Oak Ridge Today

Man taken to hospital, child not injured when truck, boat, trailer roll into water

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A man was taken to the hospital and a child was not injured when a pickup truck, boat, and trailer rolled backward into the Clinch River at Solway Park late Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

The man was pulling the boat out of the water when a young child inside the pickup truck knocked the vehicle out of gear, Oak Ridge Fire Department Battalion Chief David Harrington said. The truck and a boat and trailer that were attached rolled backward into the water at about 4:50 p.m. Thursday.

The man went into the water to get the child and was able to save the kid, who was not injured, but the man got cold from being in the water and was taken to the hospital for an evaluation, Harrington said. [Read more…]

Six AC businesses sell beer to minor in sting

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Anderson County Sheriff Patch

During the last two weeks, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, in cooperation with the Rocky Top Police Department, the Oliver Springs Police Department, and Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP, conducted compliance checks of local businesses who sell beer.

Investigators with the Sheriff’s Special Operations Unit and officers from the Rocky Top and Oliver Springs Police Departments visited 36 businesses to try to buy beer, a press release said. Six sold beer to the underage person. Four of the six checked for identification but still sold beer to the underage purchaser. Two businesses were closed.

The following businesses sold beer to the underage person:

Al’s Market New River Highway Briceville
Hitching Post Clinton Highway Clinton
Marathon (Fast Track) Lake City Highway Rocky Top
Smokes and Things Clinton Highway Powell
V Night Club North Main Street Rocky Top
Weigel’s Clinton Highway Powell

[Read more…]

Nuclear Engineering Science Laboratory Synthesis program accepting apps for 2016

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Opportunity provides students with research experience at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Nuclear Engineering Science Laboratory Synthesis, or NESLS, program is accepting applications for spring and summer 2016.

NESLS is a cooperative research initiative at Oak Ridge National Laboratory administered through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and geared toward students working in nuclear engineering and science. NESLS offers students on-the-job educational and research opportunities at a multidisciplinary national laboratory.

Research areas of interest may include nuclear security technologies; nuclear systems analysis, design, and safety; and fuels, isotopes, and nuclear materials. Other features of the internship include: [Read more…]

Three groups seek info on plan to bring spent nuke fuel to ORNL

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Ralph Hutchison

Ralph Hutchison

Three nuclear watchdog organizations have filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission seeking information about plans to ship high burn-up commercial spent nuclear fuel from the North Anna power reactor in Virginia to Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, a press release said. The three organizations are Savannah River Site Watch in Columbia, South Carolina; Snake River Alliance Education Fund in Pocatello, Idaho; and the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance in Oak Ridge.

The groups filed the FOIA request after discovering a letter approving a shipping route from North Anna to Oak Ridge, the press release said. It said the letter provides little information about the specifics of the route or the timing of the proposed shipment.

“We asked for a map of the route two weeks ago,” said Ralph Hutchison, coordinator of OREPA. “So far, we’ve received nothing. So we are resorting to the formal—and more expensive for the government—FOIA process to get information.”

Tom Clements, director of SRS Watch, filed the FOIA on behalf of the three organizations. The Savannah River Site was initially under consideration for the research project. [Read more…]

Sheriff’s Department offers holiday crime prevention tips

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Paul White

Paul White

Submitted by Anderson County Sheriff Paul White

During the busy holiday season, many people can become victims of burglary, theft, and other crime. Protecting yourself and your home from crime is the easiest way to have a safe and happy holiday season.

In an effort to ensure everyone has safe and fun holidays, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department would like to offer the following tips for holiday crime prevention.

Shopping

  • Park in lighted areas at night.
  • Always lock your car.
  • Don’t try to cover items on your seats. Put shopping bags in your trunk or take your packages straight home after shopping and then go back out.
  • Don’t carry large amounts of cash with you, or else, keep it in your front pocket—not in your purse or wallet.
  • Be extra careful when carrying a purse—they are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas. If you must carry one, make sure it has a strap that can go over the shoulder and be held under the arm, making them more difficult for purse snatchers to grab.
  • Keep a record of all of your debit and credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
  • Beware of strangers approaching you. This is the time of year when thieves may try various methods to distract you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.

[Read more…]

Thanksgiving traffic safety: Sheriff’s Department, law enforcement enforcing seat belt use

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Click It or Ticket Day and Night

Submitted by Anderson County Sheriff Paul White

Every year, the Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel times. Millions of Americans hit the roads to spend time with family and friends. Unfortunately, more vehicles means the potential for more dangerous roads, and it’s as important as ever that everyone is buckled up.

To make sure the message reaches all Anderson County drivers and passengers, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be joining other state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration high-visibility seat belt enforcement campaign: Click It or Ticket. The no-excuses, zero-tolerance crackdown combines powerful messages about seat belt safety, with increased patrols day and night, targeting all unbuckled motorists—those who still aren’t getting the point. [Read more…]

BOE vice chair to discuss education in Oak Ridge on Tuesday

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Bob Eby

Bob Eby

Robert Eby, vice chair of the Oak Ridge Board of Education, will discuss education in Oak Ridge at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, December 1.

Lunch with the League starts at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

Eby is currently serving his fourth term on the board. He was chairman from 1991-1995. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School. [Read more…]

OREPA celebrates 16 years of Sunday vigils this week

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OREPA Vigil Announcement Nov. 29, 2015

The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance will celebrate 16 years of uninterrupted Sunday vigils at the gates of the Y-12 National Security Complex on Sunday, November 29, a press release said. The vigil starts at 5 p.m.

The vigils, which began on the first Sunday of Advent in November 1999, are intended to “bear witness to life and peace at the place where workers prepare for the destruction of the planet,” the press release said.

Thousands of people have attended the Sunday vigils; every continent except Antarctica has been represented; two presidental candidates have attended, the press release said.

“We welcome everyone to the vigils,” said OREPA coordinator Ralph Hutchison. “They attest to the persistent desire for peace and the refusal to be silent in the face of the threat Y12 poses to all humanity.”

For more information, contact Hutchison at (865) 776-5050.

McNally warns of telephone scam

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Submitted

NASHVILLE—Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, is once again warning area residents to be on the lookout for scam attacks. The latest attack is a phone scam that targets taxpayers who are told they owe money to the United States Treasury, which must be paid promptly by giving the caller bank account information.

“I received one of these calls at my own home and was very concerned that there would be citizens who would take action to comply with their directions,” McNally said. “This is not the way that the U.S. Treasury or Internal Revenue Service works. Whenever the caller claims to be from the government and asks for bank information, credit card numbers, or requests a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer, you should be the very wary that this is a scam.”

Last month, McNally warned citizens about email phishing scams after receiving information that unscrupulous operators were working in the area. He said that holidays are particularly targeted for such scams, including lotteries, which are the most common types of fraudulent practices that hit email inboxes. [Read more…]

Baker Center: Roadway quality at risk unless new funding found

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Tennessee spends less on a per-capita basis than almost any other state on its highways and roads, yet enjoys roadways that are better than those in most states. But according to a new paper produced by researchers at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, roadway quality is now at risk unless new funding is found.

Fuel tax rates are among the lowest in the nation, yet Tennessee boasts a roadway network that has better pavement, better bridges, and less congestion than most comparable state systems. Concerns are mounting that these benefits are at risk because of a funding outlook that continues to deteriorate.

The state’s gasoline tax was last raised—from 16 to 20 cents per gallon—more than 25 years ago, in 1989.

Currently, the state’s gasoline tax of 21.4 cents a gallon (which includes a special petroleum products tax) ranks 12th lowest in the U.S., and Tennessee is one of only five states that are free of highway-related debt. Gasoline and diesel tax revenues not only support state roadways but are shared with cities and counties across the state. [Read more…]

Roane State has open house Dec. 5 at Roane County campus

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Roane State Community College will host a December 5 open house at the college’s Roane County campus, 276 Patton Lane in Harriman.

Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. in the lobby of the O’Brien Theatre. The Open House will be held from 9:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Prospective students will have opportunities to tour the campus and to talk one-on-one with faculty and staff about academic programs, steps for admission, and financial aid. [Read more…]

Roane State Winter Concert is Dec. 5 in Harriman

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Get in the festive sprit by joining the Roane State Community College Music Department for its annual Winter Concert on Saturday, December 5, at the Princess Theatre in downtown Harriman.

The event begins at 8 p.m., and donations will be accepted at the door. The concert will feature Roane State’s Celebration Singers, Concert Choir, Jazz Band, Pep Band, Bluegrass Band, Stage Band, faculty, and guest musicians.

For more information, contact Brenda Luggie at (865) 354-3000, ext. 4236, or luggieb@roanestate.edu.