Oak Ridge Today

Lady Wildcats advance to Region 2-AAA semifinal behind 21 points of Dowdell

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats advanced to the Region 2-AAA semifinal behind the 21 points of sophomore Mykia Dowdell (34) and a 58-32 win over Heritage at Wildcat Arena on Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:30 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats advanced to the Region 2-AAA semifinal behind the game-high 21 points of sophomore Mykia Dowdell and a 58-32 win over Heritage at Wildcat Arena on Friday.

It’s the second time this week a Lady Wildcat has scored 21 points in a playoff game. On Tuesday, it was freshman Jada Guinn, in the District 3-AAA championship. On Friday, it was Dowdell in a Region 2-AAA elimination quarterfinal.

It’s the first time the Lady Wildcats (25-4) have advanced to the regional semifinals since 2010, according to broadcaster David Clary. [Read more…]

Higgins scores 20, Johnson named MVP as Wildcats win district championship

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The Oak Ridge Wildcats won the District 3-AAA championship in an 88-62 victory over Karns on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

CLINTON—Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins scored a game-high 20 points and senior Javien Johnson was named MVP as the Wildcats won the District 3-AAA championship in an 88-62 victory over Karns on Tuesday.

Coach Aaron Green said the Wildcats (31-2) had 13 offensive rebounds in just the first half. Junior E.J. Bush had a career-high 14 rebounds through both halves. Higgins had 12, including nine at the half, and Johnson pulled down eight.

“Rebounding was phenomenal,” Green said. “I thought we played really well, especially on defense in the first half.”

Johnson and junior Tajion Jones each scored 18 points for Oak Ridge. Bush added 10. Jones scored 13 of his 18 points in the third quarter.

Johnson, who has been playing with more intensity recently, said he knew he was capable of being named the most valuable player of the District 3-AAA tournament, which was played at Anderson County High School. [Read more…]

Trees down, power outages, flooding reported in Oak Ridge, Anderson County

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A tree was down on Nebraska Avenue on Wednesday morning, Feb. 24, 2016. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:15 p.m.

Officials reported that trees were down across Oak Ridge and Anderson County on Wednesday morning, there were several power outages in Oak Ridge, and flooding was reported at some spots in Anderson County.

The flooding, fallen trees, and power outages were reported after a round of storms came through Wednesday morning.

Crews from the city and county are responding. [Read more…]

Johnson scores 25 as Wildcats advance to district championship Tuesday against Karns

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Oak Ridge senior forward Javien Johnson (11) scored a game-high 25 points during a 72-46 win over Powell in a District 3-AAA semifinal at Anderson County High School on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7:45 p.m.

CLINTON—Oak Ridge senior forward Javien Johnson scored a game-high 25 points in a 72-46 district tournament semifinal win over Powell on Saturday. The Wildcats advance to play Karns in the District 3-AAA championship on Tuesday.

The Wildcats (30-2) held the Panthers to six points in the first quarter and three points in the third on Saturday. But they allowed 21 points in the second.

“We quit guarding them in the second,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said.

But the Wildcats responded well in the second half and played better defense, Green said.

The District 3-AAA semifinal at Anderson County High School on Saturday was the third meeting this year between Oak Ridge and Powell (20-10). The Wildcats have won all three games. [Read more…]

Updated: Lady Wildcats, Campbell Co. to play for District 3-AAA championship Tuesday

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Sophomore post Mykia Dowdell (34) led the Lady Wildcats with a game-high 16 points in a 54-28 win over Anderson County in a District 3-AAA semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. Dowdell is guarded here by Anderson County freshman Brooklin McCoy (34). (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:30 a.m.

CLINTON—Oak Ridge and Campbell County will play for the District 3-AAA girls basketball championship on Tuesday.

Campbell County beat Powell 47-42 to advance to the championship in a semifinal game at Anderson County High School on Saturday, and Oak Ridge defeated Anderson County 54-28 in the other semifinal.

Oak Ridge, which was led by sophomore post Mykia Dowdell with 16 points on Saturday, won both matches with the Lady Cougars this year.

Tuesday’s final starts at 6 p.m. at Anderson County High School. [Read more…]

Centrus completes centrifuge demonstration, reducing Ohio workforce, continuing Oak Ridge work

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American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center

The American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center in south Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy USEC/Centrus Energy Corp.)

 

A centrifuge demonstration is complete in Piketon, Ohio, and the workforce there will be reduced, but  research, engineering, and testing work will continue in Oak Ridge, Centrus Energy Corporation announced Friday.

The company, which is based in Bethesda, Maryland, said it has completed operations of its three-year demonstration cascade of American Centrifuge machines at its facility in Piketon, Ohio. Now, it will demobilize the demonstration cascade and reduce its workforce at Piketon starting with the layoff of about 60 employees during the week of February 29, Centrus said.

Centrus currently has more than 120 employees working at two dedicated facilities in the Oak Ridge area to engineer, design, and test improvements in full-size machines operating in individual test stands, a press release said. The company’s scientists and engineers will continue to improve the reliability and manufacturability of centrifuge machines for potential future applications, the release said. [Read more…]

Home improvements begin soon under TVA Extreme Energy Makeover

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Gary M. Gilmartin

Gary M. Gilmartin

Oak Ridge officials could start accepting applications at the end of this month for a program that will modify homes with high electrical consumption, with a goal of saving energy.

The modifications are possible under a $2.9 million grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority Extreme Energy Makeover Program. There is no local match required. TVA announced the grant award in September 2015.

Under the program, officials will use energy retrofits to reduce electrical consumption by 25 percent and save a total of 1,000 megawatt hours per year for older homes. The energy retrofits will be offered to 229 qualified residents in Oak Ridge homes that are at least 20 years old.

The targeted implementation date is April 1. [Read more…]

Hamilton’s basket in final seconds gives Powell a playoff win over AC

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Loler Simpson (14) of Anderson County drives against the Powell defense during a 46-45 win for the Panthers at Anderson County High School on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

CLINTON—Powell senior Conley Hamilton scored with less than six seconds remaining to give the Panthers a one-point win over Anderson County in a second-round elimination game of the District 3-AAA basketball tournament on Thursday.

The Panthers (20-9) erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit and battled back to take a two-point lead about halfway through the fourth quarter.

But Zach Green of Anderson County tied the game at 42 with 1:10 remaining, and he gave the Mavericks a one-point lead on a three-point shot with about 30 seconds left.

Hamilton responded by driving to the basket in the last 10 seconds and firing off a short shot that went in, giving Powell a 46-45 win. [Read more…]

American Employer Group moves from Oak Ridge to Clinton

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Anderson County Chamber of Commerce

American Employer Group, or AEG, is moving from Oak Ridge to Clinton, relocating more than 90 employees, officials said Tuesday. The move was announced by the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce.

AEG is now located at 439 South Charles Seivers Boulevard in Clinton. It was previously located in Jackson Plaza, Oak Ridge’s tallest business building on Oak Ridge Turnpike.

“Although we enjoyed our time in Oak Ridge, we needed a larger space due to our recent growth,” said Anne Heath, AEG vice president of operations and finance. “We are excited to have the Clinton community be a part of our future success.”

American Employer Group specializes in a wide range of business solutions, including human resources outsourcing, workers’ compensation, payroll services, and more, the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools on two-hour delay Monday

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Oak Ridge Schools will be on a two-hour delay on Monday, February 15, officials said.

Snow and treacherous roads were reported in parts of East Tennessee on Sunday. Oak Ridge had a light dusting of snow, but there are reports of a potential for ice in East Tennessee on Monday morning.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Not the game anyone expected: Oak Ridge beats Fulton 81-31

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Oak Ridge senior point guard Geevantay Gee (12) drives for a basket in his last regular-season game at Wildcat Arena, an 81-31 drubbing of Fulton on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10 a.m.

It wasn’t the game anyone expected. In a battle of two top-ranked teams, Oak Ridge beat Fulton 81-31 at Wildcat Arena on Saturday.

The basketball game, the last in the regular season, was never really close. The Wildcats (29-2) were up by 16 points less than five minutes into the game, led 27-8 at the end of the first quarter, and went into halftime ahead 50-13. Junior guards Tee Higgins and Tajion Jones both had early dunks that fired up the loud, raucous standing-room-only crowd.

The Falcons (22-2), ranked number two in Class AA, shot 15 percent in the first half and probably didn’t do any better in the second, Coach Jody Wright said.

Meanwhile, Oak Ridge, ranked number eight in Class AAA, had 20 assists in the first half alone, a sign that the Wildcats were sharing the ball well, and they played their best game of the year, Coach Aaron Green said. Senior point guard Geevantay Gee had five of those first-half assists, and junior guard E.J. Bush had four. [Read more…]

Lady Wildcats keep game close in final seconds, but Fulton takes 30-26 win

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Fulton sophomore post Janae Fuqua (32) shoots over Oak Ridge sophomore post Mykia Dowdell (34) during a 30-26 win for the Lady Falcons at Wildcat Arena on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 3 a.m.

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats pulled within two points, 28-26, with 10 seconds to go, but Fulton emerged with a 30-26 win at Wildcat Arena on Saturday.

It was the last regular-season game of the year for Oak Ridge (22-4, 16-0 District 3-AAA). The Lady Wildcats enter next week’s district tournament as the top seed and are guaranteed a spot in the Region 2 tournament. The Lady Wildcats finished the regular season undefeated in District 3-AAA after a 47-32 win at Campbell County on Friday.

This year’s game between Oak Ridge and Fulton was closer than last year’s, when the Lady Wildcats fell to the Lady Falcons 71-34.

The taller Fulton team (11-8, 4-4 District 3-AA) was led on Saturday by junior guard/post Keke McKinney, who had a game-high 16-points in the low-scoring game in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Wildcat Arena. Freshman guard Lay Lay Manning, who was fouled four times, made three free throws and two baskets for seven points total. [Read more…]