Oak Ridge Today

Clinton Highway closed as THP investigates fatal crash

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The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department closed off Clinton Highway between West Wolf Valley Road and Hiway Drive in south Clinton as the Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated a fatal crash on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 3:05 a.m.

CLAXTON—Clinton Highway was closed Sunday evening as the Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated a fatal crash, authorities said.

The crash was reported at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday between West Wolf Valley Road and Hiway Drive in south Clinton. Hiway Drive is near the end of a series of shops, businesses, and churches in south Clinton.

Note: See newer story based on a THP fatal accident report here.

The curvy section of Clinton Highway remained closed as of 11:50 p.m. Sunday. Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputies were turning traffic around at East and West Wolf Valley Road in Claxton and at Hiway Drive, which connects to Blockhouse Valley Road in south Clinton. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge High School prom is April 30, schools accepting ‘gently used’ dresses

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The Oak Ridge High School Prom will be on April 30.

If you have a gently used prom dress that you would like to donate, you can drop if off with Brianna Ottinger in the School Counseling Office.

“Your generosity will help our students!” Ottinger said.

Oak Ridge Schools have 5k run to ‘stomp out’ tobacco on March 5

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Oak Ridge Schools have a 5k run to “stomp out” tobacco on March 5 at Melton Lake Park.

All Oak Ridge students can register for free. See the flyer included below for more information. You can also register online here.

“This is a great opportunity for our kids!” organizers said.

The race starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 5, at Melton Lake Park. It will benefit the Oak Ridge Schools—Coordinated School Health Program. [Read more…]

Centrus completes centrifuge demonstration, reducing Ohio workforce, continuing Oak Ridge work

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American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center

The American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center in south Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy USEC/Centrus Energy Corp.)

 

A centrifuge demonstration is complete in Piketon, Ohio, and the workforce there will be reduced, but  research, engineering, and testing work will continue in Oak Ridge, Centrus Energy Corporation announced Friday.

The company, which is based in Bethesda, Maryland, said it has completed operations of its three-year demonstration cascade of American Centrifuge machines at its facility in Piketon, Ohio. Now, it will demobilize the demonstration cascade and reduce its workforce at Piketon starting with the layoff of about 60 employees during the week of February 29, Centrus said.

Centrus currently has more than 120 employees working at two dedicated facilities in the Oak Ridge area to engineer, design, and test improvements in full-size machines operating in individual test stands, a press release said. The company’s scientists and engineers will continue to improve the reliability and manufacturability of centrifuge machines for potential future applications, the release said. [Read more…]

ORPD welcomes new police officers, celebrates deputy chief promotion

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Officials and officers celebrated the promotion of Charles Robin Smith, second from left, to deputy chief during a promotions and swearing-in ceremony in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building on Friday, Feb. 19, 2016. Also pictured are, at left, Captain Michael Uher, retired TVA Commander Charles Smith (the deputy chief’s father), second from right, and Oak Ridge Police Chief James Akagi. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

New Oak Ridge Police Department officers were sworn in at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building on Friday, and the department celebrated the promotion of Charles Robin Smith to deputy chief.

Smith has served with the Oak Ridge Police Department since 2012.

Before he joined the ORPD, he served for 17 years with the Tennessee Valley Authority Police. He served the last 14 of those as commander of police operations.

Smith began his law enforcement career with the Sevierville Police Department, where he worked 15 years.

Smith is a 1982 graduate of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy and a 1990 graduate of the FBI National Academy. He has a bachelor’s degree in applied organizational management from Tusculum College and master’s in business administration from Bethel University.

ORPD-New-Officers-Feb-19-2016

New Oak Ridge Police Department officers were sworn in at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building on Friday, Feb. 19, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Here is information on the new officers sworn into service, provided by the Oak Ridge Police Department: [Read more…]

Home improvements begin soon under TVA Extreme Energy Makeover

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Gary M. Gilmartin

Gary M. Gilmartin

Oak Ridge officials could start accepting applications at the end of this month for a program that will modify homes with high electrical consumption, with a goal of saving energy.

The modifications are possible under a $2.9 million grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority Extreme Energy Makeover Program. There is no local match required. TVA announced the grant award in September 2015.

Under the program, officials will use energy retrofits to reduce electrical consumption by 25 percent and save a total of 1,000 megawatt hours per year for older homes. The energy retrofits will be offered to 229 qualified residents in Oak Ridge homes that are at least 20 years old.

The targeted implementation date is April 1. [Read more…]

Adams, a first-grade teacher at Linden, named Oak Ridge Schools teacher of the year

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Ginger Adams

Ginger Adams

Ginger Adams, a first-grade teacher at Linden Elementary School, has been named the 2016 Oak Ridge School District Teacher of the Year, officials said.

Oak Ridge Schools officials hope Adams will now be considered for East Tennessee Teacher of the Year. Her application will be sent to the East Tennessee Regional Office for their consideration for that award, a press release said.

Adams is one of eight teachers of the year selected from Oak Ridge eight schools: the Preschool, all four elementary schools, the two middle schools, and the high school. They are: [Read more…]

Clinton man has minor injuries after SUV rolls upside down into creek

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A crew from Clinton Highway Wrecker Service works to pull a Mercury Mountaineer out of a creek alongside Clinton Highway after a two-vehicle crash on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

CLAXTON—A Clinton man had minor injuries after his sport utility vehicle went down an embankment and rolled into a creek after a two-vehicle crash on Clinton Highway on Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The crash was reported at 8:09 a.m. Tuesday near the bridge over Bull Run Creek in Claxton.

Authorities said Jessica D. Parton, 28, of Powell, was driving east in a 2006 Dodge Ram pickup on Clinton Highway in the right lane when she hydroplaned and lost control while crossing the bridge. Parton began to spin out, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said in a preliminary report.

Donald H. Henderson, 69, of Clinton, was driving a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer behind Parton, and he tried to get into the left lane to avoid her, the THP said. [Read more…]

Photo: Fast Pace Urgent Care has ribbon-cutting

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Feb. 15, 2016, at Fast Pace Urgent Care on South Illinois Avenue. (Photo submitted by Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce)

 

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, February 15, at Fast Pace Urgent Care. The new business is located at 441 South Illinois Avenue.

ORNL Federal Credit Union opens new Oak Ridge branch

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Local officials and executives celebrate the new Oak Ridge branch of ORNL Federal Credit Union with a ribbon-cutting on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The new Oak Ridge branch of ORNL Federal Credit Union opened Tuesday. Officials and executives celebrated with a ribbon-cutting on Monday.

It’s the new main Oak Ridge branch, and it’s at 215 South Rutgers Avenue. That’s where ORNL Federal Credit Union had its original headquarters, right next to where the current headquarters are.

The main Oak Ridge branch was in the current headquarters building until this week.

The new branch building has extended drive-through hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday (lobby will close at noon).

“This is a great addition to our community,” Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch said at Monday’s ribbon-cutting. [Read more…]

Janelle Arthur to perform at Barbecue, Bluegrass Bash for CASA on Saturday

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American Idol finalist Janelle Arthur will perform at the Barbecue and Bluegrass Bash on Saturday, an annual fundraiser for CASA of the Tennessee Heartland.

Arthur, an Oliver Springs singer, was part of the first-ever all-female Top 5 on American Idol, a popular televised singing competition, in April 2013.

Besides Arthur, this year’s Barbecue and Bluegrass Bash will feature a silent auction, a live auction featuring Bear Stephenson, live bluegrass with the Ridge City Ramblers, and a delicious barbecue buffet, organizers said.

The CASA Barbecue and Bluegrass Bash raises money to help abused and neglected children in Anderson, Blount, and Scott counties. [Read more…]

JMS FIRST Lego League teams win first-place awards at regional championship

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The Jefferson Middle School FIRST Lego League Atomic Eagles, JMS Master Builders, and their coaches and mentors are pictured above. From left are Iliana Spence, Thomas Proffen, Alex Shanafield, Jeff Thomson, Amelia Thomson, Klara Proffen, Henri Scott, Mack Patrick, Holly Hensberry, Bethany Marshall, Thora Spence, Jessica Mohr, Levi Parish, Lexie Scott, Janie Shanafield, and Harold Shanafield. (Submitted photo)

 

The Jefferson Middle School FIRST Lego League teams competed at the East Tennessee Regional Championship on February 13 in Cookeville.

The Atomic Eagles received the first-place Robot Strategy and Innovation Award.

The JMS Master Builders received the second-place Robot Performance Trophy and the first-place Champions Trophy. The JMS Master Builders have been invited to go to St. Louis to participate in the World Festival in April.

The Atomic Eagles are coached by Janie and Harold Shanafield and mentored by Thomas Proffen. The JMS Master Builders are coached by Lexie Scott and coached/mentored by Jeff Thomson.

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