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Library returning to curbside service due to COVID spike

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Oak Ridge Public Library
The Oak Ridge Public Library is pictured above.

The Oak Ridge Public Library will close to the public and return to curbside pickup only after the Thanksgiving holiday due to the dramatic increase in local COVID-19 cases, a press release said.

Curbside hours are Monday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Starting Monday, November 30, library users can place holds on books, movies, music, and audiobooks through the library’s catalog at http://orpl.ent.sirsi.net/. Patrons will be notified when their items are ready to be picked up. Look for the reserved parking spaces in the library’s parking lot, call the number on the sign, and library staff will bring your items to your car. If you need help finding items to read, watch, or listen to, you can call (865) 425-3455 for assistance placing holds.

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Read more about the Roane County mask order

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A daily snapshot of COVID-19 cases in Roane County on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, includes, among other information, the daily number of new cases and the daily positivity rate. (Graphic by Tennessee Department of Health)

The executive order for face coverings that was issued by Roane County Executive Ron Woody on Monday could be in effect through December 29 unless Woody and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee extend the order.

Woody announced Monday morning that he was going to invoke the authority to mandate face masks in Roane County as authorized by Lee’s order in July.

The mask mandate does not apply to:

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Roane County requires masks

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A graph shows the number of new COVID-19 cases in Roane County by month since the pandemic began in March. Note: The data for November is through Nov. 22, a partial month. (Graph by Oak Ridge Today)

Face masks are now required in Roane County to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Roane County Executive Ron Woody announced the mask mandate on Monday morning. It is effective immediately.

“I hope this community will take this order without causing more divisions among our citizens,” Woody said. He hopes no law enforcement will be needed.

The west end of Oak Ridge is in Roane County, although most of the city’s residents live in Anderson County.

Roane County’s cases and deaths have risen during the past month, Woody said. Roane County has reported almost four times as many COVID-19 deaths so far this month, 15, than in the previous high month—four in September. The county has reported more new cases so far this month, 717, than in the previous high month—543 in October.

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City: Watson feeling better, reported mild COVID symptoms

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Mark Watson

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson is feeling better, and his COVID-19 symptoms remained mild all week, a spokesperson said Friday.

Watson learned a week ago that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

The city manager worked remotely this past week, Oak Ridge spokesperson Lauren Gray said. He will continue to work from home at the beginning of next week and will be off for the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of the week.

The city has urged residents to use caution during the holiday season as the positivity rate remains high; wastewater testing shows the disease is present across the city; and new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths grow to record-setting levels in Anderson County, Tennessee, and the United States.

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City manager tests positive for COVID-19

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Mark Watson

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson learned on Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

The positive result came after a test on Saturday, City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Lauren Gray said.

She said Watson has mild symptoms and no fever; he is just tired.

It’s unclear when and where he was exposed to the virus.

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City alarmed by 12.5 percent COVID positivity rate

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A daily snapshot of COVID-19 cases in Anderson County on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, includes, among other information, the daily number of new cases and the daily positivity rate. (Graphic by Tennessee Department of Health)

In a press release Thursday, the City of Oak Ridge said it is alarmed by the 12.5 percent positivity rate for COVID-19 in the Oak Ridge area, and wastewater testing shows the disease is present across the city.

The positivity rate measures the percentage of tests that return positive results out of the new tests each day. A 12.5 percent positivity rate means that 12.5 tests are positive out of each 100 new tests, on average.

A 12.5 percent positivity rate is high. World Health Organization guidelines call for a positivity rate below 5 percent for 14 days before activities re-open.

In its press release, the city said the 12.5 percent positivity rate in the Oak Ridge area was measured earlier this week and was obtained from zip-code specific data from the Tennessee Department of Health.

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Tennessee reports record COVID deaths, hospitalizations

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Image courtesy Tennessee Department of Health

Tennessee reported a record number of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations on Wednesday.

The Tennessee Department of Health reported 89 more deaths and 1,713 current hospitalizations (up by 79). That’s the most deaths ever reported in one day due to COVID-19 in Tennessee and the highest number of current hospitalizations.

The previous high number of deaths in one day in Tennessee was 78 on Friday, October 30.

The previous high number of current hospitalizations was 1,634 on Tuesday. And Monday (1,543) was the previous high before that.

The statewide positivity rate, 11.67 percent, remained high on Wednesday.

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NNSA administrator resigns

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Lisa Gordon-Hagerty

Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, the administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, resigned Friday.

The NNSA oversees the work at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and other nuclear weapons sites across the nation. The NNSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains nuclear warheads, produces fuel for the nuclear navy, and works on nuclear nonproliferation, among other activities.

Gordon-Hagerty, who was also under secretary of energy for nuclear security, became the first woman to lead the NNSA in February 2018.

It’s not clear why she resigned Friday or whether her resignation was voluntary.

Defense News reported that the resignation was driven by almost a year of clashes between Gordon-Hagerty’s office and Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, including over budgets.

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Council asked to urge COVID precautions; 14 city employees have tested positive

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Fourteen city employees have had COVID-19 and 32 people have had to quarantine due to potential exposure since the pandemic began in March, and the Oak Ridge City Council will consider a resolution this evening that asks people to wear a mask, wash their hands frequently, avoid crowds, and maintain a distance from people outside their household.

All of the infected municipal employees have recovered, the City of Oak Ridge said in a brief statement in response to questions on Monday. The positive test results have been since March. It wasn’t immediately clear if the infections have been spaced out over time or if they have been clustered in any months.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson has recommended the precautions, according to a resolution that City Council will consider during a regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, November 9.

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Updated: Dodson, Hammond, Hope re-elected to City Council

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Jim Dodson

Note: This story was last updated at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 8.

Oak Ridge City Council members Jim Dodson, Derrick Hammond, and Chuck Hope were re-elected Tuesday.

They had one challenger, Edward Jackson Jr.

Oak Ridge Board of Education members Angi Agle and Keys Fillauer were also re-elected.

In the City Council election, Dodson received the most votes, 8,253, in Anderson County. He received the second-most votes in Roane County, 1,499. He had a total of 9,752 votes in the two counties, giving him the most total votes of any candidate and 852 more than the second-place finisher.

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Children’s Halloween Party was rescheduled to today (Friday)

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The Children’s Halloween Party that had been scheduled for Thursday was rescheduled to today (Friday, October 30) due to the forecast of heavy rain and high winds earlier this week.

The event, called Halloween Hollow, is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

As a result of the schedule change, the sold-out Día de los Muertos Celebration hosted by the City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department has been moved to Monday, November 2, a press release said. For questions about this event, contact Eddie Chavez at (865) 425-3450.

The drive-through Children’s Halloween Party will now begin at the Oak Ridge Civic Center west side parking area and end at the Oak Ridge Public Library east side parking area. Event participants will be able to enjoy Halloween scenes and pick up preordered T-shirts, and children four years old to fourth grade will receive treats, the press release said.

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Council approves $175,000 settlement with Billy Casper Golf Management

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Centennial Golf Course is pictured above in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge City Council last week approved a $175,000 settlement to resolve a dispute between the city and Billy Casper Golf Management over the termination of the agreement to manage Centennial Golf Course.

The city owns the golf course, which is in east Oak Ridge. The city notified Billy Casper Golf Management in October 2017 that it was going to terminate the management agreement “for cause,” Oak Ridge City Attorney Ken Krushenski said in a memo to Council. But Billy Casper Golf Management contested the termination of the agreement, and the company’s attorney claimed that the city owed more than $520,000 in termination fees, Krushenski said.

The two sides negotiated, and the management company accepted the city’s offer of $175,000 to settle all claims, Krushenski said.

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