Oak Ridge Today

First local Habitat for Humanity family celebrates mortgage payoff with mortgage burning

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Habitat for Humanity Mortgage Burning

The first family to pay off its mortgage in the traditional manner through Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County celebrates with a mortgage burning ceremony last week. Pictured from left are homeowners Becky and Ray Seiber and HFHAC Executive Director Jennifer Sheehan.

The first family to pay off its mortgage in the traditional manner through Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, making monthly mortgage payments, celebrated with a mortgage burning ceremony last week.

Owned by Becky and Ray Seiber, the home just north of Oliver Springs in the Cove community was also the first house built by the then-new Habitat for Humanity chapter in 1992. The Seibers are considered the affiliate’s first family. [Read more…]

New Nashville center for financial services firm UBS to add 1,000 jobs

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Tennessee and Nashville officials announced Wednesday that UBS, a global financial services firm, will establish a shared services center in Nashville, adding 1,000 jobs. It’s a $36.5 million investment, officials said.

UBS currently provides operations support in Nashville through more than 200 employees and has a full-service wealth management office, a press release said. The new UBS Nashville Business Solutions Center will offer expanded business services in support of their wealth management and investment banking divisions. [Read more…]

Council approves pedestrian safety projects, Chamber contract

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Oak Ridge City Council

During a special meeting Monday, the Oak Ridge City Council approved pedestrian safety improvement projects on Oak Ridge Turnpike and at Jackson Square, and approved a contract worth up to $175,000 with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. (File photo)

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday agreed to use more than $500,000 in red light camera money to improve the city-owned parking lot on the north side of Jackson Square and make eight Oak Ridge Turnpike intersections safer for pedestrians.

Council also approved a $175,000 contract with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, an amount that was down significantly from previous years but higher than what City Manager Mark Watson had originally proposed earlier this year. [Read more…]

Teen indicted in crash that killed classmate has Sept. 9 court hearing

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Evan Nathaniel Weaver

Evan Nathaniel Weaver

The Andersonville teen indicted on charges connected to a fatal accident in January that killed a passenger in the car he was driving will be arraigned on Sept. 9.

Evan Nathaniel Weaver, 18, was indicted by an Anderson County grand jury on Aug. 13 and arrested last week. He faces four felony charges: vehicular homicide by intoxication, vehicular homicide by recklessness, and two counts of reckless endangerment when a deadly weapon was involved. He also faces misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and possession of drug paraphernalia. [Read more…]

Andersonville Fire Department to hold open house, grand opening today

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department will officially open its third fire hall in mid-September, but the department is offering citizens a chance to get a look at the new station during an open house and grand opening celebration set for today (Tuesday) at 4 p.m.

The Belmont station, built by volunteers at a cost of $110,000, is located at the intersection of Park Road and Sequoyah Lane on the former site of the Belmont School, which burned down in the mid-1960s. The new fire station is 5,000 square feet in size. [Read more…]

DOE provides more funding for small nuclear reactor project

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mPower Containment

Conceptual drawing of an underground containment structure housing two B&W mPower™ reactor modules. (Image courtesy B&W)

Federal officials have agreed to spend another $20.5 million on a project that could result in a small modular nuclear reactor in west Oak Ridge within a decade.

The Babcock & Wilcox Co. announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Energy has allocated the additional funding to an agreement with Babcock & Wilcox mPower Inc. (B&W mPower) under what is known as the Small Modular Reactor Licensing Technical Support Program.

The small modular reactor, which can generate 180 megawatts of electricity, could be built at the former Clinch River Breeder Reactor site in west Oak Ridge by 2022. [Read more…]

Corker calls for air strikes in Syria after possible chemical attacks

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U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker on Monday said he would support a decision by the president to engage in surgical strikes against the Syrian government given the evidence of the Assad regime’s continued use of chemical weapons, a press release said.

However, he cautioned against any further involvement beyond supporting “vetted, moderate members of the Syrian opposition,” the release said. The senator urged the Obama administration to eventually seek congressional authorization for any use of military force in Syria.

Corker is a Tennessee Republican and ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee. [Read more…]

Council to discuss utility rates, consider pedestrian safety

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Oak Ridge City Council

The Oak Ridge City Council will discuss a utility rate review and consider more than $500,000 worth of projects to improve pedestrian safety during a work session and special meeting tonight. (File photo)

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider pedestrian safety projects valued at more than $500,000 and a $175,000 contract with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce during a special meeting at 8 p.m. today (Monday).

That meeting will follow a non-voting work session that starts at 7 p.m. During the work session, Council will discuss a proposal to a build a storm water holding tank along Emory Valley Road on land that could be donated by Anderson County, hear a presentation on the purchasing and financing of three replacement fire engines, and discuss a utility rate review by Chris Mitchell of Management Consultants LLC. [Read more…]

Girl on bike hit by car, now in stable condition at UT, authorities say

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Note: This story was updated at 1:50 p.m.

A nine-year-old girl who was riding a bicycle when she was hit by a car on Highland Avenue on Sunday night is in stable condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, authorities said.

The girl was struck at about 5:38 p.m. near Hillside Drive, according to a Monday morning news release from the Oak Ridge Police Department. The car was a 2002 black Lexus driven by Roy Kirk, 67, of South Hollywood Circle in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

First Wildcat Day for all sports draws players, fans, Coach Gaddis

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Oak Ridge High School Wildband at Wildcat Day

Members of the Oak Ridge High School Band play at the opening of a Wildcat Day pep rally at the Ben Martin field on Saturday.

Enthusiastic fans and players flocked to Oak Ridge High School on Saturday for a first-of-its-kind pep rally that incorporated all sports and featured a football coach that helped the Wildcats win their last state championship and is leading the team once more.

The pep rally was part of what had officially been proclaimed Wildcat Day by the Oak Ridge City Council. The rally featured short cheerleader routines, music by members of the Oak Ridge High School Band, short speeches from city and school officials, an introduction to the ORHS Wildcats football team and coaches, and fireworks. [Read more…]

CAK takes lead over Robertsville in double overtime

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Robertsville Middle School Rams Play CAK

The Robertsville Middle School Rams lost 18-12 in double overtime Thursday to Christian Academy of Knoxville at Ben Martin Field.

The Robertsville Middle School Rams lost 18-12 in double overtime Thursday to Christian Academy of Knoxville.

The Rams are now 1-1. They beat Webb 22-18 on Aug. 8 and play Wartburg this week at Blankenship Field in Oak Ridge, Coach Chris Layton said.

This past Thursday’s football game had been moved to Ben Martin Field, the Oak Ridge High School practice field, because of field conditions at CAK, where the game had originally been scheduled to be played.

Clinton Library has workshops on Affordable Care Act

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The Clinton Public Library is hosting a pair of workshops on the Affordable Care Act.

Presented by local insurance agent David Vudragovich, it’s designed to answer questions about the controversial health care legislation, which became law in 2010. [Read more…]