Oak Ridge Today

Auto repair business owner running for Anderson County Commission

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Mike Marsh

Mike Marsh

Michael Marsh is running for Anderson County Commission in District 7 in the Aug. 7 county election. His District 7 voting precincts include Glenwood, Pine Valley, and Highland View.

In a press release, Marsh said the commission has made many contributions during the last 28 years.

“I feel with an open seat in District 7 now is the time to bring fresh ideas and new strategies to our county,” he said in the press release.

Marsh said county officials must work together to reduce taxes and attract new jobs and affordable housing, tourism, and opportunities for small family-run businesses. [Read more…]

Kevin Rice running for Anderson County Commission in District 7

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Kevin Rice

Kevin Rice

Kevin Rice, an Oak Ridge High School graduate, is running for Anderson County Commission in District 7, which includes the Highland View, Glenwood, and Pine Valley precincts, a press release said.

Rice has served on the Anderson County Jail Committee and now serves on the Anderson County Beer Board, the press release said. He also volunteers as a Neighborhood Watch block captain and as a district leader for the Watch Group in the Jackson Square area.

Rice is a member of the Oak Ridge Quarterback Club, Football Boosters, and Oak Ridge Boys and Girls Club Alumni. He is also a member of the Anderson County Underage Drinking Task Force.

Rice said his goal as a commissioner is to cut taxes by recruiting high-tech jobs, small businesses, hotels, and tourism.

“The potential for increased tourism in the county is abundant,” Rice said. “However, added attractions would be beneficial to the city and county in many ways. Our young people, as well as our treasured senior citizens, need a variety of activities to keep Anderson County the best choice to work and live, now and in the future.” [Read more…]

Whitey Hitchcock announces re-election bid for county commission

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Harry "Whitey" Hitchcock

Harry “Whitey” Hitchcock

Harry “Whitey” Hitchcock has announced he is seeking re-election to the Anderson County Commission, representing District 6 in Oak Ridge, which includes the City Hall, Robertsville, and West Hills voting precincts, a press release said.

“It has been my honor, privilege, and joy to get to know and represent the very diverse citizens of District 6, a task I take seriously,” Hitchcock said in the press release. “When first elected in 2006, I pledged to

  1. help reduce crime,
  2. bring tax dollars back to Oak Ridge, and
  3. help re-new an effective working relationship between the city and the county. I feel that this has been largely accomplished, yet there is more work to do with a city-county partnership: housing, jobs, and retail development.”

Hitchcock said crime is everyone’s concern, and its cost cannot be overestimated. [Read more…]

Sitel has charity concert for injured vets Saturday, announces 100 new jobs

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Travis Rice Country Concert at Sitel

Sitel is having a fundraising concert to benefit Wounded Warriors and veteran charities this evening (Saturday evening) and offer 100 new full-time jobs in Oak Ridge.

The free event starts at 5 p.m., and it will raise funds and awareness for the needs of injured service members, a press release said. It will also include a variety of family activities.

The festivities start at 5 p.m. Saturday (today) in Sitel’s lot at 1089 Commerce Park Drive at the Tech 5 Building in Oak Ridge. A number of local country bands will provide the music, followed by headliner Travis Rice at 7 p.m., with patriotic songs honoring America’s brave service men and women, the press release said.

Attendees will enjoy barbecue, hamburgers, hot dogs, and other foods, along with face painting and additional fun activities. Sitel will also give away multiple prizes, including: [Read more…]

Inspired by her son, Neergaard runs for state House

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Misty Neergaard

Misty Neergaard

Inspired by her son’s efforts to shed light on the effects of bullying, Oak Ridge resident Misty Neergaard is running for the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Neergaard is unopposed in the state Democratic primary in District 33, which includes most of Anderson County, on Aug. 7. She will take on the winner of the Republican primary, which pits Rep. John Ragan, the incumbent, against newcomer Caitlin Nolan.

In a press release, Neergaard said her focus is on the need for Anderson County voters to have a voice in the Tennessee House.

“All too often Tennessee and its citizens are portrayed in a negative public light, Neergaard said in the release. “I know the people in Anderson County are kind and hard-working. They deserve a government who cares about them instead of scoring political points. Our family has been through some tough times, and the people of East Tennessee have been wonderfully supportive. It is time I give back.”

The release said Neergaard has been a dedicated mother and housewife for 18 years. Last summer, her son Marcel Neergaard created an online petition to help bring the effects of school bullying to light, the release said. [Read more…]

2014 Election: Frank says she’s kept her promise; Bates wants to focus on retail, housing

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Zach Bates

Zach Bates

CLINTON—She says she’s kept her promise to protect Anderson County from higher taxes and worked to make government more efficient while improving customer service.

He says the county needs a more targeted approach to bringing in new retail and rebuilding the housing market.

The two candidates, incumbent Terry Frank and her challenger Zach Bates, face off in the Republican primary in Anderson County on Tuesday.

Frank was first elected in a special election in August 2012. She is the first female mayor of Anderson County and running for her first four-year term. She is completing the unexpired term of former mayor Rex Lynch, who resigned in January 2011.

Bates is a one-term Anderson County Commissioner who is not seeking re-election to that seat. [Read more…]

Republican forum: Issues range from jobs, retail to drug courts, trial experience

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Anderson County Republican Party Forum

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, center, gives an opening statement during a Tuesday night candidate forum for Republican Party candidates. Also pictured are Anderson County Commissioner Zach Bates, left, who is challenging Frank in the May 6 GOP primary, and Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Randy Myers, one of two Republican candidates for sheriff.

Note: This story was last updated at 11:45 a.m.

The starkest differences between any candidates at a Tuesday night Republican Party forum might have emerged in the race for Anderson County chancellor, where candidates Michael Farley and Nicki Cantrell clashed on questions of trial experience and whether the Chancery Court should ever be used to hear criminal cases.

In the race for sheriff, Republican candidates Anthony Lay and Randy Myers agreed on one key question: No federal inmates should be housed at the Anderson County jail.

In the race for mayor, Terry Frank, the incumbent, said she had presided over one of the few—and possibly the only—tax cut in Anderson County history, while her opponent, Commissioner Zach Bates, said the county’s biggest economic challenge is “retail leakage.” [Read more…]

Hackworth running for Anderson County mayor

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Jim Hackworth

Jim Hackworth

CLINTON—Former Anderson County Commissioner and Tennessee Rep. Jim Hackworth announced last week that he is a Democratic candidate for Anderson County mayor in the Aug. 7 county general election.

“I am running for county mayor because I am concerned with the lack of focus the current administration has for the issues, such as education, jobs, and quality of life, that are important to Anderson County residents,” Hackworth said in a press release. “Whether serving as a county commissioner or a state representative, I worked with other elected officials to fight for fiscal responsibility, good schools, reduced taxes, and safer neighborhoods and communities.Our management of these issues attracted the attention of businesses and brought new jobs to Anderson County.”

Hackworth is an Anderson County native who worked 34 years at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a project leader and program manager in the Maintenance and Engineering divisions. He retired in 2008.

Hackworth served as a state representative for 10 years and as a county commissioner for eight years. [Read more…]

Tennessee named ‘2013 State of the Year’ for economic development

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Governor Bill Haslam

Bill Haslam

Business Facilities magazine cites diverse top projects in award

NASHVILLE—Tennessee is the “2013 State of the Year,” according to Business Facilities magazine, a national economic development publication.

Tennessee’s top five economic development projects created a total of 6,900 jobs and $3.2 billion in capital investment, and they included seven expansions and three new recruitments. The magazine picked the state after evaluating the top five projects for the number of jobs created and amount of capital invested from Oct. 1, 2012, through Oct. 31, 2013.

“A lot of hard work goes into keeping Tennessee competitive, and I want to thank Business Facilities for recognizing the efforts of so many people across the state,” Gov. Bill Haslam said. “We understand that jobs are created when someone is willing to risk capital, and we will continue working to make Tennessee a great place to invest.” [Read more…]

Ruby Tuesday restructuring to eliminate 50 positions

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Information from WYSH Radio

Ruby Tuesday announced Wednesday that it will eliminate 50 positions at its restaurant support center in Maryville.

The company, which has a restaurant in Oak Ridge, said the job cuts are in response to a cost review program on the heels of millions of dollars in reported losses during the past couple of years. The move is expected to save the company about $6 million a year beginning in 2015. [Read more…]

Anderson Commission unanimously approves Oak Ridge Mall TIF, project goes to state

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Oak Ridge Mall Concept Plan Featured

The Anderson County Commission on Monday unanimously approved a $13 million tax financing agreement that could be used to help the $85 million redevelopment of the mostly empty Oak Ridge Mall.

CLINTON—The Anderson County Commission on Monday unanimously approved a $13 million tax financing agreement that could be used to help the $85 million redevelopment of the mostly empty Oak Ridge Mall.

The vote was 15-0. Anderson County Commissioner Mark Alderson was absent.

“I am extremely optimistic about this,” said Anderson County Commission Vice Chair Robin Biloski, an Oak Ridge resident.

It’s the fifth unanimous or near-unanimous vote on the project in less than a month. The tax increment financing, or TIF, had also been approved with no opposition, but with one abstention, by the Oak Ridge City Council, and it had also been endorsed with no opposition by the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board and Anderson County budget and operations committees. [Read more…]

NNSA reaffirms decision to have CNS manage, operate Y-12, Pantex

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Y-12 National Security Complex Aerial View


The National Nuclear Security Administration on Friday reaffirmed its January decision to pick Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC to manage and operate the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

The National Nuclear Security Administration on Friday reaffirmed its January decision to pick Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC  to manage and operate the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

That earlier decision, announced almost 10 months ago, had been challenged in two rounds of bid protests. Those protests delayed the transition to a new contractor, and it wasn’t clear Friday if the NNSA’s new decision might also be challenged.

The five-year extendable contract, which could be worth up to $22.8 billion over 10 years, includes project management of the Uranium Processing Facility at Y-12 and an unexercised option for Savannah River Tritium Operations at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C.

“Our nuclear production capabilities are critical to our national security, and CNS represents the best value to the government as evidenced by its superior technical and management approach and its lower evaluated cost,” NNSA Acting Administrator Bruce Held said. “Additionally, this award puts NNSA in a position to improve mission delivery by focusing on improving the way we operate, saving taxpayer dollars, and aligning ourselves for the future.” [Read more…]