Oak Ridge Today

TBI agent to discuss human sex trafficking in Tennessee during Tuesday lunch

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Human sex trafficking has been defined as modern day slavery, a travesty that is hidden in plain sight. It happens in every zip code and crosses all socioeconomic, educational, and racial lines. Tennessee is no exception.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent-in-Charge Margie Quinn will give her perspective on human sex trafficking in Tennessee at the next Lunch with the League on Tuesday, November 1. The program will be at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Quinn will discuss what’s being done to combat human sex trafficking in Tennessee, a press release said. [Read more…]

Report: Medical isotope company plans to build manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge

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A building at the entrance of Heritage Center is pictured above. (Photo by CROET)

Note: This story was updated at 8:45 a.m. Oct. 10.

A Florida newspaper reported on Wednesday that a medical isotope company will build a manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge, rather than relocating to a city in north Florida.

Coquí RadioPharmaceutical had planned to build a $250 million manufacturing facility in Alachua, which is near Gainesville, with 164 jobs paying an average of $75,000, the Gainesville Sun reported.

But the company announced Wednesday that it will instead build its facility in Oak Ridge, lured by a gift of 170 acres from the U.S. Department of Energy and the opportunity to work with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a DOE lab, the newspaper said.

On Saturday, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said he is aware of the company, and it is working with the state of Tennessee. [Read more…]

Show appreciation for first responders Saturday

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Police Lives Matter Rally Crowd

About 65 people attended a Police Lives Matter rally last year at Alvin K. Bissell Park on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Second Annual First Responders Appreciation Day is Saturday in Oak Ridge.

There are two events: an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast in the morning to raise money for the family of Maryville Police Department Officer Kenny Moats and a ceremony in the evening to honor local first responders.

The First Responders Appreciation Day is on Saturday, September 17, at Swifty’s Atomic Bar & Grill at 119 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The fundraising pancake breakfast is from 8 a.m. to noon at Swifty’s. The donation is $10. Moats was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call in late August. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs receives $100,000 ballfield grant; Norris Dam park, Farragut also receive funding

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Oliver Springs has received a $100,000 state grant for development of the Carmichael Ballfield, officials said Monday. It’s a Local Parks and Recreation grant.

Farragut received a $500,000 Parks and Recreation grant for renovation of an athletic field, restroom, and construction of parking.

And Norris Dam State Park received an $84,000 Recreational Trails Program grant. It will be used to buy trail cutting equipment for building and maintaining hiking and biking trails, and trail-dedicated hand tools; develop three new trails that will link existing trails to increase trail capacity and link users to the campgrounds; and repair existing trails and train new volunteers.

The grants were announced by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau on Monday. They are worth more than $17 million total, and they will help fund parks and recreation projects in Tennessee communities, a press release said. [Read more…]

Reminder: Early voting under way in Tennessee

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Early voting for the August 4 state primary and county general elections is under way. Voting will continue Mondays through Saturdays and end Saturday, July 30.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is encouraging voters to take advantage of early voting, which allows people to cast a ballot when it’s convenient for them, a press release said.

“Tennesseans broke records during the March 1 ‘SEC Primary’ by taking advantage of early voting,” Hargett said in the press release. “It will be exciting to see Tennesseans participate in the electoral process this August and November.”

The easiest way for voters to find their early voting and Election Day polling locations, view and mark sample ballots, see their elected officials, districts, and county election commission information as well as access online state and federal election results is through the GoVoteTN app. Voters can download the free app in the App Store or Google Play or visit GoVoteTN.com to view voter specific information. [Read more…]

Tee Higgins commits to Clemson

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Wildcats Tee Higgins Catch at Ooltewah Nov. 13, 2015

Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins (5), shown making a playoff catch against Ooltewah on Friday, Nov. 13, 2015, announced Monday, July 4, 2016, that he has committed to Clemson. (File photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Oak Ridge Wildcats wide receiver Tee Higgins has committed to Clemson. Higgins, who will be a senior this fall, announced his decision in a Bleacher Report video posted on Twitter on Monday.

The video shows Higgins, a five-star receiver who had once been committed to Tennessee, at a barbecue cookout with friends and family. It ends with orange and purple fireworks in the sky.

The 247Sports Composite lists the 6-foot-5, 188-pound Higgins as the nation’s third-ranked wide receiver in the 2017 class. Prep Xtra at the Knoxville News Sentinel reported that he is considered the number one overall player in Tennessee.

Higgins, who won a Mr. Football award in November and was also a Mr. Basketball finalist, chose the Tigers over finalists Ohio State, Florida State, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. [Read more…]

New laws in effect on Friday: Wine sales, guns on campus, ‘slow poke’ law

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Information from WYSH Radio

Several new laws go into effect on Friday, July 1, in Tennessee.

The most highly-publicized of these new laws is one that will allow certain gas stations and grocery stores to obtain licenses to sell wine. More than 400 businesses have obtained the necessary licenses and will be able to start legally selling wine at 8 a.m. Friday, July 1.

Beginning Friday, faculty and staff and public colleges and universities in Tennessee will be able to carry concealed guns on campus. Those wishing to carry will have to register their weapons with campus police departments. [Read more…]

Updated: McNally to seek Senate speakership

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Note: This story was updated at 9:30 a.m. March 25.

Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, will seek to become the next speaker of the Senate.

If elected, McNally would replace Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, a Blountville Republican who recently announced he is not seeking re-election.

McNally, a longtime legislator, is chair of the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.

“I want to thank Ron Ramsey for his tremendous leadership over these last 10 years,” McNally said in a Thursday press release. “If elected speaker, I will continue to support an independent state Senate, and I will remain committed to keeping taxes low, while maintaining the financial integrity of our state that benefits all Tennesseans.”

In the press release, McNally said he plans to spend his summer and fall working with Ramsey to help Tennessee Republicans maintain and grow their strong majority in the state Senate. [Read more…]

Anderson County Democratic Party to select convention delegates on March 5

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The Anderson County Democratic Party will help select Tennessee’s delegates to the Democratic Presidential Convention during a March 5 meeting in Oak Ridge.

The Democratic Party County Delegate Convention will be in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Social Room on Saturday, March 5, a press release said. The doors will open at 11:45 a.m. and close promptly at 1 p.m. EST.  No one will be admitted after the doors are closed. Those who are in the room and in the process of registering will be allowed to finish. The gavel will fall and the convention will convene at precisely 1:05 p.m. EST, as directed by the Tennessee Democratic Party, the press release said.

The event is open to all registered voters in the county, supporters of the Democratic Party, and those who agree to support the nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2016 Presidential election, the release said. The Party welcomes all to attend who wish to participate in selecting Tennessee’s delegates to the Democratic Presidential Convention.

Information about becoming a Democratic National Committee (DNC) delegate and the rules governing the DNC Delegate Selection Process may be obtained from tndp.org, or from the Tennessee Democratic Party, 1900 Church Street, Suite 203, Nashville, TN 37203, telephone, (615) 327-9779.

Early voting starts today in Tennessee

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Note: This story was last updated at 1:30 p.m.

Early voting for the March 1 presidential preference primary, or “SEC Primary,” begins today (Wednesday, February 10).

In this election cycle, voting early may be an important option because of unpredictable winter weather, state officials said in a press release. The number of presidential candidates as well as the number of delegates could also create incredibly long ballots for some voters.

Six Southern states will join Tennessee to help decide who could be the next president of the United States. The Volunteer State’s clout could mean more primary interest than in years past. [Read more…]

Tennessee declares State of Emergency due to major winter weather forecast; state offices closed

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Snowfall Amounts Friday to Saturday Jan 21 2016 II

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Note: This story was updated at 10 a.m. Jan. 22.

Tennessee officials declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to the weather forecasts of a major winter weather system expected to move into West Tennessee late Thursday evening and overnight, and gradually cross the entire state through Saturday.

State officials called it a Level III State of Emergency. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency made the recommendation for a State of Emergency to Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam on Thursday afternoon. State officials activated the Tennessee Emergency Management Plan.

A Level 3-Declaration of State Emergency describes an event or period when a serious emergency has occurred or the situation is deteriorating rapidly, and public warnings are being issued. There are five levels in the declaration of state emergencies. They range from normal operations to catastrophic disasters.

On Friday morning, Tennessee officials announced that state offices will be closed Friday due to severe weather.

Here is more information from a press release: [Read more…]

Oak Ridge, Clinton officers receive DUI Officer of the Year awards

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Oak-Ridge-Police-Department-Burchfield-DUI-Officer-Year

Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Derek Burchfield, left, received a DUI Officer of the Year Award on December 7 at the Governor’s Highway Safety Office annual joint network meeting in Knoxville. (Photo by Oak Ridge Police Department)

 

Officer Derek Burchfield of the Oak Ridge Police Department and Patrolman Adam Warren of the Clinton Police Department have received DUI Officer of the Year awards.

They were among nearly 100 officers and law enforcement agencies recognized by the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office. The awards were given out at regional meetings in Jackson, Murfreesboro, Pikeville, Knoxville, and Greeneville.

The Knoxville meeting was on December 7. Seventeen East Tennessee officers received the DUI (Driving Under the Influence) Officer of the Year Award. More than 120 officers attended.

Chief James Shetterly of the Rocky Top Police Department received a Partner of the Year Award, and Officer Stanley Wade and Jacqueline West of the Rocky Top Police Department were named Child Passenger Safety Technicians of the Year. [Read more…]