Oak Ridge Today

City demolishes West Outer Drive home for code violations

Posted at
By 6 Comments

West Outer Drive Home Demolition

A contractor demolishes a West Outer Drive home that city officials allege has had code violation problems for a decade. (Photo submitted by City of Oak Ridge)

Demolition work started Monday at a West Outer Drive home that Oak Ridge officials say has had code violation problems for a decade.

“The owners refused to comply with repeated requests to bring the property up to code,” a city press release said Tuesday.

It said the Board of Building and Housing Code Appeals declared the home at 759 W. Outer Drive unfit for human occupation and ordered it demolished in June 2011.

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge represents North America in World Bell Festival

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

World Bell Festival Oak Ridge

Local officials and community leaders meet at the International Friendship Bell in Oak Ridge to talk about the city and some of its history in a live international webcast that was part of Saturday’s World Bell Festival. Pictured from left are Ray Smith, Shigeko Uppuluri, Katy Brown, Charlie Hensley, and Jeanie and Bill Wilcox.

A few dozen people turned out Saturday to celebrate the World Bell Festival in Oak Ridge.

The International Friendship Bell in Oak Ridge represented North America during the festival, held in Apolda, Germany.

Local organizers used the Internet to connect to the festival and televise the ringing of the Friendship Bell. They also broadcast a short ceremony with Oak Ridge community leaders on Saturday afternoon at A.K. Bissell Park.

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge Community Band concert on August 5

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Community Band is having a free summer concert on August 5 at 7 p.m. at A.K. Bissell Park.

Lawn chairs or blankets are recommended for this outdoor concert. Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab will be there for refreshments.

For more information, call (865) 482-3568.

Irish Fry breakfast to benefit Ulster Project

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

A Saturday morning breakfast in Oak Ridge will raise money for the Ulster Project, a program to foster peace in Northern Ireland.

The Irish Fry Breakfast starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in St. Mary’s cafeteria beneath the church at 327 Vermont Ave.

[Read more…]

UT-Battelle donates $50,000 to Oak Ridge science competition

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

UT-Battelle Grant Robots

UT-Battelle has announced a $50,000 donation for the FIRST Robotics and FIRST Lego science competition for Oak Ridge schools. Pictured above are, from left, Thomas Zacharia, Jeff Smith, Martin Keller, and Thom Mason. (Photo submitted by ORPSEF)

UT-Battelle has announced a $50,000 gift to fund the FIRST Robotics and FIRST Lego science competitions for Oak Ridge schools.

The announcement came as part of the capital campaign sponsored by the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation to make a “critical difference” by providing additional resources to Oak Ridge teachers and students.

Two of the region’s most popular and fastest growing activities, FIRST Robotics and FIRST LEGO are team competitions that combine the excitement of sports with real-world challenges of science and technology.

[Read more…]

Oily rags possible cause of Wadsworth Place fire

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Wadsworth Place House Fire

Oak Ridge firefighters battle a blaze in a basement at a Wadsworth Place home. (Photo by Tom Scott)

Oily rags might have started a fire in a basement at a home on Wadsworth Place on Monday afternoon, Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said.

He said residents who were home when the fire started at about 3:40 p.m. Monday smelled and saw smoke, and they initially thought it might have been from an electrical box in the basement.

But he said the fire, one of three in Oak Ridge on Monday, might have been started instead by cleaning rags that were improperly stored downstairs and spontaneously combusted.

[Read more…]

Firefighters battle blazes on Lawton Road, truck tires

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Lawton Road House Fire

Firefighters battle a blaze at a Lawton Road duplex Monday morning. No one was home when the fire started. (Photos by Tom Scott)

No one was injured in two separate fires Monday morning, Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said.

The first fire happened at about 10:15 a.m. Monday after tires blew out on a truck on South Illinois Avenue near Rutgers Avenue, Kerley said.

Then, at about 10:30 a.m., firefighters responded to a fire at a duplex at 114-116 Lawton Road.

[Read more…]

Small Business Roundtable meets Tuesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Small Business Roundtable will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Soup Kitchen in Oak Ridge.

The Small Business Roundtable is open to any small business, retail manager, or owner.

[Read more…]

Police report: Man stabbed with sword after fist fight

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

An Oak Ridge man was allegedly stabbed in the back with a sword on Friday night after a fist fight at Van Hicks Place, according to Anderson County court records.

Jeffrey John Smith, 30, of Van Hicks Place, is accused of stabbing Michael Showalter, who was transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with a stab wound that punctured his lung, an arrest warrant said. Showalter survived, Oak Ridge Police Chief James Akagi said Monday morning.

[Read more…]

Early voting up on first day in Anderson County

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The number of voters casting ballots on the first day of early voting Friday was up from 2010, the Anderson County Election Commission said.

Elections Administrator Mark Stephens said 642 people voted Friday, up 146 from 2010.

[Read more…]

Substation problem knocks out power

Posted at
By 1 Comment

A substation problem knocked out power to a significant number of customers on Sunday evening, the Oak Ridge Electric Department reported on its Twitter feed.

However, city workers later reported that temporary repairs had been made and power restored.

Still, there was a higher risk than normal of more power outages, the city said.

Residents and businesses reported outages on Wade Lane, West Hutchison Circle, West Outer Drive, Pennsylvania Avenue, and at Cinemark Tinseltown movie theater and the businesses around it.

Myricks pledge $25,000 to Oak Ridge schools fundraising campaign

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Tim and Teresa Myrick

Tim and Teresa Myrick (Photo submitted by ORPSEF)

Tim Myrick’s involvement with Oak Ridge High School—as a loaned executive and consultant helping with the reconstruction of the high school and later as a volunteer in advance placement environmental science classes—has convinced him that teachers’ needs in the classroom are sometimes greater than budgets will allow.

Myrick and his wife Teresa believe that grants to teachers will make a critical difference to Oak Ridge Schools. They are pledging $25,000 to the “Making a Critical Difference” campaign for grants and scholarships as they help launch the individual giving part of the campaign.

[Read more…]