Oak Ridge Today

Weather: Schools, government offices, other closings

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Anderson County Courthouse

The Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton, pictured above, closed early Wednesday because of the winter storm hitting the Southeast.

Note: This story was last updated at 8:25 p.m. Feb. 12.

Schools in Clinton and Anderson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, and Roane counties will be closed Wednesday due to weather.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, program at 320 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge will also be closed Wednesday due to the threat of a major winter storm.

Oak Ridge Schools dismissed early on Wednesday. The Anderson County Courthouse closed at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Anderson County Schools and its Central Office will be closed Thursday. [Read more…]

ORCVB, Welcome Center closed until noon Wednesday for nearby construction work

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The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau and Welcome Center will be closed until noon Wednesday because of a water outage scheduled by the city and because the parking lot will be blocked for utility work for the nearby Kroger Marketplace shopping center.

Oak Ridge officials have announced that a short stretch of Robertsville Road between Oak Ridge Turnpike and Raleigh Road will be closed from Wednesday to Friday for the underground utility work. The entrance to ORCVB is in that road section.

The street closure is subject to weather that could cause a delay in the work, a city press release said.

Anderson County budget director resigning to take Lake City job

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Chris Phillips

Chris Phillips

CLINTON—Chris Phillips, Anderson County accounts and budget director, has resigned his position effective Feb. 21 to take a job as city recorder in Lake City.

“As many people know, Lake City is my hometown,” Phillips said in a press release. “They have struggled for the last few years in keeping someone qualified in the city recorder’s position.”

Phillips said the state mandates that each municipality must have a certified municipal finance officer on staff, and his designation as a certified government financial manager satisfies this requirement.

“Lake City is embarking on an historical time with the change to become Rocky Top,” Phillips said. “The leaders of Lake City have reached out to me, and I felt compelled to contribute in the areas (in which) I have considerable skill, education, certification, and experience.” [Read more…]

No damage to house in Monday afternoon chimney fire

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Louisiana Avenue Chimney Fire

There was no damage to a Louisiana Avenue home that had a Monday afternoon chimney fire. (Photo by Tom Scott)

There was no damage to a Louisiana Avenue home during a chimney fire on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

The chimney fire occurred at about 4:55 p.m. Monday at 330 Louisiana Ave., Oak Ridge Fire Department Chief Darryl Kerley said. The fire was contained in the chimney with no damage to the house, Kerley said.

Police ID driver who died in Sunday morning crash

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Hillside Road Fatal Crash

The Oak Ridge Police Department has identified the driver who died in a crash early Sunday morning after hitting a utility pole on Hillside Road near the intersection with Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Oak Ridge Police Department has identified the driver who died in a crash on Hillside Road early Sunday morning.

The driver was Hobert L. Mitchell, 32, of Oak Ridge, the ORPD said in a press release.

Mitchell was driving a white 2003 Nissan Murano registered to Jordan Jones, also of Oak Ridge, the release said.

Mitchell’s body was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where an autopsy was to be performed, and the investigation of this incident remains ongoing, the ORPD said. [Read more…]

Honors: Norwood Elementary names teacher of the year

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Amy Gaskins

Amy Gaskins

Amy Gaskins, a fourth-grade teacher, has been named the 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year at Norwood Elementary School in Oliver Springs.

Gaskins has been teaching at Norwood, which are part of Anderson County Schools, since 2006. She taught first grade for six years, and this is her second year teaching fourth grade.

In addition to teaching, Gaskins in the coordinator for the UTrust program, sponsor of The National Junior Beta Club, and co-sponsor of the Spelling Bee Club, a press release said. [Read more…]

Wealth management adviser to discuss women, money with Altrusa Club

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Ali Swofford

Ali Swofford

An independent wealth management adviser will discuss women and money during a Wednesday meeting of the Altrusa Club of Oak Ridge.

The presentation by Aleen “Ali” Swofford is titled “Women and Money—Taking Charge of Your Financial Future.”

The meeting will take place at the Oak Ridge Utility District office conference facility at 120 S. Jefferson Circle.

“Women often face unique financial challenges that their male counterparts don’t,” Swofford said in a press release. “They have longer life expectancies, and may have less income and therefore reduced savings as they head into retirement. Women are also more likely to take a career break at some point to be a caretaker, and we tend to invest too conservatively.” [Read more…]

Former Sweet Honey in the Rock member to lead music workshop at ORUUC

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Ysaye M. Barnwell

Ysaye M. Barnwell

Ysaye M. Barnwell, a former longtime member of Sweet Honey in the Rock, an a cappella group, is returning to Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church to lead a three-night workshop series: Evolution of African-American Music from Africa to Civil Rights.

The evenings of singing and learning will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 20, 21, and 22 at ORUUC, a press release said. ORUUC is located at 1500 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Those who attend will experience singing in the African-American tradition of music from Africa to the civil rights era, the press release said. The workshop begins on Thursday, Feb. 20, with the chants of Africa and the diaspora. Spirituals and slave songs will be the focus on Friday, Feb. 21. The series will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 22, with songs of the civil rights era. [Read more…]

Free small business start-up seminar on Feb. 28

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A free Feb. 28 workshop will give small business owners and entrepreneurs a better understanding of how to start a new business.

The workshop is from 11:30 a.m.– 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The workshop is offered by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center.

Registration is required. To see more details, and to register, please visit www.roanestate.edu/tsbdc. For questions, contact Jutta Bangs at (865) 483-2668 or jbangs@tsbdc.org.

Part of Robertsville Road to close Wed.-Fri. for Kroger utility work

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A short stretch of Robertsville Road will be closed from Wednesday to Friday this week for underground utility work for the new Kroger Marketplace shopping center.

The work will be done on Robertsville Road between Oak Ridge Turnpike and Raleigh Road. The street closure is subject to weather that could cause a delay in the work, a city press release said.

“No through traffic will be permitted on this portion of Robertsville Road during the closure,” the release said. “Local traffic will be permitted to access the Unitarian Church, and the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Heritage and Preservation Association from the Robertsville Road/Raleigh Road intersection. Motorists should use caution while traveling near the closure area.”

Questions or comments concerning this closure can be directed to the Oak Ridge City Engineer at (865) 425- 1807. Visit www.oakridgetn.gov for more information.

ORCMA: ‘Dialogue with Dan’ on Monday

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Dan Allcott

Dan Allcott

Music lovers can have lunch on Monday with Dan Allcott, director of the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, and learn about the Feb. 15 concert.

“Dialogue with Dan” will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the lobby of the historic Grove Theater at 123 Randolph Road in Oak Ridge. Allcott will discuss the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association’s concert featuring the music of Mozart, Bach, and Vivaldi.

Those attending are encouraged to brown bag or to buy a sandwich from Panera for $8.

Weekly update: Sewer rehabilitation work continues

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More rehabilitation work of the city’s sewer collection pipes is scheduled to continue this week.

The work is being done by Hurst Excavating and Morgan Contracting under contract with the city of Oak Ridge. It includes rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways, a press release said.

Residents should already have received color-coded letters and door hangers (orange for Hurst Excavating and purple for Morgan Contracting) providing general information and each contractors’ contact information.

All construction work is subject to change based on such unknowns as weather, equipment, and access issues, the press release said. The construction work schedule for the week beginning Feb. 10 is as follows: [Read more…]