American military forces attack the Germans in a re-enactment of a World War II battle during the Secret City Festival on Saturday.
For some spectators, the annual World War II re-enactments in Oak Ridge are more than just entertainment.
Some fought in the war or had relatives who did.
Jonathan Tackett said the re-enactments during the Secret City Festival give him an idea of what his grandfather experienced when he fought in the U.S. Army in Europe.
About 80 federal employees could go back to work today in a new place as officials scramble to find space for staff members after the Federal Building closed last week.
Workstations have been set up for those employees in the Building 2714-G Conference Center on Laboratory Road, said Mike Koentop, spokesman at the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office.
Federal officials are looking for more work space at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Office of Scientific and Technical Information.
Vocalist Donnie VanZant, left, and guitarist Danny Chauncey play with 38 Special during the Secret City Festival on Saturday. (Photo by John Westcott)
Several thousand people danced and sang as Southern rock band 38 Special played a Saturday night concert in Oak Ridge.
It was likely one of the largest crowds ever for a concert at the Secret City Festival, but organizers could not immediately estimate the crowd size.
Betty Jo Braden, age 82, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Saturday, June 16, 2012, at Harriman Health Care and Rehabilitation Center.
Mrs. Braden was born January 9, 1930, in Kentucky. She has lived in Tennessee since early childhood.
Willard K. Johnson
Willard K. Johnson, age 56, a resident of Oliver Springs, went home to be with the Lord, Saturday, June 16, 2012, at the family home.
Willard was born June 4, 1956, in Oliver Springs. He was a lifelong resident of this area.
Runners get ready to start at the Battle for the Secret City Greenway on Melton Lake Greenway Sunday morning. The top three finishers are in the front row: Ed Wright of Oak Ridge, left; James Grufferty from Ireland, center; and Jeremy Sexton of Clinton, right.
About 175 athletes competed in a 4.2-mile fundraising run and walk on Melton Lake Greenway on Sunday morning.
The first annual Battle for the Secret City Greenway Run/Walk raised money for park benches on a recent extension of the trail, said Frank Chmielewicz, race director and former president of the Oak Ridge Track Club. It also raised awareness of the new 2.4-mile extension, which starts at the Edgemoor Road bridge over the Clinch River and ends at Solway Park East.
Oak Ridge work crews will continue smoke testing the sanitary sewer system in the Emory Valley area starting Monday and continuing through Friday, June 29, as part of an ongoing system study.
The smoke testing helps find leaks.
Asphalt resurfacing work expected to begin this week will require lane or road closures on South Illinois Avenue, Robertsville Road, and Oak Ridge Turnpike.
The project, which could last two weeks, could start around Thursday, a city press release said.
Robert Earl Rosser
Robert Earl Rosser, age 60, of Oak Ridge, went to be with Jesus on June 14, 2012.
He was born April 9, 1952 in Oak Ridge, the son of Howard and Evelyn Rosser.
The Federal Building in Oak Ridge has been closed after an inspection found asbestos-containing insulation that had “dislodged into parts of the heating and cooling units,” according to a notice posted on Facebook by the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office.
“As a precautionary measure, the Federal Building is closed until we have additional information,” the notice said. “We are working closely with GSA, which owns the building, to determine the appropriate path forward.”
Oak Ridge and Tennessee officials launch a Top Secret Trail self-guided driving tour during the Secret City Festival’s opening ceremony Friday.
Oak Ridge and Tennessee officials launched a new 465-mile Top Secret Trail—a self-guided tour across 10 counties— during the opening ceremonies for the Secret City Festival Friday morning.
The Top Secret Trail allows travelers to explore Middle and East Tennessee, touring fascinating towns from Oak Ridge, a Secret City during World War II, to Rugby, one of the most authentically preserved historic villages in America, a state press release said.
The trail has 111 points of interest highlighted in a 27-page brochure. It starts in Knoxville and has stops in Clinton, Norris, Huntsville, Jamestown, Harriman, Wartburg, and Oliver Springs, and it showcases the region’s history, culture, music, and food.
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander announced on Thursday that he has co-sponsored a bill that would turn several Manhattan Project sites, including areas of Oak Ridge, into a National Historical Park.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, a New Mexico Democrat.
