Oak Ridge Today

Reminder: Community Wellness Fair hosted by city, schools on Wednesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

Reminder: The City of Oak Ridge Wellness Committee and Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated School Health are teaming up to host a Community Wellness Fair. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 16, from noon to 4 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Civic Center. Admission is free and everyone is invited, a press release said.

The Civic Center is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Demonstrations, informational booths, and health screenings will be set up inside the gymnasium. Topics to be covered include: [Read more…]

Boys & Girls Clubs of Clinch Valley has fundraiser Wednesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, May 16, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley will hold their annual Great Futures event. The event raises funds for the organization’s two campuses, in Oak Ridge and Harriman.

This year’s event will highlight the achievements of the organization’s 60-year history of its Oak Ridge Club and the services and outcomes of the Clubs’ youth development programming.

“We are so grateful for the corporate and individual investments that have supported 60 years of programming in Oak Ridge and that continue to pave the way for great futures for both of our clubs,” said Jennifer Pettyjohn, the organization’s chief executive officer.

This year’s keynote address will be given by WNML Sports Talk host Will West, a press release said. [Read more…]

Registration deadline is today for Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

On May 29-31, more than 400 community, academic, and government leaders from the five-state region will gather at CNS Y-12’s New Hope Center for the 23rd Annual Tennessee Valley Corridor (TVC) Summit.

The Summit’s theme is: “TVC: Connecting People, Ideas, Opportunities,” and will be hosted by Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch in cooperation with Congressman Chuck Fleischmann. Registration is available at www.TennValleyCorridor.org until May 15.

The Summit will include five main sessions focused on clean energy, cyber and national security, advanced manufacturing, and education. The Summit will also celebrate the 75th anniversary of the City of Oak Ridge, the 85th anniversary of Tennessee Valley Authority, and 50th anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 8 Mission.

There will be more than 50 speakers, panelists, and presenters, ranging from university and community college presidents to entrepreneurs to top leaders of the region’s federal contractors, a press release said. Speakers for the event include: [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool open Memorial Day weekend

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool will be open to the public over Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 26, through Monday, May 28, from noon to 6 p.m. each day.

This will be a soft opening over the holiday weekend, with the pool being closed for three days following Memorial Day, from Tuesday, May 29, to Thursday, May 31, a press release said. An open public swim will be held on Friday, June 1, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. The outdoor pool will then open for normal summer hours starting Saturday, June 2.

Events are planned throughout the summer, including movie nights, evening swims, swim lessons, Water Safety Day, and the end of season Puppy Pool Party, the press release said. A full calendar of events and additional details can be found online at http://orrecparks.oakridgetn.gov/. [Read more…]

Commission asks for citizen input on Anderson County EMS on Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Commission, which is pictured above on March 20, 2018, unanimously censured Anderson County Circuit Clerk William Jones on Feb. 20, and asked him to resign after sexual harassment allegations were reported. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Anderson County Commission is pictured above on March 20, 2018. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Anderson County Commission is asking for citizen input on Anderson County EMS (emergency medical services) on Thursday.

The meeting is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, at 728 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

“The purpose of this meeting is for input from citizens regarding emergency medical services,” a meeting notice said. [Read more…]

Peace Officers Memorial & Awards Ceremony in Oak Ridge on Tuesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Police Department Officers Memorial is pictured above in May 2017. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony is pictured above at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building in May 2017. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Police Department is celebrating National Police Week from May 13-19 with other law enforcement agencies across the nation, and the department plans to host two events on Tuesday, May 15. Everyone is invited, a press release said.

The first event is a Peace Officers Memorial Day Service to honor all law enforcement personnel. The ceremony will be held at the flagpole in front of the Oak Ridge Municipal Building at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. The keynote speaker will be Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark.

The second event is an awards ceremony, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. inside the Municipal Building Courtroom. Oak Ridge Police Department personnel will be recognized with various certificates, awards, and letters of commendation. [Read more…]

DA Clark to discuss Neo-Nazism in East Tennessee on Tuesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Dave Clark

Dave Clark

Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark will discuss Neo-Nazism and the root causes of its rise in East Tennessee on Tuesday, a press release said.

Clark, the DA in Anderson County, will be the speaker at Lunch with the League at noon Tuesday.

His general topic will center on Neo-Nazism, and the root causes of its rise in East Tennessee, the press release said.

The meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Updated: Council approves Rails to Trails engineering contract

Posted at
By 1 Comment

The former CSX railway is pictured near Jefferson Middle School in central Oak Ridge on Dec. 30, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The former CSX railway is pictured near Jefferson Middle School in central Oak Ridge on Dec. 30, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:15 a.m. May 15.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday unanimously approved an engineering contract for the Rails to Trails project, which would convert a former CSX railroad into a bicycle and pedestrian pathway.

The consulting contract, worth an estimated $358,317, was awarded to A. Morton Thomas and Associates of Kingsport.

The agreement, approved 7-0, is to provide environmental testing, master planning, design and engineering of the trail, and help with construction bidding, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick told City Manager Mark Watson in a May 4 memo.

There is still much work to be done, including buying the former railroad, and the project might not go out to bid until May 2020, or two years from now, according to a draft timeline presented at the City Council meeting on Monday. And that’s assuming all goes well.

“Design and engineering will provide construction cost estimates and a phasing schedule, along with a basis for negotiating the acquisition of the rail line from CSX Rail,” Hetrick said. “Because the current programmed funding will not cover the entire project cost, the master plan will be used to leverage additional funding for construction from various funding sources, including federal highway and private funds.” [Read more…]

Updated: Council authorizes final design for Preschool, Senior Center

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Pre-K School (Image by Studio Four Design via City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge Pre-K School at Scarboro Park (Image by Studio Four Design via City of Oak Ridge)

 

Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. May 15.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday authorized the final designs of the Senior Center and the Preschool and Scarboro Park Renovation. The two projects together could total about $13 million. The Senior Center and Preschool have been on the city’s wish list for a decade or two—or even longer.

Resolutions unanimously approved by City Council on Monday in 7-0 votes authorize Studio Four Design Inc. of Knoxville to proceed to the final construction design of the two projects. One project, the Preschool, would be at Scarboro Park, and the other, the Senior Center, would be at Alvin K. Bissell Park.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told City Council members in May 9 memos that Studio Four Design, led by Jacene Phillips, has achieved 50 percent design on the two projects and reviewed the proposed designs with city, school, and Senior Advisory Board officials and “achieved consensus on design requirements.”

The more expensive of the two projects, the Oak Ridge Preschool and Scarboro Park Renovation, has a current estimated cost of $9,792,674, or close to $10 million.

The Senior Center could cost about $3 million. [Read more…]

Updated: Council approves $500,000 renovation to Fire Station 4 at ETTP

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Fire Station

Oak Ridge Fire Department Station 4 is pictured above at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge. (File photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy)

 

Note: This story was updated at 10 a.m. May 15.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday authorized about $500,000 in renovations at Fire Station 4 at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, a federal site in west Oak Ridge.

The funds for the renovations are currently available in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget for the West End Fire Fund, Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said in an April 27 memo to City Manager Mark Watson.

The total estimated cost of the renovations, based on a sealed bid process, is not to exceed $515,000, Kerley said. He said funds have been set aside for the past 11 years.

The project was unanimously approved in a 7-0 vote after a brief discussion at the City Council meeting on Monday.

The funds are part of the overall re-industrialization that will convert the ETTP fire station from a U.S. Department of Energy fire station to a municipal fire station through a DOE memorandum of agreement for the operation and maintenance of the fire station. [Read more…]

Nine Lakes Wine Festival returns to Oak Ridge, Knoxville

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The second annual Nine Lakes Wine Festival is this week with three days of events celebrating the best in Tennessee wines in Oak Ridge and West Knoxville. The festival is scheduled from Thursday, May 17, to Saturday, May 19, 2018. (Submitted photo)

The second annual Nine Lakes Wine Festival is this week with three days of events celebrating the best in Tennessee wines in Oak Ridge and West Knoxville. The festival is scheduled from Thursday, May 17, to Saturday, May 19, 2018. (Submitted photo)

 

The second annual Nine Lakes Wine Festival is this week with three days of events celebrating the best in Tennessee wines in Oak Ridge and West Knoxville.

The festival is scheduled from Thursday, May 17, to Saturday, May 19.

The main event is the Grand Tasting from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 19, on the waterfront at Melton Lake Park in Oak Ridge. This event features more than 15 Tennessee wineries pouring more than 100 locally made wines and ciders, with live music, chef demonstrations by The Savory Whisk, and wine seminars by a variety of Tennessee wine experts, a press release said.

Music will be provided by the Nashville band Arts Fishing Club and two East Tennessee bands, Wild Blue Yonder and KUDZU.

Two other smaller events are offered earlier in the week: [Read more…]

Anderson County man indicted on carjacking, assault charges

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Justin Wade Welch

Justin Wade Welch

 

An Anderson County man who allegedly took two cars by force and tried to take another in Clinton in March 2017 has been indicted on carjacking and assault charges by the Anderson County Grand Jury.

Justin Wade Welch, 31, was charged in an eight-count indictment filed April 3. At the time of the indictment, he had been jailed at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton since March 30, 2017, the date of the alleged incident.

The charges against Welch include three counts of carjacking and one count each of attempted carjacking, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (a vehicle), evading arrest, driving on a suspended or revoked license, and resisting a stop, search, or arrest involving a weapon (a vehicle).

Charges against Welch had been waived to the Grand Jury in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Clinton on September 6.

He pleaded not guilty to the eight indicted charges in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on April 30. [Read more…]