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Alexander: Spending bill includes $440 million for ORNL supercomputer, UPF at Y-12

Posted at 11:55 pm December 13, 2014
By John Huotari 1 Comment

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

The $1 trillion spending bill passed by the Senate on Saturday night includes more than $400 million in funding to support two Oak Ridge projects—building the world’s fastest supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander said.

The appropriations legislation avoids a government shutdown and funds most of the government through September. The Senate approved it in a bipartisan 56-40 vote, and it now goes to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it into law.

The spending bill cleared the House on Thursday. Liberals sought to strip out a policy provision that eases a Wall Street regulation, and conservatives tried to slow action on immigration. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, National Nuclear Security Administration, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: appropriations legislation, Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Barack Obama, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, Budget Control Act of 2011, Congress, Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, discretionary spending, Energy and Water Appropriations, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA House of Representatives, Ernest Moniz, government, House, illegal immigrants, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Lamar Alexander, mandatory spending, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Omnibus, Red Team, spending bill, supercomputer, Thom Mason, Titan, U.S. Senate, uranium processing facility, Y-12 National Security Complex

Guest column: IRS warns of continuing scam phone calls

Posted at 10:41 pm September 11, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Guest Columns Leave a Comment

NASHVILLE—The IRS continues to warn the public to be alert for telephone scams. The callers often claim to be with the IRS and usually demand money.

Based on the most recent figures released, there have been at least 90,000 complaints about these phone scams and about 1,100 victims who have lost an estimated $5 million.

“Be suspicious of anyone who calls demanding your money or your private information,” said IRS spokesman Dan Boone. “These con artists can sound very convincing and will probably try to intimidate you into giving them what they want.”

Boone said the callers may know a lot about you and usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS badge numbers. If you don’t answer, they often leave an “urgent” callback request. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Guest Columns, Opinion Tagged With: Dan Boone, IRS, scam phone calls, taxes, telephone scams

Guest column: Burying mistakes

Posted at 11:28 am July 4, 2014
By John Ragan 1 Comment

John Ragan

John Ragan

Our founders boldly asserted in the Declaration of Independence that our nation should exist because the “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” entitle it to exist. They further held the God who authored these natural laws endowed everyone with certain, self-evident rights.

By these concepts, every individual has the same God-given equality before the law. There can be none with special, legal “privileges” such as royalty or aristocracy. Likewise, there can be no serfs inherently lacking certain rights.

An even more radical concept in that document is that government exists to protect these God-given rights. Furthermore, our nation’s founding document maintains that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, thus are accountable to them.

In other words, our founders insisted that government must answer to its citizens, not the other way around. However, events recently in the popular press have called this concept into question. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Guest Columns, Opinion Tagged With: aristocracy, citizens, Declaration of Independence, electronic records, equal rights, equality, God, government, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, rights, serfs, tax collectors, Tea Party

IRS: Keep your records safe in case disaster strikes

Posted at 9:26 am June 8, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Guest Columns Leave a Comment

IRS Special Edition Tax Tip 2014-15

Some natural disasters are more common in the summer. But major events like hurricanes, tornadoes and fires can strike any time. It’s a good idea to plan for what to do in case of a disaster. You can help make your recovery easier by keeping your tax and financial records safe. Here are some basic steps you can take now to prepare:

  1. Backup Records Electronically. You may have access to paperless bank and other financial statements online. If so, your statements may already be securely stored there. You can also scan tax records and insurance policies onto an electronic format. You can use an external hard drive, CD, or DVD to store important records. Be sure you back up your files and keep them in a safe place. If a disaster strikes your home, it may also affect a wide area. If that happens, you may not be able to retrieve your records.
  2. Document Valuables. Take photos or videos of the contents of your home or business. These visual records can help you prove the value of your lost items. They may help with insurance claims or casualty loss deductions on your tax return. You should store them with a friend or relative who lives out of the area. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Guest Columns, Opinion Tagged With: disaster relief, emergency plans, IRS, natural disasters, tax records, tax returns, tax tip, valuables

Federal agents investigate DOE subcontractor based in Oliver Springs

Posted at 11:10 pm January 16, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Federal Agents at TOPS in Oliver Springs

On Thursday, federal agents investigate the Oliver Springs offices of TOPS, a U.S. Department of Energy subcontractor.

Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. Jan. 17.

OLIVER SPRINGS—A federal subcontractor that works at U.S. Department of Energy sites in Oak Ridge is under investigation by several federal agencies, including the FBI, IRS, and DOE Office of Inspector General.

Federal agents were at the Oliver Springs headquarters of the contractor, TOPS, on Thursday, but officials would not comment on the investigation. The office is on Winter Gap Road, next to Highway 62 just north of downtown Oliver Springs.

Dennis Holenstein at the IRS’ Nashville Field Office confirmed that agents from IRS Criminal Investigations were assisting with the investigation, but he referred a reporter to the DOE Office of Inspector General. The IG, in turn, referred calls to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said its policy is to neither comment on, nor confirm or deny, the existence or status of a pending investigation.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: DOE, East Tennessee Technology Park, Federal, Government, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: cleanup, Dennis Holenstein, DOE, DOE Office of Inspector General, East Tennessee Technology Park, FBI, IRS, IRS Criminal Investigations, K-25, Oak Ridge Reservation, Oliver Springs, protege, TOPS, Transportation Operations and Professional Services Inc., U.S. Attorneys' Office, U.S. Department of Energy, UCOR

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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...]

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