Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Schools the first in Tennessee to earn AdvancED STEM district-wide certification

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Oak Ridge Schools is the first district in Tennessee—and only the second entire district in the world—to earn district-wide STEM certification from AdvancED, officials said Friday. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The picture above includes administrators from Oak Ridge Schools and Oak Ridge High School. (Photo by Oak Ridge Schools)

Oak Ridge Schools is the first district in Tennessee—and only the second entire district in the world—to earn district-wide STEM certification from AdvancED, officials said Friday. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The picture above includes administrators from Oak Ridge Schools and Oak Ridge High School. (Photo by Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Oak Ridge Schools is the first district in Tennessee—and only the second entire district in the world—to earn district-wide STEM certification from AdvancED, officials said Friday. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Oak Ridge High School received STEM certification from AdvancED on Friday, making the Oak Ridge school district the first entire district in the state to be STEM-certified by AdvancED, a press release said.

“Oak Ridge High School is also the first comprehensive high school in the state to earn this distinction as an entire school, as opposed (to) certifying a single STEM program area,” the press release said.

The release said that AdvancED implements a research-based framework and criteria for the awareness, continuous improvement, and assessment of the quality, rigor, and substance of STEM educational programs. [Read more…]

Cantata ‘Joy’ & special singer presented by Grace Lutheran Church

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Colette Boudreaux

Colette Boudreaux

 

Christmas 2017 brings in a wealth of musical experiences old and new at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge.

“Joy,” the cantata by Joel Raney, will be presented by the Chancel Choir on December 17 at the traditional service at 11:15 a.m.

Then on December 24, two Christmas Eve services will feature special music by the bell choir and youth choir, plus the late service will feature Colette Boudreaux, an operatic soprano from the New York area. The family service begins at 7 p.m. on December 24, and the Candlelight service begins at 9 p.m.

Boudreaux, who grew up in Knoxville, will sing “Rejoice Greatly” from Handel’s Messiah. Boudreaux keeps a busy performing schedule, and she also teaches voice and dance, is a professional choreographer, and to pay forward what she has learned, directs productions for high schools that have no formal theater programs. She recently started a professional theatre company in Easton, Pennsylvania, along with her husband, John Andreadis. Everyone is invited to attend. [Read more…]

Council to discuss AMSE project, Y-12/UPF power lines on Tuesday

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AMSE Sign

The American Museum of Science and Energy is at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge. (File photo by Sara Wise)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday will discuss the project to move the American Museum of Science and Energy from its current home on South Tulane Avenue to Main Street Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge Today reported in November that construction documents had been submitted for the new museum at Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall. It’s not clear when AMSE might open at its new home at Main Street Oak Ridge, but it will continue to be at its current location, where it’s been since the mid-1970s, past the end of the year.

AMSE is relocating to space that will be renovated in a two-story building that once housed a Sears Roebuck store next to JCPenney at what is now Main Street Oak Ridge. That planned move is part of an agreement that was signed by the city and DOE in December 2016. Under that agreement, the 17-acre AMSE site was to be transferred from the U.S. Department of Energy to the City of Oak Ridge.

The city is, in turn, transferring the AMSE property in two phases to TN Oak Ridge Illinois LLC. That company was set up by RealtyLink, the developer of Main Street Oak Ridge.

The southernmost 7.44 acres of the AMSE site have already been transferred to TN Oak Ridge Illinois LLC. In November, the Oak Ridge City Council unanimously approved a rezoning for that property, which could be developed with a grocery store, retail shops, and restaurants.

[Read more…]

Taco Bell could be built on current site of General Sessions Court

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A Taco Bell restaurant could be built on the property that now houses Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, at the intersection of Bus Terminal Road and Oak Ridge Turnpike. A rezoning has been requested for the 1.1-acre site by Tacala TN Corporation of Vestavia Hills, Alabama. The rezoning request will be considered by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

A Taco Bell restaurant could be built on the property that now houses Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, at the intersection of Bus Terminal Road and Oak Ridge Turnpike. A rezoning has been requested for the 1.1-acre site by Tacala TN Corporation of Vestavia Hills, Alabama. The rezoning request will be considered by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

 

A Taco Bell restaurant could be built on the property that now houses Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, at the intersection of Bus Terminal Road and Oak Ridge Turnpike.

A rezoning has been requested for the 1.1-acre site by Tacala TN Corporation of Vestavia Hills, Alabama. The rezoning would change the property from an O-2 Office District to a B-2 General Business District.

The development plan calls for a Taco Bell fast-food restaurant with a drive-through on the property, according to a rezoning request that will be considered by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, December 14, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

It’s not clear if the existing building, which once housed the city’s police station and later the Oak Ridge Utility District, would remain. Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, has been there since January 2009, but the court is moving to a county-owned building that once housed the Oak Ridge Senior Center on Emory Valley Road. [Read more…]

State appropriates $15 million that could be used for Oak Ridge Airport

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Image from a Billy Stair presentation on the Oak Ridge Airport project to Roane County officials at the Roane County Courthouse in Kingston on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017.

Image from a Billy Stair presentation on the Oak Ridge Airport project to Roane County officials at the Roane County Courthouse in Kingston on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017.

 

KINGSTON—Tennessee officials have appropriated $15 million that could be used for the proposed airport at Heritage Center, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge.

The appropriation, which is pending approval of the Oak Ridge Airport by the Federal Aviation Administration, would be enough to cover about 33 percent to 38 percent of the current estimated project cost of $40 million to $45 million.

The appropriation was announced by Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John C. Schroer in a November 8 letter to members of the Tennessee General Assembly. Oak Ridge Today received a copy of the letter on Monday.

The $15 million that could be used for the Oak Ridge Airport is one half of a $30 million appropriation approved by the Tennessee General Assembly for the Aeronautics Economic Development Fund earlier this year, said Billy Stair, a former communications director at Oak Ridge National Laboratory who is now a consultant helping with the airport project. That half was to support the construction of new general aviation airports like the project in Oak Ridge, and Oak Ridge received all of the $15 million for general aviation airports, Stair said.

“MKAA (Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority) is the only public entity in the state with planning documents for a new airport currently under review,” Schroer said in his November letter to legislators. The $15 million will be allocated to the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, which would own and operate the Oak Ridge Airport, pending FAA approval. [Read more…]

Man killed in crash on Dutch Valley Road

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A 40-year-old man was killed after being ejected from a car in a single-vehicle crash on Dutch Valley Road in Anderson County on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Winston T. Nelson, of Clinton, was driving east in a 1992 Mazda Miata convertible on Dutch Valley Road near Smith Road when he failed to maintain his lane, according to information from the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

Nelson swerved to avoid a collision with a westbound vehicle when he lost control of his car, went off the left shoulder of the road, and struck an embankment and then an AT&T phone box, the THP said in a fatality report. After hitting the phone box, the Mazda Miata spun and collided with a tree, the THP said. That impact caused the car to keep spinning until it stopped off the roadway on the left shoulder, according to the report.

But before it finally stopped, Nelson, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected out of the top of the car, the THP said. [Read more…]

Help ADFAC through Dine & Donate today

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On Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, thirteen restaurant locations throughout Anderson County will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC). The event, Dine & Donate, happens on the second Monday of each month. (Submitted photo)

On Monday, Dec. 11, 2017, thirteen restaurant locations throughout Anderson County will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC). The event, Dine & Donate, happens on the second Monday of each month. (Submitted photo)

 

On Monday, December 11, thirteen restaurant locations throughout Anderson County will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC). The event, Dine & Donate, happens on the second Monday of each month.

Monday, December 11, is an opportunity to sample fresh subs from Subway’s five locations in Anderson County, a press release said. The restaurant is featuring Reuben’s at this time, either corned beef or turkey, the release said.

“It’s all fresh at Subway,” the press release said. “Rolls for subs are baked fresh each day, as are the cookies. In addition, the vegetables are washed and freshly sliced every morning.” [Read more…]

Kidnapping, assault charges sent to grand jury in Hibachi Burger robbery

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Dominique Leshawn Gordon

Dominique Leshawn Gordon

 

Sixteen assault and kidnapping charges in a robbery reported at gunpoint at Hibachi Burger in Oak Ridge in January were sent to a grand jury on Tuesday.

An aggravated robbery charge was dismissed due to a technical issue with a warrant, but that charge is expected to also be considered by the Anderson County Grand Jury. An indictment by the grand jury would move the case from Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge, where it has been, to Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton.

The armed robbery was reported at about 6:10 p.m. Tuesday, January 10, at the Hibachi Burger restaurant, which is in Grove Center.

The defendant, Dominique Leshawn Gordon, 22, allegedly entered Hibachi Burger while displaying a firearm, and he demanded money from the register while showing the gun to several employees and customers, “placing them in fear of serious bodily injury,” according to affidavits filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.

After getting the money, Gordon fled on foot, but he was caught a short time later by Oak Ridge Police Department patrol officers, the affidavits said. Officers who searched him after his arrest found the money that had been taken from the restaurant, according to the affidavits, which were filed by ORPD Detective A. Marvell Moore. [Read more…]

Pancake Breakfast fundraiser on Saturday to support local humanitarian programs

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Pictured above is recent community mission work by members of First United Methodist Church. (Submitted photo)

Pictured above is recent community mission work by members of First United Methodist Church. (Submitted photo)

 

The First United Methodist Church Oak Ridge Adult Missions Ministry will sponsor a fundraising Pancake Breakfast at Applebee’s Restaurant on Saturday morning.

The church’s Missions Ministry supports many local humanitarian programs such as ADFAC, TORCH, Family Resource Center at Oak Ridge Schools, Ecumenical Storehouse, Free Medical Clinic, Girls Inc., Agape House, Tabitha’s Table, and Second Harvest “Food For Kids,” a press release said.

The Pancake Breakfast is scheduled from Saturday, December 9, from 8-10 a.m. [Read more…]

Community Band has free Christmas Concert & Sing-along on Sunday

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Christmas Concert 2015 at First Baptist Church in Oak Ridge (Submitted photo)

Christmas Concert 2015 at First Baptist Church in Oak Ridge (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble will ring in the Christmas season with a Christmas Concert and Sing-along on Sunday afternoon, December 10.

It’s a free event, and it will begin at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church, which is at 1101 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The performance is open to the public, dress is casual, and there will be refreshments at the conclusion of the program, a press release said.

“This concert is a wonderful opportunity to bring family and friends to relax and enjoy hearing familiar holiday tunes and sing favorite Christmas carols,” the press release said.

Among the numbers on Sunday’s program are two of Leroy Anderson’s most well-known holiday tunes: “A Christmas Festival,” featuring a medley of carols, and the time-honored piece “Sleigh Ride,” in which you can not only hear the bells on the horse pulling the sleigh, but the crack of the whip, the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves, and the horse’s distinctive neigh, the press release said. [Read more…]

Police catch man six minutes after robbery reported at Arby’s

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Tyler Gilmore

Tyler Gilmore

 

The Oak Ridge Police Department said it caught a suspect within six minutes of a robbery being reported at the Arby’s restaurant on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge on Thursday afternoon.

The strong armed robbery was reported at 2:10 p.m. Thursday at the restaurant, which is at 114 South Illinois Avenue.

“Officers saturated the area and apprehended the suspect within six minutes of the initial call,” the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

“Police learned that the suspect forcibly took a patron’s wallet as he was entering the restaurant,” the ORPD said. “The suspect fled on foot into a nearby neighborhood. Once police captured the suspect, they were able to recover the stolen wallet containing $13.00 in cash. No injuries were reported.” [Read more…]

Tennessee Fall Homecoming at Museum of Appalachia ending after 38 years

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Tennessee Fall Homecoming Howard Tuggle

Photo courtesy Museum of Appalachia

 

The Tennessee Fall Homecoming at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris is ending after 38 years.

The festival, which started in 1980, has grown to the point that it now requires more than three thousand hours to plan, promote, and execute, a press release said.

“Homecoming was an enormous investment for a museum of our size,” said Stephen Dean, chair of the museum’s board of directors. “If we lost a day of attendance due to weather, we simply could not make it up. Even if a homecoming was successful financially, the amount of time and effort invested simply wasn’t justifiable. We have to be responsible for the entire museum’s operation.”

The festival started in 1980 as a one-time event to recognize, display, and celebrate the disappearing music and culture of the Southern Appalachians, but grew over the years into a multi-day event attended by tens of thousands of people annually, the press release said.

The 38th and final Homecoming, held this past October, was one of the museum’s most well-received events, the press release said. It introduced all-new evening concerts featuring artists like Lee Ann Womack and The SteelDrivers. As a result, this year’s Fall Homecoming boasted record-breaking attendance and attracted new visitors. [Read more…]