Oak Ridge Today

Substation problem knocks out power

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A substation problem knocked out power to a significant number of customers on Sunday evening, the Oak Ridge Electric Department reported on its Twitter feed.

However, city workers later reported that temporary repairs had been made and power restored.

Still, there was a higher risk than normal of more power outages, the city said.

Residents and businesses reported outages on Wade Lane, West Hutchison Circle, West Outer Drive, Pennsylvania Avenue, and at Cinemark Tinseltown movie theater and the businesses around it.

Anderson County Fair starts Sunday

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The Anderson County Fair starts Sunday–a day earlier than normal–with Fairest of the Fair pageants at Anderson County High School. The “Tiny Miss” pageant starts at 2 p.m., and the Princess, Junior and Senior Division pageants at 7 p.m.

Admission prices for Sunday’s events will be $5 for adults, $2 for kids ages 6 through 12, and free for kids under 6.

The doors to the fair open in earnest at 5 p.m. Monday, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton. Daily events include more than 60 commercial vendors, 15 concession vendors, the Little Ponderosa Petting Zoo, three nightly shows by Danny Supermagic Boywonder, Living Heritage demonstrations, and a nightly cash giveaway.

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UCOR ships more than 10,000 loads of K-25 waste

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UCOR announced Thursday that it has safely shipped more than 10,000 loads of waste from the K-25 building demolition project at East Tennessee Technology Park.

Workers demolishing the former gaseous diffusion building are close to finishing the facility’s east wing, except for five cells contaminated with technetium-99, a press release said.

“This slow-decaying radioactive material will require further deactivation before demolition begins,” it said.

The K-25 building, shut down in the early 1960s, was a mile-long U-shaped structure covering more than 40 acres. The west wing was demolished by a previous contractor.

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Free AMSE admisssion for library card holders

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AMSE Library PassThe American Museum of Science and Energy and Oak Ridge Public Library have partnered to offer free admission to library card holders.

The partnership is designed to make AMSE accessible to all Oak Ridge residents and to encourage them to have a library card, a press release said.

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Woman suspected in Craigslist scam killed in accident

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The woman wanted for an alleged Craigslist home rental scam in Claxton was killed Thursday morning in a traffic accident on Interstate 75 in Whitley County, Ky., according to WYSH Radio in Clinton.

Shannon Renee Leffew, a 37-year-old Clinton resident, had been wanted on 25 counts by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

She was a passenger in a 1995 Toyota Thursday morning at around 11 a.m. on I-75 South near mile marker 1 when the driver apparently lost control and left the roadway, colliding with a pickup truck and camper trailer parked in the emergency lane, WYSH said.

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Top firefighters can issue tickets for parking violations

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Three top officers in the Oak Ridge Fire Department can now issue tickets for parking violations, but they will only use that authority in limited circumstances, such as when drivers block access to a fire hydrant or fire lane, Chief Darryl Kerley said Friday.

“It’s not like we’re going to be out patrolling the area writing tickets,” Kerley said.

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Early voting begins today

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Early voting began this morning for the Aug. 2 county general election and state and federal primary elections.

There are three early voting locations in Anderson County, one in Oak Ridge, a second in Clinton, and a third in Andersonville.

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Car accident sends four children, one adult to hospital

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Oak Ridge Turnpike Car Wreck

Four children and one adult were taken to the hospital after an accident Wednesday morning at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Lafayette Drive. (Photo by Tom Scott)

Four children and one adult were taken to the hospital after a car accident Wednesday morning at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Lafayette Drive.

The accident happened just before 8 a.m. Wednesday when a car driven by Jessica Nicole Sessoms of Oak Ridge allegedly ran a red light and hit a car driven by Melissa D. Carlisle, an accident report said.

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Oak Ridge warns utility customers of multistate scam

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Oak Ridge officials on Thursday warned utility customers to be aware of a new multistate utility scam that has affected Tennessee residents.

A city press release said scammers have told victims that President Barack Obama has approved special funding through the Federal Reserve Bank for utility bill help. But there is no such funding.

The victims are given fraudulent bank account and routing numbers to use when paying their bills, but only after they give their Social Security number and other personal information, the release said.

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Roane, Oak Ridge candidate forum tonight

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The second of two political forums this week will feature Roane County candidates for property assessor, road superintendent, and school board districts five and six, as well as candidates for Oak Ridge City Council.

The forum starts at 7 p.m. today in the Oak Ridge Civic Center A-B Room.

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Anderson County Democrats have rally, picnic tonight

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Ridge City Ramblers

Ridge City Ramblers

Anderson County Democrats are having a public rally and picnic at 6:30 p.m. today to celebrate the start of early voting Friday.

The rally and picnic have been moved from Gibbs Ferry Park to the Claxton Elementary School cafeteria because of the weather.

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Companies file lawsuit over Convenience Center move to industrial park

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Four businesses in the county-owned David Jones Industrial Park have filed a lawsuit against Anderson County and the Anderson County Economic Development Association over the proposed relocation of the Glen Alpine Convenience Center.

Plans call for the convenience center to move from its current site on Seivers Boulevard in Clinton to a parcel of land in the industrial park, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton.

The plaintiffs in the suit are Carton Services, GWDU Leasing Inc., CMH Inc. and Seneca Medical Inc., WYSH said. They are seeking a temporary injunction preventing the move and seeking to rescind the County Commission’s vote from earlier this year to amend the covenants prohibiting trash collection sites in the park.

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