Oak Ridge Today

Roane Alliance’s annual fundraising gala is Nov. 1

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Roane Alliance Annual Gala

The crowd at a previous Roane Alliance Annual Gala. (Submitted photo)

The 2013 Roane Alliance Gala will be held Friday, Nov. 1, and the theme of this year’s annual fundraiser will be “Magic.”

“The Roane Alliance Gala is always kind of a magical event,” said Roane Alliance President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Henderson. “So, it just made sense to embrace that as our theme this year.”

The Gala is the primary annual fundraising event for The Alliance, and the money raised from the night goes toward funding the many programs The Alliance administers throughout the year to ensure quality growth for Roane County, a press release said. [Read more…]

New manager announced at Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Roane County

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Amber Wyrick

Amber Wyrick

Y-12 Federal Credit Union recently announced that Amber Wyrick has been named branch manager of the Roane County Branch, located at 1715 Roane State Highway in Harriman.

Wyrick has worked at the Roane County Branch for more than 12 years, a press release said. She started as a teller and also held the positions of head teller and assistant branch manager before being promoted to branch manager. [Read more…]

Roane County takes green to a new level

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TVA Sustainable Community Silver Seal

Roane County has been designated as a Valley Sustainable Silver Community by the Tennessee Valley Authority through a program initiated by their Economic Development department to help communities improve existing sustainability programs and increase their ability to attract new investment in their community.

Roane County recently completed the TVA-sponsored program, which was developed and administered by consultant Boyette Strategic Advisors. The program documents a community’s assets to increase the likelihood that it will be viewed as progressive and competitive by companies looking to invest in new or expanded locations. [Read more…]

Roane State Library hosting book sale Aug. 20-22

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Roane State Community College Harriman Campus

The main Roane State Community College campus in Harriman.

The Roane State Community College Library will host a used book sale on Aug. 20-22 at the Roane County campus in Harriman.

The library is selling fiction books that have been withdrawn from the collection. Proceeds will be used to purchase new fiction. To buy books, visit the library on the Roane County campus Aug. 20-22 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Visitors will find great books for $1, a press release said.

For more information, contact the library at (865) 882-4553 or visit www.roanestate.edu/library.

Udall, Alexander reintroduce plan for independent panel to help Cold War nuclear workers

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

Mark Udall

Mark Udall

U.S. senators Mark Udall, a Colorado Democrat, and Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, on Thursday reintroduced a bipartisan plan to create an independent advisory panel to help Cold War workers from Oak Ridge and other nuclear weapons facilities get the help they need to treat cancer and other illnesses they developed as a result of exposure to radiation, a press release said.

“The panel would oversee the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, which has been plagued by procedural inconsistencies and delays, preventing former nuclear workers from accessing the benefits they are owed,” the release said.

It said about 600,000 workers were unknowingly exposed to radioactive and toxic substances while employed at U.S. atomic weapons program facilities during the Cold War era. Because of this exposure, thousands of Americans now have developed debilitating—and often terminal—diseases. [Read more…]

Officials celebrate opening of $40 million Volkswagen distribution center in Roane County

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Volkswagen Southeast Regional Distribution Center Opening

Volkswagen, Roane County, and Tennessee officials celebrate the opening of a $40 million parts distribution center in eastern Roane County on Tuesday.

ROANE COUNTY—A new $40 million Volkswagen distribution center in eastern Roane County will distribute domestic auto parts to a global market for the Passat, which is made in Chattanooga, the company said Tuesday.

The Southeast Regional Distribution Center started operating on a limited basis as a redistribution center in April. It serves five other depots in the United States, as well as warehouses in Canada, Mexico, and Germany.

Later, it will include a parts distribution center for 110 Volkswagen and Audi dealers in the Southeast. [Read more…]

State announces first Select Tennessee Certified Sites, including Horizon Center area

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Tennessee Certified Site at Horizon Center

The Select Tennessee Certified Site is pictured above at Horizon Center. (Submitted photo)

NASHVILLE—The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced on Tuesday the first six Select Tennessee Certified Sites.

As previously reported on Oak Ridge Today, one of the sites is at Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge.

The Select Tennessee program was launched in June 2012 with the goal of helping Tennessee communities prepare available sites for investment and expansion. The program sets a consistent and rigorous standard upon which companies can rely in making critical location decisions. [Read more…]

Roane schools budget $1.5M out of balance

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Roane County school system is facing a $1.5 million budget shortfall and some are calling for a property tax increase to make up the deficit, while others are saying no tax increase is needed and that the schools need to live within their means. Among the options that have been floated include possibly closing Midway High School.

The Roane County Budget Committee has recommended a budget that includes no tax increase, but school leaders have asked for a 14-cent property tax rate increase. [Read more…]

Roane County man accused of shooting stepson in leg during dispute

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John Wayne Williams

John Wayne Williams

A Roane County man is accused of shooting his stepson in the leg with a shotgun during a family dispute Thursday night, the Roane County Sheriff’s Office said.

The shooting occurred at about 8:45 p.m. Thursday at 178 Maddox Hollow Road, which is south of Kingston between Watts Bar Lake and Interstate 75. [Read more…]

TVA, EPA update Roane County on ash cleanup efforts

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Information from WYSH Radio

On Thursday, officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Tennessee Valley Authority updated Roane County residents on the ongoing cleanup efforts from the 2008 coal ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant.

The December 2008 spill dumped more than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge into the Clinch and Emory Rivers and into the surrounding community. What had been 5.4 million cubic yards of sludge is now down to about 70,000 cubic yards—or 14 million gallons—and officials expect to have the rest cleared by the end of June. [Read more…]

Perma-Fix awards scholarships from Roane Chamber high school career day

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The third 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 High School Career Day, sponsored by the Roane County Chamber of Commerce.

The five graduating students receiving the Perma-Fix Scholarships this year are David “Tre” Pack, Harriman High; Patricia Howe, Midway High; Charlee Lee Roberts, Oliver Springs High, Eric Luffman, Roane-Kingston County High; and Kelsey Legg, Rockwood High. They all attended the Chamber’s 2011 Career Day. [Read more…]

Roane Alliance kicks off Education Matters! fundraising drive

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Roane County Education Matters

Front row: Allen Lutz; back row (l-r): Carmen Van Horn, Gary Aytes, Chris Whaley, Leslie Henderson, and Chris Ayers. (Submitted photo)

The Roane Alliance on Thursday kicked off a fund drive to keep its Education Matters! initiative—a “Best Practice” program, according to the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce— continuing in the future.

The Education Matters! program funding is being cut as of June 30 of this year.

“The Education Matters! mission is that every child in Roane County gets some post-secondary education—and does well at it,” said Leslie Henderson, president and chief executive officer of The Roane Alliance. “Education Matters! is making remarkable progress towards that goal, but starting at the end of June this year, the program has lost its funding and we need the community’s help. [Read more…]