Student identified, charges pending in new shooting threat

The Oak Ridge Police Department has identified the student responsible for posting a new shooting threat on Snapchat about Oak Ridge High School, and charges are pending, city and school officials said Wednesday.

“ORHS had another social media shooting threat last night,” the City of Oak Ridge said in a brief statement. “The juvenile suspect was identified overnight, and the threat was determined not viable. Charges are forthcoming. School continued as normal this morning.”

The new Snapchat threats were posted at about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, after two students were identified as being responsible for a previous threat posted Monday, according to information from Oak Ridge Schools.

“We immediately contacted the Oak Ridge Police Department and are pleased to share that they have been successful in identifying the student responsible for posting these threats,” school officials said. “We are appreciative of their expedient action and resolve of this safety concern.”

Families received a phone call about the new threats early Wednesday.

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ORPD to be at ORHS Tuesday after lockdown Monday

The Oak Ridge Police Department will have an increased presence at Oak Ridge High School on Tuesday following a lockdown on Monday, Oak Ridge Schools said.

The lockdown came after a shooting threat on social media that school administrators learned about on Monday.

“After learning of this threat, we immediately placed ORHS on a Level 3 lockdown and contacted the Oak Ridge Police Department,” Oak Ridge Schools told families Monday evening. “The ORPD will ‘continue to investigate and keep students safe’ during this situation. As the City of Oak Ridge press release stated, we too ‘appreciate the seamless coordination and efforts between the school system, city, and ORPD as this investigation continues.'”

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ORHS students to be released at normal times

Oak Ridge High School was on lockdown on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, after administrators were made aware of a shooting threat posted on social media. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Police Department is still investigating a shooting threat that was made on social media and led to an hours-long lockdown at Oak Ridge High School starting Monday morning.

Monday afternoon, the City of Oak Ridge said students will be released from school at their normal times, and the Oak Ridge Police Department is taking precautions to continue to investigate and keep students safe during dismissal.

“We appreciate the seamless coordination and efforts between the school system, city, and ORPD as this investigation continues,” the city said.

The lockdown was reported at about 11 a.m. Monday after administrators said they were made aware of a shooting threat posted on social media.

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Updated: ORHS on lockdown after shooting threat

Oak Ridge High School was on lockdown late Monday morning, Dec. 6, 2021, after administrators were made aware of a shooting threat posted on social media.

This story was last updated at 2:45 p.m.

Oak Ridge High School was on lockdown late Monday morning after administrators were made aware of a shooting threat posted on social media.

“ORHS is on a level 3 lockdown due to a shooting threat on social media,” City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Lauren Gray said. “The Oak Ridge Police Department is currently on scene investigating. Level 3 lockdown is a call for increased security when a situation inside or outside the building may have an impact on school. Students return to classrooms. All outside doors and classroom doors are locked and no one is permitted to enter or exit the building.

“We will release more information as it becomes available.”

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AD Mullins retires; Gaddis named interim AD

Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis had his 300th football coaching win when the Wildcats beat Clinton 42-6 on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. Gaddis, center, is pictured above with former Oak Ridge High School Principal Martin McDonald, left, and ORHS Athletic Director Mike Mullins. (File photo courtesy Martin McDonald)

Oak Ridge High School Athletic Director Mike Mullins is retiring, and football coach Joe Gaddis, who announced his retirement as coach in November, will serve as interim athletic director.

Mullins’ decision to retire was announced Wednesday by ORHS Principal Garfield Adams. Gaddis’ appointment as interim athletic director was announced Thursday.

“As athletic director, Mullins was responsible for leading an athletic department that is committed to excellence both in the classroom and in competition,” Adams said in a letter to families. Mullins led several capital improvement projects, Adams said, including the multi-million-dollar revitalization of Blankenship Field and the design of Wildcat Arena, which was part of a $61 million renovation of ORHS.

“This state-of-the-art facility is home to the Wildcat basketball and volleyball teams and is one of the finest venues in the state,” Adams said.

Other facility upgrades completed during Mullins’ tenure include the Pro2Serve Soccer Complex, a renovated weight room, and many locker room enhancements.

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ORHS Masquers to present ‘Clue’

Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s extracurricular drama program, will present “Clue” in three performances in November. (Submitted photo)

Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s extracurricular drama program, will present “Clue,” the murderously funny play based on the classic film, for three performances in November, a press release said.

Two evening performances are scheduled at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 11, and Saturday, November 13. An afternoon performance is scheduled at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 14.

The play will be performed in the Oak Ridge Performing Arts Center at ORHS.

“Seating is limited since we will be seating guests socially distanced by family groups,” the press release said. “Seating will be first come, first served.”

“Clue” is the story of a dinner party gone awry. Six guests are invited but told to use only the aliases assigned to them. When Colonel Mustard, Ms. Scarlett, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum, and Ms. White figure out they are all being blackmailed by their host, they are presented with a weapon and an option: pay the blackmailer or take the blackmailer out.

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CNS donates $10,000 to Oak Ridge High School NJROTC

Oak Ridge High School Principal Garfield Adams, Cmdr. Keith Klemm, Y-12 Site Manager and retired Capt. Gene Sievers, and Chief Ryan Nicholls at a recent ceremony where Consolidated Nuclear Security provided a $10,000 donation to support the Navy Junior ROTC program’s continued excellence. (Photo provided by Oak Ridge High School.)

The Oak Ridge High School Navy Junior ROTC began four years ago with a donation from Consolidated Nuclear Security. As the first class of seniors who have been with the program all four years graduates, CNS is making another significant donation to the program, a press release said.

On May 19, parents and NJROTC community partners attended a ceremony at Oak Ridge High School to celebrate the cadets’ accomplishments. During the ceremony, Y-12 Site Manager and retired U.S. Navy Captain Gene Sievers announced a $10,000 CNS donation for continued support of the program. Other organizations provided scholarships and awards to the cadets, the press release said.

“It’s vitally important to support programs like this in schools,” Sievers said. “Providing these students with a way to explore military careers and leadership while still in high school can significantly affect their career trajectory.”

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ORHS Concert band to perform at Civic Center Amphitheater

Oak Ridge High School Concert Band (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge High School Concert Band will perform on stage in public for the first time this year Thursday evening.

The concert is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 20, in the Amphitheater at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. The concert will move to Oak Ridge High School if if necessary because of rain.

“The students have been rehearsing and performing virtually from the ORHS Performing Arts Center auditorium seats since December!” a press release said.

The band’s “Jazz Journey: 1941” halftime music during football season along with the virtual Christmas and winter concerts have kept the group strong musically, and they are looking forward to entertaining their families and the community with that talent for their final concert performance this year, the press release said.

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Drive-by graduation celebration at ORHS on Tuesday

There will be a drive-by celebration to honor graduates at Oak Ridge High School this afternoon (Tuesday, May 26).

The drive-by celebration is scheduled from 3 to 3:30 p.m. on Providence Road. It’s a student-led event, not an official school event.

There are some rules for the celebration:

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COVID-19: Oak Ridge Schools cancel Safety Patrol trip

Note: This story was updated at 5:35 p.m. March 15.

Oak Ridge Schools has cancelaed an elementary school Safety Patrol trip to Washington, D.C., but the Oak Ridge High School winter guard and percussion trip to Suwanee, Georgia, is still scheduled to occur.

Update: The WGI has canceled all future events, and the ORHS Indoor Percussion will not be traveling to Georgia. But they did perform at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Friday. It’s not clear if the status of the band and orchestra trip mentioned below has changed.

Regarding another trip, the Oak Ridge Board of Education did not vote in a meeting on Wednesday to cancel the ORHS band and orchestra trip to New York City at this time. But school officials plan to keep monitoring conditions in New York City.

The school board was considering the status of the trips because of concerns about COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.

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