Oak Ridge Schools will be closed today (Monday, February 15) due to the weather.
The schools had earlier planned to open two hours late.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Clinton Police Department is searching for a missing 14-year-old, Cassandra Faye Moore.
The 14-year-old Clinton girl reported missing on Thursday has been located, and she is safe and has been been returned to her home, authorities said.
The Clinton Police Department posted the update about Cassandra Faye Moore on its Facebook page. Moore had been last seen in the early morning hours on Thursday, February 11, according to authorities.
Note: This story was last updated at 8:50 p.m.
NORRIS—A fisherman who fell overboard on the Clinch River below Norris Dam on Sunday afternoon has his nephew to thank for quick action that undoubtedly saved his life, officials said.
Cecil Branscom, 70, of Dublin, Virginia, and his nephew Scott Branscom, 48, of Knoxville, launched their boat at Peach Orchard Access Area on the Clinch River on Sunday afternoon and headed upstream toward Norris Dam. When they reached the weir dam at around 2 p.m., they prepared to begin fishing when the boat’s engine hit a rock in the water, sending Cecil overboard from the front of the vessel into 48-degree water.
Scott Branscom managed to get his uncle back into the boat. Cecil Branscom was wearing several layers of clothing that was saturated from the frigid water, and he was not wearing a life jacket, the press release said. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior point guard Geevantay Gee (12) drives for a basket in his last regular-season game at Wildcat Arena, an 81-31 drubbing of Fulton on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was last updated at 10 a.m.
It wasn’t the game anyone expected. In a battle of two top-ranked teams, Oak Ridge beat Fulton 81-31 at Wildcat Arena on Saturday.
The basketball game, the last in the regular season, was never really close. The Wildcats (29-2) were up by 16 points less than five minutes into the game, led 27-8 at the end of the first quarter, and went into halftime ahead 50-13. Junior guards Tee Higgins and Tajion Jones both had early dunks that fired up the loud, raucous standing-room-only crowd.
The Falcons (22-2), ranked number two in Class AA, shot 15 percent in the first half and probably didn’t do any better in the second, Coach Jody Wright said.
Meanwhile, Oak Ridge, ranked number eight in Class AAA, had 20 assists in the first half alone, a sign that the Wildcats were sharing the ball well, and they played their best game of the year, Coach Aaron Green said. Senior point guard Geevantay Gee had five of those first-half assists, and junior guard E.J. Bush had four. [Read more…]
Fulton sophomore post Janae Fuqua (32) shoots over Oak Ridge sophomore post Mykia Dowdell (34) during a 30-26 win for the Lady Falcons at Wildcat Arena on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was last updated at 3 a.m.
The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats pulled within two points, 28-26, with 10 seconds to go, but Fulton emerged with a 30-26 win at Wildcat Arena on Saturday.
It was the last regular-season game of the year for Oak Ridge (22-4, 16-0 District 3-AAA). The Lady Wildcats enter next week’s district tournament as the top seed and are guaranteed a spot in the Region 2 tournament. The Lady Wildcats finished the regular season undefeated in District 3-AAA after a 47-32 win at Campbell County on Friday.
This year’s game between Oak Ridge and Fulton was closer than last year’s, when the Lady Wildcats fell to the Lady Falcons 71-34.
The taller Fulton team (11-8, 4-4 District 3-AA) was led on Saturday by junior guard/post Keke McKinney, who had a game-high 16-points in the low-scoring game in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Wildcat Arena. Freshman guard Lay Lay Manning, who was fouled four times, made three free throws and two baskets for seven points total. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior forward Javien Johnson (11) is pictured above during a 78-61 win at Powell on Dec. 8, 2015. Johnson led the Wildcats with 18 points during a 71-43 win at Campbell County on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, in the last regular-season district game. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
For the first time, the Oak Ridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats basketball teams have both finished the regular season undefeated in the district.
The closest the two teams have ever come to that feat was in 1999-2000, when the girls went undefeated but the boys lost to Campbell County in the Cougars’ last win over Oak Ridge, said broadcaster David Clary of Prepradio.com.
Clary said the Oak Ridge girls went five straight seasons without losing a regular-season district game between 1985-1990.
This year’s two Oak Ridge teams ended their regular-season district games on Friday at Campbell County.
The girls (22-3, 16-0 District 3-AAA) won the regular-season district championship with a come-from-behind 47-32 win over the Lady Cougars. The only two district losses for the Lady Cougars (23-5, 14-2) this year have been to Oak Ridge.
The boys (28-2, 16-0) finished with a 71-43 blowout at Campbell County (14-14, 5-11). [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats, who are undefeated in District 3-AAA, won the regular season district championship 47-32 at Campbell County on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, and they enter next week’s district tournament as the top seed. The Lady Wildcats and Coach Paige Green are pictured above during a Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, game against Karns at Wildcat Arena. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was last updated at 2:50 p.m. Feb. 13.
The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats, who are undefeated in District 3-AAA, won the regular season district championship 47-32 at Campbell County on Friday.
Down by five points at halftime, Oak Ridge (22-3, 16-0 District 3-AAA) rallied in the second half to defeat the Lady Cougars and will enter next week’s district tournament as the top seed.
The Lady Wildcats were led by freshman point guard Jada Guinn, who scored 17 points. Junior guard Courtney Ellison had 10, sophomore post Mykia Dowdell added nine, and senior forward Caelyn Thompson scored seven.
Campbell County (23-5, 14-2) only lost two district games this year and both were to Oak Ridge. [Read more…]
There have been some basketball schedule changes for tonight (Friday, February 12) and tomorrow (Saturday, February 13).
The Jefferson County and Maryville games that had been scheduled at Wildcat Arena on Saturday have been canceled.
The Oak Ridge and Fulton games are still scheduled though. The Oak Ridge girls are now scheduled to play Fulton at 6 p.m., and the Oak Ridge-Fulton boys game is scheduled to start at 7:30.
Today’s games at Campbell County, which was closed due to weather, will start earlier than scheduled. The girls game will start at 4:30 p.m., and the boys game will begin at 6.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins (5) is one of three finalists for Mr. Basketball in Class AAA in Tennessee. (Photo by Allen Greene/TriCitiesSports.com)
Note: This story was last updated at 1:45 p.m.
Already named Mr. Football this year, Oak Ridge junior Tee Higgins is now one of three finalists for Mr. Basketball in Class AAA in Tennessee.
The Mr. Basketball finalists were announced Friday.
The other two Class AAA finalists are Nathan Hoover of Arlington and Alex Lomax of Memphis East.
Higgins had earlier committed to play football at the University of Tennessee, but he recently re-opened his recruitment in football and basketball. [Read more…]
James Michael Cox
Note: This story was last updated at 9:15 a.m. Feb. 12.
A former Anderson County commissioner, commission chair, and teacher has been indicted on one count of theft over $60,000 from a church in Rocky Top, authorities said.
James Michael “Mike” Cox surrendered at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton on Thursday afternoon, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said.
Cox was indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury on the Class B felony on February 2.
The theft of about $100,000 is alleged to have occurred from Longfield Baptist Church in Rocky Top, the former Lake City, between June 1, 2011, and December 1, 2014, Clark said. [Read more…]
The Clinton Police Department is searching for a missing 14-year-old girl, Cassandra Faye Moore.
The Clinton Police Department is searching for a missing 14-year-old girl, authorities said.
Cassandra Faye Moore, a Clinton resident, was last seen in the early morning hours Thursday, February 11, authorities said.
If you have any information about her location, you are asked to please contact Detective Sergeant Danielle Alexander at the Clinton Police Department at (865) 457-3112.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Charlotte Bowers
Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County needs your help making repairs to its very old sprinkler system. The nonprofit organization is trying to raise $8,500 by March 12 for these repairs.
Habitat for Humanity has issued a challenge to encourage supporters to contribute. Executive Director Charlotte Bowers will shave her head if the fundraising drive is successful.
Habitat for Humanity said all the money donated to build or repair homes is used only for that purpose, so the $8,500 for the sprinkler system has to be raised in a fundraiser specifically for that purpose. [Read more…]
