Oak Ridge Today

Glow Ninja 5K Run returns to Oak Ridge May 7

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Ninja-Group

Submitted photo

 

Registration is now open for the Third Annual Glow Ninja 5K race in Oak Ridge on Saturday night, May 7.

The “glow race” will kick off with the sounding of a gong at 8 p.m. Martial Arts demonstrations, hosted by event sponsor Progressive Martial Arts of Oak Ridge, will start at 7 p.m. To register for the race, visit www.ninja5k.com.

The race features a board-breaking opportunity for each participant at the finish line, which is one of the highlights each year.

“Progressive Martial Arts will be on site leading exciting, new demonstrations, and everyone is encouraged to dress up ninja-style for the event,” organizer Terri Reedy said. “Events like this one are sweeping the country because people are looking for something fun to do as a family. We hope to see the whole family dressed out in martial arts uniforms, or as Ninja Turtles, Karate Kid, Kung Fu Panda, etc.” [Read more…]

Los Alamos Historical Society director to discuss Los Alamos, Manhattan Project on Tuesday

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Heather McClenahan at B Reactor

Heather McClenahan, executive director of the Los Alamos Historical Society, is pictured above seated at the control panel for the “B” Reactor, part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Hanford, Washington. (Submitted photo)

 

The executive director of the Los Alamos Historical Society will discuss Los Alamos and the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge on Tuesday.

Heather McClenahan is the featured guest speaker at the May 2016 membership and public meeting of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association. The meeting will star at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, at the Midtown Community Center at 103 Robertsville Road.

Her presentation is titled “Los Alamos and the Manhattan Project: 1.5 Million Years of History in One Hour.” [Read more…]

Two cars crash into homes, one into brick landscaping wall

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Car-Crash-Everest-Circle-Home-5-April-26-2016

No one was injured when a Buick LeSabre crashed into the laundry room of a home at 104 Everest Circle at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 26, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Two vehicles hit two homes in Oak Ridge in the past week, and one car crashed into a brick landscaping wall at the new drive-through at ORNL Federal Credit Union.

In the most recent crash, a four-door Buick LeSabre crashed into the laundry room of a home at 104 Everest Circle at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

No one was in the laundry room at the time, and no one was injured, authorities said. A dog and cat in the house were also reported to be okay, according to a neighbor.

The cause of the single-vehicle crash had not been determined. [Read more…]

WYSH: Clinton crash injures motorcyclist

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Information from WYSH Radio, an Oak Ridge Today news partner

A car-motorcycle crash in south Clinton late Monday morning sent one man to the hospital by Lifestar medical helicopter, authorities said.

The crash occurred just before 11 a.m. Monday on Clinch Avenue in front of the Icon Market.

The Clinton Police Department said that 54-year-old John Aulton of Clinton had been headed north on Clinch Avenue on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle when a southbound Cadillac sedan driven by 75-year-old Billy Ashe of Clinton tried to turn left into the market. But his car ended up in the path of Aulton’s motorcycle, authorities said, and even though Aulton reportedly locked his brakes, he struck the right front side of the Cadillac and was thrown off the bike. [Read more…]

Reminder: Kickoff meeting for home energy-saving program is today

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The Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient, or MORE2, program will be hosting a kickoff event for Oak Ridge residents on Tuesday, April 26, from 4-6 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Civic Center Social Room. The event is an opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about this new program for qualified, low-income residents in the community, a press release said.

Information on other energy-saving programs will also be available for those who do not qualify for the MORE2 program.

The City of Oak Ridge is kicking off the MORE2 program to perform “whole-home, deep energy retrofits” for 229 qualified residents in homes that are at least 20 years old. The project goal is to reduce electrical energy usage in all-electric homes to improve the quality of life for lower income residents and homeowners by significantly increasing the efficiency and comfort of their homes. [Read more…]

Motorcyclist flown to UT after car-motorcycle crash in Clinton

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A motorcyclist was flown by medical helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville after a car-motorcycle crash on Clinch Avenue in south Clinton on Monday, authorities said.

The Clinton Police Department and Anderson County EMS both responded to the crash.

The CPD said it doesn’t have any other information yet.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Oak Ridge could lose $500K-$700K per year under Hall tax repeal

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McNally-Ragan-Calfee-at-Breakfast-with-Legislators-April-25-2016

The reduction and repeal of the Hall income tax was among the issues discussed during a Breakfast with the Legislators on Monday, April 25, 2016. Pictured above from left are Sen. Randy McNally, Rep. John Ragan, and Rep. Kent Calfee. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:30 p.m.

Oak Ridge could lose $500,000-$700,000 per year in revenues if the repeal of the Hall income tax is approved, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said last week.

If Governor Bill Haslam signs a bill that the state legislature passed Friday, the tax, which was enacted in 1929, would be eliminated in the 2022 tax year. Haslam has not said whether he will the sign the bill into law or veto it.

If it becomes law, the bill could cost Oak Ridge about $119,000 in the fiscal year that starts July 1, or about 1.25 cents on the property tax rate, Mayor Warren Gooch said Saturday. The legislation would reduce the Hall income tax on stock and dividend income from 6 percent to 5 percent in the 2016 tax year.

The tax would be reduced by 1 percent per year after that until it is eliminated by 2022.

The Hall income tax generated total revenue of $303.4 million in Tennessee in fiscal year 2014-15, and $105.5 million went to cities and counties, with the rest going to the state.

On Thursday, Watson said the amount dispersed to Oak Ridge varies between about $500,000 to $700,000 per year. State data shows Oak Ridge collected about $708,000 in 2015. [Read more…]

Girls Inc. receives funding from Panhellenic Council for Operation SMART

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Panhellenic Council and Girls Inc.

Girls Inc. members receive a check from Panhellenic Council Member Joan Vicary. (Submitted photo)

 

Girls Incorporated of Oak Ridge has received a generous contribution from the Panhellenic Council that will support the Girls Inc. Operation SMART program, a press release said.

“This contribution provides funding for the agency to fulfill its mission of inspiring girls to be strong, smart, and bold by encouraging the development of girls in the STEM fields,” a press release said. “The Operation SMART program helps girls develop an enthusiasm for and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through hands-on activities, girls explore, ask questions, persist, and solve problems. The funding provided girls with vegetables to plant, Legos and a Lego table, owl pellet dissection kits, lab equipment, a wooden workbench, and other STEM supplies to enhance the program.” [Read more…]

Sheriff’s Department warns of scam alert

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Scam Alert

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department has once again received reports of someone calling residents in Anderson County threatening arrest for failing to appear in court.

These scam artists are identifying themselves as members of the Sheriff’s Department and telling the people called that they need to obtain a prepaid debit card and give the callers the card number.

This is the same scam as reported in the past, a press release said. Please be aware law enforcement agencies or court clerk’s offices do not make calls such as these!

If you have been the victim of this scam, please contact the Sheriff’s Communications Center at (865) 457-2414, or your local police department.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ORHS welding students bring home gold, bronze medals from Skills USA

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ORHS Welding Students and Instruction April 2016

Pictured above from left to right are students Abigayle Allison, Peyton Ooten, and Evan Eschenberg, and instructor Jeff Hankins. (Submitted photo)

 

Two Oak Ridge High Schools received gold medals and were named state champions in two different welding categories, while a third student received a bronze medal.

The students and their medals are:

  • Senior Evan Eschenberg received a gold medal and is the state champion in the category of Welding.
  • Sophomore Abigayle Allison received a gold medal and is the state champion in the category of Welding Sculpture.
  • Junior Peyton Ooten received a bronze medal for third place in the state in the category of Action Skills.

The students are in Jeff Hankins’ welding classes at Oak Ridge High School. They competed and placed in several events in the Skills USA State Championships from April 17-20 in Chattanooga. [Read more…]

Community Matters leaders report back at ORHS on Sunday

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Community-Matters-Unitarian-Universalist-Nov-1-2015-14

Pictured above at a Community Matters forum at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Nov. 1, 2015, are the Reverend Derrick Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church, center, the Rev. Jake Morrill of Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, left, and Father Brent Shelton of St. Mary’s Parish. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The leaders of the Community Matters series of forums held last fall will report back on what they’ve learned at Oak Ridge High School on Sunday.

The informational session is scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, April 24. All Oak Ridge residents are invited to attend.

This event will feature community leaders including Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch, Police Chief Jim Akagi, ORHS Principal Martin McDonald, and leading pastors in town, all to continue the conversation begun last fall, a press release said.

“In the last couple of years, communities around the country have engaged the conversation sparked by Black Lives Matter,” the press release said. “In some communities, this has looked like protest. In others, it has looked like study and reflection.” [Read more…]

ORPD to host Junior Police Academy this summer

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Oak Ridge Junior Police Academy

Oak Ridge Junior Police Academy students at the National Forensics Academy in 2012. (File photo/submitted)

 

The Oak Ridge Police Department will host the Junior Police Academy again this summer.

The Fifth Annual Junior Police Academy will be offered to 5th-12th grade students, including private school and home-schooled students. Students interested in learning more about the Oak Ridge Police Department and the criminal justice system are encouraged to apply. The academy is free to all eligible applicants.

The Junior Police Academy will be offered in three phases this year:

  • Phase I: Basic Law Enforcement Awareness—will be held June 20-24 and is for first-year cadets only.
  • Phase II: Intro to Forensic Investigations—will be held June 27-July 1 and is for second-year cadets only.
  • Phase III: Emergency Response and Readiness—will be held July 18-22 and is for third-year cadets only.

[Read more…]