A handful of classes that offer swimming lessons and water exercise start in Oak Ridge in September.
The classes include the Oak Ridge City Aquatics swim team, Aqua Power, water exercise, and fall swimming lessons.
Drug dog helps find meth-making materials in car trunk
Two men were arrested Friday after an Oak Ridge police officer allegedly found a backpack in a car trunk filled with materials and equipment used to make methamphetamine.
Oak Ridge Police Officer John Thomas stopped a black Chevrolet carrying the two men—Cody Clinton Brown, 23, of Clinton, and Lonnie Ray Carroll, 43, of Briceville—after he observed an alleged hand-to-hand exchange between that car and another vehicle at Walgreen’s. Thomas said both vehicles left the parking lot rapidly as he approached.
Roane State employees honored
Dan Foltz-Gray
Roane State Community College faculty member Dan Foltz-Gray and staff members Tammy Robinette and Deb Miller have been honored for their work.
Foltz-Gray, associate professor of English and coordinator of Learning Support-Reading and Writing, received the 2012 Sarah Ellen Benroth Award for Outstanding Teaching, a press release said. Robinette, administrative secretary for the college’s Nursing Division, was named the 2012 outstanding support staff member. And Miller, director of grants development, was named the 2012 administrative staff member of the year.
ETTP security staff cut by 15 employees
The plan to cut security staff at the Y-12 National Security Complex has been canceled, but the proposal to cut staff at the East Tennessee Technology Park has not, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Courtney Russell Henry, public affairs manager for security contractor WSI Oak Ridge, said 15 employees at ETTP have left the company, including 13 security police officers and one support staff member who accepted a voluntary separation. One officer left the company outside the voluntary separation program, or VSP, Henry said.
Y-12 protesters ask federal judge to delay Oct. 10 trial
Anti-nuclear weapons activists Megan Rice and Michael R. Walli leave U.S. District Court in Knoxville after an Aug. 9 arraignment on charges of trespassing, property depredation, and property destruction at the Y-12 National Security Complex. A third protester, Greg Boertje-Obed, remains jailed in Blount County.
Two anti-nuclear weapons activists arrested in July in a high-security area at the Y-12 National Security Complex have asked a federal judge to delay their trial date.
The protesters now face an Oct. 10 trial before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas W. Phillips in Knoxville.
But in motions filed Wednesday, two of the protesters—Greg Boertje-Obed and Megan Rice—said the evidence in the case is voluminous, and it involves significant and complex issues, including national security and First Amendment issues.
Warrants: Officer threatened to ‘get even’ after woman refused to swap pictures
Travis Lee Adcock
The former probationary police officer arrested Wednesday morning is alleged to have sent sexual messages to a woman through a social networking site, and he is accused of threatening to “get even” when she refused to text or swap pictures, according to court records.
Travis Lee Adcock, 30, of Coalfield, was arrested Wednesday morning, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. He is charged with civil rights intimidation and harassment.
Adcock allegedly contacted an Oak Ridge woman through meetme.com, sending her messages of a “sexual nature,” according to arrest warrants filed Wednesday morning in Anderson County General Sessions Court. He allegedly continued to send her sexual messages until he requested a picture.
Oak Ridge police arrest former probationary officer
A former probationary police officer was arrested Wednesday morning, the Oak Ridge Police Department announced in a press release.
The release said the Police Department this month started investigating the actions of former Oak Ridge Probationary Police Officer Travis L. Adcock, following complaints of harassment by a local resident. Adcock was an Oak Ridge probationary police officer from March 2011 to September 2011.
Oak Ridge bans horses at Haw Ridge Park
Starting Saturday, horses will no longer be allowed on trails in Haw Ridge Park in Oak Ridge.
Horses have significantly damaged trails, especially the small, narrow ones common in the park, a city press release said. The animals have eroded trails, left manure piles, and damaged bridge and boardwalk structures, the release said.
Low bid of $375,000 for Briceville library
Six bids were opened Tuesday for a project to build a new library in Briceville, and the low bid was $374,933, Anderson County Interim Mayor Myron Iwanski said.
The low bid was from Southeast Construction of Franklin, Tenn., Iwanski said. The next lowest bid was $380,000 by Evans and Alley from Anderson County.
Public meetings this week on school superintendent search
A series of meeting this week, including one on Tuesday and another on Wednesday, will allow the public to tell school officials and a Iowa-based search firm what qualities they think the city’s next superintendent should have.
Tom Bailey, the current superintendent, is retiring at the end of this year, and efforts are under way to find his replacement.
Search firm Ray and Associates will lead meetings on the search from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday’s meeting will be held at Robertsville Middle School, while Wednesday’s will be held at Jefferson Middle School.
Officials cancel plan to cut guards at Y-12
A plan to cut up to 34 guard positions at the Y-12 National Security Complex has been canceled, a federal spokesman said Tuesday.
WSI Oak Ridge, which provides security at Y-12, no longer has the authority to restructure its staff since it is now a subcontractor reporting to B&W Y-12, rather than the National Nuclear Security Administration, said Steven Wyatt, public affairs manager for the NNSA Production Office in Oak Ridge. That change in reporting authority followed an unprecedented July 28 security breach at the plant, the nation’s main production facility for many nuclear weapons components.
The WSI plan had called for cutting a total of up to 52 jobs at Y-12 and the East Tennessee Technology Park. Employees were to be offered voluntary separations, and today was supposed to be the last work day for those who were accepted.
Oak Ridge mall owner focuses on one buyer, no sale date announced
The Oak Ridge City Center, pictured at center above, is for sale and the owners say they are working with potential buyers, although no sale date has been set.
Local officials have announced a few different timelines and deadlines for the redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall since April, but the company that owns the property last week declined to set a specific sale deadline.
“We are working diligently with buyers, and there will be an announcement forthcoming,” said Steve Arnsdorff, chief manager of Oak Ridge City Center LLC, which owns the mall.
Mall owners are focused on one buyer, Arnsdorff said during an interview last week.
