Oak Ridge Today

Obituary: Trenda Lynn Howard

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Trenda Lynn Howard

Trenda Lynn Howard, age 79, went to be with the Lord on Saturday February 12, 2022.

She was of the Baptist faith and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star #390.

Trenda was formerly employed by Oak Ridge Schools as a cafeteria worker.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, James William Howard, Jr.; mother, Myrl Catherine Edwards; father, Isaac Henderson Tackett, Jr.; grandson, Joseph William Howard Tunkel; sisters, Beverly Lee Mitchell and Andra Long; brother, Timothy Tackett; brother-in-law, Donald Wayne Gullett; and nephew, Earl Russ Long.

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Willow Ridge Garden Center named small business of month

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce recently presented Willow Ridge Garden Center with its Small Business of the Month designation for February 2022. Pictured are Christine Michaels, Greg Steele, Kelley O’Dell, Scott Russell, Chris Johnson, April Fugate, Lora Barker, Florenda Howard, and Norm Nelson. (Submitted photo)

 

Willow Ridge Garden Center has been named the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Month for February 2022.

The award is sponsored by Enrichment Federal Credit Union.

Willow Ridge Garden Center is located at 97 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

“When the weather is bleak, wet, dreary, and cold, it may not seem like the time to visit Willow Ridge Garden Center,” a press release said. “But, according to garden center retail manager Greg Steele—or ‘Greg the Friendly Garden Guy’ to followers of the Willow Ridge Facebook page—it’s always planting season. ‘We are here year round and you can plant year round. There is not a time when you can not plant, so you can always get your hands dirty—it’s good for you!'” [Read more…]

Former AC school employees charged with theft

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Two former Anderson County Schools employees have been charged with stealing more than $10,000 in a two-year period between January 2018 and January 2020.

Heather Dawn Heatherly, 44, of Jacksboro, and Stephanie Leann Jenkins, 43, of Powell, were indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury on a single felony count of theft or more than $10,000 but less than $60,000 on February 1.

“The investigation was initiated by a complaint from a merchant that was concerned about the types of purchases being made with a government account,” said Dave Clark, Seventh Judicial District attorney general in Anderson County. “The Anderson County Schools promptly reported the matter to the Sheriff’s Department and suspended the employees.”

The lengthy investigation that followed included the ACSO, Anderson County Schools, Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, and the District Attorney General’s Office.

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Oak Ridge, others cheering for Higgins in Super Bowl

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Oak-Ridge-Higgins-TD-Catch-Clinton-Thomas-Aug-18-2016-Web-Cropped
Oak Ridge wide receiver Tee Higgins (5), who was then a senior, catches a 17-yard pass from junior quarterback Johnny Stewart before falling backward into the end zone for a touchdown near the left pylon, putting the Wildcats ahead of the Clinton Dragons 42-7 with 2:57 left in the first half at Clinton on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. Higgins is defended here on his second TD catch by Clinton senior J’Quan Thomas (5). (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

People in East Tennessee and others across the country will be cheering for former Oak Ridge Wildcat Tee Higgins in the Super Bowl this evening (Sunday, February 13), and another former Wildcat, Zach Witherspoon, will be on the sidelines.

Higgins is a standout wide receiver who played for Oak Ridge and Clemson University, and he is playing in his second season for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals (10-7-0) play the Los Angeles Rams (12-5-0) at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The game will be broadcast on NBC at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Coverage of Super Bowl 2022 will air live on NBC and Peacock starting at 12 p.m. Eastern.

The Bengals advanced to the Super Bowl by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in overtime on January 30, with a game-winning 31-yard field goal by rookie kicker Evan McPherson. You can watch highlights of that game here and here, and read a scoring summary here.

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Controlled burns scheduled on Oak Ridge Reservation

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Controlled burns are scheduled on the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. (Submitted photo)

Controlled burns are scheduled on the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation.

“The public should expect to see some smoke from this activity,” a press release said. “However, smoke in this and other areas in the region could also be the result of prescribed burns currently being undertaken by other federal and state agencies.”

DOE will be starting a series of controlled burns of grassland areas on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation on the Three Bend Area off Pump House and Bull Bluff Roads, and other managed grassland areas off Bethel Valley Road and off Highway 58, the press release said.

Beginning this week and continuing through mid-April 2021 as weather permits, controlled burns will take place at:

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Passenger dies after THP pursuit

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The passenger has died after a two-vehicle crash during a police pursuit in Anderson County on Sunday, January 30.

It’s the second death after the police chase and fatal crash near the intersection of Mountain Road and Highway 441 at about 2 p.m. that Sunday. The driver, Elijah Morley of Dandridge, died after the crash.

On Wednesday, Dave Clark, Seventh Judicial District attorney general, said Morley’s passenger, Dustin Dienst of Morristown, died Tuesday night. He had been hospitalized since the crash.

A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper, Austin Dean, was also injured in the crash. Clark said earlier that Dean was treated and released from a hospital.

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ORHS student a U.S. Presidential Scholars candidate

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Sidney Ozcan

 

By U.S. Department of Education

Sidney Ozcan, a graduating senior at Oak Ridge High School, has been named one of 5,000 candidates in the 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The candidates were selected from nearly 3.6 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in the year 2022.

Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character, and involvement in community and school activities. [Read more…]

Anderson Senior Center to host mobile mammography unit Thursday

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Mobile mammography screenings will be available at the Anderson County Senior Center on Thursday.

The mobile mammography unit is from the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The senior center is at 96 Mariner Point Drive in Clinton, and the screenings will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, February 17.

Appointments are required, and they can be scheduled by calling the UT Breast Health Outreach Program at (865) 839-7416 or by sending an e-mail to Lking@utmck.edu.

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Four qualifiers win at songwriters competition

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Locals, visitors, and music industry leaders came together for a lively celebration and songwriting competition for East Tennessee songsmiths at Tennessee Songwriters Week’s qualifying round in Oak Ridge, Tenn., on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. (Submitted photo)

Locals, visitors, and music industry leaders met for a celebration and songwriting competition for East Tennessee songsmiths at Tennessee Songwriters Week’s qualifying round in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

“A slew of songwriters provided one of the most engaging and exciting songwriting competitions to date,” a press release said.

The competition was at Oakey’s Sports Bar in Oak Ridge. Each competitor was judged based on their overall performance, originality, and connection to the audience, the press release said. Out of the 20 applicants, only four were part of the winners from Oak Ridge’s qualifying round to advance to the next round at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville.

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JMS FIRST Lego League hosts Atomic City Invitational

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Jefferson Middle School FIRST Lego League teams hosted the 8th annual Atomic City Invitational on Jan. 15, 2022. Area teams were invited to come participate in the FIRST Lego League Cargo Connect challenge and alliance challenge, sumo bots, and Lego Great Ball Contraption. Fifteen area teams entered 45 robots into the events. (Photo by Janie Shanafield, Jefferson Middle School)

By Janie Shanafield, Jefferson Middle School

Jefferson Middle School FIRST Lego League teams hosted the 8th annual Atomic City Invitational on January 15. Area teams were invited to participate in the FIRST Lego League Cargo Connect challenge and alliance challenge, sumo bots, and Lego Great Ball Contraption. Fifteen area teams entered 45 robots into the events.

The winners were as follows:

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Woman charged with murder in husband’s death after 7 years

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Samantha Hendley

The wife of Thomas Steven “T.S.” Thrasher has been charged with first-degree murder after his death in 2014, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Samantha Anne Hendley, 35, of Harriman, was indicted last week by the Anderson County Grand Jury, and she was arrested and booked into the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton on Monday morning, the TBI said. Her bond has been set at $1 million.

The indictment and arrest followed seven years of casework by TBI special agents, the agency said.

Thrasher, 29, was shot and killed inside his home at Rolling Hills Apartments on December 8, 2014.

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First Presbyterian offers free meals, groceries Thursday

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First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge

First Presbyterian Church will provide a free meal and bag of groceries to guests who drive by the church between 5:30 and 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 10.

The church’s monthly “Welcome Table” community meal program plans to supply each guest with a meal consisting of a soup, chips, fruit, and brownies. In addition, a bag of groceries will be delivered to each car. [Read more…]