Oak Ridge Today

Schools seek bids to replace demolished Blankenship bleachers

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Blankenship Field Visitors Bleachers

Declared unsafe, the visitors bleachers at Blankenship Field have been removed, and the project to replace them has been put out for bids.

The visitors bleachers at Blankenship Field have been demolished, and the Oak Ridge Schools are scurrying to replace them by the start of the high school football season this fall.

Project bids are being accepted through March 21, although it’s not clear yet who will pay for the new bleachers and other improvements at Jack Armstrong Stadium. The bids could be considered by the Oak Ridge Board of Education on March 24.

The board could also make a funding decision then, School Board Chair Keys Fillauer told Oak Ridge City Council members during a Monday night meeting. There are a range of options that include city funding, school funding, and donations, among others. [Read more…]

Two cases of canine distemper confirmed in Oak Ridge

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Two cases of canine distemper were recently confirmed by an Oak Ridge veterinarian’s office, city officials said.

Also, a dog adopted from the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter in January may have contracted distemper, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. It was not known if the adopted dog contracted the disease before or after being adopted.

As a precaution, all animals brought into the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter are being vaccinated on arrival. The shelter is separating dogs with any kind of cough or nasal discharge from dogs available for adoption. [Read more…]

Family Day at the Civic Center on March 15

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the Second Annual Family Day at the Civic Center from noon to 4 p.m. March 15. All activities except public swim and concessions are free. Concession items will include hot dogs, nachos, chips, cookies, juice, and soft drinks. A chili cook-off will be held in the Social Room. Those wishing to participate in the competition should call the Civic Center front desk to sign up.

Discounted public swim times, in 30-minute increments, will be offered for $1. Children two and under are free. The public swim is open to everyone and is scheduled at the indoor swimming pool from 12:30–1, 1:15–1:45, 2–2:30, and 2:45–3:15 p.m. Lifeguards will be on duty. If parents wish to supervise their children from the pool deck, they must pay admission and be dressed in swimming attire. If children do not need direct parental supervision, the pool can be viewed through glass windows in the snack bar and lobby areas.

Family activities will be offered throughout the Civic Center. They will include pool, ping pong, foosball, crafts, and board games. Active games, including badminton, corn hole, and family versions of volleyball and basketball, are planned for the gymnasium. [Read more…]

TVA completes retaining wall, the largest of its kind, at Kingston ash spill

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Kingston Ash Spill Retaining Wall

KINGSTON—The Tennessee Valley Authority has achieved a significant milestone in its cleanup of the ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant—the completion of an earthquake-resistant, underground retaining wall around the containment cell at the recovery site.

The wall, which completely surrounds the 240-acre containment cell where recovered ash will be permanently stored, was completed on Feb. 20, almost a month ahead of schedule.

“I’m extremely proud of the project team for accomplishing this major undertaking,” said Bob Deacy, TVA senior vice president of projects. “They kept safety at the forefront and completed this significant milestone ahead of schedule.”

Construction of the wall began in summer 2011. Two high-capacity, long-reach hydraulic excavators dug trenches that were 4 feet wide and reached depths between 40 and 70 feet. More than 200,000 tons of cement and other materials were used to construct the wall, which is embedded 70 feet into the bedrock.

It is the largest wall of its kind in the U.S. at nearly 64,000 linear feet, the equivalent of 12 miles, and is designed to withstand a magnitude 6.0 earthquake. [Read more…]

City egg hunt April 12

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2014 Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 12. Hundreds of children are expected to participate in this annual spring event, and more than 15,000 candy and prize filled eggs will be hidden in A.K. Bissell Park with a first, second, and third place prize egg in each age group, a press release said.

Participants should assemble in the Civic Center gymnasium prior to 110 a.m. The children will be divided into separate age groups from four years old through 4th grade, and they will be escorted to their respective hunt areas. This event will be held “rain or shine,” so participants should dress for the weather. If severe weather prevents hiding the eggs outdoors, they will be given away in the gym and a drawing will be held for the prizes.

The Recreation and Parks Department staff will make a reasonable effort to provide appropriate accommodations for special needs. Parents of children who require a more accessible hunt area are encouraged to call ahead. [Read more…]

Council postpones traffic camera vote

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Red-light Camera at Oak Ridge Turnpike and New York Avenue

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday postponed a decision on whether to extend or terminate a five-year contract with its traffic camera vendor.

Note: This story was last updated at 11:40 a.m. March 4.

The Oak Ridge City Council postponed a vote on traffic cameras on Monday. Council had been expected to either extend the five-year contract with the camera vendor, Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. of Arizona, or terminate it.

But council member Chuck Hope had to leave unexpectedly, and it wasn’t clear that there would be a majority to either extend the contract for two years or end it. That meant that both resolutions could have failed in 3-3 votes.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said the contract could now be discussed during a March 24 special meeting or during the regular April meeting. But the current contract expires April 21. [Read more…]

Probation company announces literacy program for probationers

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PSI Probation has established a literacy program for probationers that will emphasize instructional reading for those with reading deficiencies, a press release said.

In addition, PSI is going to help any probationers who want to earn a high school diploma through a GED program. That help is being offered at the request of Anderson County General Sessions Court Judge Don A. Layton, a press release said. [Read more…]

DOE Oak Ridge Office signs DOD National Guard and Reserve support statement

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DOE DOD Statement Signing

DOE-ORO Manager Larry Kelly, accompanied by retired Maj. Gen. Jack D’Araujo, ESGR Tennessee Area Chair, recently signs a Statement of Support with the Department of Defense Committee for Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR) affirming ORO’s support for its employees that serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office Manager Larry Kelly has signed a Statement of Support with the Department of Defense Committee for Employer Support of Guard and Reserve, or ESGR. The statement affirms ORO’s support for its employees that serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

ORO Manager Larry Kelly, along with retired Maj. Gen. Jack D’Araujo, ESGR Tennessee area chair, and retired Brig. Gen. Jim Mungenast, vice chair for Tennessee’s DOD Committee for the ESGR organization, participated in the signing. [Read more…]

YAB, Youth Leadership take educational trip to Nashville

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Youth Advisory Board on Nashville Trip

Members of both groups are pictured above in the State Senate Chamber with Sen. Randy McNally and Rep. John Ragan. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board and Youth Leadership Oak Ridge groups combined forces and took an educational trip to Nashville on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

While in Nashville, students attended a state committee meeting and participated in a mock Senate session led by Sen. Randy McNally and Rep. John Ragan, a press release said. The group also toured the State Capitol Building, the Tennessee State Museum, and LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans.

For more information about the Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board, contact Matt Reedy with the Recreation and Parks Department at (865) 425-3442. For more information about the Youth Leadership Oak Ridge group, contact Greta Ownby at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at (865) 483-1321.

Myers, candidate for sheriff, has March 14 fundraiser

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Randy Myers

Randy Myers

Randy Myers, a candidate for Anderson County sheriff, will hold a fundraiser at the Comfort Inn in Oak Ridge from 5 to 7 p.m. March 14. All are invited to attend.

Comfort Inn is located on the corner of Rutgers Avenue and South Illinois Avenue in front of Walmart. Food will be provided, and door prizes will be given away, a press release said. A $20 donation will be received at the door.

Visit www.randymyersforsheriff.com for more information.

Sewer rehab work continues this week

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More rehabilitation work of the city’s sewer collection pipes is scheduled to continue this week.

The work is being done by Hurst Excavating and Morgan Contracting under contract with the city of Oak Ridge. It includes rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways, a press release said.

Residents should already have received color-coded letters and door hangers (orange for Hurst Excavating and purple for Morgan Contracting) providing general information and each contractors’ contact information. [Read more…]

Traffic camera revenues top $6 million, city keeps $2.6 million

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Traffic Camera at Oak Ridge Turnpike

The traffic camera for the westbound lanes of Oak Ridge Turnpike in front of Oak Ridge High School. More than half of the speeding violations issued in 2013 were at the camera systems near the high school.

The four traffic camera systems in Oak Ridge have generated more than $6 million in ticket revenues during a roughly five-year period. The city has kept $2.6 million of that, while the camera vendor has collected the other $3.6 million.

The amount of money generated each year has fallen from about $2 million in fiscal year 2010 to roughly $1 million today. That could be at least in part because drivers have grown more accustomed to the cameras.

The automated devices issue $50 citations to drivers who speed or run red lights, and the proceeds are split between the city and camera vendor Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz. So far, the city has collected about 42 percent of the total revenues while Redflex has kept 58 percent.

The city revenues were originally put into a general fund, but starting in Fiscal Year 2011, they were deposited into a special fund that has been used to pay for pedestrian safety projects. That fund now has a cash balance of $778,305. [Read more…]