Oak Ridge Today

Lady Mavericks keep it close, but Oak Ridge girls prevail, play Powell tonight

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Oak Ridge senior forward Caelyn Thompson (22) dribbles during a 48-40 win over Anderson County at Wildcat Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2:15 p.m.

The Lady Mavericks kept it close, but the Lady Wildcats prevailed in a 48-40 win at home on Tuesday. Oak Ridge will play Powell tonight, also at home at Wildcat Arena.

Oak Ridge and Anderson County were tied 25-25 at halftime on Tuesday. The Lady Wildcats led 37-31 at the end of the third quarter, but the Lady Mavericks were able to narrow the lead to four points in the fourth quarter and keep it there for about a minute in the final 90 seconds.

The Lady Wildcats (17-3, 11-0 District 3-AAA) were able to widen the lead to eight points late in the game on four made free throws by sophomore post Mykia Dowdell and freshman point guard Jada Guinn in the last 34 seconds. Dowdell led Oak Ridge with 16 points during the game, and Guinn had 14.

The Lady Mavericks (8-15, 6-5) were led by freshman Brooklin McCoy, who scored a game-high 20 points. Senior Colebee Sumner added 12 for Anderson County. [Read more…]

Rescheduled: Learn about volunteering in the Manhattan Project National Park on Tuesday

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You can learn more about volunteering for the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a meeting at the Midtown Community Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016. National Park Service employees are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

You can learn more about volunteering for the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a meeting at the Midtown Community Center on Tuesday.

The meeting was rescheduled from this past Thursday to this coming Tuesday (January 26) because of snow last week.

The information session on volunteer opportunities will be hosted by the Manhattan Project National Historical Park-Oak Ridge. It’s scheduled from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday at the Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge.

The new park, which also includes Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, was formally established on November 10, 2015, in a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C. The signing ceremony featured U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. [Read more…]

Winter storm warning in effect through Saturday evening

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Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7:25 p.m.

Rain turned into occasional snow in Oak Ridge on Friday afternoon as a winter storm warning remained in effect, and the National Weather Service in Morristown said there is a 100 percent chance of precipitation on Friday night, with new snow accumulation of two to four inches possible.

Snow will continue to be likely Saturday morning, mainly before 11 a.m., the NWS said.

The low tonight is forecast at 26 degrees Fahrenheit, and the high tomorrow is expected to be 31. The new snow accumulation on Saturday is expected to be less than half of an inch.

The winter storm warning remains in effect through 7 p.m. Saturday. It’s part of a large, strong Winter Storm Jonas that’s affecting a large part of the eastern United States, including Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Washington, D.C., Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge basketball games rescheduled, canceled

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The Oak Ridge junior varsity and varsity basketball games scheduled for tonight (Friday, January 22) against Powell have been rescheduled for Thursday, January 28.

The freshman and junior varsity, or JV, games against Christian Academy of Knoxville on Saturday, January 23, are canceled.

The calendar for next week is below. All games are at home at Oak Ridge High School. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge schools open Friday; Clinton, Anderson schools closed

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Note: This story was last updated at 12:25 a.m.

Oak Ridge Schools will have a regular school day on Friday, January 22, and will start on time, officials said.

Schools in the Clinton and Anderson County districts remain closed for a third day.

Roane County Schools announced that, as of Thursday evening, they planned to be open Friday.

After being closed two days, Anderson County government offices will be open on Friday. [Read more…]

More snow possible Friday night, Saturday; heavy snow forecast to north, east

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Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:54 a.m.

More snow is possible in Oak Ridge on Friday night and Saturday, and the forecast calls for heavy snow in areas to the north and east, including northeast Tennessee and western North Carolina, as Winter Storm Jonas turns into a major snowstorm Friday.

A National Weather Service map of expected snowfall amounts shows that four to 12 inches of snow are possible in parts of upper East Tennessee and at higher elevations. Snowfall amounts in and around Asheville, North Carolina, could vary between eight and 24 inches. A blizzard watch has been issued for Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and New York City.

Expected snowfall amounts in Anderson County vary between one and four inches. (Anderson County is the county to the northwest of Knoxville in the map above.)

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Anderson, Knox, Loudon, and Roane counties, among others, from 7 a.m. Friday to 1 a.m. Sunday. It applies to Clinton, Kingston, Knoxville, Lenoir City, Maryville, Oak Ridge, and Sevierville. [Read more…]

National Weather Service: Snow, ice-covered roads through Thursday morning

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Pennsylvania Avenue west of New York Avenue is pictured above late Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 20, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:07 a.m.

There had been some improvement on main roads in Oak Ridge late Wednesday afternoon but many side streets remained snow-covered and slippery, and the National Weather Service said snow and ice-covered roads will remain through Thursday morning.

State Route 62 or East Tri County Boulevard in Oliver Springs was still snow-covered early Wednesday evening and was slippery, especially driving south, up the hill toward Oak Ridge.

In Oak Ridge, Illinois Avenue was in the best condition late Wednesday afternoon, and Oak Ridge Turnpike and some well-traveled side streets, including Hillside Road and a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue, still had some snow but were passable. Still, side streets were slippery. One small car needed a push from two men just to get to the curb while trying to get up a small hill on West Outer Drive near North Illinois Avenue. [Read more…]

Schools in Oak Ridge, AC, Roane, Clinton closed again Thursday; county offices also

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Schools in Oak Ridge, Anderson County, Clinton, and Roane County will be closed again Thursday, January 21, because of the winter weather and hazardous road conditions.

“Please stay warm and if you must travel, please do so safely,” Roane County Schools said.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said county government will also be closed Thursday. [Read more…]

Roads becoming slipperier as snow continues to fall

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Roads in Oak Ridge are becoming slipperier as snow continues to accumulate. Above, an Oak Ridge snow plow is pictured at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Administration Road at about 11 a.m. Wednesday morning, Jan. 20, 2016. Heavy snow continued to fall about 1.5 hours later. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2:30 p.m.

Roads in Oak Ridge became slipperier on Wednesday morning as snow continued to fall.

There were slick spots on well-traveled roads such as New York Avenue, Tyler and Administration roads, and even Oak Ridge Turnpike at about 11 a.m. Wednesday. And a heavy snow continued to fall about an hour later.

Oak Ridge Today drove around central Oak Ridge for about an hour between 10 and 11 a.m. Wednesday while taking pictures, and the roads became noticeably slicker as snow accumulated. We measured about three-quarters of an inch of snow in a parking lot at the Oak Ridge Civic Center at about 10:15 a.m. A few hours later, there was a little more than two inches on the ground on a city side street.

Most people appeared to be driving cautiously Wednesday morning as schools and some government offices and businesses decided to close. [Read more…]

See the Oak Ridge Winter Weather Plan here; includes info on snow, ice removal priorities

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The Oak Ridge Central Services Complex is pictured above after a previous snow. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

The City of Oak Ridge has a winter weather plan. You can read the 2015-2016 Winter Weather Plan here.

The plan includes information on how snow and ice removal are prioritized on streets. City-maintained streets have been prioritized into four categories according to volume of traffic, or public health and safety factors.

  • Level 1: State highways and hospital routes
  • Level 2: Arterial streets, feeder streets to state highways and known trouble spots such as hills and shady areas.
  • Level 3: Collector streets, streets providing access to subdivisions, and the main connector streets at the neighborhood level.
  • Level 4: All other local neighborhood streets are categorized as Level 4. Many of these streets have on-street parking and provide minimal turning space for snowplows. The decision and ability of the Public Works Department to clear Level 4 routes is based on a number of factors, including current and predicted weather conditions, safety for parked vehicles, salt/chemical reserves, and the threat of additional inclement weather.

[Read more…]

With snow in forecast, Roane County Schools closed Wednesday

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Roane County Schools will be closed Wednesday, when a few inches of snow are possible in East Tennessee.

Anderson County Schools are also closed.

Oak Ridge and Clinton have their own school districts, and neither has announced plans to close.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said winter weather is expected across the region on Wednesday, and again later this week. [Read more…]

City puts down brine to prepare for snow

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Oak Ridge city workers have put down brine to help prepare roads for the snow that is forecast for Wednesday. Above, the brine is visible on Woodbury Lane in front of the Oak Ridge Central Services Complex on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 19, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge city workers have put down brine to help prepare roads for the snow forecast for Wednesday.

The salt and water mix is visible on many city roads.

On Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service in Morristown said there is a 20 percent chance of snow showers after 1 a.m. Wednesday near Oak Ridge, and snow is likely before 3 p.m. Wednesday. A new snow accumulation of one to three inches is possible in Oak Ridge, forecasters said. [Read more…]