There is a chance of snow and cold, below-freezing temperatures on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.
The NWS has published several snowfall forecasts, based upon different probabilities.
The official NWS forecast shows less than an inch of snow is possible in the Oak Ridge area.
More snow, greater than 4 inches, is possible in areas north of Oak Ridge, such as Sunbright, Oneida, and Tazewell.
Here is the NWS forecast for Oak Ridge:
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The Oak Ridge team that mostly cleaned up the former K-25 site, demolishing five large gaseous diffusion buildings and more than 500 structures, has received a Secretary’s Achievement Award from U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. The work was done ahead of schedule and under budget, the U.S. Department of Energy said.
Granholm honored the DOE Office of Environmental Management team from Oak Ridge in a virtual ceremony Wednesday, a press release said.
K-25 was used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons and commercial nuclear power plants from World War II to the 1980s.
It was the first removal of a uranium enrichment complex, and it cleared 13 million square feet of deteriorated, contaminated structures from the site, the press release said.
“The Secretary’s Achievement Award honors a group or team of DOE employees and contractors who accomplish significant achievements on behalf of the department, demonstrating cooperation and teamwork in attaining their goals,” the press release said. “The award was given to the Oak Ridge Vision 2020 Project Team based on its achievements from 2020.”
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Tennessee State Parks announced in December that the swimming pool at Norris Dam State Park will not re-open as major maintenance upgrades are required and the use of the pool has declined.
The swimming pool was closed in 2020 and 2021 due to complications related to COVID-19.
“Reopening the pool is unfeasible due to aging facilities, declining visitation pre-COVID 19, and high expenses,” a press release said.
The pool is 45 years old, and visitation was down 29 percent, the press release said.
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Oak Ridge City Council member Chuck Hope has been unanimously elected to the Energy Communities Alliance Executive Board of Directors. The Board met in conjunction with the National Cleanup Workshop held in December in Alexandria, Virginia.
The ECA is the only nonprofit, membership organization of local governments that host or are adjacent to U.S. Department of Energy sites, a press release said. The organization brings together local government officials to share information, establish policy positions, and promote community interests to address an increasingly complex set of environmental, regulatory, and economic development issues at DOE sites across the nation.
[Read more…]ASAP of Anderson has recognized people who have supported the mission to prevent and reduce substance use among youth and adults in Anderson County.
In December, Anna Hurt of Anderson County Schools, Matt Reedy of City of Oak Ridge, Teresa Seals of Oak Ridge High School, Lisa Steffensen of Roane State Community College, and the City of Rocky Top staff were recognized at a special Community Coalition meeting, a press release said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought a special set of challenges, and these amazing community partners continued to go above and beyond to support the work of ASAP during overwhelming times,” the press release said. “The staff at ASAP extends a sincere thank you to their 2021 Partners in Prevention and looks forward to advancing community efforts to prevent substance misuse in 2022.”
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Employees at Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, were recently celebrated for inventions and patents.
Y-12 employees filed eight invention disclosures during fiscal year 2021, a press release said. The inventions ranged from environmental and electrical load controllers to diagnostic tools, sensors, and unique material processes. Among those recognized were Eric Spurgeon, Justin Holland, Rachel Bachorek, Robert Cole, Ed Ripley, and Jacob Miller, the press release said.
At Pantex, Stephen Jones and Brian Harlow filed an invention disclosure for laser pulse shaping for a laser-powered bed fusion printer.
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Knoxville reporter Jesse Fox Mayshark will discuss redistricting during a virtual meeting on Tuesday, January 18.
The talk, sponsored by League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, will be about redistricting transparency and engagement, a press release said. The community is invited to participate in the Lunch with the League talk, which is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. January 18.
“In an effort to keep everyone safe during this time of pandemic, the gathering will again be virtual,” the press release said. “Those who desire to gain access to the meeting may do so by following the instructions provided at the close of this article.”
Here is more information from the press release:
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The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning have a free Zoom presentation about conservation fisheries on Tuesday, January 25.
The presentation is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., and it will feature Conservation Fisheries, Inc., a nonprofit organization preserving the Southeast’s aquatic biodiversity, a press release said. The presenter, Pat Rakes, is co-director of Conservation Fisheries.
“He will explain the role and mission of CFI as well as its history, pictures of the hatchery, field work, and fish as well as cooperators in this important effort,” the press release said.
[Read more…]Oak Ridge City Council will host a drop-in advisory board information session this month, and candidates interested in applying for a city board or commission are encouraged to attend.
The information session is scheduled between 5 and 7 p.m. on January 19 in the Social Room at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.
“The session is an opportunity for those who have applied or are interested in applying to meet with council members, introduce themselves, and ask any questions they have,” a press release said. “Last year, there were 79 applicants for city boards and/or commissions, which is nearly 20 more than the previous year. We hope that offering more chances to get questions answered encourages even more residents to apply and be selected for advisory board service this year.”
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The Oak Ridge Police Department currently has two funds for Baby Wyatt, the unidentified newborn boy found dead in Melton Hill Lake almost two years ago.
The two funds are a memorial fund ($950) and a reward fund ($1,000).
Separate from those two funds, the ORPD has received a $5,246 grant for genetic testing to identify Baby Wyatt. That money will be used specifically for the Baby Wyatt investigation, and any funds left from that grant will be returned to the grant provider, Season of Justice, of Indianapolis, Indiana, the City of Oak Ridge said Monday.
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Historic Downtown Clinton celebrated the completion of new landscaping that draws attention to the gateway sign on Main Street.
“Our committee felt this was an important project to welcome people to the Historic District,” a press release said. “WADEscapes Total Lawn and Landscape Management did an amazing job designing, building, and planting to make the sign stand out.”
The sign is located in front of the Walgreens on Main Street.
[Read more…]
Sean Finnegan, one of two defendants in a series of gruesome alleged crimes in Oak Ridge in December 2019, including murder, sex crimes, and kidnapping, is pictured above in a mugshot from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
An Oak Ridge man and woman face the death penalty after allegedly kidnapping, raping, torturing, and murdering a 36-year-old woman, and mutilating her body and putting it into a freezer in December 2019.
Dave Clark, Seventh Judicial District attorney general, announced the death penalty decision on Monday.
Oak Ridge Today has previously reported that a decision was expected this month in the criminal case against Sean Shannon Finnegan, 54, and Rebecca Elizabeth Dishman, 23. They have both been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the strangling death of Jennifer Gail Paxton and 10 other charges, including aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence.
In a press release, Clark said a district attorney general can seek the death penalty only in certain first-degree murder cases “when one or more factors established by state law are alleged to exist.” Then, it is up to the DA to decide whether to ask the court to impose the death penalty. That decision has now been made, Clark said.
Here are the factors in this case that make the death penalty applicable, according to Clark:
Since the state is now seeking the death penalty, special procedures will apply in the court case. These include the appointment of an attorney qualified in death-penalty cases and the right to a second attorney for Finnegan and Dishman.
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Sean Finnegan, one of two defendants in a series of gruesome alleged crimes in Oak Ridge in December 2019, including murder, sex crimes, and kidnapping, is pictured above in a mugshot from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
An Oak Ridge man and woman face the death penalty after allegedly kidnapping, raping, torturing, and murdering a 36-year-old woman, and mutilating her body and putting it into a freezer in December 2019.
Dave Clark, Seventh Judicial District attorney general, announced the death penalty decision on Monday.
Oak Ridge Today has previously reported that a decision was expected this month in the criminal case against Sean Shannon Finnegan, 54, and Rebecca Elizabeth Dishman, 23. They have both been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the strangling death of Jennifer Gail Paxton and 10 other charges, including aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence.
In a press release, Clark said a district attorney general can seek the death penalty only in certain first-degree murder cases “when one or more factors established by state law are alleged to exist.” Then, it is up to the DA to decide whether to ask the court to impose the death penalty. That decision has now been made, Clark said.
Here are the factors in this case that make the death penalty applicable, according to Clark:
Since the state is now seeking the death penalty, special procedures will apply in the court case. These include the appointment of an attorney qualified in death-penalty cases and the right to a second attorney for Finnegan and Dishman.
The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.
Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.
Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here: Basic
Pro
Temporary
If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to:
Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.
We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription.
Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!
