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Lawsuit seeks 2020 election audit, voting machine restriction

Posted at 10:38 am January 16, 2023
By John Huotari 2 Comments

The Howard H. Baker Jr. United States Courthouse is pictured above in Knoxville on Jan. 19, 2020. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

An unconventional 483-page lawsuit filed in Anderson County Circuit Court seeks an audit of the 2020 election, asks for the results to be re-counted and possibly decertified, accuses federal legislators of treason, and demands a restraining order against electronic voting machines.

Two of the three plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit are Oak Ridge residents. One of those plaintiffs has also unsuccessfully filed federal lawsuits in Washington, D.C., against the president and vice president, chief justice, a former acting attorney general, and many members of Congress, according to court records.

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Filed Under: 2020 Election, 2022 Election, Anderson County, Anderson County, Courts, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Premium Content, State, Tennessee, United States Tagged With: 2020 election, Anderson County Circuit Court, Anderson County Elections, Betty Jane Ayers, David Russell Ayers, election lawsuit, Jay Yeager, lawsuit, Mark Stephens, presidential election, Sarah Walker Bruun, Terpeshore "Tore" Maras, U.S. District Court, voting machines

Court defers decision on separate trials for Finnegan, Dishman

Posted at 12:00 pm December 2, 2022
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A motion hearing is pictured above for Sean Shannon Finnegan and Rebecca Elizabeth Dishman in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

A decision was deferred Thursday about whether to separate the trials of a man and woman charged in a gruesome rape and murder case in Oak Ridge three years ago.

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Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Courts, Front Page News, Premium Content, Slider Tagged With: aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape, Anderson County Criminal Court, Anthony Craighead, Christopher "Kit" Rogers, first-degree murder, Forrest Wallace, Jennifer Gail Paxton, Joshua Hedrick, Mark Stephens, Martha Dinwiddie, motion hearing, Rebecca Elizabeth Dishman, Sean Shannon Finnegan, sexual exploitation, Tyler Caviness

Reminder: Forum tonight features candidates for Anderson County Charter Commission

Posted at 9:26 am October 6, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A forum tonight will feature the Oak Ridge candidates for Anderson County Charter Commission.

The forum will start at 7 p.m., Thursday, October 6, in the City Room (A-111) at Roane State Community College at 701 Briarcliff Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Here are the Oak Ridge candidates: [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Election, Anderson County, Government Tagged With: Anderson County Charter Commission, Anderson County Election Commission, Bob Smallridge, candidates, David G. Stanley, election, forum, Hugh B. Ward Jr., Joe Jarret, Kathy Edwards, Kathy Moore, Knox County, Knox County Charter Review Commission, League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, Marjorie Mott Lloyd, Mark Stephens, Roane State Community College, Shelby County, Steve Mead, term limits, Theresa Scott

Not sure what the Charter Commission is? Hear from candidates on Tuesday

Posted at 10:19 am September 19, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has a forum for candidates for the Anderson County Charter Commission on Tuesday morning.

It’s the first candidate forum for the November 8 election.

The Charter Commission candidate forum will start at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 20, in the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Joyce Conference Room. It’s free and open to the public.

There are 20 candidates for eight seats on the new Charter Commission. The Tuesday morning forum at the Oak Ridge Chamber will feature candidates from the county’s District 6, District 7, and District 8, which all include parts of Oak Ridge.

There are seven candidates for those three seats: [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Election, Anderson County, Front Page News, Government, Government, Slider Tagged With: Anderson County Charter Commission, Anderson County Election Commission, Bob Smallridge, candidate forum, David G. Stanley, Hugh B. Ward Jr., Kathleen D. Moore, Marjorie Mott Lloyd, Mark Stephens, November 8 election, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Oak Ridge City Council, state representative, Steve Mead, term limits, Theresa Scott

Gail Martin—former AC school board member, county election administrator—dies at 75

Posted at 12:24 pm September 9, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Shirley Gail Martin

Shirley Gail Martin

Note: This story was updated at 2:37 p.m.

Shirley Gail Martin, a former longtime member of the Anderson County school board who served two years as county election administrator, died Wednesday, September 7. She was 75.

Martin, of Claxton, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, her obituary said.

“She was an education activist who gave 24 years to the Anderson County Board of Education, as well as being a devoted Democrat,” the obituary said.

Former Anderson County School Director Larry Foster, who retired at the end of June, said Martin will be missed as a personal friend and also as a community leader. She worked for excellence in education in Anderson County, Foster said, and her long service on the school board indicated that.

Martin stayed involved in the educational area even after she left the school board, and she would attend meetings, call Foster from time to time to ask what was happening, and bring issues of concern to him.

“She wanted excellence,” Foster said Friday. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Education, Front Page News, Government, K-12, Obituaries, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Board of Education, Anderson County Democratic Party, Anderson County Democratic Women, Anderson County Election Commission, Catherine Denenberg, Gail Martin, Holley-Gamble Funeral Home, Jo Ann Garrett, Larry Foster, Mark Stephens, Shirley Gail Martin

Oliver Springs liquor vote, Norris Council race remain close

Posted at 1:06 pm November 7, 2012
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Unofficial results from Tuesday’s election remained close on an Oliver Springs liquor referendum and the race for a fifth seat on the Norris City Council, and it wasn’t clear how provisional ballots could change the final vote tallies.

Oliver Springs voters appeared to have rejected the liquor referendum, with 486 voting yes and 519 voting “no” in Anderson and Roane counties. The referendum would allow package stores to sell alcoholic beverages.

But there are about 50 provisional ballots in Anderson County and an unknown number in Roane County, election officials said Wednesday. It wasn’t clear how many of those were from Oliver Springs, or how the ballots and a post-election audit might affect the final vote when results are certified Nov. 19.

Results in the race for four of the five seats on Norris City Council seemed clear. Chris Mitchell, Bill Grieve Jr., Loretta A. Painter, and Jack Black all received more than 500 votes, according to the unofficial results.

But the write-in race between four candidates competing for a fifth seat was close. York Haverkamp had 166 write-in votes and Eugene F. Oates had 154.

Anderson County Election Commission Administrator Mark Stephens said the write-in ballots will have to be checked vote by vote.

“We have really never had to do this in the past,” he said.

In other races in Anderson County, Steven R. Emert received the most votes in the special election to represent District 3 on Anderson County Commission. That district includes Andersonville, Fairview, Norris, and Glen Alpine. Former commissioner Johnny Alley resigned from the seat after he was elected Anderson County property assessor in the Aug. 2 election.

Also Tuesday, Shain Vowell and Andrew Howard won two seats on Lake City City Council, Vowell with 231 votes and Howard with 191.

Most of the other results mirrored results in larger regions, with the exception of the presidential race. Republican Bob Corker beat Democrat Mark E. Clayton in the U.S. Senate race, Republican Chuck Fleischmann defeated Democrat Mary M. Headrick in the battle to represent Tennessee’s Third District in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Republican Dennis Powers trounced Independent Virgil Kidwell.

Filed Under: 2012 Election, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Commission, Anderson County Election Commission, Andrew Howard, Bill Grieve Jr., Chris Mitchell, District 3, election, Eugene F. Oates, Jack Black, Lake City City Council, liquor referendum, Loretta A. Painter, Mark Stephens, Norris City Council, Oliver Springs, package stores, Roane County, Shain Vowell, Steven R. Emert, York Haverkamp

Nov. 6 election features city council, county commission, school board candidates

Posted at 2:45 pm September 20, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Note: This story was updated at 4:06 p.m.

There are 17 candidates eligible for election to 10 city council seats in Oak Ridge, Norris, and Lake City in the Nov. 6 election.

There are also nine candidates in a special election for Anderson County Commission District 3. Commissioner Johnny Alley gave up that seat after he became Anderson County property assessor in the Aug. 2 election.

In addition, there are three candidates for Oak Ridge Board of Education and one candidate for Oak Ridge City Judge.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 8. Early voting starts Oct. 17 and runs through Nov. 1, Anderson County Election Commission Administrator Mark Stephens said Thursday.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: 2012 Election, Education, Government Tagged With: Anderson County Commission District 3, Anderson County Election Commission, Lake City, Mark Stephens, Norris City Council, Nov. 6 election, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Oak Ridge city judge

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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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