Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge police investigating suspicious death

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Oak Ridge Police Department Logo

The Oak Ridge Police Department is investigating a suspicious death on Monday morning, authorities said.

Police officers responded to a report of a possible intruder at 615 West Vanderbilt Drive at 4:40 a.m. Monday, a city press release said.

When officers arrived, they found a dead man in the apartment, the release said. The name of the victim is being withheld until family members have been notified.

“The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information will be released as it becomes available,” the release said.

ADFAC: Make the holidays happier with ‘Dine and Donate’

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Mediterranean Delight

Open for lunch and dinner, and with a large catering menu, Mediterranean Delight offers savory and sweet treats ranging from hummus and shawarma to baklava. Mediterranean Delight is located on Bus Terminal Road behind Methodist Therapy Services.

 

Submitted

With the hustle and bustle of holidays all around, it’s a great time to treat yourself and your loved ones to a special meal. Fortunately, with ADFAC’s “Dine and Donate” event, there is a way to do that and support the less fortunate in our community.

On Monday, December 8, seven local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC).

Restaurants participating on Monday, December 8, are: [Read more…]

Alternative Gift Fair, Bake Sale/Mini-Bazaar at Kern Church on Saturday

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Kern Church Alternative Gift Fair

Kern Church will host its annual Alternative Gift Fair this Saturday, December 6, in conjunction with the UMW Bake Sale/Mini-Bazaar. Sokun Carathers (from left), her daughter Kiana, and Marcia Walker display just a few of the fair trade items that will be for sale. (Submitted photo)

 

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Kern United Methodist Church will have its annual Alternative Gift Fair this Saturday, December 6, in the church’s Family Life Center from 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

This annual event offers unique gift items that help end hunger and poverty for the families of artisans in economically disadvantaged areas around the globe. “Shop the World Gifts” of Englewood, Tennessee, and “Moja Fair Trade Fashions” of Maryville, Tennessee, will have booths full of beautiful, useful gifts for everyone on your list. Moja works directly with artisans in Kenya and Uganda to provide ethically produced and fashionable jewelry, accessories and home décor, while Shop the World Gifts obtains their merchandise through missionaries and several fair trade organizations. [Read more…]

Author Diane Fanning to sign ‘Scandal in the Secret City’ books at AMSE

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Diane Fanning

Diane Fanning

Author Diane Fanning will sign copies of her latest novel “Scandal in the Secret City” on Saturday at the American Museum of Science and Energy.

Fanning will be the museum, located at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge, from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, December 6.

Here is more information from an AMSE press release:

Eastern Tennessee is an area filled with the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, clear creeks, and vibrant cities like Knoxville and Chattanooga. In 1942, the U.S. government selected a rural area between the ridges to create the “Secret City” (what is now Oak Ridge). The location was quickly built to develop materials for the Manhattan Project and the purification of uranium for use in the bomb that eventually fell on Hiroshima. [Read more…]

ORPD accepting applications for Citizen’s Police Academy

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The Oak Ridge Police Department will be accepting applications for the Citizen’s Police Academy, which will begin on January 15, 2015, and run through March 19, 2015.

The Citizen’s Police Academy allows citizens to learn about how the Oak Ridge Police Department is organized and how it functions, a press release said. It also provides an improved understanding of the challenges in serving and protecting the community, the release said.

The academy requires a 10-week commitment from the participants and will be held one night a week on Thursdays beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 9 p.m.

“The goal of the Citizen’s Police Academy is to create and develop a nucleus of responsible and well-informed citizens who have an enhanced understanding of the Police Department and how it serves the City of Oak Ridge,” the release said. [Read more…]

Eighth-grader at St. Mary’s to compete in ‘Punt, Pass, and Kick’ at Titans game on Sunday

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Anne Carter

Anne Carter

Anne Marie Carter, an eighth-grader at St. Mary’s School in Oak Ridge, has advanced to the Team Championship Level for the NFL’s Punt, Pass, and Kick Competition.

Carter’s journey began in her physical education class the week of September 22 when she won for 12-13 year old girls. As a school champion, she advanced to the Knoxville area championship, known as the Sectional Championship, in October. Carter won this competition as well.

Carter will compete at the Tennessee Titans game on Sunday, December 7, in Nashville. She is one of four girls in her age group in the four-state region of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee to advance to this level of competition. [Read more…]

Free small business workshop on Wednesday, Dec. 10

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Jutta Bangs

Jutta Bangs

The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, will host a free workshop next week for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want a better understanding of starting a new business.

This free seminar will be held on Wednesday, December 10, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce office at 245 North Main Street, Suite 200, in Clinton with Jutta Bangs, director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Roane State Community College. [Read more…]

Pancakes with Santa fundraiser for CONTACT Care Line on Saturday

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Santa

CONTACT Care Line is hosting a Pancakes with Santa fundraising event this Saturday, December 6, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church at 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Santa Claus and Mrs. Santa will be there to greet children of all ages, and parents can take photos of their children with Santa, a press release said. Youth choirs will entertain the crowd with carols, and there will be plenty of merry elves serving pancakes with butter and syrup, bacon, fruit juices, hot chocolate, milk, and coffee too.

CONTACT is in its fifth decade serving people in need throughout East Tennessee, the press release said. Trained volunteers field nearly 19,000 critical support calls every year. Anderson County, where CONTACT is headquartered, has one of the lowest suicide rates in the state of Tennessee. However, suicide is on the rise in Tennessee and across the United States. [Read more…]

Foster Pet of the Day: Virginia Sue

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Pet of the Day: Virginia Sue

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I am a stunning beauty, but I am very scared. Maybe someone before my foster mommy Darlene wasn’t so kind to me. I need a very special someone to love me.

My tail was severed when I came to the shelter. I was so scared, but Miss Bev scooped me up and rushed me to the vet, where they amputated my tail. Now I am a beautiful bobtail.

Virginia Sue is two years old. Currently in foster care but still needs the perfect patient home. Contact the shelter at (865) 425-3423 to arrange a meeting.

The Oak Ridge Animal Shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It’s located at 395 Belgrade Road in east Oak Ridge.

See the Animal Shelter’s website here. You can also find more information on adoptable animals at the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter on this Facebook page.

Pet of the Day: Granite

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Pet of the Day: Granite

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Granite is an adorable little female. She is about six months old, spayed, vaccinated, and combo tested negative. Granite has also been vaccinated against FIV/FeLv. She is currently in foster care, but needs a home of her own.

If you are interested in this sweet kitty, please contact the shelter to meet her. Her foster mom likes this girl so much, she is sponsoring partial fee for her adoption to a good family. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge elementary schools participate in ‘Foodie Fridays’

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Adrianna King and Abbie Cary

Linden Elementary School second-grader Adrianna King and University of Tennessee Extension Outreach Coordinator Abbie Cary pose for a picture in front of a broccoli poster on Foodie Friday. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

This year, each elementary school throughout the Oak Ridge Schools district will participate in Foodie Friday. Foodie Friday is made available through a partnership between Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated School Health, food service provider Aramark, and the University of Tennessee Extension Office, a press release said.

Each Friday, volunteers from the UT Extension Office and the Anderson County Health Department prepare healthy samples, provided by Aramark, to sample during elementary school lunch periods. The students talk about the foods, see how it is prepared, and share their thoughts on how they taste, the Oak Ridge Schools release said.

Linden Elementary School is the first school of the year to participate in the program. The students have sampled red peppers, grapes, broccoli, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, and apples. Educational nutritional information is also provided to the teachers and students through the UT Extension office.

Foodie Friday will return after winter break at Glenwood Elementary School starting January 16, Woodland Elementary School on March 6, and Willow Brook Elementary School on April 10. [Read more…]

MADD has candlelight vigil on Saturday for crash victims

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MADD Logo

Mothers Against Drunk Driving of East Tennessee, or MADD, and victims of vehicle crashes will have their annual candle light vigil in Oak Ridge on Saturday, December 6.

The vigil is for those who have died or been injured in senseless vehicle crashes, a press release said.

“Anyone who has been hurt or lost someone through a vehicle crash is invited to attend, in addition to community members who would like to offer support,” the press release said. “Some victims have been injured themselves, know someone who has been hurt, or have lost a loved one to this preventable crime. Those harmed through a crash induced by impaired driving should bring a photograph of them self or loved one that has been killed or suffered in a crash.” [Read more…]