Oak Ridge Today

Roane candidates discuss DOE funding, airport, DARE, technology

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Roane County Candidate Forum

A large standing-room-only audience attends an election forum for Roane County candidates on Tuesday at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge. (Photo by Sara Wise)

 

Roane County candidates in four contested races—county executive, sheriff, circuit court judge, and circuit court clerk—discussed issues ranging from federal funding for U.S. Department of Energy work to anti-drug D.A.R.E. programs in local schools during a standing-room-only forum in Oak Ridge on Tuesday.

The forum was at Roane State Community College. Freelance reporter Sara Wise covered it for Oak Ridge Today. Here’s a summary of what the candidates said.

County Executive

County executive candidates Mike Farmer and incumbent Ron Woody both attended the forum.

When asked about the Plateau Partnership Park, Farmer said Roane County has “several million dollars” invested in the Roane Regional Business Technology Park. He said that this technology park, as well as the Plateau Partnership Park, is important to the county from an economic standpoint. [Read more…]

Reminder: Roane candidates at election forum tonight

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Roane County candidates have been invited to an election forum in Oak Ridge tonight (Tuesday night).

Candidates who have been invited include those in contested races in Roane County for county executive, sheriff, circuit court clerk, circuit court judge, public defender, and Roane County School Board District 3/4, which includes Oak Ridge, have been invited to speak and answer questions.

Unopposed candidates for county attorney, county clerk, trustee, register of deeds, chancellor, criminal court judge, district attorney general, general sessions judges, and County Commission District 4 will be introduced.

The forum is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. It starts at 7 p.m. in the City Room (A-111) at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge. The college is at 701 Briarcliff Avenue. [Read more…]

Roane approves ‘In God We Trust’ signs

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Roane County Courthouse

The Roane County Courthouse in Kingston is pictured above. (Photo by Sara Wise)

WYSH Radio/Oak Ridge Today

The Roane County Commission voted 13-1 on Monday to place the words “In God We Trust” at three locations in the Roane County Courthouse in Kingston. The signs will be similar to those placed above all four entrances at the Anderson County Courthouse last year and the one placed above the entrance to the Oak Ridge General Sessions Court building.

The Roane County proposal was made earlier this year, but commissioners initially balked at approving it until it made its way through the property committee.

The black granite signs will be placed above the north and south entrances to the Courthouse. A bronze plaque inscribed with “In God We Trust,” which is the national motto, will also be placed in the Commission meeting room, which also serves as a General Sessions courtroom. As in Anderson County, the signs will be paid for by private contributions. [Read more…]

Roane Chamber has candidate forum Tuesday evening

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Roane State Community College Harriman Campus

The Roane County Chamber has a candidate forum on Tuesday evening at Roane State Community College in Harriman, pictured above.

The Roane County Chamber has a candidate forum on Tuesday evening. It will feature candidates for Roane County executive, sheriff, Roane County Commission in District 4 (Oliver Springs), and Democratic and Republican candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives.

The forum will also feature candidates for County Commission, School Board, and City Council in Harriman, Kingston, and Rockwood.

The forum starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Roane State Community College’s O’Brien Theatre at 276 Patton Lane in Harriman. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the forum is expected to last until about 8:30 p.m. [Read more…]

League of Women Voters has Anderson, Roane candidate forums in July

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The League of Woman Voters of Oak Ridge will have three candidate forums in July, two for Anderson County candidates and one for Roane County candidates.

The first Anderson County candidate forum will be on Tuesday, July 15. It will feature candidates for Anderson County offices and judicial positions. The second forum will be on July 17, and it will feature Oak Ridge candidates for the Anderson County Commission and Anderson County School Board. Both forums will start at 7 p.m., and they will be held in the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater. ORHS is located at 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The Roane County candidate forum will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, in the Roane State Community College City Room, A111. This forum will feature candidates for Roane County offices and judicial positions and candidates who would represent Oak Ridge districts on the Roane County Commission and School Board. RSCC is located at 701 Briarcliff Ave. in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Proton Power named Roane County’s 2014 Industry of the Year

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Industry of the Year: Proton Power

Proton Power was named 2014 Industry of the Year in Roane County. From left to right are Roane County Industrial Board Chair Tommy Thompson, Proton Power Human Resources Manager Sean Hensley, and Wade Creswell, president and CEO of The Roane Alliance. (Photos courtesy of The Roane Alliance)

 

Submitted

HARRIMAN—The annual Roane County Industry Appreciation Breakfast was held at the end of May at Roane State Community College. The Roane County Industrial Board announced this year’s Industry of the Year and Roane Beautification Awards.

The event was sponsored by the Harriman Utility Board and Rockwood Electric Utility.

Thom Mason, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was the guest speaker, speaking about how the lab wants to be used as a resource to businesses and industry in the state—and especially to Roane County. More than 95 percent of the lab is in Roane County. According to Mason, more than $450 million in products and services were spent by the lab last year, with around 40 percent of that being spent in the state, and much of that from local business and industry.

Mason spoke about specific examples of how ORNL was working with local businesses to help them grow and develop. He encouraged industries in attendance to reach out to them for their help with any challenges they may have.

“ORNL is a research and technology facility,” Mason said. “If we can help business and industry expand and ultimately grow jobs, then we have done our job.”

Proton Power was named 2014 Roane County Industry of the Year, and Volkswagen received the 2014 Roane Beautification Award. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge: 4,000 lose power, 70 homes damaged

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Wadsworth Circle Home Tree

One of two trees that fell on a home on West Wadsworth Circle. The second tree, visible on the ground in the background, punched a hole in the roof and displaced a mother, grandmother, and two children.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2:40 p.m.

Roughly 4,000 customers lost power in the Tuesday evening storm, and about 70 damaged homes will require repairs by an electrician before power can be restored, an Oak Ridge official said Wednesday morning.

Oak Ridge Electric Director Jack Suggs said he doesn’t recall ever having 70 homes damaged in one storm, although the Electric Department has experienced worse storms when many utility poles were broken. But the brief, fierce Tuesday storm, which brought severe winds and driving rain, was significant in terms of its damage to homes and its far-reaching nature, from Blair Road on the west end of town to east Oak Ridge and beyond—into Clinton and Anderson County, Suggs said.

“It was pretty widespread,” Suggs said.

Janet Bowker on Plymouth Circle and Storm Debris

Janet Bowker, left, walks through debris on Plymouth Circle in front of her home, where a tree fell into her bedroom during the Tuesday evening storm. Her home is at right but not visible in this picture. There were no injuries, but Bowker does not have power now.

 

The storm, which ripped through Oak Ridge at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, left a trail of debris: scattered branches and limbs, broken trees, fallen power lines, and damaged buildings and homes. It also triggered a flood of calls to the city’s 911 call dispatch center.

About 500 customers remained without power around noon Wednesday, including the 70 damaged homes. [Read more…]

Perma-Fix awards 2014 Career Day scholarships

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Kaylee Burton

Kaylee Burton (Photos courtesy Roane County Schools/The Roane County News)

Submitted by The Roane Alliance

KINGSTON—The fourth annual Perma-Fix Career Day Scholarships have been awarded to a graduate from each of the five Roane County high schools. The students receiving the $250 scholarships applied for them during their junior year while participating in the Roane County Chamber’s High School Career Day.

The five graduating seniors awarded this year’s Perma-Fix Scholarships are Matt Snow, Harriman High; Ryan Hamby, Rockwood High; Austin Strange, Roane County High; Kaylee Burton, Midway High; and Amber Eddy, Oliver Springs High.

Each of these seniors are seeking postsecondary education by attending college, a technical center, or taking workforce training courses, a press release said.

“We want to encourage and help students continue their education after high school,” said Kenyon Mee, facility manager for Diversified Scientific Services Inc., a subsidiary of Perma-Fix Environmental Services in Kingston. “This is our fourth year of sponsoring scholarships for graduates of Roane County high schools. Next year, we will announce five more scholarships for the Class of 2015.” [Read more…]

Since Saturday, three crashes in Oliver Springs area required Lifestar response

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Oliver Springs Crash Tri County Boulevard

An Oneida woman driving the car above was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville after a collision with a truck on Tri County Boulevard in Oliver Springs on Monday afternoon. (Photo by Oliver Springs Police Department/Kenneth Morgan)

For the third time since about noon Saturday, a Lifestar medical helicopter on Monday afternoon picked up a patient injured in a car crash in Oliver Springs.

The 1 p.m. Monday crash involved an Old Dominion truck driven by Steven Mayfield and a car driven by Lyndsay Phillips of Oneida. The truck was turning from eastbound Tri County Boulevard onto Knoxville Highway, or State Highway 62, headed toward Morgan County, Oliver Springs Police Chief Kenneth Morgan said. He said the car was traveling west toward Harriman on the Boulevard.

Phillips was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center by Lifestar, Morgan said. [Read more…]

Guest column: Roane County saves more than $800,000 on refinancing debt

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Ron Woody

Ron Woody

By Roane County Office of the County Executive

Roane County Executive Ron Woody announced this month that the county saved more than $800,000 by refinancing outstanding debt to lower interest rates.

Woody, his staff, and the Roane County Commission have created and adopted a multi-year debt service budget along with a county capital improvement plan. By having both a debt management plan and a capital plan, the county is able to more efficiently manage the county’s limited resources.

The debt plan and multi-year debt budget further identifies bonds that are eligible for refinancing. The county can then analyze whether refinancing allows for savings. The county identified a Rural School Bond of more than $11 million that had an interest rate of over 4 percent and was eligible for refinancing. The new interest rate is 2.8 percent, which is a savings of $854,600 over the term of the bond, including a savings of $185,735 in interest the first year. [Read more…]

Roane Commission to consider ‘In God We Trust’ signs

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In God We Trust Courthouse Signs

Workers from Island Home Granite, Signs, and Monuments install the first of four granite “In God We Trust” signs over the entrances at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton in July 2013. (File photo)

Information from WYSH Radio

Roane County leaders are considering installing signs bearing the phrase “In God We Trust” at the Roane County Courthouse in Kingston.

Roane County Commissioner Randy Ellis said his proposal would have one sign installed above the main entrance to the courthouse, and another in the commission chamber. The signs would have to be privately funded as Anderson County’s signs were when a similar proposal approved last year.

“In God We Trust” signs now hang above all four entrances to the Anderson County Courthouse as well as at the Oak Ridge General Sessions Court building. The Roane County Commission is set to discuss the proposal at 7 p.m. Monday.

Meth lab seizures in Tennessee down from 2013

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Federal Meth Prosecution

Flanked by local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian, center, announces that 42 people, including many Anderson County residents, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine. (March 2013 file photo)

Information from WYSH Radio

The Tennessee Meth Task Force says that the number of meth labs seized in the state in the first quarter of 2014 is down 52 percent from this time last year. Between January and March of 2014, 290 meth labs were seized, compared to the first quarter of 2013, when 612 meth labs were seized.

Officials attributed the decrease to several factors, including increased enforcement, like the federal indictments handed down in Anderson County last year against more than 50 people on meth-making and related charges. Officials also cite local ordinances passed by 17 communities that now require a prescription to purchase pseudoephedrine, which is the key ingredient used to make meth. Last year, however, the state Attorney General opined that such laws violate the state constitution.

In 2013, Anderson County led the state in meth lab busts. First quarter numbers for 2014 show that Anderson and Roane County have had the second highest number of seizures, with 10 meth lab busts each, and that Monroe County ranked first with the highest number, 14 meth lab seizures.