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TVA evaluating power generators, including Bull Run Fossil Plant

Posted at 6:13 pm August 27, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

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)

Note: This story was updated at 8:50 p.m.

An assessment by the Tennessee Valley Authority will evaluate its power generators, including the coal-burning Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton, and determine whether the plants will be needed in the future, a spokesperson said Monday.

The focus of the assessment, which could take three to six months, will be on plants that are the least efficient, least cost-effective, and expected to have the highest future costs, TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks said. Plants that fit into that category are the Bull Run Fossil Plant, the one remaining unit (Unit 3) at the Paradise Fossil Plant in western Kentucky near Drakesboro, and combustion turbines (gas turbines), Brooks said. The assessment will look at whether TVA needs Bull Run or Paradise or combustion turbines in the future.

No decisions have been made yet, Brooks said.

He said TVA is assessing its entire generating asset base, including coal, nuclear, natural gas, and hydropower. The public utility is always evaluating its energy mix and making decisions, Brooks said. TVA President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Johnson cited a “mismatch” between energy supply and customer demand, according to S&P Global, which attended a quarterly TVA board meeting in Knoxville on Wednesday.

The results of the assessment will be provided to the TVA board of directors. It’s not clear yet if the assessment will include a recommendation to the board, but the board could make a decision based on the assessment. [Read more…]

Pine Ridge building, property under contract; rest of Summit for sale for $3.5 million

Posted at 11:41 am August 24, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. A 30,000-square-foot building on the property is pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A building that is about 30,000 square feet and was once used to store documents on Pine Ridge for the Y-12 National Security Complex is under contract and in “due diligence,” according to an executive involved in the potential sale.

Also under contract is about 15 acres on Pine Ridge, also known as The Summit, a large piece of property that offers panoramic views from a ridge top above South Illinois Avenue in south Oak Ridge.

Noah Myers, principal broker with CornerStone Realty, said he hopes there is a closing on the building and land purchase this fall.

Separate from that potential purchase, there is about 85 acres of open land on Pine Ridge that is for sale for $3.5 million. It’s a mix of office and industrial property, Myers said. Utilities are in place, including roads, electricity, water, and sewer. [Read more…]

Community meeting next week to discuss new preschool, amenities at Scarboro Park

Posted at 12:57 pm August 20, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

An image showing what the Oak Ridge Schools Preschool could look like in Scarboro Park. (Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge and Studio Four Design)

Project could move into bid phase in September

As plans progress for the new Oak Ridge Preschool and Scarboro Park improvements, Oak Ridge municipal leaders will provide an update on the project during a community meeting on Thursday, August 30. The meeting is scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. next Thursday at the Scarboro Community Center. Discussions will focus on recreational amenities in Scarboro Park as well as the current status and next steps for the preschool, a press release said.

WHAT: Community meeting on Scarboro Park and new preschool

WHEN: Thursday, August 30, at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Scarboro Community Center, 148 Carver Avenue, Oak Ridge [Read more…]

For sale: Pine Ridge property with panoramic views

Posted at 3:58 pm August 16, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It’s pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale.

It’s not clear how the property, which was cleared and graded more than a decade ago, might be used. There have been inquiries about multi-family apartments, single-family homes, and industrial uses, said Tom Tuck of TNBANK, which is based in Oak Ridge and now owns the property.

The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It’s on the ridge top on the right side of the road as you head up the hill toward Centrifuge Way leaving Oak Ridge and driving to Knox County.

TNBANK foreclosed on the property in February. The previous owner was Revis Family LLC, according to Anderson County property records. [Read more…]

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers open, more businesses planned

Posted at 5:51 pm August 14, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers was open, as pictured above on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018, at South Illinois and South Tulane avenues as part of Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is open at South Illinois and South Tulane avenues, and more businesses are planned at Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

So far, Main Street Oak Ridge features a dozen new businesses—including retail stores, a restaurant, and a hotel—and the relocated American Museum of Science and Energy near JCPenney, an anchor store at the northeast side of the mall.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, which opened Tuesday in a building that will include another business, was busy Tuesday afternoon, with a parking lot that was mostly full, a drive-through line that wrapped around two sides of the building, and a customer line that stretched from the counter inside to the door. The restaurant has been getting good reviews online.

Plans for the new restaurant were announced in May 2017, and construction was under way at the 1.4-acre site, which is next to the rebuilt Taco Bell restaurant on South Illinois Avenue, in January. [Read more…]

New AMSE has grand opening in October

Posted at 12:21 pm August 10, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The current location of the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue could close at the end of July, and the museum could re-open at its new home at Main Street Oak Ridge in the early fall, officials said. The new location is pictured above under construction on Thursday, June 21, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The last location of the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue closed at the end of July, and the museum will re-open at its new home at Main Street Oak Ridge in October, officials said. The new location is pictured above under construction on Thursday, June 21, 2018. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The new American Museum of Science and Energy at Main Street Oak Ridge will have a grand opening ceremony on October 18, officials said Friday.

The ceremony will welcome visitors to the new location on the northeast side of Main Street Oak Ridge, near JCPenney. The new 18,000-square-foot space will include a newly designed exhibit gallery featuring state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and hands-on activities, as well as a lecture hall and classroom facilities, a press release said.

“AMSE is planning a multi-phase opening to ensure a smooth transition and quality experience for museum staff, stakeholders, and the public,” the press release said.

On October 1, AMSE will open to the public on a limited schedule, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed on weekends). This will lead up to AMSE’s grand opening event on October 18, the press release said. [Read more…]

SNS completes full neutron production cycle at record power level

Posted at 3:31 pm August 9, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

As protons (pink) strike the target vessel and pass into the liquid mercury inside, the protons are absorbed, creating neutrons (blue) that are then sent through moderators and beam tubes to research instruments to study the fundamental properties of materials. (Image credit: Jill Hemman/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

The Spallation Neutron Source at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has reached a new milestone by operating a complete neutron production run cycle at 1.3 megawatts, a press release said.

“Achieving the record power level with a remarkable 94 percent accelerator beam availability establishes a new baseline of operation as well as a path to operate reliably at higher powers,” the press release said. “Increased power offers researchers the ability to conduct faster scientific analyses using neutrons on more types of materials.”

SNS, a DOE Office of Science User Facility, began operations in 2006 and is currently the world’s most powerful pulsed accelerator-based neutron scattering facility, used by scientists to reveal fundamental properties and behaviors of energy and materials at the atomic scale. Neutron contributions at SNS have resulted in advances in electronic devices, improved drug delivery, and stronger building materials for transportation infrastructure, the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridger, teammate advance to world rowing championship quarterfinals

Posted at 1:52 pm August 9, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Kristopher Fisher of Oak Ridge (bow) and Cooper Tuckerman of Bozeman, Montana (stroke), cross the finish line in the white boat at center in a 2,000-meter race in the second heat of the Junior Men’s Double Sculls event at the World Rowing Junior Championships on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, in Racice, Czech Republic. (Photo by Kimberly Bell)

Representing the United States, an Oak Ridge rower and his teammate advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Rowing Junior Championships this week in the Czech Republic.

Kristopher Fisher and his teammate Cooper Tuckerman of Bozeman, Montana, are racing in the Junior Men’s Double Sculls in Racice, which is outside of Prague.

They finished fourth among six teams in the second of five heats, Heat 2, on Wednesday.

The top four teams in each heat advanced to the quarterfinals, meaning 20 of the 30 teams advanced from the five heats.

The quarterfinals are Friday. Fisher and Tuckerman, the U.S. junior men’s double team, will compete in Lane 1 at 6:06 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (12:06 p.m. in the Czech Republic). [Read more…]

Motorcyclist airlifted to UT after crashing into power pole

Posted at 9:54 am August 8, 2018
By John Huotari 3 Comments

A motorcyclist was flown to a Knoxville hospital in a medical helicopter with what were described as serious injuries after crashing into a power pole on West Outer Drive on Wednesday morning, Aug. 8, 2018. authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was updated at 2:50 p.m.

A 20-year-old motorcyclist was flown to a Knoxville hospital in a medical helicopter with what were described as serious injuries after crashing into a power pole on West Outer Drive on Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The single-vehicle crash, which was a few blocks east of North Illinois Avenue in an area with a curve and a hill, was reported at about 7:10 a.m. Wednesday. The motorcycle was heading west when it left the roadway and struck a utility pole, according to the Oak Ridge Police Department.

After the crash, the male motorcyclist was airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville from Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, said Eric Rackard, battalion chief for the Oak Ridge Fire Department. [Read more…]

Fisher, an ORHS graduate, competes in world rowing championships this week

Posted at 3:59 pm August 7, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Local rower Kristopher Fisher participates in a signing ceremony with Temple University at Oak Ridge High School on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Local rower Kristopher Fisher, who attended Oak Ridge High School last year and signed with Temple University in February, will compete in world rowing championships in the Czech Republic this week.

Fisher and Cooper Tuckerman of Bozeman, Montana, will race in the Junior Men’s Double Sculls event at the World Rowing Junior Championships, which are scheduled from August 8-12 in Racice, outside of Prague in the Czech Republic. (You can see the start list here and the Heat 2 start list for Wednesday here.) More than 750 athletes from 57 nations are competing.

Fisher and Tuckerman swept the Men’s U19 2x at the USRowing National Team Trials in July, winning the best-of-three format handily with victories in both the first and second event, according to the Oak Ridge Rowing Association.

On July 5, Fisher and Tuckerman were tightly matched by Jeremy Wolpert of San Juan Capistrano, California, and Michael Fairley of Saratoga Springs, New York, through the first 500 meters before pulling away in the middle 1,000, finishing in 6:56.41. The second place pair finished well back in 7:08.03. [Read more…]

State grant will help with national park signs, waterfront improvements

Posted at 7:08 pm August 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Pictured above during a state grant announcement at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building for national park signs and waterfront improvements on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, are, from left, Dave Jones, East Tennessee division manager of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development; Amy New, assistant commissioner of community and rural development for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development; Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch; Jody Sliger, community development director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development; and Marc DeRose, president of Explore Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A state grant of more than $50,000 that was announced Tuesday will help create interpretive signs for historic sites in Oak Ridge that are related to the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and improve the waterfront for events such as rowing, cycling, and festivals, officials said.

The $56,250 Tourism Enhancement Grant, part of the third round of grants, was announced Tuesday at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building. A few Oak Ridge officials attended, and so did representatives of the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

“Through this grant, the City of Oak Ridge, in partnership with Explore Oak Ridge, will receive funds to support projects that improve some of the city’s key tourist attractions,” a press release said.

Marc DeRose, president of Explore Oak Ridge, said there are two parts to the grant. One is to enhance the city’s component of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The grant funding could be used to create interpretive signs at historic places like the Guest House and Chapel on the Hill. The interpretive signs will be accessible and include pictures and content, DeRose said. [Read more…]

FAA comments on Oak Ridge Airport could be received this week

Posted at 10:08 pm July 30, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A revised layout plan for the Oak Ridge Airport at Heritage Center from a presentation to Oak Ridge City Council by project consultant Billy Stair on Feb. 20, 2018. (Image courtesy Billy Stair)

Officials working on the proposed Oak Ridge Airport could receive comments this week from the Federal Aviation Administration about a revised layout plan, a project consultant said Thursday.

Officials are finalizing an airport runway plan. If it is approved, that would be a very positive step, project consultant Billy Stair said.

In February, Stair said the FAA wanted project officials, who are proposing to build what is known as a Class B airport, to plan for a future expansion to a Class C airport—sometime around 2040.

“To plan for such a future expansion, we need to widen the runway and taxiway at the initial construction,” Stair said in February. “We do not need to lengthen the proposed 5,000-foot runway. The new runway alignment avoids encroachment by Highway 58.” [Read more…]

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