Oak Ridge Today Staff - Author at Oak Ridge Today

Reminder: National Night Out today features food, family-friendly activities

Posted at 1:41 pm October 11, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The National Night Out celebration on Saturday, October 11, will feature bucket rides on an Oak Ridge Electric Department bucket truck. (Submitted photo)

This is a reminder: The National Night Out celebration at A.K. Bissell Park today will feature free food, family-friendly activities for children and adults, and crime prevention presentations and information.

The National Night Out is from 3-7 p.m. Saturday, October 11, at A.K. Bissell Park near the Oak Ridge Civic Center. The community is invited.

The Oak Ridge Police Community Resource Office and the Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program will host the 2014 National Night Out celebration, a crime prevention program promoted by National Association of Town Watch. This year marks the 31st anniversary of this community-police partnership, a press release said.

Magician Danny Whitson will perform feats of magic during the celebration. Festivities will also include Oak Ridge Police K-9 demonstrations, the Mobile Meth Lab exhibit, safety and health exhibits, Oak Ridge Electric Department bucket rides, drug abuse prevention information, Doug LaVerne on steel drums, music, and games. Child fingerprinting and bike registration will be offered. In case of rain, the celebration will move into the Civic Center. [Read more…]

JMS cross country teams sweep city championships

Posted at 1:10 pm October 11, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The 2014 Jefferson Middle Schools boys cross country team is pictured above. The JMS boys and girls cross country teams were city champions this year. (Submitted photos)

Jordan Van Druff of Jefferson Middle School, the boys city champion. Van Druff was undefeated in all of Jefferson’s regular season races during his three-year career.

By Steve Reddick

Both Oak Ridge middle school cross country teams wrapped up their seasons at the City Championship meet held Tuesday, September 29, on the Jefferson Middle School campus.

Battling hard against determined Ram and Lady Ram teams, the JMS Eagle and Lady Eagle cross country teams emerged as City Champions in the meet.

Led by standout runner Jordan Van Druff, the Eagles captured 18 of the first 20 places in the boys race, including the top five positions, to finish the race with a perfect score of 15 points.

Robertsville Middle School’s top runner, seventh-grader Christopher Van Hook, placed sixth overall. [Read more…]

Clinch River Antiques Festival continues through Saturday

Posted at 6:14 pm October 10, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Clinch River Antiques Festival in 2012 is pictured above. (Photo by Carl Warner)

The 14th Annual Clinch River Antiques Festival kicked off on Friday evening, October 10, from 6-9 p.m. in Historic Downtown Clinton with shops open late, food vendors, and live entertainment. It continues through Saturday evening.

Friday entertainment—Live entertainment on Friday evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Hoskins Lane Park in Gazebo Park with the unique music of The Walker Boys. The Walker Boys are a gospel and traditional bluegrass band consisting of five brothers and their father. The family has performed for several years at churches, festivals and special events. They live locally in Clinton. [Read more…]

Schools notify parents of solicitation scam

Posted at 12:09 pm October 10, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Christopher J. Marczak

Oak Ridge school officials have notified parents of fraudulent school solicitations.

School officials have been told that unknown people are driving around town and soliciting donations for the Parent-Teacher Organization at the schools, Assistant Superintendent Chris Marczak told parents in a Skylert call on Thursday.

“We do not send parents or employees door-to-door to collect money,” Marczak said. “These people are not collecting for any of our schools. If you are asked for money, please do not donate and immediately contact the police department.”

UT Arboretum begins construction on auditorium

Posted at 10:50 am October 10, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

University of Tennessee Arboretum Auditorium

Construction on the new auditorium for the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge is now under way. The building’s open design, wooden beams, and stone fireplace will complement the site’s woodland setting. The building is expected to be completed in June 2015. (Image courtesy UT Institute of Agriculture)

Construction work has started on the auditorium at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge.

The auditorium will complement the existing outdoor pavilion, but it will be a stand-alone facility capable of accommodating gatherings of up to 120 people, said Kevin Hoyt, director of the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center and UT Arboretum.

Hoyt described the facility, which will be more than 2,400 square feet, as a good fit for the Arboretum’s environment. It will have large windows that overlook the Arboretum’s hardwood forest, and the design includes a unique two-sided stone fireplace that can add ambiance to events that spill over from the indoor space to a large outside patio, a press release said. [Read more…]

Tech 20/20 hosting computer programming workshops for students

Posted at 10:24 am October 10, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Tennessee Code Academy has four computer programming workshops scheduled for students ages 12 to 18 this month, with two in Knoxville and two in Oak Ridge.

The first two workshops in Knoxville will be hosted at the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center on October 13 and 14.

Tech 20/20 will host two workshops in Oak Ridge on October 16 and 17.

These workshops will focus on web design and the Python programming language, a press release said. [Read more…]

Contractor, businessman seeking seat on City Council

Posted at 10:05 am October 10, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Rick Chinn

Rick Chinn, a lifetime resident of Oak Ridge, is seeking a seat on the Oak Ridge City Council in the upcoming November 4 election.

Chinn, who is a licensed contractor and local businessman, serves on a number of nonprofit boards and has been active as a civic leader in working to improve the quality of life for all Oak Ridge families, a press release said.

Chinn explained his reasons for seeking to serve on City Council.

“A lot of people in Oak Ridge have invested their time and energy over the years to help me better understand and appreciate how rewarding it is to live and work in Oak Ridge,” he said in the press release. “I have worked hard to continue that tradition of excellence by volunteering my time and resources over the past 20 years. I want to ensure that my children have the same opportunities in the future that have been provided to me. I am ready to work hard for the future of Oak Ridge.” [Read more…]

CASA’s Evening with the Arts is Friday

Posted at 10:28 pm October 9, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

CASA’s fifth annual Evening with the Arts is Friday, October 10.

It’s scheduled from 7-10 p.m. at Melton Lake Park.

“(The park) will be transformed from the Oak Ridge riverfront to New Orleans!” a press release said.

Tickets include wine and New Orleans-style food—including shrimp and grits. [Read more…]

Updated: Anderson County building commissioner faces charges in TBI case

Posted at 12:14 pm October 9, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

David Lynn Crowley

Note: This story was updated at 3 p.m.

Anderson County Public Works Director David Lynn Crowley was arrested Thursday morning by agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on five charges of violating state laws dealing with having the proper licenses to perform building inspections.

In a press release, the TBI said Crowley, 62, of Clinton, is accused of performing building inspections he wasn’t certified to do. Crowley was indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury. He is charged with five misdemeanor counts of violating the state’s building official certification law.

Crowley was booked into the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton at 9:45 a.m. Thursday and released on a $1,000 bond a little more than an hour later. [Read more…]

Clinton Police Department has Family Night Out tonight

Posted at 10:18 am October 9, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Rick Scarbrough

The Clinton Police Department has its seventh annual Family Night Out tonight (Thursday, October 9).

The Family Night Out will be in the downtown area at Hoskins Lane Park off Market Street from 6 to 8 p.m.

Several activities are planned, including live music by the Parrott Brothers Band, a children’s play area provided by All Occasions Party Rentals, Gordo’s BBQ, and more, a press release said. CPD’s K9 officers and their partners will offer demonstrations as well. [Read more…]

Free Medical Clinic receives $10,000 grant for prediabetic program

Posted at 9:50 am October 9, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The American Medical Association Foundation has awarded a $10,000 “Healthy Communities/Healthy America” grant to the Free Medical Clinic in Oak Ridge. The grant will be used to support a two-year program that identifies and provides early intervention for prediabetic patients, a press release said.

By completing the lifestyle intervention program, participants should lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improve their overall health, the release said. The prediabetes initiative will run in conjuction with the “Healthy Habits, Healthy Lives” wellness program that the clinic began this fall. The wellness program is supported by a three-year grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation. [Read more…]

« Previous Page