Oak Ridge Today

Photo: Concrete Batch Plant for UPF at Y-12

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Construction is almost complete on a batch plant that will provide concrete for the Uranium Processing Facility, or UPF, at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The components for the batch plant arrived at Y-12 in 41 trucks and the plant was assembled onsite. The batch plant will provide concrete for the construction of UPF, a first-of-its-kind facility for enriched uranium operations in support of Y-12 missions. (Photo by Y-12 National Security Complex)

 

Construction is almost complete on a batch plant that will provide concrete for the Uranium Processing Facility, or UPF, at Y-12 National Security Complex.

The components for the concrete batch plant arrived at the Y-12 National Security Complex in 41 trucks, and the plant was assembled onsite. The batch plant will provide concrete for the construction of UPF, a first-of-its-kind facility for enriched uranium operations in support of Y-12 National Security Complex missions. [Read more…]

Lady Wildcats sweep Anderson County to win District 3 volleyball championship

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats swept the Anderson County Lady Mavericks in three close sets to win the District 3-AAA volleyball championship at Karns on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:50 p.m. Oct. 6

KARNS—Oak Ridge swept Anderson County in three close sets to win the District 3-AAA volleyball championship at Karns on Wednesday.

All three sets were decided by four points or less: 25-21, 28-26, and 25-22.

“It’s really exciting to beat our biggest rival of the entire season,” said senior Alex Sherles, who played outside hitter and was named most valuable player of the tournament and will go to East Tennessee State University next fall. “This is what we worked for the entire season.

“Everything just came together,” Sherles said, citing blocking, setting, coverage, and attacking.

Oak Ridge, the top seed in the district tournament this year, lost to Anderson County in the District 3-AAA championship last year, but has won the district tournament three of the last four years, Sherles said.

Oak Ridge Coach David Kolodney said Sherles had big, timely kills on offense on Wednesday. [Read more…]

Dump truck driver cited for trailer brake, safety chain violations after crash with car

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Rescuers said it was a miracle that a woman survived when a trailer carrying a small skid steer loader crashed into her Toyota Camry on Emory Valley Road on Friday evening, Sept. 2, 2016. The black dump truck reported to be pulling the trailer before the crash is partially visible in the background behind the tow truck above. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A Knoxville man who was allegedly driving a dump truck pulling a trailer that came loose and struck a car head-on on Emory Valley Road in September, trapping and injuring a driver, has been cited for violations of state laws governing trailer brakes and adequate safety chains, according to court records.

Gerald D. Cureton, 71, had an initial appearance scheduled on Wednesday morning in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge. The court date was reset to November 9 to see if Cureton hires an attorney.

A violation of the brake requirement is a Class C misdemeanor, according to a copy of that section of state law, Tennessee Code Annotated 55-9-204, posted on LexisNexis.

A violation of the safety chain requirement is punishable by a fine of $50 on a first offense and a fine of between $50 and $500 on second and subsequent offenses, according to a copy of another section of state law, TCA 55-7-114, posted on LexisNexis. [Read more…]

Second homicide charge added, preliminary hearing set in crash that killed school employee

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Vicki G. Gilmore, 62, of Oak Ridge, is facing three more felony charges, including a second vehicular homicide charge, in the death of a 37-year-old Harriman mother and Roane County Schools employee in a fatal three-vehicle crash at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Jefferson Avenue on May 6, 2016. A preliminary hearing for Gilmore, who is pictured above on Thursday, Sept. 29, has been set for 10 a.m. Oct. 21 in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

An Oak Ridge woman is facing three more felony charges, including a second vehicular homicide charge, in the death of a 37-year-old Harriman mother and Roane County Schools employee after a three-vehicle crash at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Jefferson Avenue in May.

The new charges, filed against Vicki G. Gilmore, 62, on September 29, also include aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. The new homicide charge is vehicular homicide (recklessness).

The original charges filed against Gilmore, who is suspected of using a narcotic pain-reliever, were vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, reckless driving, failure to maintain a single lane, leaving the scene of an accident, violation of the implied consent law, and duty upon striking a fixture. The original charges were filed in May.

A preliminary hearing has been set for 10 a.m. October 21 in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge. During a preliminary hearing, a judge can hear from victims, witnesses, and investigators, and determine whether charges should be bound over, or sent to a grand jury for its consideration. An indictment by a grand jury bumps a case from general sessions court to criminal court. [Read more…]

Sixth-grade girl plays wide receiver, cornerback for Robertsville Rams

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Isabella Steade (11) plays wide receiver and cornerback for the Robertsville Middle School Rams football team. She is pictured above during the City Championship game with Jefferson Middle School on Blankenship Field on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 5:15 p.m.

A sixth-grade girl played wide receiver and cornerback for the Robertsville Middle School Rams this season.

It’s unusual but not unprecedented for a girl to play football, although it’s not clear if one has played wide receiver and cornerback before. Other girls have played for Robertsville before, but Steade might be the first one who wasn’t a kicker, Rams Coach James Branson said. He said RMS had a female kicker, Reagan Madden, a few years ago.

Oak Ridge Wildcats broadcaster David Clary said there were two females who played in the early 2000s, and one, Lori Niemeyer, kicked an extra point in a game against Sevier County in 2002. Niemeyer is the only female Wildcat to score in a football game, Clary said.

“There have been a couple of others that have played middle school though,” he said.

Other schools have also had female kickers. This year, Lenoir City High School senior Hailey Abston is the goalkeeper on the school’s soccer team and also the kicker on the football team. [Read more…]

Football: Oak Ridge remains at No. 2 in Class 5A; Farragut moves up to No. 5

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Associated Press high school football polls for this week were released on Monday, and once again, East Tennessee is well-represented across the board.

In Class 6A, Maryville remains number one with Bradley Central representing East Tennessee as well at number four.

The Class 5A polls is dominated either by teams from our coverage area or those teams they could face in the postseason. Oak Ridge remains at number two, while Farragut moved up to number five after their win at Campbell County last week. Rhea County slipped to number six, McMinn County—which hosts Oak Ridge Friday—is number seven, with Campbell County falling three spots to number eight and Knox West hanging in the top 10 at number 10.

See the rest of the story on WYSH Radio for more information.

WYSH Radio in Clinton is an Oak Ridge Today news partner.

Claxton brush fires investigated as arson

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating several small brush fires in the Claxton area.

Just before noon on Monday, deputies were notified of three small brush fires burning in the 600 block of Edgemoor Road. When Deputy Roger Sexton arrived, the Claxton Volunteer Fire Department was already on scene dousing the fires, which were located within 50 yards of one another about 20 feet from the roadway.

While Sexton was still on the scene of the Edgemoor fires, a call came in about another brush fire on Old Emory Road near Crawford Lane, and he went to investigate. When he arrived, he found a homeowner putting out the fire with a garden hose. That fire, too, was about 20 feet from the roadway. [Read more…]

Brian Henry named portfolio federal project director for Y-12 cleanup

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Brian Henry (DOE photo by Lynn Freeny)

 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, has named Brian Henry as its new portfolio federal project director for cleanup at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

Henry will replace Laura Wilkerson, who is now director of the Planning and Execution Division, where she oversees the portfolio cleanup directors at Y-12, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and East Tennessee Technology Park. Henry will report to Wilkerson.

As the portfolio federal project director, Henry oversees all of the planning and execution for Y-12’s current and upcoming cleanup projects, including all decontamination, demolition, and disposal operations, a press release said. In this role, he is also leading preparations for the Mercury Treatment Facility and the Environmental Management Disposal Facility, two of OREM’s largest and most vital near-term capital projects. [Read more…]

Cange to move to DC to serve in interim DOE Environmental Management job

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Sue Cange, manager of the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, is pictured above at the end of demolition of the K-27 Building on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2:30 p.m.

Sue Cange will be moving at least temporarily to Washington, D.C., to become interim principal deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management. She will be temporarily serving in the role formerly filled by Mark Whitney, who has taken a job in the private sector.

Whitney is a former manager of the Environmental Management program in Oak Ridge. He has been appointed chief operating officer of AECOM’s nuclear and environment strategic business unit. He worked for DOE for 11 years and served in both the Environmental Management office and the National Nuclear Security Administration, AECOM said in a press release.

Cange is expected to move in the next few weeks, sometime in October, said Ben Williams, DOE spokesperson for the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. [Read more…]

Photos: Hobby Lobby ribbon-cutting ceremony

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The new Hobby Lobby store at the former Kroger store at 380 South Illinois Avenue had a grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Oct. 3, 2016. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. (Photo courtesy Clayton Hensley (@knoxdaytripper on Instagram and Twitter))

 

Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. opened in Oak Ridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and official grand opening celebration on Monday morning. The store had a “soft opening” that started a few days earlier.

Here are two pictures from the Monday morning ribbon-cutting ceremony by Clayton Hensley. (You can find him on Twitter and Instagram under @knoxdaytripper.)

Hobby Lobby is a privately held national retail chain of craft and home decor stores. [Read more…]

Reminder: League forum tonight features candidates for City Council, Board of Education

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Reminder: A forum tonight will feature candidates for the Oak Ridge Board of Education and the Oak Ridge City Council. It is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 4, at the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater.

It’s the first of three candidate forums in October organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.

The second forum will be on Thursday, October 6, at Roane State Community College City Room on the Oak Ridge campus. This will include the Oak Ridge candidates for the Anderson County Charter Commission. To begin the forum, there will be a short presentation from a subject matter expert on the process of reviewing and changing a county charter. This forum will be from 7 to 9 p.m. [Read more…]

Tonight in Clinton: Retired Army major general to discuss current, future national security concerns

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John R. D'Araujo Jr.

John R. D’Araujo Jr.

A retired Army major general will discuss current and future national security concerns at a presentation in Clinton tonight (Tuesday, October 4).

The presentation by Major General John R. D’Araujo is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the Clinton Community Center, which is at 101 Hicks Street in Clinton. The presentation will include a question-and-answer session.

D’Araujo was invited by Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, a press release said.

“I hope our community will take advantage of this excellent opportunity to take part in discussion of some of the major issues of national security concern with an expert of General D’Araujo’s caliber,” Frank said in the press release. “I am extremely thankful he is joining us to deliver a presentation, and also appreciative of his willingness to give the people of Anderson County an opportunity to ask questions about national security and our military.” [Read more…]