The Anderson County Courthouse is closed Tuesday due to winter weather.
Anderson County was under a winter storm warning until Tuesday morning, with more snow expected Monday night, a press release said. With lows tonight expected to be 14 degrees Monday night, and a high on Tuesday expected at 25 degrees, “the snow and ice will create unsafe for conditions for citizens and county employees,” the press release said.
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Randy Hemann, the new Oak Ridge city manager, had been scheduled to deliver the annual “State of the City of Oak Ridge” to the League of Women Voters on Tuesday, but the presentation has been canceled due to the winter weather, which has included heavy snow, cold temperatures, and hazardous road conditions.
The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge said it hopes Hemann can deliver the presentation another time, but a new date hasn’t been announced yet.
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City of Oak Ridge offices and facilities and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will be closed Tuesday due to winter weather.
The city said only essential employees are expected to report to work. The Oak Ridge City Council work session scheduled for Tuesday will be postponed and a new date published later.
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Roads, schools, and businesses closed as snow fell for hours in Oak Ridge. The snow began about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, and snow continued to fall at about 6 p.m. Monday.
Oak Ridge Today measured almost seven inches of snow at about 5 p.m. Monday. The National Weather Service in Morristown had forecast between four to six and six to eight inches of snow in the Oak Ridge and Clinton areas.
“Very cold air is moving in across the region with sub-freezing temperatures continuing through Thursday,” the National Weather Service said. “Temperatures Tuesday night will be around zero!”
Roads, even main streets like Oak Ridge Turnpike, had a thick layer of snow on them, with a wet, slippery surface underneath. Traffic was light when normally it would be heavy, and most drivers drove slowly and cautiously, with some turning on their hazard lights.
“With significant snow accumulations across much of the area and very cold temperatures, hazardous travel conditions may develop,” the NWS said. “Avoid travel, but if you must, use caution.”
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A New Year’s Eve countdown in Oak Ridge will feature food trucks, bands, and a ball drop.
There will also be fireworks, and the event and parking will be free, according to Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge, which is presenting the countdown.
The event is scheduled from 9 p.m. Sunday, December 31, to 1 a.m. Monday, January 1, at Alvin K. Bissell Park. The park is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
Musical performers will include Eli Fox Band and Alex and the Animals, according to an event flyer.
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The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a construction permit for a test reactor at Heritage Center industrial park in west Oak Ridge. The NRC decision was announced Tuesday, and construction could start next year.
The 35-megawatt thermal Hermes demonstration reactor would be built by Kairos Power, which has headquarters in Alameda, California, and a Tennessee operation in Oak Ridge.
Hermes would use molten salt to cool its reactor core. It would not generate electricity. Instead, it would provide operational data to support the development of a larger version for commercial power, the NRC said.
“A critical step on Kairos Power’s iterative pathway to commercializing its advanced reactor technology, the Hermes reactor will demonstrate the company’s ability to deliver clean, safe, and affordable nuclear heat,” the company said in a press release.
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You can enjoy Christmas songs and carols with the Oak Ridge Community Band this afternoon, Sunday, December 10.
The concert is scheduled to start at 3:30 pm. at the Grove Theater at 123 Randolph Road in Oak Ridge.
“This is a free, family-friendly celebration and a great time to relax, take a break from shopping, and sing your favorite carols and hear familiar Christmas music,” an announcement said.
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The Oak Ridge Christmas Parade is this evening, Saturday, December 9. It is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
The parade is organized by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. The theme of this year’s parade is ”Sleigh Ride.”
As in the past, the parade route is down Lafayette Drive to Oak Ridge Turnpike, and the parade will end at Oak Ridge High School.
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The Tennessee Valley Authority has retired the Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton.
The plant burned the last of its onsite coal onsite in August, ending a 48-day run. TVA retired the plant December 1.
The TVA Board of Directors approved the retirement of Bull Run on February 14, 2019. That followed an environmental review process that included public input, TVA said.
Bull Run began operating in 1967. At the time it was the largest in the world in the volume of steam produced, according to TVA. Located on 750 acres in Claxton across from Oak Ridge, it was the only single-unit power plant in the TVA system, and it was designed to produce up to 950 megawatts. It has an 800-foot reinforced concrete chimney.
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The Tennessee Division of Forestry said Tuesday that the Windrock Mountain fire that began Thursday is controlled.
On Tuesday afternoon, the size of the affected area was 328 acres with a containment percentage of 95 percent.
Representatives from state forestry were still at the fire site to monitor it, officials said.
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The Rocky Top wildfire that started last week and emitted smoke visible for miles had burned 397 acres and was 100 percent contained by mid-morning Thursday, according to the Tennessee Division of Forestry.
In a press release, Anderson County officials said forestry crews remained at the site to continue clearing lines of leaves that have fallen to the ground. Falling leaves that could cross fire lines was one of the main concerns of state officials.
The fire was reported off Scott Brogan Lane at about 6 p.m. Saturday. That road is across Lake City Highway from Lake City Middle School, south of downtown Rocky Top. Forestry crews estimated that they cut roughly 5.1 miles of fire line around the fire since it was reported.
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The wildfire burning near Rocky Top has grown to an estimated 210 acres and is still 75 percent contained, officials with the Tennessee Department of Forestry said Tuesday.
“Forestry is back on scene this morning,” Anderson County Emergency Management Agency Director Brice Kidwell said Tuesday morning. “They are working to reinforce and clean up the lines they’ve dug over the last few days.”
Kidwell said the Division of Forestry had indicated they planned to do more “back burning” Tuesday to try to fully contain the wildfire that was first reported just after 6 p.m. Saturday. Because of the planned back burning, residents could see more smoke and hazy skies later Tuesday, he said.
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