The company Robert Campbell & Associates is looking to build a water line as shown on this map. From a purified water tank, the line would go about 0.72 miles to Fork Mountain Baptist Church. The route would also include Beech Grove Baptist Church. - Map by Robert Campbell & Associates
The Anderson County Commission has approved a plan to bring clean water to the New River area, and authorized County Mayor Terry Frank to seek state grant funding for the project.
Robert Campbell & Associates, an engineering firm, recommended a groundwater treatment system and distribution lines to serve residents in the New River community.
Campbell, speaking for his company at the commission’s Operations Committee meeting, said the line would extend from a tank containing treated water to as many as six locations, ending at Fork Mountain Baptist Church.
Commissioners unanimously approved the measures at its July 20 meeting without discussion.
The Operations Committee had discussed the proposal at its July 13 meeting.
The effort comes in response to residents’ complaints about the quality of their well water.
Campbell estimated the project would cost about $929,000, including construction, engineering, surveying, inspection, contract administration, project administration and contingency costs.
Chase Hunter of Adams Contracting works traffic control along Main Street in downtown Clinton on Monday morning as a crew from his company prepares to repave the street near the turnoff to Market Street. - G. Chambers Williams III
Although there’s still about six weeks’ worth of detail work to be finished, the majority of the $9.9 million Clinton downtown rehabilitation project will be completed this week with the repaving of Main Street in the historic district.
“If all goes well and weather permits, the paving work on Main Street will be finished Thursday,” Clinton City Manager Roger Houck said Monday afternoon.
Traffic was diverted off of Main on Monday as a crew from Adams Contracting worked on repaving the street between Cullom and Church streets.
That work began in earnest last week.
Also last week, wrought-iron handrails were installed along the steps on Market Street’s newly rebuilt sidewalks.
Clinton’s new vape board puts specialty-shop ordinance into action
by Ben Pounds
The former More to Life Outfitters building at 927 S. Charles G. Seivers Blvd. was the proposed location of a new tobacco and vape shop. The Clinton Vape Board unanimously denied a permit for the business Monday, July 27, citing the city’s recently adopted ordinance limiting the number of specialty vape and tobacco shops. - Ben Pounds
The Clinton City Council’s newly created board charged with enforcing regulations on specialty vape and tobacco shops has met for the first time — and denied its first permit application.
The board, composed of all members of the Clinton City Council, met Monday, July 27, and voted to deny a permit for Ali Abdurrahman, Tobacco and Vape, to operate at 927 S. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., the former site of More to Life Outfitters.
The vote to deny the permit was unanimous, although Councilman Matt Foster was absent.
The decision was in keeping with the city’s ordinance, passed June 22, allowing only one specialty vape shop per 10,000 residents. Clinton’s current population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is 10,056.
City building official Matt Widner explained at the meeting that the city’s nine existing vape specialty shops may continue to operate because they opened before the ordinance was passed. Any new shops are subject to the ordinance.
The zoning ordinance defines “specialty shops” as stores dedicating 25% or more of their floor space to “electronic cigarettes/vaping devices, e-liquids/cartridges, edibles, concentrates or oil containing cannabis derivatives (including but not limited to CBD, Delta-8, Delta-9 or similar compounds permitted by law), kratom, glassware, pipes, vaporizers and other smoking or inhalation devices.”
Speedway, 2148 N. Charles G. Seivers Blvd. in Clinton, was penalized by the Clinton Beer Board on Monday, July 27, after an employee sold beer to an underage customer during a Clinton Police Department undercover operation in June. - Ben Pounds
Two gas station/convenience stores caught in a recent police sting were levied penalties by the Clinton Beer Board at its July meeting.
The Beer Board, which consists of all members of the Clinton City Council, met Monday, July 27. Board member Matt Foster was absent.
The two businesses were Speedway, 2148 N. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., and Rocky Top Market, 2412 N. Charles G. Seivers Blvd.
The Clinton Police Department accused the businesses of selling beer to a minor during an undercover operation in June.
Police said an 18-year-old assisted officers in determining whether the stores and other businesses were complying with state laws governing age-restricted sales. The 18-year-old presented identification accurately showing his age.
A voter leaves the Clinton Community Center early-voting site on Friday, July 24, after casting a ballot. This is one of three sites in Anderson County open for early voting through noon Saturday. - G. Chambers Williams III
Voters wanting to avoid the hassles of voting on election day have until noon Saturday to take part in early voting for the Aug. 6 Anderson County general election and the Tennessee state primary election, which will choose nominees to succeed Gov. Bill Lee, among other offices,
The three locations for early voting are:
• Clinton Community Center, 101 S. Hicks St.
• Midtown Community Center, 102 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge.
• Anderson County Government Offices, Anderson Crossing Shopping Center (Norris/Andersonville), 3324 Andersonville Highway.
Voting hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday.
The early voting period began on Friday, July 17, and by the end of the day on Monday (July 27), 4,386 people had cast ballots, including 4,244 by machine and 142 through paper ballots, according to the Anderson County Election Commission.
Key statewide races are for the Republican and Democratic nominations for governor, which include three GOP candidates and five Democrats.
Workers from Tri-Star Contracting prepare to pour the concrete for the last section of the new sidewalk in front of the Norris Lions Pavilion and Norris Middle School on Thursday, July 23. - G. Chambers Williams III
The new concrete sidewalk on Norris Square in front of the middle school was built over the past week, and will be opened to public use by the time school starts next week, Norris City Manager Bailey Whited said on Monday.
Temporary orange fencing still kept the area blocked off on Monday, but Whited said that should be taken down sometime this week.
The area where the old asphalt sidewalk was removed still must be smoothed down and seeded with grass, so the Norris Farmers Market will set up across the street this Wednesday, Whited said Monday.
No market was held last week because of heavy rain that fell most of the day on Wednesday, he noted.
As for the new sidewalk, “It definitely will be ready by the time school starts next Monday,” Whited said.
