitman reportedly died on Tranquility Ridge Drive outside Newport on July 25, 2011. Officials said it was suicide, a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

But Heitman’s parents, Don and Annette Heitman of Adams, Wisconsin, find it hard to believe. They aren’t the only ones. Some current and former Oak Ridge residents, including City Council member Trina Baughn, are also skeptical of the official cause of death.

Heitman’s widow, Kristie Heitman, is not. In February, she released a suicide note that she believes Alex, who was the supervisor of business and support services for Oak Ridge Schools, wrote the day before he died.

Neither is Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes. In March, he said the case is closed, and there is no reason to continue pursuing it. Investigators found no evidence that anyone else was involved, Fontes said.

But Don and Annette continue to seek answers. They started a website in October 2013 and used it to raise questions about the case. They’ve also asked for the death investigation to be re-opened, hired attorney Hugh Ward to help them, and won the support of Baughn and others. They’ve also asked the FBI to investigate. [Read more…]

WYSH: Update on county mayor’s records request in Clinton

Posted at 8:03 pm November 12, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 3 Comments

Information from WYSH Radio

Updating a story that WYSH Radio brought you last week, officials with the city of Clinton say they are awaiting a response from the Anderson County Mayor’s Office to their response to her request last week for e-mail and other electronic communications involving City Codes Officer Curtis Perez.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank requested all e-mails involving Perez and anyone in the County Public Works Office as it pertains to David Crowley, the director of Public Works for Anderson County. Crowley is under indictment for allegedly inspecting five homes without the proper certification, and that case has resulted in turmoil in the Anderson County Courthouse.

After the request was made last week in Clinton, officials decided to wait for guidance from the University of Tennessee’s Municipal Technical Advisory Service, or MTAS, as to how to respond, and they placed Perez’s computer into the evidence room at the Clinton Police Department until they received that guidance. The city declined the request for records, saying that it was too vague, but indicated they would provide the desired information when they received a more specific request. [Read more…]

ORCVB board elects new officers

Posted at 11:59 pm April 7, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Aaron Wells

The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors elected a new slate of officers at its regularly scheduled meeting in February. Aaron Wells was elected chairperson, Mark Harvey will serve as vice chairperson, and Patti Shelton will serve as secretary/treasurer, a press release said. They will each hold their respective positions until January 2015.

The board is comprised of seven community volunteers and three hotel representatives, and it is appointed by the Oak Ridge City Council. Remaining members are Carol Smallridge, Mary Ann Damos, Hugh Ward, Troy Patel, Gretchen Julius, and Misty Williams. There is currently one vacancy.

The ORCVB is a nonprofit organization, formed to strengthen the area economy through the marketing and promotion of Oak Ridge as a destination for meetings, business, and leisure travel. Visit them online at oakridgevisitor.com or call (865) 482-7821 for more information.

New executive director, board members at Girls Inc.

Posted at 12:07 pm October 1, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Pictured above are Girls Inc. Board President Terry Domm, Ternica Raley, Executive Director Rhoni Basden, Judy Gooch, and Board Secretary Melissa McMahan. (Submitted photo)

Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge has a new executive director and five new board members.

Rhoni Basden is the new executive director. She succeeds Carol Mullane, who retired after seven successful years, a press release said.

New board members include Ternecia Raley, Judy Gooch, Melissa McMahan, David Mosby, and Hugh Ward. [Read more…]