Oak Ridge Today

Significant snowfall possible, forecasters say; one to five inches locally

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A major winter storm hitting the Southeast on Tuesday and Wednesday could dump three to five inches in the Tennessee Valley and southern Cumberland Plateau, and six to nine inches in the mountains, the National Weather Service in Morristown said.

Accumulations in Anderson and Roane counties could range between one and five inches from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning. Knoxville and Knox County are expected to get between three and five inches.

The forecast near Oak Ridge calls for a 20 percent chance of snow as early as Tuesday night, with a low of 26 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of snow all day, with a high of 36 and a low of 27. The chance of snow falls to 20 percent on Thursday, with a high of 43.

A local winter storm watch is in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday. [Read more…]

Second and final state approval granted for Oak Ridge Mall redevelopment

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Oak Ridge Mall Concept Plan Featured

The site plan for the redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall shows a multi-use, town center development with retail, office, hotel, and residential properties. (Submitted image)

The two state approvals required for the $13 million tax financing agreement for the proposed redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall have now been granted.

Tennessee Comptroller Justin P. Wilson notified mall redevelopment representatives of his approval in a Feb. 5 letter.

Earlier, in January, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development notified project representatives that it had approved the proposed tax increment financing, or TIF, but would not issue a separate letter.

Under Tennessee law, the comptroller and ECD both had to approve the TIF after considering whether its use is in the state’s best interest. The comptroller said it was in the Feb. 5 letter.

ECD approval was granted in a different manner. In a January e-mail, ECD General Counsel Sharon Kolb said the department had received the request for a “best interest” determination for the Oak Ridge Mall on Dec. 19. Since the department did not approve or deny the request within 30 days, it was deemed approved under the Tax Increment Financing Act, Kolb said. [Read more…]

Woman faces first-degree murder charge in death of boyfriend’s uncle

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Tammy Sue Chapman

Tammy Sue Chapman

A former Claxton woman is facing a first-degree murder charge for her alleged role in the death of a 79-year-old man whose body was found hidden underneath an apartment staircase on Patt Lane two years ago.

Tammy Sue Chapman, 45, was indicted on the murder charge by an Anderson County grand jury on Feb. 4. She was arrested Friday.

She and her boyfriend Norman Lee Follis Jr., 50, both now face the first-degree murder charge.

The victim, Sammie J. Adams, 79, of Patt Lane in Claxton, was Follis’ uncle. [Read more…]

A Hero’s Welcome: Community thanks soldier returning from Afghanistan

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Welcome Home Sgt. Neal Martin

An estimated 150 people welcome home U.S. Army Sgt. Neal Martin, who served 10 months in Afghanistan.

It might have been the first organized welcome-home ceremony for a veteran returning home from overseas in more than two decades. Organizers hope it won’t be the last.

An impromptu, grassroots ceremony on Monday morning welcomed home U.S. Army Sgt. Neal Martin, who returned to Oak Ridge after serving for 10 months in Afghanistan.

Val Emery, a friend of Martin’s wife Julie Martin, was the chief organizer.

“Every soldier deserves a hero’s welcome,” said Emery, who described herself as a “military brat” whose grandfather was killed in Laos in 1966 and has his name inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. [Read more…]

State comptroller approves $13 million agreement for Oak Ridge Mall

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Oak Ridge Mall

The Tennessee Comptroller has approved the use of a $13 million tax financing agreement that could be used for the $85 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall. The L-shaped mall is pictured at center above.

The Tennessee Comptroller has approved a $13 million tax financing agreement that could be used for the $85 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall.

The approval was announced in a Wednesday letter from Tennessee Comptroller Justin P. Wilson to Nashville law firm Bradley, Arant, Boult, and Cummings, which is working with Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina company that wants to redevelop the mostly empty mall.

The 20-year tax increment financing, or TIF, agreement, would use new property tax revenues generated at the 59-acre site to help pay for development costs, possibly including tearing down the existing space between the two remaining anchor stores, JCPenney and Belk, as well as for replacing aging infrastructure and building new roads. [Read more…]

Wildcats win regular season district championship 87-69 over Karns

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Jaylin Henderson Dunk

Senior guard Jaylin Henderson dunks in the fourth quarter on Friday, giving the Oak Ridge Wildcats a 60-45 lead over the Karns Beavers. (Photo courtesy Bruce Phillips)

Note: This story was last updated at 11:55 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Wildcats won the regular season district championship in a 87-69 win over the Karns Beavers on Friday.

It was the second time this season the Beavers were able to chip away at a large Oak Ridge lead, again narrowing the deficit to one point, but the Wildcats used zone play and defensive stops to help maintain and then stretch out their lead.

The game featured 17 three-point baskets between the two teams—Karns had 11 of them—and three crowd-pleasing dunks by Wildcats, with one by senior guard Jaylin Henderson and two by senior forward Isaac Merian. Oak Ridge (25-5, 15-1 in District 3) led the entire game.

Both teams started the game 14-1 in the district. [Read more…]

Juvenile Judge Fisher taking new job, leaving chancellor’s race

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Brandon FIsher

Brandon Fisher

Anderson County Juvenile Court Judge Brandon Fisher is withdrawing from the race for Anderson County chancellor because he is joining a nonprofit mental health provider in Pennsylvania in September, a press release said.

Fisher will be the assistant general counsel at the national headquarters of NHS Human Services Inc., the release said. The September start will allow him to finish his term, which ends in August.

In the release, Fisher said the decision was difficult. [Read more…]

Information International wins major ORNL IT support contract

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Information International Associates

Pictured above is the headquarters of Information International Associates on Union Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

Information International Associates has won a five-year contract worth up to $24 million to provide information technology support to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The contract includes a one-year base and four one-year options. IIa will lead a team that includes Science Applications International Corp. and other partners with special capabilities, including Qbase, CADRE5, and EMC2 Corp., a press release said.

The work will include application development, systems administration, cyber security, help desk support, and data center management.

 

[Read more…]

Officials say little about Monday hearing on Y-12, Pantex contract

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Y-12 National Security Complex

The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge is pictured above.

Officials said little about the federal hearing held Monday to discuss the consolidated but contested contract to manage the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

The hearing is related to the protest filed by Nuclear Production Partners LLC, or NP2, which has contested the decision to award the contract to Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC of Reston, Va. Originally announced in January 2013, the contract could be worth up to $22.8 billion over a decade.

The hearing had originally been scheduled for Jan. 29, but it was rescheduled. [Read more…]

Wildcats on eight-game win streak, three regular-season games remain

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Isaac Merian of the Oak Ridge Wildcats

Isaac Merian of the Oak Ridge Wildcats scores two against Campbell County on Thursday. (Photo courtesy Bruce Phillips)

The Oak Ridge Wildcats have won eight in a row, and the boys’ team will finish the regular season this week with three games against Gibbs, Karns, and Fulton.

The Wildcats (23-5, 13-1 in District 3) beat Campbell County 80-41 in a rescheduled game at home on Thursday, and they won at Knox Central 79-62 on Friday.

They play at Gibbs, a district opponent, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. That’s followed by games at home this weekend—against Karns on Friday and Fulton on Saturday. Oak Ridge beat Karns 70-64 on Jan. 11. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge team wins regionals in National Science Bowl, headed to finals

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Jefferson Middle School National Science Bowl Regional Champs

Pictured above from left are coordinator Ken Mayes, Catherine Humphreys, Sadie Lloyd, coach Sharon Wiliford, Joseph Andress, Lawrence Zhang, Henry Shen, and Greg Mills, DOE-ORO representative.

Competition managed by DOE Office of Science

A team of students from Oak Ridge was among 14 teams of middle and high school students who won their regional competitions for the 2014 National Science Bowl this past weekend and are advancing to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., in April.

The Oak Ridge team is from Jefferson Middle School. U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced the winners on Monday.

“The National Science Bowl challenges students to excel and heightens their interest in fields vital to America’s continued scientific advancement,” Moniz said. “Congratulations to these students for advancing to the National Finals. I wish them the best of luck in the competition.” [Read more…]

Found in Woodland: Black-and-white pot-bellied pig

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Pot-bellied Pig on Nasson Lane

A black-and-white female pot-bellied pig roams loose on Nasson Lane in Woodland on Monday morning.

Note: This story was updated at 1:53 p.m.

A black-and-white pot-bellied pig roaming loose in Woodland was picked up by animal control officers and taken to the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter on Monday morning.

The slow-moving female pig roamed through several yards on Nasson Lane before it was corralled in a a backyard, where it was picked up by an animal control officer.

It wasn’t clear where the pig came from. It did not have a collar or identification tags.

Some people keep pot-bellied pigs as pets and one officer said he has encountered them before, although it’s not clear if they would be allowed in the center of the city. [Read more…]