Oak Ridge Today

Baseball: Wildcats play Karns in elimination game

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The playoff bracket for the District 3-AAA baseball tournament is pictured above on May 7, 2021. (Image courtesy Powell High School Baseball)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats will play the Karns Beavers in an elimination game in the District 3-AAA baseball tournament at Powell this evening (Monday, May 10).

Karns (15-19), the number four seed in the district tournament, has defeated Oak Ridge, the number five seed, three times this year. This will be the fourth game between the two teams this year. Oak Ridge lost to Karns twice during the regular season: 6-1 on April 6 and 3-2 on April 7, according to records kept by CoachT.com. The Wildcats then lost 13-3 to Karns in a first-round game on Thursday.

After its first-round game on Thursday, Oak Ridge (17-14) defeated Campbell County, the number eight seed, 11-0 in a losers bracket game on Friday. The Wildcats also beat the Cougars (3-21) twice in lopsided victories during the regular season, winning by more than 10 points each time, according to records kept by CoachT.com.

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Oak Ridge plays Campbell Co. in soccer tournament Monday

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Image courtesy Powell Boys Soccer

The Oak Ridge Wildcats will play the Campbell County Cougars in the District 3-AAA soccer tournament at home on Monday.

Oak Ridge is the number two seed in the tournament, while Campbell County is the number three seed. The game will start at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 10. The winner will advance to the District 3-AAA championship game on Thursday.

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Baseball: Oak Ridge plays Campbell County in elimination game

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Karns defeated Oak Ridge 13-3 in the first round of the District 3-AAA baseball tournament on Thursday.

David Clary, sports broadcaster for Oak Ridge at Prepradio.com, said Wildcats senior Matthew Swigert scored one run against Karns and knocked in two more.

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Emergency food, shelter board to vote on funding applications Tuesday

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The local board for the Emergency Food And Shelter Program will vote on applications for Phase 38 and CARES money for Anderson County on Tuesday. This funding is for food pantries to purchase food and agencies working with the homeless population.

The board will meet over Zoom to vote on the applications. The meeting is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. Tuesday, May 11.

If you are interested in applying for money, contact Adam at United Way of Anderson County (adam@uwayac.org) for an application.

Kairos Power, TVA to collaborate on low-power demonstration reactor

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An aerial view of the K-33 site at Heritage Center, the former K-25 site, in west Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy TVA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority and Kairos Power plan to collaborate on setting up a low-power demonstration reactor at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge.

As part of this agreement, TVA said in a press release Thursday that itwill provide engineering, operations, and licensing support to help Kairos Power deploy the reactor, named Hermes.

“Teamwork is the hallmark of the nuclear industry and, through this partnership with Kairos Power, we can share TVA’s safety and innovation insights to advance nuclear technology while gaining experience with licensing for advanced reactors,” said TVA President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Lyash. “Nuclear power is the key to fueling our economy with reliable, affordable, and clean electricity, and it is critical to our national security.”

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Marshals catch fugitive after pursuit, injury to deputy

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Jesse Duncan

The U.S. Marshals Service has caught a fugitive who was being pursued when an Anderson County Sheriff’s Office deputy was hit by a vehicle on Saturday night, sending the deputy to the hospital, the ACSO said.

The fugitive, Jesse Duncan, 38, was captured Tuesday night near Harriman Highway by the U.S. Marshals Service, the ACSO said.

The deputy, Stephen Carroll, has been released from the hospital, and he is “recovering nicely,” the ACSO said.

“He is grateful for all of the thoughts and prayers from everyone,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Duncan had been pursued this weekend by Carroll and others on Tri County Boulevard in Oliver Springs when Carroll was hit by a vehicle, the ACSO said. His leg was broken, and it was repaired during surgery this week.

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Commercial horse stables, horse therapy proposed near Big Turtle Park

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Commercial horse stables and horse-based therapy programs have been proposed near Big Turtle Park in west Oak Ridge on about 31 acres at the end of Hermitage Boulevard. (Aerial property image from Oak Ridge Board of Zoning Appeals agenda)

Commercial horse stables and horse-based therapy programs have been proposed near Big Turtle Park in west Oak Ridge.

The Oak Ridge Board of Zoning Appeals will consider a special exception to allow the commercial facility in a residential/open space district on Tuesday, May 11.

The request has been sought by Sean and Sara Pennington, who could buy roughly 31 acres at the end of Hermitage Boulevard for the project. The property is currently owned by the owner of an adjacent single-family lot, Joseph and Tanya Tuminello.

“The stables are intended to board horses and provide people with horse-based therapy programs,” according to a staff report for the zoning appeals board.

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COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations have fallen

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

After peaking in December and January, the numbers of new COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations have fallen during the past three months in Anderson County.

The largest number of new COVID-19 cases, 2,524, was reported in Anderson County in December. The highest number of new hospitalizations, 43, was also reported in December. The highest number of deaths, 56, was reported in January. State officials have said holiday gatherings were at least partially to blame for the spikes after Thanksgiving.

Since January, though, the number of new COVID-19 cases has fallen almost in half each month—from 1,608 in January to 732 in February, then to 483 in March and 275 in April. That’s according to data published by the Tennessee Department of Health.

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New fire station, emergency operations center being built at Y-12

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A new fire station is being built at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Above, NNSA, Consolidated Nuclear Security, and Y-12 Fire Station leaders toss the first shovels of dirt for the new fire station on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. (Photo by Y-12)

A new fire station and emergency operations center are being built at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

They are pilot projects designed to streamline the efficiency and delivery of specific construction projects under $50 million, the National Nuclear Security Administration said in a press release.

The NNSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy, and Y-12 managing and operating contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security had a groundbreaking ceremony for the fire station on Tuesday. A few blocks away, the emergency operations center (EOC) is already under construction.

The fire station replaces one built in 1947, and the EOC will be the home of the site’s operations center, which is currently located in a World War II-era building. “Together, these new facilities will replace two outdated buildings and enhance our emergency response capabilities,” said Gene Sievers, Y-12 site manager.

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THDA grant will help with down payment assistance in Oak Ridge

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Pictured above in front row are, left to right, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, Oak Ridge Housing Authority Commissioner Tom Beehan, Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, state Rep. John Ragan, ORHA Executive Director Maria Catron, and Tennessee Housing Development Agency Industry and Government Affairs Liaison Katie Moore; and back row, left to right, ORHA Commissioner Jim Palmer, ORHA Board Chair Jean Lantrip, and ORHA Board Secretary Sharon Crane. (Photo courtesy THDA)

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency has awarded a $106,000 HOME Program grant to the Oak Ridge Housing Authority that will be used to help low-income families purchase a new home.

The Oak Ridge Housing Authority will use the funding to provide assistance up to $14,999 to cover down payment and closing costs for eligible first-time home buyers living in the city limits, a press release said.

“A down payment is often the biggest hurdle to overcome for working families wanting to buy a home,” THDA Executive Director Ralph M. Perrey said. “These funds will allow first-time home buyers who would otherwise be able to afford a mortgage payment to overcome that obstacle.”

ORHA Executive Director Maria Catron said the grant will be used to help low-to-moderate income families, with the exact amount awarded based on the gap needed to cover the buyer’s down payment and closing costs.

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Demolition work at ORNL radioisotope lab could be complete this spring

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A view of the demolition of a hot cell inside a protective cover at the former Radioisotope Development Lab at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (Photo courtesy UCOR)

Demolition work at a former radioisotope laboratory in Oak Ridge could be complete this spring.

The U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and UCOR announced earlier this year that UCOR, a contractor, had begun removing the two remaining structures at the former Radioisotope Development Lab at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“This project launches our next phase of major demolition and cleanup at ORNL,” said Nathan Felosi, OREM’s portfolio federal project director for ORNL. “Our work is eliminating contaminated structures, like this one, that are on DOE’s list of high-risk facilities and clearing space for future research missions.”

Known as “hot cells,” the structures being demolished are heavily shielded concrete rooms that provided researchers protection from highly radioactive material during the years the laboratory was operational, a press release said.

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Final Breakfast with the Legislators of the year is Monday

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The final Breakfast with the Legislators of this year is on Monday. The meeting will be virtual, meaning you can access it online.

The meeting is scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, April 26. It is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.

Tennessee senators Randy McNally and Ken Yager and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to share an update about the current session of the Tennessee General Assembly, a press release said.

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