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WYSH/WGAP Local Information News
For more information on these and other stories tune into AM 1380 WYSH or visit this site often. If you see news happen, call us at 865-457-1380 or e-mail wysh@wyshradio.com. Did you know you can WATCH Trading Time each day on Comcast Cable Ch 12 on BBB TV. If you are in Anderson or Roane County turn on your TV and watch Trading Time and Ask Your Neighbor. Plus call WYSH for advertising specials on TV
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Lafollette Officer Charged In Clinton
A Lafollette police officer has been accused of aggravated assault in Clinton stemming from a weekend card game at a home on Hickory Street. According to the Clinton Police report, Lafollette Police Officer Justin Carl Lowe, who lives in Clinton, called officers to the parking area behind City Hall at around 11:15 Saturday night (3/6). When officers arrived, Lowe told them that there was a man in the police department lobby accusing him of assault. Lowe went on to tell officers that he had been playing cards with several people when he won the final pot of the night. As he reached out to collect his winnings, Christopher White, also of Clinton, reached out as well to collect money he said he was owed by the officer. Lowe admitted that an argument followed by a physical altercation ensued, during which he admitted punching White. Officers then went to the lobby of the police department and spoke with White, who had a large laceration on the back of his head as well as scratches on his ears and neck. His version of events was similar to that of Lowe’s but he said that Lowe hit him with his pistol and threatened him at gunpoint. Saturday night, investigators reportedly got two unclear versions of what happened inside the home but Detective Russell Barker explains how he came to charge Lowe with aggravated assault, saying “the following day we continued our investigation and we had some other witnesses…who confirmed that there was a pistol involved.” Lowe turned himself in at the Anderson County Jail on Tuesday (3/9) and released after posting bond. He is due in court later this week. Lafollette Police Captain Jack Widener told WYSH/WGAP Wednesday afternoon that Lowe has been placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the criminal case in Anderson County, adding that he had been with the department for about six months with "no problems" noted.
Commissioner Will Not Seek Third Term
Anderson County Commissioner Scott Gillenwaters has announced that he will not seek a third term on the Commission representing District 6 in the August election. In his statement announcing his decision, Gillenwaters says that he is in the process of completing his master’s degree in Youth Ministry and plans to devote his attention to that calling and his career in ministering to teenagers here and elsewhere. He also states that he hopes to resume writing on youth ministry topics and possibly teach at the collegiate level in the future. Gillenwaters says that he is proud of some of the accomplishments he has been a part of over the past eight years including the establishment of the Non-Profit Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee as well as keeping General Sessions Court Division II in Oak Ridge, supporting the new Briceville library and supporting the Master Settlement Agreement with the city of Clinton that ended the lawsuit over land at the Highway 61/I-75 interchange. Gillenwaters also expressed his gratitude to the citizens of District 6, “who have honored me twice by their votes. It has been my pleasure to represent you, and I hope I have been worthy of the trust you placed in me.” Gillenwaters was first elected to the Commission in 2002.
Blount Meth Bust
Officers with the 5th Judicial District Drug Task Force in Blount County arrested three Monroe County men on Monday (3/8) on charges related to promoting the manufacture of methamphetamine. Officers received information of “suspicious people” trying to purchase pseudoephedrine—one of the key ingredients in meth—at a business in Blount County on Monday. Three men were taken into custody, identified as: 25-year-old Karl Bearlepp of Madisonville, 22-year-old Daniel Doyon of Vonore and 20-year-old John Doyon of Tellico Plains. Bearlepp faces several charges including promoting meth manufacture, drug and drug paraphernalia possession and tampering with evidence. The other two face charges of promoting the manufacture of meth. All three are expected in court next week.
Community Action Seed Apps Available
The Anderson County Community Action Commission is distributing applications for their annual garden seed program. The program is free service available to eligible residents of Anderson County and is funded by the United Way. Interested gardeners are invited to stop by their office at 149 North Main Street in downtown Clinton weekdays from 8 am to 12 noon or between 1 and 3 pm to get an application. Completed applications with proof of income should be returned by March 31st. For more information call Angie at 865-457-5500.
Supporters Of 278th To Be Honored
The individuals who were involved in planning the “Operation Holiday Homecoming” project for the 278th Combat Brigade Team, as well as B&W Y-12 and WSI-Oak Ridge have been nominated and will receive an Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve award for coordinating the effort that brought soldiers home for Christmas before their deployment overseas. John Dyess, the Army Reserve Ambassador for Tennessee, will present the awards to the recipients on Monday April 19th at 12 noon in a ceremony at the military memorial monument in front of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton. The individuals who will be honored include Garry Whitley from the Atomic Trades and Labor Council, Larry Brown, Pat Carson and Tim Morris with B&W Y-12, then-Clinton Mayor Wimp Shoopman, Anderson County Mayor Rex Lynch, Chamber President Jackie Nichols, Anderson Veterans Service Officer Leon Jaquet, Richard Stooksbury with B&W Y-12 and WYSH/WGAP owner Ron Meredith.
Report: Man Charged With Animal Cruelty
According to the Maryville Daily Times, a 29-year-old Maryville man has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty after 17 dead roosters were allegedly found on his property over the weekend. Blount County deputies helping to serve an eviction notice Saturday (3/6) made the discovery and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals came to the home and seized 12 live roosters. Christopher Lee Arden of Maryville was arrested Sunday on the charge but bonded out a short time later.
Remotec Goes Hollywood
A robot manufactured in Clinton is prominently featured in the opening moments of this year’s Academy Award winner for Best Picture, “The Hurt Locker.” Remotec is located in the Eagle Bend Industrial Park and manufactures robots used extensively by military and law enforcement agencies in the detection and disarming of explosives. The company was founded in 1980 by a pair of researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, acquired by Northrup Grumman in 1996 and moved to Clinton in 2005. The company’s annual sales are between $40 million and $50 million. Over 300 of the company’s robots have been deployed to Iraq. The company loaned the HD-1 demonstration model to the film’s producers, who paid to have the robot and an operator flown to Jordan where the movie was filmed.
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Deal's Small Engine Call 865-457-0070 Roane Death Appears To Be Suicide
Roane County authorities say that the death of a man whose body was discovered burning last night (3/8) in a remote wooded area of the county near the Loudon County line appears to have been an elaborate suicide. Roane County’s medical examiner made that determination early Tuesday morning but an autopsy on Victor Gordon has been ordered. The DA’s office says that Gordon apparently used bungee cords to pull the trigger on the shotgun, a round from which struck him in the head. Gordon had also placed fire starter logs around a fallen tree about a quarter-mile from his home on Scenic View Lane and started a fire, although investigators at this point are not sure why. Gordon;s wife called 911 at around 7:30 pm Monday and told dispatchers that her husband was missing and that there was something burning in the woods behind her house. When first responders arrived, she was reportedly trying to extinguish the blaze. The investigation is ongoing and we will keep you posted with any details as they come in.
OR Approves Waterfront Plan
Monday night (3/8) the Oak Ridge City Council voted 4-1 to approve a new development plan for the city’s waterfront. The plan was developed by city leaders with input from citizens gathered during five different public meetings and includes better parking, better bathrooms, more playground facilities plus upgrades to the marina itself. Boats, bikes and skates could also be available for rental when the project is completed. Plans also call for a casual dining restaurant along the waterfront and Council members voted Monday to not renew the lease for the New China Palace—which has been located in Melton Lake Park 37 years—when it expires next February. Instead, the Council opted to seek proposals from other interested restaurant owners who might want to locate there. For his part, New China Palace owner Chung-Nan Chou has said that he will also send in a proposal to the city to try and keep his restaurant in the same place.
Energy Chief Coming To OR
US Energy Secretary Steven Chu is expected to be in Oak Ridge later this month to help dedicate the new $549 million Highly Enriched Uranium Facility at Y-12. The highly secure facility will soon be home to the nation’s stockpile of bomb-grade uranium and Secretary Chu is listed as the keynote speaker for the March 22nd event. Construction on the facility was completed last year but had to undergo a series of safety reviews and have some finishing touches put in place before the loading of the radioactive material could start. That work has begun and officials are optimistic that the first phase of the loading could be completed by the time Chu visits Oak Ridge. While in town, the secretary will also receive multiple briefings and tour several DOE sites.
AC Budget: Crisis Looming?
Anderson County government department heads are facing a Friday (3/12) deadline to submit their budget proposals to the county budget committee and at least two say that in order to meet the requested nine percent cuts to their budgets, either they will have to lay people off or discontinue some services. County Clerk Jeff Cole and Trustee Rodney Archer told the News-Sentinel that their budget proposals are already about as barebones as they can get and that in order to cut them further, some employees might have to be laid off adding that they have cut as many of their routine operating costs as possible in order to keep the budget balanced. Earlier this year, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department sent a memo to commissioners indicating that because of jail overcrowding and other factors, they may run out of money before the end of the current fiscal year on June 30th. Another sticky wicket as the budget process looms is the fact that the undesignated—or rainy-day—fund is only at about $900,000 currently. Two years ago, there was almost $6.4 million in the rainy-day fund but in each of the past two years the Commission has opted to use $2 million from the fund to balance the budget without raising taxes. The last tax increase in Anderson County was seven years ago and officials are hoping that they can make it eight in a row this year, which is an election year. The deadline for department heads to submit their budget proposals is Friday and work on setting the budget will begin soon thereafter.
Big Rig Wreck Reroutes Traffic
All lanes of I-75 south near Lake City are open again today after a tractor-trailer accident Monday night (3/8) forced drivers on to a detour through Lake City. The THP says that the truck carrying Coca-Cola products overturned at mile marker 123 shortly before 9 pm Monday, forcing authorities to close down the southbound lanes while they righted the truck and moved its cargo out of the roadway. The driver and a passenger in the tractor trailer were taken to UT Medical Center with what were described as minor injuries.
AC Schoolkids Want To Sing For You
All of the fifth graders in the Anderson County school system will perform together tonight (3/9) at Anderson County High School. Fifth graders from all nine Anderson County elementary schools have been working with their music teachers for several weeks now on the annual program and tonight at 7, you can catch them live performing tunes such as “the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “God Bless the USA” and “50 Nifty United States” (aka the State Capitol Song). The theme of the performance is “Music Brings Us Together” and the public is welcome to come out and enjoy the fruits of these students’ hard work.
Blount Budget Committee Recommends Financial Adviser
The Blount County Budget Committee Monday night (3/8) recommended hiring PFM Group to serve as the county’s independent financial adviser. The Budget Committee voted unanimously to pass the recommendation along to the full County Commission for its approval. PFM is an independent financial and investment advisory serve that operates nationally and their services are expected to cost $90,000 up front followed by $3000 quarterly payments.
Woman Accused Of Robbing Elderly Man
A Powell woman is being sought by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office after she allegedly robbed an elderly man of his money and cell phone on Saturday night (3/6). 81-year-old John Thomas Gaylor called police on Sunday to report the theft. He told Sheriff’s deputies that a former tenant in one of his rental properties—Beverly Scarborough--who he kept in contact with stopped by his Moser Lane home Saturday morning and asked to use his washer and dryer. He said yes and the two socialized while her laundry finished up. Later that night, Gaylor told police that he was watching TV when he looked up and saw Scarborough standing there even though he had not heard her come in or allowed her inside. He asked what she was doing there and she said she needed to use his cell phone. He gave it to her but she never made a call, instead asking if she could have a dollar bill to snort a pill with. Gaylor told her that she could not do drugs in his house and she replied that it was OK because it was a prescription. He gave her the dollar but she allegedly grabbed his hand and twisted until he let go of the wallet. Scarborough allegedly stole $524 in cash and Gaylor’s cell phone before leaving the scene in an SUV. Gaylor cannot drive at night and had no other phone so he waited until the next day to call the authorities. Deputy Steve Owens’ report indicates that warrants will be filed against Scarborough on charges of robbery and theft. She had not been picked up as of late this morning.
Census Jobs Available
High-paying, part-time, temporary jobs with the US Census Bureau are available now through the end of the summer. There are about 2000 positions open in the Knoxville census office and officials are awaiting your applications. Next week, many Americans will receive their 10-question census form and if it is not mailed back in, then a live census worker makes a personal visit to conduct a brief interview and record the responses on a form. Census takers earn $12.75 an hour and receive mileage reimbursements for their travel of 50 cents a mile. Applicants must be 18 years old and pass an FBI background check in addition to taking a multiple-choice basic skills test in order to be considered for one of these positions. For more information on how to get a job with the Census Bureau, visit www.2010censusjobs.gov or call 1-866-861-2010. An automated machine will ask callers for their zip code and then connect them to their local census office.
OR Shelter Open House
The Oak Ridge Animal Shelter on Belgrade Road will host an “Open House & Meet Our Vets” event on Saturday March 13th from 12 noon to 2 pm at the Shelter. The public is invited to tour the shelter and see the many improvements that have been made in the past few months. The event is also a great opportunity for the public to meet the city’s animal control officers and the shelter’s veterinarians. Since June of last year the Shelter has undergone a major facelift that includes an expansion of the parking lot, the removal of brush from the sides of the building and the in the garden area, a thorough cleaning and repainting of the kennel area and fresh paint throughout the building including a brand new mural in the lobby area. During the event, special rates will be offered on some of the animals that are available for adoption and if you have any questions you can call 865-425-3423.
Report: Car Dealer Headed To OR?
According to the Oak Ridger, a new car dealership could soon open its doors in Oak Ridge. On Monday (3/8) , workers placed a sign out front of the property at the intersection of Laboratory Road and the Oak Ridge Turnpike advertising Sexton Automotive of Oak Ridge. The dealership is owned by the Sexton Automotive Group of Harriman and is expected to sell used cars at first with the possibility of new cars later and will also offer a body shop and a service area. The paper reports that Sexton has already lined up workers to staff the Oak Ridge lot. Three dealerships in Oak Ridge have closed in recent years so this is certainly a bit of good news.
Smoky Mountain Facilities Opening Friday
Several seasonal facilities in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will reopen for the season this weekend. Five seasonal campgrounds will be opening Friday (3/12) and they are Abrams Creek, Big Creek, Cataloochee, Cosby and Elkmont. Group camping will be available beginning Friday at Big Creek Cataloochee, Cosby and Cades Cove. The Collins Creek picnic area will open Friday and the Sugarlands riding stable reopens on Saturday (3/13). The Little Greenbrier and Straight Fork/Round Bottom secondary roads will also open for the season Friday. Keep in mind, though, that the Cades Cove Loop Road will remain closed to all traffic until May 21st as crews repave the 11-mile long, one-way road to take care of a widespread pothole problem.
Suspected CHS Teacher Requests Hearing
A Clinton High School teacher accused of having inappropriate relationships with more than one male student has requested a hearing on the school director’s decision to terminate her employment. At this point, it is believed that Clinton attorney Mike Farley will represent 27-year-old Megan Baumann during the hearing but as of this morning, the school system had not received written notice of that fact. The hearing was originally requested on February 19th by the Tennessee Education Association, three days after Baumann received a letter indicating that Schools Director Larry Foster was going to terminate her for alleged “improper sexual acts” with more than one male student. Baumann had been placed on unpaid suspension on February 4th after the allegations surfaced and ordered not to contact any students. Foster’s termination letter indicates that she did try to contact at least one student and calls that “flagrant insubordination.” The letter also indicated that Baumann was being let go because she encouraged students to use cell phones during classroom instructional periods. No date has been set for the hearing but the School Board is expected to appoint a hearing officer when it meets on Thursday evening.
Maryville Man Arrested For Solicitation
A 21-year-old Maryville man was arrested last week and charged with soliciting sex from a 15-year-old girl while the two were chatting on MySpace at the Blount County Library. The girl’s mother called 911 after her daughter texted her and said that the man sitting next to her was sending sexually explicit messages to her through the social networking site. Daniel Ray Bryant was arrested and charged with solicitation of a minor and is scheduled to be in court on Friday.
Campbell ATV Wreck Kills Powell Man
A Powell man was killed Saturday when his four-wheeler overturned on Campbell County. 31-year-old Andre Lon Bruce Spurgeon of Powell had been headed west on Shawnee Drive shortly before 4:30 pm when he hit the gas as he topped a steep hill and lost control of the ATV. The machine landed on top of him, killing him. The THP says he was not wearing his helmet.
Knox Couple Suspected Of Break-Ins in Knox, Loudon & Roane Counties
A couple from West Knoxville is now accused of burglaries in Knox, Loudon and Roane counties. Law enforcement officers arrested Gregory Linginfelter and Lora Jane Bright at their home on Old Stage Road in Farragut over the weekend on charges that they had broken into several homes in those counties and then pawned the stolen items. The couple is accused of stealing electronics, guns and $11,000 in savings bonds. Loudon County investigators tracked them down by tracing their pawn shop activity. The investigation is continuing and the couple may face additional charges including the possibility of federal charges for possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Both have previous criminal histories involving theft and other charges.
Bolling Appoints Treasurer
Oak Ridge resident Patti Loch Shelton has been named as treasurer for David Bolling’s campaign for Anderson County Mayor. In a press release, Bolling says that he is excited to have Shelton on board because of her “enthusiasm…can-do attitude…and tireless work in our community [that] has already made a difference in so many areas.” Shelton has previously served as the Director of the Oak Ridge Recycling Center and the 50th Birthday Celebration effort and as the Executive Director of Girls, Inc. She is active in many area organizations and lives in Oak Ridge with her husband Ron.
USDA Declares Seven More TN Counties Disaster Areas
Governor Phil Bredesen late last week announced that the USDA has approved his request for federal farm assistance for seven additional Tennessee counties due to excessive rain and flooding that occurred in September and October, damaging crops. Included in the seven counties designated as primary natural disaster areas is Morgan County, which means that farmers in adjoining counties like Anderson, Cumberland and Roane will all be able to apply for assistance, including emergency loans and supplemental farm payments through their local USDA Farm Service Agency offices. Farmers in the affected counties reported crop losses anywhere between 20 to 50 percent for major crops including corn, soybeans and tobacco as record amounts of rain fell in many parts of the state during last year’s harvest season, typically one of the driest seasons in Tennessee.
ORAU Wants Fly Ash Reuse Proposals
Oak Ridge Associated Universities is soliciting proposals for the commercial reuse of coal fly ash. TVA will support the development of high-volume, commercially viable uses for coal combustion products and while this solicitation is part of TVA’s efforts to address fly ash issues that arose following the massive ash spill in Roane County in 2008, the scope of the request for proposals includes 11 TVA fossil plants in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. The request for proposals seeks technologies, processes and products that reduce the total amount of fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag and flue gas desulphurization residues that are currently bound for disposal. Proposals should be commercially viable and provide options for the beneficial reuse of the material or identify alternative collection methods that reduce the impacts of disposal. Support from TVA for these commercially viable application of coal combustion products may be in the form of grants, subsidies or TVA in-kind services. The number of investigations supported and the total amount of support awarded will depend on three factors: the nature and quantity of the proposals submitted; the potential for commercial application and the potential for economic or environmental benefit. Eligibility for the funding is open to colleges and universities, research and development institutions, private companies and even individuals. Pre-proposals must be submitted electronically through this website: http://www.orau.org/flyashcommercialization no later than March 14th. Late submissions and submission sent by any other means will not be considered. E-mail flyashresearch@orau.org for more information.
Roane Student Wins State Contest
A Roane County fifth-grader has won the TBI’s first ever statewide Missing Children Poster Contest. Destiny Carter attends Pineview Elementary School in Rockwood and she was announced as the contest winner on Friday. Her poster design featured a pair of hand prints over a field of blue, bordered by hearts emblazoned with the phrase “Bring Our Missing Children Home.” Destiny’s work will now go up against other fifth grade winners from across the county in an annual poster contest sponsored by the US department of Justice through its Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Child Protection Division. If Destiny’s poster wins it will be displayed during the annual National Missing Children’s Day ceremony in Washington and she will receive an all-expenses paid trip to DC to be part of the ceremony.
Blount School In Running For Tech Prize
Carpenters Middle School in Blount County has been named a finalist in a national contest that could earn the school up to $210,000 in new classroom technology. The winning school will be unveiled on March 31st in New York City by New York Giant quarterback Eli Manning. The grand prize winner will receive $210,000 worth of Samsung products, computer software, DirectTV educational programming, cash grants and gift cards from Best Buy. The $50,000 prize packages contain much of the same type of stuff but in lesser quantities. The contest involved Carpenters literacy leader, Terri Bradshaw, to write 100-word essay that detailed how the new technology could help the school. That letter was determined to be one of 21 finalists by a panel of judges and now, Carpenters Middle is one of three schools—along with one from Iowa and another from California—still in the running for the prizes. Winners will be determined by online voting for school essays with 30% of the final tally representing 30% of the vote.
Two ORHS Seniors Earn Scholarships
Two Oak Ridge High School seniors have received state awards from the Siemens Foundation for their Advanced Placement test scores in math and science courses. 18-0year-old Neesha Pinnaduwage and 17-year-old Xinran “Ryan” Liu each received a $2000 college scholarship for earning the greatest number of “5” grades on their AP course exams, with 5 being the high mark. Neesha and Ryan have also been recognized as the top two students in Tennessee by Siemens for their academic achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Congratulations!
Tennessee Finalist In "Race To The Top"
Federal education officials announced Thursday (3/4) that Tennessee is among 16 finalists for millions of dollars in federal “Race to the Top” education funds. Tennessee lawmakers met in a special session in January to make necessary changes to help the state qualify for the money, including making student achievement a larger part of teacher evaluations, making those evaluations annual and setting up a statewide school district for consistently failing school. As a result of the work done in Nashville in January, the state now finds itself as a first-round finalist to qualify for a share of some $4.5 billion in federal education money. The state submitted its application in January seeking $501.8 million. The money will be awarded in two rounds by the federal government and those awards are estimated to range anywhere from $20 million to $700 million. A second round of applications will be accepted in June and federal officials have said that they expect to award no more than half of the money during this first round of allocations. Finalists will travel to Washington DC the week of March 15th to make presentations to a group of peer reviewers who are evaluating the applications. The money is expected to be awarded in April. The Race to the Top program, introduced by President Barack Obama, requires states to show reform in four specific areas, namely: preparing students to succeed in college and beyond; measuring students’ growth and success; recruiting, developing, rewarding and retaining effective teachers and principals while turning around the lowest-performing schools. The other finalists are Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina.
Former OR City Manager Passes
Former Oak Ridge City Manager Matthew Lyle Lacy III has passed away at the age of 63 after a battle with cancer. The Oak Ridger reports that Lacy, who served as city manager from 1978 to 1986, died Wednesday (3/3) in Danville, Virginia. He is survived by his wife Mary Ann, two children and grandchildren.
Despite Dismissal, Houston Still In Jail
Even though an appeals court ruled this week that the murder charges against him should be dismissed because of errors in the way that the jury was dismissed in his first trial, Rocky Houston remains in jail today (3/5) as the wheels of justice continue to grind. Houston, who was charged with murder in the shooting deaths of Roane County Deputy Bill Jones and his ride-along partner Mike Brown, is no longer charged with those crimes but remains in jail on charges of aggravated assault stemming from a police chase in 2004 and a more recent incident in which he is accused of spitting on deputies and a court clerk. His family posted a $1000 bond at the Roane County Jail on Thursday after officers had transported Houston back to Kingston from Scott County in preparation for releasing him after the murder charges were dropped but because the Court of Criminal Appeals has not yet issued a certified court order to release him from jail. Prosecutors have indicated that they will appeal this week’s ruling to the state Supreme Court and they have 60 days to do so. Houston could remain in jail until the end of that period or beforehand, all depending on when or if the court order comes through. As we reported Thursday, the appeals court ruled that Judge James Buddy Scott had in effect acquitted Houston when he improperly dismissed the jury after they acquitted him on charges related to Brown’s death and deadlocked on several other charges. Rocky’s brother Leon was acquitted by a Roane County jury of all charges in this case last year.
New Norris Lake Trail Opens
A new trail has opened at Norris Dam State Park. The so-called Lake View Trail provides just that, a spectacular view of Norris Lake, while stretching almost five miles along the shoreline. The trail was completed last year with state and federal grant money funding the project and is ready for use by hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. The Lake View Trail is located on the east side of the park and officials are building three strategically placed kiosks along the trail, which will also feature benches for resting and picnic tables. For more information call the park at 865-494-8138.
Blount Food Pantry Moving
Blount County’s Community Food Connection will soon move into a new, larger facility to allow them to continue serving the area’s needy. The organization’s current building is very small with limited parking, which was not a big deal until the recent economic crisis, when officials saw the number of people needing their help more than double. After recent media reports that the group was looking for a larger facility, a pair of Maryville residents—Bill and Gwen Phillips—stepped up and donated office space located at 311 Whitehurst Drive in Maryville. The new location will feature more parking and a lot more floor space and it is expected that the Community Food Connection will move into its new digs sometime in May.
TVA Board Nominees Advance
Four nominees for the TVA Board of Directors are now one step closer to being confirmed by the full US Senate after the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee voted Thursday (3/4) to pass along their nominations. Those nominees are: Marilyn Brown, an energy policy expert from Atlanta who has worked at ORNL; Barbara Haskew, an economics professor from Chattanooga who managed TVA’s rate staff for eight years; Neil McBride, an Oak Ridge attorney with a long record of environmental advocacy; and William Sansom of Knoxville, who has been nominated for a second stint on the board. If confirmed both Sansom and Haskew would serve until 2014 while Brown would serve through 2012 and McBride through 2013. Senators on both sides of the aisle have said that they intend to vote for all four of President Obama’s nominees.
Alabama Company Gets Broadband Grant
An Alabama-based telecommunications company has been awarded a $9.4 million federal grant to install a 544-mile long broadband fiber optic network across East Tennessee. ITC DeltaCom out of Huntsville, Alabama was awarded the grant as part of the Broadband technology Opportunity Program that was created as part of the American recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The fiber optic network is being touted as a way to provide faster, more affordable and more dependable internet access for up to 34,000 homes, 5000 businesses and local school systems. Five area cities will get what are called “interconnection points” and they are Harriman, Cleveland, Cookeville, Sweetwater/Philadelphia and Morristown. All five of those communities are identified as underserved by Connect Tennessee, which advocates for the development of technology and education in our state.
ORNL Researcher Passes
Biochemist Audrey Stevens Niyogi, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and an important figure in American science, has passed away at the age of 77. Niyogi died Sunday (2/28) at her Oak Ridge home and her family will receive friends this evening from 6 to 8 pm at Weatherford Mortuary in Oak Ridge. Dr. Niyogi was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1998 based in large part on her research into the biological processes associated with the body’s manufacture of proteins. Her work had broad applications in other fields of research including the studies of disease.
No Retrial For Rocky Houston
Rocky Houston will not be retried for the 2006 shooting deaths of Roane County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Jones or his ridealong partner Mike Brown. The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals has ruled that trying Houston again would violate his Constitutional protections against double jeopardy. The jury in Rocky Houston’s trial acquitted him on charges of first-degree murder in Brown’s death as well as several of the lesser included charges but failed to reach a verdict on other charges in the case, including those dealing with Jones’s death. At the time, the trial court characterized those partial verdicts as void because the jury had not followed the court’s instructions. The Appeals Court writes in its ruling, however, that “we cannot agree with the trial court’s determination that the jury’s actions demonstrate a failure to obey the instructions. Indeed the jury did exactly as the trial court instructed them to do.” Furthermore, the Appeals Court found that Special Judge James “Buddy” Scott dismissed the jury without declaring a mistrial and without finding a “manifest necessary to terminate the proceedings,” therefore improperly dismissing the jury. Improper discharge of a jury is considered an acquittal in the eyes of the law and as a result, “the principles of double jeopardy bar the defendant’s retrial for any offense in the indictment. Therefore, the judgment of the trial court permitting retrial of the defendant is reversed, and the charges are dismissed.” Last year, Rocky’s brother Leon was acquitted of all charges against him connected to the May 11, 2006 shootout on the Houstons’ property in Roane County after a previous jury had failed to reach a verdict. Prosecutors contend that the brothers ambushed the lawmen as they pulled into their driveway because of a long history of problems with local law enforcement while the defense has argued that the brothers fired in self-defense. Rocky Houston remains in jail on other, unrelated charges stemming from a police pursuit in 2004 but this week’s ruling means that he will likely see his bail greatly reduced on those charges. Prosecutors indicated Wednesday (3/3) that they plan to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court.
Tennessee Top Five For Economic Development
Tennessee has once again been ranked among the top states in the nation in Site Selection magazine’s annual Governor’s Cup rankings for its economic development performance in 2009. The economic development publication ranked Tennessee at #5, ahead of all other southeastern states. The award recognizes states with the most new or expanded private-sector capital projects as tracked by publisher Conway Data’s New Plant Database. The top overall ranking went to Ohio, followed by Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Governor Phil Bredesen said Wednesday that “we’ve worked hard to develop and enhance a strong business climate and to create strategies aimed at placing Tennessee at the forefront of emerging industries. That hard work is paying off.” The ratings are based on expansion or relocation projects that meet at least one of three standards, namely a capital investment of at least $1 million, creation of at least 50 new jobs and/or the creation of at least 20,000 square feet of new floor space. Only corporate projects are considered, meaning that the magazine does not track retail or government projects, hospitals or schools. Site Selection is the oldest publication in the world of real estate and economic development and is the official publication of the Industrial Asset Management Council. The magazine is viewed by industry insiders as the “industry scoreboard” and its audience is made up primarily by executives involved in corporate site selection, most of them at the CEO/President/or COO Level. To view the complete Governor’s Cup rankings, visit www.siteselection.com.
Local Groups Kick Off March Of Dimes Campaign
During a lunchtime ceremony in Oak Ridge, representatives from the Atomic Trades and Labor Council and B&W Y-12 presented a $10,000 check to the March of Dimes to kick off this year’s fundraising campaign. This marks the 12th year that the union and the company in charge of Y-12 have participated in the campaign which is aimed at raising money and awareness of the March of Dimes. That organization is dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. The ceremony was held at the Y-12 New Hope Center.
Work Resumes On Loop Road
Work resumed Wednesday (3/3) on the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park after a stopgap funding bill was finally authorized by the US Senate and signed into law by the President. The popular road closed on Monday so that crews could repave it in its entirety but work stopped almost as quickly when the funding was held up by opponents of the spending bill in the Senate, namely Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning. The measure, which also includes funding for unemployment benefits and health insurance subsidies, was passed on Tuesday by a 78-19 vote in the senate. Both Tennessee senators, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, voted against the measure, saying that they were not opposed to the bill itself but rather wanted someone to explain to them where the money would come from. The road will remain closed to the public during the repaving project, which is expected to be completed around May 21st.
TVA Worker Injured In Fall
A worker at TVA’s Kingston Fossil Plant was injured on Tuesday (3/2) when they fell from a piece of equipment at the site of the coal ash spill cleanup. The accident prompted TVA to suspend all work at the site until workers went through a safety refresher course on Wednesday. The worker, whose name has not been released, reportedly fell about six feet off a machine called a filter press that presses the coal ash sludge dredged from the Emory River until all the water has been removed to produce a solid substance that is more easily disposed of. The worker was taken to Methodist Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries and their condition is not clear. The safety refresher course was ordered after Tuesday’s incident and several smaller incidents that have occurred at the site in the last few weeks. Work is expected to resume as soon as TVA officials are satisfied that the lessons contained in that refresher course are ingrained in the heads of the cleanup workers.
Maryville State Rep To Step Down
Republican State Representative Joe McCord of Maryville has announced that he will not seek re-election this year. McCord says that he is stepping down because balancing his personal, professional and legislative duties has become increasingly difficult. McCord has represented District 8 in Nashville since 1998. The deadline to file paperwork to run for McCord’s seat is April 1st.
Cable Company Sues Over Taxes
Charter Communications has filed a lawsuit in Blount County seeking a refund of any business taxes paid to counties and cities across the state with interest. The lawsuit, which names 50 counties and towns across the state as defendants, also asks a judge to declare the business tax null and void in the future. The suit, filed on behalf of Charter and several other communications companies, claims that because Charter is a multi-state business, levying local taxes is “unjust, illegal and incorrect because the…tax subjects plaintiffs to unlawful multiple taxation.”
Storage Unit Break-In Probed
Clinton Police are investigating the theft of over $13,000 worth of tools from a storage unit. James Anderson of Clinton called police to the Git N Go storage facility on South Seivers Boulevard on Tuesday afternoon (3/2) after discovering the theft. He told investigators that a storage facility employee told him that his was one of five units that had been broken into, although no reports have been made of anything stolen from those other units. Anderson reported that a total of 34 items, ranging from yard tools to power tools, and valued altogether at around $13,300 had been stolen. He said that he had last checked the unit about three or four weeks ago. There are no suspects at this time but an investigation is underway.
Clinton Home Burgled
A Clinton woman’s home was broken into during the day on Wednesday (3/3) and the Clinton PD is now investigating. Martha Marlow called police to her Reynolds Avenue home at around 8 pm Wednesday and told them that when she had returned from work she had found that her garage door had been tampered with. Upon further inspection, she discovered that the door leading from the garage to the house was ajar and someone had ransacked her bedroom. The thief or thieves made off with a wooden jewelry case, $300 in cash, a digital camera and a diamond ring. Reynolds estimated her loss at around $2000 and the CPD is looking into the break-in.
Medical Condition Likely Cause Of Blount Wreck
This morning (3/4) in Alcoa, a medical condition caused a 46-year-old Maryville man to lose control of his pickup truck and crash through the security fence around the 911 Emergency Communications Center. The accident occurred shortly after 8 am at the intersection of Louisville Road and the 129 Bypass. The driver, whose name is expected to be released later in the day, apparently suffered from a medical condition as he drove south on the Bypass and left the roadway, striking a guide wire before hopping the curb, traveling up a steep bank and coming to rest after striking the open security gate. That gate had been open as employees prepared to move to the 911 center to its new home in Maryville. Emergency workers immediately began CPR on the man, who was then taken to Blount Memorial Hospital for treatment of what were described as non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was injured in the accident and at this time no charges have been filed.
OR Students Named As National Merit Finalists
Nine Oak Ridge High School students have been named as finalists for National Merit Scholarship that will be awarded later this year. The nine students are: Emily and Catherine Backus; Deirdre Brockwell; Nathan Hall; Lindsay Lee; Ryan Liu; Neesha Pinnaduwage; Grace Prazniak; and Ruoke Yang. These bright young people are among 15,000 students who have been named finalists for the scholarships, of which about 8200 are available. Congratulations and good luck!
Region Championship Wrap-Up
High school basketball Region tournaments are wrapping up this week. Last night (3/3) in Region 2-AAA girls’ action, the Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats beat Maryville 49-46 to claim their 20th Region title. Quesha McClanahan scored 17 points and Jazzmin Hazzard had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead Oak Ridge, which improved to 27-5, and will host Jefferson County Saturday night for a trip to the state tournament. Maryville had a 20-game winning streak snapped and fell to 30-3 despite 13 points from Miranda Maples. The Lady Rebels travel to Morristown West on Saturday night for a trip to the state tournament. The Region 2-AA girls’ championship was won by CAK, 62-57 over Austin-East, at Alcoa. CAK hosts Greeneville Saturday while A-E travels to South Greene with berths in the state tournament on the line. In Region 2A, Coalfield’s girls took the title as they held off Wartburg 61-59. Coalfield will host Hampton on Saturday while Wartburg travels to North Greene in substate action.
AC Dems Tap Fisher
Members of the Anderson County Democratic Party needed only about 15 minutes Tuesday night (3/2)to select Brandon Fisher as their candidate for Juvenile Court Judge in the August 5th election. The vote came during a caucus held Tuesday in the Anderson County Courthouse attended by about 80 local democrats who signed loyalty pledges to the party and its candidates in the August election. The 30-year-old Fisher is currently serving as the interim Juvenile Court Judge and will be opposed as it stands right now by Republican nominee Zach Farrar and independent Phil Harber in the election. Fisher was appointed to the seat in January after April Medlrum abruptly resigned in December and was the only person nominated for the post during Tuesday’s caucus. The winner of the August election will serve the remaining four years on Meldrum’s eight-year term.
RAM Coming To Blount
Maryville, Alcoa and Foothills Kiwanis Clubs are joining forces with Remote Area Medical to host a free clinic on March 20th and 21st at Heritage High School. The clinic will provide free general medical, dental, vision and mental health care to anyone who needs it on a first-come, first-served basis. Remote Area Medical is a nonprofit volunteer organization providing free medical services to people in need not only in our area but all across the country. The Remote Area Medical free clinics will be held March 20th and 21st at Heritage High School and gates will open both days at 3 am with the clinics beginning at 6 am. Organizers say that they still need some local dentists to volunteer to help out with the clinic. The Blount County Health Department will have representatives there vaccinating people against H1N1. For more information call Ron Brewer with Remote Area Medical at 865-579-1530.
Kingston Pavilion Fundraiser
Kingston city employees are close to their fundraising goal for the construction of a larger pavilion in Kingston City Park. The old pavilion was torn down last year but, before that, had hosted community celebrations of all kinds since its construction in 1956. The new shelter is already being built and officials believe that it could be ready to use by May. Fire Chief Willie Gordon says that employees have raised about $48,000 toward their original goal of $50,000 but added that he would like to raise an additional $5000 on top of that for a plaque to recognize some of the major donors to the project. Employees set about trying to raise the money last year in order to prevent any taxpayer money from being used and have been successful in that effort so far.
Blount Fugitive Arrested
Members of the Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force took a man into custody on Monday (3/1) without incident. 56-year-old Jack Donald Hamilton was arrested on Monday after officers received word that he was at a home on Montvale Road. When initially confronted at the home, Hamilton allegedly gave officers a fake name but was recognized by one of the Blount County deputies involved with the Task Force and arrested on a parole violation related to a previous conviction on a murder charge. The Fugitive Task Force is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement officers and its primary goal is to apprehend people with outstanding state or federal arrest warrants.
LC Man Sentenced On Drug Pleas
Monday (3/1), a Lake City man pleaded guilty to drug charges and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 33-year-old Ronald Jasper Averill III entered guilty pleas on seven charges of possessing pain pills for resale and two charges of simple possession. In addition to his jail sentence, Averill was also fined $15,000 and will remain in supervised probation for six years following the completion of his prison sentence.
Blount Company Awarded Government Contract
A Blount County company has been awarded a large government contract to provide services in Afghanistan. Critical Mission Support Services of Maryville was recently awarded a $10 million contract from the Joint Contracting Command in Afghanistan. Under the contract, the company will provide escort duties for the Forward Operating Base at Sharana, Afghanistan. They will be in charge of escorting Afghan citizens who have been hired to work on construction projects around the base. By doing so, the military will be able to reduce the amount of time they spend performing that task. Company officials say that 2010 has already been a successful year as they have already reached 25% of their revenue goal for the year and they are hopeful that they can add more employees through the end of this year.
UWAC Recognizes Volunteers
We reported recently that the United Way of Anderson County announced that it had reached 97% of its $1.425 million fundraising campaign goal for 2009. That announcement was made during the annual Campaign Celebration at the Doubletree Hotel in Oak Ridge. During that breakfast meeting, the United Way also recognized several volunteers for their “outstanding support of the…2009 Campaign Kick-Off Celebration.” Those individuals are all from the Oak Ridge Utility District and are Lauren Turpin, Rebecca Mulligan, Nick Morris, Angie Gallaher, Jodi Jernigan, Emily Waddell and Harrison Parks and all were recognized as Volunteers of the Year. Oak Ridge Utility District General Manager Ben Andrews was also recognized for allowing his employees to play such an active role in the United Way. Money raised during the annual fundraising campaign will supply funding to 32 agencies serving over 43,000 Anderson County citizens in three core areas of concern for the organization, which are providing basic needs, developing youth and enabling seniors to live with dignity and honor. For more, call the United Way of Anderson County at 865-483-8431 or visit them online at www.unitedwayandersoncounty.org.
Two Jailed Following Search
Two people were arrested following a search warrant being served at a home on Airbase Lane in Briceville. Thursday (2/25), Anderson County Sheriff’s Department investigators and SWAT team members went to the home in 600 block of Airbase Lane to serve the warrant obtained as part of a drug investigation. Inside, deputies detained both residents of the house, Amanda Duncan and Travis Hembree, while they conducted their search. The search turned up several pills believed to be for resale inside a bedroom along with several pieces of drug paraphernalia. After being advised of the Miranda rights, both Hembree and Duncan answered questions. Hembree admitted to selling pills for the past year and Duncan admitted to allowing him to use her house as his base of operations. In addition to the seizure of Roxycodone and methadone, officers also confiscated cash believed to be drug sale proceeds and Hembree’s truck, which had been used in the course of selling the pills. Duncan was charged with the manufacture, sale or delivery of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and is being held on a $10,000 bond while Hembree is being held on a $55,000 bond on the same charges.
Woman Arrested After Child Left Alone
A Maryville woman was arrested Friday (2/26) after allegedly leaving her young child alone in a car while she was inside a store with outside temperatures at the time only around 28 degrees. Alcoa Police arrested 21-year-old Kathryn Patrick of Maryville last Friday after receiving calls about a young child left alone in a car outside Wal-Mart. Officials believe the child was in the car alone for about 15 minutes. When Patrick was approached by officers, she allegedly gave them a false name, birthdate and social security number. As officers searched her purse, they uncovered pills and marijuana. Patrick was charged with nonviolent child abuse and neglect, criminal impersonation, two counts of drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and with improperly parking in a handicapped spot. The child—who was unharmed—was placed with DCS while Patrick was taken to the Blount County Jail.
Meth Lab Dump Found
Anderson County deputies responding to a report of a possible meth lab dump site recovered just that on Monday evening (3/1). Lt. Kenny Sharp went to the 100 block of Echo Valley Road near Lake City on Monday and located several components of a meth lab that apparently had been dumped by the side of the road. The DEA was notified of the discovery and a hazmat team responded to collect the items and decontaminate the scene. There are no suspects at this time.
State Parks Contribute To State Coffers
Governor Phil Bredesen and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke announced the results of a University of Tennessee study that indicates that the Tennessee’s state parks pump millions of dollars into local economies while creating thousands of jobs. The study, appropriately titled “Economic Impacts of Tennessee’s State Parks, was conducted by the UT Human Dimensions Research lab in the Institute of Agriculture and concludes that in Fiscal Year 2008-09, visitors to state parks directly spent $725.2 million on items such as food, gas, lodging and activities for visits to state parks, which finances nearly 12,000 jobs in Tennessee. The study also indicated that for every dollar spent on trips to Tennessee state parks an additional $1.11 of economic activity was generated, resulting in $1.5 billion in total industry output. That brings the total number of jobs supported by state parks to 18,600. According to the study, parks also play a role in reducing physical and mental health costs and increasing overall productivity, while also increasing the state’s attractiveness to industries and individuals looking to relocate in an area rich in natural amenities. The economic impact study was conducted for inclusion in Tennessee’s comprehensive outdoor recreation plan, which will guide outdoor recreation priorities over the n ext ten years. The recreation plan, “Tennessee 2020,” is in the final stages of completion after significant public in put and will be available in the coming weeks. If you would like to look at the entire economic impact study, you can do so by visiting www.tnstateparks.com/economic_impact.
Spring Excursions Begin Soon
Motorists driving along Blair Road in Roane County on the first or third Saturdays of April, may see a very visible sign that Spring is finally here... a passenger train that looks like it rumbled right out of the 1940's. April is the month when buds on the trees of Poplar Creek Valley start turning green and the Secret City Scenic Excursion Train starts showing up, taking happy passengers through the hardwoods and meadows of the valley. The route also takes passengers through the historic Manhattan Project K-25 uranium enrichment complex, which is now known as East Tennessee Technology Park. Coaches used for the trips date back as far as 1924 and 1947. The train is heated and air conditioned, includes a commissary car where refreshments and souvenirs may be purchased, and has restrooms on board. The rides last about an hour and 15 minutes, and part of the trip is narrated by knowledgeable car hosts. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for children, three through twelve. Reservations are suggested, and can be made by calling 865-241-2140. For a really unique ride, a former Southern Railway Caboose is also available for charter on the trips at $100 for up to ten people. Three departures are available on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month, April through September. Times are 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. At 6 pm on the 3rd Saturday each month, a classic dinner train is available by advance reservation only. Information is available at 865-241-2140, or on the museum's web site at www.southernappalachia.railway.museum. All trains board next to the Heritage Center off Highway 58, 10 miles West of downtown Oak Ridge, or 6 miles North of I-40 exit 356.
Blount Woman Charged In '08 Murder
Monday (3/1), a Blount County grand jury indicted a 33-year-old woman on first-degree murder and other charges stemming from the January 2008 death of a Louisville man. Deputies from the Blount County Sheriff’s Office arrested Misty Pearson on Monday after the grand jury handed down the indictment. She is charged with first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, especially aggravated burglary and felony theft in connection with the shooting death of Kenneth Ray Hurst during a break-in at his home on January 27th, 2008. In January, Pearson’s boyfriend at the time, Gary Collins, pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Hurst’s death and will serve at least 30 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. Hurst’s body was found next to his bed by family members who came to check on him, dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
Political Snafu Delays Loop Road Fix
Three road projects on federal land in Tennessee—including the renovation of the Cades Cove Loop Road in the Great Smoky Mountains—suddenly halted on Monday (3/1) after Republican Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky late last week blocked passage of the extension of the Highway Trust Fund. The blocking of that extension also blocked continued unemployment benefits for about 400,000 jobless Americans and tax credits for health coverage. Bunning says that he wants to see the spending offset with cuts in other areas or additional revenue before the spending bill goes through. The halting of the legislation forced the US Department of Transportation to furlough about 2000 workers including inspectors for road projects on federal lands, meaning that contractors working in the Smokies have to stop for the time being. The road will remain closed because parts of it had already been scraped down to gravel in preparation for a complete repaving.
Burton Fills Clinton Council Seat
As had been widely expected, Clinton Mayor Scott Burton on Monday (3/1) appointed Rob Herrell to serve the remainder of the term on the City Council representing Ward One that Burton had to surrender after winning the mayoral election in December. The six remaining Council members—including Burton—tied on several votes on a replacement in both January and February. Under the city’s charter, in the event of a continuous deadlock, the mayor is left to choose the replacement of his or her choice. In addition to Burton, Herrell also received support from Council members Jim McBride and ET Stamey while Barry Hutchins of H&H Body Shop was supported by Council members Larry Gann, Charlie Lyons and Jerry Shattuck. Herrell will be sworn in to serve through the December 2011 election on March 29th.
ORHS Team Wins State Science Bowl
The Oak Ridge High School Team 1 took top honors at last weekend’s DOE Tennessee Science Bowl held at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville. The team left the competition with a $1000 cash prize, a first-place trophy and an all-expense paid trip to Washington DC in April to compete against over 60 other teams from across the country in the DOE National Science Bowl. 51 teams from 35 Tennessee high schools took part in the all-day academic competition, which featured questions focused on the scientific disciplines of astronomy, chemistry, biology, earth and general science, mathematics and physics. Trophies and cash prizes were also awarded to the runners-up as McCallie School of Chattanooga’s team 1 took home second place, the University School of Memphis’s team 2 came in third and the Webb School’s team 1 out of Knoxville took fourth place as well as the civility award for outstanding sportsmanship. The National Science Bowl will be held April 29th through May 4th in Washington DC.
Hackworth To Hold Government Primer
State Representative Jim Hackworth of Clinton will sponsor a workshop about key governmental issues on Thursday March 11th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the A&B Rooms of the Oak Ridge Civic Center. The topics of the workshop, called “Government 101,” will include health and healthcare conditions in Tennessee, recent changes in education and the overall status of employment in our area. Hackworth says that when he talks to his constituents, those are the topics he hears about the most so he says he will be bringing people from Nashville to help him answer questions. The health discussion will focus on overall health factors in our state as well as the current status of TennCare and Cover TN programs, while the education discussion will focus on the changes made to the education system by the General Assembly during the recently concluded Special Session on Education and the economic discussion will focus on economic conditions in the state and what assistance may be available to help people through these tough times. The event is open to the public.
Conte Announces Andrea Walks Events
Tennessee First Lady Andrea Conte has announced the dates for 13 AndreaWalks events in the months of March, April and May. Conte, a longtime advocate for victims’ rights issues, launched the AndreaWalks Initiative in 2004 to promote National Child Abuse Prevention Month and provide support for Tennessee Child Advocacy Centers. Those centers provide comprehensive support programs for children who are the victims of sexual or severe physical abuse and their families. Conte made promoting and providing support for these advocacy centers a priority when she became First lady and since that time, the number of Child Advocacy centers in Tennessee has grown from 25 to 42. This year, three Andrea Walks events will be held in our area. In Knoxville on March 18th, Conte will walk in support of the ChildHelp USA Children’s center of East Tennessee. On Thursday April 22nd, Conte will walk in Clinton in support of the Clinch Valley Children’s center and on Friday April 23rd, she will march in Oneida to benefit the Children’s Center of the Cumberlands.
ET Preservationists Unveil 14 Endangered Properties
A group called the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance has unveiled its list of 14 of the most endangered historic sites outside Knoxville and Knox County. The group’s list is based on the same principal as Knox Heritage’s annual “Fragile 15” list, which includes properties preservationists feel need to be saved. The hope is to bring awareness to the fates of these places with an eye toward preserving them for future generations. Included on the list of 14 properties are Oak Ridge’s Alexander Inn, Blount County’s Martin Mansion, Campbell County’s Old Lafollette Post Office, the recently-closed Brushy Mountain Prison in Morgan County and the J. Will Taylor House in Union County. The list was unveiled the same day that the new owners of the Alexander Inn were due in court to address their efforts to correct a long list of codes violations. The Oak Ridge Revitalization Effort bought the inn last year and intends to restore it to its former glory as part of a wide-ranging plan to revitalize the city of Oak Ridge. The case against the Inn was continued while negotiations on a timetable for the necessary repairs continue between the non-profit group and the city. ORRE leaders have said they are looking at applying for a federal grant to help refurbish the rundown Inn, which once served as the guest house for visiting dignitaries during World War II.
OR Native Remembered By CDC
Monday (3/1) in Atlanta, the former co-workers of an Oak Ridge native who died in the massive Haitian earthquake in January paid tribute to their fallen comrade. Diane Caves’ name was inscribed on a memorial at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta that recognizes people who have died in the “service of public health.” Caves had been in Haiti on assignment supporting the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief when the earthquake struck. She was killed when the Hotel Montana just outside Port-au-Prince collapsed during the January 12th earthquake. The 31-year-old was a graduate of Oak Ridge High School.
Report: OR IDB Hires Marketers
Monday (3/1) the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board voted to hire the Oak Ridge Economic Partnership to market existing properties in the city and to seek new industrial prospects. The partnership is the industrial recruiting wing of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and will be paid $1000 a month to oversee the daily operations of the IDB and to look for industrial prospects. The agreement would be ended if the partnership fails to sell a five-acre tract of industrial land for at least $12,000 an acre by the end of June 2012, according to the News-Sentinel. Last month, the IDB voted to take over ownership of the nearly empty Horizon Center Industrial Park and filling that space will be the top priority of the partnership and its president Kim Denton.
Smokies Tickets On Sale Online March 3
The Tennessee Smokies will begin selling single-game tickets for the 2010 Southern League Baseball season will be going on sale online on Wednesday March 3rd at 10 am. Fans will be able to purchase 2010 tickets for any of the Smokies’ 70 home games at www.smokiesbaseball.com and fans will be able to purchase tickets by phone or in person beginning on Wednesday March 10th. Seat pricing will remain the same as it has the past few years with adult field and bleacher levels seats available for $10 and $8, respectively. Those same seats for children 12 and under and seniors 55 and up will be $9 and $7, respectively. Season tickets and special packages are already available and you can learn more by calling 865-286-2300. Opening Night at Smokies Park is set for April 14th against Chattanooga.
Masquerade Ball To Support Art Scholarships
This Friday, March 5th, the Maryville Arts Coalition will hold “A Midsummer Night’s Dream Masquerade Ball” at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church at 314 West Broadway Avenue in Maryville beginning at 7 pm. Money raised during the gala will be used by the Arts Coalition to hand out its first set of two college scholarships for aspiring young artists from Blount County. Tickets are $50 and are on sale now at various downtown Maryville businesses. Festive attire is encouraged but masks are required—it is a masquerade ball, after all. The evening’s activities will include prizes for costumes, a performance of a scene from Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a contemporary dance performance, a live art auction and hors d’oeuvres.
Blount Fire Ruled Arson
Blount County fire officials and criminal investigators have ruled a fire at a home on Laws Chapel Road last week as arson. The residents of the home—six in all, none of whom were home when the fire broke out last Monday (2/22)—told investigators that when they left that morning, all of their kerosene heaters had been shut off. Investigators reported finding an open box of wooden matches on a couch just inside the back door of the home with several unlit matches tossed on to the cushions. No one was hurt in the fire and if you have any information on who may have set the fire last week on Laws Chapel Road, call the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017.
Literacy Luncheon March 18th
An award-winning Georgia writer will be the featured speaker at this year’s annual fundraiser for area literacy efforts. Terry Kay, the author of “To Dance With the White Dog,” will be the keynote speaker at the March 18th literacy luncheon sponsored by the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club and Altrusa International of Oak Ridge. Tickets are on sale for the 11:30 am luncheon at ORNL Federal Credit Union on South Rutgers Avenue in Oak Ridge. The luncheon itself will be held in the Oak Ridge High School Lobby/Food Court. Proceeds from the luncheon will be awarded to literacy efforts throughout Anderson and Roane counties. Last year’s luncheon raised $14,000 that was recently awarded to 14 local groups or school programs to promote literacy efforts and education.
Maryville Men & Women Dancing
The Maryville College men’s and women’s basketball teams are breaking out their dancing shoes as both squads have earned invitations to the Division III basketball tournaments. The Maryville women’s team rode their Great South Athletic Conference title to a berth in the tournament. The Lady Scots will head to Crest View Hills, Kentucky to face #6 Washington University on Friday with the winner to face the winner of Thomas More and Fontbonne on Saturday. The men –also conference champions—received a bid and an invitation to tangle with John Carroll University in the first round with the winner facing either Christopher Newport or host school Guilford in the second round.
Blount Wreck Kills Mother, Infant
A three-vehicle accident Saturday afternoon (2/27) on Alcoa Highway in Blount County killed a Rockford woman and her infant son and sent one man to the hospital. The wreck occurred near the Hall Road split south of McGhee Tyson Airport shortly before 5:30 pm Saturday, according to Alcoa Police. 21-year-old Brittany Thomas of Rockford and her 10-month-old son were killed in the wreck. Thomas had been driving south when a northbound Prism driven by 40-year-old Jeffrey Knight left the roadway and crossed the median, becoming airborne before striking Thomas’s car, flipping over and being struck by a Ford pickup truck in the southbound lanes. Police say that Thomas and her baby were killed instantly even though both had been properly restrained. Knight was not wearing his seatbelt and was taken to UT Medical Center, where at last report he remained in critical condition. The driver of the Ford and his five passengers were wearing seatbelts and did not sustain any injuries. The cause of the crash remains under investigation and Alcoa Police are asking for anyone who may have seen the accident to call Sgt. Hank Morris at 865-380-4914 with any information they may have.
Campbell Wreck Kills Five-Year-Old
A traffic accident Sunday morning (2/28) on I-75 in Campbell County killed a five-year-old girl from Ohio and injured three other children. The THP says that the wreck occurred at around 8:30 am when 29-year-old Trisha Reece of Ohio lost control of her SUV on the icy roadway while reaching for a bottle of water. The vehicle skidded, she overcorrected and the SUV struck an embankment. Five-year-old Kylee Reece, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and died. Trisha Reece was also not wearing her seatbelt and suffered injuries in the crash as well as three children ages five months, seven years and ten years old, all of whom are expected to make full recoveries.
Teen Charged In Roane Gun Incident
Last week, Roane County authorities officially charged a 13-year-old Harriman Middle School student with carrying a weapon on to school property. Last Thursday (2/25), the school’s principal and School Resource Officer confronted the teen after they received information he might have a gun with him at school. They recovered a loaded pistol from a notebook. No one was hurt and no other weapons were found during the incident.
Lawyers Seek Consolidation
Attorneys for people seeking damages from TVA in the wake of the 2008 coal ash spill have asked a federal judge to consolidate the pending cases. Attorneys say that the motion is a way to streamline these cases through the court system so that people seeking damages may receive them as quickly as possible and say that the motion shows a new level of cooperation among all the plaintiffs in the cases. The motion was filed Thursday (2/25) and asks to consolidate the cases for “all purposes including discovery, class certification and trial.” TVA has said they will respond to the motion in court filings of their own. Meanwhile, the courts have not yet ruled on TVA’s contention that as a government entity it should not be held liable for damages.
Knox Prosecutor Nabbed For OR DUI
A Knox County prosecutor was arrested early Saturday (2/27) in Oak Ridge on charges of drunken driving and refusing to take a breathalyzer test. Oak Ridge Police reported that Kevin Allen was stopped on Dana Drive in Oak Ridge at around 1:15 am after an officer first watched him run off the road and kick up gravel from the median then almost take out a stop sign when he made a turn from Emory Valley Road on to Dana. Police reported a strong odor of alcohol on Allen and reported that he had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. Allen refused a blood test and a breathalyzer and was charged with DUI and violating the implied consent law. Failure to submit to the blood or breath tests can result in the loss of one’s driver’s license for six months. Allen posted a $5000 bond and was released from the Anderson County Jail later Saturday and at this time, there is no word on his future with the Knox County DA’s office.
Grace Under Investigation
Word came late last week that the TSSAA is investigating Grace Christian Academy in Knoxville for illegal financial support of a student-athlete. BBB-TV contacted the TSSAA and was told that the state’s sanctioning body for high school athletics “is in communication with the school at this time. We are only at the point of establishing facts at this time.” The student-athlete reportedly played football and basketball at Grace but is not currently a member of the basketball team. We will keep you posted.
DOE Siren Test
This Wednesday (3/3) the Department of Energy’s Public Warning Siren System will be tested in the area surrounding the agency’s reservation in Oak Ridge. The sirens will be tested between 11 am and 2 pm on Wednesday and people living or working within a two-mile radius of the Oak Ridge National Lab, East Tennessee Technology Park and Y-12 will hear the sirens for about three to five minutes. The sirens are intended to provide immediate notification to people near the reservation in the event of an actual emergency and are tested on the first Wednesday of every month.
S. Carolina Woman Jailed In Campbell Robbery and Pursuit
A South Carolina woman is behind bars in Campbell County, accused of robbing a pharmacy at gunpoint, leading police on a car chase and trying to run down two people with her car. LaFollette Police say that 34-year-old Rachel Thompson stole oxycontin at gunpoint from a Walgreen’s on Friday afternoon (2/26). When they tried to conduct a felony traffic stop on her on Jacksboro Pike, she drove off, almost striking an officer at the scene then almost striking a pedestrian on General Carl Steiner Highway as she fled from officers. Thompson was finally stopped on Old Middlesboro Highway and taken into custody on charges that include aggravated robbery, felony evasion, resisting arrest and aggravated assault. She is currently in custody at the Campbell County Jail.
More Info On Pellissippi Wreck
Investigators in Knoxville have released more information about a traffic accident in January that almost killed two people. Maryville High School Ashley Reisser and three classmates got into a wreck with a Maryville man on January 30th on Pelissippi Parkway when she lost control of her car on the ice and skidded into him. As they surveyed the damage, Reisser and the other driver—Dave Shelton—were each struck by cars unable to stop before the accident. Reisser was released from the hospital just last week while Shelton is also at home recovering from his injuries. One car drove off while the two people in the other car ran from the scene. Last week, Knoxville police announced that they are seeking 45-year-old Bonificio Galica of Lenoir City, whose driver’s license they found in the car, and the car’s registered owner Roberto Gomez, also of Lenoir City. The driver of the car also received additional charges last week as April Mingle now faces charges of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment in addition to a previous citation for leaving the scene of an accident.
Report: Missing Woman Found Dead
According to the Oak Ridger, a woman reported missing last week by her husband was found dead on Wednesday (2/24). 61-year-old Nancy Templeton was reported missing by her husband William Templeton on Monday after she left home Saturday and was not heard from again. The paper reports that last Wednesday, a DOE employee found Templeton’s pickup truck parked near the west end guard shack and a subsequent search of the area turned up her body about 100 yards away from the shack in a wooded area. Investigators say that they do not know yet how she died but indicated that foul play does not appear to have played a role in her death. An autopsy will be conducted at UT Medical Center in Knoxville.
Chase = Arrest
A woman is facing a host of charges after leading Knoxville Police on a chase that did not end until it reached Roane County. Just before midnight Sunday (2/28), police pulled over a Dodge pickup truck at an intersection on Middlebrook Pike and after contacting dispatch learned that Sara Klepper did not have a driver’s license. Klepper refused to get out of the cab and drove off when an officer reached into the cab for her keys, slightly injuring the officer’s arm. A chase began that ended up on I-40 west and came to an end when Roane County deputies placed spike strips in the roadway to shred the truck’s tires. Both people in the truck were taken back to Knoxville for questioning and the passenger was later released. Klepper faces charges of aggravated assault, DUI (second offense), reckless driving and evasion and further charges could be filed.
Boy Facing Charges After Gun Found At School
A 13-year-old boy is facing juvenile charges today after he allegedly brought a loaded handgun to Harriman Middle School on Thursday. The Roane County Sheriff’s Office says that the principal received a tip that the boy may be bringing a weapon to school and at around 8:45 accompanied by the School Resource Officer, confronted the boy. At that time, they recovered a loaded, semiautomatic pistol that was hidden inside a notebook. The boy reportedly told investigators that other students had told him that they were bringing guns to school and that he had brought it for protection. No other guns were found during the incident. Charges are pending against the boy in Roane County Juvenile Court. This is the second time this school year that a gun has been found on a Harriman campus as a pistol was recovered from Harriman High School in October.
Blount Wreck Victim Out Of Hospital
Some good news out of Blount County today as the young woman who was seriously injured in a hit and run traffic accident on Pellissippi Parkway last month was released from UT Medical Center on Thursday. 19-year-old Ashley Reisser, a student at Maryville High School, was driving a Nissan the night of January 30th when her car slid on the icy road and rear-ended a Chevy Malibu. As the drivers inspected the damage, a Honda and a Mitsubishi collided as they approached the accident scene. The Honda ended up striking Reisser and pinning her against an outside retaining wall while the Mitsubishi struck the Malibu’s driver, David Shelton. The two men in the Honda fled on foot and have not yet been tracked down by Knoxville Police while the Mitsubishi’s driver, 27-year-old Georgia April Dawn Mingle, drove off but later turned herself into police and was cited for leaving the scene of an accident.
RSCC Fundraising Drive Completed
Roane State Community College recently wrapped up a fundraising campaign to help pay for a planned expansion of its Oak Ridge campus. Officials say that the drive raised $2.6 million, which makes the project eligible for state funding to pay for the remainder of the $16.6 million expansion. Roane State will likely not get the money this year due to the state of the economy but say that state leaders have indicated that when the situation improves, the project will likely move forward. The expansion will include a 61,000 square foot allied nursing and technologies building in Oak Ridge as well high-tech equipment to help instruct students in fields such as dental hygiene, radiation technology and occupational and physical therapy. The expansion is necessary as the student population in Oak Ridge is roughly 2700 students this year and the campus was designed to accommodate only 1800 students. The fundraising drive included pledges from the Oak Ridge and Anderson County governments as well as several federal contractors in Oak Ridge and others. Oak Ridge’s pledge of $500,000 is contingent upon the college receiving the state funding by June 30, 2012.
Report: MTA Air Traffic Controller Grounded
According to the Maryville Daily Times, an air traffic controller at McGhee Tyson Airport was arrested early Wednesday after allegedly pulling out a loaded handgun during a dispute with his girlfriend and another man. The paper reports that 26-year-old Jonathan Keith Poindexter of Louisville was charged with domestic violence with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon with the intent of going armed following the incident and is currently free on bond. The incident apparently started at a bar in Maryville where the alleged victim was sitting at the bar talking to another man when Poindexter is accused of pouring a drink on her head. The woman got a ride from the man and went to the Waffle House and Poindexter followed, allegedly pulling out a pistol and waving it in the air as he approached the other man. The other man drove off and Poindexter followed him to an extended stay motel in Alcoa. Police made contact with the alleged male victim and he stated that Poindexter had followed him to the Waffle House, pulled out the pistol and then followed him to the motel. Poindexter denied producing the pistol. The Daily Times reports that Poindexter has been reassigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of the case and he is due in court on Thursday.
OR Panel Nixes Chickens In City
The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday rejected a proposal that could have allowed city residents to keep chickens on their property. Supporters of the initiative say that human beings are increasingly losing touch with nature and food production and that allowing chickens to be raised in the city is a growing practice all across the country. Opponents say that chickens need to stay in the country and not be part of Oak Ridge’s efforts to progress as a city. The vote was 8-2 but the issue may not be dead yet as some city officials are still interested in examining the proposal. The city of Knoxville is also debating this issue.
Veterans To Engineers Program expands
A 60-year-old Knoxville company, Broadway Electric Service Corporation—or BESCO—has joined the unique East Tennessee consortium that provides employment and educational opportunities for military veterans. The program, known as America’s Veterans to Tennessee’s Engineers, is a Scientific, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program providing veterans completing their active duty service or who are in the Guard or reserves to complete their engineering degrees. Upon completion, they are guaranteed full-time employment with one of the consortium’s regional technical companies or institutions. The program is the result of commitments made by regional business, government and education leaders under the sponsorship of the DOE. 30 veterans are currently participating in the program and during their educational period, they receive assistance such as part-time employment, academic assistance and more. Some of the dozens of area companies that are taking part include B&W Y-12, TVA, SAIC, Pro2Serve and others as well as the governments of Anderson and Roane counties and the cities of Oak Ridge and Knoxville. For more information, visit B&W Y-12’s website at http://www.y12.doe.gov/jobs/stem/ .
Maryville PD Searches For Armed Robber
Maryville Police are looking for a suspect in an early-morning armed robbery. At around 1 am Wednesday morning (2/24), three employees of the Sonic on Foothills Mall Drive were taking the night deposit bag to the nearby Green Bank when a masked man armed with a semiautomatic pistol emerged from the woods and demanded the money bag. The employees complied and the suspect took off on foot back into the woods, telling the workers that he had an armed accomplice hiding in the woods watching them. The suspect is described as possibly being a white male around six feet tall with a medium build. Maryville Police and Blount County Sheriff’s officers searched the area to no avail and if you have information please call the Maryville PD’s crime hotline at 865-380-1388.
Accused School Shooter In Court
Accused Inskip Elementary School shooter Mark Steven Foster appeared in a Knox County courtroom on Wednesday for the first time since he allegedly shot two administrators there on February 10th shortly after he was told he would not be rehired for next year. The case against the 48-year-old fourth-grade teacher from Andersonville was bound over to the grand jury. He is accused of shooting Principal Elisa Luna and Assistant Principal Amy Brace inside Luna’s office and is being held at the Knox County Jail on a $1,005,000 bond. Wednesday Brace testified that after she and Luna had informed Foster he would not be back next year, he left and returned to the office about 10 to 1 5minutes later and asked to speak with Luna alone. She refused and instead brought Brace in to the office with her. Brace testified that Foster appeared calm and she was not worried until she heard Luna scream and then a gunshot. She said she heard a total of four gunshots and that Foster had said before he opened fire that “you know all that stuff they said about me, I guess you should have listened.” Brace was treated for injuries to her head and arm and released from the hospital a few days later. Luna is receiving treatment at a Georgia clinic specializing in spinal injuries and may never walk again. Foster was arrested a short distance from the school about 15 minutes after the shooting and was identified by both administrators as the person who had shot them. His lawyer indicated Wednesday that Foster’s defense could include mental illness as a contributing factor. It is estimated that the earliest Foster will face trial could be next winter.
DOE Science Bowl
Hundreds of high school students from across Tennessee will compete in the Department of Energy’s annual Tennessee Science Bowl beginning at 8:30 am this Saturday February 27th at the main campus of Pellissippi State Community College on Hardin Valley Road in Knoxville. The event is an academic competition featuring teams representing 35 Tennessee high schools. The science bowl is a fast-paced academic competition that offers a chance for teams of students to match wits in math and science. Each team is made up of five players, one alternate and a coach and the questions focus on disciplines including astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth and general science, mathematics and physics. The first place team in the Tennessee Science Bowl will receive a $1000 cash prize for their school, a first-place trophy and an all-expense paid trip to Washington to compete against over 60 teams from across the country in the DOE National Science Bowl. Trophies and cash prizes are also awarded to the runners-up.
Cades Cove Loop Road To Close March 1st
Cades Cove Loop Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed from Monday March 1st through May 21st so that crews can completely repave the pothole-laden roadway. The area’s campground and picnic area will remain open during the road closure and the Cades Cove Riding Stables and Campground Store will open on April 1st. During the paving project, Loop Road will be closed to all automobile, horse, bicycle and pedestrian traffic and access will also be cut off to trails accessible from Loop Road. Crews have already begun night work on the project, which is being paid for through a contract from the Federal Highway Administration and estimated to cost somewhere between $4 to $6 million.
OR Teachers, Admins Do Not Ask For Raises
Teachers and administrators in the Oak Ridge school system told members of the city’s Board of Education Wednesday that while they will not ask for a salary or benefits increase in this year’s budget, they would like Board members to consider those increases if the funding is available. Members of the Oak Ridge Education Association and the administrative staff made their presentations to the Board on Wednesday and did request at least one change to the benefits package, namely a one step pay increase for eligible employees. They also indicated that if at all possible, if the funding is available as the budget for the new fiscal year is set, that additional salary increases be considered. According to the Oak Ridger, however, both groups made it clear that they do not want any salary increase to come at the expense of someone else’s job. The new fiscal year begins on July 1st.
Kingston Rolling In Grant Money
The city of Kingston has been notified by the US Rural Development Administration that it will receive a series of grants and low interest loans for various infrastructure projects that have been planned for several years. A letter of conditions dealing with the grant will be delivered to City Hall sometime today. The Rockwood Water Line Interconnect Project will connect Rockwood, the Roane Central Utility District and Kingston by a 16-inch water main that will allow Kingston to buy water from Rockwood for the next 20 years. The city will receive $879,000 in grant funding for that project, along with a total of $1.7 million in low-interest, 40-year loans. The Gallaher Road Phase 2 Sewer Project will benefit from a $322,100 grant and a 40-year loan totaling $1.29 million. The Automated Meter Reading Project that will replace existing water meters with automated units expected to allow the city to operate more efficiently will receive $142,000 in grant money as well as a low-interest loan of $486,000. Together with other projects, the city of Kingston expects to receive about $11 million in grant funds this year alone.
Report: Never Mind, Alleged Victim Charged With False Reporting
According to the Maryville Daily Times, a 19-year-old Townsend man who told Alcoa Police Tuesday that he had been carjacked at gunpoint has now been charged with filing a false police report. Robert D. Haynes was arrested Wednesday after speaking with authorities, who have said that while they are not sure exactly what happened, it appears to have involved prescription drugs. Haynes originally told police that he had been approached and robbed by two men at gunpoint while stopped at an intersection in Alcoa at around 9 pm Tuesday.
AC EMS Celebrating Anniversary
The Anderson County EMS is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and they want the community to come celebrate with them. A special ceremony has been scheduled for March 17th at 2 pm at the EMS Headquarters located on 314 Public Safety Lane in Clinton and the public is invited. The celebration will run from 11 am to 4 pm with lunch provided for attendees. The milestone for the EMS marks the transition from a funeral home-run service in 1969 to a modern, self-sustaining independent service recognized across the state and the nation as a model of how an emergency response agency should be run. March the 17th is significant because that is the date in 1970 that the Anderson County Ambulance Service began providing emergency care and transport to the community. For more information, call 865-457-8609 or visit www.ACEMS.net.
Medic Needs Your Blood
Medic Regional Blood Center has issued a critical need for all blood types, especially O Positive, O Negative, A Positive and A Negative. The local blood bank needs to keep 500 pints of the most common blood types but currently has fewer than 100 pints on hand. Medic is the sole provider of blood for 21 counties and 27 area hospitals and all blood collected during local blood drives stays right here in East Tennessee. In addition to Medic’s two fixed locations in Knoxville, they conduct several blood drives across the area every month. To find out where you can donate locally, you can sty tuned to this station, check out our websites or visit www.medicblood.org or www.medicblood.com.
It's Title Time In Clinton!
High school basketball District tournaments wrapped up last night with some exciting ball games. At the District 3-AAA tournament at Halls, the Clinton Dragons knocked off the Central Bobcats 82-73 to claim their first District title since 2004. Senior C.J. Alred scored a career-high 36 points as he won Tournament MVP honors and Darian Stone added 17 points and 12 rebounds as the Dragons handed Central their first District loss of the season. Alred and Stone were joined on the All-Tournament Team by DiAngelo Roberson. The Dragons host West Saturday night at 7 in the first round of the Region 2-AAA tournament right here on WYSH and WGAP. In the third-place game, Anderson County handled Oak Ridge 61-53 as they built a big first-half lead then held on down the stretch. Chad Worthington scored 20 points for AC while Tyler Smith added 16. They were both named to the all-tournament team as was Avery Oaks. Lonnie McClanahan scored 17 to lead Oak Ridge and was joined on the All-Tourney team by Rian Hall. Anderson County travels to Lenoir City Saturday while Oak Ridge visits Bearden. At the District 4-AAA tournament at Lenoir City, Bearden won the boys title, holding off Lenoir City 62-59 as they blocked a potentially game-tying three pointer with two seconds left. Third place went to Catholic, 76-68 over West.
Blount Wreck Injures Five
A two-vehicle accident Tuesday morning (2/23) on Sevierville Road sent five people—including three children—to area hospitals. The accident occurred at around 7 am Tuesday when 19-year-old Paige Turney of Maryville lost control of her Honda Prelude and the back wheels left the roadway. She overcorrected, sending her car skidding sideways along the road and into the path of a Chevy Suburban driven by 38-year-old Glenna Cooper of Maryville. The collision sent Turney to UT Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Cooper and her three children—ages 6, 7 and 12—to Blount Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released. While no official word has been released about her children, their injuries were also believed to be non-life-threatening. No charges were filed and traffic along that stretch of Sevierville Road was back to normal after about an hour.
Soil Board Election In AC
The State Soil Conservation Committee has requested that a local advisory board conduct an election to fill the expiring terms of three members of the Anderson County Soil Conservation District Board of Supervisors. The election has been scheduled for Tuesday March 9 at the Anderson Farmers Co-Op at 110 South Charles Seivers Boulevard in Clinton and at the USDA Service Center at 2691 Andersonville Highway from 9 am to 3 pm. Only people who hold legal titles to land in Anderson County are eligible to vote in this election. The candidates seeking the Board positions are Howard farmer, Tyrone Foster, Floyd Grisham, David Irwin, James E. Jones Jr. and David Kitts.
OR Man Accused In Stabbing, Victim Hospitalized
An Oak Ridge man appeared in an Anderson County courtroom Monday (2/22) and had his bond set at $100,000 on charges of aggravated assault stemming from the stabbing of another man Friday night. 24-year-old Ramon Cortex Meriwether is accused of stabbing 34-year-old Aaron Eads Friday night on North Jefferson Circle. Eads told police that he had been walking along the street shortly before 7 pm when two black men he did not know approached him and one of them—allegedly Meriwether—stabbed him. Eads was able to walk to a nearby business, where he summoned help and gave police a description of his assailants. A short time later, Meriwether and a 15-year-old boy were picked up and brought back to the scene, where Eads identified Meriwether as his attacker. The teen was not charged after he reportedly told investigators that Meriwether had stabbed Eads for no apparent reason. Meriwether is in custody at the Anderson County Jail, due back in court on March 4th. At last report, Eads was recovering from his injuries at UT Medical Center, where he was airlifted after the assault.
Business Donates Pet Oxygen Masks To Fire Department
Last week a Knoxville business donated oxygen masks to the Maryville Fire Department that can be used to revive pets when they inhale too much smoke. Invisible Fence of Tennessee owner Tim Schoenfelder donated two kits to the fire department that include three different-sized oxygen masks that can be switched out depending on the size of the animal as well as the necessary tubing. Maryville fire officials say that the masks will almost certainly come in handy as they have had to deal with pets at several recent fires. The oxygen masks used on humans have trouble adjusting to the smaller snout sizes of dogs and cats which limits the amount of air they are delivered.
State Allocating Funds For 911 Upgrades
The Tennessee Emergency Communications Board recently voted to distribute $25 million to local emergency communications districts this year. The funding will allow the local districts to purchase equipment for the Next Generation 911 project, which aims at switching all 911 systems over to a digital system. Each district will receive $120,000 plus an additional amount that will be determined by each individual district’s population. The state hopes to begin deploying the so-called NG 911 by early next year.
BC United Way Needs Volunteers
This week is the big Live United Reader Round-Up in Blount County. The United Way of Blount County is looking for volunteers to read to kids in the county school system, hoping that by donating a little time, volunteers can help kids learn to love reading. Not only is this a push for volunteers in the short term for the reading initiative but also for volunteers to help out in the future. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for the United Way of Blount County, call 865-982-2251 or visit www.liveunitedblount.org.
Report: Carjacking Probed
According to the Maryville Daily Times, police in Alcoa are investigating an alleged carjacking that occurred Tuesday night (2/23). The paper reports that the victim called 911 at around 9 pm and told them that two white men dressed in black and wearing bandanas over their faces had stopped him at an intersection, pointed a gun at him and stole his car and cell phone. The victim was taken to Blount Memorial after police reported that he was shaken up by the incident. The investigation is ongoing.
ORHPA To Focus On Bridge Pics
A program on the 1920 Solway Bridge construction will be presented at the upcoming meeting of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association on Thursday March 11th at 7 pm at the Midtown Community Center—a.k.a. the Wildcat Den—at 102 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge. The presentation will be made by Don Raby, a local historian who received a sponsorship from the Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society to retrieve and publish about 5600 photographs taken by the US Army Corps of Engineers of the properties that were demolished to build Oak Ridge. Raby’s photo collection is from Carl Kuhlo, who worked on the bridge daily and took pictures with his S5 Kodak camera of the bridge’s construction through its completion. The meeting is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served. Call 865-481-0542 for more information.
City Crews Spark Fire At Kingston Community Center
The Kingston Community Center was evacuated this morning (2/23) after city workers cutting metal in the boiler room accidentally sparked a small fire. The call came in to dispatchers at around 9:15 am and when they arrived, found thick smoke coming from the rear of the building. Firefighters were able to knock down the blaze quickly and damage was limited to the immediate area of the fire. No injuries were reported. The fire apparently began when a spark from the cutting tool ignited either insulation or other materials in the boiler room.
AC Schools Making Contingency Plans
Because students and staff in the Anderson County school system have used their “banked” days in the school calendar for weather and illness, school leaders are making some changes. The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program—or TCAP—tests will be delayed by nearly a month to allow teachers to make up lost instructional time. In addition, two dates originally set aside as days off for students will be used for instruction in the event that any additional days are missed due to bad weather or illness. As of last Friday, Anderson County students have not spent a full week in the classroom since before winter break in December. The county has asked for and received permission from the state to move the TCAP testing dates from March 24-30 to April 19-23. The contingency plan has been approved by the School Board. March 12th and 15th could be used for instruction in the event that any more days of school are missed before then, but officials have said that there no plans to modify spring break which runs from April 5th through the 9th as officials understand that parents make plans for their kids in advance for that time and they do not want to disrupt those arrangements.
OR Woman Charged With TennCare Fraud In Roane
An Anderson County woman has been charged with TennCare fraud in Roane County for allegedly using TennCare to get pain medication that she intended to sell. The Office of Inspector General announced Monday (2/22) that 53-year-old Marilyn Seeber of Oak Ridge was arrested following a joint investigation by the Oak Ridge Police Department and the Roane County Sheriff’s Office. Seeber is charged with one count of TennCare fraud and if convicted could face up to two years behind bars. She is accused of using her TennCare benefits to fill a prescription for the painkiller Roxicodone and then selling a portion of the pills.
Blount Animal Center Gets Big Donation
The Blount County Animal Center in Maryville got a huge donation this week from a Knoxville company that will enable the second phase of the project to be completed later this year. PetSafe, a Knoxville based company that offers products and services aimed at managing the behavior of pets such as underground fencing, bark control systems and other remote training products has donated $250,000 to the Smoky Mountain Animal Care Foundation. The Foundation has been raising money for the shelter for some time now and last November celebrated the opening of Phase One, which included kennels and administrative offices. This donation gets the group to their goal of $490,000 that will be used to construct Phase Two, which will include a lobby, a surgical area, bathing and grooming rooms, adoption rooms, an educational area, a kitchen and offices. Officials estimate that the second phase should be completed and open sometime this fall. If you would like to donate to the cause, send a check to the Smoky Mountain Animal Care Foundation at PO Box 7218, Maryville, Tenn., 37802, call 865-824-1700 or visit www.smacf.net.
TBI Investigating Suspended Lafollette Officer
The TBI is investigating a Lafollette police officer accused of statutory rape. The details of the case have not been released but Officer Daniel Terry was placed on unpaid leave Monday (2/22) while the allegations are investigated. The TBI began its probe after they were notified late last week of the allegations by the Lafollette PD and the Campbell County DA’s office.
Maryville Fire
A Monday morning (2/22) fire in Maryville caused extensive damage to a home on Laws Chapel Road but injured no one. The blaze was reported at around 9:30 Monday morning and when firefighters arrived, they saw smoke billowing from the house. Inside, firefighters were greeted by a wall of flame but still managed to get the blaze extinguished within about ten minutes. The occupants of the home were not there at the time and no firefighters were injured during the incident.
Clinton Fire
Clinton Police and Fire officials are investigating a house fire on McAdoo Street described as suspicious. Shortly after 6 am Monday (2/22), the Clinton Fire Department was called to a structure fire at 900 McAdoo Street. After extinguishing the fire, Chief Archie Brummitt requested a police officer at the scene, telling investigators that because of where the fire started and how, it appeared to be suspicious due to a lack of an identifiable fire source. No one was hurt in the fire but it caused about $22,000 worth of damage.
ACSD Has Gunlocks
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office has free gunlocks for interested citizens. The locks are available in the administrative offices of the Sheriff’s Department located on the fourth floor of the Jolley Building in Clinton during regular business hours. There is a limit of one lock per person but that means there will be one less unlocked gun in your home.
Chillin' For Children In Blount
More than 50 adoption advocates jumped into the frigid waters of the Little River in Blount County on Friday (2/19) to bring awareness to the hundreds of children waiting to be adopted in Tennessee. This was the third year that Harmony Adoptions, one of the state’s leading adoption agencies, has hosted Chillin’ for Children. During the event, groups of people connected in some way to adoption jump into the cold water wearing themed costumes and are judged on their creativity and style. Pam Wolf of Harmony Adoptions said “By raising some eyebrows, we’re raising awareness for adoption as we take the plunge together.” Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam also took part in Friday’s event. Organizers say that as much as Chillin’ for Children raises awareness for the 400-plus children currently in state custody, it also strengthens the partnerships of the agencies that work together to find permanent homes for those foster children. Safety precautions were taken for participants as the Blount County Rescue Squad was on hand, Starbuck’s in Maryville provided free hot chocolate and Anderson rental supplied a generator and heaters.
AC Library Board
The Anderson County Library Board will have its regular meeting on Thursday March 18th at 4 pm at the Clinch Powell Regional Library in Clinton. The Board’s Policy Committee will meet at 4 pm Monday March 15th at the Clinton library and the Briceville Building Project Committee will meet on Monday March 8th at 6 pm at the Crystal Lodge in Briceville.
Man Assaults AC Jailer
A Kingston man in custody at the Anderson County Jail on drug charges added assault to his criminal record on Sunday (2/21) after he allegedly shoved a jailer twice. Corrections Officer Brian Ball reported that Kyle Cofer refused to comply with his instructions and then threatened him on Sunday afternoon. Ball called for assistance then sprayed Cofer with a chemical deterrent. Cofer then allegedly shoved Ball out of the cell into the day room, where the officer tried to restrain him and was shoved into a wall before help arrived. Cofer is now facing an additional charge of assault in addition to drug charges dating back to spring of 2009.
Foster Hearing Postponed
A scheduled hearing in a Knox County courtroom for suspected Inskip Elementary School shooter was postponed until later in the week. 48-year-old Mark Stephen Foster of Andersonville is accused of shooting Principal Elisa Luna and Assistant Principal Amy Brace inside the school office on February 10th, shortly after he had been told by those administrators that his teaching contract was not going to be renewed for next year. The DA’s office asked that this morning’s hearing be continued after Amy Brace, who was scheduled to testify, was not available due to a doctor’s appointment. Foster is currently being held on two counts of attempted first degree murder and carrying a weapon on school property at the Knox County Jail, where his bond is set at $1,005,000. Luna is currently being treated for a spine injury at a hospital in Georgia while Brace was released from the hospital last weekend.
Man Dies In Park
A Knoxville man died Friday while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 59-year-old Ralph Letcher was reportedly hiking with two friends on the Bote Mountain Trail between Townsend and Cades Cove when he collapsed after suffering an apparent heart attack. Despite the efforts of park rangers, Letcher died on the trail.
New Law Means Guns OK In National Parks
Effective today, it is now legal to carry a loaded handgun into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A new federal law that went into effect today removes the ban on firearms inside national parks and instead makes the parks subject to state gun laws. In Tennessee, that means that licensed handgun permit holders can bring their guns into the park but keep in mind that firearms will remain banned inside visitor’s centers and park offices.
Roane Fish Kill Because Of Cold
Environmental officials say that a weekend fish kill on Watts Br Lake in Roane County has more to do with cold water temperatures than with pollution. Hundreds of dead shad were visible along the shoreline of Watts Bar in a scene reminiscent of similar fish kills in the days following the ash spill from TVA’s Kingston Fossil Plant in December of 2008. TWRA officials said this weekend, though, that the fish were killed by cold water temperatures and not pollution.
Blount Woman Held On Child Abuse Charges
The Blount County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Louisville woman on child abuse charges after her ex-boyfriend accused her of grabbing their three-month-old daughter by the ankles and dangling her upside down. Kara Sharie Cooke is charged with child abuse and will appear in court on Friday. The baby was checked by EMTs following the Tuesday incident and found to be fine. DCS left the little girl with her father.
Harriman Hit & Run Driver Arrested
Harriman Police Chief Randy Heidle announced Friday that a man indicted last week by the Roane County grand jury in connection to the death of a Harriman woman in January has turned himself in. Heidle said that 56-year-old Charles Crass of Kingston was indicted on one count of vehicular homicide in the death of Elishea Gilreath and turned himself in Thursday night before posting a $10,000 bond. Gilreath’s body was found at the bottom of an embankment off of Emory Street on January 11th after she was allegedly struck by Crass’s truck while walking along the side of the road following an argument with her boyfriend. After police investigators released information to the media about the type of vehicle they believed had been involved based on evidence of body damage they found at the scene, they received information that led them to Crass. Investigators say that they discovered replacement body parts in Crass’s garage ready to be put on his truck. Crass told investigators that he knew he had hit something that night but thought that it might have been a deer or something other than a person.
Roane Grand Jury Indicts Pill Sellers
Last week the Roane County grand jury indicted 46 people—most of them from Rockwood—on charges of selling prescriptions pills following a six-month-long undercover investigation. Rockwood Police began rounding up suspects on Friday. The DA’s office says that most of the pill sales came from people who had traveled to pain clinics in Florida, obtained prescriptions for drugs such as Oxycontin and Xanax, then traveled back north to sell them. Officials say that some of those clinics will prescribe up to three bottles of pills at a time that can have street values of $10,000. The operation involved a confidential informant making buys and police say that most of the transactions were small but that some people were busier than others.
Blount Boaters Rescued By Golfers
Saturday in Blount County, two canoers had to be rescued from the Little River after their boat capsized. 24-year-old Christopher Nichols and his uncle 42-year-old Mark Nichols, were paddling the canoe near Deadhead Dam Saturday when they got too close, got caught in an eddy and overturned. Golfers downstream saw the loose paddles float by and went to investigate. They managed to get both men out of the water using ropes and without serious injury. Christopher Nichols did not require medical treatment but Mark Nichols was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.
RC Grand Jury Indicts Rockwood Woman
A Rockwood woman was indicted last week on a charge of vehicular homicide stemming from a car accident on May 29th, 2009. 37-year-old Nicole Lawson is accused of speeding in the moments before her pickup truck crossed the centerline on Highway 70 and collided head-on with a pickup driven by 59-year-old Gary Pugh of Crossville, who was killed in thee wreck. Lawson was ejected from the rear of her truck’s cab and suffered serious injuries in the collision. Neither driver had been wearing their seatbelts.
Wamp Honored In State House
The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a resolution Thursday (2/18) honoring the congressional service of Us Representative Zach Wamp. The Republican from Chattanooga is not seeking re-election to Congress this year, instead campaigning for the Republican nomination for governor. The measure was sponsored by Republican State Representative Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga and was passed by a 95-0 vote. Last month, the House voted 96-0 to honor Democratic Congressman Bart Gordon, who is retiring after serving 13 terms in Congress.
More Security Cams For Courthouse
Tuesday (2/16) the Anderson County Commission approved a proposal to install 13 more security cameras in the Courthouse. The new cameras will mean that a total of 16 eyes in the sky will be watching areas both inside and outside of the Courthouse when they are installed and operational in about a month. The additional cameras were proposed by the Courthouse Security Committee and will cost $10,381, which will be paid for by revenues from court fines and costs. Cameras will soon be monitoring all four entrances into the Courthouse as well as each hallway in the three-story building and the bay where prisoners are brought in for court proceedings.
Jennings Approved As Finance Officer
Thursday (2/18), the Blount County Commission unanimously voted to confirm Stephen Jennings as the county’s next finance officer. Jennings replaces Dave Bennett, who resigned last month to take a job with Cherokee Millwrights.
Two Blount Stalwarts Pass
Two longtime fixtures in the Blount County community passed away on Thursday (2/18). Gaylord Lambdin passed away Thursday at the age of 90. During his life, he played music on the old Midday Merry-Go-Round radio show on WNOX, was co-owner of a grocery store and the minor league baseball team that used to call Blount County home, served as Mayor of Alcoa and taught for over 30 years in Blount County schools. James Leon Berrong also passed away on Thursday at the age of 82. His legacy will be one of community service as a businessman and community leader as well as being part of the unbeaten Maryville College football team that played in the Tangerine Bowl. He was also a founding member of the Maryville-Alcoa-Blount County Parks and Recreation Commission in 1970 and served all the way up to his death. His son James is currently the Blount County Sheriff.
Norris Middle Students Going Green
The Norris Middle School Green Team is joining the growing “upcycling” movement that takes items that would normally be thrown away as garbage and turns them into useful products. In addition to keeping unnecessary waste out of the environment the school’s Green Team earns money for taking part. Area residents are being invited to join the upcycling movement and here is how. TerraCycle, a recycling firm, uses the material collected to make products that it then markets through big box stores like K-Mart and Wal-Mart. The company’s website, www.terracycle.net, claims that over 8.5 million people have filled over 1 billion containers, generating almost $540,000 for charitable groups like the Norris Middle Green Team. Anyone who would like to help can look for the brown bins with the TerraCycle logo in front of the Betty Anne Jolly Norris Community Library and near the bulletin board in front of the Norris Post Office. The items will be sorted and sent to the company. TerraCycle lists the partners whose items can be upcycled on its website but some examples include Capri Sun and Honest Kids juice pouches, Elmer’s glue sticks, Scotch tape dispensers and a host of others. All items should be cleaned before they are dropped off. The student group receives anywhere from a few cents to a quarter for each item they turn in.
New Venture Aims To Improve Regional Travel
The Oak Ridge Energy Corridor located in the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley with its axis along Pellissippi Parkway is described as a microcosm of the current energy security challenges experienced throughout the country. Thursday (2/18) several of the area’s leading transportation organizations came together to launch a regional transportation project within the corridor designed to utilize the area’s strengths to create an integrated transportation solution that can be applied across the country. Representatives of the city of Oak Ridge, the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization, the Department of Energy, UT-Battelle, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Y-12 and the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee came together at the National Transportation Research Center to sign a memorandum of understanding. These organizations have committed to work together to provide for the planning and implementation of a regional multifaceted transportation system to demonstrate a safe, energy-efficient and economical solution to a regional transportation challenge. The demonstration project will include alternatively fueled mass transit vehicles, integrated recharging and parking facilities for electric and hybrid vehicles and intelligent transportation technology. Additionally, interconnected bike and pedestrian paths will terminate at key parking and destination sites. The initiative aims at accomplishing four goals. First, to enhance electric vehicle use, reduce carbon footprint and reduce emissions in a region that routinely experiences non-attainment challenges in air quality. Second, the project will serve as a platform to test, demonstrate and evaluate intelligent transportation technology utilizing expertise already here in the area. Third, it will serve as a public transportation opportunity for an underserved population in a community—Oak Ridge—with a high influx of commuter traffic. Fourth, the project will provide an education opportunity for other regional transportation planning organizations during the implementation of energy and environmentally sound transportation projects. The initiative is part of the Oak Ridge Energy Corridor, which was established to bring together the region’s public and private organizations through partnerships aimed at taking advantaged of the available expertise. The Energy Corridor is part of the DOE’s Energy Parks Initiative, which is a regional concept for the deployment of energy related research, technologies and demonstrations.
Hurley Announces Run For 32nd District
Julia Hurley, a resident of Lenoir City and a small business owner has announced her bid for the Republican nomination to the Tennessee House of representatives in the 32nd District, which includes all of Roane and part of Loudon counties. She will seek to defeat incumbent Democrat Dennis Ferguson. In a press release announcing her candidacy, Hurley says that she decided to run after a year of reflection and growing discontent with Democrats in both Nashville and Washington.
Florida Man Indicted In Cyclist Death
A Roane County grand jury indicted a Florida man in connection with the death of an Oak Ridge bicyclist last year. 78-year-old John Daugherty was hit by a pickup truck on August 25th while riding his bike along the side of Highway 58 and thrown over 135 feet by the impact of the collision. Daugherty, an accomplished bicyclist, had celebrated his birthday just a few days earlier. 24-year-old Anthony Justin Patterson of Florida was indicted on one count of criminally negligent homicide after the THP initially reported that he had struck Daugherty from behind with a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. He has not yet been served with the formal indictment but once he is, he will appear in a Roane County courtroom for an arraignment. He was also indicted on one count of violating the state’s new bicyclist protection law, which is a misdemeanor.
United Way Oh-So-Close
Thursday (2/18), members and supporters of the United Way of Anderson County came together for the annual campaign celebration breakfast in Oak Ridge. While organizers did not reach their goal of $1.425 million, they did come close, collecting $1,385,481 or 97% of their goal. Despite missing the mark, officials were pleased to have raised what they did in such tough economic times.
Over $100K Missing From AC Credit Union
Over $100,000 is missing from the Anderson County Employees federal Credit Union and the TBI has begun a criminal investigation. Jim Sanderson, the chairman of the credit union’s board of directors, says that the money came up missing during a routine audit on January 19th and that office manager Shirley McKinney was placed on supervised leave without pay that same day and later fired. He did not specify how much money had turned up missing but said it was over $100,000. Sanderson says that the discrepancy was brought to the attention of auditors by a customer who noticed some irregularities in his account. Members of the credit union—employees of the Anderson County government and the county and Clinton city school systems—will be notified in the coming days about the incident in a letter that is being drafted for the board of directors to review. There are over 600 members of the credit union, which specializes in primarily vehicle loans. The credit union is insured by the Credit Union National Association for up to $1 million while individual customers are insured for up to $250,000. In addition, the credit union also qualifies for insurance coverage through the National Credit Union Administration. Sanderson called the credit union “strong” and pointed out that they are open for business on the first floor of the Courthouse in Clinton. Auditors from Peters & Associates alerted officials to the missing money and those officials in turn notified the TBI and the DA’s office. In the meantime, Sanderson says that he has hired Phil Tipton as the new credit union manager. Tipton is retired from the Ford Motor Company and has over 30 years of financial experience. We will follow up on this story as more information becomes available.
One-Car Accident Sends One To Hospital, One To Jail
A Clinton man was arrested early this morning (2/18) following a one-car accident in Clinton that sent a Clinton woman to UT Medical Center by Lifestar. Clinton Police were called to South Seivers Boulevard near Sinking Springs Road at around 1:30 am in response to a traffic accident. 28-year-old Alex Baird told police that he had been headed east on Seivers when his 1999 Ford Mustang drifted off the road, hit the guardrail and then the light pole at the corner. Officers observed that Baird appeared to unsteady on his feet and he admitted that he had taken Soboxen that he had been prescribed before the wreck. His passenger, identified as 30-year-old Vida Tumath of Clinton, was flown to UT by helicopter, treated and released. Baird faces charges of DUI, possession of a Schedule II narcotic and vehicular assault.
Blount Couple Pleads To Tax Evasion
A Blount County couple pleaded guilty Wednesday (2/17) in a federal courtroom in Knoxville to charges of income tax fraud. 46-year-old Brett Edward Dirr and his wife 52-year-old Renee Dirr—both of Walland—pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the federal government. Both had been named in a 2008 indictment that charged them with attempting to impede the collection of income taxes by the IRS. The couple will be sentenced on June 14th and could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Two Indicted For '09 Robbery
Two Oak Ridge men were indicted this month on charges stemming from a robbery in March of 2009. 21-year-old Xezavis Troupe and 19-year-old Alexander Harris were indicted on charges of aggravated robbery connected to an incident that occurred in late March 2009. In that case, Troupe, Harris and a third person allegedly accosted a man in a pickup truck at a traffic light on the Oak Ridge Turnpike, pointed a gun at him and stole money and the victim’s cell phone. Both have been in custody since their arrest and will be arraigned next week in Criminal Court.
Report: Woman Sues Blount Business Over Llama Attack
According to the Maryville Daily Times, a Knoxville woman has sued the Friendsville Animal Country Club for $200,000, alleging that she was the victim of an attack by a llama while a guest of the business. The suit was filed Tuesday (2/16) in Blount County Circuit Court and claims that on February 16th of last year Brenda Stage had been a guest of the business and had been walking the grounds when an employee led her through a gate to the pasture where goats are kept and a llama attacked her without warning. The suit claims that she suffered injuries to her right arm and shoulder during the incident that could lead to permanent impairment.
AC Commission Votes For Energy Upgrades
Tuesday (2/16), the Anderson County Commission voted 12-3 to enter into a contract with Johnson Controls of Knoxville to conduct a massive energy efficiency campaign in county government buildings. The contract is worth $2.2 million and the Commission voted to pay it off over an 18-year period. Supporters say that the energy savings as a result of the planned upgrades should allow the project to pay for itself. The primary focus of the upgrades will be on the Courthouse and the Jolley building but other county buildings including the Jail could also see some work done to make them more energy-efficient and cheaper to operate.
Blount Food Pantry Needs New Home
The Community Food Connection of Blount County needs a bigger building to continue serving an ever-growing pool of people who need their assistance. When the organization served only about 2500 families a month, their current building was large enough but the number of families requesting assistance has more than doubled in the last few months so they need a place to store all the food and serve the people who need them. The organization is hopeful that the community will step up and support them as they try to find a larger warehouse facility to call home. Donation boxes are set up at businesses all across Blount County and all donations are appreciated. Organizers say that they need about $20,000 to cover the cost of increased rent on a larger building, new equipment and the move itself. One other problem at the current location is that parking is extremely limited. If you would like to donate you can send a check to the Community Food Connection of Blount County, PO Box 786, Alcoa, TN 37701 and please designate “Building Fund” on your check.
OR Camera Citations Still Declining
Traffic citations issued by the traffic enforcement cameras in Oak Ridge continue to decrease month to month. The latest figures for January show that only 3092 violations were recorded last month, compared to over 4700 in December and over 5200 the previous month. Officials say that the wintry weather likely helped slow down drivers as roads were slick but they also say that as people adjust their driving habits in the city and get more used to the cameras, the violations will likely continue to decrease. Four traffic cameras were set up at busy intersections last year and the city and camera operator RedFlex Traffic Systems split the revenue generated by the $50 citations. The vast majority of the citations continue to be for speeding rather than for running red lights.
Foster Notifies Baumann Of Intent To Dismiss
Tuesday (2/16), Anderson County Schools Director Larry Foster notified Clinton High School social studies teacher Megan Baumann that he intends to bring charges of dismissal against her following allegations of improper conduct. As we have previously reported, the 27-year-old Baumann has taught social studies at Clinton High since August of 2007 but was placed on an indefinite suspension on February 5th, one day after allegations of an improper relationship with a student were leveled against her. Foster’s letter says that the charges against Baumann include improper conduct and insubordination, writing “at a minimum, your improper conduct involves male students enrolled at Clinton High School with whom you engaged in intimate sexual acts, inappropriate texting, inappropriate picture transmissions and other inappropriate conduct of a physical nature.” Foster described her alleged conduct as “flagrant, egregious and reprehensible.” In addition to the initial allegations of misconduct, Foster also stated that during a meeting between Baumann, School HR Director Larry Pierce and Clinton Principal Linda Davis Baumann was specifically asked not to contact any students while the school system investigated the allegations. Despite those requests, Foster says that the system determined that Baumann had contacted one student and attempted to contact at least one of the boys with whom she was allegedly involved, which Foster called “flagrant insubordination” and by itself a reason for dismissal. Foster’s letter also indicates that Baumann encouraged the use of cell phones in her classroom during instructional periods in violation of established School Board policy, which he called a “blatant” example of insubordination. As a non-tenured teacher under contract to the school system, Baumann does have the right to request a hearing before an impartial hearing officer selected by the School Board before the dismissal becomes official. She has 30 days to notify the school system in writing if she wants to ask for the hearing. When school leaders learned of the allegations, they contacted the Clinton Police Department, DCS and the DA’s Office, which in turn contacted the TBI to investigate. All of those agencies are continuing to investigate, although there is no timetable on when that inquiry will wrap up.
New Finance Director For Blount
Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham announced Tuesday (2/16) that he will appoint 54-year-old Stephen E. Jennings as the county’s next finance director pending the approval of the full Blount County Commission. Jennings retired from Alcoa Inc. in 2008 as the company’s Chief Financial Officer and since then has been performing consultant work. Jennings said Tuesday that he believes his job is to protect the assets of Blount County citizens and that he believes in strong internal controls and will focus on managing the county’s debt and risk. Jennings will succeed Dave Bennett, who stepped down earlier this year to become the CEO of Cherokee Millwrights.
Citizens Group Files Complaint Over Quarry
A citizens group opposed to a paving company’s plans to reopen a rock quarry and build an asphalt plant in Anderson County’s Bethel community has filed a petition in court contesting the site’s approval by the Clinton Regional Planning Commission. The petition, filed last week in Chancery Court by the group Citizens for Safety and Clean Air, claims that the plan does not comply with the city’s own zoning ordinances and that the Commission’s approval was both illegal and arbitrary. The complaint also says that the city failed to prove that the plant would not cause excessive noise, odors and fire hazards as city ordinances dictate; that the plant will create more objectionable conditions than facilities like slaughterhouses or sawmills that are prohibited from operating within the city; that the plant will create odors, emissions and noise that could be harmful to the surrounding community; and that the site plan does not include a stormwater drainage plan as required by law. Bethel residents have been fighting the Rogers Group’s plans for its property near the interstate for over 15 years and the dispute has been in and out of Tennessee courtrooms for almost as long. Citizens for Safety and Clean Air have also sued the city over its original decision to rezone the Rogers property from rural residential to M-2 industrial, which came down after the city annexed the land at the request of property owners there. In addition, the group has also appealed a decision by the state Department of Environment and Conservation to issue a water discharge permit for quarry operations. Both of those cases remain active in the court system.
TVA Assures State Lawmakers About Cleanup Safety
TVA officials in Nashville Tuesday (2/16) assured state lawmakers that the cleanup of the over 5 million cubic yards of coal ash spilled into the Emory River and the nearby countryside of Roane County does not pose a health risk to workers or the general public. TVA officials appeared before the Joint Conservation and Environment Committee on Tuesday and Steve McCracken, the general manager of the cleanup for the utility, told members of the State House and Senate that he expects the first phase of the cleanup to be completed in May. Phase one focuses on the sludge that spilled into the Emory River in December of 2008 from the Kingston Fossil Plant and McCracken estimated Tuesday that about 2.5 million gallons—or 70%--of the sludge in the river has been removed. Despite the fact that coal ash contains arsenic and other potentially toxic substances, officials said this week that their testing has shown no air or water emissions that are affecting anyone on or off of the cleanup site.
Blount County Mom Takes Good Fight To Nashville
A Blount County mother whose 13-year-old son died last year while playing basketball at Eagleton Middle School is traveling to Nashville today (2/17) to help introduce a bill that could improve safety at every school in the state. Rhonda Harrill’s son Tanner Jameson collapsed in June of last year while playing basketball and died of a cardiac arrhythmia. Since then, Harrill has successfully lobbied to have more automatic external defibrillators—or AEDs—installed at every school in Blount County. This week, though, she is taking her cause to Nashville where a bill will be introduced into both houses that would require all K-12 public schools in Tennessee to not only have AEDs on campus but also that they will have to kept in a place where they can easily be accessed in case of an emergency. In Tanner’s case, an AED was on campus at Eagleton but was in an office too far away to have saved his life. If the bill is passed by both houses of the legislature, it will go into effect in July 1st.
Appalachian Arts Craft Center Benefit Coming
The Appalachian Arts Craft Center will be holding a Gala Dance featuring music from the Little Big Band on Saturday March 20th. The Appalachian Arts Craft Center is a nonprofit organization that offers arts and crafts classes for adults and children throughout the year and a place where local, juried artists can sell their crafts. It started as a war on Poverty program in 1970 and continues as a place where new and traditional arts are fostered and where people can gather. The center depends on the work of volunteers as well as income from class fees, membership dues, fundraisers like the one next month, grants and corporate donations. The Center is still seeking corporate sponsors for the gala event and you can find out how to get involved by calling 865-494-9854 or by visiting www.AppalachianArts.net.
ACSD Investigates Fire
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a fire on Cumberland View Road as a possible case of arson. Early Sunday (2/14), deputies were called to the scene of the fire, which was extinguished by the Marlow Volunteer Fire Department, and told by a neighbor that the house had been vacant for some time and that neighborhood children were often seen playing in and around the house. The house was recently put on the market, according to the Sheriff’s Department report, and the investigation is underway.
Maryville HS Orchestra Christens Clayton Center
The Maryville High School Orchestra performed a Valentine’s Day concert at the Clayton Center for the Arts in Maryville. Normally, we would not tell you about something like this after the fact, but Sunday’s performance was the first in the main hall of the center located on the Maryville College campus since its completion last year.
Briceville Clinic Getting Help, Looking For More
Last week the executive board of the 48-church Clinton Baptist Association approved funding to help keep the Free Briceville Medical Clinic open and serving the community. The board approved funding to make repairs at the building and to help out with maintenance and utility bills. Dr. Tom Kim, who founded the Briceville clinic about nine years ago and makes weekly visits to the clinic, says that more volunteer doctors are needed. Kim is asking any doctor who attends one of the 48 churches that comprise the Clinton Baptist Association to pitch in and lend a hand. The clinic is located near Briceville Elementary School and will be closed this Wednesday but will be open again on Wednesday February 24th. The Baptist Association stepped in at the last minute with a plan to help keep the Briceville clinic open after Dr. Kim had previously announced that he would close it to focus more on the new Free Clinic of Oak Ridge located at Trinity United Methodist Church. Dr. Kim opened his first Free Clinic of America in Knoxville almost two decades ago.
Update: Historic Church Not Yet Moved
Late last year, we told you that the Wilder Chapel Cemetery Association had donated the 100-year-old AME Zion Church to the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend. At that time, we told you that crews planned to pick up the entire building and move it to the Heritage Center but that in order to do so they would need several days in a row of dry weather. Well, that has obviously not happened but that does not mean that crews are idle as teams from the Heritage Center have spent the last few weeks stripping the church of all its modern amenities including indoor plumbing, carpet, fluorescent lighting, stage and wall heaters in preparation for its eventual move to Townsend. Plans call for the church to be placed in the middle of the Center’s historical village and to be opened to the public.
NSF Chooses Maryville College To Administer Grant
The National Science Foundation has chosen Maryville College to administer a grant valued at $440,000 over the next three years. The grant will support yeast cell research led by Maryville College assistant biology professor Dr. Jennifer Brigati and colleagues at Carson-Newman College, Tennessee Wesleyan and the University of Tennessee. The grant funding will support 18 student stipends for three summers beginning this year that will allow undergraduate students to work with the project’s professors either at UT or at Maryville and than return to their home institutions to continue their work during the academic year. The project will study yeast cells with an eye toward gaining a better understanding of certain medical issues, including diabetes.
Federal Lawsuit Vs. AC, Sheriff Dismissed
A federal judge has dismissed a civil-rights lawsuit against Anderson County and Sheriff Paul White over a 2006 incident in which a now-former reserve deputy allegedly forced a woman to perform oral sex on him in the backseat of his patrol car. The News-Sentinel reports that US District Judge Thomas Phillips granted a motion for a summary judgment last week dropping the complaint against the county and the Sheriff and leaving former reserve deputy Gerald Graham as the lone defendant in the lawsuit. The suit was filed shortly after the woman, now 29, accused Graham of forcing her to perform oral sex on him after a domestic disturbance on October 3, 2006. Graham, 65 at the time, told investigators that the sex had been consensual but he was fired from his volunteer position with the department just days after the allegations were leveled. The lawsuit claimed that the county and the sheriff had been negligent in the incident because Anderson County’s reserve officers were “poorly trained” and because Graham was unsupervised. The judge ruled, however, that the county’s training procedures were adequate, adding that “no specific training was necessary to inform officers not to rape or sexually assault women in their custody.” Graham and a full-time deputy were called to a domestic disturbance in the county and the deputy decided to separate the woman and her boyfriend, asking Graham to driver her to her father’s house. Along the way, though, Graham stopped at a church parking lot, where the alleged encounter occurred. He was indicted on one count of official misconduct but in 2007, was found not guilty during a trial in Anderson County.
Three Indicted In '09 Robbery
Three people have been indicted by the Anderson County grand jury in connection with an armed robbery that occurred in April of last year. The trio—all from Oak Ridge—was indicted earlier this month and will be arraigned by the end of the month. 36-year-old Anthony Wayne Lively and 28-year-old Justin Ray Wright were each indicted on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated robbery while 51-year-old Patti D. Clark was indicted on a charge of aggravated robbery. They are accused of beating and robbing a man at gunpoint behind a home off of West Outer Drive in April 2009.
Roane Sex Offender Arrested In Fl.
A Roane County man wanted for violating sex offender registry laws was arrested Friday in Florida, according to Roane County DA Russell Johnson. 31-year-old Jarard Leon Floyd, a convicted violent sex offender, had not reported to police as required by law since late last March and had been living in Kingston since October of 2008. In 1996 in Georgia, he was charged with aggravated child molestation. Johnson says that he would prefer to see Floyd prosecuted in federal court, where he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, rather than in state court, where the penalties could be more lenient.
State Receives Money To Expand Electronic Health Info Sharing
Last week, Governor Phil Bredesen announced that the state has received almost $12 million in federal economic stimulus money to help health care providers use and exchange more health information electronically. The grants are part of $1 billion in funding awards announced last week by US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to make health information technologies available to more hospitals and physicians. About $7.3 million will be used by QSource, the state’s Medicaid quality improvement organization to establish a regional extension center in Nashville to help health care professionals as they transition to the use of more electronic data transfer technology. An additional $5 million grant from the Department of Labor was also given to Cornerstone of Tennessee, a community-based behavioral health care provider, to train people in the job skills necessary to access careers in health care.
Woman Critically Injured In Friday Wreck
A one-car accident Friday afternoon in Clinton critically injured an elderly Clinton woman. The accident occurred shortly before noon Friday as 97-year-old Sammie West was headed north on Main Street near the intersection with Seivers Boulevard in her 2004 Chevy Malibu. Witnesses said that she appeared to be going too fast and lost control of the car, crossing the opposite lanes and striking a retaining wall at the car lot owned by Fox Chevrolet across Main Street from the new car dealership. Her car went airborne and landed, gouging the parking lot as she slid into a retaining wall at the back of the lot, where she also struck a car on display that caused a chain reaction crash that damaged three other vehicles. At least a dozen other vehicles parked on the lot received some damage from flying debris from the wreck. West was taken to UT Medical Center in Knoxville, where she was listed in critical condition as of this morning. There is still no word on why West lost control of the car.
CoverKids Accepting New Enrollees In March
Last week, Governor Phil Bredesen announced that CoverKids, Tennessee’s program for uninsured children, will reopen enrollment to new members on March 1st. Enrollment in CoverKids was suspended late last year when membership reached the maximum that could be supported by the current budget. Bredesen’s proposed budget for the new fiscal year includes an additional $13.1 million in recurring funds to continue the program, which will support increased program enrollment. However, reopening enrollment in March means that children will have access to the coverage four months before the budget is actually passed. Because of the additional state funding, $41.5 million in federal funding to support the program will come to Tennessee as well, which state officials say will continue to allow the program to grow. As part of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program—or S-CHIP--, CopverKids picks up where TennCare eligibility ends and provides comprehensive health and dental coverage to children in families who cannot otherwise afford or access private health insurance. Tennessee families earning less that 250% of the federal poverty level, which is $55,125 per year for a family of four, qualify for CoverKids and pay no monthly premium for the plan. For more information about any of the Cover Tennessee programs, visit www.CoverTN.gov or call 1-866-COVERTN.
Scam Victimizes Woman
We have a cautionary tale out of Blount County today. An elderly Maryville woman was recently scammed out of almost $13,000 by a bogus sweepstakes scheme. The 83-year-old woman told Maryville Police last week that on February 1st she had been notified that she had won $1.5 million in something called the British Publishing Sweepstakes but that in order to claim her prize she needed to send $400 to cover legal expenses associated with her prize. She told police that the scammers kept asking for more and more money to cover these legal fees and that by the time she went to police, she had sent $12,750 to individuals in North Carolina and New York. As we always remind you when we do stories like this, if you are told that you have won something in a contest you did not enter and to claim your winnings you need to send anyone money, the contest is likely not legitimate and you should break off all communications and notify your local police department. Never, under any circumstances, send the callers money or give out your personal information.
Former Secretary Sentenced
Thursday (2/11) a Blount County judge sentenced a former Maryville High School secretary convicted last year of stealing money from the school to a five year, split sentence. Donna Sloan had been employed by the Maryville City School System for 16 years when she was accused of stealing money collected during school events. She was indicted on a theft charge in 2007 and her first trial ended with a hung jury. In December of last year, she was convicted of theft between $10,000 and $60,000. Thursday she was sentenced to one year in the Blount County Jail and four years of supervised probation. The Daily Times reports that because her sentence is subject to a 25% reduction, she could be out of jail before the end of the year. In addition to the jail time and probation, Sloan was also ordered to pay $49,300 in restitution, plus court costs and a $10,000 fine. She is expected to report to jail in March.
OR Company Expanding
A company with offices in Oak Ridge will soon be looking for over 150 new employees as they expand their insurance customer care facility. Sitel—formerly ClientLogic—is a Nashville-based business process outsourcing company and the company announced Thursday (2/11) that a large financial company has selected them to handle their inbound calls for customer service dealing with automobile insurance. Sitel plans to hire licensed insurance associates and will be offering bonuses to those applicants with licenses in Property and Casualty insurance. Sitel employs over 60,000 people in 27 countries and its Oak Ridge call center is located at 1089 Commerce Park Drive.
Update: Foster In Jail On $1.5 Million Bond
Accused Inskip Elementary School shooter Mark Stephen Foster remains in the Knox County Jail at this time on a bond of $1.5 million after he was officially charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and carrying a gun on school property. The victims in the Wednesday afternoon shooting—Principal Elisa Luna and Assistant Principal Amy Brace—are continuing their recoveries at UT Medical Center. On Thursday (2/11), Knox County school leaders said that they had investigated Foster after receiving e-mails from a family member in November saying that Foster was a “ticking time bomb” but that nothing had been found during the course of their inquiry that would have justified firing him. School officials also revealed Thursday that the shooting occurred a short time after Luna and Brace had informed Foster that he would not be brought back to teach fourth grade at the school next year. He is expected to appear in court on February 22nd.
Clinton Man Jailed After Wild Ride
A Clinton man was arrested Tuesday night (2/9) after he allegedly crashed his pickup truck into a concrete barrier but did not stop, instead leading deputies on a high-speed pursuit. Deputy Nicholas Brown reported that he had been on Highway 61 near Hillcrest Street when he saw the truck bearing down him on the rain-slicked roadways. The driver of that truck swerved to avoid him and drove onto a concrete median before getting back on the road and leading Brown on a chase that ended a short time later. Brown reported detecting the odor of alcohol coming from the truck of 43-year-old Carter C. Burwell and that he found a crack pipe in one of his pockets. Burwell failed field sobriety tests and was taken into custody on charges of leaving the scene of an accident, speeding, reckless driving, failure to show proof of insurance, failure to maintain his lane and possession of drug paraphernalia. When he got to the jail, he was asked if he had anything on him jailers needed to know about, to which he replied no. However, as he was going through intake, deputies found three plastic bags, one containing powdered cocaine and another containing crack. The substance in the third bag was not immediately identified and Burwell also picked up charges of introducing contraband into a penal institution and drug possession for resale.
Knox Shooting Suspect From Andersonville
The suspected gunman in Wednesday’s (2/10) shooting of two administrators at Inskip Elementary School in Knoxville is a 48-year-old fourth grade teacher from Andersonville. Mark Stephen Foster is accused of two counts of attempted first degree murder in the shootings of Principal Elisa Luna and Assistant Principal Amy Brace and is being held at the Knox County Jail. At last report, Luna was said to be in critical condition and Brace was listed in stable condition at UT Medical Center and officials have said that both women were alert and responsive on the way to the hospital. School leaders said Wednesday that Foster was not going to be retained for next school year but investigators have not said if that was the motive behind the shootings. The shooting occurred in the office area of the school shortly before 1 pm and witnesses have said that Foster came into the office and asked to speak with the women in private. After the door closed, witnesses heard gunshots and saw Foster leave. The women were shot multiple times at close range, according to police. Foster was pulled over within 15 minutes at the corner of Central and Aurora in Knoxville and taken into custody without incident after being identified as the shooter by Luna. Two students were in the office area waiting for a ride home after Knox County schools had dismissed classes earlier in the day due to the weather but neither was hurt. In 2002, Foster ran for a seat on the Anderson County Commission and has previously served on the county's Beer Board. Foster, who lives on Mountain Road, has a checkered history with local law enforcement as the Sheriff’s Department has several complaints on file against him for harassment and complaints filed by him for similar reasons. Neighbors described him as an angry loner and a former boss says that after Foster was laid off from Oak Ridge Tool Engineering in the mid-1990s, he threatened to kill him and his family. In that incident, Foster was pulled over near the business after police acting on a tip from his mother that he had left with a gun and a plan to kill someone. He was taken to a mental hospital after that where his boss Terry Mullins visited him and asked what he would have done if Mullins’ family had been there when he arrived at the business, to which Foster allegedly replied that he would have killed them, too. No charges were ever filed in that incident. Foster’s older brother Anthony also took out an order of protection against Mark Foster last spring following a dispute over their late mother’s will. WBIR-TV reports that Foster has been under investigation by Knox County school officials since November after an anonymous tipster sent e-mails claiming that Foster was a "ticking time bomb."
Kingston Inks Deal For Plant Expansion
The city of Kingston has entered into a contract with Jordan, Jones and Goulding, Inc. to provide engineering services for the expansion of the municipal wastewater treatment plant on James Ferry Road. The project is expected to cost around $5 million when it is completed in 2012 and will accommodate growth in the city as well as commercial development along the Gallaher Road Corridor. The funding is being provided by TVA through the Roane County Economic Development Foundation and is part of the $43 million the utility set aside last year to help Roane County recover from and repair its image after the 2008 ash spill at the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant. Plant capacity will be increased by one million gallons of water a day.
Heritage Students Collect Food
Students at Heritage High School in Blount County recently collected food to donate to the Blount County Food Pantry on Big Springs Road in Maryville. Students in an early childhood education careers class organized the food drive, making daily announcements at school and collecting canned food items from classrooms at the school. In all, the food drive collected over 530 cans of food and donations totaling $50. Matthew Pennington’s first-block students won the contest between classes with 186 cans of food and they continued their charity by donating the cost of breakfast in their classroom—which was first prize—to the food pantry to help them help the area’s needy. The food was recently delivered to the food pantry by the student organizers.
AC 'Round-Up' Scheduled
The Anderson County school system’s annual Early Kindergarten Registration or “Kindergarten Round-Up” will begin in April but school leaders want you to be prepared. If your child turns five years old on or before September 1st, you need to sign them up for kindergarten at the school they will be attending in the fall. If you are not sure which school that is, you can call Murrell Albright with the school system with your address and he can tell you where you need to be. As we get closer, we will have the specific dates for kindergarten registration at your child’s school, but for now, here is a list of what you will need to bring in order to get your child registered for school in the fall. You will need proof of age—basically a state issued or mother’s copy of the birth certificate, their Social Security cards, proof of a physical exam and immunization record from January 1st of this year or later, proof of residence such as a utility bill or driver’s license if the address is current and any legal documentation such as custody papers. For more information call Margaret Clapp in the Student Services Department at 865-463-2800, extension 2814.
Secret City Exhibitor Apps Now Available
Preparations for the 2010 Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge are well underway and applications for vendors and exhibitors are now available online. If you are interested in displaying or selling anything during this year’s festival, set for June 18th and 19th at AK Bissell Park, you need to visit www.SecretCityFestival.com and download the application. Applications are currently available for events, arts & crafts, antiques & collectibles and food vendors and applications for the juried arts show will soon be available there as well. The deadline for food vendors to apply is March 15th with the others due by May 28th. Last year, over 20,000 people attended the annual festival which features historic tours of Manhattan Project sites, the largest World War II battle re-enactment in the south, a host of children’s activities and much, much more. For more information, visit www.SecretCityFestival.com.
OR Native Confirmed Dead In Haiti
The federal government confirmed Tuesday (2/9) that an Oak Ridge native was one of thousands of people killed in the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12th. 31-year-old Diane Caves had been staying at the Hotel Montana on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince when the building collapsed during the quake. Her body was discovered in the ruins of that building this week. Caves was the daughter of Lee and Linda Berry of Oak Ridge and graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1996. She had been in Haiti since January 6th on a three-week assignment for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based out of Atlanta, where she lived with her husband. She had been assisting the Haitian government and medical professionals in their fight against HIV/AIDS. Her parents and husband issued a statement Tuesday thanking the community for the support they have received during the four weeks where Diane was officially listed as missing, saying in part, “Diane made a difference in the world and will be missed by all who knew her.” The State Department confirmed her death to her family and to the CDC, where she won last year’s Atlanta Federal Employee of the Year Award in the outstanding professional category. Her funeral arrangements are not yet complete.
EPA: Emory River To Remain Closed
The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Tuesday (2/9) that the closure of the Emory River near the site of the December 2008 coal ash spill at the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant will remain in effect through May 15th. A six-mile stretch of the river beginning at its confluence with the Clinch River has been closed since August because of the ongoing cleanup of the spill. The EPA and TVA, along with the Coast Guard, made the decision to keep that stretch of the river closed out of concerns over safety as large hydraulic dredging equipment is still in operation hauling ash out of the river. The first phase of the cleanup is aimed at removing the ash that flowed into the river during the spill and Phase II, set to begin this spring, will focus on the majority of the remaining ash on dry land. The river had been set to reopen on Monday February 15th, but again that closure has been extended through May 15th.
Man Arrested In Death Of Wife On Honeymoon
An Athens man is expected to be charged sometime today (2/10) with the stabbing death of his wife, whose body was found Monday night in a motel room in Pigeon Forge where the couple was supposed to have been spending their honeymoon. 34-year-old Brian Umphrey was arrested Tuesday afternoon on I-75 near Riceville following a manhunt that began almost immediately after the discovery of 36-year-old Cassandra Petry of Rockwood’s body inside a room at the Days Inn on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. Police had gone to the motel after Petry’s sister called and requested a welfare check since her sister had not phoned her as they had planned. The couple, according to investigators, had divorced but recently remarried and were in Pigeon Forge on their honeymoon. Umphrey was arrested without incident.
Report: Brother, Sister Arrested In OR
Oak Ridge Police arrested a brother and a sister on burglary charges stemming from break-ins at businesses in Oak Ridge early Saturday morning (2/6). 23-year-old Kenneth G. Braden of Norris and 27-year-old Pasha Bumgardner were each charged with burglary following an investigation by Oak Ridge detectives. Braden was also charged with possession of Schedule II drugs and Bumgardner was charged with criminal responsibility and theft by possession. According to the Oak Ridger, Braden was almost immediately identified as a suspect shortly after he allegedly broke the glass door to the Atomic City Body Art tattoo parlor just after 3 am. The suspect fled that scene after being confronted by the owner, who gave police the description of a man and a woman he had seen before the crime. Bumgardner reportedly claimed ignorance of her brother’s alleged activities but police found hair products stolen from one of two hair salons that were broken into in her car. Braden was arrested a short time later on outstanding warrants and was charged in connection with Saturday’s break-ins. He and his sister are each being held at the Anderson County Jail.
Woman Jailed On Drug Charges
A Lenoir City woman was arrested Tuesday (2/9) on drug-related charges following a traffic stop. After Deputy Jason Leach pulled over a car driven by 55-year-old Stephanie Grant Dickerson, he learned that her license was revoked for DUI and asked for permission to search her car and cell phone, which he was given. Leach found money believed to be proceeds from drug deals as well as text messages on her phone consistent with those sent by people looking to purchase drugs. She was placed under arrest and read her Miranda rights, afterwards answering the deputy’s questions. She said she is not employed and is taking several types of prescription painkillers, admitting at one point that she has sold part of her prescriptions in the past. Further investigation revealed she had gotten a prescription for oxycodone filled in Miami, Florida, a common practice for people who re-sell their pills on the black market. At the Jail, female jailers discovered three bottles hidden inside Dickerson’s body and confiscated them. She was charged with two counts of the manufacture/sale/delivery or possession of a controlled substance.
Marlow VFD Lands Grant
The Marlow Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded a federal grant to purchase a new tanker truck. The grant total is $180,500 and comes from the federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. The grant requires a $9500 local match from the department and will be used to replace two older vehicles that are badly in need of repair.
Investigation Continues Into CHS Teacher
The investigation into allegations that a Clinton High School social studies teacher had inappropriate relationships with one or more male students is continuing today. 27-year-old Megan Baumann was placed on suspension Thursday (2/4) after the allegations were made and the Department of Children’s Services, the TBI and the Clinton Police Department are investigating. Principal Linda Davis received a report of concerns expressed by two students to a teacher about the relationship between Baumann and another student and after spending most of Thursday morning gathering information placed her on suspension that afternoon following a meeting with school administrators. School spokeswoman Karen Bridgeman had this to say about where the information came from. “I think one of the best things to come out of this is that these two students were concerned about another student and they spoke to an adult they trust….We are so proud that our students feel comfortable talking with the people who are in positions of authority and those are relationships we want to preserve.” WYSH has learned that the allegations include charges of inappropriate conduct with more than one male student and that the allegations also include the use of text, picture and video messages. Meanwhile, no timetable has been set as far as the completion of the investigation goes but DCS officials said last week that it is there intent to wrap up the probe as quickly as possible to minimize its impact on the alleged victims. Baumann’s personnel file indicates that she has had no problems since being hired in the summer of 2008 and contains several glowing letters of recommendation. We will continue to follow this story for you.
Y-12 Stimulus Projects Begin
The Y-12 National Security Complex began its first demolition project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Monday (2/8). Building 9735 is the first of the stimulus-funded deactivation and demolition projects at Y-12 to be torn down. The building was constructed in 1946 as an engineering laboratory and ceased operations in the mid 1990s. The demolition of the 15,000 square foot facility is expected to take about three days and is being handled by Safety and Ecology Corporation—or SEC—a small business providing full-service environmental, hazardous and radiological infrastructure remediation and advanced construction. The demolition of Building 9735 completes the razing of an entire row of engineering buildings. Like other aging buildings at Y-12, the deterioration of 9735 has been accelerating and making work in and around it more hazardous. The rubble left behind by the demolition will be disposed of at Y-12’s special landfill or at the Nevada test Site. Officials say that the entire project to demolish the facility will be completed well ahead of schedule. Six other major cleanup operations funded by the ARRA are also in the works for Y-12.
OR Chamber Honors Volunteer
The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce presented John McKittrick with the Eugene L. Joyce Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual Program of Work Kickoff Breakfast on January 26th. McKittrick is the President and CEO of ORNL Federal Credit Union and was recognized for his efforts to lift his entire community through volunteer work. He serves on the Board of Directors of a wide variety of non-profit and economic development organizations. The Eugene Joyce Award is given to a nominee who has truly distinguished him or her self and embodies the essential values of volunteerism, community service and dedication to the economic viability of the Oak Ridge community, according to a Chamber press release. It is the highest honor given by the Oak Ridge Chamber and previous winners have included Howard Baker Jr., Gen Caldwell and Wanda Craven.
Names Of The Fallen Unveiled In Clinton
Monday (2/8) in Clinton the names of four fallen Anderson County soldiers were permanently placed on the war memorial in front of the county Courthouse. The four soldiers died in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and the monument unveiled Monday is believed to be the first of its kind honoring fallen soldiers from those two wars in East Tennessee. The move to install the plaque honoring these soldiers was begun by Veterans Services Officer Leon Jaquet and funded by the Anderson County Commission. Those honored Monday were: Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Kennedy of Oak Ridge, who died in Iraq in 2005; Staff Sgt. Daniel Morris of Clinton, who was killed in Iraq in 2006; Sgt. 1st Class James Connell Jr. of Lake City, who died in Iraq in 2007 and Specialist Jason Hovater of Lake City, who died in Afghanistan in 2008.
CHS Teacher Investigated
Anderson County School officials confirmed this morning that they have suspended a Clinton High School social studies teacher after allegations of improper conduct with one or more male students were leveled. 27-year-old Megan Baumann left Clinton High School’s campus within a few hours after Principal Linda Davis received a report of concerns expressed by two students about the relationship between the teacher and another student. According to a news release, the system’s Human Resources Director Larry Pierce, Davis and other administrators met with Baumann early Thursday afternoon after school officials spent much of that morning gathering additional information. Schools Director Larry Foster suspended her without pay immediately as is School Board policy. Foster said that school officials notified the Department of Children’s Services, the Anderson County DA’s Office and the Clinton Police Department of the allegations against Baumann on Thursday afternoon and the TBI was also asked to come in to aid in the investigation. Foster said in this morning’s release that he had agreed last week to a request from DA Dave Clark to withhold comment on the situation until today and Foster writes “We want to be sure that we don’t do anything that compromises the investigation.” Calls and e-mails were sent to CHS staffers and parents through the schools’ automated system on Sunday and Foster emphasized the system’s prompt response to the allegations, saying, “Any allegations involving improper conduct in our school system are taken seriously and investigated immediately. The school district will not tolerate improper conduct and appropriate corrective action will be taken.” Davis says that counselors are available to, and have been meeting with, students to discuss their concerns over the situation. Baumann interned at Clinton High School in 2007-2008 while completing her master’s degree in secondary education at the University of Tennessee and has taught social studies at the school since August of 2008.
Lake Claims Woman
A 95-year-old woman died Saturday after her car wrecked into Melton Hill Lake. The Knox County Sheriff’s office says that Martha Breedlove apparently got disoriented and then lost and began driving down a walking trail next to the water early Saturday morning. The rear of the car slid into the lake and the car ended up in the water. Authorities say that it appears that she tried to get out of the car and get back to shore but she was found in the water by a TWRA officer at around 10:40 am Saturday and she was flown to UT Medical Center, where she died that afternoon. Her death is believed to be an accident.
AC United Way Receives Funds
Anderson County has been awarded federal funds under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. Anderson County will receive $48,125 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county. A local board made up of representatives from the United Way and other local non-profit and governmental agencies will determine how the funds will be awarded to emergency food and shelter programs run by local service organizations in Anderson County. Eligibility for funding requires agencies to be a voluntary non-profit agency or a unit of government, have an accounting system, practice nondiscrimination, demonstrate the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board. Organizations interested in applying for the funds must obtain an application from Rick Morrow with the United Way of Anderson County by calling him at 865-483-8431 or by e-mailing him at uwayac@bellsouth.net.
SL Tennessee In Clinton To Expand, Create 300 Jobs
Governor Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber joined with executives of SL America to announce a $35 million expansion of the company’s manufacturing facility in Clinton. SL Tennessee, as the local operation is known, will expand its plant by some 100,000 square feet and create as m any as 300 new jobs by the end of the year. The current facility in the I-75 Industrial Park is 164,000 square feet. SL Tennessee builds auto parts there including gear shifters, parking brakes and lighting products. The announcement comes on the heels of an announcement earlier this year that the Volkswagen Group had chosen to award SL Tennessee a contract to supply automatic shifter assemblies for the VW’s new midsize sedan slated to begin production in Chattanooga next year. That contract will also have SL supplying parts to operations in Mexico and is the first awarded to SL by VW. SL America President Y.K. Woo said that “one of the main factors in SL Tennessee’s decision was the support and dedication from the state of Tennessee, the Anderson County Economic Development Association, TVA, the city of Clinton and Anderson County.” SL Tennessee became the first Korean-owned auto parts manufacturer in Tennessee when the Clinton facility opened in 2001.
Maryville College Picks New Leader
Maryville College has chosen a new president to succeed Dr. Gerald W. Gibson, who announced last spring that he would be retiring at the end of the current academic year. Thursday (2/4), the college’s board of directors announced that 46-year-old Dr. William T. “Tom” Bogart has been selected to be only the 11th president in the 191-year history of the college. Bogart is currently the dean of academic affairs and professor of economics at York College in Pennsylvania, where his wife is a writing instructor. Bogart holds a bachelor’s degree from Rice University as well as a Master’s degree and a PhD in economics from Princeton University. He was one of a total of 89 people who applied for the post. A search committee whittled that list down to 13 semifinalists and then to three, all of whom came to Maryville last month for interviews. In a press release announcing the board’s decision, Board Chairman Dr. Dorsey Ellis said that “Board members were impressed with Dr. Bogart’s leadership experience, his background as a scholar and a teacher, his commitment to undergraduate education and his understanding of the challenges and opportunities of a church-related college.” Maryville College is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA. Before moving to York College, Bogart was on the faculty at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Gibson announced last May that he would be retiring at the end of this academic year after serving as president since 1993. Dr. Bogart and his wife have one daughter. Bogart will assume his new duties on July 1st.
BC Board Approves Cell Tower
Meeting Thursday (2/4), the Blount County Board of Zoning Appeals approved the construction of a cell phone tower near Townsend Elementary School. The request from Wireless Properties out of Chattanooga proved to be somewhat controversial as some nearby residents voiced concerns that the tower would spoil the area’s natural beauty. After hearing those concerns, the Board gave the company more time to develop a more-palatable alternative and Wireless Properties ultimately proposed lowering the tower from its original height of 180 feet to 142 and disguising it as a pine tree. The measure was approved by a vote of 4-1.
Federal Report Faults Coal Company, Contractor In Trucking Death
An Anderson County coal truck driver who died in an accident in October was driving an overloaded coal truck with a faulty Jake brake switch, according to the results of an investigation of the accident by the US Mine Safety and Health Administration. That report also says that 48-year-old Darrell T. Seiber of Devonia had not received training required for all new mine employees and was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the wreck. As a result of the investigation the Mine Safety and Health Administration issued five citations against mine operator National Coal Corporation based out of Knoxville and four citations against trucking contractor Cox Trucking out of Wartburg. Civil fines have yet to be determined for those violations. Seiber was killed October 9th while hauling a load of coal down a mine haul road in Devonia. The THP reported that his Mack truck had left the road, hit a ditch and flipped over after striking an embankment and a tree. Seiber apparently tried to jump from the cab or was thrown out during the wreck. Troopers indicated he had been traveling too fast for the wet road condition. The federal agency’s report states that the accident occurred because the contractor and the mine operator failed to make certain that defects affecting safety—namely the faulty Jake brake—were corrected before the truck was put into service. The report also cites the failure of the two companies to assure that the driver maintained control of the overloaded truck while descending the mine road as a contributing factor in the accident. Tuesday (2/2), Seiber’s widow and adult son filed a wrongful death lawsuit against National Coal, saying that the fact the truck was overloaded constitutes “severe recklessness.” The News-Sentinel reports that the suit is seeking $10 million in punitive damages and $7 million in compensatory damages.
Blount Grand Jury Indicts Two On Murder Charges
Monday (2/1), two men were indicted on charges of first-degree murder in unrelated cases by the Blount County grand jury. 48-year-old Jeffrey Scott Long of Maryville was indicted on the murder charge as well as charges of aggravated assault and aggravated robbery in connection with the stabbing death of his estranged wife, 57-year-old Janas Marie Long, in September of last year. He is being held at the Blount County Jail on a $525,000 bond. 34-year-old Tracy Lynn Fox of Knoxville was indicted on a first-degree murder charge as well as charges of aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated robbery, theft over $10,000 and the fraudulent use of a credit card. His charges stem from the murder of Wanda Britt of Knoxville, whose body was found in a remote area of Blount County in October of last year. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.
Bredesen Requests Farm Assistance
Governor Phil Bredesen has requested a federal designation of natural disaster for agriculture in seven counties in Tennessee, including Morgan County in our listening area. A disaster designation will help make federal assistance available to farmers who experienced significant crop losses due to heavy rains and flooding this past fall. If approved, the disaster designation will make farmers in the affected counties and adjoining counties eligible to apply for assistance through their local USDA Farm Service Agency office. Several other counties are already under a similar designation. Farmers in the affected counties have reported crop losses ranging anywhere from 30 to 50 percent for major commodities including corn, soybeans and tobacco due to the heavy rains and flooding.
Man Jailed On DUI Charges
Early this morning (2/3), a Clinton man was arrested on DUI charges after he apparently ran his car into a ditch and then stumbled to the home of a sleeping Anderson County Constable for assistance. Constable Jennings Foust called deputies to the intersection of Bull Run Road and Clinton Highway in Claxton at around 3:30 this morning. Foust told the deputy that he had been asleep when he was awoken by a knock on his door that turned out to be 26-year-old Aaron Dale McMurry, who was asking for help, saying that he had run his car into a guardrail. The deputy determined that he had, in fact, struck a muddy bank or ditch with his Chevy station wagon, although it is unclear where that occurred. The deputy reported smelling alcohol on McMurry as soon as he got out of his patrol car and the man failed several field sobriety tests. McMurry during the conversation referred to himself as “I am a disabled” and “stated “my back and legs are depressed.” McMurry was taken into custody and transported to the Anderson County Jail, where he blew a .22 on the breathalyzer. The legal limit is .08. He was charged with DUI first offense and driving on a suspended license and is also being held on an outstanding warrant from Sumner County.
Alcoa Footbridge Groundbreaking
Officials in Alcoa held a groundbreaking ceremony for a greenway pedestrian bridge that will span the US 129 Bypass on Tuesday morning (2/2). The bridge will be placed over Culton Creek about 500 feet south of the Alcoa Municipal Building and is the first link to the greenway for trails currently under construction on the west side of the bypass. The bridge plan has been in the works for about ten years and will be paid for in large part by state and federal stimulus money at a cost of $1.5 million. Plans call for the towers that will support the bridge to be placed first and when the bridge pieces arrive and are assembled, could be installed as early as this June. The bridge will be handicapped accessible as are the rest of the greenway trails and measures ten feet wide.
Wamp: DOE, USEC Close To Agreement
US Congressman Zach Wamp announced Tuesday (2/2) that thanks to what he called an expected new agreement with USEC Inc., the DOE will provide $5 million to help the company with additional testing and demonstration activities for the much ballyhooed and long delayed American Centrifuge Project. Wamp says the short-term effect of the agreement will be to save about 400 jobs in Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia, including about 100 jobs in Oak Ridge. In the long-term, Wamp says that the funding will better position USEC for a $2 billion loan guarantee that could ultimately lead to as many as 8000 new jobs associated with the project. The centrifuge project is being touted as a way to provide a new capability for uranium enrichment in the US and Oak Ridge has been a key manufacturing site for the Ohio-based program. The manufacturing effort is a partnership between USEC and B&W, both of which began cutting some of the Oak Ridge jobs after the DOE last year said that it would not guarantee the $2 billion in funding due to technical concerns. Later, the agency relented and gave USEC more time to address those issues. The loan guarantee would be used to support the construction of the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio which will enrich uranium for use as fuel in US nuclear reactors. The first wave of commercial machines is expected to be assembled and operational later this year and the test results from that first wave will be used by the company when they re-submit their information to the DOE for the loan guarantees.
Roane Man Killed In Morgan Wreck
A Kingston man was killed in a one-car accident in Morgan County on Monday (2/1). The Tennessee Highway Patrol says that 52-year-old Glenn D. Miller had been headed south on Liberty Road near Petit Lane in Oakdale shortly before 2:15 pm Monday when he lost control of his 1999 Kia sedan and left the roadway. The THP report indicates that Miller overcorrected, crossed the center line and struck a utility pole before sliding back across the road and coming to rest in a ditch. Miller was wearing his seatbelt and alcohol and drugs are not believed to have played a role in Monday’s fatal accident.
Knox Woman Charged In Hit & Run Accident
A woman that Knoxville Police say was one of the drivers involved in a multi-car pileup on Pellissippi Parkway that left a Maryville High School senior in critical condition has been located and charged in connection with that crash. 27-year-old Georgia April Dawn Mingle of Knoxville turned herself into police on Monday (2/1) and was cited for leaving the scene of an accident. Further charges could be filed depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation. 19-year-old Ashley Reisser was listed in critical condition at last report at UT Medical Center and she is said to be in a medically-induced coma. She and several other girls were involved in a two-car accident on the icy road Saturday night and when they and the driver of the other car were inspecting the damage, Mingle’s Mitsubishi Eclipse and another car slid into each other. The Eclipse struck the driver of the other car involved in the first wreck—identified as David Shelton of Maryville--and the other car, a green Honda Civic, struck the Mitsubishi and then pinned Reisser between the car and a wall. Two men identified as Hispanic males fled the Honda on foot and Knoxville Police are still searching for them. Shelton, meanwhile, is also recovering at UT Medical Center suffering from a broken back and a dislocated knee.
Blount Introduces 'Text-A-Tip'
Blount County law enforcement and school officials gathered Monday (2/1) to announce a new program aimed at getting teens to let the authorities know when crimes are occurring on campus. The Text-a-Tip program in Blount County will be funded using confiscated drug money and allows students at all Blount County High Schools, including Maryville and Alcoa, to send anonymous text message tips that will be processed at the county’s 911 center. Students were given a special number on Monday to text their tips, which will be answered by law enforcement personnel to get more information about the activity being reported. During school, tips will be handled by on-campus school resource officers and when school is not in session, they will be handled by the Blount County Sheriff’s Department. The announcement was made Monday by the directors of the Blount County, Alcoa and Maryville school systems as well as Blount County Sheriff Jim Berrong and the police chiefs from Alcoa and Maryville. The plan could be expanded to the county’s middle schools in the future as well.
Clinton Man Charged In OR Home Invasion
A Clinton man was arrested last week by Oak Ridge Police in connection with a January 5th home invasion in Oak Ridge. 29-year-old Michael Cody Woods was arrested Thursday (1/28) on charges of especially aggravated robbery, especially aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and aggravated robbery and at last check, was being held on a $300,000 bond at the Anderson County Jail. Woods and two other men allegedly burst into a home on Waddell Circle earlier this month and terrorized a man and a woman living there. The man was hit with a baseball bat and brass knuckles and treated for his injuries at Methodist Medical Center. He later identified Woods as the man who had hit him with the brass knuckles from a photo lineup. The other two suspects have not yet been arrested but an investigation is continuing.
Incentives Helped Lure Solar Plant
Officials are talking about some of the incentives that helped lure Confluence Solar to Clinton’s I-75 Industrial Park and all agree that it was an agreement by CUB, TVA and state officials to upgrade the electrical infrastructure in that area that finally persuaded the company to move to East Tennessee. At its peak production, the facility is expected to use enough electricity to power 30,000 homes and because CUB and TVA have agreed to meet their power demands and can do so immediately, that made Clinton the easy choice. Other sites would have required a year to accommodate the company. If the plant goes into phase two of its expansion, a second substation would be required by CUB officials, who say that state assistance may be available when that time comes while TVA has also committed a significant amount of money to the project if phase two moves forward. Confluence will also receive breaks on the price for electricity due to their massive usage as well as 15-year, 50% tax breaks from the county and the city. The Clinton City Council agreed last year to sell the company land in the industrial park at a discounted rate. The state also offers incentives from workforce training to breaks on state business taxes. Confluence Solar announced two weeks ago that it plans to build a $200 million, 200,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in the park.
Woman Arrested For Trying To Buy Drugs At Middle School
Clinton Police arrested an Anderson County woman at Clinton Middle School Monday (1/25) after she allegedly came to the school to purchase prescription painkillers from a student. Clinton Middle School Principal Bob Stokes says that school officials learned that a student was in possession of Opana, a narcotic pain medication, and that another student was sending text messages about its availability. During the investigation, which included two cell phone violations, officials were able to retrieve text messages from a 32-year-old woman indicating that she was planning to come to the school under the pretense of signing her own child out for an appointment so that the transaction could take place. Because the woman’s child is a student, this station will not identify her by name. When she arrived at the school she was taken into custody by Clinton Police detectives and charged with attempting to purchase Schedule II narcotics from a juvenile. After further investigation, school administrators interviewed several other students and as a result, four eighth grade students were expelled under the school system’s zero-tolerance policy for students who possess, use, exchange, receive or negotiate for any drugs, either legal or illegal. Stokes commented “We have about 700 students in our school, kids who are doing wonderful, amazing things to further themselves. We will not tolerate behavior that puts our students at risk.” The investigation is continuing, according to the school, to ensure that anyone who may be involved in drug activity is identified and held accountable. The suspect was released from jail Tuesday night after posting bond.
Fire Damages Clinton Business
A fire at Carlisle Tire and Wheel on JD Yarnell Industrial Parkway in Clinton caused about $10,000 worth of damage but did not injure anyone. Shortly after 7 pm Wednesday (1/27), Clinton firefighters were called to the facility after a piece of machinery in the company’s curing area caught fire. It took fire crews about 51 minutes to bring the blaze, which spread to a section of the roof, under control. The exact cause of the fire has not been determined but it is believed to have been accidental. A total of 18 firefighters responded to the scene and a crew from Oak Ridge responded to maintain coverage while the firefighters from Clinton’s Station One were on the scene of the fire.
Blount Food Ministry Needs Assistance
A Blount County food ministry serving about 1400 people a month says that they may have to close their doors soon if they cannot raise more money. The Manna From Heaven food bag distribution supplies groceries to needy families and is funded entirely by donations. Those donations are then used to purchase food at a discount from Second Harvest Food Bank. As with so many other charities, though, the economy has hit the ministry very hard and officials say that if they are not able to raise money for February’s distribution, they may have to close their doors. Manna from Heaven is accepting monetary donations and you can find out more by visiting them online at www.mannafromheaven.us or by calling Pastor Jason Word at 865-983-8023.
ORNL Allocates Supercomputer Time For Battery Research
Researchers working on lithium air batteries to power automobiles have been given time on the supercomputers at both the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. The DOE announced the plan Wednesday. The goal of the program is to develop lithium air batteries capable of powering a vehicle for 500 miles on a single charge. Lithium-ion batteries currently used in today’s emerging plug-in electric hybrid vehicles only have a range of between 40 to 100 miles per charge. The DOE has awarded 24 million hours of time on the supercomputers for research projects through an initiative called the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment—otherwise known as INCITE. The researchers will use the incredibly fast machines to investigate and design materials that could be used in the development of the lithium air batteries.
DOE: K-25 West Wing Demolished
The Department of Energy has announced that the final unit of the K-25 Building West Wing has been demolished. The demolition project began in December of 2008 and was wrapped up on January 20th. Officials say that a significant amount of debris from the 844.000 square foot building has yet to be shipped to a special landfill on the Oak Ridge reservation but that the demolition itself is finished. The former gaseous diffusion facility was built during World War II to support the Manhattan Project and at its peak, covered 1.6 million square feet.
3 Arrested After Break-in, Pursuit Anderson County Sheriff’s deputies arrested three people after a Tuesday afternoon burglary at a home on East Wolf Valley Road in Heiskell. Just after 2 pm, the homeowner returned to her residence with her three young grandchildren and discovered a strange vehicle parked behind her house. She called 911 and waited at the entrance to her driveway but three people jumped into the car and fled the scene, striking her pickup truck as they left the area. A witness driving by saw the incident and also called 911, following the suspect vehicle as it fled toward Norris Freeway. There, Deputy Rick Coley spotted the car and gave chase before the driver stopped just short of the Knox County line. There, Anderson and Knox County deputies took the three occupants into custody. The Sheriff’s Department says that several items were found in the car that came from the burglary and other stolen items were located after they were tossed from the vehicle during the pursuit. One man and two women are facing charges connected to this case. 19-year-old Justen Wayne Hatmaker of Lake City was charged with aggravated burglary, theft, reckless endangerment, evading arrest and a probation violation and is being held on an $85,000 bond. 20-year-old Brittany Denise Crowe of Knoxville was charged with aggravated burglary, theft, reckless endangerment and tampering with evidence. Her bond was set at $120,000. 23-year-old Trina Cristella Blalock of Oliver Springs was charged with aggravated burglary and theft as well as a probation violation out of Morgan County. Her bond has been set at $60,000 and a hold has been placed on her for Morgan County. Sheriff Paul White credited the quick actions of the homeowner and the witness in calling the Sheriff’s Office and the rapid response of his deputies for making these arrests so quickly. Roane Spending Spree Last fall, TVA established a $43 million special fund to help Roane County recover from the drastic effects of the massive coal ash spill at the utility’s Kingston Fossil Plant and left it up to Roane County leaders to decide how to use that money. Tuesday the Roane County Economic Development Foundation met and allocated more of that money and say that they are done dipping into the fund. Late last year, the group approved using $32 million for countywide school improvements, $1.7 million for the restoration of the Princess Theater in Harriman and $1 million for a PR campaign to help restore Roane County’s image. Tuesday, the Board voted to allocate $160,000 to reimburse the county for land and homes damaged by the spill and purchased by TVA, which removed them from the county’s tax rolls as the utility is tax-exempt. $30,000 will be used for a two-year program aimed at bringing more retail development to Roane County and $25,000 will be set aside to market the tourism opportunities available in and around Oliver Springs. Board members also approved releasing some $1.9 million for street paving and infrastructure projects in Rockwood. All of the allocations have left only $900,000 in the special fund, which officials say they will keep as an insurance policy against future expenses as the ash spill recovery moves forward. So far, none of the money has been dispersed as the requests work their way through TVA’s bureaucracy. Report: Man Attacked For No Reason
The Maryville Daily Times reports that last Friday, a man called police after a woman got out of her Jeep at a red light, jumped on the hood of his vehicle and began punching and kicking the windshield while screaming at him. John Williamson told police that he was waiting at the light Friday afternoon when the woman, later identified as 58-year-old Mary Biggerstaff of Wyoming, got out, began screaming that he was following her and began attacking his vehicle, causing about $650 worth of damage. Biggerstaff was arrested a short time later and charged with vandalism. To add a little more flavor to the story, when police took Biggerstaff into custody, she had a small dog with her. When an officer took the dog by the leash, an untethered dog ran across the street and attacked the smaller animal, leading the officer to use his Taser on the second dog. Neither animal was seriously hurt. Alcoa Burglary Suspect In Custody Alcoa Police have announced that a suspect in at least two burglaries that they had been seeking turned himself into Loudon County authorities earlier this month. 29-year-old Eric Sean Hawkins turned himself in on January 15th and is being held for a probation violation. Alcoa Police say that once those charges are taken care of, he will be sent to Blount County to face multiple counts of theft, burglary, vandalism and fraudulent use of a credit card. He is also a suspect in another burglary and Alcoa Police are continuing their investigation. Y-12 Given Green Light To Begin Storage At New Facility
The Y-12 National Security Complex has been authorized to begin operations at its $549 million Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility by the National Nuclear Security Administration. The 300-foot by 475-foot facility provides storage capacity for thousands of containers of highly enriched uranium used in nuclear weapons and naval reactors in a highly secure manner. The facility is an effort to bring the nation’s nuclear security infrastructure out of a Cold War system that featured several sites, each of them requiring their own security and into a new system where those materials are kept inside an ultra-secure location. The HEUMF is the largest construction project at Y-12 in over 40 years. Much of Y-12’s inventory of enriched uranium will be moved into the new facility over the next 90 days. The original schedule called for that process to be spread out over 13 months but officials say that expediting the process will save taxpayers about $26 million in security costs.
OR Council Votes To Hire Search Firm
Meeting in a special session Monday (1/25) the Oak Ridge City Council voted 6-1 to hire The Mercer Group out of Atlanta to search for the next city manager. Jim O’Connor resigned from that post to accept the same job in Winchester, Virginia earlier this month and currently Public Works Director Gary Cinder is serving as the interim manager until a permanent replacement can be found. Monday’s vote was not without some controversy as over 30 area business leaders signed a petition urging the Council to conduct the search on their own and not use the Mercer Group, which also helped find O’Connor in 2004. Council voted against a proposal to have the UT Municipal Technical Advisory Service—or MTAS—conduct the search. Councilman Charles Hensley made a motion for that, saying that the cost would be less and that MTAS has resources that could prove useful. He also expressed concern that the Mercer Group’s criteria for potential candidates might cut local applicants out of the picture. Supporters of using the company say that it provides services MTAS cannot, including background checks on each candidate. The company will charge the city $15,000 and up to $8000 in expenses while MTAS would have likely run only about $2000 to $3000.
Report: McConkey Pleads In Infant Death
According to the News-Sentinel, an Oak Ridge woman pleaded guilty Friday (1/22) in an Anderson County courtroom to a charge of reckless homicide in connection with the death of her newborn in December of 2007. 23-year-old Jenna McConkey claimed from the outset that she did not know she was pregnant while she was visiting her parents during Christmas break at Middle Tennessee State University. On December 20th, she says that she went into the bathroom with cramps and passed out, awakening to find the baby in the commode. During the court proceedings, medical experts differed on whether the child had been stillborn or if the infant was alive before drowning and mental health professionals concluded that she had not known that she was pregnant. McConkey was placed on four years of supervised probation and if she stays out of trouble during that time, the conviction can then be expunged from her record. As part of the plea, a charge of aggravated assault was dismissed and she was ordered to either stay in school or stay employed, continue counseling and make a $5000 donation to a child-oriented charity.
Blount United Way
The United Way of Blount County recently celebrated the everyday heroes who helped keep the agency in the black financially over the past year and recognized both an individual and an organization with the first ever Live United Volunteers of the Year Awards during the annual meeting. The organization award went to the Community Food Connection while the Individual Volunteer of the Year recognition went to Liz Mills of the Adult Education Foundation. The United way of Blount County supports programs that address health, education and self-sufficiency. For more information or to donate to the United Way, visit liveunitedblount.org or call 865-982-225. You can read more about the annual meeting online at www.blounttoday.com.
AC Sheriff: Budget Crisis Looming
Anderson County Sheriff Paul White says his department may run out of funding before the end of this fiscal year. According to the Oak Ridger, in a memo to the county Budget Committee, Sheriff White says that because money was cut from his budget during the budget process last year, the department may run out of money before June 30th, the end of the current fiscal year. White says the decision to remove that money from his budget did not take into consideration an increased workload and jail population. White says that he and his officers are making every effort to minimize expenses and make cuts where possible but that there are very few cuts left to make. The budget codes that may come up short before the new budget goes into effect include overtime for deputies and investigators, radio maintenance and repair, office supplies and money set aside to pay for dental and medical services at the Jail. The county is beginning to gear up for the budget process and the Budget Committee has already instructed department heads to submit budgets that reflect a 9% decrease in spending.
AC Rescue Squad Needs You
The Anderson County Volunteer Rescue Squad is looking for dedicated, community-minded individuals 18 years old or older to volunteer to serve their community. Support members are always needed to handle things like paperwork, maintenance and fundraising. If you are interested in search operations, rope work, swift water rescue or using the jaws of life, the Squad provides all training and equipment as well as free medical training to those interested in becoming an Emergency Medical Responder. Come by the Rescue Squad station at 145 JD Yarnell Industrial Parkway in Clinton on the first, second or fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 pm to pick up an application, or call 865-457-7121. You can also visit www.acvrs.net to find out more.
USDA Offering Assistance
The USDA has designated five Tennessee counties as primary natural disaster areas because of the heavy rainfall that began in September and continues to this day. Those five counties are Claiborne, Cocke, Rutherford, Sevier and Union. Farmers and ranchers in 16 contiguous counties also qualify for federal assistance, including locally Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Grainger and Jefferson counties. Qualified farm operators in those counties become eligible for low interest emergency loans from the USDA’s farm Service Agency.
Clinton Company Lands VW Deal
SL America Corporation in Clinton was recently awarded a lucrative contract to supply automatic shifter assemblies for Volkswagen Group in North America. The contract is the first for SL America with Volkswagen and represents the first parts supplier contract awarded to a company in Anderson County for the new VW production plant in Chattanooga. According to the Volkswagen North America website, SL America will supply the automatic shifter assemblies for both the new midsize sedan that will begin production in 2011 as well as for production in the Puebla. SL America’s facility is only 116 miles from the Chattanooga plant, which played a major role in the company receiving the contract. The deal is expected to create as many as 20 new jobs in the area.
Governor, Economic Chief Announce Solar Plant Coming To Clinton
Governor Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber announced today (1/21) that a company involved in the manufacture of components used in photovoltaic solar cells will locate its new plant in Clinton’s I-75 Industrial Park. Bredesen and Kisber were joined by elected leaders from Clinton and Anderson County as well as executives from Confluence Solar based out of Hazelwood, Missouri at the state capitol in Nashville Thursday afternoon. The company plans to build a $200 million facility in the industrial park and the new plant could create as many as 250 new jobs. In November, the Clinton City Council agreed to sell the company between 25 and 40 acres of land in the I-75 Industrial Park at a reduced price of $15,000 an acre, down from $24,000 an acre, as part of a comprehensive package to help lure the company to the area. Confluence will be able to purchase some of the land up front with an option to purchase more for future expansion. The company was founded in 2007 by former silicon industry executives who wanted to use high-quality, low-cost mono-crystal silicon ingots into the production of solar energy cells, which resulted in the ability to create high efficiency cells. The company's technology increases the efficiency of solar cells by 15% or more, helping manufacturers of solar panels generate electricity more efficiently at a cost equivalent to or better than can be done using multi-crystal silicon ingots. A Norwegian venture capital firm called Convexa Capital currently holds the controlling interest in the company. Confluence’s technical advisor John DeLuca once worked at ORNL in nuclear materials research and his familiarity with the area, as well as months of hard work by city, county and state officials helped land the facility in Clinton. Clinton was the only Tennessee city under consideration for the plant. Two years ago, Governor Bredesen embarked on a strategy to make Tennessee a major player in the budding solar industry and today's announcement continues a recent trend that has seen several high dollar business ventures choose to locate their operations in our state, including the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Hemlock Semiconductor in Clarksville and Wacker Chemie AG's facility in Bradley County.
AC GOP Nominates Candidates
As we reported Tuesday (1/19), Clinton attorney Brandon Fisher was appointed by the Anderson County Commission to serve as the county’s Juvenile Court Judge through August 31st. Fisher replaces April Meldrum, whose resignation halfway through her term on the bench went into effect on Tuesday morning. Fisher has indicated that he will run to serve out the remaining four years on Meldrum’s term in the August 5th election, most likely as a Democrat. If that is the case, he will be opposed by the Republican nominated last night during a caucus held by the Anderson County GOP, Zach Farrar, and independent candidate Phil Harber. Other Republicans nominated by their party Tuesday included incumbent County Mayor Rex Lynch, incumbent Road Superintendent Gary Long, Trustee candidate John Ragan and Register of Deeds candidate Alex Moseley. Anderson County Democrats are expected to decide soon when they will hold a special caucus to formally nominate a candidate for the Juvenile Judge position.
TVA Symposium Set For March
TVA will host a symposium on fly ash research in March as part of its continuing response to the massive spill of ash at its Kingston Fossil Plant in December of 2008. Oak Ridge Associated Universities will coordinate the event which will run March 11th and 12th at Roane State Community College in Harriman. Topics at the event will include site characterization, clean-up, remediation and recovery as well as environmental risk management. We will let you know more about the symposium as it draws closer.
AC Commission Appoints Fisher As Juvenile Judge
Meeting this morning (1/19) the Anderson County Commission voted to appoint Clinton attorney Brandon Fisher to serve as the county’s interim Juvenile Court Judge through August, succeeding April Meldrum, whose resignation from the bench went into effect today. Fisher was sworn immediately after the vote by Judge Don Elledge. Fisher won on the second round of voting during the Commission meeting, with nine votes. Ann Coria came in second in that final round of voting with three votes, followed by Victoria Bowling with two votes and former Juvenile Court Judge Pat Hess with one. Applicants Michael Clement, Zach Farrar, Phil Harber and Roger Miller were all eliminated after not receiving any votes in the first round of the process. According to Fisher’s resume submitted to the search committee that unanimously recommended him for the post, he has extensive experience in Juvenile Court as an attorney representing young defendants in Juvenile Court, representing parties involved in custody and child support cases as well as acting as guardian ad litem for children and counsel for parents in complex dependency and neglect cases. He is currently employed at the Clinton law firm of Cantrell, Cantrell and Fisher and received his law degree from the University of Tennessee after receiving his undergraduate degree at Georgetown University in Washington DC. He will begin work in his new post tomorrow morning.
Free Medical Clinic Of OR Opens Doors
The Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge is opening its doors for business today (1/14) in the former home of Trinity United Methodist Church. Organizers of the clinic say that response to the promise of basic health care for the uninsured in our area has been overwhelming and that most of the slots for January appointments have been filled. So far about 80 people have signed up for checkups and other services at the clinic, which is run entirely by volunteers, including about 50 office staffers, a half-dozen doctors and almost two dozen nurses. Organizers say they can use more volunteers as well. The clinic is located in the educational annex of the former Trinity United, the congregation of which voted to combine with First United Methodist Church, which is leasing the space to the clinic for $1 a year. The clinic will be open on Fridays and Saturdays on an appointment-only basis and you can find out more about the services offered, the eligibility requirements and set up an appointment by calling 865-483-3904 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Report: Man Pleads Guilty In 2008 Blount Murder
A Maryville man pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge Thursday (1/14) in connection with the January 2008 shooting death of a Louisville man. 22-year-old Gary Lee Collins had originally been charged with first-degree murder in the commission of a burglary, robbery, theft, especially aggravated burglary and especially aggravated robbery according to the Maryville Daily Times in connection with the death of 63-year-old Kenneth Ray Hurst Sr., whose body was found inside his home on January 27, 2008. The paper reports that Collins was also facing numerous other theft and burglary charges. Collins pleaded guilty to all of those charges and was sentenced to 25 years in prison on the murder charge, 25 years on the especially aggravated robbery charge, 12 years on the especially aggravated burglary charge and four years on the theft charge, all of which will be served concurrently. He was also sentenced to an additional 27 years to be served consecutively on the charges unrelated to Hurst’s murder and he will not be eligible for parole until he has served 29 and a half years behind bars.
Foothills Parkway Bridge Contract Awarded
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has awarded a contract for the construction of a bridge on the Foothills Parkway. Park officials on Thursday (1/14) said that a grant made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will pay for the $24.7 million project, which has been awarded to Bell & Associates out of Brentwood. Work on the 800-foot-long bridge will begin this spring and is expected to be completed in November of next year. The span will be on the eastern end of the unfinished Wears valley to Walland segment of the parkway, commonly referred to as “the missing link.” The parkway was proposed in the 1920s, authorized by Congress in 1944 and sporadically funded ever since. The proposed 72-mile parkway is currently only about half done and not all of that is joined together.
CORRECTION: Missing Clerk Money Back In County Coffers
The results of the annual financial audit for Anderson County for the past fiscal year have been released and the state noted three findings in its report. The largest of the findings was a $4104 cash shortage connected to a suspected theft from the office earlier this year. You may recall that in October, County Clerk Jeff Cole announced that a former employee of his was suspected of stealing the money while processing business tax and commercial vehicle tag renewals, saying at the time that the discrepancies had been caught by the office’s internal control mechanisms. The state found, however, that a weakness in that system that did not require employees to identify how a payment was made—by check or by cash—allowed the missing money to go undiscovered from May until October. Auditors stated that if that feature had been used properly, the alleged theft would have been discovered more quickly. The DA is still investigating the incident but full restitution was made six weeks ago as of January 12th, according to County Law Director Jay Yeager. The audit report for the county also included two findings against the Clerk and Master’s Office, one for not properly posting and reconciling short-term investment account activity and the other for not turning over some $57,000 in unclaimed funds to the state as required by law. Clerk and Master Steve Queener, in his written response indicated that his office has already begun making changes to address the findings, stating that the majority of the unclaimed funds are excess bids from a previous delinquent tax sale and that the property owners who would be affected are being contacted. If those funds are not claimed then the office will turn the money over to the state’s Division of Unclaimed Property by next May. The complete audit--all 291 pages of it--can be viewed by logging on to www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/repository/CA/2009/anderson.pdf.
Governor Announces UT/ORNL Partnership
Earlier today (1/8) Governor Phil Bredesen announced a new initiative to establish what he called a world-class energy sciences graduate program at the University of Tennessee that would create some 200 faculty positions among researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Bredesen made the announcement this morning in Alcoa and said that the program will serve to strengthen the existing partnership between UT and ORNL. He said that the state will allocate $6 million to get the program started and added that the ultimate goal of the program is to turn UT into a top 25 research university within the next ten years.
AC Launches Anti-Bullying Program In Schools
The Anderson County school system launched a new program aimed at preventing bullying Tuesday (1/5). Norris Middle School, as we reported last year, has adopted the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, a research-based, school-wide system change that officials say has been proven to work in schools all across the country. Norris Middle School Principal Jeff Harshbarger says that while his school does not have a bullying problem, if even one student is bullied at school, it is one too many. Harshbarger introduced the program to parents and students during a program at the school last night. The program is aimed at changing the culture of schools to make them safer and foster a more positive learning environment. The program does not necessarily focus on punishment but rather open discussions about what is and what is not bullying and encouraging students to talk with their teachers and families about their experiences. This is a long-term program that will include weekly meetings among students as well as parental participation. Plans are currently being made to introduce the program into other schools in the system, especially if it proves successful in Norris.
Alcoa To Cut 90 Jobs Alcoa Incorporated announced Monday )1/4) that it will cut 90 jobs from its Blount County facility and another 145 jobs from its sister plant in Indiana. The company says that the workforce reduction is necessary as it tries to realign its workforce to fit an anticipated weak demand for aluminum in the coming year. Last year, 450 jobs were cut in Blount County as the company ended its smelting operation and another 13,000 jobs were lost worldwide after the bottom fell out of the aluminum market. Workers at the plant in Blount County and in Warrick, Indiana were told of the impending job cuts on Monday. Company officials say that Alcoa is working with union officials in Blount County to offer voluntary separation packages to minimize the effect of the layoffs, which are expected to occur in the first quarter of this year. The Blount County facility employs about 1000 people producing aluminum sheet for beverage cans. OR Appoints Cinder Monday night (1/4), the Oak Ridge City Council voted unanimously to appoint Public Works Director Gary Cinder as the interim City Manager while officials seek a permanent successor for Jim O’Connor. O’Connor is leaving Oak Ridge after almost five years on the job to accept the city manager’s position in Winchester, Virginia. His last day on the job will be Friday and Cinder’s first day on the job will be Saturday. Cinder previously served as interim city manager for ten months before O’Connor was hired in March of 2004. The Council also voted to establish a three-person search committee find a new city manager that will be chaired by Mayor Tom Beehan and will include Council members Jane Miller and David Mosby. OR IDB Takes Over Horizon Monday night (1/4) the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board voted to take over the title to about 390 acres of land in the nearly-vacant Horizon Center Industrial Park in the western part of the city. Under the proposal adopted Monday, the IDB would not pay any money up front for the land but would have to pay about $9500 an acre to the Horizon Center, LLC—a subsidiary of the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee—whenever a parcel is sold. The park is on surplus DOE Land turned into an industrial park about a decade ago using about $11 million federal funding but since it opened, only two companies have located there. The IDB also voted Monday to enter into a joint venture with the Oak Ridge Economic Alliance under which the Alliance would take over the marketing of the Horizon Center land as well as the day-to-day operations of the IDB. Supporters of the measure say that it will streamline the industrial recruiting process in Oak Ridge by providing a “one-stop shop” for prospects needing answers about the property. AC Chamber Offering BERO Services Ronald Wade with the state of Tennessee Economic and Community Development’s Business Enterprise resource Office will be available at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce by appointment only on January 15th, February 19th and March 19th to meet with businesses interested in looking to start-up or expand a business or purchase additional inventory or secure working capital for a business. To make an appointment, call Janet Hawkins at the Anderson County Chamber at 865-457-2559. Fort Campbell Soldier Appointed Attorney
A Fort Campbell soldier facing charges of sexual exploitation of a minor was appointed a public defender on Wednesday after he told a Blount County judge that his military pay has been suspended and that he has no assets to speak of. 27-year-old Army Private Joseph Michael Pescetelli remains in custody at the Blount County Jail, where he has been since his arrest on December 18th at a motel in Maryville where police say he was caught with a 15-year-old girl. His bond is set at $400,000. Pescetelli told investigators after his arrest that he had met the girl online several months ago and had been communicating with her for some time and even admitted that he had come to East Tennessee to have sex with her. The soldier, a field artillery forward observer in the 3rd Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, told the judge on Monday that he was uncertain of his status in the Army due to the arrest and the judge gave him two days to figure out where he stood with the Army. Wednesday, Pescetelli said that his $2000-a-month salary had been suspended and would remain suspended while he is in custody, adding that his bank account is overdrawn. With that, he was declared indigent and appointed a public defender but the judge told him that his indigent status is subject to review if his financial situation changes. In addition to the sexual exploitation charge, he also faces charges of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and solicitation of a minor.
Roane Annexation Battle To Be Renewed
An annexation fight in Roane County will head back to court following a ruling made this month by the state Court of Appeals. The dispute is between the cities of Kingston and Harriman over approximately 20 parcels of property on a strip of land in the Midtown community. In February 2008, five residents along that stretch of Highway 70 voted to be annexed into the city of Kingston, one month after Harriman tried to annex the property through an ordinance. Harriman filed suit to stop the annexation, arguing that as a larger city, state law gives them preference but the suit was dismissed by a Roane County Chancellor who ruled that Harriman had not adjusted their city’s urban growth boundary as required by law before trying to annex the land. That decision was appealed and overturned this month by the Court of Appeals, who said that Harriman had indeed proposed a legal adjustment to the growth boundary. The next step is unclear, but it does appear this case is headed back to court.
Roane Economic Development Study Released
An economic development strategy study commissioned by the Roane Alliance and paid for by TVA was released on Monday. The study, conducted by economic development consultant Boyette Strategies suggests that—among other ideas—that Roane County consider consolidating some of its schools and marketing the county as a green community. The study outlines broad goals for the county, including providing better public education, bringing in more restaurants and retail stores as well as helping local governments work together and cleaning up the mess left behind by last year’s massive ash spill at the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant. The study’s authors suggest that the best ways to accomplish those goals would be to consolidate schools and do a better job of selling the county to businesses looking at a possible relocation. In addition, the study also suggests developing tourism and recreation and launching a countywide community pride and beautification campaign. All of these ideas and the others contained in the report are aimed at helping Roane County repair its image and economy in the aftermath of last year’s disaster.
Alcoa Company Awarded Military Contract
Alcoa-based Hickory Construction has been awarded a $9.7 million contract to build a 45,000-square foot Army Reserve Center in Chattanooga that will be located near a communications training complex for the 241st Engineering & Installation Squadron of the Tennessee Air National Guard that was also recently built by the company. This is Hickory’s third military contract as they have also been awarded the deal to build an $8 million squadron operations center for the 134th Air Refueling Wing at the McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Alcoa. Ground was broken on the Alcoa project in October and ground was broken on the Air Guard building in Chattanooga in September.
Alexander Inn Donations Already Coming In
Oak Ridge residents and local history buffs of all ages have been contributing to the effort to clean up and restore the historic Alexander Inn. Barbara Ferrell, who owns the Ferrell Shop in Jackson Square and serves as the vice president of the non-profit Oak Ridge Revitalization Effort, says that she has received approximately $7000 in donations since the group’s purchase of the inn was finalized less than two weeks ago. The inn, once known as the Guest House because of its use as a stopover for visiting dignitaries during World War II, has fallen into a state of disrepair over the years and has been the subject of several City Court hearing concerning a large number of building code violations. Ferrell says that people of all ages are donating in amounts ranging from $10 all the way up to $2000 and that’s even before fundraising efforts begin in earnest. The group is planning a benefit concert at the Grove Center in March and you can expect to see this very vocal group of preservationists out and about drumming up support until the project is completed. If you would like to get more information about the Oak Ridge Revitalization Effort and learn more about how to donate, visit them online at www.revitalizeoakridge.org. You can also send donations to ORRE, care of The Ferrell Shop, 235 Jackson Square, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830.
AC Commission Approves Fund Minimum
Last week, the Anderson County Commission voted 14-1 to establish a $1 million minimum balance for the county’s undesignated fund balance—a.k.a. the “rainy-day fund.” The fund could only be used for an emergency expenditure that takes it under the million-dollar threshold if approved by a two-thirds majority of the Commission, which works out to 12 commissioners out of 16. The rainy-day fund is used to pay for unexpected expenses that arise during the year not covered under the annual budget. The measure was introduced after some commissioners worried about the use of the fund balance for the past two years to balance that annual budget, moves that have left the balance currently just above $1.1 million. Believe it or not, the budget process for next year has already begun as County Mayor Rex Lynch and the Budget Committee have requested department heads and elected officials in the county government to submit budget proposals 9% lower than the current year.
State Issues Health Assessment Of Roane Site
The Tennessee Department of Health on Tuesday (12/22) released its completed health assessment of site surrounding the TVA ash spill in Roane County. The report says that no harm to the community’s health is expected from simply touching the coal ash outside of a possible skin irritation and that brief exposure to airborne coal ash should not present any health problems. Exposures to the airborne ash for more than a day could pose problems for people with respiratory or heart ailments but as long as workers keep adequate dust suppression measures in place, the air should remain OK. The report states that city water in Kingston and Rockwood as well as spring and well water near the spill site are all safe to drink. The report states that using the Emory River at the source of the spill is still considered hazardous because of the ongoing cleanup operation and the amount of ash in that area but that other areas of the river and its tributaries are safe to use. You can check out the complete report by visiting http://health.state.tn.us/coalashspill.htm. You can find a link to that site on our website.
Secret City Festival Honored
The International Festival & Events Association has honored Oak Ridge’s Secret City Festival with a silver and bronze award during its annual conference this past fall. The IFEA Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards recognize outstanding examples of quality and creativity in the promotional programs and materials produced by festivals and events around the world. The Bronze Pinnacle Award for Best TV Promotion went to the commercial promoting the festival that was produced by and aired on WBIR-TV while the Silver Award for Best Promotion Publicizing an IFEA Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award Win was given to festival organizers for last year’s Secret City Festival Kickoff Event. The awards were announced locally during the 2009 Secret City Festival Kickoff event held on December 17th.
Federal Judge Declares Mistrial In Cross-Burning Case
A federal judge declared a mistrial this week in the case of a white Anderson County man accused of depriving a black man of his civil rights by burning a cross in front of the house he shared with a white woman in July of 2008. US District Judge Thomas Phillips declared the mistrial after the jury failed to reach a verdict in the case against 49-year-old Steven Dewayne Archer, who is accused of interfering with William Woodruff’s housing rights through intimidation. Woodruff had been living with Archer’s niece at a home on Foster Road in Heiskell when the cross was burned on the lawn. Prosecutors argued that cross-burning is a recognizable form of racial intimidation and was chosen specifically by Archer because of Woodruff’s race. Archer’s attorney, James Bell, argued that his client had not burned the cross because of Woodruff’s race but rather “acted on what [he] knew and honestly believed about…Woodruff’s past conduct and character.” He pointed to past criminal allegations against Woodruff as well as alleged abuse his niece suffered at his hands during their relationship. While acknowledging that Archer’s choice of a cross burning was a “rash and poor decision” he said that there was no proof that Archer hated all black people. Woodruff and Archer’s niece were reportedly married after the incident but have since separated. Prosecutors say they intend to try Archer again and both sides are due back in court on January 8th.
Blount School Suit Settled
A Blount County eighth grade student will be allowed to finish out the current semester of classes at the Maryville Christian School and her previous expulsion from the school will be wiped off her permanent record. That arrangement was part of an out-of-court settlement of a lawsuit filed in Blount County by the girl’s parents over the school’s handling of allegations that male student had inappropriately touched their daughter while they were in class, between classes and even in chapel services. It was the girl, however, who was expelled after her parents complained about the school’s response to the situation, which amounted to a two-day suspension of the male student. The family’s attorney says that the girl will be allowed to finish her exams and will transfer to another school after the Christmas holiday, adding that the Maryville Christian School “is not the right culture for her to be part of.” The lawsuit did not ask for money, only the girl’s reinstatement and the removal of the expulsion from her permanent record.
City Planners OK Rock Quarry
Monday (12/14), the Clinton Regional Planning Commission unanimously approved site plans for the Rogers Group’s proposed rock quarry at its property in the Bethel community. Prep work at the site could begin within a few weeks, according to city officials. The Rogers Group’s proposed operation has been a source of controversy in Anderson County since the mid-1990s after the County Commission denied a request to rezone the property to allow the company to reopen the long-dormant quarry and the dispute ended up in the court system. Since the dispute began the land has been annexed by the city of Clinton, which also voted to rezone the property to allow the Rogers Group not only the rock quarry but also a proposed asphalt plant. Monday’s vote only clears the way for the reopening of the rock quarry and city officials say that the company does have the necessary permits to move forward on the project. A grassroots organization of area citizens opposed to the Rogers Group operation called Citizens for Safety and Clean Air has vowed to keep fighting to keep the operation out of their backyard. The group has appealed the state’s decision to issue a water quality permit and has filed a suit in Chancery Court alleging that the city improperly rezoned the land. Opponents say that the facility would create additional air, noise and water pollution while also increasing traffic on Highway 61 near the interstate and have also raised concerns that blasting at the site could damage nearby homes and at least one historic church.
2nd Lawsuit Filed In I-75 Deaths
A second lawsuit has been filed in connection to the deaths of two young men killed on November 9th while working in the median of I-75 in Anderson County. The lawsuit seeking $5 million was filed Thursday (12/10) in Anderson County by two relatives of 18-year-old Cheyenne Dakota Burke of Bulls Gap, his aunt Shana Seal and his brother Alex Brown. Burke and 19-year-old Jeffrey Brian Thompson were struck by a pickup truck while tightening barrier cables as part of their jobs with Lu Incorporated, a TDOT contractor. The mother of Thompson’s young daughter filed a $5 million lawsuit in the case earlier this month. The defendants in both suits are driver James Hatfield of Huntsville and T&T Trucking of Winfield, Tennessee. Both suits accuse Hatfield of negligence, alleging that he was speeding, driving improperly and failed to control his Ford F350 hauling a roll of aluminum to Georgia. Both lawsuits also accuse Hatfield of failing to obey state traffic laws and state that as facts emerge from the ongoing THP investigation into the deadly accident, specific details of the alleged negligence will be included in their court proceedings. The THP’s investigation is continuing and criminal charges are pending in the case.
Maryville Schools Get Energy Efficiency Grants
Monday, the Maryville School Board accepted a $109,375 grant to install energy efficient lighting and environmental controls at six schools in the district. The funding was made available through the Energy Efficient Schools Initiative, which provides grants and loans to Tennessee schools for capital projects aimed at improving energy efficiency. Maryville High School received $41,035, while Maryville Middle received $29,375, John Sevier Elementary School received $11,880, Maryville Intermediate received $10,485, Foothills Elementary got $11,640 and the Fort Craig School of Dynamic Learning received $4960. The funds will be used for projects like upgrading lighting systems and could also possibly be used to install motion sensors in hallways and bathrooms to control lighting inside the buildings.
Retired Doc Pleads To Fraud Charge
A retired doctor pleaded guilty Monday (12/7) in Anderson County Criminal Court to charges of TennCare fraud and reckless endangerment. 76-year-old Delvin Littell of Deer Lodge pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a two-year-long investigation by the TBI that culminated with a high-profile raid at his now-closed walk-in medical clinic in 2007. The TBI said that between October of 2004 and February of 2007, TennCare paid over $2.3 million for pain pill prescriptions written at his clinic. TBI investigators determined that Littell would write the prescriptions and TennCare patients would pay cash for them and, in many cases, would sell the pills in the clinic’s parking lot. Littell apparently earned a reputation in certain circles as his patients would come from as far away as Kentucky and Virginia to see him. At least half a dozen of his patients were arrested in 2005 and 2006 for selling their pills and the TBI says they also received several reports of overdoses and thefts involving Littell’s patients. He was sentenced to two years in prison on the TennCare fraud charge and 11 months and 29 days on the reckless endangerment charge but the judge suspended both sentences, placing him on probation and ordering him to pay a $5200 fine.
Suit Filed In Highway Worker Deaths
Thursday (12/3), a $5 million wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Anderson County Circuit Court stemming from the November 9th death of two teenage highway workers on I-75. 18-year-old Cheyenne Dakota Burke of Bulls Gap and 19-year-old Jeffrey B. Thompson II of Rogersville were killed while working for TDOT contractor Lu Incorporated stretching metal cables on a recently-installed barrier in the median. The lawsuit accuses T and T Trucking driver James Hatfield of being negligent when his Ford pickup left the southbound lanes of I-75 near the 121 mile marker and struck the two young men as they worked, killing both. Hatfield has been hauling a roll of aluminum to Georgia at the time of the wreck and suffered only a minor head injury. The THP says that criminal charges will likely be filed in the case but have not yet been filed as evidence is still being reviewed. The lawsuit was filed in Anderson County Circuit Court by Brasha Bowman, the mother of Thompson’s infant daughter and seeks a jury trial. T and T Trucking based out of Winfield is named as the defendant. The suit accuses Hatfield of speeding and failing to control his truck and also alleges that he either fell asleep, was under the influence or texting at the time of the accident.
K-25 Screenings Return
The medical screening program for the early detection of lung cancer is again available to eligible current and former DOE K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant nuclear weapons workers for the first time since 2006. The Worker Health Protection Program is a joint venture of the United Steelworkers Union, the Atomic Trades and Labor Council and Queens College of the City University of New York and has resumed the K-25 low-dose CT scanning program aimed at detecting lung cancer early enough that it can be treated. A 42-foot mobile unit containing a state-of-the-art CT multi-slice scanner has begun examining eligible workers in the parking lot of the ATLC union hall on Viking Road in Oak Ridge. ORNL and Y-12 workers will also be scanned there and officials expect to screen over 1000 workers in the next year. Occupational exposures to lung carcinogens such as asbestos, uranium, plutonium and beryllium put nuclear weapons workers at a higher risk for lung cancer than the general population. The DOE is providing funding for this project as part of Former Worker Medical Screening Program and if you would like to find out if you meet the pre-determined eligibility requirements or schedule a screening call 1-866-228-7228.
Seivers Headed To MTSU
Dr. Lana Seivers, a Clinton native and longtime educator, has been hired as the new dean of Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Education and Behavioral Science. Dr. Seivers will assume her new position on February 1st. She was most recently the executive director of the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation, an organization funded primarily by the WK Kellogg Foundation and devoted to early childhood development, teacher quality, community engagement and leadership. Before that, she served as Governor Phil Bredesen’s Commissioner of Education until she resigned to take the Mississippi job in 2008. Seivers had been the director of the Clinton city school system for several years before that and is a graduate of Clinton High School.
AC's Shelton Register Of Year
Anderson County Register of Deeds Tim Shelton has been named the County Officials Association of Tennessee—or COAT’s—2009 Outstanding Register of the Year. COAT is the state organization made up of all Registers of Deeds, County Clerks, Trustees and County Clerks in Tennessee’s 95 counties. The award recognizes the Register who has performed at such a level as to set them and their offices apart from all others and is voted on by all of the state’s Registers. Shelton was previously recognized as the state Register’s Association in 2005 as their Register of the Year and has held state-level positions in both COAT and the Register’s Association. Shelton has announced that he will seek a third term in office in the county general election set for August 2010.
Bolling Makes Run Official
Oliver Springs City Manager and Anderson County Commissioner David Bolling announced Friday (11/13) that he will seek the Democratic nomination to run against three-term incumbent County Mayor Rex Lynch in August 2010. Anderson County Democrats will hold a caucus Saturday morning at Clinton High School to nominate candidates for next year’s general election. Bolling has been on the County Commission since 2006, the same year he was hired as City Manager in Oliver Springs. His late father was a legendary political figure in Anderson County, serving for several years on the Commission and 20 years as County Executive.
OR Mall Developers Receive Grant
The group in charge of redeveloping the former Oak Ridge Mall, now known as the Oak Ridge City Center, has received a $5 million stimulus grant to create a geothermal technology demonstration project at the site. Plans have been in the works for several years now to turn the nearly-empty mall into a village-type collection of shops and offices but so far nothing has been done as the project runs into roadblock after roadblock. The developers say that the DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Program in Colorado will manage the project. The projects goals are to reduce the upfront costs of geothermal heat pump systems, which use the earth’s heat instead of outside air for heat exchange in cooling and heating systems. These types of heat pumps are more efficient and could cut down on energy costs by as much as 60%, which developers feel will help lure potential merchants to the site. The $5 million grant must be matched by the company and one of the requirements for receiving the money is that the company complete the work once it is started. That could be some time, though, as much prep work remains to be done. The funds will pay for the demolition of part of the mall as well as some construction and research on the heat pump system.
New Website Links Residents With Social Programs
Governor Phil Bredesen has announced that FindHelpTN, a new website designed to connect Tennesseeans with social service programs and resources that may be useful to them has been launched. FindHelpTN is a 10-step questionnaire that provides eligibility information to users about more than a dozen social service and public assistance programs that they might be eligible for. Anyone with access to the internet and a printer can use the service and when your survey is completed, you will be provided with a printable report that details the programs they may be eligible for as well as application instructions and contact information. Check it out at www.tn.gov/FindHelpTN.
Information On Avoiding Phone, Internet Scams
The Anderson County Sheriff's Department website, www.tnacso.net, has posted a Federal Trade Commission advisory to help citizens avoid scams of all kinds.
'Clinton 12' DVD On Sale
The DVD of the documentary film “The Clinton 12” has been on sale at locations in Clinton and Oak Ridge for some time now, but now you can also purchase the award winning film online. The film tells the story of the desegregation of Clinton High School in 1956, its effects on the 12 black students who became the first to attend a previously all-white Southern public high school, its effects on the townspeople and the city of Clinton. The film debuted in 2005 during the opening of the Green McAdoo Cultural Center, a museum dedicated to the historic developments of 1956, and since then has won awards at film festivals in Texas, Georgia, Nashville and North Carolina. It is currently available in Clinton at Hoskins Drug Store on Main Street, Clinton Drug Store on Seivers Boulevard and at the Green McAdoo Center. In Oak Ridge, you can purchase it at The Discovery Shop at the American Museum of Science and Energy, Jefferson Compounding Center and at Jackson Square Gifts and Collectibles. You can also now purchase the film at www.thesecretcitystore.com. For more information contact the Green McAdoo Center at 865-463-5600.
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WYSH AM 1380 · P.O. Box 329 · Clinton, TN 37717
Phone: 865-457-1380 Email: wysh@wyshradio.com