Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge starting Thursday, Dec. 19, and continuing through Dec. 25, Christmas Day.
This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. [Read more…]
UCOR general counsel featured at MLK celebration with Alpha Kappa Alpha
Raeburn Josey
The Oak Ridge Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will hold its 26th annual program to celebrate the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday at the Y-12 New Hope Center on Scarboro Road in Oak Ridge.
The program, “The Community Speaks,” begins at 9:45 a.m. in the NHC Auditorium. UCOR General Counsel Raeburn Josey will present the keynote address entitled “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—2014.”
At UCOR, Josey provides legal and management services on behalf of URS and its affiliates. He holds degrees from Georgia State University and Georgia State College of Law, and has bar licenses in several states. UCOR is the federal government’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]
JCPenney in Oak Ridge to stay open as 33 stores close across US
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…]
Snow possible Wednesday morning; winter weather advisory in East Tennessee
Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown.
Snow is possible Wednesday morning as a cold front moves through East Tennessee.
Light snow accumulations are possible in the valley, with several inches possible in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.
Forecasters said the winter storm is moving into the area from the plains late tonight, and rain is expected to change to snow within the first few hours. By rush hour Wednesday morning, much of the area will be receiving light to moderate snow, the Weather Service said.
“The system will slowly exit the area to the east, with snows lingering in the mountains into Wednesday night,” the NWS said. [Read more…]
Water line breaks in Oak Ridge, Clinton cause traffic detours
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.
Legal official retires at DOE Oak Ridge Office
Robert James
Robert James, the assistant chief counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office, has retired after 25 years of federal service.
James served as the assistant chief counsel since 2009. In this position, he led a team of attorneys that are responsible for legal representation on environmental, regulatory, health and safety, real estate, and security matters across the Oak Ridge Reservation, a press release said. His team also provides legal representation for Nuclear Energy missions in Oak Ridge; Paducah, Ky.; and Portsmouth, Ohio.
“Rob’s extensive knowledge and experience in environmental law have been a tremendous asset to the Oak Ridge Office and those it services,” said Larry Kelly, manager of DOE-ORO. “His insight and recommendations aided our leadership teams in making the most informed and prudent decisions.” [Read more…]
Flurries fall in Oak Ridge as forecast calls for cold, snow
Flurries fell in Oak Ridge early Thursday evening, and the weather forecast called for colder, snowy conditions as a major winter storm affects the eastern United States from the southern Appalachians to New England.
The National Weather Service in Morristown said there is a 60 percent chance of snow tonight near Oak Ridge, with a low of 16 degrees Fahrenheit.
Friday is expected to be mostly sunny and cold, with a high of 27 and a low of 17, but there is a 70 percent chance of rain or snow on Sunday and a 70 percent chance of snow on Monday. [Read more…]
Students to raise money for Emory Valley Center at musical coffeehouse Friday
A coffeehouse at First Presbyterian Church on Friday will benefit the Emory Valley Center, which has been raising money for a new building on Emory Valley Road.
A coffeehouse at First Presbyterian Church on Friday will raise money for the Emory Valley Center.
The coffeehouse “promises to be fun-filled and very musical,” and it will feature 11 acts and 19 performers, a press release said. The performances will include folksy guitar plucking, women’s a capella, and modern dance.
The night will help the Emory Valley Center launch its final year of fundraising for a new building on Emory Valley Road, the release said.
The coffeehouses are operated by college students, and they are designed to provide an enjoyable musical venue while also raising funds for worthy causes in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]
Ed Westcott: Chief photographer in Oak Ridge during WWII, Muddy Boot winner today
Ray Smith, left, Y-12 National Security Complex historian, presents a Muddy Boot Award to Ed Westcott, chief photographer in the “Secret City” during the Manhattan Project in World War II. (Photo by East Tennessee Economic Council)
He was one of the first workers hired in Oak Ridge as part of the top-secret race to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II.
At only 20 years old, he became the chief photographer for what was then the Manhattan Engineer District, Clinton Engineer Works. He was the only person authorized to take pictures in the “Secret City” during the Manhattan Project, and he captured some classic moments, including the jubilation of Oak Ridge residents the day they learned World War II had ended.
Now 91, Ed Westcott was honored for his historic photography in a surprise ceremony this month. He was given the Muddy Boot Award by the East Tennessee Economic Council. The awards, which have been given out since 1973, pay tribute to people who have made East Tennessee a stronger region through their work and community activities.
“Ed’s photographs are so broadly used that they literally express our history and visually tell the unique story of Oak Ridge and its impact on East Tennessee, the Southeast, the nation, and even the world,” said Ray Smith, Y-12 National Security Complex historian. “So, he definitely qualifies for Muddy Boot consideration. Without Ed’s thousands of wonderful images, we would not be nearly as able to present our history.” [Read more…]
City will recycle Christmas trees on Jan. 4, 11
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.
Residents evacuated, but home heavily damaged in Oliver Springs fire
Residents were safely evacuated, but a home and car were heavily damaged during a Saturday night fire on Oak Circle in Oliver Springs. (Photos by Tom Scott)
Residents were safely evacuated, but a home and car were heavily damaged during a Saturday evening fire in Oliver Springs.
The fire was reported at about 7:35 p.m. Saturday at 446 Oak Circle. A Nissan Sentra parked near the house suffered major damage, photographer Tom Scott said.
The home is on a hill. An Oliver Springs Volunteer Fire Department engine was positioned at the bottom of the driveway during the fire, and fire hoses were pulled up the hill, Scott said. [Read more…]
Watson one of four finalists for Texas job; decision possible in late January
Mark Watson
Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson is one of four finalists for a similar job in one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas, and officials there could hire someone near the end of January, an official said Monday.
Jon Branson, one of two assistant city managers in Pearland, Texas, said the City Council is tentatively scheduled to conduct some final interviews on or around Jan. 25, and officials hope to have a decision shortly afterward.
Pearland’s current city manager, Bill Eisen, is retiring at the end of the month after 12 years. Branson will be the interim city manager starting Jan. 1, and he will serve until the Pearland City Council hires a new city manager. [Read more…]
