Today's News

Daniel H. Wilken, assistant manager for administration at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office, retired Nov. 3 after serving nearly 40 years as a federal employee.
Wilken held the position since July 1989 and was responsible for the office’s procurement, federal and contractor human resources, automated data processing, records management, telecommunications, training, organization and management analysis, logistics activities, and management of the DOE’s 34,000-acre Oak Ridge Reservation.

The Internal Revenue Service is contacting nearly 23,000 Tennessee tax return preparers this week to remind them to renew their preparer tax identification number to qualify to prepare federal tax returns in 2011.
“New regulations require all paid preparers to apply or reapply for a PTIN before preparing federal tax returns in 2011,” said IRS spokesman Dan Boone.
This week, the IRS is sending renewal reminder notices to 22,723 tax professionals in Tennessee who currently have PTINs.

Rocky and Leon Houston no longer face prison time for the shooting death of Mike Brown.

They do, however, face a civil lawsuit filed by Brown’s mother Pat.

The lawsuit was the subject of a hearing on Friday at the Roane County Courthouse.

Judge Amy Hollars had Leon removed from the courtroom twice for unruly behavior.

“This is conspiracy!” Leon hollered repeatedly the first time he was taken away.

He directed an obscenity at the judge the second time.

A Harriman Police Department reserve officer knows what it’s like to be a victim.

Charlie Russell reported to the Roane County Sheriff Office last week that his wallet was either missing or stolen.

Items inside the missing wallet included his police identification, which officials said has his image on it and looks similar to a driver’s license.

According to the sheriff’s office report, Rus-
sell said he had last