Oak Ridge Today

Anderson school board to consider director’s contract

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The Anderson County Board of Education will consider the employment contract for the schools director during a March 13 meeting.

During the meeting, the board could extend, renew, or terminate the contract with Director of Schools Larry Foster, a press release said.

The Anderson County School system serves about 6,600 students in nine elementary schools, four middle schools, two high schools, a career and technical center, a K-12 alternative school and a pre-school/Headstart program. The school system also provides an adult education program. [Read more…]

YAB, Youth Leadership take educational trip to Nashville

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Youth Advisory Board on Nashville Trip

Members of both groups are pictured above in the State Senate Chamber with Sen. Randy McNally and Rep. John Ragan. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board and Youth Leadership Oak Ridge groups combined forces and took an educational trip to Nashville on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

While in Nashville, students attended a state committee meeting and participated in a mock Senate session led by Sen. Randy McNally and Rep. John Ragan, a press release said. The group also toured the State Capitol Building, the Tennessee State Museum, and LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans.

For more information about the Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board, contact Matt Reedy with the Recreation and Parks Department at (865) 425-3442. For more information about the Youth Leadership Oak Ridge group, contact Greta Ownby at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at (865) 483-1321.

Nashville marketing director to keynote DOE workshop

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Jason Oschwald

Jason Oschwald

A Nashville marketing director for an entertainment company will give the keynote speech at a March 13 workshop.

The 2014 Oak Ridge Women’s Workshop is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Federal Women’s Program and the Federally Employed Women Oak Ridge Chapter.

This year’s workshop theme is “Mastering the Three-Ring Circus—Envision, Overcome, and Empower!” The workshop will be held at the Pollard Technology Conference Center in Oak Ridge from 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. Thursday, March 13. [Read more…]

Myers, candidate for sheriff, has March 14 fundraiser

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Randy Myers

Randy Myers

Randy Myers, a candidate for Anderson County sheriff, will hold a fundraiser at the Comfort Inn in Oak Ridge from 5 to 7 p.m. March 14. All are invited to attend.

Comfort Inn is located on the corner of Rutgers Avenue and South Illinois Avenue in front of Walmart. Food will be provided, and door prizes will be given away, a press release said. A $20 donation will be received at the door.

Visit www.randymyersforsheriff.com for more information.

Sewer rehab work continues this week

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More rehabilitation work of the city’s sewer collection pipes is scheduled to continue this week.

The work is being done by Hurst Excavating and Morgan Contracting under contract with the city of Oak Ridge. It includes rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways, a press release said.

Residents should already have received color-coded letters and door hangers (orange for Hurst Excavating and purple for Morgan Contracting) providing general information and each contractors’ contact information. [Read more…]

Traffic camera revenues top $6 million, city keeps $2.6 million

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Traffic Camera at Oak Ridge Turnpike

The traffic camera for the westbound lanes of Oak Ridge Turnpike in front of Oak Ridge High School. More than half of the speeding violations issued in 2013 were at the camera systems near the high school.

The four traffic camera systems in Oak Ridge have generated more than $6 million in ticket revenues during a roughly five-year period. The city has kept $2.6 million of that, while the camera vendor has collected the other $3.6 million.

The amount of money generated each year has fallen from about $2 million in fiscal year 2010 to roughly $1 million today. That could be at least in part because drivers have grown more accustomed to the cameras.

The automated devices issue $50 citations to drivers who speed or run red lights, and the proceeds are split between the city and camera vendor Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz. So far, the city has collected about 42 percent of the total revenues while Redflex has kept 58 percent.

The city revenues were originally put into a general fund, but starting in Fiscal Year 2011, they were deposited into a special fund that has been used to pay for pedestrian safety projects. That fund now has a cash balance of $778,305. [Read more…]

Letter: Chamber endorses tablets for all students, tech infrastructure improvements

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Note: This is a copy of a resolution adopted by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.

Whereas, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has a long-standing tradition of supporting education in our community as education and training are critical in the development of the workforce;

Whereas, Oak Ridge Schools is an internationally recognized system of excellence;

Whereas, the educational opportunities, rigor, and performance provided by Oak Ridge Schools have been, and continue to be, the key attraction for new residents to our community; [Read more…]

Icenhour to lead ORNL’s Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate

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Alan Icenhour

Alan Icenhour

Alan Icenhour has been named associate laboratory director for nuclear science and engineering at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Icenhour will oversee ORNL’s contributions to isotope production, nuclear security and fission, and fusion research and technologies, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy’s Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors. Icenhour has served as interim associate laboratory director since December.

Icenhour joined ORNL in 1990 and has worked in a variety of nuclear positions. Since 2008, he directed three divisions: the Global Nuclear Security Technology Division, the Fuel Cycle and Isotopes Division, and the Nuclear Security and Isotope Technology Division. [Read more…]

DOE awards contract to small business for mercury project at Y-12

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Y-12 Water Treatment Plant Announcement

In May 2013, state and federal officials announce a plant to treat mercury-contaminated water at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Pictured from left are Mark Whitney, Robert Martineau, Lamar Alexander, Dave Huizenga, and Stan Meiburg.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or EM, awarded the task order to Strata-G in Knoxville on Wednesday. The company will collect data and perform characterization at Outfall 200 at Y-12.

The task order is the first project in a five-year, multi-phase contract estimated at $15 million, DOE said in a press release Friday. The contract uses a bidding process among three small businesses for various characterization projects at EM’s cleanup sites in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

One Anderson man gets life, second 30 years in meth conspiracy

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Jeffery Scott Braden

Jeffery Scott Braden

Two Anderson County men convicted of conspiring to manufacture 50 grams or more of methamphetamine were sentenced to lengthy prison terms this week, federal officials said Friday.

Officials estimate that the conspiracy resulted in the production of about 1,500 grams of methamphetamine.

Jeffrey Scott Braden, 37, of Vowell Mountain—the only one of 42 people indicted in the conspiracy to go to trial—received a mandatory life sentence on Thursday in a hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan in Knoxville, officials said.

Then, on Friday, Varlan sentenced conspiracy leader Lawrence “Stoney” Scriver, 46, of Lake City, to serve 30 years, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said in a press release. [Read more…]

Car, driver involved in pedestrian hit-and-run on Monday not yet identified

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The car and driver that hit and injured an Oliver Springs man on Old Batley Road on Monday night have not been identified, according to preliminary information released by state officials on Friday.

The unidentified vehicle and driver were traveling north on Old Batley Road near State Highway 62 in Anderson County at about 7:07 p.m. Monday when they hit Derek Jones, 23, of Oliver Springs.

“Vehicle 1 was exiting a left hand curve heading north on Old Batley Road when it hit pedestrian Derek Jones,” state officials said. “Mr. Jones was walking on the right hand side of the roadway heading north. The vehicle struck Mr. Jones, causing him to enter a ditch and then left the scene. Mr. Jones was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.” [Read more…]

Small fire at Clinton industrial plant injures none, damage minimal

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Information from WYSH Radio

A fire broke out at the Techmer PM facility in Clinton late Wednesday afternoon. Officials said the call came in at around 5 p.m., and when Clinton firefighters arrived, they quickly determined that the fire was small and contained to the plant’s exhaust system.

No injuries were reported, and damage was limited. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation.