Oak Ridge Today

Legal official retires at DOE Oak Ridge Office

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Robert James

Robert James

Robert James, the assistant chief counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office, has retired after 25 years of federal service.

James served as the assistant chief counsel since 2009. In this position, he led a team of attorneys that are responsible for legal representation on environmental, regulatory, health and safety, real estate, and security matters across the Oak Ridge Reservation, a press release said. His team also provides legal representation for Nuclear Energy missions in Oak Ridge; Paducah, Ky.; and Portsmouth, Ohio.

“Rob’s extensive knowledge and experience in environmental law have been a tremendous asset to the Oak Ridge Office and those it services,” said Larry Kelly, manager of DOE-ORO. “His insight and recommendations aided our leadership teams in making the most informed and prudent decisions.” [Read more…]

Greenback man dies after hunting accident with crossbow

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A Greenback man died early Thursday morning after he was accidentally shot in the head by a crossbow during a deer hunting trip in Loudon County on Wednesday, authorities said.

William Nathan Norris, 37, from Greenback at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said.

Norris and an unnamed partner were deer hunting on private property off South Highway 411 in Greenback when the incident occurred, the TWRA said. Greenback is south of Lenoir City. [Read more…]

Registration under way for Roane State’s spring semester; fee deadline is Jan. 6

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Registration is under way for the spring 2014 semester at Roane State Community College.

Students need to be aware when they register that the college has a Jan. 6 fee deadline. Students who have registered must pay their fees by Jan. 6 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern to keep their class schedules for spring semester.

Students can pay fees at www.roanestate.edu. They need to log in to RaiderNet and click “Your Account” to get started. [Read more…]

Flurries fall in Oak Ridge as forecast calls for cold, snow

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Early January Snow and Cold

Flurries fell in Oak Ridge early Thursday evening, and the weather forecast called for colder, snowy conditions as a major winter storm affects the eastern United States from the southern Appalachians to New England.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said there is a 60 percent chance of snow tonight near Oak Ridge, with a low of 16 degrees Fahrenheit.

Friday is expected to be mostly sunny and cold, with a high of 27 and a low of 17, but there is a 70 percent chance of rain or snow on Sunday and a 70 percent chance of snow on Monday. [Read more…]

Driver cut from vehicle, taken to UT after crashing into power pole

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Old Edgemoor Road Power Pole

The Oak Ridge Electric Department installs a new utility pole after a driver crashed into the old one and broke it on Old Edgemoor Road on Thursday morning.

A driver had to be cut from his upside-down SUV and taken to the hospital on Thursday morning after he crashed into a guide wire on a utility pole on Old Edgemoor Road, traveled up the wire, and then hit the pole and broke it, authorities said.

The Mercury Mountaineer likely went about 10 feet in the air and then fell on its top, crushing the roof, said Marty Griffith, Oak Ridge Fire Department battalion chief. Electrical lines landed on top of the vehicle, and the Oak Ridge Electric Department was called to turn off the power.

Griffith said the driver was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville with a head laceration. He did not have any other obvious injuries. Griffith said the man might have had a medical emergency before the crash. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Observer closes after nine-year run

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Oak Ridge Observer

The Oak Ridge Observer, a weekly newspaper housed on the third floor of this building at Oak Ridge Turnpike and New York Avenue, has closed.

Stan R. Mitchell, editor and publisher of the Oak Ridge Observer, announced Wednesday that the weekly newspaper will close after more than nine years in business.

In a note posted on the Observer’s website, Mitchell did not elaborate on the reason for the closure.

“We could just never get the paper where it needed to be,” he said.

“I”m going to avoid getting into all the gritty details and talking about unforeseen circumstances, but it is what it is,” Mitchell wrote on his blog. “The bottom line is this: We couldn’t keep it going any longer, and yet thankfully those circumstances coincided with the serious doubts we’ve had the past year and a half.” [Read more…]

Healthcare employers invited to participate in Roane State job fair

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Employers are invited to participate in a Feb. 26 job fair for Roane State Community College students who are pursuing careers in health care.

The fair is planned for Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 1-4 p.m. at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus, 701 Briarcliff Ave. Setup begins at noon.

Employers are asked to register by Feb. 14. There is no registration fee. To register online, visit www.roanestate.edu/placement. [Read more…]

Clement will seek juvenile judge seat

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Michael Clement

Michael Clement

Attorney J. Michael Clement has announced that he will be a candidate for Anderson County Juvenile Court judge in the 2014 election.

Clement opened his general law practice in Clinton 27 years ago, and he has represented clients in Juvenile Court since he first began practicing law. He is seeking the judgeship now held by Judge Brandon Fisher, who has announced that he will be a candidate for Anderson County chancellor.

Clement, who lives in Clinton, has experience on the bench as a special Juvenile Court judge and as a special General Sessions Court judge, appointed by judges to sit in those positions. He has served as a guardian ad litem in Juvenile Court.

“I bring a wealth of knowledge and a depth of feeling for the Juvenile Court system, having practiced in the system for 27 years,” Clement said. “I have done some of the most gratifying work of my career in Juvenile Court, and I have also had my heart broken in Juvenile Court. I have experienced the whole gamut of emotions.”
 [Read more…]

Students to raise money for Emory Valley Center at musical coffeehouse Friday

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Emory Valley Center Early Learning Center

A coffeehouse at First Presbyterian Church on Friday will benefit the Emory Valley Center, which has been raising money for a new building on Emory Valley Road.

A coffeehouse at First Presbyterian Church on Friday will raise money for the Emory Valley Center.

The coffeehouse “promises to be fun-filled and very musical,” and it will feature 11 acts and 19 performers, a press release said. The performances will include folksy guitar plucking, women’s a capella, and modern dance.

The night will help the Emory Valley Center launch its final year of fundraising for a new building on Emory Valley Road, the release said.

The coffeehouses are operated by college students, and they are designed to provide an enjoyable musical venue while also raising funds for worthy causes in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Ole Ben Franklin Motors opens Thursday, sixth new business in south Oak Ridge

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Ole Ben Franklin Motors Building and Sign

Eric Martin of Sign Co. Inc. in Knoxville installs lettering at Ole Ben Franklin Motors on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge on Tuesday.

Ole Ben Franklin Motors, the largest independent used car lot in Tennessee, is expanding into Oak Ridge, and the company’s new location on South Illinois Avenue will open Thursday, the owner said Tuesday.

It will be the sixth business to open in a little more than one year in a one-third mile stretch of the busy roadway at the southern entrance to central Oak Ridge.

“We want to be part of (the growth),” said Mike Mencer, owner of the Knoxville-based company.

Mencer said the Ole Ben Franklin Motors lot at the former Dean Stallings Ford could have more than 100 cars when it opens at 9 a.m. Thursday. He said the company has a great selection of used cars, can offer financing through its own bank, and has been in business for 30 years. [Read more…]

Ed Westcott: Chief photographer in Oak Ridge during WWII, Muddy Boot winner today

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Ray Smith Presents Muddy Boot Award to Ed Westcott

Ray Smith, left, Y-12 National Security Complex historian, presents a Muddy Boot Award to Ed Westcott, chief photographer in the “Secret City” during the Manhattan Project in World War II. (Photo by East Tennessee Economic Council)

He was one of the first workers hired in Oak Ridge as part of the top-secret race to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II.

At only 20 years old, he became the chief photographer for what was then the Manhattan Engineer District, Clinton Engineer Works. He was the only person authorized to take pictures in the “Secret City” during the Manhattan Project, and he captured some classic moments, including the jubilation of Oak Ridge residents the day they learned World War II had ended.

Now 91, Ed Westcott was honored for his historic photography in a surprise ceremony this month. He was given the Muddy Boot Award by the East Tennessee Economic Council. The awards, which have been given out since 1973, pay tribute to people who have made East Tennessee a stronger region through their work and community activities.

“Ed’s photographs are so broadly used that they literally express our history and visually tell the unique story of Oak Ridge and its impact on East Tennessee, the Southeast, the nation, and even the world,” said Ray Smith, Y-12 National Security Complex historian. “So, he definitely qualifies for Muddy Boot consideration. Without Ed’s thousands of wonderful images, we would not be nearly as able to present our history.” [Read more…]

Myrick receives 2013 Interagency Coalition Starfish Award

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Tim Myrick and Starfish Award

Tim Myrick, center, recently received the Anderson County Interagency Coalition Starfish Award. Also pictured above are Rick Morrow, left, and Bear Stephenson. (Submitted photo)

Submitted

When Tim Myrick arrived at the Anderson County Interagency Coalition Starfish celebration, he was not surprised to see several members of the Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties board of directors and Executive Director Annie Cacherio. Myrick was a member of the ADFAC board of directors for 12 years and remains involved with the organization. It seemed normal that he was invited to join the others to receive the Starfish award from the ACIC, or so Myrick thought!

As soon as William “Bear” Stephenson began reading the arm-long list of outstanding contributions made by the honoree to the Anderson County community through service to various organizations and programs, Myrick immediately realized that he was the honoree.

Everyone in the room, including Myrick, was choked up when he went to the podium to receive the award from Stephenson. Teresa Myrick then went to the podium and graciously thanked everyone for the award on her husband’s behalf. [Read more…]