Oak Ridge Today

Snow blankets Oak Ridge, more possible in region today

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March Snowfall in Oak Ridge

A light layer of snow blankets the ground at A.K. Bissell Park on Wednesday morning.

A light layer of snow blanketed Oak Ridge on Wednesday morning, and forecasters said regional snow showers and windy conditions will continue through this evening.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said the heaviest snowfall will occur along the mountains of southwest Virginia and east Tennessee.

Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect for much of the Ohio River valley and mid-Atlantic states, as well as for parts of the southern Appalachians.

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Trio arrested after alleged beating in barricaded home

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An Oliver Springs man and two Clinton men charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment after an alleged beating in a barricaded home in Oliver Springs have court hearings Thursday.

The three were arrested after the Oliver Springs Police Department responded to a report of a person being held against their will and beaten in a Ridgeview Drive home at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23.

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Oak Ridge, Clinton companies receive training grants

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Information from WYSH Radio

Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis have awarded Incumbent Worker Training Program grants totaling $29,947 to Protomet Corp. in Oak Ridge and $25,000 to Techmer PM in Clinton.

“If Tennessee is going to become the number one location in the Southeast for high-quality jobs, then we must offer a well-trained workforce to employers,” Haslam said. “This kind of training grant not only helps educate workers, but also provides incentive to employers looking to relocate or expand in Tennessee.”

Since the program’s inception, Incumbent Worker Training grants have assisted more than 600 businesses by providing $14 million to train approximately 50,000 employees.

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Defense, team effort propel Wildcats past Sevier County to state tournament

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Jaylin Henderson of the Oak Ridge Wildcats

Jaylin Henderson scores with about two minutes left in the first half, helping to lead the Oak Ridge Wildcats to a 61-45 win over the Sevier County Smoky Bears in a sectional game at Wildcat Arena on Monday.

Defense and a team effort propelled Oak Ridge past the Sevier County Smoky Bears on Monday, sending the Wildcats basketball team to the state tournament for the first time since 2007.

The final score was 61-45.

Oak Ridge (28-5) will find out who they play in Murfreesboro next week during a drawing on Saturday.

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President Obama nominates MIT scientist for energy secretary

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President Barack Obama has nominated a physicist and director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to serve as his next energy secretary.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Ernest J. Moniz would replace Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, as secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. Chu announced Feb. 1 that he would not serve a second four-year term in the Obama administration.

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Former football coach Joe Gaddis coming back to Oak Ridge

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Note: This story was last updated at 3:31 p.m.

Former Oak Ridge High School football coach Joe Gaddis is returning to Oak Ridge, school officials announced Monday.

Gaddis will be a teacher and head football coach at Oak Ridge High School. He will replace Scott Blade, who resigned to accept a position in Williamson County.

Gaddis has an overall 258-112 record in his 30 years as head coach. Almost half of those wins—or 119 of them—came while he served as head coach at Oak Ridge High School, where he coached from 1988 until 1998, an Oak Ridge Schools press release said.

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Alexander Inn on endangered places list again

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Alexander Inn

The Alexander Inn in Oak Ridge has again been named an endangered place in East Tennessee.

The Alexander Inn in Oak Ridge has again been named an endangered place in East Tennessee.

The vacant, two-story hotel was included on a list of 17 endangered places released by the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance on Monday. The Alexander Inn, which could soon be converted into an assisted living center, has been on the list in previous years as well.

Announced Monday in Knoxville, the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance’s list includes endangered historic buildings and places in a 16-county region.

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Anderson Chamber features seminar on tablets in business

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Tracy Jo Hibben

Tracy Jo Hibben

The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a Wednesday seminar on integrating tablets into businesses.

Led by Tracy Hibben, the seminar is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. at the Chamber office at 245 N. Main St. in Clinton.

A press release said two out of three small business owners plan to use tablets in their business in 2013. The question most have is: how?

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Preventing, ending homelessness discussed at ‘Lunch with League’

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Programs that could help prevent, reduce, and end homelessness will be discussed at “Lunch with the League” on Tuesday.

Mike Dunthorn, program manager for homeless service in the Knoxville Community Development Department, will be the guest speaker at Tuesday’s lunch, which starts at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church.

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Open house scheduled for planned dog park

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Oak Ridge Dog Park Layout Draft

A recent draft of a proposed dog park at Big Turtle Park. (Image submitted by city staff)

The Oak Ridge Dog Park Committee and Recreation and Parks Advisory Board have scheduled an open house this month to share information on the progress of the dog park, as well as give the public an opportunity to comment or share concerns.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 21, in the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

“Please plan to attend this meeting,” a press release said. “We will soon have an opportunity to have a safe place for our dogs to exercise.”

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Anderson Chamber hires retail development coordinator

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Diane Ilgner

Diane Ilgner

The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce has hired Diane Ilgner as retail development coordinator.

In a press release, the chamber said it created this position to promote retail growth and increase sales tax revenue for the county.

“As retail development coordinator, Diane will be responsible for retail retention and retail recruitment by gathering data, identifying areas appropriate for retail growth, and developing relationships with brokers, developers, retailers, and business owners,” the press release said.

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Summit High School wins 2013 DOE Tennessee Science Bowl

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On Saturday, Feb. 23, students from throughout the state of Tennessee descended upon Pellissippi State College’s Blount County Campus to compete in this year’s U.S. Department of Energy’s annual Tennessee Science Bowl competition.

Fifty-five high school teams representing 25 Tennessee counties answered competition questions covering broad disciplines including chemistry, biology, earth and space science, mathematics, physics, and energy. However, in the end, Summit High School from Spring Hill, Tenn. edged out their competitors to win first place.

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