Oak Ridge Today

Bullet holes found in door, teen confesses to shooting, police say

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Rayshawn Lee Freeman

Rayshawn Lee Freeman

Note: This story was updated at 8 p.m.

An Oak Ridge teenager already in jail after a search of a Utica Circle home allegedly found narcotics and a semi-automatic pistol has confessed to a shooting at a home on Bethune Circle where residents reported multiple bullet holes in their front door early Thursday morning, authorities said Tuesday.

The incident began just before 3 a.m. Thursday when the Oak Ridge Police Department responded to a “shots fired” call in the Scarboro neighborhood. Police saturated the neighborhood with patrol units and interviewed potential witnesses, but no evidence of a shooting was found, the ORPD said in a press release. [Read more…]

Council gives schools $250,000, school shutdown avoided

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Bruce Borchers and Mark Watson

During a special meeting Tuesday, Oak Ridge municipal officials agreed to give the city school system an extra $250,000 to avoid a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and avert a possible Oct. 1 school shutdown. Pictured above are Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, left, and City Manager Mark Watson, who recommended the extra funding on Tuesday. (File photo)

In a short special meeting Tuesday, the Oak Ridge City Council agreed to give the city’s schools $250,000 to allow the system to avoid a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and avert a possible Oct. 1 shutdown.

The one-time transfer will come from higher-than-expected sales tax revenues in Roane County.

The vote was 4-1-1. Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, Mayor Pro Tem Jane Miller, and Council members Chuck Hope and Charlie Hensley voted in favor of the extra funding, which had been recommended by City Manager Mark Watson. [Read more…]

Demolition begins on last section of historic K-25 Building

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K-25 East Wing Demolition

Workers begin demolishing the last section of the K-25 building on Tuesday. K-25 was built to enrich uranium for atomic bombs during World War II and was once the world’s largest building under one roof, but it’s been unused for decades. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy/UCOR)

Demolition work began Tuesday on the last section of the historic K-25 Building, which was erected to enrich uranium for atomic bombs during World War II and was once the world’s largest building under one roof.

Most of the building, which is in west Oak Ridge, has already been demolished. Only a small section of the east wing remains at the former mile-long, U-shaped building.

K-25 was built during the top-secret Manhattan Project in World War II to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons through a process known as gaseous diffusion. Those operations ended in 1964. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Fire Department starts assistance identification program

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ORFD Assistance Identification Program

Oak Ridge Assistant Fire Chief Josh Waldo signs up Senior Advisory Board member Dave McCoy for an assistance identification program. Looking on in the back is SAB member Al Skyberg. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Fire Department has started an assistance identification program to help improve emergency service to those in Oak Ridge who may have special needs.

During an emergency of any kind, time is extremely critical, a press release said.

“This program allows for advance notification to emergency responders of any special needs at the residence to which they are responding,” the release said. “Any Oak Ridge resident of any age with special needs is encouraged to fill out a form and be included in this program. Forms to be filled out for this purpose are available at the Oak Ridge Fire Department Headquarters and also at the Oak Ridge Senior Center. These forms are completely confidential and only available to emergency responders through the 911 system.” [Read more…]

Oliver Springs man killed in wreck

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Information from WYSH Radio

An Oliver Springs man was killed in a single-vehicle accident Sunday night in Roane County.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol reported that at around 8:30 Sunday night, Otto Joseph Flachbart III, 35, had been driving north on Highway 327 near Oliver Springs when he lost control of his Dodge Ram pickup while rounding a curve. The THP said that he overcorrected twice before the truck flipped over and came to rest on its side. [Read more…]

Council approves locations for sewer system tanks, county donates land for one

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Emory Valley Road Sewer System Holding Tank

An earlier draft image of what a sewer system holding tank could look like on Emory Valley Road. (Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

CLINTON—The Oak Ridge City Council had already taken steps to move the planned sewer system holding tanks farther back from major roads or make them less visible, and on Monday, the Anderson County Commission agreed to donate a small parcel on Emory Valley Road for one of the tanks.

Oak Ridge officials have said the tanks are needed to help comply with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency order that requires the city to end all sewer system overflows by September 2015. [Read more…]

Maynardville teen taken to UT hospital after car hits tree

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A Maynardville teenager was taken to a Knoxville hospital after the car in which he was riding spun out on South Illinois Avenue on Saturday evening and hit a tree near Edgemoor Road.

Jason Hale, 18, of Raccoon Valley Road, was trapped or had to be extricated, an Oak Ridge Police Department crash report said. He was injured and taken by ambulance to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, the report said. [Read more…]

Fritts re-elected chair of Anderson Commission

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Chuck Fritts

Chuck Fritts

Note: This story was updated at 8:12 p.m.

CLINTON—Anderson County Commission Chair Chuck Fritts was easily re-appointed to a third one-year term as chairman by his fellow commissioners on Monday.

There were two other nominees: Robert McKamey and Mark Alderson. Fritts, whose district includes Claxton and Bull Run, won in a 12-1-3 vote. Alderson received three votes, and McKamey collected one.

[Read more…]

Council to consider $250,000 transfer to schools to avoid shutdown

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Oak Ridge City Council

The Oak Ridge City Council will meet in a special session Tuesday evening to consider a one-time $250,000 transfer to the city schools, which could avert a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and avoid an Oct. 1 school shutdown.

The Oak Ridge City Council will meet in a special session Tuesday evening to consider a one-time $250,000 transfer to the city schools, which could avert a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and avoid an Oct. 1 school shutdown.

The special meeting starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told Superintendent Bruce Borchers last week that Council had agreed to the special session to resolve the $250,000 shortfall but wanted documentation. Watson asked Borchers to respond by noon Monday. [Read more…]

Utility scam warning for businesses

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WYSH Radio in Clinton had a scam warning on Monday for businesses who are also customers of Clinton Utilities Board.

Earlier this month, a CUB official notified the Clinton Police Department that three businesses had contacted the utility reporting that they had received phone calls from two different numbers in which the caller told them that they were with the “CUB Disconnect Office” and that they were behind on their bills. In each case, the caller told the business that their service would be disconnected if payment was not made immediately and then provided instructions on how to wire the money through a money service from Walmart or Kmart. [Read more…]

IIa wins $24 million federal contract to operate defense information center

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Information International Associates Inc. announced Monday that it has been awarded a $24 million federal contract to operate the Homeland Defense and Security Information Analysis Center, or HDIAC. IIa will operate the center for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Technical Information Center, or DTIC.

A press release said the work will focus on research and analysis in eight major Homeland Defense disciplines: homeland defense and security; critical infrastructure protection; weapons of mass destruction; chemical, biological, radiologic, and nuclear defense; biometrics; medical; cultural studies; and alternative energy. [Read more…]

Local food, music served at ‘Taste of Oak Ridge’ on Sept. 28

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Red Shoes and Rosin

Female string trio Red Shoes and Rosin is one of the music groups scheduled to appear at the Taste of Oak Ridge on Sept. 28. (Submitted photo)

Submitted

The flavors from some of Oak Ridge’s best restaurants and the sounds of local musicians will fill Jackson Square for the fifth annual “Taste of Oak Ridge” on Saturday, Sept. 28. The highly anticipated event will start at 4:30 p.m. and continue to 10 p.m.

While area restaurants will be able to showcase some of their finest food in small portions or ” tastes,” the community-focused event will raise money to benefit the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. The “tastes” from each vendor will cost $1 or $2 per item. Tickets will be available for purchase. Attendees can buy as many tickets as they want for $1 each. In addition, beer and wine will be available for purchase. [Read more…]