Oak Ridge Today

SUV hit by two vehicles, overturned in fatal crash on South Illinois

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South Illinois Avenue Crash on Aug. 24, 2015

The woman who died in a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon was a passenger in a Mazda sports utility vehicle that was hit by a southbound van that crossed into the northbound lanes, and the SUV was also struck by a northbound car, causing the SUV to roll, authorities said. 

 

The woman who died in a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon was a passenger in a Mazda sports utility vehicle that was hit by a southbound van that crossed into the northbound lanes, and the SUV was also struck by a northbound car, causing it to roll, authorities said.

The crash occurred at about 3:22 p.m. Monday, August 24.

The Oak Ridge Police Department determined that a Toyota van, driven by Marguerite Windham of Knoxville, was traveling south on South Illinois Avenue and crossed into the northbound lanes of travel for unknown reasons, a City of Oak Ridge press release said. [Read more…]

Updated: Preschool, SAB locked down after robbery reported at nearby medical office

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Oak Ridge Medical Clinic Robbery

A robbery was reported at Oak Ridge Medical Clinic on West Tennessee Avenue early Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:50 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Preschool was temporarily locked down on Tuesday afternoon after a robbery was reported at a nearby medical office.

The robbery was reported at about 1:03 p.m. Tuesday at Oak Ridge Medical Clinic at 170 West Tennessee Avenue, on the north side of Methodist Medical Center and about a block away from the preschool. A woman reported that she was robbed of her purse and contents worth an estimated $300.

“The victim had parked her vehicle in the parking lot of the medical center, and as she was walking into the building, the suspect approached, violently grabbed her purse, and knocked her to the ground,” a City of Oak Ridge press release said.

The Oak Ridge police and fire departments and Anderson County EMS responded, and police set up a perimeter around the area. A canine unit was sent to help search for the suspect.

The Oak Ridge Police Department said the suspect fled on foot, running northbound through residential lots toward the Oak Ridge Preschool and School Administration Building at 304 New York Avenue.

[Read more…]

Lay moves to administrative job, Adams named RMS principal

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Bruce Lay

Bruce Lay

Note: This story was updated at 6:05 p.m.

Robertsville Middle School Principal Bruce Lay is taking a new administrative position for Oak Ridge Schools, and RMS Vice Principal Garfield Adams will become principal.

The assistant superintendent job that is now vacant has been reclassified as executive director of school leadership. The position was reclassified and is now vacant after former Assistant Superintendent Chris Marczak left to become director of schools in Maury County, south of Nashville. Lay has been selected to fill the new position.

Lay moved to RMS from Jefferson Middle School in 2013.

Adams was named RMS vice principal in June 2014. [Read more…]

Knoxville woman dies after South Illinois Avenue crash

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South Illinois Avenue Crash on Aug. 24, 2015

A Knoxville woman died after a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

 

A Knoxville woman died after a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi said more information could be released later today (Tuesday, August 25). The female’s husband has been informed of the fatality, Akagi said.

There were multiple injuries in the crash, which was near the Centrifuge Way interchange, and one person was flown by a UT Lifestar medical helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. [Read more…]

U.S. commerce secretary to tour ORNL Manufacturing Demonstration Facility

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Penny Pritzker

Penny Pritzker

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will tour the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Knoxville on Thursday. It’s a trip to tour the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, part of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.

President Barack Obama created the NNMI to strengthen the global competitiveness of America’s manufacturing sector and our workforce. The NNMI currently has six institutes, and three additional institutions under competition, each of which is focused on the development of a different 21st century technology.

The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation works to develop lower-cost, higher-speed, and more efficient manufacturing and recycling processes for next-generation materials, including advanced polymer composites for vehicles, wind turbines, and compressed gas storage, a press release said. In addition, IACMI’s research, development, and demonstration programs are focused on reducing technical risk and developing a robust supply chain to support a growing advanced composites industry. [Read more…]

David A. Vudragovich, Anderson County HealthMarkets have ribbon-cutting Wednesday

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David Vudragovich

David A. Vudragovich and Anderson County HealthMarkets have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

Vudragovich recently moved his office to 1970 Oak Ridge Highway, at the intersection of State Route 61 (Oliver Springs Highway) and State Route 95 (Oak Ridge Turnpike) east of Oak Ridge.

The ribbon-cutting is from 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, August 26, with the ribbon-cutting at 4:15 p.m.

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Higgins, Wildcats receiver, commits to play football at UT

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Tee Higgins Clinton Dragons

Junior receiver Tee Higgins (5) celebrates his first touchdown catch for the Oak Ridge Wildcats against the Clinton Dragons on Friday, Aug. 21, 2015. Higgins had three catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Higgins announced on Monday that he has committed to play football for the University of Tennessee. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins announced on Twitter on Monday that he has officially committed to play football at the University of Tennessee.

Higgins, who is a 6’4″ and 185 pounds, is the No. 1 Class of 2017 prospect in the state, according to 247Sports.

Higgins chose the Volunteers over scholarship offers from more than a dozen other teams, including Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss. [Read more…]

Three-vehicle crash with injuries reported on South Illinois at Centrifuge

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South Illinois Avenue Crash on Aug. 24, 2015

Injuries were reported and one person was flown to a hospital by a medical helicopter after a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon.

 

A three-vehicle crash with injuries was reported on South Illinois Avenue near Centrifuge Way on Monday afternoon.

One vehicle was upside down, resting on its roof, and one person was reportedly flown by a UT Lifestar medical helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were involved, how many were injured, or how many others were taken to the hospital.

The crash was just down the hill toward Oak Ridge from the Centrifuge Way overpass. [Read more…]

School board to consider buying $1.36M worth of 1:1 computing devices

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education on Monday will consider buying $1.36 million worth of “one to one” computing devices for middle school students and teachers.

The purchase of the 1,636 devices would be through a $1.59 million, four-year CalFirst equipment lease that the school board will also consider on Monday.

The BOE will consider buying 1,520 student devices worth $1,223,600 from Personal Computer Systems, or PCS, in Louisville, Tennessee. The Lenovo 11E Yoga convertible laptops are worth $805 each and would be used by students in grades 5-8.

Teachers in grades 5-8 would get 116 devices worth $135,140 from PCS. Those devices, worth $1,165 each, would be Lenovo Yoga 12s. [Read more…]

Students to test skills, vie for scholarships in UT Pro2Serve Math Contest

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Hundreds of Tennessee high school students will put their mathematics skills to the test and vie for scholarships during this year’s UT Pro2Serve Math Contest, hosted by the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Registration opens Tuesday, August 25, for the 17th annual contest. The daylong event pits students—public, private, and home-schooled—from across the state in both individual and team competitions.

The contest, to be held Tuesday, October 27, at the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park downtown, will award $6,000 annual scholarships to UT to the top 10 students in the individual competition. The scholarships are funded by UT and Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. Other prizes also will be given. [Read more…]

Sewer line inspections using sonar machine continue in Oak Ridge

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The Oak Ridge Public Works Department continues to use state-of-the-art technology to perform inspections of the city’s sewer system, a press release said.

This technology employs a sonar machine that emits a repeating series of tones, similar to a musical scale. In open areas, it can be heard over long distances. While harmless, the tones emitted by the machine are low enough in frequency that residents nearby may be able to feel and, in some instances, hear them.

Testing is ongoing, but it will be concentrated to certain areas depending upon weather constraints and other factors during the week of August 24. This includes the area in and around Claremont Road, Clifton Circle, and Chestnut Hill Road. [Read more…]