Oak Ridge Today

Pictures from last week’s hail storm

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Hail on Deck

Large hail falls onto a deck in Oak Ridge on Aug. 1. (Photos by Donato DiGregorio)

An afternoon storm that lashed Oak Ridge on Aug. 1 pounded parts of the city with one-inch-diameter hail.

Meteorologist Jessica Winton said the National Weather Service in Morristown received many reports of hail as big as a quarter, which is “kind of average” over East Tennessee.

Winton said the Weather Service received reports of a few trees down in Farragut from the storm, and one large tree down on the north side of Oak Ridge.

Winds gusted up to 43 mph in Oak Ridge during the storm.

Hail on Grass

Hail peppers parts of Oak Ridge during an Aug. 1 storm.

Oak Ridge School Board member Dan DiGregorio took pictures of the hail on his deck and in his yard.

DOE public bus tours in Oak Ridge end Aug. 31

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Public bus tours of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge facilities end for the year on Friday, Aug. 31.

The tour includes stops at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex, and East Tennessee Technology Park. The tour includes historical commentary on the transformation of the Oak Ridge Reservation during the past 65 years, a press release said.

So far this season, 1,099 visitors from 36 states have participated in the three-hour summer tour.

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Minnie Dena Justice

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Minnie Dena Justice

Minnie Dena Justice

Minnie Dena Justice, age 77, a resident of Oak Ridge, passed away Saturday, Aug. 4, at her home.

Mrs. Justice was born Dec. 4, 1934. She continued to live in Coalfield until her move to Oak Ridge in 1999.

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Rita M. Leslie

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Rita M. Leslie

Rita M. Leslie

Rita M. Leslie, age 81, passed away Tuesday, July 31, in Oak Ridge after a short illness.

She was an amazing mom, a doting granny, a faithful friend, and a force of her own nature. She was the love of her late husband Bob’s life.

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Albert Wade ‘Al’ Diehl

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Albert Wade "Al" Diehl

Albert Wade ‘Al’ Diehl

Albert Wade “Al” Diehl, age 75, passed away on Sunday, July 29, at Serene Manor Medical Center in Knoxville.

He was a charter member of the Dalewood United Methodist Church in Nashville. He served in the United States Coast Guard and completed a master’s degree in education from the University of Tennessee. He taught science, television production, and electronics in the Oak Ridge Schools for 20 years.

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Students receive $500 scholarships from Blacks in Government

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The Oak Ridge Chapter of Blacks in Government recently awarded $500 college scholarships to four local high school graduates, a U.S. Department of Energy press release said.

This year’s scholarship winners were Araya Johnson of Oak Ridge High School, Brionna Epes of Powell High School, Tessa Piety of Christian Academy of Knoxville, and Juaquoya McLaughlin of Bearden High School.

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Top management changes at WSI after Y-12 security breach

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Two administrators at security contractor WSI Oak Ridge have been replaced after three anti-nuclear weapons activists penetrated the high-security Protected Area at the Y-12 National Security Complex on July 28, allegedly splashing blood and spraying paint on a uranium storage building.

Lee Brooks, former general manager at WSI Oak Ridge, has been replaced by Steve Hafner, who will serve as acting general manager, a press release said. Hafner is senior vice president and director of safety, security, and environment for Mission Support Alliance in Hanford, Wash.

Brooks and Gary Brandon, former director of the Y-12 Protective Force, are waiting to be reassigned by G4SGS, the WSI Oak Ridge press release said. WSI is a G4SGS company.

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Special agent says Y-12 intruders entered from north, cut fences, activated alarms

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Transform Now Plowshares

Three activists opposed to nuclear weapons pose with banners before their July 28 arrests at the Y-12 National Security Complex. From left to right, the three are Michael R. Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed. (Submitted photo)

The three anti-nuclear weapons activists arrested in a high-security area at the Y-12 National Security Complex on July 28 allegedly entered from the north, crossed Bear Creek Road, cut through fences, and activated numerous alarms and sensors before they reached a uranium storage building, according to criminal complaints available online today.

The three activists—Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, and Michael R. Walli—first crossed a boundary fence near the North Patrol Road on the north ridge of Y-12, U.S. Department of Energy Inspector General Special Agent Eric Dugger wrote in an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Friday. That fence has “No Trespassing” signs posted, he said.

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Y-12 security appears average for protest, internal changes unclear

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OREPA Skit at Y-12 Vigil

About 50 protesters listen to a skit during a Sunday night vigil at the Y-12 National Security Complex, where a moment of silence was held to remember the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945.

Security at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex appeared about average Sunday night for an annual August protest, but it wasn’t clear what internal measures had been taken one week after an unprecedented intrusion into a high-security area.

About 50 protesters attended a Sunday night vigil at the plant organized by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance. During the annual protest, activists recall the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945, and oppose Y-12’s nuclear weapons work, calling for disarmament instead.

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Baker retires after 32 years with Sheriff’s Department

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Penny Baker Retirement

Anderson County Sheriff Paul White and Chief Deputy Mark Lucas present Capt. Penny Baker with a plaque celebrating her 32 years of service. (Photo submitted by Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

Capt. Penny Baker, a 32-year-veteran of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, has retired.

Baker started her career at the department as a dispatcher in 1980. She served as a patrol deputy from 1982 until 1985, when she was assigned to criminal investigations as a detective, a press release said.

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Y-12, Knoxville events remember Japanese bombings, oppose UPF

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Four days of events in Oak Ridge and Knoxville this week will remember those who died in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in August 1945, and oppose plans to build a multi-billion-dollar uranium processing facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

Organized by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, the ceremonies—which include a vigil, a protest, and remembrance and peace lantern ceremonies—start about one week after an unprecedented security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex. OREPA Coordinator Ralph Hutchison has said, however, that his organization had no connection to the July 28 intrusion at Y-12 by three anti-nuclear weapons activists.

The OREPA events start at 5 p.m. today with a vigil at Y-12.

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Secretary Chu: Y-12 security breach ‘unacceptable,’ guards suspended

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Steven Chu

Steven Chu

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said guards involved in an unprecedented security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex last week have been suspended, and the general manager of the contractor protective force has been removed.

Two members of the general manager’s leadership team have also been removed from their positions, Chu said in a statement.

In addition, a federal official at the site has been temporarily reassigned, pending the outcome of the investigation into the July 28 intrusion into the high-security Protected Area on the west end of Y-12 by three anti-nuclear weapons activists, Chu said.

“The Department has no tolerance for security breaches at any of our sites, and I am committed to ensuring that those responsible will be held accountable,” Chu said.

Chu did not name the suspended guards or the employees who have been removed or reassigned.

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