All five members of the current Norris City Council were re-elected last week, outpolling two challengers. Members are, from left, Loretta Painter, Chuck Nicholson, Will Grinder, Bill Grieve and Mayor Chris Mitchell. - G. Chambers Williams III
All federal and state Republican candidates, including now President-elect Donald Trump, easily carried Anderson County in last week’s general election, which also saw all five Norris City Council members win re-election.
Out of 36,745 votes cast throughout the county, Trump received 24,537, or 67.25%; Kamala Harris won just 11,510 votes, or 31.54%.
Total voter turnout was 68.58% of Anderson County’s 53,576 registered voters, which fell way short of the 80% turnout predicted by county Elections Administrator Mark Stephens, which he based on the record heavy early-voting totals (nearly 51%).
• In Norris, these incumbents were re-elected to the five-member City Council: Will Grinder, 570 votes (16.76%); Bill Grieve, 547 votes (16.09%); Chris Mitchell, 545 votes (16.03%); Loretta Ann Painter, 512 votes (15.06%); and Charles P. “Chuck” Nicholson, 505 votes (14.85%).
Losing candidates were Ron Hill, 441 votes (12.97%); and James “Lee” Ragsdale, 280 votes (8.24%).
The council will select a mayor and vice mayor from its ranks during its regular meeting Dec. 9.
Mitchell serves as mayor now, and Nicholson is vice mayor.
There are no rules that determine who gets to be mayor or vice mayor based on vote totals; the decision is entirely up to the City Council.
Mitchell has been mayor for nearly 16 years, or all eight two-year terms he has served on the council.
The Anderson County Board of Education and Director of Schools Tim Parrott meet for a work session. - Ben Pounds
The Anderson County Board of Education on Thursday is expected to vote on funding for a new Career and Technical Education building for Anderson County Schools.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 14 on the fifth floor of the Robert Jolley Building in the school administration office.
The board will consider two appropriations: $936,436 for the CTE building and $3,817 tied to the Innovative School Models grant funds and the CTE Perkins grant.
Director of Schools Tim Parrott said at a work session Tuesday, Nov. 11, that the facility will help accommodate more students in the CTE program.
“Our welding program is so good that only 50% of the students who want in get into it,” Parrott said, praising the program’s quality.
He said the new building will allow more students to enroll in CTE classes.
The board will also vote on an allocation of $126,000 for special-education transfers.
Of that amount, $80,000 will go toward purchasing vans for student transport, with the rest allocated for instructional supplies, materials, and a part-time delivery staff salary.
An Anderson County Grand Jury has indicted former Oak Ridge High School softball booster club treasurer Misty Orlandino on one count of theft over $1,000 and one count of fraudulent use of a credit or debit card over $1,000.
The parent-led booster club supported the school’s softball program until August 2023. The club ended for the same incident that led to Orlandino’s conviction. She is accused of misappropriating club funds totaling at least $1,622.07.
Orlandino’s alleged misappropriation included ATM cash withdrawals from the booster club bank account, unauthorized personal purchases using the club’s debit card, and a failure to turn over a fee she collected from another family for the team’s banquet, the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office reported.
Clinton Lions Club: The Clinton Lions Club meets the first and third Mondays of each month at Apple Blossom Cafe and Catering, 409 Cullom St., Clinton, at 6:30 p.m.
Oak Ridge Lions Club: The Oak Ridge Lions Club meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at Shoney’s, Illinois Ave., Oak Ridge, at 6 p.m.
Clinton Rotary Club: The Clinton Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at noon at the Clinton Community Center, 101 S. Hicks St.
Rotary Club of Oak Ridge: The Rotary Club of Oak Ridge meets every Thursday at noon at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, 215 S. Illinois Ave.
Send your club’s name, meeting day/date, time and location to editor@mycouriernews.com. with the subject line “Club News.”
