Oak Ridge Today

Update: Three charged after Oak Ridge shooting, victim stable

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The Oak Ridge Police Department investigates a shooting on East Holston Lane at about 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 5:45 p.m.

Three people have been charged with especially aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, and conspiracy after a Tuesday afternoon shooting on East Holston Lane, authorities said.

The three people are:

  • Nicholas Strickland, 25, of Oak Ridge;
  • Matthew A. Mashburn, 27, of Knox County; and
  • Nicole Brewer, 19, of Oak Ridge.

The victim of the shooting is male, but his name is not being released, the City of Oak Ridge said. He has been taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville for further treatment and is listed in stable condition. [Read more…]

TVA issues burn ban on all its public lands in Tennessee Valley

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Firefighting crews are using helicopters with 500-gallon water baskets to battle wildfires all around the region. They often use water from nearby lakes, like Douglas in East Tennessee, which is near fires in the Cherokee National Forest. (Photo: Tennessee National Guard via TVA)

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority has issued a burn ban on all of the public lands, recreation areas, and facility reservations it manages in seven states in the Tennessee Valley. The burn ban is to help ensure public safety during the continuing dry conditions, TVA said in a press release.

“Until further notice, all open flames are prohibited—including campfires, barbeques, smoking, or any other flame-producing activity—as well as vehicle parking on non-paved or gravel surfaces,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Windrock opens mountain bike park in Oliver Springs

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Information from WYSH Radio

Windrock Park is opening a new uplift assisted mountain bike park in Oliver Springs. The bike park features nine trails, including a new flow trail and improved intermediate terrain.

“The terrain at Windrock Park is amazing, and anyone who has ridden the mountain bike trails can see that the potential has always been huge,” said Neko Mulally, professional mountain bike rider who, along with fellow professional biker Sean Leader, designed and built the park. “When the opportunity came up to develop the trails into something bigger, I had to jump on it.”

The bike park is laid out on 550 acres nestled in the Cumberland Mountains on the Windrock Park’s property, which is a total of 72,000 acres. The park includes five trails ranging from one mile to 1.5 miles long, each dropping 1,100 vertical feet taking an average of five to 10 minutes to complete. There are connector trails to give riders the option to combine trails. [Read more…]

Kerr, Clinton High football coach, resigns after six years

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Information from WYSH Radio

Clinton High School football coach Josh Kerr has resigned after six years on the Dragons’ sideline.

Kerr took over in 2011 and led the Dragons to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2014 and 2015, but he saw the team finish 1-9 this past season. Kerr’s record as Clinton’s coach was 18-44. Kerr informed his players of his departure Friday afternoon.

On Monday, Kerr talked a little about his decision to step down, citing the fact that he has two young daughters and a son on the way in the spring. He said he wants to take a step back and spend a little more time being a father. He plans to continue coaching but indicated he is not interested in being a head coach at this time. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge man killed when car crashes into tree stumps, house

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Note: This story was last updated at 10:10 a.m.

A 25-year-old Oak Ridge man died Monday night after a car crashed into tree stumps on East Wolf Valley Road, overturned into a parked car, and hit a house, authorities said.

The man was identified as Albert W. Brown, 25, of Oak Ridge.

He was a passenger in a 2001 Audi ATQ driven by Mark E. Floer, 52, of Heiskell, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The THP said Floer was driving the Audi east on East Wolf Valley Road at about 10:45 p.m. Monday when he left the right side of the roadway, hit two tree stumps, overturned and hit a parked 1998 Ford Escape and then a house. [Read more…]

Two serious crashes, one fatal, reported in Anderson County on Monday

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Two serious crashes, one of them fatal, were reported in Anderson County on Monday, authorities said.

The first two-vehicle crash was reported at about 9:30 p.m. Monday on Yarnell Road near East Wolf Valley Road. Three people were injured, and all three were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville by ambulance, said Mark Lucas, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy.

The second crash, a fatal crash, was reported at about 10:45 p.m. Monday on East Wolf Valley Road near Nolan Lane. The car ran off the road and hit a home, Lucas said. One person was killed, and the other was transported to the UT Medical Center. [Read more…]

Air quality forecast for Tuesday: Unhealthy for sensitive groups

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The air quality forecast for Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. Yellow areas are moderate, orange areas are unhealthy for sensitive groups, and red is unhealthy. (Image courtesy AirNow.gov)

 

The air quality forecast for the Knoxville area on Tuesday is again unhealthy for sensitive groups.

The air quality in the Knoxville area at about 8 a.m. Tuesday was unhealthy due to particle pollution, according to AirNow.gov. That means people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.

Unhealthy for sensitive groups means the general public is not likely to be affected, but people with lung disease, older adults, and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, while people with heart and lung disease, older adults, and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air.

The poor air quality in the the Knoxville and Chattanooga metropolitan areas, as well as in the Great Smoky Mountains, is due to smoke from wildfires.

“Everyone should limit prolonged outdoor exertion,” the National Weather Service in Morristown said Tuesday. [Read more…]

Governor issues regional burn ban, including Anderson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane

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A Chinook helicopter drops water near a home to protect it from an advancing wildfire on Neddy Mountain in Cocke County on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016. (Photo by Tennessee Division of Forestry)

 

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam on Monday issued a proclamation declaring a regional ban on burning in 51 counties in response to the ongoing drought and destructive wildfires throughout Middle and East Tennessee.

All eastern Tennessee counties are now under the burn ban. The counties include Anderson, Campbell, Loudon, Knox, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union.

Effective immediately, residents in counties covered by the regional ban are not permitted to conduct any open-air burning, a press release said. The ban includes campfires, and burning of brush, vegetation, household waste, or construction debris. The ban will remain in effect until December 15. The counties under the ban are listed below.

On Monday, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry was fighting 67 wildfires across nearly 16,000 acres in the Cumberland and East Tennessee districts.

One of the largest active fires in the area was a 2,432-acre fire on White Oak Circle in Morgan County. That fire was caused by arson, according to the Division of Forestry. That fire appears to be northwest of Harriman and Oakdale. [Read more…]

Christmas Tree Lighting is Dec. 2 in A.K. Bissell Park

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The Oak Ridge Woman’s Club and the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will sponsor the annual Christmas tree lighting and reception on Dec. 2, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Woman’s Club and the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will sponsor the annual Christmas tree lighting and reception at 6:30 p.m. December 2.

Participants should gather at the Secret City Commemorative Walk on the east side of the Oak Ridge Public Library parking lot for a brief ceremony, a press release said. A reception with seasonal music and entertainment will be held in the Oak Ridge Civic Center gymnasium immediately following the tree lighting. Light refreshments will be served.

Visit the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks website at orrecparks.org for information about other city events and programs.

Clinton Christmas Parade is Dec. 17

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Clinton Christmas Parade First Place

A float by Second Baptist Church featuring a large sleigh and reindeer won first place in the Dec. 1, 2012, Christmas parade in Clinton. (File photo courtesy of Janet Hawkins)

 

Deadline to register is Dec. 12 

Clinton’s traditional Christmas Parade of bands, floats, and many other processional entries will begin at 6 p.m. December 17, a press release said. This year’s theme is “Once Upon A Christmas.”

Businesses, churches, schools, and other marching groups are encouraged to register and participate in the parade. There is no parade entry fee this year. The deadline to register is 4:30 p.m. Monday, December 12. There will be no late entries, the press release said.

Entry forms may be picked up at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce office located at 245 North Main Street, Suite 200, in Clinton. You can also receive a form by mail, fax, or email by calling the Chamber at (865) 457-2559. You may also obtain a registration form and instructions at www.andersoncountychamber.org. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Civic Ballet presents ‘The Nutcracker’ next weekend

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The Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association will present “The Nutcracker” next weekend, November 19 and 20, 2016. (Photo by ORCBA)

The Oak Ridge Civic Ballet Association will present Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” next weekend, November 19 and 20. The performances will be at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

Directed by Molly Koon Quist, “The Nutcracker” offers artistic entertainment for family members of all ages, a press release said. The feature shows will include the added value of the University of Tennessee Chamber Orchestra and Farragut High School Advanced Chorus, a press release said.

“We are thrilled to showcase our talented dancers in such a classic ballet for the Oak Ridge community,” said Christy Rickman, president of ORCBA.

Courtney Walker and Fancisco Aguilar of the Georgia Ballet as well as Grant Howard as the Russian Soloist will join the talented cast from East Tennessee. Frank Murphy of Classic Hits 93.1 will also make a guest appearance, the press release said. [Read more…]

Pilot Club of Oak Ridge has Arts and Craft Fair on Nov. 18-19

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John Orban making a bowl on the lathe. (Submitted photo)

 

The Pilot Club’s annual Arts and Crafts Fair is scheduled for next weekend. The fair is from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, November 18, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, November 19, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The craft fair will include 84 booths, with a variety of arts and crafts such as silk and burlap wreaths, jewelry, scarfs, handbags, glass etching, crocheted items, repurposed furniture, stained glass, wind chimes, personalized polymer clay ornaments, lotions, scrubs, sand art, wooden jigsaw puzzles, wood chimes, Christmas crafts…and the list goes on and on, a press release said.

There will also be food for sale from the kitchen and a table of homemade baked items. Admission is free. [Read more…]