Oak Ridge Today

Former superintendent Smallridge could serve as interim school leader

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Former superintendent Bob Smallridge could temporarily lead the Oak Ridge school system starting in January.

On Wednesday, Oak Ridge Board of Education Chairman Keys Fillauer said he will recommend hiring Smallridge during a Jan. 7 meeting.

Tom Bailey, the current superintendent, is retiring at the end of the year, and the board hasn’t hired a replacement yet.

“We felt like we needed someone driving the ship,” Fillauer said of his proposal to recommend hiring Smallridge as interim superintendent until Bailey’s replacement is hired and starts working in Oak Ridge.

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Willow Brook Elementary School locked down after nearby burglary

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Willow Brook Elementary School was locked down around lunchtime Wednesday after a nearby burglary, Oak Ridge Police Lt. Robin Smith said this afternoon.

Smith said Oak Ridge Police Lt. John Kelly called the school and recommended it be locked down.

“The school was never involved,” Smith said. “There was nothing that happened at the school. Lt. Kelly just asked them to lock it down as a precaution.”

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Lake City police investigate restaurant robbery

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Information from WYSH Radio

Lake City Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred Monday night at a Subway restaurant.

According to investigators, a man walked into the store at around 10:30 pm, produced a knife, and demanded cash from the employee behind the counter. The suspect made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

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Chimney fire causes minor damage

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Ithaca Lane Chimney Fire

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responded to a chimney fire on Ithaca Lane that caused minor damage Tuesday evening. (Photo by Tom Scott)

A Tuesday evening chimney fire caused minor damage to a home on Ithaca Lane, an Oak Ridge Fire Department report said.

The 6:09 p.m. fire was contained to the home’s fireplace and chimney flue, the report said.

Firefighters reported there had been extensive fire on the flue cap and flames on the flue walls, possibly from creosote. There was some smoke in the attic, but no fire or excessive heat, the report said.

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No state-based health care exchange, Haslam says

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Governor Bill Haslam

Gov. Bill Haslam

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday that the state will not operate a state-based healthcare exchange under the federal Affordable Care Act.

Tennessee had a Friday deadline to make a decision about the health insurance exchanges, created by the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

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U.S. Rep. Fattah of Pennsylvania tours ORNL

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U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, a Pennsylvania Democrat, with Oak Ridge National Laboratory Associate Lab Director Jeff Nichols in front of the Titan supercomputer, ranked the world’s fastest in November. (Photos courtesy of ORNL)

U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, a Pennsylvania Democrat, visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory today.

While at the lab, Fattah visited the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, BioEnergy Science Center, Spallation Neutron Source, Center for Nanophase Materials Science, and Manufacturing Demonstration Facility.

He spoke with lab leadership about ORNL’s research in areas that include advanced manufacturing, materials research, supercomputing and biofuels; the transfer of ORNL technology to the private sector; science, technology, engineering and math education; and other topics.

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East Tennessee arsons account for half of burned acres

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More than half the acres burned by arson in Tennessee since November were from 40 fires set in Anderson, Campbell, Hawkins and Scott counties, state officials said Tuesday.

The rash of wildfires before and after Thanksgiving are being investigated as arsons. In Anderson County, they included a 225-acre fire on Walden Ridge, a 375-acre fire at Graves Gap, and another 150-acre fire on Redoak Mountain. All three were in northern Anderson County.

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Maurice Alton Woods

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Maurice Alton Woods

Maurice Alton Woods

Maurice Alton Woods, age 74, a resident of Oliver Springs, went home to be with the Lord, Sunday, Dec. 9, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Mr. Woods was born Dec., 30, 1937, in Coalfield, Tenn.

Following his Coalfield High School graduation in 1955, he entered into the United States Air Force and served his country until 1959. After his military service, he moved back to Harriman, where he lived for a short time. He has lived in Oliver Springs for more than 50 years.

Mr. Woods retired from the Y-12 federal plant as a chemical operator in 1997.

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SAIC cuts about 50 jobs in Oak Ridge

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Note: This story was updated at 1 p.m. Nov. 12.

SAIC confirmed Tuesday that about 50 Oak Ridge workers have been laid off as part of a national workforce reduction that includes roughly 700 employees.

Based in McLean, Va., SAIC is a major government contractor that has its shared services headquarters in Oak Ridge. The company has about 900 local employees.

Melissa Koskovich, a spokeswoman for the company, said she didn’t immediately have information on the types of positions affected by the local workforce reductions but would try to get it.

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Robertsville LEGO team headed back to world tournament

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Robertsville Middle School LEGO Team

Robertsville’s LEGO team receives a check for $1,000 as the school wins the East Tennessee LEGO Tournament, advancing to the world tournament next spring. From left are Marie Westfall of Oak Ridge Associated Universities and Robertsville students Maddy Buckner, Eric Thornton, Caden Webb, and Rhyannon Karney. (Submitted photo)

Oak Ridge’s Robertsville Middle School’s LEGO team—using miniature robots to perform required functions on a table—has once again earned a spot in next spring’s world LEGO tournament in St. Louis after winning Saturday’s East Tennessee championship in Cookeville, a press release said.

The team only found out two weeks before the region tournament that it was going to be able to compete after having earlier had to cancel.

“The last two weeks have seen us being at school about three to four days a week from after school until the end of the day,” said Lisa Buckner, one of Robertsville’s coaches. “What was really cool was the fact the kids who had dropped out because of other commitments that came up still came back to help the team get ready. In the end, the whole team worked to finish it even though only four could come to the tournament.”

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Public hearing on Andersonville Fire subscription plan draws huge crowd

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Information from WYSH Radio

An overflow crowd of Andersonville residents unhappy about the Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department’s subscription plan jammed the hallways on the third floor of the Anderson County Courthouse on Monday to express their anger and frustration over the new fees scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1.

The fire department says it needs an increase in revenue or it will have to close its doors. But many citizens call the subscription plan “extortion.”

Earlier this year, the department’s board of directors voted to implement the plan after donations continued to lag far behind budgetary needs.

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After week of debate, Beehan re-elected mayor, Miller vice mayor

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Tom Beehan

Tom Beehan

Jane Miller

Jane Miller

After a week of spirited public debate, the Oak Ridge City Council re-elected Tom Beehan to a third term as mayor in a 4-3 vote on Monday.

He narrowly beat Oak Ridge City Council member David Mosby, who announced his candidacy this past weekend.

Council also re-elected Jane Miller to a third term as vice mayor—or mayor pro tem—on Monday. She received four votes, and Mosby, who hadn’t sought the position, received three.

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