Oak Ridge Today

Learn more about Main Street Oak Ridge during joint meeting Monday

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Main Street Oak Ridge Belk on March 2, 2015

The Belk store at the Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as Main Street Oak Ridge, is pictured above.

 

There will be a presentation on Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, during a Monday evening meeting.

The joint meeting will include the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission and the Traffic Safety Advisory Board. It starts at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 16, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

The presentation will be given by Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina company that has proposed the redevelopment, and Cannon and Cannon Engineering. [Read more…]

Zoning change approved by city officials helps Main Street Oak Ridge project

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Main Street Oak Ridge Belk on March 2, 2015

The Belk store at the Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as Main Street Oak Ridge, is pictured above on March 2.

 

Leasing, financing, and pre-construction work on the Main Street Oak Ridge project is progressing as planned, a developer said in late February, and a change to the city’s zoning ordinance approved on Monday will help the redevelopment.

James Downs, Crosland Southeast partner, said his company hopes to start construction late in the second quarter of 2015. It’s part of a plan to have a grand opening in the fall of 2016.

Survey crews from Cannon and Cannon have completed a boundary survey of the 60-acre site, the former Oak Ridge Mall, and field work is under way, said Ray Evans, the city’s retail consultant. [Read more…]

Support local restaurants, ADFAC with ‘Dine and Donate’

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Nature's Marketplace Dine and Donate March 2015

Spring is in the air at Nature’s Marketplace, located on the east end of Oak Ridge. The restaurant features freshly made soups, sandwiches, side dishes, and baked goods as well as gourmet market items. Nature’s Marketplace is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. (Submitted photo)

 

Our driveways are no longer covered in ice, and the first buds of the season are beginning to bloom—there are many reasons to celebrate the approach of spring! Why not observe the change of seasons by dining out to support the less fortunate?

On Monday, March 9, several local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

Restaurants participating on Monday are: [Read more…]

Former DOE deputy secretary named Centrus president, CEO

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Daniel B. Poneman

Daniel B. Poneman

Daniel B. Poneman, former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, has been picked to be president and chief executive officer of Centrus Energy Corporation.

Centrus was formerly known as USEC Incorporated, and it has operations in Oak Ridge.

The selection of Poneman by the Centrus Board of Directors was announced Thursday. Poneman will join Centrus immediately and become the chief executive later this month. He will also be a member of the board. [Read more…]

TVA sets all-time power demand record; stores sell out of heaters

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Downtown Hardware on Nov. 2013

The Downtown Hardware crew is pictured above in November 2013. Co-owners Ann Clary Bratton and Roger Clary are pictured second from right and at left. (File photo)

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority set an all-time record for power demand in February on Thursday morning, and local stores have sold out of heaters.

TVA said the record set at 7 a.m. Thursday was 32,109 megawatts, with an average temperature of 7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Downtown Hardware in Oak Ridge reported that they were down to two electric heaters.

“We’re completely sold out of kerosene and propane,” said Ann Bratton, who co-owns the store with her brother Roger Clary. “That seems to be what people are asking for.” [Read more…]

Sponsored: Let’s spice things up, Valentine!

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Spice Society Chili Powder

Spice Society Chili Powder

 

Organic, non-GMO herbs and spices. Come take a whiff.

Available at The Ferrell Shop at 235 Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. The Ferrell Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The shop is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Call (865) 483-0961 for more information.

Valentine’s Day: Bissinger’s Chocolate since 1847

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Bissingers Signature Classic Chocolate

Bissinger’s chocolate: Fine chocolate made from all-natural ingredients for Valentine’s and every day.

Available at The Ferrell Shop at 235 Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. The Ferrell Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The shop is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Call (865) 483-0961 for more information.

Sponsored: Open enrollment for health care plans ends Feb. 15

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David Vudragovich

With the changes to health care over the past few years, there are only certain times when you can enroll in or change health plans.

The open enrollment period, or OEP, ends February 15, which affects most people.

Special enrollment periods, or SEPs, can include the birth of a child, marriage, divorce, some job changes, or moving out of the service area, and they allow for a 30 or 60 day change of coverage.

But if you are not enrolled by February 15 and decide you want coverage at some other point during the year, you will need a SEP or you will not be able to enroll in a qualified health care plan.

If you do not have a qualified health care plan, you may have a penalty when you file your 2015 taxes in 2016. [Read more…]

Small business seminars scheduled for February

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Here is a list of small business seminars scheduled for February. The list is from the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Roane State Community College.

All the seminars are free.

February 2015 seminars

[Read more…]

ADFAC: Love is in the air with ‘Dine and Donate’

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Papa Murphy's Dine and Donate

For Willow Brook fourth-grader William Mauk-Olson, nothing says “love” like a giant chocolate chip cookie! Papa Murphy’s in Oak Ridge offers several different kinds of “take ‘n’ bake” pizza (even gluten free!) with over two dozen topping choices; other offerings include freshly made salads and sweet treats such as cookie dough and cinnamon rings. (Photo submitted by ADFAC)

 

On Monday, February 9, several local restaurants will “share the love” by donating a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, ADFAC’s February Dine and Donate event provides an early opportunity to treat loved ones to a special meal, a press release said.

Restaurants participating on Monday, February 9, are: [Read more…]

Free Community Shred Day at ORNL FCU on Saturday

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ORNL Federal Credit Union will team up again with Cintas Document Management Company for a Community Shred Day on Saturday, February 7, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Millertown Pike and Oak Ridge Main branches of ORNL FCU, a press release said.

ORNL Federal Credit Union members, as well as the public, are invited to bring any unwanted documents, especially ones containing personal information, to one of the Community Shred Day locations and have them safely and securely destroyed at no charge. A maximum of four boxes/bags per person will be accepted.

ORNL FCU’s Millertown Pike Branch is located at 5409 Millertown Pike in Knoxville. The Oak Ridge Main Branch is located at 221 South Rutgers Avenue. [Read more…]

IDB meets Feb. 2

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The Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board will meet at 4 p.m. Monday, February 2, in the Municipal Building Training Room.

See the agenda here: IDB Agenda for February 2, 2015.