Waste Connections Inc. will not be picking up garbage or recyclables on Independence Day.
Thursday’s routes will be picked up on Friday, July 5, and other routes will be picked up through Saturday, a city press release said. All garbage and recyclables should be out by 7 a.m. for a Friday and Saturday route.
For more information, contact Waste Connections Inc. at (865) 482-3656 or visit www.WasteConnectionsTn.com.
Kingston has canceled the July 4 parade scheduled for 7 p.m. today, the city announced on its website.
Officials will meet at 7 a.m. Thursday, July 4, to determine whether to cancel more Independence Day events. [Read more…]
Information from WYSH Radio
The city of Clinton has postponed its Independence Day fireworks show to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Lakefront Park. This will be a fireworks-only display as all other pre-show festivities have been canceled.
The threat of steady, soaking rainfall Wednesday through Friday has also forced Norris to postpone Norris Day and all the activities on the Norris Commons until Friday, July 26. [Read more…]
Mark Mazur
Responding to business concerns, the Obama administration announced Tuesday that it would delay until 2015 the new health care law’s mandate that employers provide workers with health insurance.
New reporting requirements of the Affordable Care Act will also be delayed a year. Questions about the new employer mandate and reporting requirements have been a concern for businesses across the nation, including in and around Oak Ridge.
“We have heard concerns about the complexity of the requirements and the need for more time to implement them effectively,” said Mark J. Mazur, assistant secretary for tax policy. Mazur made the announcement on the U.S. Treasury Department’s website. [Read more…]
The July 4 fireworks show in Oak Ridge has been rescheduled for 10 p.m. Sunday at A.K. Bissell Park. (Photo by Charles Samuels)
The July 4 fireworks in Oak Ridge have been rescheduled from Thursday to Sunday, an official said Tuesday.
“After consulting with the National Weather Service and our fireworks contractor Pyro Shows, I have made the decision to re-schedule the event,” Oak Ridge Fire Department Chief Darryl Kerley said in a press release. “The community investment is too great for the event to not be spectacular.”
He said heavy rain is expected Wednesday and Thursday, and that could cause problems setting up and loading the shells. The rain could also result in misfires during the Independence Day show and make it difficult for residents and visitors to sit outside and enjoy the display. [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce could provide an office for the Industrial Development Board, store its files, prepare its meeting minutes and agendas, and take care of its accounting under a proposal endorsed Monday.
The Chamber would do the work for $25,000 per year, IDB Chair David Wilson told board members. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge announced on Monday that all property tax bills have been mailed and should have been delivered to property owners for the year.
The taxes go to support the operation of many city services, from street maintenance to the library, a city press release said. The Oak Ridge police and fire departments, refuse removal and disposal, recreation and parks, and many other city activities are also supported by the property tax. A portion of the tax also goes to support the Oak Ridge School system. [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Animal Shelter on Belgrade Road is pictured above.
More pets go missing around July 4 than at any other time of year, and noisy fireworks are to blame.
While many of us enjoy the sights and sounds of big fireworks, our pets are often terrified by the loud noises and can become frantic and run away, trying to find a safe haven. According to national statistics, animal control officials across the country see a 30-60 percent increase in lost pets each year from July 4-6.
Julie Armes, the supervisor for the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter, said July 5 is their busiest day of the year.
“People are coming in or calling, looking for their lost pets or bringing in pets they’ve found,” Armes said. “Sadly, many pet owners never come in to retrieve their dogs or cats.” [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge City Council will discuss proposed changes to the city’s electronic sign ordinance during a Monday evening work session. Pictured above is Toney Stevens of Rivers Total Car Care, who has participated in the discussion.
The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will discuss a proposed ordinance that would prohibit animated video and scrolling messages on electronic signs.
Council will also discuss economic development options related to a public-private partnership on Oak Ridge Mall properties, and commercial and industrial areas of the city.
During a non-voting work session Monday night, Council will also hear a presentation on land bank legislation. The work session starts at 7 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room at the Central Services Complex on Woodbury Lane. [Read more…]
Pictured above from left are David Vudragovich; Rhiana Prince, a runner-up in a poster contest sponsored by Elder Watch of Anderson County; Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank; Ethan Onstott, holding a proclamation from Anderson County Government; and Heather Emert, membership development director for the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce. (Submitted photo)
Submitted
Elder Watch of Anderson County recently recognized winners of a student poster contest promoting care and support for senior citizens.
Rhiana Prince, who attends school in Oak Ridge, was one of the many students who participated in the local organization’s contest. Prince recently visited the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton to be recognized by Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank.
During her visit, Prince and Elder Watch of Anderson County board member David Vudragovich also received a proclamation from the county mayor on behalf of Elder Watch of Anderson County. The document proclaimed June 15, 2013, as Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Anderson County. On the night of June 15, Elder Watch of Anderson County “painted” the Anderson County Courthouse in purple light to mark the importance of the day. [Read more…]
Ash that spilled into the brown embayment pictured above has been removed, and workers are placing a black liner over an ash containment cell, pictured at center, preparing to close it late next year. More than 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash spilled in December 2008 when a storage cell used by the Kingston Fossil Plant, back left, failed.
KINGSTON—It was the largest ash spill in U.S. history. A dike failed on a storage cell on a cold December night more than four years ago, and roughly 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash surged out, covering about 300 acres of land and water near the Kingston Fossil Plant.
No one was injured, but 40 homes in the area were affected. The ash filled three embayments north of the coal-fired plant, covered Swan Pond Road, and flowed into the Emory River. Three homes became uninhabitable because of structural damage.
The work to clean up the gray sludge, which had been four to six feet deep, has been under way since the Dec. 22, 2008, spill. On Friday, officials paused to celebrate two milestones in the six-year, $1.2 billion project. [Read more…]
