Oak Ridge Today

Hobby Lobby has grand opening celebration Monday

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The Hobby Lobby at the former Kroger store on South Illinois Avenue has a grand opening on Monday morning, Oct. 3, 2016. The store is pictured above on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 30.

Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. will open in Oak Ridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and official grand opening celebration on Monday morning. The ceremony is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. October 3. It’s open to the public.

Hobby Lobby is a privately held national retail chain of craft and home decor stores.

The Oak Ridge store, which will be managed by Michael Ramsey, is Hobby Lobby’s 23rd location in Tennessee. The 63,000-square-foot store is in the former Kroger store in a shopping center near the intersection of South Illinois and South Rutgers avenues.

“We feel blessed for the fantastic opportunity to be a part of the Oak Ridge community,” said John Schumacher, Hobby Lobby assistant vice president of advertising. “Our goal is for customers to experience the exceptional service, selection, and value Hobby Lobby offers.”

Local dignitaries, ambassadors from the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and other business leaders will attend the Monday morning celebration, a press release said. [Read more…]

Volleyball: Lady Wildcats finish undefeated in district

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats finished undefeated in the district at home against Central on Senior Night on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. (Photo by Jennifer Galloway)

 

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats volleyball team finished undefeated in the district with a 3-0 win over Central on Senior Night at home on Thursday.

That win followed a 3-0 win over Clinton last Monday and 3-0 wins over Powell and Halls the previous week.

Oak Ridge (20-8, 8-0 District 3-AAA) has two games remaining in the regular season. The first is against Farragut at home on Tuesday, September 27. It’s the annual Dig Pink match meant to raise awareness of breast cancer, and it’s expected to be a good match. Junior varsity teams start at 5 p.m., and varsity matches begin at 6.

Farragut (19-3, 5-0 District 4-AAA) finished as state runner-up in Class AAA last year, losing 3-0 to Brentwood in the state championship game in Murfreesboro in October.

Here are final scores from the Oak Ridge-Central game on Thursday: [Read more…]

Higgins scores three TDs as Wildcats roll to 35 in first quarter against Smoky Bears

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Oak Ridge senior Tee Higgins (5) returned two punts for touchdowns and he also caught a touchdown pass during a 42-10 win over Sevier County on Blankenship Field on Friday, Sept. 23, 2016. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Senior Tee Higgins scored three touchdowns, including two on punt returns, as the Oak Ridge Wildcats jumped out to a quick 35-0 lead over Sevier County at home on Friday.

After five touchdowns in the first quarter, though, Oak Ridge only scored once more the rest of the game. Still, the scoring outburst in the first quarter was enough to give the Wildcats (6-0, 3-0 Region 3-5A) a 42-10 win.

Oak Ridge Coach Joe Gaddis said the Wildcats started well but didn’t play well in the last three quarters.

“We weren’t good after the first quarter,” Gaddis said. “We got sloppy. We got complacent.”

When you’re ahead of a team like that, Gaddis said, you’ve got to finish them. [Read more…]

ORNL launches new business accelerator for energy tech entrepreneurs

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Pictured above during an Innovations Crossroads business accelerator announcement on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, at the National Transportation Research Center in Hardin Valley are, from left, Mark Johnson, Johanna Wolfson, Moe Khaleel, Thomas McDonald, Charlie Brock. (Photo by ORNL)

Pictured above during an Innovation Crossroads business accelerator announcement on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, at the National Transportation Research Center in Hardin Valley are, from left, Mark Johnson, Johanna Wolfson, Moe Khaleel, Thomas McDonald, and Charlie Brock. (Photo by ORNL)

 

The nation’s top innovators will soon have the opportunity to advance their promising energy technology ideas at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a new program called Innovation Crossroads. Up to five entrepreneurs will receive a fellowship that covers living costs, benefits, and a travel stipend for up to two years, plus up to $350,000 to use on collaborative research and development at ORNL. The first cohort is expected to start the program in early 2017, a press release said.

A growing global population and increased industrialization require new approaches to energy that are reliable, affordable, and carbon neutral. While important progress has been made in cost reduction and deployment of clean energy technologies, a new program at DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, or EERE, will invest in the next generation of first-time clean energy entrepreneurs to accelerate the pace of innovation, the press release said.

Innovation Crossroads is the most recent clean energy accelerator to launch at a DOE national laboratory and the first located in the Southeast. ORNL is the nation’s largest science and energy laboratory, with expertise and resources in clean energy, computing, neutron science, advanced materials, and nuclear science. [Read more…]

Centrus, ORNL agree on $25 million contract for work on gas centrifuge uranium enrichment technology

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American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center

The American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center in south Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy USEC/Centrus Energy Corp.)

 

Six months after signing one contract, Centrus Energy Corporation and UT-Battelle LLC have agreed on a new contract for engineering and testing work on technology that uses gas centrifuges to enrich uranium.

Enriched uranium can be used in nuclear power plants and in nuclear weapons, as fuel for nuclear naval vessels, and to ensure a tritium supply, which is needed to maintain the effectiveness of America’s nuclear deterrent, a press release said.

The new Centrus Energy-UT-Battelle contract is valued at about $25 million, and it runs through September 30, 2017. Under this new contract, Centrus scientists, engineers, and operators will “use the company’s unique facilities in Oak Ridge to develop and test technology improvements to reduce costs, improve manufacturability, and enhance the long-term reliability of U.S. uranium enrichment technology,” the press release said.

UT-Battelle operates Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.

The uranium enrichment technology is known as the American Centrifuge technology. It’s expected to support future national security and energy security needs, the press release said. [Read more…]

With Kmart lease ending in March, prospective tenants already showing interest in building

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The Kmart store on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge will close in mid-December. The store is pictured above on Friday, Sept. 16, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Kmart store in Oak Ridge is closing in mid-December, and the company’s lease expires in March. It’s too early to comment on prospective tenants, but the property owners have already had quite a bit of interest in that building, a manager said Tuesday.

Kmart has been located on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge for 25 years, said Jim Harrison, manager of Oak Ridge Group Associates, which owns the property.

The owners would love to have Kmart stay and be successful, but now that the company has announced they’re closing the store, with a liquidation sale starting Thursday, Oak Ridge Group Associates is working hard to try to get the property redeveloped or leased again, Harrison said. [Read more…]

Kmart store closing in December

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The Kmart store on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge will close in mid-December. The store is pictured above on Friday, Sept. 16, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Kmart store in Oak Ridge will close in mid-December, the company said Monday.

“We have been strategically and aggressively evaluating our store space and productivity, and have accelerated the closing of unprofitable stores as previously announced,” the company said in a statement. “We can confirm that we are making the difficult but necessary decision to close the Kmart store at 370 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.”

The store will remain open to customers until the mid-December closing and start a liquidation sale on September 22.

“We often hear from our members who are disappointed when we close a store, but our Shop Your Way membership platform, websites, and mobile apps allow us to maintain these valued relationships long after a store closes its doors,” Kmart said in the statement. “As a result, we hope to retain a portion of the sales previously associated with this store by maintaining our relationships with the members who shopped this location.” [Read more…]

Not sure what the Charter Commission is? Hear from candidates on Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has a forum for candidates for the Anderson County Charter Commission on Tuesday morning.

It’s the first candidate forum for the November 8 election.

The Charter Commission candidate forum will start at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 20, in the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Joyce Conference Room. It’s free and open to the public.

There are 20 candidates for eight seats on the new Charter Commission. The Tuesday morning forum at the Oak Ridge Chamber will feature candidates from the county’s District 6, District 7, and District 8, which all include parts of Oak Ridge.

There are seven candidates for those three seats: [Read more…]

Caleb Jackson scores twice, recovers two turnovers in Wildcats’ win at Lenoir City

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Oak Ridge senior Caleb Jackson (25) scored two touchdowns for the Wildcats on Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, and he recovered two Lenoir City turnovers during a 45-8 win over the Panthers in Lenoir City. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

LENOIR CITY—Oak Ridge senior Caleb Jackson scored two touchdowns for the Wildcats on Friday, and he recovered two Lenoir City turnovers during a 45-8 win over the Panthers.

Senior wide receiver Tee Higgins, a Clemson commitment, added three touchdowns for Oak Ridge.

The Wildcats scored on their first four drives, once after intercepting Lenoir City sophomore quarterback Gabe Williams.

Halfway through the regular season, Oak Ridge is undefeated at 5-0 overall and 3-0 in Region 3-5A.

Lenoir City fell to 1-4 and 0-2 with the loss at home on Cecil Thomas Field.

Oak Ridge plays Sevier County (1-4, 1-1 Region 1-5A) at home on Blankenship Field at 7:30 p.m. September 23. It’s Homecoming Night. [Read more…]

Show appreciation for first responders Saturday

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Police Lives Matter Rally Crowd

About 65 people attended a Police Lives Matter rally last year at Alvin K. Bissell Park on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Second Annual First Responders Appreciation Day is Saturday in Oak Ridge.

There are two events: an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast in the morning to raise money for the family of Maryville Police Department Officer Kenny Moats and a ceremony in the evening to honor local first responders.

The First Responders Appreciation Day is on Saturday, September 17, at Swifty’s Atomic Bar & Grill at 119 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The fundraising pancake breakfast is from 8 a.m. to noon at Swifty’s. The donation is $10. Moats was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call in late August. [Read more…]

Council wants to roughly triple proposed water rate at ORNL, Y-12

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The Oak Ridge Water Treatment Plant is pictured on Pine Ridge above the Y-12 National Security Complex. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

Note: This story was updated at 6:50 p.m.

Some Oak Ridge City Council members have questioned whether the federal government is paying enough for municipal water at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, and on Monday, four of them proposed roughly tripling a potential new high-volume water rate at the two federal sites in 2017.

The new water rate would apply to water consumption over 20 million gallons per month, which would limit it to ORNL and Y-12. The two sites use a total of more than 100 million gallons of water per month.

The new rate is expected to go into effect in April 2017 only if Oak Ridge and the U.S. Department of Energy aren’t able to agree on a contract for water at ORNL and Y-12 by the end of March. Those two federal sites now pay a flat annual rate but could default to what is known as a retail rate if the contract lapses.

The city staff had proposed a new default rate of $1.08 per thousand gallons for consumption over 20 million gallons starting January 1, 2017. The following year, in 2018, the staff had proposed a $1.35 rate.

But four City Council members—Rick Chinn, Charlie Hensley, Trina Baughn, and Chuck Hope—voted to raise the $1.08 rate in 2017 to $3 per 1,000 gallons. Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch, Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Smith, and Council member Kelly Callison voted against the increase. [Read more…]

Council to consider water rate, sewer rate, trash fee increases

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Oak Ridge City Council 2014

The Oak Ridge City Council is pictured above in 2014. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:38 a.m.

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider increases in the water and sewer rates that would go into effect in January 2017 and January 2018 during a regular meeting tonight (Monday, September 12). Council will also consider a trash fee increase that members endorsed during budget deliberations in June.

A 6 percent increase has been proposed for both water and sewer rates starting January 1, 2017. The next year, effective January 1, 2018, a 4 percent increase has been proposed for water rates and a 6 percent increase has been proposed for sewer rates.

A home that uses the minimum amount would pay an extra $2.26 per month for water and sewer starting in 2017 and an additional $2.17 per month in 2018.

A home that uses 5,000 gallons per month would pay $5.33 more per month for both water and sewer in 2017 and another $4.87 in 2018.
[Read more…]