Oak Ridge Today

Photos: President Obama’s motorcade in Oak Ridge

Posted at
By 4 Comments

President Obama Limousine

President Obama is seen in the back of the presidential limousine. (Photo by John Westcott)

 

Many people took pictures and videos when President Obama’s motorcade passed through Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Anderson County on Friday afternoon.

Here are a few, including several by John Westcott and Betsy Prine.

The president traveled to East Tennessee—his first trip to the Knoxville area as president—to announce education and manufacturing proposals that will be presented in his State of the Union speech to Congress on January 20.

Announced at Pellissippi State Community College, the education proposal would provide two years of community college free to anyone who’s willing to work for it. [Read more…]

Afraid of heights? This work might not be for you

Posted at
By 4 Comments

Telecommunications Tower Work

A crew was working high above the ground at the top of a telecommunications tower on Tuskegee Drive, near East Tulsa Road, on Wednesday. A Barnhart crane was also at the site. Here are a few pictures. [Read more…]

Photos: Downtown Shopping Center

Posted at
By 4 Comments

Crowd Outside Walgreen Drugs on December 2, 1955

A crowd outside Walgreen Drugs at the former Downtown Shopping Center on December 2, 1955. (Photos courtesy Don Hunnicutt/Ed Westcott)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 8:20 a.m. Dec. 31.

After we learned that Guilford Glazer died last week, we asked Don Hunnicutt if he or Ed Westcott, the government’s official photographer in Oak Ridge during World War II, had any pictures of the former Downtown Shopping Center that we might use on Oak Ridge Today. Don sent five pictures Tuesday morning. (Thank you, Don and Ed!)

Glazer, who was born in Knoxville, died last week in Beverly Hills, California, at 93. His company built the former Downtown Shopping Center in Oak Ridge in the 1950s, and he still owns property in Oak Ridge and Knoxville. [Read more…]

Photo: Oak Ridge Christmas Parade

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Christmas Parade Train

A float at the Oak Ridge Christmas Parade is pictured above. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

Photos: Demolition of Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Sanctuary Demolition

Workers demolished the former Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Robertsville Road on Monday. Pictured above at right is the stone-and-glass west end of the sanctuary. (Photos by Peter Scheffler)

 

Workers demolished the former Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Robertsville Road on Monday. The congregation has moved to a new church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike, on the north side of the Joe L. Evins Federal Building, home to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office.

Church members agreed in September 2012 to sell their former site, which they had used for almost six decades, to make way for a new Kroger Marketplace shopping center.

The new UU church was dedicated in October. [Read more…]

Photos: Fall leaves in Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Fall Leaves at UT Arboretum 2014

Fall leaves at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge on October 31. (Photos by D. Ray Smith)

 

Here are four pictures of fall leaves in Oak Ridge by D. Ray Smith. [Read more…]

Photo: Cross country teams headed to state get Wildcat send-off

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Wildcat Pride Cross Country Sendoff

Wildcat Pride gives a Friday morning send-off to the Oak Ridge boys and girls cross country teams, which are competing in the state meet in Nashville today (Saturday, November 1).

 

Wildcat Pride gave a Friday morning send-off to the Oak Ridge boys and girls cross country teams, which are competing in the state meet in Nashville today (Saturday, November 1).

The boys and girls cross country teams swept the regional championships for the first time since 2008.

At the state meet, the first 10 finishers in the regional meet, along with the top three teams, will run.

Both Oak Ridge teams run on November 1 at the Percy Warner Steeplechase Cross Country Course in Nashville. The girls will run first at 1:40 p.m. Central time, followed by the boys at 2:20 p.m. Reward ceremonies will begin once all race results have been counted.

Photos: Remembering fallen heroes of Sept. 11, 2001

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Sept. 11, 2014 Ceremony with Firefighter at Y-12

Y-12 photo courtesy Consolidated Nuclear Security

 

Area firefighters, police officers, Oak Ridge school students and staff, and others came together on Thursday to remember and honor the fallen heroes of September 11, 2001. There were ceremonies at the Y-12 National Security Complex and Oak Ridge High School.

The firefighters were at Y-12 this week for their annual Fire Officer Conference, held in conjunction with Safety Fest.

The ceremony at Oak Ridge High School included students and staff, and the Oak Ridge police and fire departments. [Read more…]

Video: Oak Ridge Boys share water safety message

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Boys and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Nashville have created a short video on water safety.

The public service announcement encourages people to be safe on the water this Labor Day weekend, including on Corps of Engineers lakes.

“The Oak Ridge Boys want their fans to know that life jackets are life savers,” the USACE said. “They have great advice for everyone headed out to Corps lakes! And be safe this Labor Day weekend!”

See the video here: [Read more…]

Video: Mayor, school officials accept ice bucket challenge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jefferson Middle School

Jefferson Middle School

Oak Ridge municipal and school officials accepted the ALS ice bucket challenge after cross country practice at Jefferson Middle School on Friday.

Those who accepted the challenge included Cross Country Coach Steve Reddick, Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, Assistant Superintendent Chris Marczak, JMS Principal Phil Cox, Vice Principal Mike Haygood, and Oak Ridge Schools teachers John Smith, Jacqueline Whitaker, Chris Layton, and Scott Linn.

The ice buckets were administered by “several lucky team members” of the cross country squad, the JMS PTO said.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (known as ALS and Lou Gehrig’s Disease) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. For more information, please see the ALS Association website.

Here is a video by Heather Hartman, JMS PTO president: [Read more…]

Photos: Lady Wildcats take ice bucket challenge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Lady Wildcats Ice Bucket Challenge

 

The Lady Wildcats took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on Thursday. Here is a collection of photos from the ice bucket challenge submitted by coach David Scott.

The Lady Wildcats program then went on to challenge Coach Aaron Green and his staff and the Wildcats basketball team, Coach Allen Etheridge and his staff and the cross country team, and the Oak Ridge football team, Scott said.

Photos: Oak Ridge, Maryville football scrimmage

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Ted Mitchell Catch

Oak Ridge Wildcats senior receiver Ted Mitchell (Photos by Tim Waddell)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats played their first scrimmage of the season against the Maryville Rebels on Friday night at Blankenship Field. The Wildcats struggled on offense against a tough Maryville defense. The final score was 28-3.

The Rebels, the defending state Class 6A champions, were playing their third scrimmage, and they have eight returning starters on defense from last year’s 15-0 team. But the Class 5A Wildcats has two interceptions against the Rebels.

Oak Ridge opens the regular season at home against Farragut on August 29.

Here are pictures from the Friday night scrimmage by Tim Waddell of the Wildcats Football Booster Club. [Read more…]