Oak Ridge Today

Flooding closes several roads, Arrowhead Park in Oliver Springs

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Flooding has closed several roads in Oliver Springs and Arrowhead Park. The closures were announced Sunday morning, Feb. 11, 2018, by the Oliver Springs Police Department. (Photo courtesy Oliver Springs Police Department)

Flooding has closed several roads in Oliver Springs and Arrowhead Park. The closures were announced Sunday morning, Feb. 11, 2018, by the Oliver Springs Police Department. (Photo courtesy Oliver Springs Police Department)

 

Flooding has closed several roads in Oliver Springs and Arrowhead Park. The closures were announced Sunday morning by the Oliver Springs Police Department.

“Please use caution while driving in Oliver Springs,” the Oliver Springs Police Department said. “Several secondary roads are closed such as Airport Road, Midway Drive, Strutt Street, and Bennett Road. Other roads have debris and standing water, so please be careful.”

There was heavy rain on Saturday, and more than two inches of rain were expected in the area between Saturday afternoon and Sunday night, with more rain possible this week, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

In Oak Ridge, the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Jefferson Circle is closed due to flooding. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs fire chief provides more information on Sunday explosion

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Justin Bailey

Justin Bailey (File photo courtesy Oliver Springs Fire Department)

The explosion in Oliver Springs on Sunday that rattled windows and shook homes as far away as Oak Ridge was caused by gasoline poured on what was left of a barn that had been leveled and then ignited, the fire chief said Friday.

Oliver Springs Fire Chief Justin Bailey said firefighters don’t know for sure how much gasoline was used, but the property owner had at least a five-gallon gas can.

There was still a strong odor of gasoline when emergency responders arrived, Bailey said.

The explosion was reported on Tri County Boulevard at Mahoney Road on Sunday evening, just before it got dark, in a field across from Lee’s Market in south Oliver Springs, just down the hill from Oak Ridge.

The property owner had leveled the barn, and only natural wood remained, Bailey said. The property owner was allowed to burn the untreated wood with a permit, and he had received a burn permit from City Hall over the phone. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs: No injuries when gas causes explosion

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Oliver Springs Fire Department

Oliver Springs Fire Department

 

The Oliver Springs Fire Department said it responded to a report of an explosion on Tri County Boulevard at Mahoney Road on Sunday evening.

“On arrival, members found a large brush pile that was on fire,” the Fire Department said in a post online. “The cause of the explosion was due to the use of gasoline as a source for ignition.”

There were no injuries or property damage. The fire was extinguished by Oliver Springs Fire Department personnel.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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Oliver Springs officer escapes serious injury when patrol car struck

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Information from WYSH Radio

An Oliver Springs police officer escaped serious injury Thursday night when his parked patrol car was struck while he responded to a traffic crash.

The incident occurred at the Highway 61/62 interchange Thursday evening as Oliver Springs Police Department Sergeant Charles Graham responded to a minor crash. Preliminary indications are that a second driver struck the back of the officer’s patrol car, which in turn caused the cruiser to strike him. [Read more…]

Trees fall, roads flood, driver escapes floodwaters as rains continue

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The driver was reported to have made it out of floodwaters before emergency responders arrived on Saturday afternoon, April 22, 2017, but her black Nissan Altima remained partially submerged on Airport Road near Oliver Springs on Sunday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

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

Roads flooded and trees fell—sometimes on homes, power lines, and roads—as rain continued to fall in East Tennessee on Sunday. One driver was reported to have escaped from her car in floodwaters on Airport Road near Oliver Springs on Saturday afternoon, but the black Nissan Altima remained partially submerged in the water on Sunday.

There appeared to have been at least 10 reports of fallen trees in Oak Ridge during the severe thunderstorms that started Saturday afternoon and continued with rain showers on Sunday. Most of those trees were reported to have fallen on homes, power lines, across roadways, or on personal property such as an automobile. There were five reports of fallen trees between about 3 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, including a tree that fell across both lanes of Melton Lake Drive near Calhoun’s restaurant, causing a temporary closure of that two-lane road.

There were more reports of trees that had fallen but not damaged anything.

Large trees are falling due to excess rain, the City of Oak Ridge said Sunday. Electric crews have been out all night, and backup is on the way, the city said, but it may be tomorrow (Monday, April 24) before all power is back.

At various times on Sunday, there were reports of flooding or flood watches across Oak Ridge, including on Vermont Avenue, near Heritage Center (the former K-25 site), on California Avenue, and at Jefferson Avenue and North Jefferson Circle.

There were also reports of trees down and road closures in Clinton. Briceville Highway was reported to be closed in Briceveille due to sinking pavement on Sunday afternoon. Earlier Sunday, State Route 71 in Anderson County was closed for several hours at Norris Dam State Park because trees were blocking the road, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Some school districts have announced they will be closed Monday. Roane County Schools said it will be closed due to “concerning road conditions throughout the county.” Anderson County Schools said it will be closed because of dangerous conditions with flooded roads and trees being down.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said a record for daily rainfall was set at Knoxville Mcghee Tyson Airport on Sunday. The NWS said 1.89 inches had fallen as of 5 p.m. Sunday, breaking the old record of 1.63 inches in 1977.

[Read more…]

Gust of wind blew airplane into trees, and he crashed, pilot says

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Oliver Springs Plane Crash April 15 2017

The pilot of a small experimental or ultralight aircraft was reported to be okay after a crash in a field in Anderson County near Valley Drive in Oliver Springs on Saturday afternoon, April 15, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by Oliver Springs Fire Department)

 

OLIVER SPRINGS—The pilot of a small airplane that crashed near Oliver Springs on Saturday told authorities that a gust of wind blew the plane into trees while he was approaching his grass landing strip, and he crashed.

The crash of the ultralight aircraft was reported at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday in a field off Valley Drive in Oliver Springs, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.

The pilot, Timothy Stringer, 40, had attempted to land at his private grass landing strip at his home on Ray Lane. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department located him at his home. He had some visible lacerations but refused any medical treatment, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Adam Warren said in an incident report. [Read more…]

Pilot reported to be okay when small aircraft crashes near Oliver Springs

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Oliver Springs Plane Crash April 15 2017

The pilot of a small experimental or ultralight aircraft was reported to be okay after a crash in Anderson County near Oliver Springs on Saturday afternoon, April 15, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by Oliver Springs Fire Department)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:15 p.m. April 16.

MARLOW—The pilot of a small experimental or ultralight aircraft was reported to be okay after a crash in Anderson County near Oliver Springs on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

The pilot was reported to have walked away from the crash and declined medical treatment.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said federal officials have been notified of the crash of the registered aircraft. The cause of the crash isn’t clear. [Read more…]

City Council agrees to give $30K per year for five years to General Sessions Court

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The Oak Ridge City Council agreed on Monday, April 10, 2017, to contribute $30,000 per year for five years to continue operating Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge. The interior of the current courthouse on Bus Terminal Road is pictured above. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council agreed on Monday to contribute $30,000 per year for five years to continue operating Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.

The money will be used for court operations and capital costs for Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, in Oak Ridge.

Council approved the funding in a 6-0 vote, with Council member Hans Vogel absent.

The city and the Oak Ridge City Council have supporting having the General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge since it started in 1993, according to City Manager Mark Watson.

“We believe that it is important to have that here,” Watson said. “It does save us a little bit of time.” [Read more…]

City to consider giving $30,000 per year to General Sessions Court

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Anderson-County-General-Sessions-Court-Interior-Oak-Ridge-Nov-19-2015

The 18-month lease on the Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, on Bus Terminal Road in Oak Ridge expires in June, and Anderson County commissioners are taking steps to move the court to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road. The interior of the courthouse on Bus Terminal Road is pictured above. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider approving $30,000 in funding per year for five years for the Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, in Oak Ridge.

The money would be used for court operations and capital costs. Council will consider the funding during its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, April 10, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

Anderson County commissioners have cited the expected Oak Ridge contribution in their discussions of keeping the court in Oak Ridge and moving it from a private building on Bus Terminal Road to a county-owed building on Emory Valley Road.

The City of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge City Council have supported having the General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge since its start on February 1, 1993, City Manager Mark Watson said in an April 4 memo to Council members. [Read more…]

Shutting door during bedroom fire likely saved rest of house, firefighter says

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A fire was reported at 612 Johnson Road on the southwest side of Oliver Springs on Thursday morning, March 23, 2017. (Photo by Tom Scott)

A fire was reported at 612 Johnson Road on the southwest side of Oliver Springs on Thursday morning, March 23, 2017. (Photo by Tom Scott)

 

A woman who shut a bedroom door after finding an electrical outlet on fire in a bedroom Thursday morning likely prevented further damage to her house, a firefighter said.

“This woman saved her own house,” said Toby Leinart, Oliver Springs Fire Department lieutenant. Leinart was the incident commander at the fire at the home at 612 Johnson Road on the southwest side of Oliver Springs at about 6:16 a.m. Thursday.

The female resident apparently closed the bedroom door out of instinct, putting the door between herself and danger, Leinart said. Firefighters say a closed door is one of the best pieces of firefighting and lifesaving equipment because it can reduce fire growth and spread, limit damage to a home, and possibly save lives.

“I believe that’s what saved her house today and reduced her damage down to one bedroom,” Leinart said. “I would just about guarantee that’s what saved the rest of her house.”

It’s advice that’s been shared by the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office in a “Close the Door” campaign. Even if you escape from your house during a fire, shut the door when you leave if you can, firefighters say. That will help limit oxygen to the fire. (Firefighters also recommend sleeping with bedroom doors closed if possible, and keeping fire doors closed.) [Read more…]

County taking steps to move General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge

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Anderson County officials are taking steps to move General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge from a privately owned building on Bus Terminal Road, pictured above, to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 12:50 p.m.

Anderson County officials are taking steps to move General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge from a privately owned building on Bus Terminal Road to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road.

An 18-month lease on the current privately owned building, where the court has been since 2009, expires in June, officials said Wednesday.

Renovations are planned at the county-owned building on Emory Valley Road before the court moves there. Bid packages for the renovation work could go out to contractors this week, and the bid could be awarded in mid-April, said Anderson County Commissioner Phil Yager, one of two commissioners who represent District 8 in Oak Ridge.

The renovation work could take two to three months, Yager said. Michael Brady Inc., a Knoxville architectural firm helping Anderson County, has estimated the renovations could cost around $300,000. [Read more…]

Anderson County storm damage report

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There were reports of trees down, along with a few power lines, from the storms and heavy rain on Wednesday, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.

Several roads were impassable for a while due to high water, but on most, the water had receded as of Wednesday evening, Lucas said. Some roads could still have debris, he said Wednesday.

“There was one tree that fell on a mobile home, but no major damage and no injuries have been reported,” Lucas said.

The Little Ponderosa Zoo had severe flooding, but much of the water there had receded and all the animals are safe. [Read more…]