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Anderson: Barker elected sheriff; incumbents win in Oak Ridge

Posted at 9:40 pm August 2, 2018
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Russell Barker

Russell Barker

Note: This story was last updated at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 3.

Russell Barker, a Republican, won the race for Anderson County sheriff on Thursday, beating Mark Lucas, a Democrat, in a race decided by about 2,000 votes, according to unofficial results.

Meanwhile, four incumbents were re-elected in two Anderson County Commission districts where there was a challenger in Oak Ridge.

Barker is a detective sergeant with the Clinton Police Department who has served as director of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County. Lucas is chief deputy of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

Barker had 7,684 votes (57.79 percent), compared to 5,613 votes (42.21 percent) for Lucas, according to the unofficial results posted after all 27 precincts had been counted Thursday night.

Anderson County Sheriff Paul White is retiring at the end of his third four-year term, and he did not seek re-election.

In another contested race, Regina Copeland, the Republican director of the 911 center, defeated Ebony Capshaw, a Democrat, by a 69.74 percent to 30.26 percent margin (8,981 votes to 3,987). The last elected trustee, Rodney Archer, is now executive director of the County Officials Association of Tennessee, and Myron Iwanski, a former county commissioner and commission chair appointed to the trustee job through this August election, did not seek the job in the election. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2018 Election, Anderson County, Anderson County, Front Page News, Government, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Alden Souza, Anderson County Commission, Anderson County Election Commission, Anderson County Sheriff, Anderson County trustee, Anthony Allen, Bob Smallridge, Catherine Denenberg, Chuck Fritts, Denver Waddell, Donnie Rosenbalm, Ebony Capshaw, J. Shain Vowell, Jerry Creasey, Jerry White, Jimmy Bouchard, John Ragan, Joshua Anderson, Mark Alderson, Mark Lucas, Nathaniel Varner, Paul White, Phil Yager, Philip Warfield, Regina Copeland, Rex Lynch, Richard Dawson, Rick Meredith, Robbie Fulton, Robert A. Jameson, Robert McKamey, Russell Barker, Steve Emert, Steve Mead, Terry Frank, Theresa Scott, Tim Isbel, Tracy Wandell

Updated: Frank, Barker, Lynch win Republican primaries

Posted at 10:19 pm May 1, 2018
By John Huotari 10 Comments

Terry-Frank-Pain-Clinic-Zoning-Resolution

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank (Submitted photo)

Note: This story was last updated at 9 a.m. May 2.

CLINTON—Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank narrowly won the Republican Party primary on Tuesday, beating Anderson County Commissioner Steve Emert by 153 votes, according to unofficial results.

Frank, a former small business operator who was first elected in August 2012, had 4,771 votes, compared to 4,618 for Emert. That was a slim margin of 50.8 percent to 49.2 percent.

Frank has served one special two-year term as mayor and one full four-year term. There was no Democratic Party candidate for mayor in the Tuesday primary, meaning Frank won’t have a challenger on the ballot in the August 2 county general election and is essentially assured of serving again.

Emert is a small business owner who has served as Anderson County Commission chair. Like a previous candidate for mayor, former Tennessee Representative Jim Hackworth, Emert had emphasized what he characterized as dysfunction, including lawsuits, in the Anderson County Courthouse under Frank. Among other pledges, he had promised to restore civility to the county government.

But that and other campaign issues weren’t enough to give Emert the win, even if it might have helped to keep the election close. Emert initially had a narrow 63-vote lead after early and absentee voting results were counted. But the lead flipped when Election Day results started coming in from across Anderson County. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2018 Election, 2018 Election, Anderson County, Front Page News, Government, Slider Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County mayor, August 2 county general election, Circuit Court Clerk, county clerk, Democratic Party primary, Jeff Cole, Leesa Arowood, Lewis Ridenour, Mark "Hollywood" Whaley, Mark Lucas, Michael Foster, Paul White, Regina Copeland, register of deeds, Republican Party primary, Rex Lynch, Russell Barker, Scott Burton, Scott Gillenwaters, sheriff, Steve Emert, Terry Frank, Tim Shelton, trustee

Emert, Barker, Lynch lead in early, absentee voting

Posted at 8:24 pm May 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Steve Emert

Steve Emert

Note: This story was last updated at 8:48 p.m.

CLINTON—Anderson County Commissioner Steve Emert had a narrow 63-vote lead over Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank in the race for a four-year term as mayor in early and absentee voting results released after primary election polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Emert had 2,997 votes (50.53 percent) compared to 2,934 (49.47 percent) for Frank, who was first elected in August 2012. Both are candidates in the Anderson County Republican Party primary.

Election day votes have not been tabulated, so results could change. The results that follow are from the Republican Party primary. There are two candidates in the Democratic primary, Mark Lucas for sheriff and Ebony Capshaw for trustee, but they are unopposed in the primary election and are assured a spot in the August 2 county general election.

In the three-person Republican race for Anderson County sheriff, Scott Barker, a Clinton Police Department detective sergeant and director of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, had a significant lead over Lewis Ridenour, an Oak Ridge Police Department officer and former chief deputy. Barker had 2,841 votes (49.88 percent), compared to 1,992 (34.97 percent) for Ridenour, according to the unofficial results. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2018 Election, Anderson County, Government Tagged With: August 2 county general election, Democratic primary, Ebony Capshaw, Gary Long, Jeff Cole, Leesa Arowood, Lewis Ridenour, Mark "Hollywood" Whaley, Mark Lucas, Michael Foster, primary election, Regina Copeland, Republican Party primary, Rex Lynch, Scott Barker, Scott Burton, Scott Gillenwaters, Steve Emert, Terry Frank, Tim Shelton, William Jones

Races on the ballot today include mayor, sheriff, others

Posted at 10:30 am May 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Note: This story was last updated at 11:50 a.m.

Among the races on the ballot in the primary election in Anderson County today (Tuesday, May 1) are mayor, sheriff, trustee, county clerk, circuit court clerk, and register of deeds.

At least three of the races—mayor, county clerk, and register of deeds—could be decided in the Republican Party primary today because there are no Democrats running for those offices. That’s assuming there are no write-in candidates for those races in the August 2 county general election.

The Republican candidates for mayor are Terry Frank, the incumbent, and Anderson County Commissioner Steve Emert. The GOP candidates for county clerk are Jeff Cole, the incumbent, and his challenger, businesswoman Leesa Arowood. Tim Shelton is running for re-election as register of deeds, and he is being challenged in the Republican primary by Rocky Top City Manager Michael Foster.

There are no Democrats on today’s ballot for circuit court clerk, but there is a write-in candidate who plans to run as a Democrat in the August election. There is also a Republican write-in candidate in the race. It initially appeared this election could be decided today, but it now appears there could be the Republican nominee, either incumbent William Jones or former mayor Rex Lynch, plus two possible write-in candidates. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2018 Election, Anderson County, Front Page News, Government Tagged With: Anderson County, August 2 county general election, Circuit Court Clerk, county clerk, Ebony Capshaw, Jeff Cole, Leesa Arowood, Lewis Ridenour, Mark "Hollywood" Whaley, Mark Lucas, mayor, Michael Foster, primary election, Regina Copeland, register of deeds, Republican Party primary, Rex Lynch, Russell Barker, Scott Burton, Scott Gillenwaters, sheriff, Steve Emert, Terry Frank, Tim Shelton, trustee, William Jones

Twenty-nine qualify to run for 16 seats on Anderson County Commission

Posted at 1:38 pm April 7, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Twenty-nine candidates have qualified to run for 16 seats on the Anderson County Commission in the county general election in August.

There are also three people running for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 33, a new appointed Oak Ridge school board member running in a special election in August, and a Democratic challenger to Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge resident who is also lieutenant governor.

The deadline to qualify to run in the August 2 election, which will also feature contested elections for Anderson County sheriff and trustee, was noon Thursday.

Anderson County has eight County Commission districts, and there are two commissioners per district. The offices are non-partisan, meaning that, unlike some other county offices, they are not part of the Democratic and Republican primary elections on May 1. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2018 Election, Anderson County, Education, Front Page News, Government, K-12, State, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Commission, Anderson County Sheriff, Anthony Allen, Avery Johnson, Ben Stephens, Bob Eby, Bob Smallridge, Cassandra Mitchell, Catherine Denenberg, Chris Silver, Chuck Fritts, county general election, David Queener, Democratic primary, Dennis Powers, Denny Phillips, Denver Waddell, Ebony Capshaw, Felicia Foust, Floyd Grisham, Jeff Cole, Jeff Maxwell, Jerry Creasey, Jerry White, Jimmy Bouchard, John Meyer, John Ragan, Joshua Anderson, Leesa Arowood, Lewis Ridenour, Mark "Hollywood" Whaley, Mark Alderson, Mark Lucas, Michael Foster, Nathaniel Varner, Oak Ridge Board of Education, Phil Warfield, Phil Yager, primary elections, Randy McNally, Regina Copeland, Republican primary, Rex Lynch, Richard Dawson, Rick Meredith, Robert Jameson, Robert McKamey, Russell Barker, Scott Burton, Scott Gillenwaters, Shain Vowell, Steve Emert, Steve Mead, Tabitha Harmon, Tennessee House of Representatives, Tennessee House of Representatives District 33, Tennessee Senate District 5, Terry Frank, Theresa Scott, Tim Isbel, Tim Risden, Tim Shelton, Tracy Wandell, William Jones

Candidate forum for Anderson County mayor is Monday

Posted at 1:23 pm March 27, 2018
By Kathy Gillenwaters Leave a Comment

Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building

The Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building is pictured above on the Roane State Community College campus in Oak Ridge.

 

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy Committee will be hosting a series of candidate forums during the election season.

The first forum, which is Monday evening, will be for candidates running for the office of Anderson County mayor. Both candidates for the Republican nomination, Steve Emert and Terry Frank, will participate, a press release said.

The Anderson County mayor’s race will be determined in the May 1 primary because there are no Democrats running for the office.

Monday’s forum is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. April 2 at Roane State Community College’s Goff Building in Oak Ridge. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. All candidate forums are free and open to the public. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2018 Election, Anderson County, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge Tagged With: Anderson County mayor, candidate forum, Gene Patterson, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Owen Driskill, Steve Emert, Terry Frank

Anderson County Chamber hosts county election candidate forum

Posted at 10:34 pm March 13, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce will host a forum in Clinton this month for candidates in the Anderson County primary election in May.

The candidate forum will be moderated by Gene Patterson, community relations lead for Consolidated Nuclear Security, which manages and operates the Y-12 National Security Complex.

The candidate forum will be hosted by the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce Government/Community Relations Committee. It is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at The Ritz Theater at 119 North Main Street in downtown Clinton. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the concession stand will be open, a press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2018 Election, Anderson County, Anderson County, Business, Front Page News, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk, Anderson County Clerk, Anderson County Election Commission, Anderson County mayor, Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, Anderson County primary election, Anderson County road superintendent, Anderson County Sheriff, Anderson County trustee, candidate forum, early voting, Ebony Capshaw, Gene Patterson, Gray Long, Jeff Cole, Leesa Arowood, Lewis Ridenour, Mark "Hollywood" Whaley, Mark Lucas, May 1 primary election, Michael Yarnell Foster, Regina Copeland, Rex Lynch, Russell Barker, Scott Burton, Scott Gillenwaters, Steve Emert, Terry Frank, Tim Shelton, William T. Jones

Anderson County Budget Committee sends budget with no tax increase to County Commission

Posted at 2:35 pm June 13, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Steve Emert

Steve Emert

The Anderson County Commission Budget Committee has completed its work on the county budget and forwarded it to County Commission for consideration and approval at its June 13 special-called meeting, a press release said. The full budget is available on the county web site at andersontn.org under the Finance Department tab.

“The Budget Committee and Finance Department had several challenges in preparing next year’s budget,” said Myron Iwanski, Budget Committee chair. “This is the first year operating under the 81 Financial Management Law. It has resulted in changes in the Finance Department’s role and its organizational structure and staff. There have also been the challenges of having to take $1.5 million dollars from our fund balance to address Ambulance Service shortfalls; the continuing costs for legal fees that have accumulated over the last four years; the computer breach; and increases in medical insurance cost.”

The press release said the proposed budget keeps spending in departments at current levels, but it includes funding for an Information Technology staff. It provides funding for a capital outlay note to purchase a county Senior Center building, relocate the General Session Court in Oak Ridge to a county-owned building, and fund several needed building upgrades. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Government Tagged With: Anderson County Budget Committee, Anderson County Commission, county budget, Myron Iwanski, Natalie Erb, Steve Emert

Anderson County awarded Excellence in Financial Reporting Certificate

Posted at 11:56 am April 26, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Excellence in Financial Reporting Certificate being presented by Steve Emert, County Commission chairman, right, and Myron Iwanski, Finance Committee chairman, left, to Natalie Erb, Finance Department director. (Submitted photo)

The Excellence in Financial Reporting Certificate being presented by Steve Emert, Anderson County Commission chairman, right, and Myron Iwanski, Finance Committee chairman, left, to Natalie Erb, Finance Department director. (Submitted photo)

 

The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to Anderson County by the Government Finance Officers Association for its comprehensive annual financial report, a press release said. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of government and financial reporting.

The Anderson County annual financial report was judged by an impartial panel to meet high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story, the press release said.

“The finance staff, lead by Natalie Erb, have done an outstanding job in managing the county’s finances in a challenging year that included a change in the financial management system and several staff changes” said Myron Iwanski, chairman of the Anderson County Finance Committee. “Comprehensive financial policies and practices are being put in place.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County annual financial report, Anderson County Commission, Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, comprehensive annual financial report, Excellence in Financial Reporting, Finance Committee, financial management, government and financial reporting, Government Finance Officers Association, Myron Iwanski, Natalie Erb, Steve Emert

Anderson County Commission allocates $10,000 to Friendship Bell fund drive

Posted at 8:24 pm April 3, 2017
By Kay Brookshire 1 Comment

Anderson County Commissioners present a $10,000 check for the new Peace Pavilion to house the International Friendship Bell to Shigeko Uppuluri, left, and Pat Postma, right. Commissioners are Theresa Scott and Steve Emert, Commission chair, front; and in back from left, Jerry Creasey, Myron Iwanski, Phil Yager, Whitey Hitchcock, and Steve Mead. (Submitted photo)

Anderson County Commissioners present a $10,000 check for the new Peace Pavilion to house the International Friendship Bell to Shigeko Uppuluri, left, and Pat Postma, right. Commissioners are Theresa Scott and Steve Emert, Commission chair, front center; and in back from left, Jerry Creasey, Myron Iwanski, Phil Yager, Whitey Hitchcock, and Steve Mead. (Submitted photo)

 

Several Anderson County Commissioners recently gathered at the International Friendship Bell in Oak Ridge to present a $10,000 check for the new Peace Pavilion that will become the Bell’s new home in Bissell Park.

The Commission voted unanimously earlier this year to allocate $10,000 to help replace the pavilion housing the Bell after structural beams in the original pavilion deteriorated and the structure had to be demolished in 2014.

“We have to preserve the Bell,” said County Commission Chair Steve Emert. “It is important for tourism, for history, and especially for its message of friendship.”

“The Bell will be a key part of the story that the Manhattan Project National Historical Park is going to tell. This benefits the whole county, not just Oak Ridge,” added County Commissioner Myron Iwanski. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Community, Front Page News, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Commission, International Friendship Bell, International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee, Jerry Creasey, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Myron Iwanski, Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell, Pat Postma, Peace Pavilion, Phil Yager, Shigeko Uppuluri, Steve Emert, Steve Mead, Theresa Scott, Whitey Hitchcock, Ziad Demian

Emert running for Anderson County mayor

Posted at 5:32 pm March 26, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Steve Emert

Steve Emert

Steve Emert, chair of the Anderson County Commission, is running for Anderson County mayor as a Republican in the 2018 election.

Emert has served the last five years as a county commissioner from District 3, which includes Norris and Andersonville. He has been county commission chair for the past two years.

When he was elected to County Commission in 2012, Emert said in a press release, he immediately started furthering his education in every aspect of the local government, and he earned the CPA designation (certified public administrator).

Emert is a longtime local businessman and entrepreneur, the press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2018 Election, Anderson County, Front Page News, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: 2018 election, Anderson County Commission, Anderson County mayor, Mark Lucas, Steve Emert, Terry Frank

County taking steps to move General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge

Posted at 11:07 am March 23, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Anderson-County-General-Sessions-Court-Exterior-Nov-19-2015

Anderson County officials are taking steps to move General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge from a privately owned building on Bus Terminal Road, pictured above, to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 12:50 p.m.

Anderson County officials are taking steps to move General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge from a privately owned building on Bus Terminal Road to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road.

An 18-month lease on the current privately owned building, where the court has been since 2009, expires in June, officials said Wednesday.

Renovations are planned at the county-owned building on Emory Valley Road before the court moves there. Bid packages for the renovation work could go out to contractors this week, and the bid could be awarded in mid-April, said Anderson County Commissioner Phil Yager, one of two commissioners who represent District 8 in Oak Ridge.

The renovation work could take two to three months, Yager said. Michael Brady Inc., a Knoxville architectural firm helping Anderson County, has estimated the renovations could cost around $300,000. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Rocky Top, Slider, Tennessee Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Commission, Anderson County General Sessions Court Division II, Emory Valley Center, General Sessions Court, Michael Brady Inc., Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Senior Center, Phil Yager, Steve Emert, Steve Mead, Terry Frank, Tony Cappiello, United Way of Anderson County, Vintage Development Corporation

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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...]

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