John Huotari - Author at Oak Ridge Today

Snow, cold likely, NWS says

Posted at 9:38 am January 6, 2022
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

*Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown*

Snow and cold temperatures are likely in Oak Ridge on Thursday, the National Weather Service in Morristown said, and many schools in the area, including in Oak Ridge, are closed.

Here is the NWS forecast for the Oak Ridge area on Thursday, when the high is expected to be 36 degrees Fahrenheit, with a mostly cloudy sky and a wintry mix of precipitation:

Rain, snow, and sleet before 4 p.m. Thursday.
Rain between 4 and 5 p.m.
Rain and snow after 5 p.m.

The chance of precipitation is 100%, but the Weather Service does not expect much snow or sleet to accumulate. The NWS said it has “moderate confidence in the start time for snow since minor changes in temperature can affect when rain turns to snow.”

But this evening, there could be one to two inches of snow that accumulate, the NWS said. Snow is likely mainly before 8 p.m., the forecast said. The chance of precipitation is 60%.

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COVID-19 cases, deaths double while hospitalizations fall

Posted at 3:12 am January 4, 2022
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

These graphs show the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations reported by month in Anderson County from March 2020 through December 2021. (Data from Tennessee Department of Health/Graphs by Oak Ridge Today)

New COVID-19 cases and deaths almost doubled in Anderson County in December, compared to November, while new hospitalizations dropped 50%. The number of COVID-19 deaths last month, 31, was the most in almost a year.

As new cases spike again around the world, the seven-day new case average in Anderson County more than doubled in less than a week from fewer than 30 new cases per day to more than 60. A graph of the increase in new cases shows a steep upward line that is almost vertical.

These graphs show the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations reported by month in Anderson County from March 2020 through December 2021. (Data from Tennessee Department of Health/Graphs by Oak Ridge Today)

The average positivity rate remains very high, more than 20%. That can suggest high transmission of the virus that causes COVID, not enough testing, or maybe both.

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Snow possible in Oak Ridge

Posted at 5:46 pm January 2, 2022
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

One to two inches of snow are possible in Oak Ridge early Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

A significant snowstorm is expected late Sunday night and Monday morning, the NWS said.

“Heavy snowfall rates can be expected early Monday morning that will limit visibilities to near zero at times,” the Weather Service said.

More snow is expected in other areas, especially to the north and east of Oak Ridge, with six to eight inches expected in the Gatlinburg area and four to six inches in Greeneville and Johnson City.

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Anderson County reports 53% fully vaccinated

Posted at 3:34 pm January 2, 2022
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

This chart by Oak Ridge Today using Tennessee Department of Health data shows the number of COVID-19 cases each month since December 2020 through Dec. 29, 2021, along with the numbers of vaccines given, vaccine recipients, fully vaccinated, and additional doses.

In Anderson County, 53-54% of residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and more than 100,000 vaccine doses have been injected, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.

State vaccination data said 41,683 Anderson County residents were fully vaccinated as of December 29. That’s out of an estimated 77,123 residents.

Meanwhile, 14,409 residents have been infected with COVID-19, the Tennessee Department of Health said. That means about 18.7% percent of residents have had COVID-19.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today. Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here. Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here: Basic

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If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!

This chart by Oak Ridge Today using Tennessee Department of Health data shows the number of COVID-19 cases each month since December 2020 through Dec. 29, 2021, along with the numbers of vaccines given, vaccine recipients, fully vaccinated, and additional doses.

In Anderson County, 53-54% of residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and more than 100,000 vaccine doses have been injected, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.

State vaccination data said 41,683 Anderson County residents were fully vaccinated as of December 29. That’s out of an estimated 77,123 residents.

In Anderson County, 53-54% of residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and more than 100,000 vaccine doses have been injected, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.

State vaccination data said 41,683 Anderson County residents were fully vaccinated as of December 29. That’s out of an estimated 77,123 residents.

Meanwhile, 14,409 residents have been infected with COVID-19, the Tennessee Department of Health said. That means about 18.7% percent of residents have had COVID-19.

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NNSA purchases LeMond building

Posted at 7:03 pm December 29, 2021
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LeMond-Composites-Building-Aug-30-2016-2-Web

The National Nuclear Security Administration has purchased the LeMond Carbon building at Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge. The building is pictured above in August 2016.

Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. Dec. 30 to correct that the building has been purchased.

The National Nuclear Security Administration has purchased a building in west Oak Ridge that has been the site of two major industrial announcements, one by CVMR and the other by LeMond Composites. Both projects had promised at least $125 million in investments and hundreds of jobs, but neither has proceeded as expected.

In the five or six years since those announcements, there have been few signs of activity at the facility when Oak Ridge Today has stopped by, although company executives have held out hope, when contacted, that their projects could still proceed.

The LeMond Carbon Facility is on Palladium Way at Horizon Center. The NNSA plans to use the building for the development organization at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

The sale price was $6.9 million, and the NNSA had 18 months to buy the building under an option-to-purchase agreement, the first of its kind for the agency. The sale was completed December 15. The NNSA is part of the U.S. Department of Energy, and it maintains the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile, among other activities.

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Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. Dec. 30 to correct that the NNSA has purchased the LeMond building.

The National Nuclear Security Administration has purchased the LeMond Carbon building at Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge. The building is pictured above in August 2016.

Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. Dec. 30 to correct that the building has been purchased.

The LeMond Carbon Facility is on Palladium Way at Horizon Center. The NNSA plans to use the building for the development organization at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

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