The Oak Ridge High School Boys SoccerCats will kick off their season with Midnight Madness at 9 p.m. Friday, February 10. The community is invited.
This free play event will take place at the ORHS soccer complex, an event notice said.
“Hot chocolate and cookies will be provided while you enjoy a fun night of soccer supporting our team,” the notice said.
The Oak Ridge City Council is pictured above in December 2016. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)
The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider opposing the use of public funds for private schools unless certain conditions are met.
The Oak Ridge Board of Education has already taken a position. In November 2016, the Board of Education said it opposed the taking of funds from public education in any Tennessee community unless the local school board agrees, there is statutory assurance that schools receiving the funds will comply with the same curriculum and testing standards required of public schools, and until the Basic Education Program is “adequately funded” by the Tennessee General Assembly.
There has been increased discussion of the potential use of school vouchers, at least in part because of the nomination and confirmation of Betsy DeVos as the new U.S. education secretary.
In a memo to City Council members, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said the Tennessee General Assembly has debated the merits of implementing a school voucher system for many years as a way to provide quality education for all students in the state.
“This system would allow a freedom of choice for all students to choose to leave their geographical-centered public school to another school, taking the state-allocated funds for that public school system to the new system, be it public or private,” Watson said. [Read more…]
Design of the Peace Pavilion for the Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell by Demian\Wilbur\Architects, Washington, D.C.
The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider a $72,000 contract for a new Peace Bell Pavilion at Alvin K. Bissell Park.
The contract with Demian Wilbur Architects of Washington, D.C., would be for construction documents, bidding administration, and construction administration. Funding would be provided by the Capital Improvements Program.
In a memo to Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick said $25,000 was allocated for the project in fiscal year 2016, and another $50,000 was allocated in fiscal year 2017. So far, $15,000 has been used for conceptual planning by Demian Wilbur Architects, Hetrick said. The rest of the money for the contract will be allocated in the fiscal year 2018 Capital Projects Fund. [Read more…]
Leslie William Steelman
Agents found about three pounds of suspected crystal methamphetamine during a major bust in January, authorities said. Agents made an arrest, and they also found three guns, more than $20,000 in cash, and other suspected drugs, including cocaine and MDMA, a press release said.
The Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County has been investigating the importation of crystal methamphetamine into the area since March 2015, the press release said.
Crime Task Force agents tried to locate and apprehend Leslie Steelman of 1094 Cove Lane in Oliver Springs on January 17, the press release said.
He was found at 913 Metler Lane, Lot 5, in Knoxville. With the help of other agencies, he was taken into custody, the press release said.
“Steelman was found hiding under clothing in a back bedroom of the house,” said the press release, which was from the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force. [Read more…]
There have been changes to the basketball schedule because of some school closings in the region, and the Oak Ridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats will play at home for the last time during the regular season tonight.
Here is the new schedule:
The girls’ games start at 6 p.m., and the boys’ games begin at 7:30 p.m.
Senior Night will be rescheduled and will not take place tonight (Tuesday, February 7).
Surrounded by family members and school officials, Oak Ridge senior wide receiver Tee Higgins signs to play football at Clemson University at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Six senior athletes at Oak Ridge High School were honored during National Signing Day at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday.
The six athletes, their sports, and the schools they will attend are:
National Signing Day is the first day that high school seniors can sign a binding letter of intent with NCAA schools, ORHS Athletic Director Mike Mullins said. [Read more…]
An estimated 400 people attended a kick-off meeting for an Oak Ridge City Blueprint at Grove Theater on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
An estimated 400 people attended a kick-off meeting for an Oak Ridge City Blueprint at Grove Theater on Thursday.
Among other things, people were asked what type of project they would like to see in the community. Here are some responses. This list does not include all responses.
Early on Monday, February 6, the Oak Ridge Police Department was notified about some Internet chat room activity that raised its level of concern, authorities said.
After investigating the alleged activity, officers determined there was no threat, a City of Oak Ridge press release said. The Police Department coordinated with Oak Ridge Schools to relay this information. No alert was issued, and the schools did not change their procedure in any way. [Read more…]
The City of Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Schools, and Community Wellness and Safety Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, April 5, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.
The fair is open to all Oak Ridge city employees, Oak Ridge Schools employees, retirees, and their families. The entire Oak Ridge community is also invited to participate.
The Oak Ridge Civic Center is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]
Business owners; city, county, and chamber of commerce officials; and others attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Countryside Tire and Auto Service on South Rutgers Avenue on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Countryside Tire and Auto Service gave a car to Emory Valley Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new shop on South Rutgers Avenue on Friday.
The car is a brown-and-black 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The gift includes 12 months of repair and maintenance.
Goodyear Tires donated tires for the vehicle, and Advance Auto Parts donated parts, said Jeff Cheek, who owns Countryside Tire and Auto Service with his wife Marilyn.
Chris Levesque, who has worked at Countryside Tire and Auto Service for about three years, is an Emory Valley Center client. [Read more…]
Robert Johnson
You can hear an update on the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a Thursday evening meeting.
The meeting of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 9, at the Midtown Community Center’s Wildcat Den at 102 Robertsville Road. It’s open to the public.
Robert Johnson will present an update on the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge. He will discuss the status of the park and announce upcoming events, a press release said.
Here are some links to website pages on the park, which also includes Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico: [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge High School Fusion Orchestra performs on the “Blue Plate Special” on WDVX 89.9 FM at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The Oak Ridge High School Fusion Orchestra performed on the “Blue Plate Special” radio show on WDVX FM 89.9 on Friday. Here are photos from the show.
The groundbreaking fusion orchestra is now in its second year at ORHS, and it is the brainchild of ORHS Orchestra Director Doug Phillips, a press release said. According to Phillips, the class is a result of his doctoral studies during the past seven years at one of the top music universities in the world: Boston University.
“The class is a unique way to teach orchestra students for several reasons,” Phillips said. “First, in a traditional orchestra, all of the students are guided by notes on a paper that tell them exactly what to do and when to do it, how loud to play it, when to stop, etc., while the teacher acts as an overseer and dictates of all activities. [Read more…]
