Oak Ridge Today

Jenkins promoted to ORPD captain

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Oak Ridge Police Department Captain Brad Jenkins is pictured above in April 2019. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Police Department has named Brad Jenkins as its newest captain, promoting him from the rank of lieutenant earlier this month.

Jenkins was publicly recognized by Oak Ridge City Council at the regular meeting on April 8. Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith presented Jenkins with his new badge, the same one worn by Smith when he held the rank of captain with ORPD, a press release said.

Jenkins joined the Oak Ridge Police Department in 1988 after three years with the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Police Department.

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Four new stores at Main Street could generate more than $600,000 in tax revenues, city says

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A revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission was to discuss the proposed revisions during a work session on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

The four new stores at Main Street Oak Ridge could create 150 jobs and generate more than $600,000 in sales and property tax revenues for Oak Ridge and Anderson County, according to calculations by the city’s economic development consultant.

The estimated new revenues could include $572,096 in sales tax revenues and $116,965 in property tax revenues for Oak Ridge and Anderson County, according to the calculations. The portion of new sales tax revenues for just Oak Ridge could total $385,158, according to the calculations.

The four new stores are part of a revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

A new version of that plan is scheduled to be considered by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday. The economic benefit calculations for the new stores are included in the agenda for Thursday’s meeting.

Here is the specific breakdown of the economic benefits of the four new stores, which could total 75,000 square feet, according to the calculations:

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Drug Take Back Day is Saturday

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ASAP of Anderson and police departments in Anderson County have formed a partnership to take back expired or unused medicines on Saturday.

It’s part of the 2019 Drug Enforcement Administration Rx Drug Take Back Day.

“Community members can bring their expired or unused medicines to one of the Anderson County Take Back locations anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. this Saturday,” a press release said.

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Friends of Library has Spring Book Sale May 2-5

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Oak Ridge Public Library
The Oak Ridge Public Library is pictured above.

The Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library 2019 Spring Book Sale will begin on the evening of Thursday, May 2, and end on Sunday, May 5.

Every day will have a special emphasis, a press release said. Thursday is the Members Sale, when you get to select from all of the books that will be available during the sale. Friday is Facebook Day; “like” Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library on Facebook (www.facebook.com/foloakridge) and receive a coupon for a free regular-priced item. (You can also use the discount at the Book Nooks later.)

On Saturday, all non-auction items (including the special price items) will be half price. Sunday continues to be the Buy-A-Bag-of-Books Sale, when $3 buys everything you can put in the bag we provide. Pricing for most of the titles will continue to be 50 cents or $1 each, the press release said. Withdrawn library titles will be half price Thursday through Saturday.

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Atomic Heritage Foundation launches “Oak Ridge Innovations” program

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“Nuclear medicine, nuclear energy, nuclear weapons. All of that goes back to Oak Ridge,” explains Denise Kiernan, bestselling author of “The Girls of Atomic City.” Oak Ridge, Tennessee has been a center for nuclear research since General Leslie Groves selected it as the Manhattan Project’s uranium enrichment site in 1942. Today, Oak Ridge is the home of many leading scientific and engineering research facilities, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Atomic Heritage Foundation has launched a new online interpretive program, “Oak Ridge Innovations,” to explore Oak Ridge’s legacies for science and society today. Available on AHF’s “Ranger in Your Pocket” website, “Oak Ridge Innovations” includes more than 30 video vignettes describing ORNL’s history and current research in fields such as energy, particle physics, computer science, and medicine, a press release said. The program was developed in partnership with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers East Tennessee Section and funded by the IEEE Foundation. Featuring perspectives from current ORNL scientists and Manhattan Project veterans, the program illuminates Oak Ridge’s history and how the laboratory responds to some of today’s biggest challenges, the press release said.

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School board has special budget meetings

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education will meet in the following special-called meetings to discuss the Fiscal Year 2020 budget:

  • May 6 at 5 p.m.—Budget presented to the Board
  • May 8 at 5:30 p.m.—Budget development work session
  • May 13 at 5:30 p.m.—Budget line-by-line review work session
  • May 15 at 5:30 p.m.—Public hearing and first reading of budget
  • May 20 at 6 p.m.—Regular meeting, adoption of FY 2020 budget on second reading

Loverboy, .38 Special playing Secret City Festival

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Loverboy and .38 Special are playing at the Secret City Festival in June.

Loverboy is playing Friday, June 7, and .38 Special is playing Saturday, June 8.

Both shows are at 7 p.m., with gates opening at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the website www.secretcityfestival.com or at the Oak Ridge branch of Citizen’s Bank.

Chamber’s Spring Fling Primetime Event is Thursday

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Spring Fling Primetime will be held on Thursday, April 25, from 4-6 p.m. It is free to attend the event, and the public is invited, a press release said.

Primetime is the Chamber’s semi-annual networking event, but with some new and exciting additions, the press release said:

  • Live music by Twelve Years Truce
  • Food trucks, such as B&B BarBQ, with free samples
  • Free custard samples by Freddy’s Frozen Custard
  • Beer provided by Calhoun’s
  • Sidewalk chalk painting contest
  • Door prizes
  • Giveaways
  • Fun for the whole family

More than 40 Chamber-member organizations have already reserved exhibit space, the press release said. [Read more…]

13th Annual Run for Autism supports autism breakthrough

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Tim Younkin, top left, of Volunteer CrossFit in Oak Ridge, is joined by other members of the Volunteer CrossFit team who participated in last year’s Breakthrough Run for Autism. From left, they are Soly Beehan, her parents Michael Beehan and Lissie Meza Beehan with their son Gus, and Lissie’s father Roberto Meza. The Beehans are avid supporters of Breakthrough and the run because their son has been diagnosed with autism and their cousin receives services provided by Breakthrough for adults with autism. (Submitted photo)

The 13th annual Breakthrough Run for Autism will be held Saturday, April 27, with Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville inviting individuals, teams, and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate.

Breakthrough’s 5K Run/Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run begins at 8:30 a.m. that Saturday at Regal Cinemas Pinnacle Stadium 18 in Farragut’s Turkey Creek.

The run, held during National Autism Awareness Month, supports Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville, a nonprofit organization committed to helping adults facing the challenges of autism in the East Tennessee region.

Lori Tucker, WATE-TV news anchor, will serve as honorary chair of the run and will be the emcee during the awards ceremony. Happy Lee, a Breakthrough volunteer, is the race director. [Read more…]

TVA seeks public input on proposed changes to ash storage at Bull Run

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The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Fossil Plant is pictured above in Claxton on Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Valley Authority is proposing changes to plans for closure of a coal ash storage area and wastewater treatment at its Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton. TVA is asking the public to comment on those revisions in a draft supplemental environmental assessment issued on April 22. That document is available at www.tva.com/nepa.

The revised draft supplemental environmental assessment will consider the potential environmental impacts of several alternatives for closure of the main ash impoundment, a press release said. The project would include turning a portion of the impoundment into a temporary process water basin during construction of a permanent basin for wastewater and storm water at the site. The current stilling pond would be closed, with ash removed to an existing onsite landfill, and turned into the permanent process water basin, the press release said.

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Oak Ridge Chamber leads TVA Community Livability Initiative: Program will showcase livability assets

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has been chosen by the Tennessee Valley Authority to participate in TVA’s Community Livability Initiative. The purpose of the program is to map and showcase Oak Ridge’s livability assets and increase the likelihood that the community will be viewed as inviting and vibrant by companies and talent seeking locations, a press release said.

The asset mapping will be conducted by volunteers of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce as well as other community volunteers working with the chamber. The process will culminate in a July showcase to TVA Economic Development staff and Newmark Knight Frank consultants, the press release said.

Kelly Callison, senior vice president of operations for Information International Associates and chair of the Chamber-led Housing Committee said: “It’s exciting to see the hard work of the Housing Committee is a part of securing this opportunity. The housing study commissioned by the Chamber in 2017 and implemented over the past two years is bearing fruit as we see new houses coming out of the ground. The collaboration between the Chamber, the city, Realtors, the school system, Oak Ridge Land Bank, and the Oak Ridge Housing Authority in one joint effort has certainly been a big part of solving problems and maintaining accountability related to follow through on the study’s recommendation.” [Read more…]

Larry Burkholder receives Children’s Museum Friend of the Child Award

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Ronnie Bogard presents Larry Burkholder with the Children’s Museum Friend of the Child Award. (Submitted photo)

As a volunteer and advocate for the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, Larry Burkholder has always been willing to do whatever hard work needs to be done.

As a member of Knoxville Area Model Railroaders (KAMR), he has developed a mutually beneficial relationship between the railroaders and the Museum, and his hard work and perseverance has continued for years, according to Ronnie Bogard.

“Larry spearheaded the work renovating what was the former preschool area (of the Museum) for the KAMR club rooms; he helped set up the World of Trains exhibit; and he coordinated with Mark Fuhrman on the outdoor train garden,” explained Bogard, in presenting Burkholder recently with the Selma Shapiro Friend of the Child Award for 2019. [Read more…]