Oak Ridge Today

Sergeant who helped boy battling cancer chosen as CPD Officer of the Year

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Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough, right, is pictured above with Sergeant Jason Stokes, the Clinton Police Department’s Officer of the Year for 2015. (Submitted photo)

 

A police sergeant who developed a friendship with a 10-year-old boy battling cancer has been named Officer of the Year by the Clinton Police Department.

Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough said his memory of Joseph Dillman, a 10-year-old South Clinton Elementary student who passed away following a courageous battle with cancer, played a big part in choosing Sergeant Jason Stokes, this year’s CPD Officer of the Year.

“To select only one officer for our officer of the year is a challenge,” Scarbrough said in a press release. “We have a tremendous team and have many examples of the qualities required to receive the award. However, this year our department and community, were able to come together for young Joseph Dillman. [Read more…]

Mission of Hope: Youth Board buys more than $1,500 worth of Christmas gifts for area children

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Pictured above from left to right in front are Brent Robinson, Lucas Dunning, and Lewis Wang; in the second row are Jas Jakowski, Hannah Wilder, Audrey Bufton, Shichen Zhang, Ashley Riedy, Lauren Collier, Sam Sepulveda, Candace Pang, Shreyank Patel, Curtis Rookard; and in back are Hannah Oran, Kolton Reedy, Kevin Reedy, Alexis Palau, Kristina Reed, Macy Barclay, Joel Turner, Christian Thompson, Peter Magill, Rebecca Kolling, and Stella Powell. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board members recently voted to spend time and money Christmas shopping at Kmart for area children through Mission of Hope.

The board raises funds at various events throughout the year to make this possible. In total, the board spent more than $1,500 on gifts.

“The YAB would like to encourage other student groups and families to consider holiday projects that help those in need, while also reminding everyone to shop in Oak Ridge this holiday season!” a press release said. [Read more…]

Free Christmas Day dinner at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church

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Members of the ORUUC Stone Soup Ministry team are ready to prepare a special free Community Christmas Day Dinner on Friday, December 25. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church has a free Christmas Day Dinner on Friday, December 25, and everyone is invited, a press release said.

The menu includes Honey Baked Ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, dessert, and fruit.

Dine in or take-out will be available in the ORUUC Social Hall from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday, the press release said.

The church is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Fire Department announces promotions, new firefighters

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Jody Durham

Jody Durham

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The Oak Ridge Fire Department recently held a ceremony to promote three officers and to introduce four new firefighters and their families to the organization. Congratulations to these recently promoted officers and new firefighters.

Jody Durham was promoted from battalion chief to assistant chief of operations. He has been with Oak Ridge Fire Department for more than 10 years. Durham has experience as a U.S. Department of Energy firefighter and as a paramedic with Morgan County Ambulance Service.

Eric Rackard

Eric Rackard

Eric Rackard was promoted from captain to battalion chief and is assigned as the A-Shift commander. He has been with Oak Ridge Fire Department for eight years, and he has served as a firefighter/engineer and paramedic.

Rackard is an Air Force veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge police increase DUI enforcement during holidays

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The Oak Ridge Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office to enhance DUI enforcement from December 18 to January 3, surrounding the holiday season. The statewide Booze It and Lose It campaign is part of a national mobilization to prevent drunk driving.

During the first nine months of this year, Tennessee experienced 4,740 known alcohol-related crashes. That equates to an average of 17 people each day making the decision to get behind the wheel after they have been drinking.

During the holiday times, the Oak Ridge Police Department will be conducting saturation patrols throughout the city. Officer will be focusing on impaired driving, distracted driving, unrestrained motorist, as well as other traffic violations.

“We can’t stand to see this tragic loss of life again and again,” said Chief of Police James T. Akagi. “The hardest part of the job is making that house call and telling a family that their loved one is gone because someone chose to drink and drive. That’s why, leading up to the holidays, we will show zero tolerance for drunk drivers on the road. Please find a safe and sober ride home.” [Read more…]

Sheriff’s Department launching ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ crackdown

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Drive Sober

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To help save lives this holiday season, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is launching a special “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown to stop impaired drivers and to save lives on our roadways. Sheriff’s deputies will be aggressively looking for drunk and impaired drivers.

“Many families will be out during this holiday season, enjoying themselves and the holiday festivities. We want everyone to be safe on our roadways,” Sheriff Paul White said. “This is why we will be increasing enforcement to arrest impaired drivers. If you are caught drinking and driving impaired, you will be arrested. No warnings. No excuses.”

There are three simple steps people can take to stay safe and out of trouble: [Read more…]

Oak Ridge offers safety tips for holiday season

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The Oak Ridge Fire Department released a few simple safety tips for the holidays on Tuesday.

Here are the tips: [Read more…]

See a map of Christmas lights in Oak Ridge

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Christmas lights on Quincy Avenue are pictured above in December 2015. (Photo by Ken Mayes)

 

Ken Mayes, deputy director of the American Museum of Science and Energy, has put together a map of Christmas lights in Oak Ridge.

You can see the map here: http://miscken.com/2015-oak-ridge-christmas-lights/.

You can send your recommendations for addresses to include to Ken Mayes on Facebook.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Photo: Jackson Square fountain in cold weather

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The Jackson Square fountain is pictured above on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

City Council to discuss state legislative agenda with legislators on Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge City Council will discuss the state legislative agenda for 2016 with Tennessee legislators on Tuesday.

The working lunch is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, December 22, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Training Room.

DA Johnson: TBI investigating Morgan County Jail

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State officials are investigating allegations of assaults on an inmate at the Morgan County Jail, a law enforcement official said Friday.

The two investigations by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were acknowledged on Friday by Ninth District Attorney General Russell Johnson.

The first investigation focuses on an allegation that an inmate was assaulted by another inmate on November 24, and two corrections officers may have encouraged the assault or at least stood by while it occurred, a press release said.

The second investigation involves an allegation that four corrections officers assaulted an inmate on December 15, hours after that same inmate made a seemingly unprovoked but violent assault against two corrections officers, the press release said. [Read more…]

UCOR repairs water leak at Oak Ridge Research Reactor at ORNL

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Workers turn off the valves after draining of the pool was completed at the Oak Ridge Research Reactor at ORNL. (Photo by UCOR)

 

Workers have repaired a water leak at the Oak Ridge Research Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, officials said this week.

The completion of the work was announced by UCOR, a federal cleanup contractor and partnership between URS and CH2M Oak Ridge LLC.

The seep was detected in the reactor’s pool in September 2014. While it did not pose any immediate dangers to workers or the environment, it prompted quick action by the U.S. Department of Energy, which oversees ORNL. DOE asked UCOR, its prime cleanup contractor, to develop and implement a solution to remedy the seep, a press release said. [Read more…]