Oak Ridge Today

Meet the candidates at Civic Center on Thursday

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You can meet candidates for the Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Board of Education, and Oak Ridge candidates for Anderson County Charter Commission at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Thursday.

You talk directly to the candidates at the meeting, which is scheduled from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, October 13, in the Oak Ridge Civic Center gym.

It’s a free community event hosted by DFET (Democracy for East Tennessee), a community organization that hosts this nonpartisan event every two years, a press release said. [Read more…]

Online voter information site available for November elections

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VOTE411.org, an online voter information guide for November 2016 elections, is now available to all citizens of Oak Ridge. Sponsored locally by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, VOTE411 began in 2006 at the national League level. Nearly 300 local leagues are now participating, a press release said.

The site allows users to compare candidates for office in their district, select their choices, and create a ballot summary that they can print out, take with them to the polling place, or share.

After accessing www.VOTE411.org, a user is prompted to enter his or her address, which is used to identify one’s voting district from federal and state geographic information system (GIS) data. The races provided should be identical to those on the ballot for that voting district. The address information and candidate selections provided by users will not be collected or retained. [Read more…]

Grace Veterans’ Ministry joins Vet to Vet TN to identify, honor Vietnam Era Veterans

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The Grace Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge’s Veterans’ Ministry has partnered with Vet to Vet Tennessee to assist in identifying Vietnam Era veterans, spouses of those veterans no longer living but not killed in action, civilians who served the United States during the Vietnam War, or those who served in the military from November 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975. Spouses whose husbands were killed or missing in action are also included in that number.

“Grace would like to honor those in Oak Ridge and surrounding areas who are eligible at a service of reconciliation and healing, where Vet to Vet Tennessee Vietnam veterans will present them with a special service pin or spouse pin and a proclamation from the president of the United States,” a press release said.

The effort is part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration, which was authorized by Congress and launched by the President in May 2012. The goal is to thank Vietnam Veterans for their service and to welcome them home, the press release said. [Read more…]

Last Applewood Apartments tenant moves out Friday

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The last tenant of the Applewood Apartments on Hillside Road and Hunter Circle moved out Friday, Oct. 7, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 8:55 a.m. Oct. 12.

The last tenant of the Applewood Apartments was moving out Friday when Oak Ridge Today stopped by for an update.

Tenants had been told in early August that the apartments would close September 30.

On Monday, property owner Joe Levitt said he decided in the last 90-120 days to shut down the 13 apartment buildings on Hillside Road and Hunter Circle and board them up. He said it was his understanding that the last tenant was moving out this past Friday.

Levitt said he is 85 and has had health problems, and he’s trying to clean up his estate. Most of his estate will probably go to the University of Tennessee and nonprofit organizations, Levitt said.

“I’ve outlived all the people I need to take care of,” he said. [Read more…]

Report: Medical isotope company plans to build manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge

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heritage-center

A building at the entrance of Heritage Center is pictured above. (Photo by CROET)

Note: This story was updated at 8:45 a.m. Oct. 10.

A Florida newspaper reported on Wednesday that a medical isotope company will build a manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge, rather than relocating to a city in north Florida.

Coquí RadioPharmaceutical had planned to build a $250 million manufacturing facility in Alachua, which is near Gainesville, with 164 jobs paying an average of $75,000, the Gainesville Sun reported.

But the company announced Wednesday that it will instead build its facility in Oak Ridge, lured by a gift of 170 acres from the U.S. Department of Energy and the opportunity to work with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a DOE lab, the newspaper said.

On Saturday, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said he is aware of the company, and it is working with the state of Tennessee. [Read more…]

Tourism in Oak Ridge, Anderson County shows increased economic impact

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The economic impact of tourism in Anderson County and Oak Ridge has increased for a second year in a row.

In September, the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development released its 2015 annual report showing that visitors to Anderson County, which includes Oak Ridge, were responsible for spending more than $119 million in the county, an increase of 2.9 percent over the previous year, a press release said. Visitor spending in Anderson County yielded nearly $3 million in local sales tax.

“Marketing efforts continue to pay off as part of an organized effort to increase tourism in Oak Ridge and Anderson County,” Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said in the press release. “Tourism is not only a way to increase our tax revenues, but the people who visit us positively add to the fabric and culture of our community—making tourism investment an all-around win.”

In its annual report, Explore Oak Ridge released data that showed Oak Ridge hotel revenue was up by 11 percent compared to the previous year (hotel revenue is a typical measure tourism’s economic effect on a city). Local tax generated from Oak Ridge hotels exceeded $585,000 in the 2015-16 fiscal year. [Read more…]

Temporary greenway closure due to work on eighth rowing lane

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A section of Melton Lake Greenway will be temporarily closed during construction of the eighth lane on the Oak Ridge Rowing Course.

The project will require approximately 500 feet of greenway to be removed and replaced at the end of construction, a press release said. The affected area is located along Melton Lake Drive between Amanda Drive and Palisades Parkway.

Due to the restricted project work zone, a temporary bypass is not expected to be feasible, the press release said. The specific start date for the closure has yet to be determined, but signs will give notice to those in the area once the closure begins. Trail users are asked to be cautious and observe all trail closure barricades and signage. [Read more…]

Children’s Halloween Party set for Oct. 27

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2016 Children’s Halloween Party on Thursday, October 27, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Civic Center. The party is primarily for preschool and elementary aged children. Older children attending with their families are welcome, a press release said.

Volunteers are needed to help run carnival games, work in the “scary room,” help with toddler activities, and assist in the craft room. All volunteers must be 16 and older unless working under the supervision of an adult, the press release said. Volunteers are given an event T-shirt and a pizza dinner at the conclusion of the event.

Activities include carnival games, inflatables, toddler game room, Halloween cartoon videos, face painting, concessions, glow room, and craft room. The “Scary Room” is a haunted castle theme and is suitable for younger children. A hayride is planned for Bissell Park, weather permitting, the release said. [Read more…]

Reminder: Forum tonight features candidates for Anderson County Charter Commission

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A forum tonight will feature the Oak Ridge candidates for Anderson County Charter Commission.

The forum will start at 7 p.m., Thursday, October 6, in the City Room (A-111) at Roane State Community College at 701 Briarcliff Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Here are the Oak Ridge candidates: [Read more…]

Reminder: League forum tonight features candidates for City Council, Board of Education

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Reminder: A forum tonight will feature candidates for the Oak Ridge Board of Education and the Oak Ridge City Council. It is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 4, at the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater.

It’s the first of three candidate forums in October organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.

The second forum will be on Thursday, October 6, at Roane State Community College City Room on the Oak Ridge campus. This will include the Oak Ridge candidates for the Anderson County Charter Commission. To begin the forum, there will be a short presentation from a subject matter expert on the process of reviewing and changing a county charter. This forum will be from 7 to 9 p.m. [Read more…]

Tonight in Clinton: Retired Army major general to discuss current, future national security concerns

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John R. D'Araujo Jr.

John R. D’Araujo Jr.

A retired Army major general will discuss current and future national security concerns at a presentation in Clinton tonight (Tuesday, October 4).

The presentation by Major General John R. D’Araujo is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the Clinton Community Center, which is at 101 Hicks Street in Clinton. The presentation will include a question-and-answer session.

D’Araujo was invited by Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, a press release said.

“I hope our community will take advantage of this excellent opportunity to take part in discussion of some of the major issues of national security concern with an expert of General D’Araujo’s caliber,” Frank said in the press release. “I am extremely thankful he is joining us to deliver a presentation, and also appreciative of his willingness to give the people of Anderson County an opportunity to ask questions about national security and our military.” [Read more…]

Stanley, a doctor running for Charter Commission, supports term limits

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David Stanley

David Stanley

David Stanley, a doctor running for Anderson County Charter Commission, supports term limits for the county mayor and the County Commission, as well as more active citizen participation, a press release said.

Stanley is running for the District 7 seat on the eight-member Charter Commission in the November 8 election. District 7 includes the Highland View, Glenwood, and Pine Valley voting precincts.

Stanley was born and raised in Maryville, the press release said. After obtaining his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and graduating from medical school in Memphis, Stanley spent time as a medical missionary in Laos, where he founded a modest hospital on the border of Cambodia and Laos, bringing modern medicine to the area for the first time, the press release said.

Once he returned to the United States, he moved his young family to Oak Ridge, where he built his medical practice from the ground up, the release said. [Read more…]