Oak Ridge Today

Photos: Charlie Daniels Band, Grand Funk Railroad; changes possible at Secret City Festival

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Charlie Daniels Band at Secret City Festival June 10 2016

The Charlie Daniels Band played at the 14th annual Secret City Festival at Alvin K. Bissell Park on Friday, June 10, 2016. Pictured above is Charlie Daniels. (Photo by Angela Richardson-Newman)

 

The Charlie Daniels Band and Grand Funk Railroad both played at the Secret City Festival last weekend. Here are two photos from the concerts by Angela Richardson-Newman.

The Charlie Daniels Band played Friday, June 10, and Grand Funk Railroad performed Saturday, June 11. Both concerts were well-attended, and both received good reviews.

It was the 14th annual Secret City Festival. Besides concerts, the festival included music, food, vendors, a car show, a World War II re-enactment, U.S. Department of Energy bus tours, history and science exhibits, arts and crafts, and children’s entertainment and activities.

It’s not entirely clear if the festival will continue next year in the same form or at the same time of year as this year’s festival and previous festivals. This year had been considered a transition year as a new inaugural board of directors was appointed for a new nonprofit celebration. That board is expected to be responsible for the time, location, and length of the festival, as well as sponsorships and funding. [Read more…]

Barbara Ferrell receives Muddy Boot Award

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

David McCoy Barbara Ferrell and David Bradshaw June 17 2016

Barbara Ferrell, center, received a Muddy Boot Award in a surprise ceremony on Friday, June 17, 2016, in conjunction with the Lavender Festival in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. Also pictured are Dave McCoy, left, and David Bradshaw. (Submitted photo)

 

Barbara Ferrell, who owns The Ferrell Shop in Jackson Square, received the Muddy Boot Award on Friday.

The award is given by the East Tennessee Economic Council. It is a tribute to people who, through their work and community activities, make East Tennessee a stronger region.

The mid-year Muddy Boot Award was given to Ferrell in a surprise ceremony on Friday in conjunction with the annual Lavender Festival in Jackson Square.

Ferrell has been a leading independent retailer in Oak Ridge for more than 25 years, a press release said. She has been the driving force behind the successful Lavender Festival, which celebrates its 18th year this year. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Symphony to celebrate National Park Service centennial during season opening

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Symphony with Dan Allcott

The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra is pictured above with conductor Dan Allcott. (File photo by ORCMA)

 

The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the National Park Service’s centennial, its 100th anniversary, during a season-opening concert in September.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park, a new national park that includes Oak Ridge, is partnering with the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association, or ORCMA, for the special celebration of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary. The centennial will be celebrated Saturday, September 24.

It’s the 72nd season-opening concert for the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra.

The September concert, titled “Pride of Place,” will celebrate Oak Ridge’s scientific heritage with an exciting world premiere by East Tennessee composer Mark Harrell commissioned by the JAZ Fund to honor the post-World War II generation of scientists in Oak Ridge, a press release said. The concert will conclude with Peter Boyer’s powerful and moving “Ellis Island: The Dream of America” for narrator and orchestra. [Read more…]

ORPD investigating truancy cases with DA’s Office, Oak Ridge Schools

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Police Department, Anderson County District Attorney General’s Office, and Oak Ridge Schools have started investigating juveniles with unexcused absences from school during the 2015-2016 school year, officials said Friday.

“This process involves seeking petitions for truancy for those students who were absent for significant periods of time,” a City of Oak Ridge press release said.

The petitions will be submitted with the Anderson County Juvenile Court for remediation, the press release said. The 15 petitions were the start of an ongoing investigation, and officials anticipate that additional juvenile petitions will be filed.

“As part of this investigation, ORPD will also be investigating additional allegations of educational neglect, and when warranted, will seek petitions in (Anderson County General) Sessions Court against parents of students with a high number of unexcused absences from school during the 2015-2016 school year,” the release said. [Read more…]

No injuries reported after suspect allegedly rams vehicle, points gun at four people

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

No injuries were reported after a suspect allegedly rammed someone else’s vehicle and pointed a handgun at four other people on West Bryn Mawr Circle early Friday, authorities said.

The disturbance was reported at about 12:22 a.m. Friday, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $1,000, the ORPD said in a press release. [Read more…]

Armed robbery reported in Burger King parking lot Thursday

Posted at
By 1 Comment

An armed robbery was reported in the parking lot of Burger King on Oak Ridge Turnpike on Thursday, authorities said.

The alleged robbery was reported at about 4:43 p.m. Thursday, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. It allegedly involved two suspects who fled in a vehicle, the ORPD said.

Officers searched the area for the vehicle and suspects, a press release said. [Read more…]

Anderson County EMS director gives ‘State of EMS’ address

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

On Wednesday night, Anderson County Emergency Medical Services Director Nathan Sweet delivered a “State of the EMS” address to county commissioners and members of the public.

The county EMS became an individual entity not funded by the county six years ago, choosing instead to support itself through fees. When the EMS became a stand-alone entity, the county ignored a recommendation from the County Technical Advisory Service—or CTAS—and provided only $215,000 in start-up money rather than the $1.1 million recommended by CTAS. Despite that early limitation, the department was able to support itself…until last year.

In 2015, the County Commission voted to contribute $600,000 to fund the EMS, which found itself hampered by delays in reimbursement from Medicare and serious problems with the third-party billing company used by the EMS. [Read more…]

Anderson County Commission meeting Monday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Commission will meet for its regular monthly session on Monday, June 20, at 6:30 p.m. in Room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

Commissioners will be considering appointments of commissioners to the newly-created Budget and Purchasing Committees brought about by the recent change in financial management systems. The Nominating Committee met this week and recommended that Commissioners Chuck Fritts, Whitey Hitchcock, Myron Iwanski, Theresa Scott, and Jerry White serve on the Budget Committee. The Nominating Committee members also recommended that Commissioners Tim Isbel, Angeleque McNutt, Steve Mead, Theresa Scott, and Philip Warfield serve on the Purchasing Committee.

The full Commission will discuss and possibly vote upon the Operations Committee’s recommendation to move forward on a project to refurbish the Glen Alpine Convenience Center in Clinton. The Commission will also discuss a five-year lease extension at a cost of $1,000 per month for the land housing the Wolf Valley Convenience Center in Claxton. [Read more…]

Amateur Radio Club demonstrates World War II-era military radio at Secret City Festival

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Sterling Edmunds of the Roane County Amateur Radio Club explains historical communication to visitors during the Secret City Festival. In the background are working, restored military “morale” radios and receivers from WWII and the Cold War. (Submitted photo)

Sterling Edmunds of the Roane County Amateur Radio Club explains historical communication to visitors during the Secret City Festival. In the background are working, restored military “morale” radios and receivers from World War II and the Cold War. (Submitted photo)

 

By Kathryn King

The Oak Ridge Amateur Radio Club demonstrated World War II-era military radio communications Friday and Saturday as part of the Secret City Festival. The group also hosted communications as part of the National Parks on the Air Program, celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service and the newly established Manhattan Project National Historical Park. A special event radio call sign, N4M, was issued for this event. The concurrence of these three events represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local amateur radio operators.

Approximately 200 people visited the exhibit, which, along with live, on-the-air radio operations, also featured replays of historic broadcasts, such as news programs from World War II, including the announcement of the existence of Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project. [Read more…]

Kids in the Creek outing on Emory River on Saturday, June 25

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy Tiffany Foster

Photo courtesy Tiffany Foster

 

Looking for a fun and educational summertime activity for the kids? On June 25, a Kids in the Creek outing will be held at Reister Access on the Emory River. The event will start at 10 a.m. with a welcome and safety talk, followed by two breakout sessions on fish and insects, and will conclude between noon and 12:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to all kids who are rising third-graders or older. Children must be accompanied by adults at all times; no unaccompanied minors will be permitted, a press release said.

Adults must be prepared to sign liability waivers on behalf of children. Participants should be prepared to get wet, and should wear shoes that are river-ready. Snacks are advisable, along with dry clothes, sunscreen, and bug spray. [Read more…]

City Clerk’s Office accepting applications for four city boards

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Clerk’s office is currently accepting applications to fill vacancies on four city boards.

The Anderson County Economic Development Association (ACEDA) and the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau (CVB) have one vacancy each. The Environmental Quality Advisory Board (EQUAB) has three vacancies, one of which is for a high school representative. The Traffic Safety Advisory Board (TSAB) has one vacancy for a high school representative.

The terms of offices are as follows:

 City Board Term of Office
ACEDA Balance of an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2017
CVB Balance of an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2018
EQAB Balance of an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2016, and an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2018. The term for the high school representative is a one-year term commencing at the time of appointment
TSAB One-year term commencing at time of appointment

[Read more…]

Roane County Emergency Services has new emergency notification program

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Roane County Office of Emergency Services Logo

The Roane County Office of Emergency Services has a new community emergency notification program. It will help authorities contact individual community members in the case of a community emergency such as severe weather, active shooter, or other event.

“We are requesting that everyone visit the Hyper-Reach website and input your preferred means of communication, including email and text alerts,” a press release said. “The purpose of this sign-up page is that 911 data only includes landline numbers.”

Cell phones, emails, and special needs technology, like TDD for the hearing-impaired, are not included in the regular Accu-Reach data unless the individual involved signs up for messages from these other-than-landline sources. There is an easy sign-up form specific for every user. It’s simple and only takes a minute. [Read more…]