Government Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Manhattan Project: National Parks World War II Film Festival on Saturday

Posted at 10:06 am March 12, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

K-25-69 Close up of welding in prefabrecation shop 1944 (bld.300) Photo by Ed Westcott

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present films from National Park Service sites that commemorate events and issues related to World War II and the nuclear deterrent used during the Cold War on Saturday, a press release said.

The film festival is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at the American Museum of Science and Energy.

National parks tell the stories of America’s World War II experience—from Pearl Harbor to the war’s atomic end, the press release said.

“The range of our nation’s national parks show how a resilient America mobilized its people to triumph over tyranny, explore places where technological and social barriers collapsed, confront the war’s darker legacies, and stand atop soils where American blood was shed, coastlines defended, and valor was memorialized forever,” the press release said. “Across the nation, national park sites help tell the story of our nation during World War II and help us ensure President Truman’s promise that ‘America will never forget their sacrifices’ will always hold true.”

National Park Service films on March 16, will come from: [Read more…]

Work starts on next phase of Rails to Trails

Posted at 12:16 pm February 20, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The former CSX railway is pictured near Jefferson Middle School in central Oak Ridge on Dec. 30, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The former CSX railway is pictured near Jefferson Middle School in central Oak Ridge on Dec. 30, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Work has started on the next phase of Rails to Trails, a project to convert a former CSX railroad into a bicycle and pedestrian pathway in the center of Oak Ridge.

After about six months of discussions, the City of Oak Ridge has a right of entry, which allows geotechnical and surveying work to be done on the former railroad, said Jon Hetrick, director of the city’s Recreation and Parks Department. Geotechnical work allows holes to be bored in the ground for subsurface studies.

The survey and geotechnical work is being done by A. Morton Thomas and Associates of Kingsport. The Oak Ridge City Council awarded a $358,317 contract to that company in May. A. Morton Thomas is to provide environmental testing, master planning, design and engineering of the trail, and help with construction bidding.

After a Tuesday evening City Council work session, Hetrick said the geotechnical and survey work is required under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. The city hopes to have the NEPA phase approved through the Tennessee Department of Transportation by August, Hetrick said. [Read more…]

(For members) NRC finds no significant impact from producing tritium at Watts Bar 2

Posted at 12:12 pm February 13, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced on Monday that there would be no significant impact from producing tritium for nuclear weapons in a second unit at the Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant in Rhea County.

The project involves the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

The tritium could be produced in Unit 2 at Watts Bar, which is near Spring City about 45 miles southwest of Oak Ridge.

Tritium, which boosts the yields of nuclear weapons, is already being produced in Watts Bar Unit 1. The Tennessee Valley Authority has been producing tritium there since 2003.

The rest of this story, which you will find only on Oak Ridge Today, is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or recent contributor to Oak Ridge Today.

Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.

Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here:

Basic

Pro

Temporary

Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Note: Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. Some are considered premium content. This story is premium content. Premium content can include in-depth, investigative, and exclusive stories.

ORAU reports minimal impact from government shutdown

Posted at 1:48 pm January 25, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

ORAU on Friday reported that the partial shutdown of the federal government has had, for the most part, a minimal impact on its operations.

The partial government shutdown is now in its 35th day. It’s the longest shutdown ever, and it includes about 25 percent of the federal government.

ORAU has a customer base that includes more than 20 federal agencies.

“The impact to date has been varied, but for the most part minimal,” ORAU spokesperson Pam Bonee said in an emailed response to questions on Friday. “The majority of our work is funded or had sufficient funds to carry the work into the first quarter of 2019.” [Read more…]

City celebrates two major projects—Preschool, Senior Center—with groundbreakings

Posted at 12:53 pm January 21, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The City of Oak Ridge held ceremonial groundbreakings on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, to celebrate the start of two major projects: the new Oak Ridge Preschool, pictured above, with Scarboro Park improvements and the new Oak Ridge Senior Center. Construction activity is already under way at both sites, and the buildings are slated for completion later this year. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The City of Oak Ridge held ceremonial groundbreakings on Monday, January 14, to celebrate the start of two major projects: the new Oak Ridge Preschool with Scarboro Park improvements and the new Oak Ridge Senior Center. Construction activity is already under way at both sites, and the buildings are slated for completion later this year.

“These projects have been in the planning stages for decades and we are making good on promises to deliver them,” Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch said in a press release. “The Preschool and the Senior Center will have a positive impact on our citizens and their families for generations to come. We are excited to see construction begin.”

Studio Four Design Inc. was chosen to design the Preschool and the Senior Center. At a special meeting in October 2018, Oak Ridge City Council unanimously approved resolutions awarding construction contracts to Jenkins and Stiles LLC totaling just more than $11 million ($8.4 million for the new Preschool and Scarboro Park improvements and $2.68 million for the new Senior Center). General obligation bonds were sold in late November to completely fund the projects.

“After years of discussion, plans for these important facilities are coming to fruition,” Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said in the press release. “The Preschool and Senior Center are welcome additions to our community. We are appreciative of all the hard work that has gone into making these amenities a reality for Oak Ridge.” [Read more…]

Council approves plan for apartments at former AMSE site

Posted at 12:16 pm January 18, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission will consider a rezoning and planned unit development on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, that would allow apartments to be built on the former American Museum of Science and Energy property on South Tulane Avenue.

The Oak Ridge City Council approved a rezoning and planned unit development on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, that would allow apartments to be built on the former American Museum of Science and Energy property on South Tulane Avenue.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday approved a plan that would allow apartments at the former American Museum of Science and Energy site on South Tulane Avenue.

The apartment proposal requires a rezoning and the approval of a plan for a planned unit development, or PUD.

They were approved in a 5-1-1 vote in the first of two readings on Monday. The second and final reading will presumably be in February.

Voting for the plan were Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch and City Council members Kelly Callison, Jim Dodson, Derrick Hammond, and Ellen Smith. [Read more…]

Council rejects revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge

Posted at 6:40 pm January 16, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Most of Main Street Oak Ridge is pictured above in this proposed plan from Nov. 29, 2018.

Most of Main Street Oak Ridge is pictured above in this proposed revised plan from Nov. 29, 2018.

Note: This story was last updated at 1 a.m.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday narrowly rejected a revised plan that would have allowed four national retailers to build stores at Main Street Oak Ridge.

The Council had unanimously approved a revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, subject to certain conditions, in December. That was the first of two readings.

But Council rejected the plan in a 4-3 vote in the second and final reading on Monday.

The rejection hinged on concerns that included the closure of an access road to the 58-acre site, the movement of mixed-use areas to a future phase along Wilson Street, and questions about whether there are other site plan options and whether the development would or should establish a “city center.” People who rejected the revised plan or asked Council to reject it said they support the development and want continued negotiations with RealtyLink, the developer. But it wasn’t immediately clear this week if that will happen.

Those who had supported the revised plan, on the other hand, warned that rejecting it could affect funding for Oak Ridge and Anderson County governments and school systems by diminishing expected sales and property tax revenues, possibly in the range of several hundred thousand dollars. They worried about the impact on the city’s retail community, property tax values, and new housing developments. They called the project a “once in a generation” opportunity and said it could be a few decades before another similar proposal emerges.

It’s not clear what will happen next or if there is any solution that will be acceptable to both RealtyLink and the planning commissioners and City Council members who opposed the revised plan. On Tuesday, three people involved in the project, including RealtyLink, said there is no other design, no “plan B.”

“We’ve worked for six months to get to where we are,” said Neil Wilson, principal of RealtyLink in Greenville, South Carolina. “We didn’t get what we wanted, and they didn’t get what they wanted.”

He said the four national tenants were notified Tuesday that Council rejected the proposed changes to the planned unit development for Main Street Oak Ridge. The potential tenants will be notified if something changes. [Read more…]

Monday: Oak Ridge has groundbreakings at Preschool, Senior Center

Posted at 12:26 pm January 14, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

An image showing what the new Oak Ridge Preschool at Scarboro Park could look like. (Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge/Studio Four Design)

The City of Oak Ridge will hold ceremonial groundbreakings on Monday, January 14, to celebrate the start of two major projects: the new Oak Ridge Preschool with Scarboro Park improvements and the new Oak Ridge Senior Center. Construction activity is already under way at both locations.

Studio Four Design Inc. of Knoxville was chosen to design the both the Preschool and the Senior Center. At a special meeting on October 11, Oak Ridge City Council unanimously approved resolutions awarding construction contracts to Jenkins and Stiles LLC.

The new preschool will be a single-story facility of about 33,000 square feet located on Carver Avenue. The build site is inside Scarboro Park, a roughly 10-acre parcel. The project includes improvements to the adjacent park area such as lighted basketball/tennis courts, a baseball field, a public pavilion, green space, and a walking trail. [Read more…]

Bonds sold Tuesday for Preschool, Senior Center

Posted at 4:22 pm November 29, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A rendering of the new Oak Ridge Preschool at Scarboro Park. (Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge/Studio Four Design)

Bonds sold Tuesday morning for three construction projects: Oak Ridge Preschool, Oak Ridge Senior Center, and Scarboro Park renovations.

The bonds sold at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said.

There were six competitors. Fidelity Capital Markets had the low bid, with an interest rate of 3.613651 percent.

It’s considered a good interest rate. Anything below 4 percent is good, Watson said.

There wasn’t a large spread between the six bidders. The highest bidder had an interest rate of 3.720288. [Read more…]

TVA asks for public input on closing Bull Run, Paradise fossil plants

Posted at 5:05 pm November 21, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Fossil Plant is pictured above in Claxton on Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking for public input on a review of the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of closing the Bull Run and Paradise Fossil Plants.

Bull Run, located in Anderson County, Tennessee, is a single-generator coal-fired power plant. Paradise, near Drakesboro, Kentucky, has one coal-fired generator still operating, unit 3. Two other coal-fired units at Paradise were retired when a new natural gas plant began operation at the site in 2017.

TVA announced a review of generating assets that was focused on Bull Run and Paradise in August. The review is based on the future cost of maintenance and environmental compliance, and other factors. TVA said it must continually evaluate its fleet to ensure flexibility and financial responsibility.

Oak Ridge Today reported when the review was announced in August that the evaluation could help determine whether the plants will be needed in the future. The assessment is to focus on plants that are the least efficient, least cost-effective, and expected to have the highest future costs, TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks said. Plants that fit into that category are the Bull Run Fossil Plant, the one remaining unit (Unit 3) at the Paradise Fossil Plant in western Kentucky near Drakesboro, and combustion turbines (gas turbines), Brooks said. The assessment will look at whether TVA needs Bull Run or Paradise or combustion turbines in the future. [Read more…]

Reminder: Planning Commission, City Council meet to discuss Main Street, Phase 2

Posted at 12:43 pm November 8, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A reminder: Oak Ridge officials will meet this evening to discuss proposed revisions to the plan for the second phase of Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

It will be a joint work session between the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission and Oak Ridge City Council. The meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. today (Thursday, November 8) in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue.

City officials hope to make progress and help produce a good plan, although they don’t expect to vote on anything today.

Oak Ridge officials have had concerns about the proposed revisions to the master plan for Main Street as the developer, RealtyLink, prepares to welcome a second wave of tenants. The Planning Commission postponed a vote on the revised master plan and requested today’s work session during a meeting on Thursday, October 18. [Read more…]

Photos: Clinch River bridge work in Clinton

Posted at 4:16 pm November 1, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Work is under way on the bridge to replace the Honorable William Everette Lewallen Bridge over the Clinch River on Clinch Avenue between downtown Clinton and South Clinton. The work is pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Construction work has started on the replacement of the Honorable William Everette Lewallen Bridge over the Clinch River in downtown Clinton. Here are photos of the work, which could last three years, on Tuesday.

In August, WYSH Radio in Clinton reported that the contract to replace the bridge on Highway 25W/State Route 9 (Clinton Highway/Clinch Avenue) was awarded on August 17 to Charles Blalock and Sons Incorporated of Sevierville. Their bid for the replacement of the bridge, known to locals as the “green bridge,” came in at $27,735,269.72, WYSH said.

The bridge connects downtown Clinton to south Clinton. [Read more…]