Oak Ridge Today

Updated: Power restored in east Oak Ridge

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Note: This story was updated at 12:48 p.m.

There was a power outage in parts of Rivers Run, along Edgemoor Road, and off of Edgemoor Road, Oak Ridge officials said late Wednesday morning.

But power was restored to residents on the east side of the city early Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

“If you are still are without power, please call the Electric Department at (865) 425-1803,” the City of Oak Ridge said. “Thank you for your patience during this outage.”

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Weather: 24 non-injury crashes, 12 trees down, four roads under water

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High Water

From Friday through Wednesday morning, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department responded to several weather-related incidents due to the heavy rain, authorities said.

There have been 24 reported crashes, none of which involved injury, Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said. There have been 12 reports of trees that have fallen across roadways.

As of Wednesday morning, there were three roads in the county that were impassable due to high water: Irwin Mill Road off Sinking Springs Road, Bacon Springs Road in the Marlow community, and Airport Road near Oliver Springs. Offutt Road at Offutt Spur Road in the Medford community is also flooded.

“Motorists are advised to use caution while driving even after the rain ends today,” Lucas said. “The saturated ground may cause more trees to fall, and water may continue to rise in low-lying areas near creeks and streams.”

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

CNS, ATLC reach tentative agreement

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Y-12 National Security Complex Aerial View

The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (File photo)

 

On Monday, negotiation teams from Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC and the Atomic Trades and Labor Council reached tentative agreement on a new five-year labor agreement for work at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The tentative agreement will go to ATLC members for a ratification vote on Thursday, December 3.

CNS and ATLC began negotiating a new labor agreement on October 26. The current agreement is scheduled to expire December 8. If ratified by ATLC membership, the agreement will be in effect Tuesday, December 8.

The ATLC is the bargaining unit for 13 local unions representing approximately 1,100 employees at Y-12.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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

Woman, 80, rescued after being trapped overnight in wrecked car

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Joiner-Hollow-Road-Crash-Nov-30-2015

Roane County emergency workers rescued an 80-year-old woman on Monday who had been trapped overnight in a car that traveled about 250 feet from from the road, down an embankment, and into a creek, authorities said. (Photo by Roane County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook)

 

Roane County emergency workers rescued an 80-year-old woman on Monday after she was trapped overnight in a car that traveled about 250 feet from the road, down an embankment, and into a creek, authorities said.

Roane County mail carrier Kathy Payne noticed the vehicle in the wood line while on her route on Joiner Hollow Road on Monday, the Roane County Sheriff’s Office said. Payne called 911.

Roane County Sheriff’s Office Captain Tim Hawn stopped to investigate while on patrol on Joiner Hollow Road. Hawn said he heard someone crying for help, and he climbed down the embankment and discovered an 80-year-old female who was pinned in her vehicle, the RCSO said in a Facebook post.

The woman was able to speak, and she asked Hawn if he was there to get her out.

“Hawn said that he was there to help her and promised her that they would get her out,” the Sheriff’s Office said. [Read more…]

Six AC businesses sell beer to minor in sting

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Anderson County Sheriff Patch

During the last two weeks, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, in cooperation with the Rocky Top Police Department, the Oliver Springs Police Department, and Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP, conducted compliance checks of local businesses who sell beer.

Investigators with the Sheriff’s Special Operations Unit and officers from the Rocky Top and Oliver Springs Police Departments visited 36 businesses to try to buy beer, a press release said. Six sold beer to the underage person. Four of the six checked for identification but still sold beer to the underage purchaser. Two businesses were closed.

The following businesses sold beer to the underage person:

Al’s Market New River Highway Briceville
Hitching Post Clinton Highway Clinton
Marathon (Fast Track) Lake City Highway Rocky Top
Smokes and Things Clinton Highway Powell
V Night Club North Main Street Rocky Top
Weigel’s Clinton Highway Powell

[Read more…]

Three groups seek info on plan to bring spent nuke fuel to ORNL

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Ralph Hutchison

Ralph Hutchison

Three nuclear watchdog organizations have filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission seeking information about plans to ship high burn-up commercial spent nuclear fuel from the North Anna power reactor in Virginia to Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, a press release said. The three organizations are Savannah River Site Watch in Columbia, South Carolina; Snake River Alliance Education Fund in Pocatello, Idaho; and the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance in Oak Ridge.

The groups filed the FOIA request after discovering a letter approving a shipping route from North Anna to Oak Ridge, the press release said. It said the letter provides little information about the specifics of the route or the timing of the proposed shipment.

“We asked for a map of the route two weeks ago,” said Ralph Hutchison, coordinator of OREPA. “So far, we’ve received nothing. So we are resorting to the formal—and more expensive for the government—FOIA process to get information.”

Tom Clements, director of SRS Watch, filed the FOIA on behalf of the three organizations. The Savannah River Site was initially under consideration for the research project. [Read more…]

Sheriff’s Department offers holiday crime prevention tips

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Paul White

Paul White

Submitted by Anderson County Sheriff Paul White

During the busy holiday season, many people can become victims of burglary, theft, and other crime. Protecting yourself and your home from crime is the easiest way to have a safe and happy holiday season.

In an effort to ensure everyone has safe and fun holidays, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department would like to offer the following tips for holiday crime prevention.

Shopping

  • Park in lighted areas at night.
  • Always lock your car.
  • Don’t try to cover items on your seats. Put shopping bags in your trunk or take your packages straight home after shopping and then go back out.
  • Don’t carry large amounts of cash with you, or else, keep it in your front pocket—not in your purse or wallet.
  • Be extra careful when carrying a purse—they are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas. If you must carry one, make sure it has a strap that can go over the shoulder and be held under the arm, making them more difficult for purse snatchers to grab.
  • Keep a record of all of your debit and credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
  • Beware of strangers approaching you. This is the time of year when thieves may try various methods to distract you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.

[Read more…]

Thanksgiving traffic safety: Sheriff’s Department, law enforcement enforcing seat belt use

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Click It or Ticket Day and Night

Submitted by Anderson County Sheriff Paul White

Every year, the Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel times. Millions of Americans hit the roads to spend time with family and friends. Unfortunately, more vehicles means the potential for more dangerous roads, and it’s as important as ever that everyone is buckled up.

To make sure the message reaches all Anderson County drivers and passengers, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be joining other state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration high-visibility seat belt enforcement campaign: Click It or Ticket. The no-excuses, zero-tolerance crackdown combines powerful messages about seat belt safety, with increased patrols day and night, targeting all unbuckled motorists—those who still aren’t getting the point. [Read more…]

BOE vice chair to discuss education in Oak Ridge on Tuesday

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Bob Eby

Bob Eby

Robert Eby, vice chair of the Oak Ridge Board of Education, will discuss education in Oak Ridge at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, December 1.

Lunch with the League starts at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

Eby is currently serving his fourth term on the board. He was chairman from 1991-1995. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School. [Read more…]

OREPA celebrates 16 years of Sunday vigils this week

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OREPA Vigil Announcement Nov. 29, 2015

The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance will celebrate 16 years of uninterrupted Sunday vigils at the gates of the Y-12 National Security Complex on Sunday, November 29, a press release said. The vigil starts at 5 p.m.

The vigils, which began on the first Sunday of Advent in November 1999, are intended to “bear witness to life and peace at the place where workers prepare for the destruction of the planet,” the press release said.

Thousands of people have attended the Sunday vigils; every continent except Antarctica has been represented; two presidental candidates have attended, the press release said.

“We welcome everyone to the vigils,” said OREPA coordinator Ralph Hutchison. “They attest to the persistent desire for peace and the refusal to be silent in the face of the threat Y12 poses to all humanity.”

For more information, contact Hutchison at (865) 776-5050.

McNally warns of telephone scam

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Submitted

NASHVILLE—Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, is once again warning area residents to be on the lookout for scam attacks. The latest attack is a phone scam that targets taxpayers who are told they owe money to the United States Treasury, which must be paid promptly by giving the caller bank account information.

“I received one of these calls at my own home and was very concerned that there would be citizens who would take action to comply with their directions,” McNally said. “This is not the way that the U.S. Treasury or Internal Revenue Service works. Whenever the caller claims to be from the government and asks for bank information, credit card numbers, or requests a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer, you should be the very wary that this is a scam.”

Last month, McNally warned citizens about email phishing scams after receiving information that unscrupulous operators were working in the area. He said that holidays are particularly targeted for such scams, including lotteries, which are the most common types of fraudulent practices that hit email inboxes. [Read more…]

Roane State has open house Dec. 5 at Roane County campus

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Roane State Community College will host a December 5 open house at the college’s Roane County campus, 276 Patton Lane in Harriman.

Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. in the lobby of the O’Brien Theatre. The Open House will be held from 9:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Prospective students will have opportunities to tour the campus and to talk one-on-one with faculty and staff about academic programs, steps for admission, and financial aid. [Read more…]