Oak Ridge Today

Great American Clean-up kick-off is Saturday

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Keep Anderson County Beautiful Great American Cleanup

A submitted photo from the 2013 event.

Keep Anderson County Beautiful is hosting a kick-off event for the Great American Clean-up from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in front of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

“If you were provided a free litter grabber and large plastic bags, would you take the challenge to help keep your part of Anderson County litter-free?” asked Linda Kimmel, event co-chair. These materials will be available on Saturday and from KACB for litter pick-ups throughout the Great American Clean-up from March to May.

“The goal is to enlist citizens of Anderson County to pick up trash found in their own neighborhoods and roadways,” Kimmel said. “Working together, we hope to clean up one ton of litter. Civic groups, families, neighborhoods, churches, youth groups, and businesses are encouraged to form teams to reach this goal. [Read more…]

Collins Tuohy of the ‘The Blind Side’ to speak at Girls Inc. luncheon

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Tuohy Family Super Bowl

Collins Tuohy, whose family is featured in the hit blockbuster movie “The Blind Side,” will be the guest speaker at the Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge annual Committee of 100 luncheon on Friday at the DoubleTree Hotel.

The annual luncheon honors a select group of woman who each contribute $100 or more to help address the growth and development of girls through programs offered at Girls Inc. The luncheon will begin at 12:30 p.m., and Girls Inc. invites all women of the community to join. To become a member of the committee and attend the luncheon, contact Rhoni Basden, executive director of Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge, at (865) 482-4475.

Tuohy shares a famously close bond with her adopted brother Michael Oher, as chronicled in “The Blind Side,” a press release said. They first met in the halls of their school in Memphis as she helped him adjust to both a new school and a new life with the Tuohy family. When Collins became homecoming queen, Michael was her escort. They also share a common bond through their athletic pursuits: Collins won the Tennessee state championship in the pole vault as Michael earned all-state honors in the discus and basketball championships. [Read more…]

Two cases of canine distemper confirmed in Oak Ridge

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Two cases of canine distemper were recently confirmed by an Oak Ridge veterinarian’s office, city officials said.

Also, a dog adopted from the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter in January may have contracted distemper, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. It was not known if the adopted dog contracted the disease before or after being adopted.

As a precaution, all animals brought into the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter are being vaccinated on arrival. The shelter is separating dogs with any kind of cough or nasal discharge from dogs available for adoption. [Read more…]

No students injured when car hits school bus

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No students were injured when a car crashed into the front of a school bus that had stopped to pick up students at Hillside Road and Highland Avenue on Wednesday morning, officials said.

Diane Gibson, transportation director for Oak Ridge Schools, said the driver was picking up two students when she heard a crash and then watched as a car hit the front of Bus 1937 from Willow Brook Elementary School.

“There was nothing she could have done differently,” the schools said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. [Read more…]

Rescuers locate trio stranded overnight on Windrock Mountain trail

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Rescuers have located three people stranded overnight on Windrock Mountain near Oliver Springs.

The trio—ages 19, 22, and 24 years old—were stuck in vehicles on a trail and called Anderson County 911, authorities said.

“Our dispatch mapped the coordinates and forwarded the information to the rescue squad,” Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.

He said all three were located. The two men were checked out by EMS at the scene, and the woman was taken to Methodist Medical Center as a precaution. [Read more…]

Kentucky man avoids serious injury when hit by car

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Information from WYSH Radio

A Kentucky man escaped serious injury when he was hit by a car Sunday evening in Clinton.

Clinton police officers were called to the intersection of Hillvale and Seivers Boulevard shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday after a car driven by Jade Richardson of Jellico struck 54-year-old James Thompson of Morehead, Ky. Richardson told police she had been headed north on Hillvale near the entrance to the Hampton Inn when the car in front of her suddenly swerved, revealing Thompson in the middle of the road. She tried to avoid contact but hit Thompson with the left front side of her car. A witness corroborated that version of events.

Thompson was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center by ambulance for treatment of leg injuries, and Richardson was not hurt. No citations were issued.

Clinton home damaged by chimney fire

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Information from WYSH Radio

A chimney fire caused some minor damage to a home on Brandawyne Drive in Clinton on Monday afternoon.

Clinton firefighters responded to the home shortly after 3:45 p.m. after receiving a call of a chimney fire. Firefighters used water to extinguish the fire in the fireplace and sprayed water down the chimney from the roof as well, while also clearing the burning debris from inside the fireplace.

Damage was estimated at around $1,000, and no injuries were reported. Crews cleared the scene about an hour and 15 minutes after the first unit arrived.

Wildcats headed back to state tournament after 62-55 win over Dobyns-Bennett

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Seth Davis Oak Ridge and John Fulkerson Dobyns-Bennett

Dobyns-Bennett’s John Fulkerson (#20) and Oak Ridge’s Seth Davis (#5) scramble after a loose ball. (Photo by Ned Jilton II/Kingsport Times News)

Note: This story was last updated at 12:05 p.m. March 5.

The Oak Ridge Wildcats will play in their second consecutive state tournament after a 62-55 win over Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport on Tuesday.

It was another comeback victory for the Wildcats, who had been down 27-35 at halftime.

“We won the game in the second half defensively,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said.

He said senior Kevin Steen, who led the Wildcats with 16 points, sparked the team with 10 points in the third quarter, including a two-handed dunk off a rebound. [Read more…]

Charges pending against ORHS student who assaulted officer, police say

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Charges are pending against an Oak Ridge High School student accused of assaulting an officer and classmate on Monday, authorities said.

An Oak Ridge Police Department press release said School Resource Officer Michael Swigert saw the 17-year-old male involved in a disturbance with a high school staff member at about 2:13 p.m. Monday. The staff member said the unruly boy had just assaulted a 17-year-old female classmate, the release said.

“Officer Swigert attempted to contact the student, who refused to comply with the officer’s commands and continued to create a disturbance, yelling, slamming doors, and knocking over a floor sign,” the press release said. “When Officer Swigert ordered the student to cease his actions, the student again refused to comply and assaulted the officer.” [Read more…]

Family Day at the Civic Center on March 15

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the Second Annual Family Day at the Civic Center from noon to 4 p.m. March 15. All activities except public swim and concessions are free. Concession items will include hot dogs, nachos, chips, cookies, juice, and soft drinks. A chili cook-off will be held in the Social Room. Those wishing to participate in the competition should call the Civic Center front desk to sign up.

Discounted public swim times, in 30-minute increments, will be offered for $1. Children two and under are free. The public swim is open to everyone and is scheduled at the indoor swimming pool from 12:30–1, 1:15–1:45, 2–2:30, and 2:45–3:15 p.m. Lifeguards will be on duty. If parents wish to supervise their children from the pool deck, they must pay admission and be dressed in swimming attire. If children do not need direct parental supervision, the pool can be viewed through glass windows in the snack bar and lobby areas.

Family activities will be offered throughout the Civic Center. They will include pool, ping pong, foosball, crafts, and board games. Active games, including badminton, corn hole, and family versions of volleyball and basketball, are planned for the gymnasium. [Read more…]

With new ISO rating, ORFD among top in nation

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Darryl Kerley

ORFD Chief Darryl Kerley

Improvement could lower commercial rates in particular, help recruitment

The Oak Ridge Fire Department has been notified by the Insurance Service Office that the fire protection rating for the department will be improving to a Class 2, a press release said.

ISO has been evaluating and assigning fire protection ratings to fire departments since 1971. Insurance companies use the fire protection ratings to determine home owners and business insurance premiums. ISO evaluates fire department equipment, station locations, training, fire prevention efforts, and many other factors to assign a protection rating.

The ORFD has held a Class 3 rating for nearly 15 years but will now be a Class 2 department effective June 1, 2014. According to information from ISO, of the 47,250 fire departments across the country, less than 650 obtain a rating of Class 2 rating or better. [Read more…]

TVA completes retaining wall, the largest of its kind, at Kingston ash spill

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Kingston Ash Spill Retaining Wall

KINGSTON—The Tennessee Valley Authority has achieved a significant milestone in its cleanup of the ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant—the completion of an earthquake-resistant, underground retaining wall around the containment cell at the recovery site.

The wall, which completely surrounds the 240-acre containment cell where recovered ash will be permanently stored, was completed on Feb. 20, almost a month ahead of schedule.

“I’m extremely proud of the project team for accomplishing this major undertaking,” said Bob Deacy, TVA senior vice president of projects. “They kept safety at the forefront and completed this significant milestone ahead of schedule.”

Construction of the wall began in summer 2011. Two high-capacity, long-reach hydraulic excavators dug trenches that were 4 feet wide and reached depths between 40 and 70 feet. More than 200,000 tons of cement and other materials were used to construct the wall, which is embedded 70 feet into the bedrock.

It is the largest wall of its kind in the U.S. at nearly 64,000 linear feet, the equivalent of 12 miles, and is designed to withstand a magnitude 6.0 earthquake. [Read more…]