Oak Ridge Today

Most Anderson commissioners seek re-election, six running in District 7 in OR

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Anderson County Courthouse

The Anderson County Courthouse on Main Street in Clinton is pictured above.

There are six candidates running for Anderson County Commission in District 7 in Oak Ridge in August, and a Democrat has joined the race for Tennessee House of Representatives in the 33rd District.

Meanwhile, an Independent, Bradley S. Rickett, has joined the race for Anderson County mayor, competing against Democrat Jim Hackworth and the winner of the May 6 Republican primary, either the incumbent, Terry Frank, or her challenger, Commissioner Zach Bates.

Fourteen of the 16 Anderson County commissioners are seeking re-election to a four-year term. But Bates, from District 4 in the Lake City area, is not. And neither is Commissioner John Shuey. Shuey is one of two commissioners in District 7, which includes the Glenwood, Highland View, and Pine Valley precincts in Oak Ridge.

District 7 is the most competitive in terms of number of candidates. In addition to the incumbent, Jerry Creasey, other candidates include Jimmy Bouchard, Michael Marsh, Denny Phillips, Kevin Rice, and Theresa Scott.

District 3—which includes Andersonville, Fairview, Glen Alpine, and Norris—has five candidates, including the two incumbents, Steve Emert and Dusty Irwin. The other three candidates are Josh Anderson, David Farmer, and Philip Warfield. [Read more…]

AC Water Authority completes Lake City project; Park Road extension almost done

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Lake City Water Authority

Officials with the Anderson County Water Authority, Lake City, and Anderson County governments gather at the new waterline extension valve control station in Lake City. (Photo courtesy of Anderson County government)

CLINTON—The Anderson County Water Authority has completed a water line extension project near the Lake City Industrial Park and is nearing completion of the five-mile water line extension on Park Road in Andersonville, a press release said.

Representatives of the Water Authority and government officials from both Anderson County and Lake City recently gathered to celebrate the completion of the water line extension. The water line extension and control valve station in front of the nursing home was part of the effort to provide increased water pressure to that area.

The Lake City project included installing between 700 feet and 1,000 feet of new six-inch water pipe off an existing eight-inch line and the valve control station, according to Jack Shelton, ACWA board member.

“It’s an exciting time for Lake City as we are striving to improve our water distribution system for our town,” said Andrew Howard, a Lake City Council member. “Lake City is very proud of our Water and Sewer Department as well as Anderson County Water Authority. Our own Water and Sewer Superintendent, Travis Thrasher, worked closely with ACWA to strive to provide efficient services to our community. We are thankful to be a part of community utilities that are able to work together closely.” [Read more…]

Follow-up: Comptroller to examine potential conflict

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Information from WYSH Radio

Following up on a story WYSH broke last week, Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said she has asked the state Comptroller’s Office to look into whether or not any rules have been broken regarding School Board member Dail Cantrell’s ownership of a recycling company that has done business with the county government on an informal basis in the past.

Cantrell is a 25 percent owner of Scrap Metal Solutions in Clinton, and the company was slated to receive scrap metal generated as part of the school system’s energy efficiency project. After Cantrell divulged his ownership stake in the company, Scrap Metal Solutions was removed from the contract under consideration, and attention shifted to a verbal agreement between the company and the county’s Solid Waste Department under which SMS would collect scrap metal from the county’s convenience centers and take it to a recycling facility. That agreement has been suspended until the direct or indirect nature of Cantrell’s ownership has been examined by the county law director. [Read more…]

Frank, AC mayor, elected treasurer of ETDD, ETHRA board

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

CLINTON—Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank has been elected treasurer of the East Tennessee Development District’s board of directors as well as treasurer of the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency’s Board and Policy Council.

The ETHRA Board and Policy Council meetings are held in coordination with the East Tennessee Development District. This combined meeting offers members a wider opportunity to discuss issues concerning the 16 county governments that comprise both the ETHRA and ETDD boards.

ETHRA has several advisory groups that provide an important community partnership link with the executive director. They include groups such as Workforce LWIA4, Council on Aging and Disability, and Correctional Services among others. [Read more…]

Hackworth a Democratic candidate for AC mayor; more running for chancellor, juvenile judge

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Jim Hackworth

Jim Hackworth

Former Tennessee Rep. Jim Hackworth has qualified to run in the May 6 Democratic primary for Anderson County mayor. He could take on the winner of the Republican primary—either the incumbent, Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, or her challenger, Commissioner Zach Bates—in the Aug. 7 county general election.

Hackworth is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

The deadline to qualify as a candidate in the May 6 primaries was noon Thursday. There were four last-minute qualifiers, including Hackworth. Here are the others:

  • Nichole “Nicki” Cantrell joined Mike Farley and Phil Harber in the Republican primary for chancellor. [Read more…]

County mayor names interim budget director

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Connie Aytes

Connie Aytes

CLINTON—Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank has named Connie Cook-Aytes as the county’s interim director of accounts and budgets.

Aytes will take the interim position effective Monday, Feb. 24, Frank said. Aytes was appointed after Budget Director Chris Phillips announced he is resigning to take a job as city recorder for Lake City.

Aytes has worked as the deputy director in the Anderson County Budget Office since May 2008. [Read more…]

Anderson County primary deadline Thursday at noon

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Information from WYSH Radio

The deadline to qualify as a candidate in any of the races on the ballot for Anderson County’s May 6 primaries is at noon Thursday.

Here is a look at who has qualified so far:

  • So far, only incumbent Judge Don Elledge has qualified to run for his seat as criminal and circuit judge.
  • Five people have qualified to run in the hotly-contested Juvenile Court judge primaries. Two Democrats—J. Michael Clement and David Dunkirk—are seeking the nomination, while three Republicans—Victoria Bannach, Lauren Biloski, and Brian Hunt—have qualified to seek their party’s nod to run for the seat in the August general election.
  • Brandon Fisher, the current Juvenile Court judge, had qualified to run for the Democratic nomination for chancellor, a seat coming open due to the retirement of William Lantrip, but he announced just a couple of weeks ago that he will be dropping out of the race to join a company in Pennsylvania. On the Republican side, Mike Farley and Phil Harber have qualified to appear on the May ballot. [Read more…]

Anderson County budget director resigning to take Lake City job

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Chris Phillips

Chris Phillips

CLINTON—Chris Phillips, Anderson County accounts and budget director, has resigned his position effective Feb. 21 to take a job as city recorder in Lake City.

“As many people know, Lake City is my hometown,” Phillips said in a press release. “They have struggled for the last few years in keeping someone qualified in the city recorder’s position.”

Phillips said the state mandates that each municipality must have a certified municipal finance officer on staff, and his designation as a certified government financial manager satisfies this requirement.

“Lake City is embarking on an historical time with the change to become Rocky Top,” Phillips said. “The leaders of Lake City have reached out to me, and I felt compelled to contribute in the areas (in which) I have considerable skill, education, certification, and experience.” [Read more…]

Guest column: Emergency management director responds to question about drinking water safety

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Note: Anderson County Emergency Management Director Steve Payne recently responded to a citizens’ question about safety measures the county has in place to protect drinking water in the event of a hazardous situation like that which recently occurred in West Virginia. Here’s Payne’s response, which was forwarded by the County Mayor’s Office, which had initially received the question.

Dear Mayor Frank,

Please forward to the citizen who asked:

What safety measures does Anderson County have in place to protect citizens’ drinking water in the event of a hazardous situation like that which occurred recently in West Virginia?

Anderson County is home to some 50 facilities that manufacture, process, store, or utilize quantities of hazardous radiological or chemical materials. The majority of these facilities are located in industrial parks in the county and cities of Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Lake City.

Facilities with quantities of hazardous materials that meet or exceed threshold levels established by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are required by federal law to file each year a Tier 2 Report stating the material(s) and quantity on site. In addition to the name and quantity of each material, the report includes Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), a site map showing location of material, type of storage container, type of storage conditions, and description of dikes, holding basins, and other safeguard measures. Tier 2 reports received in 2013 from private, non-DOE facilities identify 42 separate hazardous materials. [Read more…]

Spotlight: Anderson County Motor Pool mechanic earns new certification

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Scott Smith and EVT Certification

Scott Smith, left, a mechanic with the Anderson County Motor Pool Department, has earned a new certification. He is pictured with County Mayor Terry Frank. (Photo courtesy of Anderson County government)

Submitted

Scott Smith, a mechanic in the Anderson County Government Motor Pool Department, has recently earned the Emergency Vehicle Technician certification from the EVT Certification Commission Inc.

The new Emergency Vehicle Technician certification allows Smith to maintain, inspect and test Anderson County’s ambulances and their heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems. The certification also allows Anderson County Motor Pool to conduct state vehicle inspections on county ambulances.

Smith, who has worked in the Motor Pool Department for three years, said he plans to continue pursuing other certification opportunities through the EVT Certification Commission. “It’s great to be able to do this,” he said. [Read more…]

Commissioner Bates opposing Mayor Frank in May Republican primary

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Zach Bates Announces for Anderson County Mayor

Anderson County Commissioner Zach Bates, pictured at center with his wife Whitney, announces he is running for Anderson County mayor in the Republican primary in May.

CLINTON—Anderson County Commissioner Zach Bates on Tuesday announced he is running for Anderson County mayor in the Republican primary in May.

Bates, 25, will oppose Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, 45, who was elected to a two-year term in August 2012, completing the unexpired term of former mayor Rex Lynch, who resigned in January 2011.

The oldest of 19 children, Bates was 21 when he was elected to the Anderson County Commission  in 2010. He represents District 4, which includes Lake City and Briceville. County officials said he is the youngest mayoral candidate they can recall.

His challenge to Frank might have appeared unexpected. The two have at times appeared to be politically aligned, including, for example, on the citizen-led initiative to install “In God We Trust” signs on the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton in July 2013. [Read more…]

So far, five candidates for juvenile judge, four for sheriff, three for chancellor

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Anderson County Courthouse

The Anderson County Courthouse on Main Street in Clinton is pictured above.

So far, there are five potential candidates for Anderson County Juvenile Court judge, four for sheriff, and three for chancellor.

An independent has picked up a petition to run for county mayor, possibly opposing Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, and Tennessee Rep. John Ragan has an opponent in the Aug. 7 Republican primary.

The five candidates for Anderson County Juvenile Court judge are Victoria “Vickie” Bannach, a Clinton Republican; Lauren Biloski, an Oak Ridge Republican; Victoria Bowling, a Heiskell Democrat; J. Michael Clement, a Clinton Democrat; and Brian J. Hunt, a Clinton Republican. They are candidates in the May 6 county primary.

The current juvenile court judge, Brandon Fisher, a Clinton Democrat, is running for Anderson County chancellor in that election. The other two chancellor candidates are Phil Harber, a Clinton Republican, and Robert Warren Wilkinson, an Oak Ridge Republican. [Read more…]