Oak Ridge Today

After days of delays, Oak Ridge boys advance, girls eliminated

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Wildcats Tee Higgins Dunk against Lenoir City

Sophomore Tee Higgins (5) led all Wildcats with 18 points, including three dunks and two three-pointers. (Photos by Melissa Livesey)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:57 p.m.

After days of delays because of winter weather, the Oak Ridge boys’ basketball team advanced to the regional semifinals on Wednesday, while the girls were eliminated from the playoffs. The Wildcats walloped Lenoir City 81-37, while the Lady Wildcats lost to Farragut 57-17.

Oak Ridge, which was the number one seed from District 3, will move on to play either Heritage or Halls in the Region 2 semifinals, although it’s not clear when because of the weather. The semifinal game could be played as early as Friday or as late as Sunday.

Wednesday’s game at home at Wildcat Arena was the only boys’ game in Region 2. Oak Ridge hasn’t played since Valentine’s Day, or 11 days, mostly because of the weather. [Read more…]

International Festival is Saturday at Children’s Museum

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Dancers at the International Festival at the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge

Dancers are pictured above at a previous International Festival at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

The International Festival has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 28, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. The festival will include the same entertainment line-up, food, and culture booths originally set for last weekend.

It was postponed last weekend (Saturday, February 21) due to weather conditions.

The International Festival will feature entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world, with Spice of India Dancers as the featured performers. The family-friendly event will feature musical, song, and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day, international food and culture booths, and crafts for children to make. [Read more…]

Weather: County Trustee will accept in-person, postmarked tax payments through Monday

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Rodney Archer

Rodney Archer

Anderson County Trustee Rodney Archer understands citizens’ frustrations and concerns about being able to pay their property taxes on time, a press release said.

“With county offices being closed much of last week, and again yesterday, because of inclement weather and dangerous road conditions, it has made people nervous about being able to pay their property taxes by the February 28 deadline,” Archer said Wednesday morning. “The inclement weather that’s predicted for tonight doesn’t help that.”

The National Weather Service is predicting a 40 percent chance of snow today after 4 p.m., with increasing chances overnight, mainly between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m. New snow accumulation of one to three inches is possible. A chance of snow continues through Thursday as well. [Read more…]

Basketball: Boys play at home at 4:30, girls at Farragut at 4:30

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The Region 2 basketball tournament games have been rescheduled for this afternoon.

The Oak Ridge girls are scheduled to play at Farragut at 4:30 p.m. (Wednesday, February 25), and the boys are scheduled to play at home at 4:30 p.m. against Lenoir City.

There are reports that some games have been postponed or moved, including the Karns-Maryville boys’  game, Maryville-Powell girls’  game, Halls-William Blount girls’ game, and Anderson County-Bearden girls’ game. We suggest you check in advance for more specific information on your game. PrepXtra, the high school sports section at the Knoxville News Sentinel, is posting updates on Twitter.

The Wildcats were supposed to play Karns in the District 3 championship last week, but that game was canceled because of weather. And the Lady Wildcats were supposed to play Anderson County in the District 3 consolation game, but that match was also called off.

The regional games have already been rescheduled several times because of winter weather.

No one injured in Briceville house fire

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Information from WYSH Radio

No one was injured in a fire early Wednesday morning at a house on Briceville Highway that is believed to have started near a dryer.

Firefighters and other emergency personnel responded to 1433 Briceville Highway just after midnight and spoke with resident Zeb Trett, who told them that he had been almost asleep on his couch shortly before midnight when he heard a loud popping sound coming from the back of the house. He got up to investigate and saw clothing in a laundry basket on fire, woke up his wife, and got her out of the house.

Briceville firefighters extinguished the blaze and told deputies that it appears to have started near the dryer. There was no indication on the incident report of how much damage was done to the house.

AC tax deadline looms, alternate plans being made

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Information from WYSH Radio

Anderson County property taxes are due on Saturday, February 28, but with the winter weather in the area, officials are making plans to allow citizens to pay those taxes without undue stress.

The Courthouse is open today (Wednesday, February 25), and County Trustee Rodney Archer’s staff is exceptionally busy as residents who have been snowbound have been paying their taxes steadily all day.

County Mayor Terry Frank said this morning on WYSH’s “Ask Your Neighbor” program that the Trustee’s office will be open—weather permitting—on Saturday in Clinton, Andersonville, and Oak Ridge so that you can pay your taxes before the deadline.

If the weather does not permit, property tax payments will be accepted as “on time” by mail as long as they are postmarked no later than Monday, March 2.

For more information, call the Trustee’s office at (865) 457-6233.

WYSH: $1,800 worth of camera equipment stolen from Clinton Walmart

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Clinton Police Department is investigating the theft of more than $1,800 worth of digital cameras from the Walmart in Clinton.

Police were called to the store on Saturday afternoon and told by a loss prevention officer that a white male had opened an unlocked display case, removed a Sony camcorder, four Canon digital cameras, and a Samsung digital camera. The items were valued at $1,804 total.

The suspect then allegedly took the cameras to the sporting goods department, removed them from their packages, and concealed them in his clothing before walking out with out paying for them. The suspect was seen getting into a car and driving off, but the tag came back as being registered to a black male from Knoxville.

The investigation is ongoing.

Whittler, woodworker Bill Henry earns prestigious arts award

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Bill Henry

Bill Henry

Oak Ridge resident, whittler, and woodworker Bill Henry was one of 10 people to earn a Governor’s Arts Award for representing the best in arts and culture in Tennessee in 2015.

Henry won a Folklife Heritage Award. He will receive the award, considered Tennessee’s highest honor in the arts, from Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam on March 17.

Distinguished artists honored include Mary Costa, Dr. Bobby Jones, B.B. King, Loretta Lynn, and Cormac McCarthy, a press release said.

“We want to congratulate the recipients for their incredible work adding to the rich cultural heritage of Tennessee,” Governor Haslam said. “Their dedication, leadership, and contributions to the arts have enhanced our way of life and will continue to influence Tennesseans for many years to come.”

The 2015 recipients are: [Read more…]

Updated: Waste Connections won’t pick up garbage Tuesday

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Note: This story was updated at 12:15 p.m.

Waste Connections trucks are “slipping and sliding” on local roads, and they won’t be picking up garbage today (Tuesday, February 24).

So, the company will begin Wednesday by picking up Tuesday’s route for refuse and recyclables, and then move on to Wednesday as time allows until workers are caught up, officials said. [Read more…]

Anderson committee approves third-party review of law director’s office

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Legal Services Advisory Committee Meeting

Resident Larry Ownby, right, addresses the Legal Services Advisory Committee on Monday.

 

Note: This story was updated at 11:57 a.m.

CLINTON—An Anderson County committee on Monday agreed to conduct a third-party review of the county law director’s office. But the move didn’t appear to be enough to satisfy those who have sought to have the law director removed from office.

The review was unanimously approved by the Legal Services Advisory Committee on a voice vote after hearing from a handful of residents, including the man who has helped lead the ouster effort. Some of those who spoke continued to raise concerns about Anderson County Law Director Jay Yeager, including some charges that appeared to be new, while others said they supported Yeager and have not been persuaded by the arguments or complaints against him.

The third-party review was proposed by Anderson County Commissioner Myron Iwanski.

“I’m not accusing Jay of anything,” said Iwanski, who modeled his proposal after a recent resolution to review turnover, morale, and administrative policies in the Oak Ridge Police Department. “It’s not an investigation. We’re just getting a review of practices.” [Read more…]

Tennessee Taxpayer paralegal to discuss the fate of immigrant women

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A paralegal from Tennessee Taxpayer Project will discuss the fate of immigrant women in a lunchtime lecture in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

Paula R. Murphy Trujillo will speak at the Wednesday meeting of the Altrusa Club.

Murphy Trujillo began work in 1996 as a volunteer at the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee in the Oak Ridge office.

She was then hired in 2000 as a paralegal for the Tennessee Taxpayer Project, and she continues in this capacity today. [Read more…]

Tuesday closings: Anderson, Roane, Clinton schools; Oak Ridge open

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Note: This story was last updated at 8:14 a.m. Feb. 24.

Schools in Clinton and Anderson, Roane, Morgan, Campbell, Scott, and Union counties are among those closed again Tuesday because of the weather.

Anderson County Schools said schools will be closed due to icy conditions on many of the county’s back roads. The Central Office will follow the inclement weather procedure, and principals should report to their schools.

Oak Ridge Schools said they plan to be open. Update: Oak Ridge Schools are also closed Tuesday. Please see newer story here.

“At this point, school will start on time tomorrow, but weather will be monitored during the night,” Oak Ridge education officials said. “We will alert you if there are changes.” [Read more…]