Oak Ridge Today

WYSH: Former UT linebacker killed in Sunday morning crash in Clinton

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Clinton Police Department Badge

Information from WYSH Radio

A former University of Tennessee linebacker was killed in an early-morning, single-vehicle accident in front of Ray Varner Ford in Clinton on Sunday.

Clinton Police Department officers responded to a report of an accident shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday on North Charles Seivers Boulevard near Miller Road and upon their arrival, found a Chevy Tahoe on its roof with heavy damage.

The only person in the vehicle, 31-year-old Daniel Brooks of New Market, had to be extricated from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators determined that Brooks had been headed west on Seivers when his SUV left the side of the road and traveled some distance in a ditchline before striking a driveway culvert, which caused it to become airborne. The Tahoe landed on its front end and flipped several times before coming to rest on its roof. [Read more…]

Celebrate two years of ‘Dine and Donate’ by eating out on Monday

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Burchfield's and Ray and Fanny Smith

Burchfield’s, located inside the Oak Ridge DoubleTree, is a popular spot for locals like Ray and Fanny Smith. The restaurant is one of only a few Dine and Donate participants to offer breakfast, and there are extensive choices for lunch, dinner, and everything in between. Burchfield’s has been a proud culinary supporter of ADFAC for nine years, dating all the way back to ADFAC’s first Feed the Need event in 2007! (Submitted photo)

 

In the past 24 months, thousands of breakfasts, lunches and dinners have been enjoyed by members of our community—and all for a good cause. On the second Monday of each month, local citizens are encouraged to eat out at participating Dine and Donate restaurants. The restaurants, in turn, provide a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

Monday, September 14, wraps up the second full year of Dine and Donate with the following participating restaurants:

  • Burchfield’s in Oak Ridge
  • Gallo Loco in Oak Ridge
  • Gondolier in Clinton
  • Hoskins in Clinton
  • Mediterranean Delight in Oak Ridge
  • Papa Murphy’s in Oak Ridge
  • Razzleberry’s in Oak Ridge
  • Salsarita’s in Oak Ridge

[Read more…]

Support the Wildcats at ORHS Boys Basketball Golf Classic on Sept. 26

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Oak Ridge Wildcat Basketball Golf Tournament 2015

The Oak Ridge High School Boys Basketball Golf Classic is Saturday, September 26, at Centennial Golf Course. At left above is Wildcats basketball coach Aaron Green. (Photo by Oak Ridge Wildcats Basketball via Facebook)

 

You can support the 2015-2016 Oak Ridge High School basketball team in a fundraising golf tournament on Saturday, September 26, at Centennial Golf Course in Oak Ridge.

Here are details about the ORHS Boys Basketball Golf Classic:

  • Saturday, September 26 at Centennial Golf Course
  • 8 a.m. Shot Gun Start
  • Four-person scramble
  • $75 per player (includes breakfast, lunch, and sleeve of ProV1 Golf Balls)

[Read more…]

Yoga, Christian contemplation offered at FUMC

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First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge

The First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo by First United Methodist Church)

 

Submitted

For some yoga and prayer go well together because they experience yoga as a way to pray with the body, uniting body, mind, and spirit. For others, yoga, with its careful use of breathing and postures, serves to quiet and focus the mind, thus beautifully preparing us for prayer. First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge, 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, will again be offering classes which combine yoga and Christian prayer. The classes will be led by professional yoga instructors and the Rev. Jenny Caughman.

In these classes, we will practice yoga with conscious awareness of God’s constant presence with us. Yoga can be used to open ourselves up to the spirit. In the words of Fr. Thomas Ryan, when practicing yoga “one creates an atmosphere of calm, peace, and silence without and within, establishing a harmony between body and spirit so that nothing hinders the working of grace, the Holy Spirit. The aim is to bring tranquility to one’s mind from anxieties and problems; and to render it available to the Spirit.” This class will seek to make us increasingly open to the Spirit by integrating Christian contemplative prayer with the practice of yoga. [Read more…]

Women’s Interfaith Dialogue features Girls Inc. director on Monday

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Rhoni Basden

Rhoni Basden

The Women’s Interfaith Dialogue of Oak Ridge will feature a presentation by Rhoni Basden, executive director of Oak Ridge Girls Inc., on Monday, September 14, at 11 a.m.  The program will be held at Grace Covenant Church, Trinity Center, which is at 320 Robertsville Road.

Basden’s presentation is entitled “Girls Inc.: What We Do for Girls in Oak Ridge.”  She will address the focus, work and activities of the organization. She has headed the local club since 2013.

Basden located in East Tennessee from Seattle where she worked in nonprofit development and federally funded programming. She has an extensive background in child development, special needs, and nonprofit administration in varying organizations from Head Start programs to Autism Awareness groups throughout the city of Seattle. She began her studies at Stetson University in Florida and graduated from the University of San Francisco. [Read more…]

DOE, TDEC, scientist to discuss environmental management at Sept. 22 seminar

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Sue Cange

Sue Cange

A scientist and speakers from the U.S. Department of Energy and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will discuss environmental management during a September 22 seminar. It’s the second of three new Community School seminars.

The September 22 seminar will feature Susan Cange, manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management; Ellen Smith, environmental scientist and Oak Ridge City Council member; and Chris Thompson, deputy director of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 22, at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Cange will introduce the DOE Environmental Management program, a press release said. Smith will present on the contaminants released and left behind from the federal government activities in Oak Ridge. Thompson will provide an overview of the monitoring of DOE’s activities in the Oak Ridge Reservation relative to public safety and the environment. [Read more…]

Emi Sunshine at Grove Theater on Oct. 30, proceeds benefit United Way

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Emi Sunshine at Grove Theater

EmiSunshine, a young East Tennessee musician who has performed on the “Today” show and at the Grand Ole Opry, will play at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge on October 30, and proceeds will benefit United Way of Anderson County.

EmiSunshine is from Madisonville, and she is an acclaimed singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

She will perform with Handsome and the Humbles on Friday, October 30. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. They can be purchased at The Ferrell Shop, Razzleberry’s, Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, and United Way. Online tickets are available at http://emisushineatthegrove.brownpapertickets.com/. [Read more…]

TDOT: Replacing ‘green bridge’ on US 25W in Clinton could cost $18.8 million

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Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge

The Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge on US 25W in Clinton is pictured above. Also known as “the green bridge,” it could cost $18.8 million to replace, state officials said Thursday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Replacing the Lewallen Bridge—known as “the green bridge” to locals—on US 25W in Clinton could cost $18.8 million, state officials said Thursday.

The bridge, officially known as the Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge, crosses over the Clinch River, and it connects downtown Clinton to South Clinton.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation said preliminary plans are under development to replace the major bridge, which connects the main route from Clinton to Knoxville. South of Clinton, the road is known as Clinton Highway.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer gave an update on that and other projects when they sat down with local and state officials in Knoxville on Thursday to discuss the region’s transportation and infrastructure needs, a press release said. [Read more…]

ORAU awards $32,000 in education grants to area schools

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Clinton City Schools and ORAU Education Grants 2015

Clinton City Schools education grant winners are pictured above. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

ORAU awarded 28 teachers from nine East Tennessee schools more than $32,000 in grant money during the 14th annual ORAU Education Grants ceremony.

The grant money will be used to purchase educational materials and equipment—such as Chromebooks, microscopes, meteorology kits, and more—to help teachers continue to meet rigorous, state-wide curriculum standards, and enhance the learning experience of their students, a press release said.

Since beginning this program in 2002, ORAU has provided more than $410,000 to area schools for projects that complement its mission of enriching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, programs.

“ORAU is honored to support our community by helping our schools secure the tools they need to capture and maintain students’ attention on these critical subjects,” ORAU President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Page said. “These educators continue to show an impressive dedication to teaching, and we welcome the opportunity to show them how much we appreciate their dedication and hard work.” [Read more…]

Trap and Skeet Fun Shoot in Oak Ridge to benefit Wounded Warrior Project

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Submitted

They left their homes to fight for their country. Some of them were wounded physically and some were injured emotionally. And while they came back unbroken in spirit, many of them still need help to finish their recovery.

Assisting both the wounded veterans and their families is a responsibility all Americans should consider undertaking. The sponsors and supporters of the Pull For Our VeteransTM are doing their part by hosting the 4th Annual Pull For Our Veterans Trap and Skeet Fun Shoot to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project on September 18-20.

The three-day long event includes a Law Enforcement and Wounded Veteran’s Shoot on Friday, September 18, followed by a two-day fun shoot among 100 shooters on September 19 and September 20. At least five wounded warriors are expected to participate in the event and 100 percent of the money generated from the event will go to the Wounded Warrior Project to aid our veterans. [Read more…]

New Goodwill store on Emory Valley Road has ribbon-cutting on Sept. 18

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Goodwill Industries Knoxville

Officials will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Goodwill store on Emory Valley Road on Friday, September 18.

The new Goodwill Industries-Knoxville Inc. store will replace the existing Oak Ridge Goodwill, which is now located on South Illinois Avenue.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony is from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday, September 18.

“The new location…will provide a brighter shopping space with a significantly larger center for job training efforts,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Weather: Oak Ridge-Anderson County football game canceled, rescheduled to Monday

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Joe Gaddis

Joe Gaddis, head coach of the Oak Ridge Wildcats football team

The Oak Ridge-Anderson County football game has been canceled tonight (Friday, September 11) due to weather and rescheduled for Monday, September 14. The rescheduled game will start at 7:30 p.m.

The Wildcats led 7-0 when the game was canceled with 1:28 left in the first quarter Friday.

There have been a few cancellations and other delays across East Tennessee due to weather. For example, the Kingston and Rockwood game kicked off a little before 9:30 p.m. Friday.

The Clinton and Rhea County game in Rhea County, set to resume at about 9:15 p.m., was under way again as of 9:40 p.m.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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