Oak Ridge Today

TBI: Two juveniles charged with arson in deadly Sevier County wildfires

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People being removed from vehicles while Oak Ridge Fire Department crews helped respond to the Sevier County wildfire starting Monday, Nov. 29, 2016. (Photo by Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley)

 

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

Two juveniles have been charged with aggravated arson in connection with the deadly wildfires in Sevier County last week, authorities said Wednesday. The fires burned more than 17,000 acres around the Chimney Tops trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Wears Valley. Fourteen people died, 176 were injured or made ill, and more than 2,400 structures were damaged or destroyed.

Local fire departments and law enforcement agencies responded to help fight the fires and provide search and rescue help, among other aid. The fire in the park, the most heavily visited in the United States, and the nearby tourist towns has been described as the largest in Tennessee in at least 100 years.

The charges announced Wednesday afternoon were filed after an investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; National Park Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, or ATF; and the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office. [Read more…]

First year: More than 80,000 visit three Manhattan Project Park sites in 2016

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The late Bill Wilcox by the International Friendship Bell in Oak Ridge. (Courtesy of Friends of the International Friendship Bell via Atomic Heritage Foundation)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12 p.m. Dec. 8.

More than 80,000 people have visited the three sites of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, according to a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.

Besides Oak Ridge, the park includes Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico.

In Oak Ridge, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park has a volunteer or ranger at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge when the museum is open. The park also has activities. For example, there is a program on secrecy, security, and spies at the Oak Ridge Turnpike Gatehouse in west Oak Ridge on Saturday, December 17. And the park, in partnership with the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, will be featuring a Parks in Focus photography exhibit during the month of December. The photography exhibit is located in the Imagination Gallery at the museum located at 461 West Outer Drive.

Also, a virtual tour of the K-25 Building can be found at the new K-25 Virtual Museum website. And from March to November, admission to AMSE includes a three-hour bus tour of the Oak Ridge Reservation, including the X-10 Graphite Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, New Bethel Church at ORNL, the visitor overlook at the East Tennessee Technology Park (former home to the K-25 gaseous diffusion building), and Y-12 New Hope History Center. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge Christmas tree lighting

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The Oak Ridge Christmas tree lighting was Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, in Alvin K. Bissell Park. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Christmas tree lighting was Friday in Alvin K. Bissell Park. Here are photos by the City of Oak Ridge.

The annual Christmas tree lighting and reception are sponsored by the Oak Ridge Woman’s Club and the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department. The reception includes seasonal music and entertainment in the Oak Ridge Civic Center gymnasium. [Read more…]

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department K-9s help with Gatlinburg search

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Anderson County Sheriff’s Department K-9s helped search Gatlinburg after forest fires fed by hurricane-force winds raged through that tourist town and areas around the Chimney Tops trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Wears Valley, and Pigeon Forge on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, burning 17,000 acres, killing 14 people, and damaging or destroying more than 1,700 structures. Pictured above is Deputy Candy Stooksbury and her K-9 partner Barnabas. (Photo by ACSD)

 

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Candy Stooksbury and her K-9 partner Barnabas, a specially trained bloodhound, have helped in the search efforts in Gatlinburg after forest fires fed by hurricane-force winds raged through the tourist town last week. Corporal Rick Coley and K-9 Justus, and Deputy Matt Forsyth and K-9 BamBam, have also helped.

The deputies and K-9s helped the Knoxville Police Search And Rescue Team and the Tennessee Highway Patrol in the search, rescue, and recovery mission, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said Tuesday.

Other local agencies also responded to the fires, including Anderson County EMS and fire departments in Anderson County. (See this previous story for more information.) The Oak Ridge Fire Department helped rescue 12 people trapped in cars surrounded by fires near the Dollywood theme park near Pigeon Forge. [Read more…]

Officials celebrate sale of DOE land to IDB, which sold to Protomet, for economic development

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Protomet Corporation is pictured above in the Bethel Valley Industrial Park in south Oak Ridge on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Officials are celebrating the sale of federal land east of Oak Ridge National Laboratory that could be used to help an industrial company expand.

The 20-acre parcel had been owned by the U.S. Department of Energy in Oak Ridge. The property is adjacent to the Bethel Valley Industrial Park in south Oak Ridge and west of Protomet. The company had sought the property for a planned expansion.

The parcel was sold to the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board, or IDB, on October 20.

The IDB, which served as a conduit, then sold the land to Protomet. The company is evaluating the site as one option as it plans for a $30 million expansion that could add 200 jobs over a five-year period. [Read more…]

DOE, National Park Service mark first year of Manhattan Project Park

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By U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management

The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Park Service have made considerable progress in their inaugural year managing the national park commemorating the Manhattan Project, according to DOE.

“Everyone involved with the park from DOE, the National Park Service, and our community partners has put a lot of work into the Manhattan Project National Historical Park over the past year and it shows,” DOE Office of Legacy Management Acting Director Thomas Pauling said in a November 30 newsletter called “EM Update.” “The Office of Legacy Management is excited to join the team, and we’re looking forward to contributing to its continuing success.”

Established on November 10, 2015, the park consists of facilities at three sites—Hanford, Washington; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico—that played key roles in the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. The park tells the story of the people, events, science, and engineering that led to the creation of the atomic bomb, which helped end World War II. [Read more…]

TVA proposes new storage for coal ash, coal burning byproducts at Bull Run

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Bull Run Fossil Plant

The Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton is pictured above.

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority is proposing to expand the capacity for managing and storing coal combustion residuals at Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton.

TVA has committed to convert the handling and storage of coal ash and other byproducts of burning coal from a wet system to dry at all its fossil sites, including Bull Run, a press release said. As part of that process, TVA evaluated numerous sites on TVA property around Bull Run for a new dry storage landfill.

In a final Environmental Impact Statement released Thursday, TVA considered the potential environmental impacts of a new landfill, as well as two other alternatives—hauling the coal combustion residuals, or CCR, materials to a permitted landfill off-site, and a “no action” alternative in which TVA would not consider additional options for long-term storage of CCR at the plant. [Read more…]

City explains how to request use of athletic facilities in 2017

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Organizations are invited to request use of athletics facilities by the end of January for the time period of March 1, 2017, to October 31, 2017.

Please be aware that your request is not a reservation until it has been reviewed and approved. Organizations or groups with delinquent paperwork or fees will not be considered in the reservation process. Only requests for the stated period of time will be considered. Facilities will be block-booked ahead of time for expected city and school use.

The City of Oak Ridge is asking that all facility requests be submitted by 5 p.m. January 31, 2017. Requests received by this date will be given priority over later requests, but please understand that city and school use of facilities will have priority throughout the year. [Read more…]

ORHS Brass Quintet at Band Concert this Thursday

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Santa with the Oak Ridge High School Brass Quintet: Michael Bytell-Lancer—trumpet, Logan Swain—trombone, Ty Dahl—trumpet, Travis Pitz—horn, and Issair Franquez—tuba. (Photo credit: Atom Ray Photography, Angela Carr, photographer; used with permission)

 

The Oak Ridge High School Brass Quintet welcomed Santa to Jackson Square on Saturday, and the Brass Quintet will be just one of the student groups to be enjoyed at the ORHS Band Concert this Thursday.

“Band directors Spence Milligan and Mike Spirko—along with the JazzKats, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Combined Bands—invite you to come and enjoy an evening performance with a little jazz, a little jingle—and a lot of jolly!” organizers said in a press release. “The always popular annual rendition of ‘Sleigh Ride,’ by Leroy Anderson, performed by the Combined Bands will surely make your season bright!” [Read more…]

ORAU Diversity Council hosts 2016 Veterans Appreciation Day

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Eddie Mannis (pictured above) served as the keynote speaker for a Veterans Appreciation Day event on Nov. 10, 2016. He is the founder of HonorAir Knoxville and highlighted the impact the organization has had on veterans and the East Tennessee community. (Photo by ORAU)

 

On Thursday, November 10, the ORAU Diversity Council hosted 2016 Veterans Appreciation Day at the ORAU Pollard Auditorium in Oak Ridge to acknowledge the great sacrifices and contributions of our service men, women, and their families.

Here are two photos by ORAU. [Read more…]

Linden Elementary, Midway Middle win $1,000 for environmental programs

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“Voice of the Vols” Bob Kesling, director of broadcasting/play-by-play for the Vol Network, and Etta Clark, vice president of global public affairs and policy at Eastman, present the 2016 Good Sports Always Recycle winners at Linden Elementary School with their award. (Submitted photo)

 

Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge and Midway Middle School in Ten Mile were recognized at the University of Tennessee homecoming game as two of the statewide winners of the Good Sports Always Recycle, or GSAR, program’s school challenge. Seven other schools were also recognized. All nine were awarded $1,000 each for their programs.

The award sponsors were Eastman Chemical Company, Food City, Waste Connections of Tennessee, and the University of Tennessee, a press release said.

The other GSAR School Challenge winners were Abintra Montessori School in Nashville, Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Emmett Elementary School in Bristol, Fayette Academy in Somerville, John Adams Elementary School in Kingsport, Newport Grammar School in Newport, and Union Elementary STEM and Demonstration School in Gallatin.

New Hope Christian Academy in Memphis was awarded $1,500 for the GSAR Sustainability Steward Award, and Libertas School of Memphis was awarded $1,500 for the Best New Program. [Read more…]

ORHS Orchestra presents tribute to Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Dec. 15

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Oak Ridge High School Orchestra will present its third annual tribute to Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Thursday, December 15. The concert is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. December 15 at Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

The public is invited to attend this high-energy concert, which will also include several traditional holiday favorites, organizers said.

Tickets are $3 at the door.

For more information, visit www.orhsorchestra.org.