Oak Ridge Today

Steve Jenkins, former finance director and deputy city manager, dies after battling cancer

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Steve Jenkins, former Oak Ridge finance director and deputy city manager, died Tuesday after battling cancer, according to his obituary. He was 67.

Jenkins grew up in Middlesboro, Kentucky, where he became a life-long University of Kentucky basketball fan. “He enjoyed nothing more than watching and attending UK games with his children and grandsons,” his obituary said.

Jenkins graduated from Clinton High School (1967) and the University of Tennessee (1971).

After beginning his career in finance at Carson Newman College, he moved his family to Oak Ridge, where he began a 26-year career at the City of Oak Ridge as finance director and deputy city manager.

After retiring from the city in 2012, Jenkins took a finance position at ETHRA in Knoxville, making many new friends who very caringly supported him through his illness, the obituary said. [Read more…]

Construction on Oak Ridge Airport could start late next year, early 2019

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Image via Billy Stair presentation at Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority General Aviation Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 15, 2017.

Image via Billy Stair presentation at Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority General Aviation Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 15, 2017.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2 a.m.

There are additional steps and approvals required, but if all goes well, construction on the Oak Ridge Airport on the west end of town could start in late 2018 or early 2019, officials said Wednesday.

The airport could still cost an estimated $35 million to $40 million, officials said. It would be funded with a mix of federal funding, state aeronautical commission funding, and local funding from the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, or MKAA.

On Wednesday, the MKAA General Aviation Committee approved an airport layout plan during a meeting at McGhee Tyson Airport in Alcoa. The plan will now be sent to the Federal Aviation Administration for review and approval.

“It’s a very important step for us,” said Bill Marrison, president of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority. [Read more…]

Community meeting next Thursday to discuss site selection for new preschool

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The new preschool could be located at Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge or Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, and the city's school board expects to recommend one of the two sites on Monday, Feb. 27, a school official said Friday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Oak Ridge officials will have a community meeting in Scarboro on Thursday, March 23, 2017, to discuss building the Oak Ridge Preschool at Scarboro Park. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge City Council chose to delay the vote on a new preschool location at its regular meeting on Monday in order to allow time for more community discussion and input.

Now, a public meeting to discuss the preschool site has been set for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at the Scarboro Community Center.

“The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools have been working to choose a site for the new preschool for approximately two years,” a press release said. “The preschool would relocate from the School Administration Building on New York Avenue. Members of a committee formed to recommend possible sites looked at city-owned properties and a multitude of factors that would impact future students, their families, and the community as a whole. Two locations were ultimately identified as possibilities: Scarboro Park and Elm Grove Park.”

Scarboro Park is across Carver Avenue from the Scarboro Community Center, which was also considered as an option at one time. The Scarboro Community Center was removed from further consideration due to the challenges of converting the center for active school uses, the press release said. Residents living near Elm Grove Park, a site on East Tennessee Avenue that once housed a school, came out in support of preserving the park. Much of the feedback received about the Scarboro Park site has been very positive and welcoming of the new preschool, the press release said. [Read more…]

Council postpones vote on preschool site until after Scarboro meeting

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The new preschool could be located at Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge or Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, and the city's school board expects to recommend one of the two sites on Monday, Feb. 27, a school official said Friday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The new preschool could be located at Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council has postponed a vote on selecting a site for the new Oak Ridge Preschool until after a meeting in Scarboro next week.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education unanimously selected Scarboro Park, off Carver Avenue in central Oak Ridge, as the site for the new preschool in February.

The Council was expected to vote on that site on Monday.

But after hearing from a few people who had questions about the proposed site, Council agreed in a 4-3 vote to defer its site selection until after a March 23 meeting in Scarboro. Council could now vote during a special meeting on March 27.

Besides Scarboro Park, officials had previously looked at two other options. One, Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge, had been identified as the preferred site after a preschool report was published in October 2015. But there has been opposition, including a petition drive, to building the new preschool there. [Read more…]

Visit the Career Coach: Moved inside the Library on Thursday

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

Need to polish your resume, complete an online job application, or find the jobs that match your skill set? The Career Coach, sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Employment Security Division, will be coming to the Oak Ridge Public Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 16, April 13, May 18, June 15, and July 20.

Come by any time during those hours and receive job assistance.

For more information on the Career Coach, check out their website at www.getonthecoach.tn.gov. This is a free service for the public, and library memberships are not required for participants.

For more information, call the Library at (865) 425-3455.

Update on Oak Ridge Airport to be given Wednesday

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Oak Ridge Airport Development Plan

The Heritage Center airport development plan is pictured above. (Cropped file image from DOE Draft Environmental Assessment in 2015)

 

A Wednesday afternoon meeting will focus on the proposed Oak Ridge Airport, and a project update will be given. The meeting will start at 4 p.m. Wednesday at McGhee Tyson Airport in Alcoa. It’s open to the public.

It’s a meeting of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority General Aviation Committee. The Committee will meet at 510 Center-Airfield Maintenance Operations Center Training Room at 2055 Airfield Service Drive at the airport in Alcoa.

Agenda items include: [Read more…]

Recreation and Parks announces spring indoor pool events

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department is offering several classes and events at the Civic Center’s indoor pool this spring, a press release said.

Spring Break Open Swim Extended Hours: First, to take full advantage of spring break, the indoor pool will operate on extended hours between Monday, March 13, and Friday, March 24. Open swim times are as follows:

  • Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday and Thursday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ORCA Swim Team: Sign-ups for the Oak Ridge City Aquatics (ORCA) swim team are open through Tuesday, March 28, when the spring session begins. ORCA is open to anyone 5-18 years old and the only prerequisite is the ability to swim 25 yards unassisted. Practices are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. The swim team fee is $70 ($80 for those living outside of Oak Ridge). The season runs from March 28 through May 18.

Adult Swimming Lessons: Beginner and intermediate level adult swimmers are invited to enroll in a swim course that will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays between March 7 and March 23. Classes are scheduled between 5 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. on those days.

Red Cross Swim Lessons: Red Cross Swim Lessons are also offered in two sessions this spring: [Read more…]

Planning Commission to consider new assisted living facility, medical office building

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A preliminary master plan for the planned unit development known as Azalea Place is shown above. See a larger version of this plan by clicking on the link included in the story below.

A preliminary master plan for the planned unit development known as Azalea Place is shown above. See a larger version of this plan by clicking on the link included in the story below.

 

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday will consider a rezoning and abandoning part of West Madison Lane for a proposed assisted living facility, medical office building, and senior living homes.

The development, called Azalea Place, would be on 5.62 acres north of Methodist Medical Center and west of Michigan Avenue. It’s been proposed by Oak Ridge Senior Living LLC of Oak Ridge.

A preliminary master plan for the planned unit development, or PUD, shows a three-story, 60-bed assisted living facility of 40,000 square feet. The medical office building would be one story and 4,000 square feet. The plan also shows eight attached 1,000-square-feet senior living units with two-car garages. There would be open space, a turnaround, and a parcel that could be used for an office building. [Read more…]

Anderson County Democratic Party to elect new leaders at reorganization convention

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Image by Anderson County Democratic Party

Image by Anderson County Democratic Party

 

The Anderson County Democratic Party will have a Biennial Reorganization Convention to elect new leaders at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 25, a press release said. The meeting will take place in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. All county Democrats are welcome, the press release said.

Local Democrats will elect a new chairperson, first vice chair, second vice chair, secretary, treasurer, and the Executive Committee, which is comprised of 16 members. Executive Committee members will be elected from each district in Anderson County for 2017-2018, and they will serve two-year terms.

“All Democratic residents who are eligible voters of Anderson County are urged to attend to discuss the party’s agenda and events scheduled for 2017-2018,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Eighth rowing lane complete in time for spring training

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

The eighth lane on the Oak Ridge Rowing Course has been completed on schedule and under budget, just in time to welcome teams for spring training and the season’s first regatta, the City of Oak Ridge said Friday.

“Previously, the course utilized seven rowing lanes, taking Oak Ridge out of the running for any event requiring eight lanes for competition,” a city press release said. “Part of the waterway was widened, and a retaining wall installed in order to create the additional lane.”

Spring training started in late February, and Oak Ridge has already welcomed dozens of teams to town, the press release said. The first regatta on this season’s schedule, the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational, kicks off Saturday, March 11. Approximately 12 teams will compete in the event before it wraps up on Sunday, March 12.

First Place Finish Inc. was selected to carry out the project back in September. The $548,350 contract was awarded to the company during a meeting of Oak Ridge City Council. A partial closure of Melton Lake Greenway and a temporary speed limit reduction along part of Melton Lake Drive were both lifted this week. [Read more…]

Snow possible Saturday night

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Road crews on Friday prepared roads for possible winter weather, including a potential snow, on Saturday, March 11, 2017. This picture was taken on Wisconsin Avenue on Friday afternoon, March 10. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

Road crews on Friday prepared roads for possible winter weather, including a potential snow, on Saturday, March 11, 2017. This picture was taken on Wisconsin Avenue on Friday afternoon, March 10. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

On Friday, crews prepared roads for possible winter weather this weekend in Oak Ridge and East Tennessee, potentially including snow on Saturday.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said winter will return this weekend with snowfall expected Saturday night across most of the region. Snow accumulations of one to three inches are possible across the Tennessee Valley and Cumberland Plateau, and three to six inches are possible in the Great Smoky Mountains. [Read more…]

ORHS Youth Ambassadors travel to Capitol for substance abuse prevention day

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ASAP-on-the-HILL-2-1

Submitted photo

 

Eleven Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) Youth Ambassadors from Anderson County, Clinton, and Oak Ridge high schools traveled to the State Capitol to take part in Prevention Alliance of Tennessee’s Day on the Hill. On this day, coalitions from all across the state come together to advocate for substance abuse prevention in Tennessee. By joining forces with The Prevention Alliance of Tennessee (PAT), the ASAP Youth Ambassadors are able to further the mission to prevent and reduce substance abuse in Anderson County, a press release said.

During the visit, these students had the opportunity to have private meetings with Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, Representative John Ragan, and Representative Dennis Powers to educate them about the issues that are important to them. Currently, these issues include the desire to have tobacco-free parks in Anderson County, the risks involved with legalizing medical or other uses of marijuana, and support for opioid abuse reduction. [Read more…]