Oak Ridge Today

Teen indicted in crash that killed classmate has Sept. 9 court hearing

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Evan Nathaniel Weaver

Evan Nathaniel Weaver

The Andersonville teen indicted on charges connected to a fatal accident in January that killed a passenger in the car he was driving will be arraigned on Sept. 9.

Evan Nathaniel Weaver, 18, was indicted by an Anderson County grand jury on Aug. 13 and arrested last week. He faces four felony charges: vehicular homicide by intoxication, vehicular homicide by recklessness, and two counts of reckless endangerment when a deadly weapon was involved. He also faces misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and possession of drug paraphernalia. [Read more…]

Andersonville Fire Department to hold open house, grand opening today

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department will officially open its third fire hall in mid-September, but the department is offering citizens a chance to get a look at the new station during an open house and grand opening celebration set for today (Tuesday) at 4 p.m.

The Belmont station, built by volunteers at a cost of $110,000, is located at the intersection of Park Road and Sequoyah Lane on the former site of the Belmont School, which burned down in the mid-1960s. The new fire station is 5,000 square feet in size. [Read more…]

Dog park under construction at Big Turtle Park

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Oak Ridge Dog Park Construction

Construction continues at the dog park at Big Turtle Park in west Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department)

Construction continues at Petsafe Dog Park located at Big Turtle Park on the west end of Oak Ridge.

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department has posted pictures of the work. They show sign structures, sidewalks, and site improvements that are currently under way.

The dog park construction is being funded by a $100,000 donation from Radio Systems Corp. in Knoxville. [Read more…]

Officials, volunteers celebrate new Cedar Barren kiosk near JMS

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Oak Ridge Cedar Barrens Celebration

Officials and volunteers celebrate a new kiosk with a ribbon-cutting at Oak Ridge Cedar Barrens near Jefferson Middle School on Aug. 17. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Cedar Barren has a new kiosk, thanks to Thomas Crout and his Eagle Scout project. There was a ribbon cutting on Saturday, Aug. 17, followed by a brief interpretive tour and some cleanup work.

Located next to Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge, this barren is a joint project of the City of Oak Ridge, the State Natural Areas Division, and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning. This area is one of just a few cedar barrens in East Tennessee.

DOE provides more funding for small nuclear reactor project

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mPower Containment

Conceptual drawing of an underground containment structure housing two B&W mPowerâ„¢ reactor modules. (Image courtesy B&W)

Federal officials have agreed to spend another $20.5 million on a project that could result in a small modular nuclear reactor in west Oak Ridge within a decade.

The Babcock & Wilcox Co. announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Energy has allocated the additional funding to an agreement with Babcock & Wilcox mPower Inc. (B&W mPower) under what is known as the Small Modular Reactor Licensing Technical Support Program.

The small modular reactor, which can generate 180 megawatts of electricity, could be built at the former Clinch River Breeder Reactor site in west Oak Ridge by 2022. [Read more…]

Children’s Halloween Party scheduled, game booth sponsors needed

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2013 Children’s Halloween Party on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. This annual event will be attended by hundreds of children and their parents. Activities will be planned for every room in the Oak Ridge Civic Center, and a hay ride will be offered in A.K. Bissell Park, weather permitting.

Businesses and organizations are invited to sponsor a game booth for the event. Sponsors will supply two to four volunteers to operate the game throughout the event. The Recreation and Parks department will provide the games and prizes unless sponsors wish to provide their own. Games should be age-appropriate for children age 10 and under. Applications can be emailed or picked up at the Civic Center front desk. [Read more…]

Corker calls for air strikes in Syria after possible chemical attacks

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U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker on Monday said he would support a decision by the president to engage in surgical strikes against the Syrian government given the evidence of the Assad regime’s continued use of chemical weapons, a press release said.

However, he cautioned against any further involvement beyond supporting “vetted, moderate members of the Syrian opposition,” the release said. The senator urged the Obama administration to eventually seek congressional authorization for any use of military force in Syria.

Corker is a Tennessee Republican and ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee. [Read more…]

Council to discuss utility rates, consider pedestrian safety

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Oak Ridge City Council

The Oak Ridge City Council will discuss a utility rate review and consider more than $500,000 worth of projects to improve pedestrian safety during a work session and special meeting tonight. (File photo)

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider pedestrian safety projects valued at more than $500,000 and a $175,000 contract with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce during a special meeting at 8 p.m. today (Monday).

That meeting will follow a non-voting work session that starts at 7 p.m. During the work session, Council will discuss a proposal to a build a storm water holding tank along Emory Valley Road on land that could be donated by Anderson County, hear a presentation on the purchasing and financing of three replacement fire engines, and discuss a utility rate review by Chris Mitchell of Management Consultants LLC. [Read more…]

New service, digital collections at library; DOE, other collections available online

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Y-12 Alpha Type I "D" Unit

A Y-12 Alpha Type I “D” Unit is pictured above. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Public Library)

The Oak Ridge Public Library has announced a new service for the community and new online photograph collections. With Reference by Appointment, individuals can obtain one-on-one, in-depth assistance with research, résumés, or online job applications with a trained professional at no cost.

Anyone may schedule an appointment to meet with a librarian for assistance in the use of the library’s many resources. A librarian can help format résumés, search census records in Heritage Quest, assist with databases searches in Tennessee Electronic Library, suggest research material for a school or work project, and help with basic computer skills. No library card is needed in order to take part in this service. [Read more…]

Get rid of old medicines Saturday

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The Oak Ridge Police Department will take unused medicines and won’t ask for identification on Saturday morning.

From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, people will be able to drop off old and expired drugs at the ORPD headquarters at 200 S. Tulane Ave. [Read more…]

Anderson mayor, sheriff reach interim agreement allowing some new staff

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Anderson County Detention Facility

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Sheriff Paul White have reached an interim agreement in their dispute over a salary agreement that will allow the sheriff to hire another 15 deputies for an expanded jail and also hire a coordinator for the Alternatives to Incarceration program.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Sheriff Paul White have reached an interim agreement in their dispute over a salary agreement that will allow the sheriff to hire another 15 deputies for an expanded jail and also hire a coordinator for the Alternatives to Incarceration program.

“Attorneys for Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Sheriff Paul White have jointly submitted to the court an interim order that allows the sheriff to continue to employ his current deputies and hire 15 additional deputies and a coordinator for the Alternatives to Incarceration program,” a Friday morning press release said. “This agreed order is consistent with the mayor’s position and will allow the sheriff to begin increasing the number of deputies he employs in anticipation of opening the new jail.” [Read more…]

TVA board approves smaller budget, 1.5 percent rate increase

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KNOXVILLE—The Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors approved a $10.5 billion fiscal year 2014 budget at its meeting Thursday and a 1.5 percent retail rate increase—TVA’s first increase in two years.

The public utility said the rate increase is less than the economy’s modest growth in inflation since the last increase in 2011, and it will add about $1.50 to the monthly power bill of a residential consumer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. [Read more…]