Latest news with #TVA
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man charged after shots fired at Knoxville home
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A man faces charges of reckless endangerment after shots were fired at a house on Gratz Street Saturday, the Knoxville Police Department said. Around 8 p.m. Saturday night, KPD officers responded to a report of shots fired. They learned that a black truck had pulled into the driveway of a Gratz Street house. A man had then left the truck and fired shots in the direction of the home, KPD said. Tennessee Valley Authority leads Douglas Lake 'Community Day of Service' Officers stopped a vehicle on Broadway matching the description of the truck. The driver was Travis Murrah, 40, the son of a man living in the Gratz Street house. Murrah 'was apparently under the influence,' KPD wrote. Officers found two pistols in the truck, KPD said. Man pleads guilty to murder in 2024 death of 22-year-old Knoxville woman Murrah was taken into custody and faces charges of reckless endangerment, driving under the influence and possession of a weapon while under the influence, police said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tennessee Valley Authority leads Douglas Lake ‘Community Day of Service'
DANDRDIGE, Tenn. (WATE) —It's been around eight months since Hurricane Helene hit East Tennessee. Now, state and federal agencies are wrapping up the Douglas Lake debris cleanup, a massive effort slated to be completed in June. On Saturday, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) led a 'Community Day of Service' on Saturday focused on removing leftover debris that might be tough for property owners to manage. Sheriff's office warns of 'ghost tap' scam targeting East Tennessee From clearing debris to assembling care packages for those still recovering, this isn't just about cleanup. It's about community at the Field of Dreams Activity Center and out on the shorelines of Douglas Lake. The debris had a major impact, shutting down tourism, hurting residents financially and disrupting their daily TVA has helped to reopen the lake after cleaning nearly 390 miles of shoreline, more than 90% complete with the mission. Scott Turnbow, Vice President of Civil Projects for TVA said that if you took all the debris collected so far and put it in a football field it would be about 100 feet deep.'We all talk about this is the best thing we've ever worked on because of the way the community has come together. They supported our endeavors, and ultimately, I think they're all happy because we are friends, and friends don't let friends down,' said have removed everything from tires and lighters to shotgun shells, refrigerators, and propane tanks. Lake cleanup Volunteer Jill Cody, lives on Douglas Lake, and was personally affected by the storm.'We had been out of town and came home to the devastation, and it was just shocking to see all of the children's toys and kitchen items and just things that you wouldn't expect to see normally. We also had a boil water kind of situation and just everything was very eerily quiet. We only heard helicopters, no boats, obviously, for a long time,' explained tackling her own property, she is now helping neighbors who are still picking up the pieces by volunteering.'Dandridge is a really small-town feel, even though it's growing, and I think that's what I love about this community, is everybody's coming together and working together to do good things for the community,' added is TVA's first hurricane relief project in East Tennessee, but the agency has managed to make a lasting impact. Man pleads guilty to murder in 2024 death of 22-year-old Knoxville woman 'This is about bringing the community together and really showing the example of how government, federal, state and local and the community can come together and transform a disaster into really a blessing,' explained Turnbow. Thanks to volunteers, 200 care packages are being brought to those in need. There are a couple of weeks left of lake cleanup, but the project is quickly approaching the finish line. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Entrepreneurial Center, Rescue Squad to expand with new funding
May 30—The Morgan County Legislative Delegation, the Morgan County Rescue Squad, and the Decatur-Morgan County Entrepreneurial Center will receive more funding after a local bill was passed May 14, the final day of the legislative session. House Bill 581, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, provides for the redistribution of in-lieu-of-tax payments in Morgan County from the Tennessee Valley Authority. It will roughly double the amount the Rescue Squad previously received, and the E-Center will receive in-lieu-of-tax funding for the first time. The local law takes effect Oct. 1. "We wanted to fund something that would grow revenue, and so we're moving that last percentage of the part that we delegate to the Entrepreneurial Center so that they can expand what they're doing around the county in different locations, not just in Decatur," Collins said. With the funding, the E-Center wants to open a location in Hartselle, the Rescue Squad plans to begin construction of a new station, and the legislative delegation plans to acquire a larger office space. "Our goal is to build a new station on the property that was donated and paid for by the county," Rescue Squad Chief Danny Kelso said. TVA makes in-lieu-of-tax payments each month because it is exempt from paying taxes as a government entity. The TVA pays out 5% of its gross profits from power sales each year to the states within its jurisdiction. Law dictates that the amount paid out to the counties exist in separate "pots." The state must split 75% of the payments it receives among the TVA-covered counties. An additional 3% is allocated to these counties per legislation from 2006. The section of the Alabama code dealing with these payments has changed several times to clarify wording and redistribute the money. Collins said HB581 allows for greater transparency about how TVA funding is being distributed within the county. "The main reason for working on that bill right now is it's very confusing how the language is. ... It's convoluted," Collins said. "Confusing is the best word, and we couldn't even understand it." In fiscal 2024, Morgan County received a total of $13.9 million in TVA in-lieu-of-tax funds. The "pot" referenced in the bill — the 3% increase from 2006 — amounted to $503,137.82. Julie Reeves, chief administrative officer of the Morgan County Commission, said that the amount the county receives varies greatly year to year, making it difficult to predict exact amounts for allocation. However, Reeves said fiscal 2025 has trended roughly 6% less than the previous year. If the trend continues, the amount the bill will redistribute starting with fiscal 2026 could total roughly $470,000. The Legislative Delegation will receive the largest portion of this money. HB581 increased its funding from 40% to 45%. Collins said this increase will help provide a larger office space for the delegation. The Rescue Squad will now receive 9% of the funds. In previous years, the squad received between $20,000 and $25,000. Rescue Squad Senior Board Member Tony Weikert said estimates for future funding have been closer to $45,000. The new station will be built on a 3-acre property on Mill Road that the Morgan County Commission helped the squad acquire. "Our station is out of date and not up to code," Kelso said. "It was built in the 1960s, and we've outgrown it." The Rescue Squad wants to break ground by the end of this year or early next year, Weikert said. He hopes a newer station will help the Rescue Squad appear more professional and attract more volunteers. After paying for the building, Kelso said funding would go to updating equipment. As a volunteer organization, Weikert said, the Rescue Squad didn't have any permanent funding to rely on. "We exist off of donations and annual requests from the city and the county and other places, but none of that is guaranteed money because you have to ask for it every year," Weikert said, emphasizing the difference the TVA funding will make. Weikert said he has been talking with state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, about increasing the squad's funding for about a year. "Arthur Orr has always been a champion for us," he said. "... If it hadn't been for Arthur Orr, we wouldn't have any dedicated funding." A major change that HB581 makes from previous law is that the Decatur-Morgan County Entrepreneurial Center will now receive funding from the TVA payments. The E-Center could receive about $47,000 based on the fiscal 2025 payment estimates. "The thought of the delegation was: This is promoting small business job creation for Morgan County, and that's certainly a good thing that we wanted to support," Orr said. John Joseph, the executive director for the E-Center, said conversations have begun with Hartselle residents about adding a satellite office there. "Hartselle is a very creative, innovative community," Joseph said. "We would absolutely like to partner with them to deliver something that benefits their entrepreneurs and their innovators." Joseph said the E-Center will meet with Hartselle residents and review the services offered to determine the community's greatest need. "A lot depends on if there's additional funding that can come from other places or whether we need to work with what we have," Joseph said. The E-Center has developed connections with Hartselle through its CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) Program, which provides local high school students with real-life business experience. Collins is thankful that HB581 passed. The Alabama Legislature's 2025 session concluded with a Senate filibuster from Senators Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, and Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham. Collins said "the last day was very contentious in the Senate, and (Orr) was able to get both of our local bills on the calendar and through the Senate so that we could pass those bills this year," Collins said. HB581 passed in the House on April 29 and in Senate on May 14. — or 256-340-2437
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
TVA asking Jackson County residents for input on proposed Pumped Storage Hydro project
JACKSON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Soon, Jackson County residents will have the opportunity to give their input on a proposed Pumped Storage Hydro project. On June 12, TVA will host a public meeting from 6 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12, 2025, at Pisgah High School located at 60 Metcalf Street, Pisgah, Alabama, 35765. The Pumped Storage Hydro, or PSH, stores energy by pumping water to a higher elevation and releasing it back through turbines when energy demand is high. TVA currently operates a PSH facility near Chattanooga, Tenn., the 1,700-megawatt Raccoon Mountain. The public is encouraged to provide input on TVA's Pumped Storage Hydropower Draft Environmental Impact Statement, either at the public meeting, online or through the mail. You can find the DEIS on the TVA website. 'All comments received, including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative record and will be available for public inspection,' TVA said. You can submit comments on the DEIS in person at the public meeting or via email to nepa@ TVA said that any written comments should be sent to this address: Tennessee Valley Authority, ATTN: Elizabeth Smith, NEPA Specialist, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT-11D, Knoxville, TN 37902. The public can provide feedback on the four options for the project below: TVA would not develop or expand PSH facilities at any of the project sites. TVA would continue to operate the existing Raccoon Mountain PSH with no changes to current operations. TVA would not develop or expand PSH facilities at any of the project sites. TVA would continue to operate the existing Raccoon Mountain PSH with no changes to current operations. A new PSH located at Widows Creek, near Stevenson and Fabius, Alabama with an energy generation capacity ranging from 1,200-megawatt (MW) up to 1,600 MW. An 800-MW expansion of the existing Raccoon Mountain PSH, located near Chattanooga, Tennessee. DEIS comments must be received or postmarked no later than July 14, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New uranium enrichment facility to bring nuclear advancement to Oak Ridge
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — Governor Bill Lee and Senator Marsha Blackburn were in East Tennessee Thursday, celebrating a new multi-billion dollar uranium enrichment facility that is coming to Oak Ridge. The development is called Project IKE, and is set to bring one of the largest uranium enrichment facilities in the country to an area already well-known for its contributions to nuclear power. State and local leaders joined the Orano group as they announced they will be opening offices in the area and will soon begin construction on the new facility. 'In my opinion, Orano will continue to add to the legacy of greatness and accomplishments, not only in Oak Ridge, but in our state,' said Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch. Man charged after brother fatally stabbed, dog drowned in Sevier County Local leaders like Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said this will put Oak Ridge back on the map 'In terms of what it means for our area, it just means prosperity, increased growth, a lot of good things for the people who live and work here,' said Frank. While the development will bring over 300 jobs to Oak Ridge and its surrounding counties, state leaders stressed how it will also help meet America's need for more nuclear energy. 'America is learning that we are staring down the barrel of an energy crisis in this country, that is in part being created, in a good way, because of the advancement of AI technology,' said Governor Bill Lee. 'We cannot afford to lose the war, and in order to do that, we cannot afford to lose the energy battle, and in order to win that battle, we have to be leaders in the nuclear energy going forward.' Leaders like Governor Lee and Senator Marsha Blackburn said companies like Orano will push the US in the right direction. 'Because of what we have with Oak Ridge and with TVA, there is no excuse for us not to lead the way,' said Blackburn. Inspector finds off temperatures, no sanitizer at Chinese restaurant in Morristown With this new uranium enrichment facility, Frank added it will be an investment not only in nuclear energy, but also in the community it is built in. 'Its drawing national attention, It's drawn international attention, other companies are saying, you know what? We need to take another look here,' she said. 'We're getting more locations, a lot of industry interest, so it's really been a spark.' While the event was for the opening of the offices in Anderson County, the uranium enrichment center will be located in Roane County. According to Orano, operations at the facility won't start for a while, but they say they could begin in the early 2030's. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
