Oak Ridge Today

Chamber’s small business of month: Yes! Go Travel

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Yes! Go Travel, a company that specializes in motorcoach and cruise travel planning for large groups, has been named the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Month for January 2024. (Submitted photo)

Yes! Go Travel, a company that specializes in motorcoach and cruise travel planning for large groups, has been named the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Month for January 2024.

“With a leap of faith and love for travel, Suzie Housley opened Yes! Go Travel in August 2022,” a press release said. “They offer group travel opportunities, including one-day and multiple-day trips in the United States and international locations. Additionally, the company can assist in booking affordable motorcoach and cruise line transportation. The owner has even recently joined the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) to become further educated for her clients, reach new vendors, and ultimately expand her business.”

The press release said Housley has 14 years of travel industry experience as a travel director of a now-disbanded program. [Read more…]

Playhouse presents ‘Cemetery Club’ comedy

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The Oak Ridge Playhouse will present the comedy “The Cemetery Club” in seven performances from February 9-18. (Photo courtesy Eric Smith/Oak Ridge Playhouse)

The Oak Ridge Playhouse will present the comedy “The Cemetery Club” in seven performances from February 9-18.

“The story concerns three widows and longtime friends who gather each month to visit their husbands’ graves,” a press release said. “Doris wants to continue mourning her loss. Ida wonders if it’s time to move on. Lucille pretends to move on—but hasn’t. Their outlooks on life, and responses to becoming widows vary, but the drama begins in earnest when they meet the local butcher, Sam, who has recently lost his wife. It looks as if a new love is on the horizon for some, however, not everyone approves.”

The press release said “The Cemetery Club,” by Ivan Menchell, was originally produced in 1987, and it “addresses the challenges of growing older with plenty of laughs and witty banter along the way. Characters share beautiful and lively bonds (think ‘Steel Magnolias’ meets ‘The Golden Girls’) as they explore an optimistic look at renewal after loss.”

[Read more…]

Fire reported at C&D Tire

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A fire was reported at C&D Tire in Oak Ridge on Friday.

The fire was reported just before 6:30 p.m. Friday, City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Lauren Gray said.

“Crews have the fire under control,” Gray said at about 7:19 p.m. “Black smoke is visible in the area. ORFD (Oak Ridge Fire Department) is still on scene.”

No injuries have been reported.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Building the Secret City: Ranger walk through Jackson Square

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A historical walk through Jackson Square with the Manhattan Project National Historical Park has been rescheduled to February 10 due to the winter weather in January.

The walk with the National Park Service is titled “Building America’s Secret City: Ranger Walk Through Jackson Square.” It is now scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, February 10.

“Explore what it took to shape the farms and mud of East Tennessee into the Atomic City,” an event notice said.

[Read more…]

Lunch with League to feature chancellor candidates

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Lunch with the League on Tuesday will feature candidates for Anderson County chancellor.

It’s scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Anderson County will have its primary election on March 5. The four candidates for chancellor in the Republican primary will be James W. Brooks Jr. (the incumbent), Daniel Forrester, Evan Hauser, and Roger Miller, a press release said.

Brooks was appointed chancellor in April 2023 by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee after former Chancery Court Judge M. Nichole “Nicki” Cantrell resigned.

[Read more…]

ORNL employees, contractor give about $1 million to nonprofits

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory materials clerk Julie Givens talks to ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer at the drop-off for Angel Tree gifts. ){Photo credit: ORNL/U.S. Department of Energy)

Employees of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory donated more than $828,000 to local nonprofits through the lab’s employee giving programs in 2023, a press release said.

ORNL’s managing contractor, UT-Battelle, provided an additional $139,600 in support of employee efforts, bringing the total to more than $967,000.

In addition, ORNL employees recorded more than 1,497 volunteer hours while serving 56 nonprofits, the press release said. With the value of these volunteer hours estimated at $36,232, total employee-led contributions for 2023 were valued at more than $1 million.

[Read more…]

Crews prepare Y-12 building for demolition by removing asbestos, water

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Built in 1944, Beta-1 is a former Manhattan Project era enrichment facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management expects to demolish the 210,000-square-foot facility in 2026. (Photo courtesy Y-12/UCOR)

Workers have finished major pre-demolition work on a wartime building at Y-12 National Security Complex.

The deactivation work at the Beta-1 building included removing asbestos; old, brittle thorium-contaminated piping; and more than two million gallons of water.

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and its contractor UCOR have been working toward the deactivation milestone since 2020, a press release said. Workers finished deactivating the above-ground floors of the Beta-1 facility in December. Now, only deactivation work in the basement remains before the teardown can begin. Demolition of Beta-1 is expected to begin in 2026.

Beta-1 was built in 1944 to enrich uranium for the top-secret Manhattan Project during World War II. That federal project built the world’s first atomic bombs. Beta-1, a 210,000-square-foot, two-story building, was later converted to laboratory space for fusion-energy technology.

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Winter weather: Closings, cancellations, delays

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Photos courtesy Oak Ridge Schools/ Isaac Walton, transportation supervisor, and Allen Thacker, supervisor of maintenance and operations

Oak Ridge Schools will be closed again on Monday due to unsafe road conditions, and City of Oak Ridge offices will open three hours late.

The schools were closed four days after the holiday last week due to the winter weather, as were many other schools, offices, and businesses. Some roads were also briefly closed. The winter weather has included more than eight inches of snow, freezing temperatures, below-zero wind chills, and slippery roads and sidewalks.

On Sunday, the Oak Ridge Police Department and City of Oak Ridge said many roadways were still very icy despite being treated and plowed.

“Conditions are expected to worsen once the sun goes down,” they said. “Stay home, if possible.”

The schools said temperatures are projected to warm on Monday.

[Read more…]

Freezing rain affects roads

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Rutgers Avenue is pictured above near Walmart early Friday morning, Jan. 19, 2024. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Freezing rain Thursday night affected roads in the region, and crashes, road closures, and icy roads were reported.

The Oak Ridge Police Department said the rain had turned most roads to ice.

“We advise that you do not travel as conditions may worsen throughout the night,” the ORPD said about 10 p.m. Thursday.

Friday morning, the department said police officers had responded to several weather-related crashes.

“The roads have had minor improvements,” the ORPD said. “However, there are still a large amount of troubled areas.”

[Read more…]

TVA asks customers to conserve power during high demand

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Photo courtesy Tennessee Valley Authority

The Tennessee Valley Authority said heavy snow and bitter cold temperatures are creating record-high demand for electricity across the Southeast.

“As a result, the Tennessee Valley Authority is asking customers to be aware of their power consumption, specifically between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. (Central Time) on Wednesday,” a press release said.

“TVA is actively monitoring weather conditions, and our power system remains stable,” the press release said. “Conservation requests are often used in the power industry to help lower demand during a specific time and does not indicate TVA is experiencing emergency conditions. If you are experiencing an outage, please check with your local electric provider for more information.”

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City offices, Y-12, AC Courthouse closed Wednesday

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City of Oak Ridge offices and facilities, Y-12 National Security Complex, and the Anderson County Courthouse will be closed Wednesday due to winter weather.

Only essential personnel are to report in the City of Oak Ridge. The Oak Ridge City Council work session scheduled for Tuesday night was canceled.

In Anderson County, crews have been working around the clock, but side roads are still in bad condition as are parking areas.

“The temperatures are expected to be very low tonight, and the main roads that are currently passable will most likely be ice in the early morning hours,” a press release said.

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Wind chills expected below zero

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Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

Wind chills below zero are expected through Tuesday night through noon Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

A wind chill advisory went into effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday and will continue until lunchtime Wednesday.

The low Tuesday night is forecast at 1 degree Fahrenheit, with a wind around 5 miles per hour and wind chill values between -2 and -7.

The high on Wednesday is supposed to be near 28 with wind chill values between -8 and 2.

[Read more…]