Oak Ridge Today

Sewer rehab work continues this week

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Beginning this week, a city contractor will be rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways this week.

Residents should already have received colored letters and door hangers (orange for Hurst Excavating and purple for Morgan Contracting) providing general information and each contractor’s contact information.

All construction work is subject to change based on such unknowns as weather, equipment, and access issues, a press release said. The construction work schedule for the week beginning Jan. 20 is as follows: [Read more…]

Repairs on Tuskegee Drive extension this week

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Repairs on the Tuskegee Drive extension are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

The work by the Oak Ridge Public Works Department will require sections of the road to be closed for the day starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m., a press release said.

“Provisions will be made for residents to access their properties,” the release said. “There will be no through traffic during the closures. The street closure is subject to inclement weather that could cause a delay in the closure.”

Questions or comments can be directed to the Oak Ridge Public Works Department at (865) 425-1875. Visit www.oakridgetn.gov for more information.

Oak Ridge Today adds 2014 Election section

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It’s shaping up to be a big election year, and Oak Ridge Today has added a special 2014 Election section to help you keep up with the candidates and issues. You can access that section by clicking on the 2014 Election button in the navigation bar near the top of the website.

As of Friday, there were already more than three dozen candidates for various state and county offices in Anderson County. [Read more…]

New SRO approved at Oak Ridge Schools, could start Monday

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Oak Ridge City Council

The Oak Ridge City Council voted 5-1 on Monday to approve a move that allows another school resource officer, or SRO, to be added to Oak Ridge Schools.

Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. Jan. 14.

The Oak Ridge City Council approved a move on Monday that will add a second school resource officer in the city’s schools, and the new SRO could start Monday.

The new SRO is Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Michael Swigert. The current SRO is Officer Sherrill Selby.

It’s not as big a step as some officials had proposed during the past few years. There have been various proposals to have a total of three SROs, including one at each of the city’s two middle schools, or even more, perhaps one SRO at each school. The discussions seemed to gain urgency after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December 2012, but funding has been an obstacle. [Read more…]

Sewer rehab work continues, starting this week

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Starting this week, a city contractor will be rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and roadways.

The work will be done by Hurst Excavating. Affected homeowners should have received color-coordinated (orange and purple) letters and door hangers providing general information with contractor contact information, a press release said.

Below is a list of the streets where work will be conducted this week. The weather could cause schedule changes. [Read more…]

New interchange opens land for development, reuses industrial building

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Centrifuge Way Dedication

Local and state officials and business leaders celebrate the new interchange at Centrifuge Way and South Illinois Avenue with a Thursday afternoon ribbon-cutting.

The new interchange at Centrifuge Way and South Illinois Avenue opens land for development on top of Pine Ridge and help a uranium enrichment company reuse an industrial building in south Oak Ridge, officials said Thursday.

The $1.6 million state project to improve the interchange at the former Boeing Road was under way in December 2012 and completed in the summer of 2013.

“Because of this interchange, there will be more land available,” Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan said during a Thursday afternoon ribbon-cutting ceremony. [Read more…]

Get the facts about the Affordable Care Act at the Library on Saturday

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The Oak Ridge Public Library will host an objective and educational presentation on the Affordable Care Act on Saturday afternoon, a press release said.

Jim Nelson, an Oak Ridge resident, retired chemical engineer, and healthcare activist, has been researching the Affordable Care Act since 2009, the release said. He has collected a lot of information from various sources (including but not limited to) the Kaiser Family Foundation, Enroll America, and Families USA.

“Come to the presentation and discover resources to help you see where you fit in, what you need to apply in the Marketplace, the 10 essential health benefits, and ways to apply for coverage in the Marketplace,” the release said. [Read more…]

Guitar lessons at Senior Center on Fridays, meeting today to gauge interest in banjo lessons

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Guitar Lessons at Oak Ridge Senior Center

The Oak Ridge Senior Center will be offering free guitar lessons for senior citizens age 50 and older on Fridays beginning Jan. 10.

Beginners will start at 9 a.m., and more advanced students will follow. The only requirement is to bring your own guitar.

Seniors of all skill levels are encouraged to come out and join in the fun.

The Oak Ridge Senior Center will also be holding a meeting to find out about community interest in banjo lessons. The lessons will be provided free of charge to seniors age 50 and over. All that is needed is a banjo and a willingness to learn. [Read more…]

TDOT commissioner in Oak Ridge on Thursday for Centrifuge Way dedication

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Centrifuge Way Interchange Improvements

Construction work to improve the interchange at South Illinois Avenue and Centrifuge Way in Oak Ridge is pictured above in December 2012.

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer will be in Oak Ridge on Thursday for the dedication of a new interchange at Centrifuge Way and South Illinois Avenue, or State Route 62.

Centrifuge Way is the former Boeing Road in south Oak Ridge.

The dedication is at 4:15 p.m.

In December 2012, Oak Ridge Today reported that construction work on the $1.2 million state project had started and was expected to be complete by June 2013. The work included building three detention ponds to be used as sediment basins during construction, reconfiguring the interchange, and extending Centrifuge Way. [Read more…]

City move could add another police officer to Oak Ridge Schools

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Oak Ridge High School

The number of reported crimes is down at Oak Ridge High School since police officers were given office space there in August, and a move recommended by city administrators could add another school resource officer in the Oak Ridge school system.

The number of reported crimes is down at Oak Ridge High School since police officers were given office space there in August, and a move recommended by city administrators could add another school resource officer in the Oak Ridge school system.

It’s part of a program to improve student safety and use law enforcement to reduce unacceptable student behaviors, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson and Police Chief Jim Akagi said.

Oak Ridge Schools now have one school resource officer, or SRO. There have been discussions about adding more officers, especially since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December 2012, but funding has been an obstacle.

On Monday, the Oak Ridge City Council will consider a resolution that would allow the Oak Ridge Police Department to hire an extra police officer, exceeding its authorized personnel staffing levels, in order to assign an existing police officer as an SRO. There have been proposals to add more—in December, City Council member Trina Baughn proposed one at each of the city’s two middle schools—but Watson and Akagi are recommending one additional officer now. [Read more…]

Water line breaks in Oak Ridge, Clinton cause traffic detours

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Information from WYSH Radio

Water line breaks caused traffic detours in Oak Ridge and Clinton early Tuesday morning.

A water main break on West Outer Drive caused water to spill onto North Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge and freeze. The water was shut off, and crews worked to put down salt and sand on the roadway. Traffic was detoured around the area while crews worked to repair the line.

The early-morning water main break in Clinton shut down a portion of Main Street. Crews closed down the road between Weaver and Washington while they worked to repair the busted pipe.

City will recycle Christmas trees on Jan. 4, 11

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The city of Oak Ridge will recycle Christmas trees from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, and Saturday, Jan. 11.

The drop-off site is the parking lot at Big Turtle Park off Monterey Road.

Trees will be accepted any time up to Jan. 13, but if you come at the designated times, your Christmas tree may be exchanged for a sugar maple seedling. Wreaths and garland will be accepted, but brush will not. Please be sure to remove all tinsel and other decorations, a press release said.

For more information, contact the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department at (865) 425-3450 or visit the city’s website at www.oakridgetn.gov.