Blasting at Kroger Marketplace site continues Monday, Thursday
Building construction has started at the new Kroger Marketplace shopping center, and blasting at the site is scheduled to continue next week.
Building construction has started at the new Kroger Marketplace shopping center, and blasting at the site is scheduled to continue next week.
The blasting started this week in short sessions that lasted a few minutes each on Monday and Thursday afternoons.
The blasting is expected to continue next week at 2 p.m. Monday and Thursday, a city press release said. [Read more…]
Federal contractors, agencies consider shutdowns, furloughs as funding dispute drags on
The U.S. Department of Energy will soon start shutting down nonessential operations, resulting in employee and contractor furloughs, unless Congress passes a spending bill. Pictured above is DOE’s Oak Ridge Office at the Joe L. Evins Federal Building.
Furloughs possible at DOE, UCOR, other federal contractors; some SAIC employees on leave
The government shutdown is now in its second week, and the U.S. Department of Energy could start shutting down nonessential operations soon—resulting in employee and contractor furloughs—unless Congress quickly approves a spending bill, officials said Tuesday.
Federal contractors with operations in Oak Ridge are also considering possible shutdowns and furloughs because congressional Democrats and Republicans have failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill to keep the government operating in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.
In a Tuesday message to employees, UCOR President Leo Sain said the company, the government’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, has not been told to shut down yet. [Read more…]
ORNL prepares for possible temporary shutdown, unpaid furloughs
Officials at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, pictured above, are preparing for a possible temporary shutdown and unpaid furloughs in case Congress is unable to pass a federal spending bill. (Courtesy Oak Ridge National Laboratory/U.S. Dept. of Energy)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory has enough funding to continue operating through this month and into November, but officials are preparing for a possible temporary shutdown and unpaid furloughs, Director Thom Mason told employees Monday.
The potential shutdown of ORNL would be triggered by Congress’ failure to pass a spending bill in the fiscal year that began Tuesday, Oct. 1. The federal government has already partially shut down, and the Y-12 National Security Complex started an “orderly shutdown” Monday.
Before the Sept. 30 end of the last fiscal year, the U.S. Department of Energy had told federal employees to continue reporting for work in the new fiscal year unless there is a lapse in appropriations and all available money is spent. And Mason told employees of UT-Battelle, which manages the lab, to report to work starting Oct. 1, even if the government shut down, because ORNL had enough funding to continue operating. [Read more…]
Y-12 starts shutdown as Congress fails to approve federal spending
With Congress unable to agree on a federal spending bill, the contractor at the Y-12 National Security Complex, pictured above, has been told to start an “orderly shutdown.” (Photo courtesy B&W Y-12)
With Congress unable to agree on a spending bill and the federal government shut down for a week, the Y-12 National Security Complex has been told to start its own “orderly shutdown.”
Chuck Spencer, general manager of B&W Y-12, which manages and operates the plant, said officials hope that furloughs can be avoided, or that they won’t last long.
The shutdown activities are supposed to put the nuclear weapons plant into a safe and secure status.
A spokesman at the National Nuclear Security Administration in Washington, D.C., wasn’t immediately available to answer such questions as how long the shutdown might take or whether some nuclear-related activities might continue at Y-12. In addition to its weapons work, Y-12 retrieves and stores nuclear materials, fuels the nation’s naval reactors, and performs complementary work for other government and private-sector entities. [Read more…]
Historical marker unveiled at former Poplar Creek Seminary in Wheat
A historical marker honoring the Poplar Creek Seminary was unveiled in the Wheat community in west Oak Ridge on Wednesday. Pictured above from left are Ray Smith, Mick Wiest, Martin McBride, Anne McBride, Bonita Irwin, Bobbie Martin, Billy Stair, and Steve Goodpasture. (Submitted photo)
A historical marker honoring the former Poplar Creek Seminary was unveiled in the Wheat community in west Oak Ridge on Wednesday, a press release said.
The seminary was founded in 1877 and later became the Roane College, and later Wheat High School, and was a center of higher education for area children at the time, the press release said. The school was closed in 1942 when the community became part of the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal project to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II.
The marker is from the State of Tennessee. The sign itself was purchased by UT-Battelle, which manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the press release said. [Read more…]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed until shutdown ends
Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is pictured above in the fall of 2010.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in East Tennessee is one of 401 national parks closed because of the federal government shutdown that started Tuesday.
The National Park Service announced that it has closed all visitor facilities at the park, including visitor centers, picnic areas, campgrounds, and trails. Roads are closed except for Newfound Gap Road (Highway 441), including the Spur and the Gatlinburg Bypass. The park will remain closed until the government reopens, the NPS said.
The closure comes during the busy fall season, when many people visit the park for the changing of the leaves. [Read more…]
Police search finds missing Clinton man at Clark Center Park
Note: This story was updated at 11:47 p.m.
A police search on Monday evening located a missing 79-year-old Clinton man whose personal items including keys and identification, as well as a small amount of blood, had been found at Clark Center Park in Oak Ridge, authorities said.
The man, whom police have not identified, was found lying off an embankment near the edge of the roadway about 200 yards from where his personal property had been found on Bull Bluff Road, the Oak Ridge Police Department said in a Monday evening statement. He was partially clothed and disoriented due to an unknown medical condition.
The man was transported by ambulance to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville to be treated for a head injury, the ORPD said in the statement from Lt. Robin Smith. [Read more…]
During fiscal showdown, three Tennessee legislators support delay in health care law
Lamar Alexander
Bob Corker
Three U.S. legislators from Tennessee said they want to keep the government open but want to either delay the individual mandate in the new health care law or not fund it.
The federal fiscal year ends at midnight Monday, and the Affordable Care Act takes effect Tuesday. Critics call the controversial health care law “Obamacare,” and it’s at the heart of the federal fiscal feud.
House Republicans have proposed delaying the law’s individual mandate for one year, repealing a medical device tax that would help pay for the law, and keeping the government open. But Senate Democrats and President Barack Obama have rejected attempts to tie the government spending measure to attempts to change the health care law. [Read more…]
With shutdown looming, DOE expects to keep operating for now
With a potential government shutdown looming, U.S. Department of Energy employees are expected to continue working unless there is a lapse in appropriations and all available money is spent. Pictured above is DOE’s Forrestal Building in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy DOE)
Although a federal government shutdown is looming, the U.S. Department of Energy expects federal employees to continue reporting for work unless there is a lapse in appropriations and all available money is spent.
“Each component of DOE will continue to operate until prior year balances for funding of federal employees is exhausted,” DOE said in a guide posted on its website. “Their operations under those circumstances will be somewhat modified. For example, travel will generally be curtailed. DOE has some limited transfer and reprogramming authority, which may enable DOE to extend the number of days of funding available in some limited cases.”
The guide said operations will stop once prior-year balances have been spent at most DOE facilities. There would be exceptions for functions related to the safety of human life and protection of property. [Read more…]
Wildcats QB ties school record with five touchdown passes in 57-28 victory
Junior wide receiver Ted Mitchell catches a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jaylin Henderson near the end of the first quarter during the 57-28 homecoming victory against the Gibbs Eagles on Friday. (Photo courtesy Julio Culiat)
Oak Ridge quarterback Jaylin Henderson threw a record-tying five touchdown passes as the Wildcats rolled over the Gibbs Eagles 57-28 during a homecoming game at Blankenship Field on Friday night.
Oak Ridge (4-1, 3-0 in the district) had eight touchdowns total as they scored on drive after drive and kept the Wildcats band busy playing touchdown tunes.
Junior wide receivers Ted Mitchell and Brandon Bonds each had two touchdown catches in the first half, and senior Michael Baker caught one in the second. [Read more…]
ORNL employees to work Tuesday even if federal government shuts down
Thom Mason
It’s still not clear if Congress will pass a budget and keep the government open past midnight Monday, but UT-Battelle employees should report to work Tuesday even if the government shuts down, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason said.
Mason addressed the potential government shutdown in a message on staff cuts that he sent to employees Thursday morning.
Mason said ORNL has enough funding to continue operations even if federal employees have to stop work on Oct. 1. [Read more…]
