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Photos: Tennessee Para Cycling Open in Oak Ridge on Saturday

Posted at 10:50 am May 16, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Tennessee Para Cycling Open in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on Saturday, May 16, 2015 (Photo by Julio Culiat)

The Tennessee Para Cycling Open is in Oak Ridge this weekend. It’s a racing event featuring competitors who are paraplegics, amputees, or otherwise physically challenged.

Here are photos by Julio Culiat from the Saturday morning races.

The event features different categories of racers competing on conventional or adapted race bikes or hand cycles.

More than half of the competitors are wounded warriors who were injured while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, some of whom race for the Paralyzed Veterans Racing, which is affiliated with Paralyzed Veterans of America, a major sponsor of the event. There are two racers from Cuba and Colombia. [Read more…]

Parents, teachers, students show support for ‘venerated’ teacher under investigation

Posted at 8:51 am May 16, 2015
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Eddie Anderson

Note: This story was last updated at 12:05 p.m.

About 200 people turned out at a school board meeting on Wednesday to show support for longtime teacher and track coach Eddie Anderson, who has been suspended without pay pending a police investigation, and to challenge some of the accusations made against him. Some objected to the process used by the school system, saying the reputation of a fantastic teacher has been sullied.

Anderson, an Oak Ridge High School chemistry teacher hired in 1979, was suspended without pay on April 30 while the Oak Ridge Police Department investigates an allegation of inappropriate contact with a former student. In the letter announcing the suspension, Oak Ridge Schools Assistant Superintendent Chris Marczak said the allegation was being turned over to the ORPD as a criminal investigation.

No additional details about that allegation have been released. Anderson’s attorney, Dennis Francis, declined to comment last week, and the Oak Ridge Board of Education and Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent’s Office have been advised to not comment until the investigation is complete. City officials have also not commented on the ongoing investigation by the Police Department.

In the meantime, most of the public discussion has focused on an April 11 track meet, the Taco Bell Invitational in South Carolina. School administrators said, among other things, that Anderson knew ahead of time that a hotel the team was going to stay in was “unacceptable and dangerous,” that he did not inform parents of the specifics of the trip and did not answer the phone when they called, and did not double-check student room assignments, which led to a girl entering a boys’ room through an adjoining door and engaging in “inappropriate contact.” [Read more…]

Special Events Task Force to consider expanding Secret City Festival, veterans theme

Posted at 12:19 pm May 15, 2015
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The Special Events Advisory Task Force could consider expanding the Secret City Festival into a celebration “in the window” of the second week of October and Veterans Day, November 11.

The Task Force, which meets at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, could also consider a vote on whether to develop a veteran theme to celebrate the arts, culture, and heritage of the Secret City.

And the Task Force could also vote on a recommendation that a nonprofit organization assume the responsibility to implementing the Secret City Celebration with the goal of becoming self-sustaining within five years.

The Task Force meeting on Wednesday will be in the Craft Room of the Oak Ridge Recreation Center at 1402 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

ACSD investigating robbery

Posted at 12:02 pm May 15, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a report of an armed robbery that occurred late Wednesday night near Rocky Top.

The victim, Jacob Fry, called deputies just after midnight Thursday and told them that he had been assaulted and robbed by three people, two of whom he knew. Fry said that a man he knew called him at around 10 p.m. and asked if he wanted to play basketball, and Fry agreed.

A short time later, the man and a woman—whom he also knew—picked him up, and the three drove to the Pine Hill community park in Rocky Top. Fry later told deputies that he thought that the woman had been acting strangely on the ride.

When they reached the park, the man said he was going to call another man to play ball with them, and while Fry stood outside the truck smoking, he said he heard the man tell his friend that they “were just outside and to come out and meet them.” [Read more…]

ORCO Concert on Saturday: A Faun, a River, a Rhapsody, and a Tragic Overture

Posted at 11:18 am May 15, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Violins form the front line in the March 2015 Oak Ridge Community Orchestra concert. (Photo by Nancy Cosgrove)

A free concert by the Oak Ridge Community Orchestra on Saturday, May 16, will feature Will Burkhart conducting the poetic “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy, the strikingly descriptive “Moldau” by Bedřich Smetana, the lyrical “Romanian Rhapsody No. 2” by Georges Enescu, and the turbulent “Tragic Overture” by Johannes Brahms.

“This is a great program to enjoy on a Saturday afternoon,” a press release said.

When “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) premiered in 1894, it was recognized as an historic change, launching the modern music style. [Read more…]

Public Notice: Public comment period, public hearing on Annual Action Plan

Posted at 10:49 am May 15, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Entitlement Program

for the City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee

NOTICE OF 30-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

AND CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING

For

Annual Action Plan of the Consolidated Plan

CDBG Program Year 2015-City of Oak Ridge Fiscal Year 2016

The Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development is a requirement of the 1990 National Affordable Housing Act and the Community Development Plan, for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Such a plan is required of entitlement communities, which receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds under HUD’s housing and service programs related to the needs of low- and moderate-income persons. The development of the sixth City of Oak Ridge Consolidated Plan took place during the eight-month period of September 2013 through April 2014 and is to be utilized for the three-year period of July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017 (CDBG Program Year 2014 through Program Year 2016). [Read more…]

Fight against cancer: Relay for Life in Oak Ridge on Saturday

Posted at 10:08 am May 15, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Oak Ridge is on Saturday, May 16, at Oak Ridge High School Track. The Relay is scheduled from 3 to 10 p.m.

Organizers are asking you to turn out and “help finish the fight against cancer.”

“This event celebrates cancer survivors, remembers those we have lost, and provides the community with an opportunity to unite and fight back against this disease,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Drop off household hazardous waste in Oak Ridge on Saturday

Posted at 9:53 am May 15, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s mobile household hazardous waste collection service will be in Anderson, Carter, Obion, and Giles counties on Saturday, May 16. The drop-off point in Oak Ridge is the Oak Ridge Public Works Department on Woodbury Lane.

“Our household hazardous waste mobile collection service provides the people of Tennessee with a safe, environmentally friendly way to dispose of unwanted household chemicals and other potentially hazardous wastes at no cost,” said Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau. “This service travels across the state holding collection events in local communities, and we encourage all Tennesseans to take advantage of the opportunity to utilize it.”

On Saturday, May 16, any Tennessee resident may bring his or her household hazardous waste to the following locations. (Note that hours listed indicate the local time for events.) [Read more…]

St. Mary’s School receives $10,000 physical education grant

Posted at 9:39 am May 15, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

St. Mary’s School in Oak Ridge is one of 20 Tennessee middle schools to have been awarded a 2015 Shape the State grant to improve its physical education program. The grant, valued at $10,000, is funded by the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation.

In addition, St. Mary’s will also receive $1,000 to spend at its discretion for PE, nutrition, and wellness efforts. St. Mary’s first-year athletic director and physical education teacher Shannon Adcock submitted the grant in April.

According to the state Department of Health, about 40 percent of Tennessee children are overweight or obese. Obesity dramatically increases a person’s risk for dangerous health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The Shape the State grants continue a longstanding practice of BlueCross’ Tennessee Health Foundation’s supporting efforts to fight childhood obesity in the state, a press release said. [Read more…]

Tennessee Para Cycling Open comes to Oak Ridge this weekend

Posted at 10:21 am May 14, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Pictured above is racer Jason Kimball, an Iraq war veteran who will compete at the Tennessee Para Cycling Open in Oak Ridge this weekend (May 16-17). Kimball will also coach the Learn to Race Class on Friday morning in Oak Ridge. Jason was wounded multiple times in combat and was severely injured during Special Forces training, and races in the C3 disability class. (Submitted photo)

Oak Ridge is fast becoming known as a “human-powered sports” Mecca, and a new event scheduled for May 16 and 17 is serving to underscore that reputation.

The city will play host to the Tennessee Para Cycling Open, a racing event featuring competitors who are paraplegics, amputees, or otherwise physically challenged. There will be different categories of racers who will compete on conventional or adapted race bikes or hand cycles.

More than half of the competitors will be wounded warriors who were injured while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, some of whom race for the Paralyzed Veterans Racing, which is affiliated with Paralyzed Veterans of America, a major sponsor of the event. Two racers—one from Cuba and one from Colombia—will lend an international flavor, a press release said. [Read more…]

Free film on Friday looks at racial injustice, unconscious bias, prejudice

Posted at 10:09 am May 14, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A PBS film that looks at recognizing racial injustice and unconscious bias, bigotry, and prejudice will be shown at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Friday.

The community is invited to join the ORUUC group Allies for Racial Equity for the free viewing of the PBS film “American Denial,” a press release said.

The showing will start at 7 p.m. Friday, May 15, in the Social Hall of the church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

Following the film there will be time for a guided conversation. The event will last until 9 p.m. [Read more…]

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