Oak Ridge Today

IDB has public hearing, special meeting to consider mall plan Thursday

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Oak Ridge Mall Master Plan

A city board will have a public hearing and special meeting Thursday to consider a tax financing agreement for the $80 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall. (Submitted image)

A city board will have a public hearing and special meeting Thursday to consider a tax financing agreement for the $80 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall.

The public hearing starts at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom. It will include a presentation by Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina company that has a purchase contract on the mall and has proposed redeveloping it. The public hearing will also include public comments.

The Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board will have a special meeting after the public hearing to consider approving the tax increment financing, or TIF, agreement, which could be recommended to Oak Ridge City Council and Anderson County Commission. [Read more…]

No new date yet for Y-12 safety, UPF meeting canceled due to shutdown

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Y-12 National Security Complex Aerial View

A federal nuclear safety board has not yet rescheduled a Knoxville meeting to discuss, among other things, the risks associated with continuing to operate old buildings involved in weapons work at the Y-12 National Security Complex, pictured above, and the progress made in the past year to incorporate safety into the design of the multi-billion dollar Uranium Processing Facility. (Photo courtesy B&W Y-12)

A federal nuclear safety board has not yet rescheduled a meeting in Knoxville that had been expected to discuss this week, among other things, the risks associated with continuing to operate old buildings involved in weapons work at the Y-12 National Security Complex—and the progress made in the past year to incorporate safety into the design of the multi-billion dollar Uranium Processing Facility.

The federal Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board had been scheduled to have the day-long meeting and public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the Knoxville Convention Center. But it was delayed due to the partial shutdown of the federal government, which started Oct. 1 and ended Oct. 17.

[Read more…]

Lady Wildcats’ soccer season ends with 2-0 loss to Hardin Valley

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Oak Ridge Lady Soccer Cats and Hardin Valley Academy Hawks

Lady Wildcat Mahala Myers, left, a senior, battles for the ball with a Hardin Valley player during a season-ending subregional game on Tuesday in Oak Ridge.

The Lady Wildcats’ soccer season ended with a 2-0 loss to Hardin Valley Academy in a subregional game on Tuesday.

Coaches said the game featured two good, evenly matched teams, but the Hawks took advantage of opportunities while Oak Ridge did not. Among the missed opportunities for Oak Ridge was a free kick that hit the crossbar with less than three minutes left in the game.

“They just finished theirs,” Lady Wildcats coach Jason Schmieg said. “We didn’t finish ours.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge woman indicted on attempted second-degree murder charge

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Treasure Sheitel Threat

Treasure Sheitel Threat

An Oak Ridge woman who is accused of stabbing a Kingston resident in the stomach last summer after an argument in Grove Center has been indicted on charges of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Treasure Sheitel Threat, 26, of Lynwood Lane, has been jailed since the alleged incident on July 27, 2012. The grand jury indictments were filed Oct. 1.

Threat is accused of stabbing Kingston resident Stanley Wallace in the stomach in his car at the intersection of Robin Lane and Raleigh Road. [Read more…]

Shutdown ends: Oak Ridgers relieved, but frustrated with Congress

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Dean's Restaurant and Bakery

Dean Russell, co-owner of Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery in Jackson Square, has put up a sign expressing frustration with Congress over the government shutdown. Pictured above are restaurant servers Cassandra Prater, right, and Andy Tatum.

The end of the government shutdown last week brought relief to Oak Ridge, especially at the Y-12 National Security Complex, where up to about 3,600 workers were expected to be furloughed starting last Thursday unless a deal was reached.

Chuck Spencer, general manager of B&W Y-12, which manages and operates Y-12, told workers on Thursday that a shutdown to minimum staffing had been averted and the furloughs would no longer be necessary. There had been reports that only about 900 workers might have remained starting today.

Spencer said the nuclear weapons plant, which started an orderly shutdown two weeks ago on Monday, Oct. 7, will begin planning to resume normal operations.

Normal operations resumed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Thursday, Director Thom Mason said in a message to staff. ORNL had enough funding to continue operating through October and into November, but officials had started preparing for a possible temporary shutdown and unpaid furloughs in case the shutdown continued.

Oak Ridge residents remained frustrated even after Congress and the White House reached a last-minute, short-term spending agreement late Wednesday night that averted the shutdowns and furloughs, just hours before a deadline to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and after some local businesses had already reported that the shutdown had affected their operations. [Read more…]

Coffee Concert tonight at First Presbyterian Church

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A Coffee Concert at First Presbyterian Church this evening will feature Ilia Steinschneider and Sean Claire on violin, Eunsoon Corliss on viola, and Eunsook Jung on piano.

The concert starts at 7:30 p.m., and it will feature music by Beethoven, Chopin, Sarasate, Toselli, and Mozart. It’s been organized by the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association.

First Presbyterian Church is at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

American Idol finalist Janelle Arthur to play Oliver Springs festival today

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Janelle Arthur

Janelle Arthur

American Idol finalist Janelle Arthur is expected to play in Oliver Springs at 1 p.m. today during the October Sky Festival.

Arthur had been part of the first-ever all-female Top 5 on the popular televised singing competition in April.

The 6th Annual October Sky Fall Festival started at 9 a.m. today (Saturday) and continues through 4 p.m.

It’s organized by the Oliver Springs Historical Society and the City of Oliver Springs. [Read more…]

Comedy Night at Back 2 Brewski’s tonight

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Back 2 Brewski's Comedy Night

Comedy Night at Back 2 Brewski’s today (Saturday) will feature more than a half-dozen local and touring comedians.

The show is hosted by Danny Whitson. It starts at 9 p.m., and there is a $3 cover at the door.

Back 2 Brewski’s is at 144 Randolph Road in Grove Center in Oak Ridge.

Call (865) 272-3205 for more information.

Wildcats prevail over Powell in 21-14 comeback

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Isiah Jones Touchdown Catch

Sophomore running back Isiah Jones catches the second touchdown for the Oak Ridge Wildcats at Powell on Friday night.

POWELL—The Oak Ridge Wildcats beat the Powell Panthers in a thrilling 21-14 come-from-behind win on Friday night in Powell.

The Wildcats were down two touchdowns at halftime, but a fired-up football team returned in the second half, scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and prevented Powell from scoring again.

“I’m so proud of this football team right now,” Wildcats Coach Joe Gaddis said. “You find out a lot about yourself when you stare adversity in the face.”

In some ways, it resembled the season opener against Farragut, when Oak Ridge struggled to score in the first half but came alive in the second.

[Read more…]

Video: ORFD demonstrates fire ‘flashover’ in three minutes

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Have you ever heard the term “flashover”? Do you know how fast fire spreads throughout your house? Do you have a home escape plan? For the answers to these questions, and more, watch this video from the Oak Ridge Fire Department.

The Fire Department demonstrates how a fire that starts in a trash can in the corner of a room can “flash over” at 1,150 degrees and engulf an entire room in flames in about three minutes.

ORFD Chief Darryl Kerley said the Fire Department would prefer that residents not try to fight fires themselves unless they’ve had training in using a fire extinguisher and have it immediately available. [Read more…]

Construction starts at Unitarian Universalist Church near Federal Building

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Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Site

Construction work has started at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church between Oak Ridge Turnpike and the Joe L. Evins Federal Building.

Construction work has started at the site of a new home for the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church near the Joe L. Evins Federal Building.

Hickory Construction Inc., which has headquarters in Alcoa, announced on Thursday that it has broken ground at the 4.6-acre site. The building could be complete by next summer, a press release said.

Hickory will work with Johnson Architecture Inc. to create a larger church building that will give the congregation an extra 3,000 square feet, compared to the current building a few miles down Oak Ridge Turnpike, the press release said. The new church will feature an updated, modern appearance. [Read more…]

Fleischmann, DesJarlais, Duncan vote ‘no’ on bill to reopen government, raise debt limit

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Barack Obama and House Democratic Leaders

President Barack Obama meets with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other members of the House Democratic leadership in the Oval Office on Oct. 15. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

The epic budget battle that resulted in the first U.S. government shutdown in 17 years and led the nation to the brink of default again ended late Wednesday.

President Barack Obama signed the legislation reopening the federal government and raising the debt ceiling early Thursday morning, a few hours after it passed the House and Senate, and federal workers were told to report to work Thursday, ending a 16-day shutdown.

“We’ll begin reopening our government immediately,” Obama said in remarks before the House passed the bill. “And we can begin to lift this cloud of uncertainty and unease from our businesses and from the American people.”

Officials at the U.S. Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration weren’t immediately available to comment early Thursday morning on the impact on federal facilities in Oak Ridge, where workers have been preparing for shutdowns and furloughs, including at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex.

U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann

Chuck Fleischmann

Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, both Tennessee Republicans, voted for the last-minute, short-term agreement, which keeps the government open through Jan. 15 and raises the federal government’s debt ceiling through Feb. 7.

Tennessee’s two Democratic representatives also voted for it, while all seven Republican representatives—including East Tennessee congressmen Chuck Fleischmann, John J. Duncan Jr., and Scott DesJarlais—voted against it. [Read more…]