A black bear was seen in east Oak Ridge early Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The Oak Ridge Police Department received a call about the bear at 12:35 p.m. Wednesday. The bear had been seen in a resident’s yard through a Ring doorbell.
The bear was not aggressive, the ORPD said. Officers were unable to locate the bear.
Here’s what the ORPD said you should do if you encounter a bear in your neighborhood:
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Note: This story was updated at 11:30 p.m. June 10.
The July 4 Fireworks Celebration in Oak Ridge has been canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press release, the City of Oak Ridge said the challenges related to COVID-19 include:
The city said there is a risk of larger crowds and more traffic because other nearby events have been canceled. Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said residents can instead spend time with family and friends at home.
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The UCOR contract to clean up federal sites in Oak Ridge has been extended one year to July 31, 2021, and the consideration of a new cleanup contract won’t be considered until November 2020 at the earliest.
The UCOR contract could be extended one additional year, to July 31, 2022, using two six-month options, depending upon contractor performance and progress.
Before the extension, UCOR’s contract had been scheduled to expire July 31, 2020.
UCOR works on cleanup projects for the U.S. Department of Energy at the East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Y-12 National Security Complex. The work includes the demolition of old, contaminated buildings that are no longer used. The cleanup work is called environmental management, or EM.
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The JCPenney store in Oak Ridge has re-opened. The store is in Main Street Oak Ridge in the center of the city.
The store is open limited hours: from 12-7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday.
There are dedicated hours for at-risk customers: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday. At-risk customers include the elderly, pregnant women, and people with underlying health issues.
It hadn’t been clear if the Oak Ridge store, which had been temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, would re-open after JCPenney filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, May 15.
But it is now open. Customers can enter through the doors on the Cinemark Tinseltown side of the store.
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The City of Oak Ridge will open its outdoor pool for the season starting June 15, which is later than normal, with changes due to COVID-19.
The pool normally has swimming hours Memorial Day weekend, and then opens for the season around the first of June.
This year, the main outdoor pool on Providence Road will be open, but the little pool for children will remain closed for the summer, the city said in a press release Friday. The indoor pool at the Oak Ridge Civic Center will remain closed through the summer.
A maximum of 200 people will be allowed in the pool area at one time, and reservations can be made online through Eventbrite. Families will be spaced apart. Restrooms will be open, but the showers and dressing rooms will not be. The picnic table area will be closed, and no public or private pool parties will be allowed. Swimming lessons are canceled for now.
In the press release, the city said the pool water is being treated with chlorine, a disinfectant that “wipes out” the virus. The main focus will be following social distancing and repeatedly sanitizing commonly used areas, the press release said.
Here are the changes that will be in effect:
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A chalk art event on Saturday will promote a proposal to build a downtown area that could include apartments and condominiums, restaurants and stores, and green space and an outdoor performance space at Wilson Street on the north side of Main Street Oak Ridge.
The chalk art event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 23. It will feature 15 professional artists, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.
It’s called “Paint the Town with Chalk,” and it will help people visualize what the downtown area could be like, the press release said.
Oak Ridge was built to help make the world’s first atomic bombs as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project during World War II, and officials say the city was built without a distinct downtown for national security reasons. Now, they are trying to change that.
The goal is to transform the Wilson Street area into the city’s new downtown, according to a presentation last fall by Oak Ridge Community Development Director Wayne Blasius.
The downtown area could include:
[Read more…]Note: This story was last updated at 3 p.m. May 20.
Saddled with debt and already struggling, JCPenney filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday after closing its stores because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Oak Ridge store remains closed.
It’s not clear if or when the Oak Ridge store will re-open. It’s listed as temporarily closed.
Other JCPenney stores that are listed as temporarily closed in the area include locations in Turkey Creek in Farragut, West Town Mall in Knoxville, and Foothills Mall in Maryville.
JCPenney is the largest retailer to file for bankruptcy protection since the COVID-19 pandemic forced stores to temporarily close, according to CBS News.
There are only two JCPenney stores open in Tennessee. They are both near Nashville in Middle Tennessee. One is in Mt. Juliet, and the other is in Murfreesboro.
The company closed its stores and offices about two months ago, on March 18, because of COVID-19. It temporarily furloughed most hourly store employees starting April 2.
In a press release Friday, JCPenney said it will close stores in phases during its Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But details about the specific stores and their closing dates haven’t been announced.
JCPenney didn’t initially say how many stores might close, but over the weekend, there were reports that the company planned to close almost 30 percent of its 846 stores—about 192 stores by February and another 50 in 2022. That will leave the company, one of America’s most well-known chains, with just over 600 stores. Before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the United States, JCPenney had announced plans to close six of its stores in April, according to CNN.
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The Waste Connections Convenience Center on Warehouse Road had temporarily stopped accepting bulk items and brush and yard waste due to COVID-19.
But the center is accepting these items again this month.
The convenience center was scheduled to start accepting bulk items and metal on Monday, May 4. It is scheduled to begin accepting brush and yard waste on Monday, May 18.
A bulk item is something that doesn’t fit in your garbage can. Examples include furniture, appliances, electronics, wood waste, and tires.
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The Oak Ridge Municipal Building remains closed to the public but is moving to a public check-in area where visitors can be escorted to secured areas of the building, City Manager Mark Watson said in an update Tuesday.
Playgrounds and basketball courts remain closed. Disinfection options are being reviewed for limited open times, the update said.
The Oak Ridge Public Library will begin curbside delivery of library materials beginning in mid-May, the update said.
Oak Ridge City Court is working to resume in-person hearings on May 11 with COVID-19 precautions, the update said. COVID-19 is a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly. It has caused a global pandemic.
The city manager’s update said there is planning for a phased re-opening of the Oak Ridge Senior Center.
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Clark Center Park in Oak Ridge will re-open on Friday, May 1.
The re-opening was announced by the U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday.
DOE closed the park on April 4 in response to an executive order by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee as the state tried to control the spread of COVID-19.
The park has been closed since then.
[Read more…]Restaurants were allowed to re-open under certain guidelines in 89 of the state’s 95 counties on Monday, and retail stores can re-open under similar guidelines on Wednesday.
The guidelines include operating at 50 percent capacity and maintaining social distance (generally keeping people at least six feet apart). The state recommends no live music, and restaurant bars should be kept closed. The state also recommends that employees in both industries wear cloth face coverings and that business owners follow federal guidelines for hygiene and workplace sanitation standards for COVID-19.
The 85 counties where restaurants and retail stores can re-open include Anderson and Roane counties.
Many businesses have been closed or operating under changed conditions as Tennessee, like other states and countries, tried to reduce the spread of COVID-19, a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly.
“Tennesseans pulled together to flatten the curve, and it is time for people to begin to get back to work and back to their businesses,” Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said. “We are pursuing a careful, measured approach to reopening our economy that does not depend on heavy-handed mandates but instead provides practical tools for businesses of all sizes.”
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There will be free drive-through COVID-19 testing in Oak Ridge on Sunday.
The testing is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26, at the Oak Ridge campus of Roane State Community College. Participants can remain in their vehicles throughout the process.
The Anderson County Health Department and the Tennessee Department of Health are organizing the testing event, a press release said. Nurses and/or National Guard medics will collect nasal swabs from those who want to be tested. Test results may be available within 72 hours after the samples arrive at the lab, depending on lab volume.
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