Anderson County Chamber President and CEO Rick Meredith, left, introduces Clinton auctioneer and Realtor Bear Stephenson at the speakers’ podium during last Friday’s dedication of the new Chamber headquarters building. Stephenson donated $1 million to the Chamber Foundation to help pay for the new facility. - G. Chambers Williams III
“What a great day for Anderson County,” Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Rick Meredith said as he kicked off the dedication event for the Chamber’s new $4.7 million headquarters on Friday morning (Oct. 17).
“Today we celebrate,” he said to the crowd of several hundred assembled in the parking lot outside the new building at 500 N. Charles G. Seivers Blvd.
He noted that the 7,450-square-foot building project was completed “two months ahead of schedule and under budget.”
“It was about three years in the making,” Meredith said. “Actually, it goes back about seven years. … And here we are. A little over a year ago, we stood right here and broke ground. And now we’re standing here – it looks great.
“We went through three different boards of directors to make this happen,” Meredith said. “Without them, I couldn’t do my job. …
“(And) as you know, we’re dedicating this building to a veteran, William ‘Bear’ Stephenson.”
Stephenson, a longtime Clinton real estate broker and auctioneer, donated $1 million toward the cost of the new headquarters – his entire life savings in his personal 401-k account.
On hand to speak at the event, Stephenson told the crowd: “Ninety-three years in the making, and it’s finally here. The chamber has a home.”
Construction was mostly completed on the new facility about a month ago, and the Chamber staff has been moving in and setting up the offices and assorted rooms since then.
“Since then, we’ve been working through our punch list and getting everything ready,” Meredith said.
Rocky Top City Manager Mike Ellis, left, watches as the City Council conducts business during its October meeting last Thursday. - G. Chambers Williams III
Several Rocky Top streets, including the busy Fourth Avenue link from Main Street to the Interstate 75 bridge, will be repaved, and the City Hall and fire/police station buildings will be getting new roofs.
The City Council approved contracts for both projects last Thursday evening.
The repaving, at a cost of $187,773, will also include High Street from Fourth to Seventh streets, and part of Pearl Street and Cobb Hollow Road.
The work, to be done by the Rogers Group, mostly will be to smooth over the streets following the city’s recent sewer-rehabilitation project. That involved tearing up pavement to dig out and replace old sewer and some water lines.
Money for the repaving is coming from federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) grants.
Re-roofing of City Hall and the separate fire/police building will cost $120,000, and will be done by Dixie Roofing.
The city of Clinton is months away from becoming debt-free, despite investing heavily in safety, recreation and infrastructure over the past several years.
Those achievements are central to the platform incumbent Mayor Scott Burton intends to run on while seeking another term in the November 2026 election.
“It’s almost unheard of for local governments to be debt free, but we’re on the verge of accomplishing that on July 1 of 2026,” Burton said.
“We have proven that Clinton can be a place that invests in our future, while also keeping our taxes low and our budget balanced.”
While the city may be debt free at the end of this budget year, that doesn’t mean the city hasn’t been busy investing in improvements.
Over the past four years, the city, utilizing grants and partnerships with the state, has invested more than $13 million in capital projects.
The focus of those projects has been public safety, recreation and infrastructure.
The Oak Ridge Police Department says it has amended charges against Jacob Paul Yugo, 34, of Oak Ridge to first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and tampering with evidence, following an assault that occurred Friday afternoon, Oct. 10.
The ORPD reported in a news release just after 4 p.m. that day that officers responded to a report of an assault on East Newkirk Lane.
Upon arrival, officers reportedly found Candace Yurgo suffering from life-threatening injuries. She was transported to an area hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on the evening of Oct. 15.
Following the initial investigation, the ORPD reportedly identified Yugo, who Candace Yugo’s son, as a suspect and took him into custody. The ORPD reported that he is currently at the Anderson County Detention Facility.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the ORPD stated it would release no further details at this time.
Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact the Oak Ridge Police Department at 865-425-4399.
A section of Main Street from Church to Leinart streets continued to be blocked to vehicular traffic on Monday, and will remain that way until work moves into the Phase 3 area, from Leinart to Broad streets, perhaps sometime this week.
Most of Market Street also continues to be closed to vehicles, but all downtown stores remain open and in business.
The Main Street closure is a continuation of the schedule announced in mid-August, warning that it would be shut down in three sections and phases, two times each, from Aug. 24 through Nov. 24.
In the first phase, Main Street was closed from Cullom to Church streets Aug. 24 until week before last.
After Phase 3 is completed, the three-step process will repeat, with the final work planned to be finished in late November to mid-December, weather permitting.
Traffic disruptions are the result of street, sidewalk and utility construction work that has already kept most of Market Street shut down since mid-July, blocking vehicular access to the fronts of most of the downtown businesses along Market Street.
