Oak Ridge Today





Many schools closed due to illness

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A graph of COVID-19 case counts in the Knoxville-Knox County region through Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, by the Tennessee Department of Health.

Many schools in the area are closed this week due to illness, but Oak Ridge Schools have remained open.

Anderson County Schools were closed Wednesday and Thursday and will remain closed Friday “due to staffing concerns related to illness.”

Clinton City Schools were open Wednesday but closed Thursday, and they will remain closed Friday due to student illness.

Knox County Schools were also closed Wednesday and Thursday and will remain closed Friday “due to staffing challenges related to illness.” The school system cannot shift to virtual learning district-wide because of rules established by the Tennessee Board of Education, Knox County Schools Superintendent Bob Thomas said in a letter to families. But individual schools may have to switch to virtual learning in the next several weeks depending upon absences, and the district could submit waiver applications to the Tennessee Department of Education.

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$1.3 million project will rebuild ORHS track

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An image by Cope Architecture of Knoxville showing what the rebuilt Ben Martin Track will look like at Oak Ridge High School.

 

A $1.3 million project is under way to rebuild the Ben Martin Track at Oak Ridge High School by June. The asphalt base of the eight-lane track dates back to the 1950s, the rubber surface is washing away, and holes are visible in the disintegrating and patched lanes. The pole vault has been unusable since 2017, and track coaches and athletes from other schools have recently declined to compete in Oak Ridge because of the conditions.

That is expected to change with the new renovated facility, which could host large invitational, sectional, and college track meets. The renovation project will rebuild the asphalt base of the track, add a new rubberized surface, and replace underground utilities. All field events except pole vault will move to the infield. Shot put and discus rings will be on the north end of the football practice field, while long jump and triple jump will be along the straight section of track nearest the bleachers. The pole vault will remain on the south side of the track, but it will move to the west end near the field house.

“This is a first phase of what we hope to be a larger project long-term,” Allen Thacker, Oak Ridge Schools supervisor of maintenance and operations, told the Oak Ridge Board of Education in October. “This is foundational.”

The project has been talked about “behind the scenes” for a handful of years, and there has been intense planning for about two years, according to those involved.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today. Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here. Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here: Basic

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An image by Cope Architecture of Knoxville showing what the rebuilt Ben Martin Track will look like at Oak Ridge High School.

 

A $1.3 million project is under way to rebuild the Ben Martin Track at Oak Ridge High School by June. The asphalt base of the eight-lane track dates back to the 1950s, the rubber surface is washing away, and holes are visible in the disintegrating and patched lanes. The pole vault has been unusable since 2017, and track coaches and athletes from other schools have recently declined to compete in Oak Ridge because of the conditions.

That is expected to change with the new renovated facility, which could host large invitational, sectional, and college track meets. The renovation project will rebuild the asphalt base of the track, add a new rubberized surface, and replace underground utilities. All field events except pole vault will move to the infield. Shot put and discus rings will be on the north end of the football practice field, while long jump and triple jump will be along the straight section of track nearest the bleachers. The pole vault will remain on the south side of the track, but it will move to the west end near the field house.

“This is a first phase of what we hope to be a larger project long-term,” Allen Thacker, Oak Ridge Schools supervisor of maintenance and operations, told the Oak Ridge Board of Education in October. “This is foundational.”

The project has been talked about “behind the scenes” for a handful of years, and there has been intense planning for about two years, according to those involved.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today. Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here. Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here: Basic

Pro

Temporary

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!

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Extreme Classroom Makeover applications due Jan. 14

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Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

ORAU has re-launched its Extreme Classroom Makeover competition, which will award a math or science teacher $25,000 for new classroom equipment, and video applications are due Friday, January 14.

“The mission of Extreme Classroom Makeover is to improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in public schools,” a press release said.

The competition will award one 3rd through 10th grade math or science teacher at a public school within a 50-mile radius of Oak Ridge with $25,000 in new equipment to update their classroom with the latest technology, the press release said. One runner-up will receive $5,000 in new equipment. There will also be a $2,500 viewers’ choice award selected by the general public from among all entries received.

Teachers interested in an ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover need to complete a video application by Friday, January 14, the press release said. Winners will be notified before Spring Break, and the technology will be purchased and installed in their classrooms for the start of the 2022-23 school year.

“The pandemic has taught us that technology is vital for every teacher in every classroom in every school,” said Pam Bonee, director of communications and marketing for ORAU. “Still, some schools do not have the budgets to keep pace with changing technology. Having $25,000 worth of interactive technology would give a boost to any student trying to learn STEM in today’s world!”

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Cook’s Comfort Systems donates heat, air unit to Oak Ridge Nursery School

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Cook’s Comfort Systems installs a heat and air conditioning unit at Oak Ridge Nursery School on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. From right are Lisa Shortridge, Oak Ridge Nursery School director, with her son Brennen; Jawrell Cook, owner of Cook’s Comfort Systems in Oak Ridge; lead installer Bryan Vick; and installer Louis Baillargeon with his son Lucas. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Cook’s Comfort Systems of Oak Ridge donated a heating and air-conditioning unit to Oak Ridge Nursery School, and workers installed it this month.

The donation, which included the labor of two workers, was valued at about $8,000, said Jawrell Cook, owner of Cook’s Comfort Systems on Union Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

“They need the help,” Cook said of Oak Ridge Nursery School. The pandemic has been difficult for many organizations, Cook said.

He said he had three sons attend Oak Ridge Nursery School more than 20 years ago, and one of his employees has a son at the nursery school now.

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ORHS Band has holiday concert Thursday

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Josh Hunt, University of Tennessee music intern, with the Oak Ridge High School Band trumpets rehearsing for a Holiday Concert on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge High School Band will have a Holiday Concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 16, in the ORHS Performing Arts Center.

“Come enjoy an hour of music with the Percussion Ensemble, JazzKats, and Concert Band students as each group showcases their talent,” a press release said. “Fan favorite, ‘Sleigh Ride,’ by Leroy Anderson is a must hear!” [Read more…]

Literacy grants available

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Literacy grants for 2022 are now open for projects in Anderson and Roane counties. The grants are made possible by the annual Lunch for Literacy in Oak Ridge, a joint effort by Altrusa of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club.

Application packages must be received by January 15. If you would like an application or have questions, send an email to [email protected] or call Dean Cheatham at (760) 443-4379.

Anderson County Higher Education Center opens

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The Anderson County Higher Education Center has opened on Frank L. Diggs Drive in Clinton. (Photo by Roane State Community College)

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

The new Anderson County Higher Education Center “is an example of what should be happening” to spur workforce development, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee told a large crowd on Friday, December 10.

Gesturing to students in the back who will be attending classes at the center starting in January, Lee thanked them for “pursuing the path you’re pursuing.

“The private sector drives what we’re doing here,” Lee told attendees crowded into the spacious classroom where diesel powered technology will soon be taught.

In the planning and construction stages for years, the center will soon offer several Roane State Community College and Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville classes.

It’s a 48,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility where more than 200 students will be enrolled. It cost $11 million, and SL Tennessee, an auto parts manufacturer next door, donated seven acres for the center, located on Frank L. Diggs Drive in the Clinton/I-75 Industrial Park.

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Students who posted shooting threats charged with terrorism, mass violence threats

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Oak Ridge High School was on lockdown on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, after administrators were made aware of a shooting threat posted on social media. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Police Department has charged three students with terrorism and threats of mass violence after they allegedly made school shooting threats in two separate incidents on social media on Monday and Tuesday.

The charges were filed in Anderson County Juvenile Court on Wednesday afternoon, and the court authorized the detention of the children in the Richard L. Bean Detention Facility in Knox County. The children were taken into custody Wednesday afternoon, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark said.

All three juveniles were charged with terrorism, threat of mass violence on school property, and false report. Two of the children were allegedly involved in a shooting threat posted on Snapchat on Monday, and they were also charged with conspiracy. That threat led to a lockdown at Oak Ridge High School on Monday. The third child was allegedly involved in a separate shooting threat that was posted on Snapchat on Tuesday, and that student will face the first three charges.

Clark said the children are required to have a detention hearing quickly under Tennessee law, and that hearing could occur as soon as Thursday afternoon in Anderson County Juvenile Court.

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Student identified, charges pending in new shooting threat

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The Oak Ridge Police Department has identified the student responsible for posting a new shooting threat on Snapchat about Oak Ridge High School, and charges are pending, city and school officials said Wednesday.

“ORHS had another social media shooting threat last night,” the City of Oak Ridge said in a brief statement. “The juvenile suspect was identified overnight, and the threat was determined not viable. Charges are forthcoming. School continued as normal this morning.”

The new Snapchat threats were posted at about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, after two students were identified as being responsible for a previous threat posted Monday, according to information from Oak Ridge Schools.

“We immediately contacted the Oak Ridge Police Department and are pleased to share that they have been successful in identifying the student responsible for posting these threats,” school officials said. “We are appreciative of their expedient action and resolve of this safety concern.”

Families received a phone call about the new threats early Wednesday.

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Shooting threat was a hoax, ORHS principal says

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Oak Ridge High School was on lockdown on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, after administrators were made aware of a shooting threat posted on social media. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 6:10 p.m.

The shooting threat posted on Snapchat on Monday was a hoax, and there was never any malicious intent, Oak Ridge High School Principal Garfield Adams said in an email to families Tuesday evening.

Two students have been identified as being responsible for the threatening statement.

The City of Oak Ridge said the Oak Ridge Police Department has determined no weapons were ever involved, but charges are pending.

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Two juveniles identified in ORHS social media threat

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The Oak Ridge Police Department identified two juveniles Tuesday in connection to the shooting threat posted on social media that prompted a lockdown at Oak Ridge High School on Monday.

“Both juveniles admitted to making the threat,” the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. “Throughout the course of the investigation, it has been determined that no weapon was ever involved. Charges are forthcoming.”

The press release did not identify the juveniles or the specific threat. On Monday, the city said it was a shooting threat.

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ORPD to be at ORHS Tuesday after lockdown Monday

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The Oak Ridge Police Department will have an increased presence at Oak Ridge High School on Tuesday following a lockdown on Monday, Oak Ridge Schools said.

The lockdown came after a shooting threat on social media that school administrators learned about on Monday.

“After learning of this threat, we immediately placed ORHS on a Level 3 lockdown and contacted the Oak Ridge Police Department,” Oak Ridge Schools told families Monday evening. “The ORPD will ‘continue to investigate and keep students safe’ during this situation. As the City of Oak Ridge press release stated, we too ‘appreciate the seamless coordination and efforts between the school system, city, and ORPD as this investigation continues.'”

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