Oak Ridge Today

North Ridge Trail maintenance scheduled for Saturday, June 6

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Ray and Jo Ann Garrett appointed trail stewards

New North Ridge Trail Stewards Ray and JoAnn Garrett have announced that the annual North Ridge Trail/National Trails Day maintenance event will focus on the west portion of the trail, west of Illinois Avenue.

Volunteers should meet at the Garretts’ home at 101 Windham (just off West Outer Drive) at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, a press release said.

Oak Ridge leaders JoAnn and Ray Garrett, who are longtime members of Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, agreed last month to co-steward the North Ridge Trail.

“They are filling the big shoes of out-going Trail Steward Susan Donnelly, who is stepping down due to increased work and life commitments,” the TCWP press release said. [Read more…]

Council to consider more funding, contract for Blankenship Field parking lot

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Blankenship Field Parking Lot

The lower parking lot at Blankenship Field, which is used for football games and high school graduation.

 

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider increasing the amount of money to be used for parking lot work at Blankenship Field, and members will also consider awarding a contract for the project during a meeting tonight (Monday, June 1).

The City Council agreed in May 2014 to use $180,000 in traffic camera money for improvements to the lower parking lot at Blankenship Field, which is used for football games and high school graduation.

Council agreed to increase that amount to a maximum of $250,000 in July 2014, Oak Ridge Public Works Director Gary Cinder said in a May 26 memo to City Manager Mark Watson.

But the work could cost $264,791, according to a proposed contract from Rogers Group Inc. of Oak Ridge that the Council will consider tonight. [Read more…]

City, schools to present budgets to Council today

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

Note: This story was updated at 9:23 a.m.

The municipal and school budgets will be presented to the Oak Ridge City Council during a meeting this evening (Monday, June 1).

The municipal budget will be presented by Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson. The schools budget will be presented by Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. today in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue. See the agenda here.

City officials have been striving to present a budget that does not include a property tax rate increase. But it wasn’t clear as of last week if that would be possible because of a dramatic drop in sales tax revenues from the Roane County portion of the city. [Read more…]

Photos, results: Oak Ridge Dragon Boat Festival

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2015 Oak Ridge Dragon Boat Festival Entrance

Photo by D. Ray Smith

 

The second annual Oak Ridge Dragon Boat Festival on Friday and Saturday included dragon boat races, music, vendors, food trucks, a youth area for kids, Drummers’ Parade, and Lanterns on the Lake ceremony. Here are pictures by D. Ray Smith and Rob Welton.

The Dragon Boat Festival raises money for local charities. As many as 32 dragon boat teams had registered this year. Each team has 20 paddlers and a drummer to ensure that the paddlers are propelling the boat in synchrony.

This year, the festival started on Friday evening with the Dragon Boat Beer Garden Bash at Melton Lake Park followed by a full day of boat racing on Saturday.

The festival is organized and sponsored by the three Rotary clubs of Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson and Fire Chief Darryl Kerley estimated that the new event on Friday had about 1,500 participants, and there were approximately 4,000 who attended throughout the day on Saturday.

The winners this year were:

  • Gold—Parkway Cardiology-Paddle Attack, from the Health and Wellness Division, with a time of 01:07.301;
  • Silver—Charlotte Dragon Boat Association-Charlotte Fury (the defending champions), from the Crazy about Dragon Boats Division, with a time of 01:08.278; and
  • Bronze—Glenwood Elementary School-Glenwood Gliders, from the Education Division, with a time of 01:08.759.

See the results of this year’s races here: 2015 Oak Ridge Dragon Boat Race Results. [Read more…]

Driver taken to hospital after van crashes into house

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Providence Road Van Crash

The driver of this GMC van was taken by ambulance to a hospital after the vehicle crashed into a home on Providence Road early Sunday. At left is Oak Ridge Department Officer John Thomas. At right is an unidentified person who helped report the crash to the home owners. 

 

The driver of a van that crashed into a house on Providence Road early Sunday was taken by ambulance to a hospital, authorities said.

The name and condition of the driver weren’t immediately available.

It also wasn’t clear what caused the crash, which was reported at about 1:07 a.m. Sunday. Providence Road, a short road on the north side of Oak Ridge High School, is a relatively straight road with a few curves. The Oak Ridge Police Department is investigating the crash. [Read more…]

Roane State Community College to host free Summer Bridge Program

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Roane State Community College will host a free Summer Bridge program for Tennessee Promise students July 13-31 at the college’s main campus in Harriman.

The free three-week program prepares students to potentially test out of learning support (remedial) courses and start their freshman years college-ready.

Roane State has 60 openings for its Summer Bridge program. The deadline to apply is June 15. Spots can fill up quickly. [Read more…]

Anderson County EMS to start Academy for employees

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Anderson County EMS

By Nathaniel D. Sweet

The development of an Academy for Anderson County Emergency Medical Services is phase one of a three-phase plan to improve how we can find the best professionals to provide the best care to achieve the best outcomes for every patient. This plan will add to what is already considered one of the most thorough hiring processes for an ambulance service in Tennessee. Currently, we conduct an initial assessment center that is comprised of a 100-question written test, a driving test, medical scenario, a timed physical agility test, and a panel interview.

Passing candidates are scored and placed in order for a job offer, and once a job offer is accepted, the candidate then must go through a fingerprint background check, DMV record check, and physician-performed physical with urinalysis. In the past, once this was all concluded, the candidate would go through two office training days and a month of orientation on the ambulance with a field training officer before being cleared to perform their duties unassisted. [Read more…]

Auction company to sell waterfront properties bought by TVA after Kingston ash spill

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Emory River Three Homes for Auction

Three of the Emory River homes up for auction are, from left, 504 Gunters Way, 502 Gunters Way, and 514 Emory River Road, all with direct access to Emory River. (Submitted photo)

 

KINGSTON—The Tennessee Valley Authority has retained J.P. King Auction Company to sell waterfront properties that the public utility bought during the cleanup after the December 2008 ash spill in Kingston.

The properties will be sold at a public auction at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 25, on site rain or shine.

The TVA Board approved the auction company’s proposal to conduct a portfolio auction of 62 properties, up to 19 waterfront properties, four water view homes, and 39 waterfront lots, a press release said. The properties will be sold without reserve at absolute auction, meaning all properties will be sold to the highest bidders, regardless of price, the release said.

Following the 2008 Kingston ash spill, TVA committed to restoring the area to as good as or better than it was before the spill. The first two years of the recovery project required 24/7 operation of heavy equipment on land and in the Emory River. The sounds of the heavy equipment and the lights needed to support night time activities were audible and visible to nearby property owners. Therefore, TVA purchased these properties along Emory River Road, the press release said. [Read more…]

Drug Awareness Day at Oak Ridge Pool on Saturday, June 6

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Drug Awareness Day at the Oak Ridge Pool

The Third Annual Drug Awareness Day is at the Oak Ridge Municipal Pool on Saturday, June 6.

It’s hosted by the Oak Ridge Chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks. The pool is located at 172 Providence Road, near Oak Ridge High School.

Drug Awareness demonstrations will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. June 6 inside the pool area. Hundreds of prizes will be given away to those participating in a drug awareness activity, a press release said. Some of the prizes include T-shirts, coloring books, and Frisbees.

This event is a partnership with Anderson County Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, Oak Ridge City Recreation and Parks Department, Roane County Anti-Drug Coalition, and the Tennessee Meth and Pharmaceutical Task Force. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge High School graduation—Class of 2015

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Oak Ridge High School Graduation Class of 2015

The Oak Ridge High School Class of 2015 had its commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 28, on Blankenship Field. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The Oak Ridge High School Class of 2015 had its commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 28, on Blankenship Field. Here are pictures by Julio Culiat, a contributor to Oak Ridge Today.

Oak Ridge High School Graduation Class of 2015

The Oak Ridge High School Class of 2015 had its commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 28, on Blankenship Field. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

[Read more…]

Public hearing on Anderson County budget today

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The Anderson County Budget Committee has a public hearing on the budget proposed for the next year at 6 p.m. today (Thursday, May 28). The public hearing starts at 6 p.m. in Room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton.

The budget will be presented to the Anderson County Commission for its consideration on Monday, June 15.

The next fiscal year starts July 1.

AC BOE revises budget proposal, 22-cent tax hike would be needed

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Board of Education on Tuesday voted to approve a revised budget that, if approved as is, would require the equivalent of a 22-cent property tax increase.

The amended proposal adopted during a special-called meeting Tuesday still asks for 4 percent pay raises for school employees—who have not seen significant salary increases in the past six years—as well as $178,000 to pay for needed school roof repairs and state-mandated upgrades to physical education facilities and $178,000 to start a new program under which students would receive an electronic tablet.

The revised budget proposal includes several cuts to the original proposal, which would have necessitated the equivalent of a 56-cent tax increase. [Read more…]