Oak Ridge Today

Community tour of Oak Ridge Schools on Aug. 25; 20 spots available

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There will be a community tour of Oak Ridge Schools on Tuesday, August 25, and 20 slots are available.

“Come visit elementary, middle, and high school classrooms,” a press release said. “See how Oak Ridge teachers and students are teaching and learning while school is in session.”

The tour is scheduled from 8 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Tuesday, August 25.

The day will begin at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, then will proceed through an elementary, middle, and high school for classroom visits. Lunch will be provided. [Read more…]

Reminder: Job Fair today at Anderson County High School

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Reminder: There is a job fair today (Tuesday, August 4) at Anderson County High School at 130 Maverick Circle in Clinton.

Employers include: [Read more…]

Sewer rehab work continues in August

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Sewer rehabilitation continues for the month of August 2015 with Morgan Contracting, working under contract for the City of Oak Ridge, rehabilitating the city’s sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways. Residents should have already received letters on colored paper (green for Morgan Contracting) and door hangers providing general information and the applicable contractor’s contact information.

Motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists are urged to use extra care and caution when traveling on the streets with sewer work areas, a press release said. Temporary road repairs will be made and loose gravel should be expected until the patches are permanently paved.

All construction work is subject to change based on such unknowns as weather, equipment and access issues. The construction work schedule for the month beginning August 3 is as follows: [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. [Read more…]

Magic at the Grove features magicians, family entertainment on Saturday

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Magic at the Grove

Magic at the Grove on Saturday, August 8, will feature magicians that will entertain the entire family, a press release said.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. at the Historic Grove Theater in Grove Center, and beverages and snacks will be available for sale.

Tickets can be purchased through www.brownpapertickets.com or at the door.

The featured magicians are: [Read more…]

Wildcats scrimmages under way; stats from Friday night at Halls

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Logo

Note: This story was updated at 8:54 a.m. August 5.

The Oak Ridge Wildcats had a scrimmage at Halls on Friday, and the football team has a scrimmage with South-Doyle at South-Doyle at 7 p.m. Friday, August 7.

The Wildcats then will have a scrimmage at Heritage on Thursday, August 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Heritage. The freshman start at 6 p.m.

Saturday, August 15, is the Third Annual Wildcat Day. That’s a community pep rally that includes food, fireworks, and fun. It starts at 7 p.m. August 15 at Ben Martin Track at Oak Ridge High School. [Read more…]

ORHS cross country team, boosters have fundraising pancake breakfast on Saturday

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Oak Ridge High School Cross Country Seniors

The Oak Ridge High School cross country seniors pictured above, the rest of the team, and boosters are having a fundraising pancake breakfast at Applebee’s restaurant on Saturday morning. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge High School cross country team and its boosters are having a fundraising pancake breakfast at Applebee’s restaurant on Saturday morning.

The breakfast is scheduled from 8-10 a.m. Saturday, August 8. Tickets are $5 each and are available from any team member or at the door. The funds raised will help with travel and team needs throughout the season, a press release said.

“Our kids ‘run this town’ so please support their efforts,” the release said.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

CHS hosting football jamboree Aug. 14

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Clinton Dragons Football Logo

Information from WYSH Radio

The Clinton High School football team will host the Tennessee Orthopedic Clinic Jamboree on Friday, August 14, at Dragon Stadium in downtown Clinton.

It starts at 6 p.m. with Grace Christian squaring off against Claiborne. That will be followed by a skills competition, and then the Dragons will face Union County in the nightcap.

WYSH Radio’s Fox and Farley Friday Night Football returns Friday, August 21, at 7 p.m. when the Orange and Black head to Oak Ridge for a season-opening showdown with the Wildcats.

Community Band has free concert at A.K. Bissell Park today

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Oak Ridge Community Band July 2014

The Oak Ridge Community Band performs in July 2014. (Photo by Larry Perry)

The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform in a free concert in A.K. Bissell Park on Sunday evening, August 2, at 7 p.m.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Oak Ridgers, especially school students, to enjoy just one more summertime event before starting school on Monday,” a press release said.

It said band leader Dale Pendley and assistant conductor Lisa Michaels have planned another outstanding program for Sunday evening featuring show tunes, Broadway, marches, swing, and Latin rhythms. [Read more…]

Main Street Oak Ridge site plan to be considered Aug. 6

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Oak Ridge Mall

A site plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, which is pictured above, will be considered by city officials on Thursday, August 6, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A site plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, will be considered by city officials next week.

The site plan was submitted on Monday, June 29. It’s one of several steps that have been recently announced on the eagerly anticipated 60-acre redevelopment. Other steps include pre-demolition activities and bid reviews, and roughly $500,000 worth of pledges from six local employers to help cover public infrastructure costs.

The City of Oak Ridge has also received and is considering a preliminary subdivision plat that details construction plans for East and West Main Street and Wilson Street, which are private roads but could become public streets. [Read more…]

City Council to consider tax rate on second, final reading on Monday

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Oak Ridge City Council on July 27, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council raised the trash pickup fee by $3.50 during a special budget meeting on Monday, July 27, 2015, and the Council set aside an extra $260,000 for capital projects such as buildings and schools. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council will have a second and final meeting on Monday, August 3, to adopt the new property tax rate of $2.52.

The previous tax rate had been $2.39 per $100 of assessed value, so the new rate is 13 cents higher than the old one.

The new tax-neutral rate provided by Tennessee officials went up because overall property assessments went down in Anderson and Roane counties in the five-year reappraisals completed this year. Since property assessments went down in those two counties, the tax-neutral rate went up in the counties and cities within them, including Clinton, Norris, Oliver Springs, and Rocky Top.

Oak Ridge is the only one of those seven governments that, as of now, does not plan to increase its property tax rate beyond the tax-neutral rate. With the help of some last-minute changes, Oak Ridge officials were able to balance the budget in a way that doesn’t require a local increase in the property tax rate. And the budget still proposes 2 percent pay raises for municipal workers and Oak Ridge Schools teachers and staff. [Read more…]

New tax revenues plus cuts will fund pay raises in Anderson schools

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Rachel Minardo at Anderson County Commission

Rachel Minardo, president of the Anderson County Education Association, had advocated for a 4 percent pay raise for county school teachers and staff. Above, she talks to the 16-member Anderson County Commission in Clinton on Monday, July 20, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

CLINTON—New tax revenues of about $700,000 plus about $100,000 in cuts will allow Anderson County Schools to fund 2 percent pay raises for teachers and staff, the county budget director said Wednesday.

The Anderson County Commission approved a 10-cent increase in the property tax rate on Monday, July 20, and eight cents of that was for schools. Anderson County Schools will get about $700,000 from the tax rate increase, but at last week’s meeting, school officials said they still had to come up with another $100,000 or so to fund the 2 percent raises.

Chris Phillips, Anderson County accounts and budget director, said the school system was able to do that in a revised budget submitted to the county government on Wednesday. [Read more…]