Oak Ridge Today

Defense asks for three-year suspended sentence for Cromwell

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Lee Harold Cromwell, 68, of Oak Ridge, has been charged with vehicular homicide and eight counts of aggravated assault in a fatal parking lot crash at the Midtown Community Center in Oak Ridge after fireworks on July 4, 2015. Cromwell has been on trial in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton, starting Monday, Feb. 13, 2017, and continuing through Wednesday, Feb. 15. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Prosecutors have asked for an 11-year sentence for Lee Harold Cromwell, 67, of Oak Ridge, for his one vehicular homicide conviction and eight aggravated assault convictions in a fatal parking lot crash at the Midtown Community Center in Oak Ridge after fireworks on July 4, 2015. His defense attorney has asked for a three-year suspended sentence. Cromwell is pictured above during a three-day trial from Feb. 13-15, 2017, in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton. He has a sentencing hearing scheduled for Monday, June 19. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 5:20 p.m.

CLINTON—A public defender has asked for a three-year suspended sentence for Lee Cromwell, the Oak Ridge man convicted of one count of vehicular homicide and eight counts of aggravated assault in the fatal parking lot crash at Midtown Community Center after fireworks on July 4, 2015.

The three-year suspended sentence would be much less than what prosecutors have requested, an effective 11-year sentence.

Cromwell, 67, has a sentencing hearing scheduled with Senior Judge Paul Summers in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton at 1 p.m. Monday, June 19.

The July 4 fireworks crash killed James Robinson of Knoxville, a 37-year-old husband and father who was trying to push his two daughters to safety. The crash injured eight others. It’s one of the worst crashes anyone can remember in Oak Ridge.

Cromwell was convicted of the vehicular homicide and aggravated assault charges after a three-day trial in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton in February. His initial sentencing hearing was postponed because Cromwell did not want private attorney James Scott representing him anymore. Anderson County Public Defender Tom Marshall has been appointed instead. Scott had previously filed a motion to withdraw from the case and then renewed it during an April 11 hearing, citing irreconcilable differences with Cromwell, according to court records.

In April, Deputy District Attorney General Anthony J. Craighead of the Seventh Judicial District in Anderson County asked for the effective 11-year sentence to be served in a state prison. Craighead asked for that sentence in a notice of enhancement factors that was filed in Anderson County Criminal Court. [Read more…]

rue21 now open in Oak Ridge

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The new rue21, a teen fashion retailer, opened at Main Street Oak Ridge on Thursday, June 15, 2017. (Photo by Parker Hardy)

The new rue21 store, a teen fashion retailer, opened at Main Street Oak Ridge on Thursday, June 15, 2017. (Photo by Parker Hardy)

 

The first new store is open at Main Street Oak Ridge.

rue21, a teen speciality apparel retailer, had its grand opening on Thursday. The grand opening of the store was scheduled to include free giveaways to the first 100 customers.

rue21 is near Belk at Main Street Oak Ridge. That’s the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

There are seven other new stores also expected to open soon. maurices has announced it will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its women’s clothing store at Main Street Oak Ridge on Friday, June 23. maurices is next to rue21. [Read more…]

Three people found dead at home on Oak Lane

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Three people were found dead at a home on Oak Lane in north Oak Ridge on Thursday morning, June 15, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Three people were found dead at a home on Oak Lane in north Oak Ridge on Thursday morning, June 15, 2017, authorities said. Above, the Oak Ridge Police Department investigates Thursday afternoon. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:15 a.m. June 16.

Updated story:

The three adults found dead on Oak Lane on Thursday morning each had a single gunshot wound, authorities said.

The three were found dead during a welfare check at 101 Oak Lane at about 8:03 a.m. Thursday. They have been identified as:

  • Michael Deuschle, age 49
  • Tessa Deuschle, age 43
  • Chelsea Kessel, age 24

The city said a preliminary investigation leads officers to believe that the females were shot first at close range, and then the man shot himself.

Detectives with the Oak Ridge Police Department believe this to be an isolated incident, and citizens do not need to be alarmed, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. Officers do not believe there are any additional victims in this case. The investigation is ongoing.

Oak Lane is off Outer Drive near California Avenue in north Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Barnett, former Tennessee defensive end, to be at grand opening of Dick’s Sporting Goods

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The new Dick's Sporting Goods in Oak Ridge will have a three-day grand opening celebration with a variety of giveaways and special in-store appearances from June 30-July 2, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The new Dick’s Sporting Goods in Oak Ridge will have a three-day grand opening celebration with a variety of giveaways and special in-store appearances from June 30-July 2, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:15 a.m. June 14.

Derek Barnett, former defensive end for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, is scheduled to be part of the grand opening of the Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Oak Ridge.

Barnett was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL draft in April. He is scheduled to appear at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in Oak Ridge from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 1. Wristbands are required. They will be given on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the appearance.

“Customers are encouraged to arrive early as we do not know the exact number of wristbands that are given out,” the company said. “However, once a customer gets a wristband, they can leave the grand opening and return.”

The new Dick’s Sporting Goods store is at Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall, at 369 South Illinois Avenue. It’s next to the new T.J. Maxx and roughly in the area of the former Sears store at the mall, between Walmart and the post office on South Tulane Avenue. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival includes free concerts, art show, other activities this weekend

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Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A.K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

 

The Secret City Festival features free concerts and other activities at Alvin K. Bissell Park this weekend. Organizers have posted an entertainment schedule for both days, which is printed below.

Organizers said parking is available at the west end of the park (enter via Badger Road), Oak Ridge High School, First Methodist Church, and various paid lots around town. Accessible parking is available at the Oak Ridge Public Library.

The TN Creates Juried Art Show begins at 10 a.m. daily in the Shep Lauter Room at the Oak Ridge Civic Center, and all other festival activities begin at 2 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday, organizers said. Admission is free.

There are free water stations throughout the park and water and other drinks are available for purchase via vendors, organizers said. There are food vendors at the festival, and “we have plenty of cold beer and moonshine cocktails ready to go,” organizers said.

Other activities include a petting zoo, wildlife encounter, Home Depot area, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Traveling Science Fair, according to an event map, which is included below.

Here’s the entertainment schedule for Friday and Saturday: [Read more…]

rue21, teen fashion retailer, will open in Oak Ridge on June 15

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rue21 Inc., a leading teen specialty apparel retailer, will open its new store at Main Street Oak Ridge on June 15. The picture above was taken on Thursday, June 8, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

rue21 inc., a leading teen specialty apparel retailer, will open its new store at Main Street Oak Ridge on June 15. The storefront picture above was taken on Thursday, June 8, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 12:15 p.m. June 9.

rue21 inc., a leading teen specialty apparel retailer, will open its new store at Main Street Oak Ridge on June 15, the company said in a press release. The grand opening of the store will include free giveaways to the first 100 customers.

The new store will be around 6,500 square feet and employ about 10 associates, the press release said. It will include girls’ and guys’ fashion including rue+ plus sizes, as well as footwear, accessories, and décor, the release said.

“The retailer felt Oak Ridge has been in need of a destination for trendy, yet affordable fashion, and the location was a perfect fit for the brand,” the press release said. “By working directly with the market, rue21 can react instantly to produce new trends and must-have styles that don’t exist anywhere else, offering a broad assortment in apparel and accessories for girls and guys.”

The press release said rue21 believes in “changing things up while staying true to yourself, and is passionate about giving its customers a voice and the right to express themselves the way they want.” [Read more…]

Lavender Festival is Saturday, June 17

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The 19th annual Lavender Festival returns Saturday, June 17, 2017, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. (Photography by Shawn Millsaps)

The 19th annual Lavender Festival is Saturday, June 17, 2017, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. (Photography by Shawn Millsaps)

 

The 19th annual Lavender Festival is Saturday, June 17, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. The Lavender Festival is a perennial crowd favorite, full of tradition, fun, and always something new, a press release said. The festival celebrates all things herbal, crafts, local foods, and more.

Admission to the festival is free, with plenty of free parking available in surrounding city and business lots, and on side streets, the press release said.

As is tradition, a bagpipe player will open the festival at 8 a.m., playing from upper Blankenship Field into Jackson Square. Also keeping with tradition, Alan McBride will follow with the hammered dulcimer in the bandstand. A complete music schedule is found below.

Also returning for a second year is “A Taste of Tennessee Wines,” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., benefitting the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. The tasting is hosted by Great Valley Wine Trail, which is made up of four independent wineries in East Tennessee. Your $10 tasting ticket is available at the gate (for those who are 21 with a valid identification). Tasters receive a complimentary wine glass, and if they purchase wine, a six-compartment wine tote. Customers are allowed to enjoy the wine outdoors in the Square during festival hours, with lunch served all day by plenty of food vendors and food trucks, restaurants, and even hors d’oeuvres by Chapel on the Hill. [Read more…]

Reminder: Secret City Festival under way this week

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Pictured above are World War II re-enactor Ben Arnold, right, a board member of the Celebrate Oak Ridge task force, and Judi Gray. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Pictured above are World War II re-enactor Ben Arnold, right, a board member of the Celebrate Oak Ridge task force, and Judi Gray, who helped announce the musical entertainment scheduled for Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 11:15 a.m. June 5.

A reminder: The new weeklong Secret City Festival is under way, and it started Friday, June 2. The festival is free, and it includes two weekends and two weekdays. Most of the events are at Alvin K. Bissell Park.

The first weekend (June 2-4) celebrated Oak Ridge and World War II history. A free family movie will be shown on Tuesday, June 6, and the arts will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 7. Music and art are the focus of the second weekend, June 9-10.

The festival has been organized by Celebrate Oak Ridge. A schedule of events is below, and a schedule for this weekend is also included.

Saturday, June 3, was a big day, organizers said. There were World War II re-enactments at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., speakers throughout the day, the Freedom Belles, USO show, and more at Bissell Park. Historic exhibitions continued at Midtown Community Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge receives $1.2 million grant for Rails to Trails

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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. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The City of Oak Ridge has received a $1.2 million grant that it can use for the proposed Rails to Trails project.

The executive board of the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization approved the grant in October, said Ellen Zavisca, senior transportation planner.

It could be used for project planning and property acquisition for the Rails to Trails project, and possibly to start construction, said Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department director.

Hetrick said the grant was awarded by TPO, but it’s actually a Tennessee Department of Transportation grant. The city is entering into a contract with TDOT for the grant, and the Oak Ridge City Council could consider accepting the grant in July.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson briefly mentioned the $1.2 million grant during a budget presentation to City Council members on Tuesday of this week. The city would administer the $1.2 million grant but would have to follow certain TDOT requirements.

The Rails to Trails project would convert a few miles of former railway that runs through the center of Oak Ridge into a bicycle and pedestrian trail. The railway runs from Melton Lake Drive in east Oak Ridge; past Jefferson Middle School and near the Hank’s Market shopping center in central Oak Ridge; and to the Y-12 National Security Complex. [Read more…]

Zacharia named director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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Thomas Zacharia

Thomas Zacharia

 

Thomas Zacharia, who built Oak Ridge National Laboratory into a global supercomputing power, has been selected as the laboratory’s next director by UT-Battelle, the partnership that operates ORNL for the U.S. Department of Energy, a press release said.

“Thomas has a compelling vision for the future of ORNL that is directly aligned with the U.S. Department of Energy’s strategic priorities,” said Joe DiPietro, chair of the UT-Battelle Board of Governors and president of the University of Tennessee.

“He has led many of the innovative research and development initiatives that ORNL has successfully pursued over the past decade. His background in materials and computing positions him well to strengthen ORNL’s signature research capabilities in computational, neutron, materials, and nuclear science. His vision of ORNL playing a prominent role in advancing U.S. national and energy security reflects his leadership strengths. He has been key to the success of developing joint academic programs with UT. Finally, he embraces diversity and has a passion for developing and strengthening the workforce at the laboratory.”

Zacharia came to ORNL in 1987 as a postdoctoral researcher after receiving his Ph.D. in engineering science from Clarkson University in New York. He also holds a master’s in materials science from the University of Mississippi and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology in Karnataka, India. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival: Seven days of celebration

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Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

 

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge.

The new Secret City Festival, brought to you by Celebrate Oak Ridge, will be bookended by two special weekends. The first weekend will celebrate Oak Ridge and World War II history. A free family movie will be shown on Tuesday, June 6; the arts will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 7; and music and art are the focus of the second weekend, June 9-10.

Celebrate Oak Ridge June 2017 Schedule Web

On Friday, June 2, tours of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with shuttles running to and from the American Museum of Science and Energy and New Hope Center. U.S. citizenship and pre-registration are required for tours. Graphite Reactor tours at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will also be held then on a first-come, first-served basis, with departure on buses from AMSE.

Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch will officially open the festival, and the crew of the U.S.S. Oak Ridge will present and ring the U.S.S. Oak Ridge bell at 8:30 p.m. At 9 p.m., the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” will be shown free of charge.

Overnight, approximately 200 re-enactors will be setting up an overnight encampment with World War II-era tents in Bissell Park. [Read more…]

Authorities identify adults injured, killed in Friday’s crash

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One person died and four people were injured in a two-vehicle crash involving a sedan and an SUV near the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon, May 26, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

One person died and four people were injured in a two-vehicle crash involving a sedan and an SUV near the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon, May 26, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Authorities have identified the three adults injured and one adult killed in Friday’s two-vehicle crash near the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue.

Killed in the crash was Ashley Blalock, 30, of Knoxville. She was a passenger in a sedan driven by Tabitha Douglas, 26, of Corryton, who was injured in the crash. Also in the vehicle was a 7-year-old Corryton girl. The City of Oak Ridge said the Oak Ridge Police Department will not release the name of the juvenile, who was also injured.

The other vehicle involved in the crash was a sport utility vehicle. The two people in the SUV were also injured. They were driver Celia Sparks, 78, and passenger Jeffrey Sparks, 52, both of Knoxville.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

The crash was reported at about 2:47 p.m. Friday at Commerce Park Drive, which is across from the Arboretum. [Read more…]