Oak Ridge Today

Calhoun’s opening on Oak Ridge waterfront

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The Riverside Grille was closed Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, and developers and businessmen Rick and Ryan Chinn announced the property on Melton Lake Drive has been sold to the Copper Cellar restaurant family. On Wednesday, March 30, the sign announced that the restaurant will re-open soon. (February 2016 file photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:27 p.m.

Calhoun’s is opening a restaurant on the Oak Ridge waterfront. The restaurant will be on Melton Lake Peninsula, where Riverside Grille and Flatwater Grill used to be.

Calhoun’s has applied for a beer permit from the Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board, which will consider the application on Wednesday, April 6.

The restaurant will be owned by the Copper Cellar Corporation, which purchased the property from businessmen and developers Rick and Ryan Chinn in February.

It’s not clear when Calhoun’s will open. The beer permit application said the restaurant will open in April. Restaurant executives were not available for comment Wednesday. [Read more…]

Tech 2020 to sell building; other groups will continue organization’s work

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The board of directors for Technology 2020, which is located in Commerce Park in south Oak Ridge, voted Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016, to wind down operations after more than two decades of operations. Tech 2020 announced March 30 that it will sell the building. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Tech 2020 Board of Directors approved a plan Tuesday that allows many of the organization’s top initiatives to be continued under the leadership of other enterprises, officials said. The Tech 2020 building, which is located in Commerce Park in south Oak Ridge, will be sold.

In January, the Tech 2020 Board agreed to wind down operations after more than two decades.

“Our goal these past few months has been to preserve some of Tech 2020’s important resources, and we believe we’ve accomplished that with the plan approved at Tuesday’s meeting of the Board,” said David Bradshaw, Tech 2020 chair.

That plan calls for the transfer of several of the Tech 2020 regional missions to other organizations on or before April 30, and the financial assets of a fourth to be returned to its founding members, a press release said.

“When the Board voted on January 26 to wind down operations, it asked that we explore options to transition existing missions to other not-for-profit organizations,” Bradshaw said in the press release. “We asked interested organizations to outline their ideas, and we are pleased that several have stepped forward with concrete proposals.” [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge-Union County baseball

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The Oak Ridge-Union County baseball game at home on March 26, 2016, when the Wildcats won 8-7. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats went 3-2 in the Kevin Calia Tournament at home on Friday and Saturday.

The Wildcats beat Cookeville 5-4 and Kingston 11-4 on Friday, but lost to Webb 6-4 that day. Oak Ridge defeated Union County 8-7 on Saturday afternoon, but lost to William Blount 7-5 that evening.

See more photos of the Oak Ridge-Union County game below.

The Wildcats (9-4, 3-2 District 3-AAA) were defeated 7-2 at Gibbs on Monday, and will play the Eagles (6-4, 4-3) again at home this evening (Tuesday, March 29). That game starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Baseball Complex.

The Wildcats will play at Rhea County (4-7, 2-1 District 6-AAA) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Here’s a look at the season results before the Kevin Calia Tournament: [Read more…]

Small nuclear reactors on Clinch River could power several cities the size of Oak Ridge

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The small nuclear reactors that could be built along the Clinch River could provide enough electricity to power several cities the size of Oak Ridge. The Bear Creek Road entrance to the Clinch River Site, where the reactors could be built by the Tennessee Valley Authority, is pictured above on Sunday, March 27, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The small nuclear reactors that could be built along the Clinch River could provide enough electricity to power several cities the size of Oak Ridge. They could also be, depending upon the timing, the first commercial reactors of their type in the United States.

They’re known as small modular reactors, or SMRs. They could generate 80 to 200 megawatts each. One hundred megawatts is enough to power about 60,000 homes. Oak Ridge has about 12,000 homes.

Several companies are working on SMR designs, but so far none have been certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said Jim Hopson, public relations manager for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

By May 12, TVA plans to submit an application to the NRC for what is known as an early site permit to build SMRs on the Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge. Hopson likened an early site permit, or ESP, to a pre-approval for a home loan, although he said that is an oversimplification.

“It’s similar to pre-approving yourself for a loan,” Hopson said Friday. “You get the preliminaries out of the way.” [Read more…]

Man rescues woman from porch during house fire on Robertsville Road

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TJ Giles and Jacky Smith at Robertsville Road House Fire on March 25, 2016

Oak Ridge Fire Department Investigator Thomas (T.J.) Giles, left, talks to Jacky Smith, who carried a woman from a porch during a house fire on Robertsville Road on Friday evening, March 25, 2016. (Photo by Tom Scott)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:20 a.m.

An Oak Ridge man rescued a disoriented woman from a porch during a house fire on Robertsville Road on Friday evening, authorities said.

The fire was reported at 7:22 p.m. Friday at 394 Robertsville Road.

Firefighters found heavy fire and smoke coming from the windows and attic of the home when they arrived, Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said.

Jacky L. Smith, of Oak Ridge, said he was driving west on Robertsville Road when he noticed smoke coming from the house. He turned around and found Ruth Stewart sitting on her front porch confused. He asked Stewart if she knew her house was on fire and she replied, “Yes, I was cooking, and the stove caught on fire,” Kerley said in a press release. [Read more…]

Eighth rowing lane could cost more than $500,000, up to about $1.2 million

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Twelve of the nation’s best NCAA Division I women’s rowing teams competed this month in the Cardinal Invitational Regatta in Oak Ridge. Pictured above, a West Virginia University team competes at Oak Ridge Marina on Saturday, March 12, 2016. The eighth lane would require some work along the Melton Lake Drive side of the course, which is on the right side of this picture. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 5:30 p.m.

An eighth lane at the seven-lane Oak Ridge rowing course could cost more than $500,000 and up to about $1.2 million, officials said Tuesday.

The eighth lane has been on the wish list of rowers and many local officials for years. They say it would allow the Oak Ridge Rowing Association to compete for bigger races and international regattas, which require an eighth lane. It would also keep the site a top-tier rowing venue and provide more on-water capacity, allowing more competitors in events. It’s also expected to significantly increase the economic impact of rowing races, or regattas.

Officials announced a $250,000 state grant for the eighth lane in April 2015.

In August, the city hired Barge, Waggoner, Sumner, and Cannon Inc. for design and survey work, among other tasks.

A March 1 memo from BWSC to Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director, outlines five construction options with various estimates of probable costs ranging between $543,771 and $1,162,444. The five estimated construction costs include a 20 percent contingency. All five options would include a retaining wall and earthwork, which would include excavation and dredging. [Read more…]

Firefighters stop Cedar Hill Park fire from spreading

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The Oak Ridge Fire Department douses a bench that caught fire, possibly due to cigarettes discarded in mulch, at Cedar Hill Park, a beloved community-built playground, on Tuesday, March 22, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A fire that burned a bench at Cedar Hill Park—a beloved community-built playground—might have been started by cigarettes discarded in mulch, authorities said.

The fire was reported at about 10:22 p.m. Tuesday. Firefighters were able to extinguish it within 10 minutes or less.

The quick response likely prevented additional damage to the playground on a windy night, Oak Ridge Fire Department Battalion Chief David Harrington said.

Firefighters don’t think the fire was intentional, Harrington said.

He said the bench was made of a plastic composite-like material. [Read more…]

Taco Bell temporarily closed after truck crashes into building

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A landscaping truck crashed into the Taco Bell on South Illinois Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, March 22, 2016. (Photo by Oak Ridge Police Department)

 

Note: This story was updated at 5:48 p.m.

The Taco Bell on South Illinois Avenue is temporarily closed after a landscaping truck crashed into the building on Tuesday afternoon.

The crash was reported at about 2:10 p.m. Tuesday at 353 South Illinois Avenue. The Oak Ridge Police Department and Oak Ridge Fire Department both responded.

An Eastwood Landscaping truck crashed into the front of the building, a press release said. The driver of the vehicle was Joshua Tice, 25, of Knoxville. The cause of the crash was determined to be driver error, and no charges are being filed. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge-Clinton baseball

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Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today

Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats baseball team beat Clinton 11-6 at home on Monday. Here are photos by John Huotari.

The Wildcats are 5-1 overall and 2-1 in District 3-AAA.

The Dragons are 4-2 overall and 1-2 in District 3-AAA.

Oak Ridge will play at Clinton tonight (Tuesday, March 22).

The Wildcats’ one loss this season was at Halls on March 16.

See the Oak Ridge baseball schedule here.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today

Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today

 

Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today

Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today

[Read more…]

Comfort Inn closed for few days after fire on Saturday

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The Comfort Inn in Oak Ridge will be closed for a few days for renovations after a fire on the fourth floor early Saturday, March 19, 2016, officials said. (Photo by Tom Scott)

 

The Comfort Inn in Oak Ridge will be closed for a few days for renovations after a fire on the fourth floor of the five-story hotel early Saturday, officials said.

The fire was reported at 5:15 a.m. Saturday in an air-conditioning unit in a window area at the end of the hallway on the fourth floor.

The 112-room hotel was more than 90 percent occupied with rowers from Oak Ridge Marina and off-road-vehicle riders from Windrock Park north of Oliver Springs, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department said the hotel’s sprinkler system turned on automatically and helped keep the fire under control, which likely saved lives and property.

“There’s no doubt the sprinkler system helped keep the fire from getting any larger,” Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said. [Read more…]

Wildcats start soccer season with 4-0 win over Campbell County

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Oak Ridge senior forward Matt Warmbrod (5) scored Oak Ridge’s second goal during a 4-0 win over Campbell County at home on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats started the regular soccer season with a 4-0 win over Campbell County at home on Tuesday.

The Wildcats outshot the Cougars 20-2.

The Wildcats played four pre-season games, and senior Jose Rodriguez, the second-leading scorer last year, injured his ankle. But he should be back in a week or two, Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly said.

Senior defender Blake Clowers also did not play Tuesday because of medical issues, Trombly said.

New to the team this year is senior Wildcats football player Matt Warmbrod, who primarily played linebacker. Warmbrod played up front for the Oak Ridge soccer team on Tuesday and scored one of the Wildcats’ four goals. Trombly said Warmbrod had played soccer until the eighth grade but then focused on football.

He had a busy night on Tuesday, picking up two shots and a goal in just the first half against Campbell County. Warmbrod had been a defender in soccer but converted to forward, Trombly said. [Read more…]

Photos: Rowers in Oak Ridge for spring training

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Several hundred rowers are in town for spring training from March 13-19, 2016, at the Oak Ridge Marina. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Several hundred rowers are in town for spring training at the Oak Ridge Marina. Here are pictures by Julio Culiat.

Marc DeRose, executive director of the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, estimated there could be between 500 and 750 rowers in Oak Ridge for spring training.

The Oak Ridge Rowing Association lists 11 teams in town this week, from March 13-19.

They are: [Read more…]