Oak Ridge Today

ORHS Choral Ensemble, Rev. Hammond visit state Capitol, sing for House

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Mark LeNoir Tennessee House Jan 12 2017

Mark Lenoir, Oak Ridge High School Ensemble member, led the Tennessee House of Representatives in the Pledge of Allegiance on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge High School Choral Ensemble, conducted by Amanda Ragan, impressed the Tennessee House of Representatives as they performed “God Bless America” and “The Star Spangled Banner” in the House Chambers on Thursday, January 12, in Nashville, a press release said.

The ensemble students experienced a full day on the Hill, complete with meeting Governor Bill Haslam, debating the upcoming Tennessee gas tax issue in a mock Senate Session led by Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally of Oak Ridge, and touring the Capitol Building with Representative John Ragan of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Dodson, Hope, Vogel win City Council seats

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Jim Dodson

Jim Dodson

Jim Dodson, Chuck Hope, and Hans Vogel won the three open seats on Oak Ridge City Council, according to unofficial results in Anderson and Roane counties.

Dodson, a Jefferson Middle School art teacher who has been heavily involved in community and volunteer activities, received a total of 6,902 votes, including 5,957 in Anderson County and 945 in Roane County. He collected the most votes in Anderson County.

Hope, the only incumbent in the race, received 6,040 votes, with 5,016 in Anderson County and 1,024 in Roane County. He was the top vote-getter in Roane County.

Vogel, an Oak Ridge National Laboratory employee who, like Dodson, was making his first run for a City Council seat, earned 4,439 votes, with 3,568 in Anderson County and 871 in Roane County. [Read more…]

Dodson, Hope, Vogel lead in early voting for City Council

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Jim Dodson Cropped

Jim Dodson

 

Note: This story was updated at 9:15 p.m.

Jim Dodson, Chuck Hope, and Hans Vogel lead in early voting in Anderson County for Oak Ridge City Council, according to unofficial results posted on the Anderson County Election Commission website on Tuesday evening.

Dodson, running for City Council for the first time, had 4,088 early votes. Hope, the only incumbent, had 3,398. Vogel, who is also making his first run, received 2,544.

There are three open seats on the seven-member City Council. Two incumbents, Trina Baughn and Charlie Hensley, did not seek re-election.

Dodson, Hope, and Vogel also have a lead in early voting in Roane County, according to unofficial results posted at 8:33 p.m. Tuesday. Hope led with 853 early votes, Dodson had 786, and Vogel had 762. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber to host City Council forum on Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy Committee is hosting its final forum of the 2016 election season. The forum for candidates running for Oak Ridge City Council will be held at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 18, in the Joyce Conference Room at the Chamber, which is at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The forum is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. All candidates for City Council—Jim Dodson, Wende Doolittle, Anne Garcia Garland, Chuck Hope, Joe Lee, Mark LeNoir, and Hans Vogel—have indicated their intention to participate in the forum, a press release said. [Read more…]

Tuesday forum to feature candidates for City Council, Board of Education

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A forum in Oak Ridge on Tuesday will feature candidates for Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Board of Education, and city judge.

The forum will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 4, in the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater at 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike. It’s been organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.

Candidates for Oak Ridge City Council [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge High School 2016 Homecoming Court

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oak-ridge-high-school-2016-homecoming-court-sept-12-2016

The 2016 Oak Ridge High School Homecoming Court is pictured above on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016. Row by row, starting at bottom left, are Leah Scudder and Ben Kelley, Kieran Blevins and Curtis Robertson, Courtney Ellison and Erik Bradford, Lindsey Riikola and Mark LeNoir, Stevie Logan and Dean Stetzel, and Harley Southmayd and Tyshawn Young. (Photo courtesy Holly Cross/Oak Ridge Schools)

 

The 2016 Homecoming Court at Oak Ridge High School has been announced. Here are photos of the Homecoming Court on Monday, courtesy of Holly Cross and Oak Ridge Schools.

The Homecoming game is on Friday, September 23, at Blankenship Field against Sevier County. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. [Read more…]

Hensley withdraws from City Council race

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Oak Ridge City Council Charlie Hensley and Kelly Callison Sept. 14, 2015

Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley, left, is pictured above with Kelly Callison during a meeting on Sept. 24, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:15 p.m. Aug. 24.

Oak Ridge City Council member Charlie Hensley has withdrawn as a candidate in the November 8 election, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Hensley was one of eight candidates for three seats on the seven-member Council.

The withdrawal was confirmed by the Anderson County Election Commission on Tuesday afternoon.

“This is a difficult decision but is made because I have my son’s family and two wonderful grandchildren living in the local area and with whom I want to spend more time,” Hensley said in a Tuesday statement. “Also, I want to spend time with other volunteer interests, hobbies, and related activities. Finally, there are some personal but manageable health issues that require attention.”

Hensley has served since 2007, or two terms. (Hensley served more than eight years because City Council terms were extended on a one-time basis from June 2011 to November 2012 when the dates of Oak Ridge municipal elections changed due to a revision of the City Charter that was approved by voters in November 2010.) [Read more…]

Hope seeks re-election to City Council

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Chuck Hope

Chuck Hope

Chuck Hope Jr. is seeking re-election to Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.

In a press release, Hope said he wants to continue representing the city in such things as the Energy Communities Alliance, which recently took him to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Department of Energy officials and federal legislators.

“We want to make sure that our legislators are current on issues that matter most to Oak Ridgers,” Hope said.

During the visit, Hope and Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson met with David Klaus, under secretary for management and performance at DOE headquarters. They discussed Oak Ridge’s status in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and water treatment plant upgrades.

Hope said he is known for his community involvement and support. He served on the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, and the Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board before being appointed to Council. Hope was selected by a council majority in July 2011 to fill a vacated City Council seat, and he successfully ran for election in 2012. (Hope actually won twice in 2012, first winning a three-month term in a special election in August and then getting elected to a four-year term in a regular municipal election in November.) [Read more…]