Oak Ridge Today

State comptroller approves $13 million agreement for Oak Ridge Mall

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Oak Ridge Mall

The Tennessee Comptroller has approved the use of a $13 million tax financing agreement that could be used for the $85 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall. The L-shaped mall is pictured at center above.

The Tennessee Comptroller has approved a $13 million tax financing agreement that could be used for the $85 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall.

The approval was announced in a Wednesday letter from Tennessee Comptroller Justin P. Wilson to Nashville law firm Bradley, Arant, Boult, and Cummings, which is working with Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina company that wants to redevelop the mostly empty mall.

The 20-year tax increment financing, or TIF, agreement, would use new property tax revenues generated at the 59-acre site to help pay for development costs, possibly including tearing down the existing space between the two remaining anchor stores, JCPenney and Belk, as well as for replacing aging infrastructure and building new roads. [Read more…]

Information International wins major ORNL IT support contract

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Information International Associates

Pictured above is the headquarters of Information International Associates on Union Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

Information International Associates has won a five-year contract worth up to $24 million to provide information technology support to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The contract includes a one-year base and four one-year options. IIa will lead a team that includes Science Applications International Corp. and other partners with special capabilities, including Qbase, CADRE5, and EMC2 Corp., a press release said.

The work will include application development, systems administration, cyber security, help desk support, and data center management.

 

[Read more…]

Firehouse Subs Foundation donates equipment to ORFD, Roane County

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Firehouse Subs and Oak Ridge Fire Department Thermal Imaging Camera

Above, representatives of Firehouse Subs present a $10,000 thermal imaging camera to the Oak Ridge Fire Department in January. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Fire Department)

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation recently donated a thermal imaging camera worth more than $10,000 to Oak Ridge Fire Department.

The foundation also donated first-aid kits and six automated external defibrillators, worth a total of more than $10,200, to Roane County Sheriff’s Office.

The equipment was presented in ceremonies at Firehouse Subs in Oak Ridge and Lenoir City.

The thermal imaging camera donated to ORFD will detect body heat and hot spots in burning buildings, allowing firefighters to reach victims quickly and put out deadly fires. [Read more…]

Officials say little about Monday hearing on Y-12, Pantex contract

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Y-12 National Security Complex

The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge is pictured above.

Officials said little about the federal hearing held Monday to discuss the consolidated but contested contract to manage the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

The hearing is related to the protest filed by Nuclear Production Partners LLC, or NP2, which has contested the decision to award the contract to Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC of Reston, Va. Originally announced in January 2013, the contract could be worth up to $22.8 billion over a decade.

The hearing had originally been scheduled for Jan. 29, but it was rescheduled. [Read more…]

Y-12 FCU recognizes employee for rescuing woman before car caught fire

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Dustin Brackins

Dustin Brackins

Y-12 Federal Credit Union employee Dustin Brackins was recognized as Employee of the Year at a dinner on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Brackins was nominated in December 2013 for his selfless act of rescuing a woman trapped in her car, a press release said. Dustin was driving home with his family and noticed a car overturned on the roadside. He was able to help the woman to safety before her car caught fire.

“Dustin said he was thankful to be in the right place at the right time and expressed that anyone would have done the same thing,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Aubrey’s fundraiser night benefits Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge

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Girls Inc. at Aubrey's

Girls Inc. girls pictured with Katie Jenkins, Aubrey’s manager, left, are, from left to right, Carly Gelb, Riley Gelb, and Brooklyn Henderson. (Submitted photo)

Aubrey’s of Oak Ridge is hosting a fundraiser night on Monday to support Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge.

Aubrey’s is located at 481 S. Illinois Ave.

“Invite all your friends and family to dine with us at Aubrey’s, and 10 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Girls Inc.!” a press release said.

The local Girls Inc. at 1798 Oak Ridge Turnpike is part of a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Girls Inc. provides educational programs to millions of American girls, the release said. [Read more…]

Price Florist demolished

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Price Florist Demolition

Demolition work at Price Florist began Saturday and could be completed Monday.

Workers began demolishing Price Florist on Oak Ridge Turnpike on Saturday and could finish the job on Monday.

The work at the longtime floral business in central Oak Ridge is being done by Perkins Trucking and Excavating of Knoxville.

Tony Cappiello of Capiello Real Estate said one of his family’s companies purchased the 0.43-acre property about a month ago for $216,000. He said the seller agreed to demolish the property at her expense since it had been condemned by the City of Oak Ridge.

Cappiello said the property is about as large as the Subway down the street. [Read more…]

JCPenney in Oak Ridge to stay open as 33 stores close across US

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JCPenney at Oak Ridge Mall

JCPenney at the Oak Ridge Mall will stay open as the company closes 33 stores across the United States.

The JCPenney in Oak Ridge will stay open as the retailer closes 33 underperforming stores across the United States.

The list of closures announced Wednesday includes only one Tennessee store, the JCPenney at Northgate Mall in Chattanooga.

The JCPenney in Oak Ridge is at the city’s mostly empty mall, where a $85 million redevelopment has been proposed. Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina company that has had a purchase contract on the mall since January 2013, has said the renovated 59-acre site could open in  2016 and include a mix of retail and office space, a hotel, and up to 50 multi-family residential units, as well as a few restaurants. Belk and JCPenney are expected to stay. [Read more…]

Young Professionals elect new leaders; Minor is president

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Zabrina R. Minor

Zabrina R. Minor

The executive director of an organization that helps the homeless has been elected president of the Young Professionals of Oak Ridge.

Zabrina Minor is the organization’s new president. She is also executive director of Trinity Out-Reach Center of Hope, or TORCH.

Other leaders elected during the YPOR’s January business meeting are Aaron Holbrook as vice president and Thomas Dyke as secretary/treasurer. [Read more…]

Enrichment Federal Credit Union beats goal, donates $11K to United Way

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Enrichment Federal Credit Union Donates to United Way of Anderson County

Pictured above during a check presentation are Charles and Edwina Crowe, 2013 campaign chair family for the United Way of Anderson County; April Fugate and Ellora Drinnen, UWAC campaign co-chairs for Enrichment Federal Credit Union; and Wayne Hope, EFCU CEO. (Submitted photo)

Employees at Enrichment Federal Credit Union beat their goal and raised $11,482 for the United Way of Anderson County.

Each year, the credit union collects pledge forms and conducts several events to help raise money for the UWAC, a press release said. This year,the credit union set a goal of $9,000.

Employees just completed their month-long campaign, led by campaign co-chairs Northshore Branch Manager Ellora Drinnen and West Branch Manager April Fugate. Staff members used hamburger lunches, pancake breakfasts, chili cook-offs, and “Silly String attacks” were used to help raise money. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Observer closes after nine-year run

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Oak Ridge Observer

The Oak Ridge Observer, a weekly newspaper housed on the third floor of this building at Oak Ridge Turnpike and New York Avenue, has closed.

Stan R. Mitchell, editor and publisher of the Oak Ridge Observer, announced Wednesday that the weekly newspaper will close after more than nine years in business.

In a note posted on the Observer’s website, Mitchell did not elaborate on the reason for the closure.

“We could just never get the paper where it needed to be,” he said.

“I”m going to avoid getting into all the gritty details and talking about unforeseen circumstances, but it is what it is,” Mitchell wrote on his blog. “The bottom line is this: We couldn’t keep it going any longer, and yet thankfully those circumstances coincided with the serious doubts we’ve had the past year and a half.” [Read more…]

Healthcare employers invited to participate in Roane State job fair

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Employers are invited to participate in a Feb. 26 job fair for Roane State Community College students who are pursuing careers in health care.

The fair is planned for Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 1-4 p.m. at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus, 701 Briarcliff Ave. Setup begins at noon.

Employers are asked to register by Feb. 14. There is no registration fee. To register online, visit www.roanestate.edu/placement. [Read more…]