Oak Ridge Today

Funeral arrangements announced for 3-year-old who died in crash

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Jason Robert Braden III

Jason Robert Braden III

Funeral arrangements have been announced for the three-year-old who died after a two-vehicle crash in Oak Ridge on Friday, January 13.

The crash occurred at about 5:20 p.m. January 13 at the intersection of Emory Valley Road and Lafayette Drive.

Jason Robert Braden III of Clinton died at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville from injuries sustained in the crash, according to his obituary.

It said Jason will be dearly missed by all his family. Jason loved to watch “Tom the Tow Truck” on his tablet, and his favorite dogs on “Paw Patrol” were Marshal and Chase. Jason’s favorite song was “Burning it Down,” and he loved his baby brother, Justyn. [Read more…]

First United Methodist offers free community meals

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First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge is pictured above at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and North Tulane Avenue. (Photo courtesy Jeff Kile)

 

During the month of December, First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge hosted a free community dinner to any and all people in our community who were in need of a home-cooked meal. No questions, no hoops, no requirements…just a time of delicious food and heartfelt fellowship with whomever decided to wander into our doors, a press release said.

Beginning this month, the church, located at 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, is going to begin regularly hosting a free community meal on the last Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room. [Read more…]

Women’s Solidarity Event to be held Saturday in Oak Ridge

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What started as a grass roots calling on a Facebook page a few days after the November election quickly morphed into what estimates now suggest could be more than 200,000 people who will join in the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, the day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, a press release said.

Those who would like to stand in solidarity with the Women’s March but are unable to make the 500-mile journey will have a place to gather in Anderson County, the press release said. Everyone is welcome to attend a progressive organizations fair on Saturday, January 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike, the release said. [Read more…]

Jefferson Middle School ski, snowboard club supports Gatlinburg residents

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Photo courtesy Scott Linn

Photo courtesy Scott Linn

 

By Scott Linn

As have so many across the country and throughout Tennessee, students and teachers from Jefferson Middle School express their sadness over the recent fires that burned through Gatlinburg, destroying a number of buildings and homes.

JMS ski and snowboard club members have been taking after-school trips to Ober Gatlinburg for more than 20 years on Wednesday afternoons each winter.

This year, to show support for the area and those who are working to rebuild, the students are wearing Smokies Strong T-shirts for their ski trips to Ober Gatlinburg. The shirts were a gift from an anonymous donor who provided the club with 50 shirts.

“When our club showed up in our Smokies Strong shirts on our first trip of the season, it had an impact on the workers up there, and I’m just really glad the club could play even a small part in helping lift their spirits,” said seventh-grader Allison Myers.

The Red Cross, the Dollywood Foundation, and Friends of the Smokies will benefit from proceeds of the sales of the shirts. [Read more…]

Registration open for lifeguard certification course

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Civic-Center-Indoor-Pool

Registration is now open for a Lifeguard Certification Course being offered by the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department over spring break. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

Registration is now open for a lifeguard certification course being offered by the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department during spring break.

The course will be held Monday, March 20, through Friday, March 24, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center’s indoor pool facility. The class begins at 10 a.m. each day, and it is scheduled to run until 2:30 p.m.

There are some pre-requisites for the course. Registrants must be at least 15 years old and be able to pass the pre-swim test for admission. The test will be held on the first day of class. [Read more…]

Temporary Civic Center, Senior Center closures announced

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Civic Center Recreation Building will be closed to the public on Wednesday, January 25, and Thursday, January 26, for an Electric Department training event.

As a reminder, the Senior Center will also be closed between Monday, January 23, and Saturday, January 28, as it transitions to the Civic Center Recreation Building. The Senior Center will reopen Monday, January 30, at the Civic Center. [Read more…]

Demolition work starts at Magnet Mills Building in downtown Clinton

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Information from WYSH Radio/Oak Ridge Today

A demolition crew this week began the work of tearing down the old Magnet Mills Building in downtown Clinton.

The historic structure has fallen into disprepair over the years and has been cited numerous times by the city’s codes enforcment department.

The demolition crew is working under the supervision of Clinch River Properties, and officials estimate that the demolition that began Monday and the ensuing clean-up of the site could be completed within 30 to 60 days. [Read more…]

Anderson County Schools add bus route after overcrowding reported

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Information from WYSH Radio

After Anderson County Schools officials received complaints from parents about overcrowding on a bus route, a second route was added this week.

Parents informed school leaders that a bus serving Norwood Middle School and Clinton High School was crowded enough that, at times, students were forced to stand or even sit on the floor. [Read more…]

Russell is new softball coach at ACHS

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Information from WYSH Radio

Anderson County High School has promoted softball assistant coach Allen Russell to head softball coach. He succeeds Travis Freeman, who resigned after last season to spend more time with his family.

Russell has been on the coaching staffs of the Mavericks’ baseball and softball teams since 2004.

WYSH Radio is an Oak Ridge Today news partner.

Officials could break ground on CHS multi-purpose facility this spring

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Information from WYSH Radio

As work is getting closer to beginning on the multi-purpose facility at Clinton High School, we have some more information about the project.

Originally designed to connect to the existing Field House, the design in play now calls for a complete replacement of the aging Field House with a two-story structure with weight rooms on the first and second floors, offices for coaches, and both men’s and women’s restrooms. The facility will also include a large area covered with artifical turf that can be used by not only the football team but other groups as well, including the ROTC and robotics organizations. [Read more…]

Watts Bar Reservoir has returned to conditions before Kingston coal ash spill, EPA says

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River Reaches Arcadis Updated Data Analysis and Temporal Trend Evaluations in Biota 2009-2015 TVA Kingston

River Reaches—Updated Data Analysis and Temporal Trend Evaluations in Biota: 2009-2015, Tennessee Valley Authority, Kingston, Tennessee (By Arcadis)

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta reported Thursday that monitoring data shows that areas of Watts Bar Reservoir affected by the 2008 ash spill in Kingston have returned to “pre-spill” conditions.

The ash spill occurred at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant. It released 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash on December 22, 2008.

Environmental data collected from 2009-2015 shows the fish community, benthic macroinvertebrates (bugs), sediment quality, and tree swallow colonies have recovered to baseline conditions that existed before the spill, the EPA said.

The cleanup was accomplished in three phases under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA, commonly known as Superfund. [Read more…]

Civic Center indoor pool re-opens after equipment repair

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Indoor pool at Civic Center

All programs are back on schedule after crews had to replace a piece of equipment that controls the temperature of the water in the Oak Ridge Civic Center’s indoor pool. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

All programs are back on schedule after crews had to replace a piece of equipment that controls the temperature of the water in the Oak Ridge Civic Center’s indoor pool.

The pool was forced to close on Wednesday, January 4, but it re-opened at noon on Saturday, January 14, once crews were able to make the needed repairs. The new pool heater is more energy-efficient than the previous model, a press release said. The water was back up to its normal temperature of 83 degrees shortly after re-opening.

Here’s a list of some of the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department programs currently under way at the indoor pool facility: [Read more…]