Home Care In Oak Ridge, NC

The Oak Ridger

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge welcomes the community to Lunch With the League from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec .5 at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

All are welcome to bring their lunch or purchase a boxed lunch for a nominal fee. Coffee and tea will be served. The presentation will begin at noon, according to the League news release.

Lynne E. Parker will be speaking on artificial intelligence and its impact on society. Considered an expert in AI, she recently spoke in Oak Ridge as part of the Friends of Oak Ridge National Labortory's Dick Smyser Community Lecture Series.

Parker is associate vice chancellor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and director of the AI Tennessee Initiative, which is positioning UT and the state of Tennessee as a national and global leader in the data-intensive knowledge economy. Prior to this role, she led national AI policy efforts for four years (2018-2022) in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, serving as deputy chief technology officer of the United States, founding director of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office, and assistant director for AI.

She also served as co-chair of the Congressionally-directed National AI Research Resource Task Force, which aimed to democratize access to the computational and data infrastructure needed for AI research. She served for two years (2015-2016) at the National Science Foundation as division director for Information and Intelligent Systems. In these roles across three administrations, she led the development of numerous landmark national AI policies bolstering research, governance, education and workforce training, international engagement, and the federal use of AI.

Information on Parker on the UT website shares that she joined the UT faculty in 2002 and is an expert on distributed and intelligent robot systems, human-robot interaction, and AI, having published extensively in these and related areas. She previously worked for several years as a Distinguished Research and Development Staff Member and Group Leader at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She has received numerous awards for research, teaching, and service, and is a Fellow of AAAI (Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence), AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science), and IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers); and a Distinguished Member of ACM (Association for Computing Machinery). Parker earned a PhD. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Lunch with the League welcomes League members and non-members alike to this presentation. The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge is a nonpartisan political organization for men and women. It encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

The Oak Ridger

Officials with the U.S. Department of Energy and Tennessee Valley Authority announced Thursday that they have signed an agreement to provide Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex with 100% locally supplied carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) by 2030.

While the agreement centers on DOE’s facilities in Oak Ridge, the two agencies will look to partner with other federal properties in TVA’s service territory, which includes Tennessee and portions of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia.

In December 2021, President Joe Biden tasked the federal government with leading by example and leveraging its scale and procurement power to tackle the climate crisis. This agreement will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Sustainability Plan goal of sourcing 100% CFE to power federal facilities by 2030, according to a DOE news release.

“At DOE, we are on the cutting edge of researching and developing innovative clean-energy technologies, and it makes perfect sense that we partner with TVA to accelerate their deployment,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk, who signed the agreement on behalf of DOE, stated in the news release. “Together, we will show the Tennessee Valley Authority’s energy producers and consumers what is possible in the transition to clean energy.”“Energy must be a collaboration where we work together to find practical solutions that drive us towards a clean energy future,” stated TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash. “TVA is proud to be an industry leader in carbon reduction, and we are excited to work with the Department of Energy to explore options to provide 100% clean energy to crucial Federal operations.”“Powering our government with clean energy in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s footprint is good for jobs, our economy, and our environment,” stated Federal Chief Sustainability Officer Andrew Mayock. “It is leadership and partnerships like this one that will accelerate our nation’s transition to a clean energy future.”In the coming months, DOE and TVA will develop a roadmap that could be implemented to provide DOE and potentially other federal customers served by TVA with 100% CFE by 2030 on an annual basis, with at least 50% locally supplied CFE on an hourly basis to match federal agency demand on a 24/7 hourly basis.The agreement builds on the Federal Sustainability Plan, which aims to create demand for local clean energy and create a more stable and resilient grid while supporting well-paying jobs. Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris Administration announced similar agreements between Xcel Energy and DOE to provide CFE to facilities in Colorado and the U.S. General Services Administration for facilities in the Midwestern states of Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.In July, DOE announced the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, an innovative effort to repurpose parts of DOE-owned lands - portions of which were previously used in the nation’s nuclear weapons program - into the sites of clean-energy generation. Initially the initiative will be focused on DOE facilities in Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Washington.

The Environmental Protection Agency is illegally withholding records that could shed light on why it approved plans to build a radioactive waste landfill in Oak Ridge over the objections of senior government officials, an environmental group claims.

The landfill serves as a receptacle for remnants of decades-old low-level radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb. Its debris comes from demolished structures from the Y-12 National Security Complex and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The landfill’s location – on a Superfund site near scenic local waterways – raised contamination concerns among officials within the EPA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

Former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler nevertheless approved the plan, which required waiving Clean Water Act rules, in the waning days of the Trump Administration — a decision upheld by his Biden Administration successor, Michael Regan.

Now, according to the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) advocacy group, holdover EPA officials from the prior administration are responsible for illegally denying its Freedom of Information Act requests related to Wheeler’s decision for nearly a year.

Superfund aims to clean up toxic hot spots, not create more of them. The core issue is that Superfund cleanups must be done in accordance with, not in violation of, the Clean Water Act.

– Tim Whitehouse, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

The agency is “frustrating (PEER’s) efforts to adequately understand and educate the public regarding EPA actions and policies” that guided the landfill decision, a federal lawsuit filed earlier this month in the District of Columbia said. The suit is seeking a court order releasing thousands of records related to the Oak Ridge landfill.

An EPA spokesperson said Thursday that the agency does not comment on pending litigation. The Department of Energy did not respond to questions from the Tennessee Lookout.

The decision to create a landfill that could leak potentially toxic runoff into northeast Tennessee streams and creeks has raised broader concerns.

The Department of Energy, which operates the Oak Ridge site, has indicated they intend to pursue similar waivers of the Clean Water Act at a Superfund site in Paducah, Kentucky.

“Superfund aims to clean up toxic hot spots, not create more of them,” said Tim Whitehouse, a former senior EPA enforcement attorney who now serves as PEER’s director. “The core issue is that Superfund cleanups must be done in accordance with, not in violation of, the Clean Water Act.”

The EPA division housing Superfund has not had a leader under the Biden Administration because the Senate has not confirmed one, “leaving the program in the hands of holdover staff,” he said.

EPA staff who prepared briefing material for Regan, the Biden Administration chief who upheld his predecessor’s decision to green-light the landfill, suspect that the concerns they raised did not make it through those holdover senior staff, the advocacy group said.

Clarification: This story has been updated to note the landfill takes in debris from the Y-12 National Security Complex as well as Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

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North Carolina official chosen by 5-2 vote; Hammond, Smith vote for Ferrell-Benavides

The Oak Ridger

By a 5-2 vote Friday afternoon, the Oak Ridge City Council chose Randall W. "Randy" Hemann, town manager for Mooresville, North Carolina, as the new city manager for Oak Ridge.

The council voted to give Mayor Warren Gooch and City Attorney Tammy Rackard the authority to contact Hemann and begin working with him on his contract as city manager.

Gooch, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Dodson, council members Chuck Hope, Charlie Hensley and Sean Gleason voted for Hemann.

Council members Derrick Hammond and Ellen Smith cast the two votes for Aretha R. Ferrell-Benavides, who most recently was city manager in Duncanville, Texas. She was fired by a 4-2 vote of that city's council earlier this year.

Oak Ridge city council members explain their votes

Each council member spoke about the quality of the two candidates, but then explained why they were voting for either Hemann or Ferrell-Benavides. Because Gooch allowed the council members to his left to speak first - since he'd allowed those to his right to go first at the previous meeting - all five supporting Hemann spoke first, followed by Smith and Hammond.

Gooch began the meeting by saying the vote for city manager was "the most important business this council will have." Later, he said he identified with Hemann's model of servant leadership and his philosophy of managing staff - giving employees broad parameters, managing them loosely but watching them closely. He said he was also impressed with his interactions and partnerships with state and federal officials, pointing out Hemann's comment at the public forum that he worked with North Carolina Department of Transportation for the city to do some road projects that were in his city, but under the jurisdiction of the state.

Gleason spoke of Hemann and his alignment with the core values for the city manager's job identified by the city council, which included citizen engagement, economic development, a diverse workforce and recreational activities.

Hensley said Hemann thought like an engineer, like himself. He said in talking about the Oak Ridge Reservation land currently held and not used by the federal government, Hemann said if the city gained control there could be economic development around a center that was left for hiking and bike trails, and this could attract other people and businesses. He said Ferrell-Benavides had a more broad and philosophical approach in her answers to questions.

Dodson said he sat in on the meeting with the candidates and the school superintendent, board of education chairman and others. He said he was choosing the "best fit" for the city manager's job and he said that was Hemann.

Hope said he was present when finalists met with leaders in the city at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building. He said while talking with Hemann about the city having to work with the leaders of Anderson and Roane counties, Hemann asked questions while they looked at an area map. He said after the 15-minute discussion, Hemann told him the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle had come together for him and he now realized the challenges and opportunities the city faced in being located in two counties. Hope said he also spoke to people who'd worked with Hemann and they had only positive comments.

Smith said one of the other candidates for the job said being a city manager used to be a person managing the city government, but now it had expanded to be the "ambassador or public face of the community." She said Ferrell-Benavides had the energy and job experience to be the "new sheriff" Oak Ridge needed and might change the relationships the city has with state and federal officials.

She has the "outward facing leadership we need at this phase of our history," Smith said, calling attention to her work in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and in a wide range of jobs across many states. Gooch later pointed out that Ferrell-Benavides' work in Los Alamos - as city/county administrator - was in 2003 to 2004, for about a year and "20 years ago."

Hammond said the city council was in a "win-win situation" in hiring a city manager at this time.

"We've got a solid operational team here," he said of the city government employees. He said the incoming city manager wouldn't have to micromanage because of that solid team. He said this provides a significant opportunity for a city manager with enthusiasm to go out and "be the face of Oak Ridge" and positively impact the city's relationships with its neighbors - officials with federal and state governments, as well as the areas surrounding the city.

Hammond said while he wasn't saying Ferrell-Benavides had been treated unfairly or that the process was unfair, as an African-American man watching this, he said, "while some things change, some things don't."

Hammond said he appreciated the process and opportunity, but said there needed to be some work on biases. He said whomever was chosen he would support as city manager.

The public speaks

Members of the audience were allowed to speak prior to the council vote during the special called meeting at the Municipal Building courtroom. Four spoke in favor of Ferrell-Benavides, two more on related matters.

Oak Ridge resident Kowetha Mack said she'd been part of the whole process, watching the council interview the six semifinalists online, as well as attending Wednesday night's public forum with Hemann and Ferrell-Benavides. She said she'd ranked the six semifinalists and also picked Ferrell-Benavides and Hemann as her top candidates.

"Randy (Hemann) is more of a continuum of Mark Watson," she said, referring to Oak Ridge's 12-year city manager, who retired in May. She said Ferrell-Benavides showed energy and willingness to get out and be with the people of Oak Ridge, and to engage with the city staff and community.

Oak Ridger Anne Garcia, who formerly served on the council, said of Hemann, "The energy is not there." She said Ferrell-Benavides would bring a new look, new energy and mindset - different than what she'd witnessed living in Oak Ridge the last 34 years.

"I think Oak Ridge needs a change," said resident Teresa Green. "I'm tired of looking at white men leading this city. (Ferrell-Benavides) is absolutely the very best person for the job."

Oak Ridge's new city manager Randy Hemann

Hemann was born in Huntington, West Virginia. His resume shows he has a bachelor's degree in political science from Marshall University in Huntington and a master's degree in public administration from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. A large portion of his career has been focused on development in the North Carolina areas where he's worked - Salisbury, Kinston and Benton. He indicated economic and downtown development have been big parts of his role as town manager in Mooresville, assistant city manager in High Point, and city manager in Oxford, his three most recent positions, all in North Carolina.

In response to one citizen's comment that Hemann is close to retirement, Gooch said Hemann had told him he planned to work at least another 10 years.

The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter@ridgernewsed.

The Oak Ridge City Council has selected three people - a woman from Texas, a man from Wisconsin and a man from North Carolina - as finalists for the city manager job.

The council narrowed its list of candidates from six to three during a special meeting on Wednesday night at the Municipal Building. The three were selected during one round of voting.

They are:

Ferrell-Benevides and Bradley received votes from all seven council members. Hemann was chosen by six council members with Julius Suchy, the manager for Ada Township in Ada, Michigan, receiving one of council member Ellen Smith's three votes.

The council informally agreed to limit the finalists to three of the six at the start of the meeting. There was later discussion and a failed vote to name four finalists since most on council indicated that Suchy would be close to being added to their finalist list if he had more experience. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Dodson made a motion to have four finalists, which was seconded by member Charlie Hensley. However, the vote failed with the five other members of council voting against it.

"How do you play if you don't get in the game," Hensley said, likening it to when he taught boys to play baseball and they needed at-bats to learn how to hit well.

But council member Sean Gleason said they needed to stay with the decision to decide on three, reminding the other members that in 16 days they'd be picking only one to offer the city manager's job.

The three candidates will travel to Oak Ridge on Aug. 15, according to the preliminary plan outlined by Interim City Manager Jack Suggs. A private reception with city staff could be scheduled for later that day, he said. Council members could interview each of the three one-on-one on Aug. 16 and 17, with time set aside for a tour of the city, meeting with some leaders of the city and a public forum on the night of Aug. 16, led by a representative or representatives of GovHR, the executive search firm the council hired to lead the city manager search. More specific information will be publicized in the near future.

The council expects to select its top pick and offer the job to that person on Aug. 18. That public meeting is set for 4 p.m. at the Municipal Building

Below are summaries of each candidate's background, previously published in The Oak Ridger, based upon information supplied by GovHR USA.

Bradley is the city administrator for Baraboo, Wisconsin, population 12,000. Prior to this position, which he's held since 2020, he worked as county manager/administrative coordinator for Adams County, Wisconsin, population 21,000. Previous roles include financial positions for counties in Wisconsin, North Dakota and Minnesota.

Ferrell-Benavides has worked as a city manager in several cities: 2021-2023 in Duncanville, Texas, population 41,000; 2017-2021 in Petersburg, Virginia, population 33,500; 2015-2017, city manager, and 2014-2015, deputy city manager in Glenn Heights, Texas, population 17,000. The Duncanville city council fired her by a 4-3 vote earlier this year.

GovHR President Heidi Voorhees has said it's not uncommon for city managers to be terminated and that it's often the result of a changing political climate.

Prior to the city manager jobs, Ferrell-Benavides held positions in higher government for the district of Washington, D.C. She also served as assistant city/county administrator in Los Alamos, New Mexico, another city like Oak Ridge where the U.S. Department of Energy is a major employer.

Hemann is the manager of Mooresville, North Carolina, population 51,500. He previously served as assistant city manager of High Point, North Carolina, population 114,000, and city manager of Oxford, North Carolina, population 9,000. He's held other positions in government in North Carolina.

Mark Watson served as city manager for 12 years prior to retiring in May.

The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter@ridgernewsed.

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