There are two forums this week in Oak Ridge featuring candidates in the Tennessee primary election and Anderson County and Roane County general elections in August.
The forums have been organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, and the public is invited.
Early voting begins in both counties on Friday, July 12.
The Anderson County forum is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 9. It will take place at the Oak Ridge Campus of Roane State Community College in Room 107 in the Goff Building.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation mobile household hazardous waste collection service will be in Roane County on Saturday, March 9.
Tennesseans are encouraged to bring household hazardous waste – including cleaning fluids, pesticides, swimming pool chemicals, and more – to a designated drop-off location, a press release said. A person does not need to live in the county to participate.
Teresa Frady has been named president and chief executive officer of the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee.
CROET is a regional economic development nonprofit organization that helps find new uses for U.S. Department of Energy facilities and property, including at sites that are no longer used or needed. The goal is to spur private development and create jobs.
Frady’s appointment was announced during the January meeting of the CROET Board of Directors. She replaces Lawrence Young, who is retiring after serving more than 26 years as CROET’s president and CEO.
“I am so pleased that Teresa has accepted the challenge of leading CROET into its next phase,†Young said in a press release. “Teresa has been an integral part of the success of the organization, and I am confident that she, as my successor, will enhance upon the legacy established by the organization’s founders.â€
Frady began her career with CROET 22 years ago, the press release said. She has risen through the ranks with increasing responsibility by serving in such roles as account manager, accountant, chief accountant, chief operating officer, and executive director.
A daily snapshot of COVID-19 cases in Anderson County on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, includes, among other information, the daily number of new cases and the daily positivity rate. (Graphic by Tennessee Department of Health)
COVID-19 cases surged up this week in Anderson County and four adjacent counties—Campbell, Knox, Loudon, and Roane—to the highest levels since near the peak of the delta surge in mid-September.
On Wednesday, Anderson County reported 80 or more cases for the second day in a row, the highest since September 16. The 80 new cases reported Wednesday followed the reporting of 87 new cases on Tuesday, according to Tennessee Department of Health data.
It’s not clear if the spike in cases in the five counties, including Anderson, was related to the new omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. The Tennessee Department of Health was not available for comment Friday while state offices were closed. However, the omicron variant has caused a quick, steep rise in cases in other countries and in other parts of the United States.
If the surge continues, it would be the fourth in Anderson County since the pandemic began March 20, 2020. The last surge, the delta surge, was the third of the pandemic in the county, and it peaked at 152 new cases on September 10.
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A daily snapshot of COVID-19 cases in Anderson County on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, includes, among other information, the daily number of new cases and the daily positivity rate. (Graphic by Tennessee Department of Health)
COVID-19 cases surged up this week in Anderson County and four adjacent counties—Campbell, Knox, Loudon, and Roane—to the highest levels since near the peak of the delta surge in mid-September.
On Wednesday, Anderson County reported 80 or more cases for the second day in a row, the highest since September 16. The 80 new cases reported Wednesday followed the reporting of 87 new cases on Tuesday, according to Tennessee Department of Health data.
It’s not clear if the spike in cases in the five counties, including Anderson, was related to the new omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. The Tennessee Department of Health was not available for comment Friday while state offices were closed. However, the omicron variant has caused a quick, steep rise in cases in other countries and in other parts of the United States.
If the surge continues, it would be the fourth in Anderson County since the pandemic began March 20, 2020. The last surge, the delta surge, was the third of the pandemic in the county, and it peaked at 152 new cases on September 10.
The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here:Basic
If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge TodayP.O. Box 6064Oak Ridge, TN 37831 We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!
A daily snapshot of COVID-19 cases in Anderson County on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, includes, among other information, the daily number of new cases and the daily positivity rate. (Graphic by Tennessee Department of Health)
COVID-19 cases surged up this week in Anderson County and four adjacent counties—Campbell, Knox, Loudon, and Roane—to the highest levels since near the peak of the delta surge in mid-September. The positivity rate was very high, more than 20%, in all five counties.
On Wednesday, Anderson County reported 80 or more cases for the second day in a row, the highest since September 16. The 80 new cases reported Wednesday followed the reporting of 87 new cases on Tuesday, according to Tennessee Department of Health data.
A daily snapshot of COVID-19 cases in Anderson County on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, includes, among other information, the daily number of new cases and the daily positivity rate. (Graphic by Tennessee Department of Health)
COVID-19 cases surged up this week in Anderson County and four adjacent counties—Campbell, Knox, Loudon, and Roane—to the highest levels since near the peak of the delta surge in mid-September.
On Wednesday, Anderson County reported 80 or more cases for the second day in a row, the highest since September 16. The 80 new cases reported Wednesday followed the reporting of 87 new cases on Tuesday, according to Tennessee Department of Health data.
It’s not clear if the spike in cases in the five counties, including Anderson, was related to the new omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. The Tennessee Department of Health was not available for comment Friday while state offices were closed. However, the omicron variant has caused a quick, steep rise in cases in other countries and in other parts of the United States.
If the surge continues, it would be the fourth in Anderson County since the pandemic began March 20, 2020. The last surge, the delta surge, was the third of the pandemic in the county, and it peaked at 152 new cases on September 10.
The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here:Basic
If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge TodayP.O. Box 6064Oak Ridge, TN 37831 We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!
Roane State Community College President Chris Whaley and Alan Icenhour, deputy director of operations for Oak Ridge National Laboratory, hold a replica of the $34,000 check that ORNL contractor UT-Battelle awarded the Roane State Foundation to help with college expenses for Roane State Middle College students. Also pictured is Roane State’s Interim Middle College Director Susan Pearson, Roane State Vice President for Student Learning Diane Ward, Roane State Foundation Executive Director Scott Niermann, Deborah Miller of Roane State’s Grants Development Office, Roane State Foundation Board Member Joy Goldberg, former ORNL Community Relations Manager Wade Creswell, Roane State Foundation Scholarship Specialist Pam Rudnitzki, and several RSCC Middle College students. (Photo submitted by Roane State)
By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer
The tradition of funding scholarships for Middle College students enrolled in Roane State Community College’s innovative program is going strong and continues to help participants reach long-term goals.
A $34,000 annual contribution from UT-Battelle helps cover tuition and other costs for students from Roane County’s five high schools to attend Middle College. This year, 57 Roane County students are enrolled in the curriculum.
UT-Battelle is the contractor that manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory, located in Roane County, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Middle College, now in its sixth year, is a two-year program for high-achieving high school students who want to get a head start on college.
High school juniors enrolled in Middle College take college courses at one of Roane State’s campuses in the mornings and return to their respective high schools in the afternoons. That way, they can graduate from high school at the same time they earn an associate degree from Roane State. Graduates can then transfer to other colleges and enroll as juniors.
Roane State Community College played a crucial role in an experiment to get high-speed Internet to rural communities currently lacking what’s become an essential component of modern life. (Photo by Yvette Gooden/University of Tennessee)
By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer
Roane State Community College played a crucial role in an experiment to get high-speed Internet to rural communities currently lacking what’s become an essential component of modern life.
It’s an effort to bridge the digital divide in Roane County, where about 30 percent of households lack access to robust, affordable broadband internet.
That includes some 6,000 students who must have internet access for online learning.
Internet access “is paramount in current situations such as COVID-19 and the remote learning requirements it presents,†said Egon Hillermann. He’s the director of ROANEnet, an organization that advocates for improving high-speed internet access.
A daily snapshot of COVID-19 cases in Roane County on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, includes, among other information, the daily number of new cases and the daily positivity rate. (Graphic by Tennessee Department of Health)
The executive order for face coverings that was issued by Roane County Executive Ron Woody on Monday could be in effect through December 29 unless Woody and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee extend the order.
Woody announced Monday morning that he was going to invoke the authority to mandate facemasks in Roane County as authorized by Lee’s order in July.
A graph shows the number of new COVID-19 cases in Roane County by month since the pandemic began in March. Note: The data for November is through Nov. 22, a partial month. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)
Face masks are now required in Roane County to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Roane County Executive Ron Woody announced the mask mandate on Monday morning. It is effective immediately.
“I hope this community will take this order without causing more divisions among our citizens,” Woody said. He hopes no law enforcement will be needed.
The west end of Oak Ridge is in Roane County, although most of the city’s residents live in Anderson County.
Roane County’s cases and deaths have risen during the past month, Woody said. Roane County has reported almost four times as many COVID-19 deaths so far this month, 15, than in the previous high month—four in September. The county has reported more new cases so far this month, 717, than in the previous high month—543 in October.
This graph shows COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations by month in Roane County. Note: The data for November is through Nov. 19, a partial month. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)
Seven COVID-19 deaths were reported in three days in Roane County, according to state data.
The seven deaths were reported in data published by the Tennessee Department of Health on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Roane County has reported 11 deaths from COVID-19 this month. That’s more than half of the county’s 21 total deaths due to COVID-19.
Anderson County has reported seven of its 25 deaths due to COVID-19 this month.
This graph shows COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations by month in Anderson County. Note: The data for November is through Nov. 17, a partial month. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)
We have included some charts in this story about COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations in Anderson, Knox, and Roane counties. Here are a few more charts that we didn’t include there, with data through Tuesday, November 17.
This graph shows the number of COVID-19 deaths by month in Anderson, Knox, and Roane counties. Note: November is a partial month. This data is through Nov. 17. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)
Anderson and Roane counties reported five more deaths due to COVID-19 on Tuesday, and Knox County reported another nine deaths.
November is the deadliest month for COVID-19 in all three counties, and there are about two weeks remaining in the month. Nine deaths have been reported in both Anderson and Roane counties so far this month, and 30 deaths have been reported in Knox County.
Of the five deaths reported Tuesday, two were in Anderson County, and three were in Roane County.
The nine deaths in Roane County this month are more than the eight reported in all of the previous months.
This graph shows COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations by month in Anderson County. Note: The data for November is through Nov. 15, a partial month. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)
More COVID-19 deaths were reported in Anderson and Roane counties during the first two weeks of November than in any previous month. That means, with two weeks remaining, November is already the worst month of the pandemic for deaths in both counties.
If current trends continue, there could also be more hospitalizations this month than in any previous month in both counties.
Anderson County reported four more deaths due to COVID-19 between Friday and Sunday, and five since Wednesday. The county has had six more hospitalizations in the past seven days.
Roane County reported four more deaths since Tuesday and seven additional hospitalizations.
