Oak Ridge Today

Man surrenders after allegedly holding 9-year-old girl hostage

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New York Avenue Man Surrenders Jan 12 2017

A man surrendered to Oak Ridge police after allegedly holding a 9-year-old girl hostage on Norton Road for about 1.5 hours on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:15 p.m.

A man who had allegedly taken a nine-year-old girl hostage and was armed with a rifle when police responded to a family disturbance peacefully surrendered to Oak Ridge police officers after about 1.5 hours of negotiations on Thursday, authorities said.

The child was rescued, and the armed suspect was taken into custody, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

No injuries were reported after the man, later identified as Robert Foreman, 36, of Oak Ridge, surrendered. Part of New York Avenue was closed Thursday evening as officers negotiated with Foreman and set up a perimeter.

Foreman’s relationship to the girl wasn’t immediately clear Thursday. His motive also wasn’t clear. [Read more…]

Updated: ORPD searching for missing boy

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Updated: The Oak Ridge Police Department is searching for a missing 12-year-old boy late Thursday afternoon.

The boy’s name is James Creel. He is described as white with short blonde hair and hazel eyes, and he is wearing a royal blue jacket, camouflage pants, and red and black shoes.

He was last seen near West Outer Drive at Windgate Place, the ORPD said in a text alert. [Read more…]

Council approves $120,000 for city-owned golf course

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Centennial Golf Course Dec 10, 2015

The Tennessee Centennial Golf Course is pictured above in Oak Ridge on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council agreed in a 5-2 vote on Monday to provide $120,000 to continue operating the Tennessee Centennial Golf Course, which the city owns in east Oak Ridge off Edgemoor Road.

The request this year was smaller than it was in 2015, when Council approved a $325,000 transfer, but the golf course is still short of money needed to operate, despite all marketing efforts, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told City Council members in a memo before Monday’s meeting.

Most of the $120,000 in funding—or $70,024 of it—will be used for accounts payable. The rest will be used for cash flow and salaries, Watson said.

“The slow winter season now requires funding to pay necessary costs and salaries through the winter quarter (January-March 2017),” Watson said. [Read more…]

With win over Cougars, Lady Wildcats now the only undefeated team in district

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Oak Ridge junior Destiny Kassner (30), who scored 13 points, plays defense against Campbell County sophomore Lexy Richardson (24) during a 56-39 win for the Lady Wildcats in Jacksboro on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

JACKSBORO—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats became the only undefeated team in District 3-AAA with a 56-39 win over Campbell County in Jacksboro on Tuesday.

Both basketball teams were undefeated before the game.

The Lady Cougars (13-5, 6-1 District 3-AAA) led or were tied with the Lady Wildcats for much of the first half, and Oak Ridge trailed 14-10 at the end of the first quarter.

But the Lady Wildcats (15-2, 7-0) led 24-21 at halftime and never trailed again. Oak Ridge outscored Campbell County 21-9 in the fourth quarter.

Oak Ridge Paige Green called it a huge win. Campbell County has shooters and players who can drive to the basket, and the team is well-coached, she said. [Read more…]

Warrant: Defendant in Hibachi Burger robbery used gun

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Dominique Leshawn Gordon

Dominique Leshawn Gordon

The defendant in the robbery of Hibachi Burger in Grove Center on Tuesday had a gun, and he showed it to several employees and customers, “placing them in fear of serious bodily injury,” according to court records.

Dominique Leshawn Gordon, 21, of Hamilton Circle, has been charged with aggravated robbery, according to an affidavit filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court. He remained jailed in the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton on Thursday morning.

The affidavit said Gordon allegedly entered Hibachi Burger at about 6:10 p.m. Tuesday, and he displayed a firearm.

“The defendant demanded money from the register while displaying the firearm to several employees and patrons, placing them in fear of serious bodily injury,” said the affidavit, filed by Oak Ridge Police Department Detective A. Marvell Moore. “After obtaining the money, the defendant fled on foot. The defendant was apprehended a short time later by patrol officers.” [Read more…]

Westcott’s 95th birthday will be celebrated Jan. 21

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Ed Westcott

Ed Westcott is pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

The family of Ed Westcott, the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during World War II, is inviting the community to celebrate his 95th birthday on Saturday, January 21.

The birthday celebration is at 2 p.m. January 21 in the Wildcat Den at Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Westcott was the only authorized photographer in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal project to build the world’s first atomic bombs—before Germany could. Oak Ridge was a production site for the Manhattan Project, and the city, which was then known as Clinton Engineer Works, enriched uranium for the first atomic bomb used in wartime. [Read more…]

McNally elected lieutenant governor, speaker of the Senate

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally (Submitted photo)

 

The Tennessee Senate on Tuesday elected Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, as Tennessee’s 87th speaker of the Senate. In Tennessee, the speaker of the Senate is also lieutenant governor.

McNally is only the second Republican Tennessee Senate Speaker in modern history and the first from Anderson County in nearly 150 years.

The Senate’s 33 senators met at noon Tuesday, the first organizational day of the 110th General Assembly, to elect their speaker.

McNally spoke to his colleagues and Tennessee residents after his election.

“I am truly humbled at the trust you have placed in me,” McNally said. “Over the last 10 years, our Tennessee Senate has developed a strong reputation as an efficient and fiscally responsible legislative body. It is a well-earned reputation that I plan to build on.” [Read more…]

Food City expands

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Mickey Blazer, left, executive vice president of operations for K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. in Knoxville and Chattanooga, is pictured above with store manager Joe Fahy, center, and Joe Greene, district manager, at the expanded Food City grocery store in Oak Ridge on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Food City in Oak Ridge has expanded. It’s now one of the larger stores of its type.

Food City and Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce officials celebrated last week with ribbon-cutting and flag retirement ceremonies.

Among the new, expanded, or renovated sections are a bakery, deli, and cafe; a specialty cheese section and salad bar; a wellness center, pharmacy, and natural section; a wine section and growler station for beer on tap to go; and drive-through pharmacy and Gas ‘N Go.

During the 10-month expansion project, the Food City store added 11,200 square feet using vacant space formerly occupied by H&R Block and Sally Beauty Supply, Food City officials said. [Read more…]

Lady Wildcats, Campbell County—both undefeated in district—play Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats huddle with Coach Paige Green during the championship game against Bradley Central in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic in Greeneville on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge and Campbell County girls’ basketball teams are both undefeated in District 3-AAA, and the two teams will play today.

One team will remain undefeated, and the other will pick up its first district loss of the season.

Oak Ridge, ranked number seven in the first Class AAA poll of 2017, is 14-2 overall and 6-0 in District 3-AAA.

Campbell County is 13-4 and 6-0 in District 3-AAA. [Read more…]

Learn about the construction of Oak Ridge through Westcott photos

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Ed Westcott and Ray Smith

Ed Westcott, right, was the only official photographer in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project in World War II, a top-secret project to build the world’s first atomic bomb. Westcott is pictured above with D. Ray Smith, Y-12 National Security Complex historian and newspaper history columnist. (Photo courtesy D. Ray Smith)

 

A Tuesday program will focus on the construction of the city that is now Oak Ridge through Ed Westcott photographs.

The program is titled “The Building of the Atomic City—the Ed Wescott Photographs.” It will be presented by Emily Hunnicutt, Ed Westcott’s daughter, and Don Hunnicutt, Westcott’s son-in-law.

Westcott was the official photographer for the federal government in the city, which was once known as Clinton Engineer Works, during World War II. Oak Ridge was built as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project, a program to build the world’s first atomic bombs, before Germany could.

The Tuesday program is at noon at the University of Tennessee Resource Center at 1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike. It includes a lunch, and it’s sponsored by Friends of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, or FORNL. This meeting is open to the public. [Read more…]

Main roads clear, but few snowy spots remain on side streets

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snow-on-orange-lane-jan-7-2017-slider

Roads in Oak Ridge were mostly clear after snow on Friday night and Saturday morning, Jan. 6 and 7, 2017, but a few snowy spots remained. Pictured above is Orange Lane in north Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Main roads in Oak Ridge were mostly clear after a snowstorm on Friday night and Saturday morning, but a few snowy spots remained on side streets.

Main streets such as Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue appeared to be completely clear. Heavily traveled secondary roads such as Tennessee Avenue, New York Avenue, Georgia Avenue, Rutgers Avenue, and Outer Drive appeared to be mostly or completely clear. The few snow-covered spots appeared to be mostly on side streets that aren’t as heavily traveled, such as Orange Lane and Orchard Lane in north Oak Ridge.

Much of the snow that fell Friday night and Saturday morning appeared to have melted, including on the hillside next to Blankenship Field that is often used for sledding after snow falls.

The National Weather Service isn’t forecasting any more snow until Tuesday, when there is a slight chance of rain and showers. [Read more…]

JMS-RMS basketball games postponed due to weather

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Basketball games between Jefferson Middle School and Robertsville Middle School have been postponed due to possible hazardous driving conditions tonight (Saturday, January 7).

A possible new date for the games hasn’t been announced yet.

More information will be added as it becomes available.