Oak Ridge Today

Labor Day Concert: Dale Pendley retiring as conductor

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Dale Pendley and the Oak Ridge Community Band are pictured above in this submitted photo.

Dale Pendley and the Oak Ridge Community Band are pictured above in this submitted photo.

 

Submitted

As summer comes to a unofficial close on Labor Day, it is official that Dale Pendley’s many years of outstanding service as conductor of the Oak Ridge Community Band from 2001 to 2018 comes to a close as he heads into retirement. The Community Band is inviting all Oak Ridgers and area residents, particularly former Community Band members, former band students of Pendley during the years he worked as an educator in the Oak Ridge Schools, family, and friends to come on down to A.K. Bissell Park on Monday, September 3, at 7 p.m. to join with band members in giving Dale Pendley a warm send-off and many best wishes for his retirement.

Dale Pendley has been with the Oak Ridge Community Band since 1996, originally as a member of the trombone section, later becoming assistant conductor in 1998, and he was appointed the band conductor in 2001 after the retirement of former director Steve “Doc” Combs. Pendley is a graduate of Tyner High School in Chattanooga and received his bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He taught in the Knoxville City Schools and started the band program in the Grainger County Schools. From 1980 to 2012, he taught band in Oak Ridge Schools at both Jefferson Middle School and Oak Ridge High School. In addition to teaching and conducting, Pendley has performed with the University of Tennessee Trombone Choir, the Babahatchie Community Band, the Oak Ridge and Knoxville Symphony Orchestras, and numerous jazz and dance bands. Dale and his wife Rita have three grown children and one grandchild. [Read more…]

TVA seeks public comments on dry ash storage at Bull Run

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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’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 accepting public comments on proposed changes to plans for converting from wet to dry handling and storage of coal ash and other materials at its Bull Run Fossil Plant near Claxton, across the Clinch River from Oak Ridge.

The proposed changes are detailed in a draft supplemental environmental assessment posted at www.tva.gov/nepa, a press release said. This supplemental assessment will look at proposed environmental impacts of a revised plan to close and partially remove wet ash impoundments on site at Bull Run.

“TVA plans to repurpose the stilling impoundment and a portion of the fly ash impoundment for use as process water basins,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Creswell leaving Roane Allliance

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pat-postma-and-wade-creswell-young-professional-award-dec-9-2016-scaled

Pat Postma, left, presents the Postma Young Professional Medal to Wade Creswell, chief executive officer of Roane Alliance, during an East Tennessee Economic Council meeting on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. (DOE photo courtesy Lynn Freeny)

Note: This story was updated at 2:25 p.m.

Wade Creswell, president and chief executive officer of Roane Alliance, is leaving his position to begin work with an area business. His last day at the Alliance will be September 21.

The departure was announced Wednesday by Chris Whaley, chair of the Roane Alliance Board of Directors.

Pam May, Roane Alliance vice president, will serve as interim president and CEO until the board decides on the long-term future of the position, a press release said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the great work that Wade has done in his four and a half years leading the Roane Alliance,” Whaley said in a statement sent to the Board of Directors for the Roane Alliance, Chamber of Commerce, and Industrial Development Board. “His passion, vision, and love for Roane County have fueled his tireless work for this county and region, and I sincerely appreciate all he has done.” [Read more…]

Explore Oak Ridge president resigns

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Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose, president of Explore Oak Ridge, announced Thursday that he plans to resign from the position next month to pursue other career goals.

DeRose served as president of Explore Oak Ridge, the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, for four years, a press release said. He plans to remain in the position until September 30 to assist in the search and transition to a new president.

“I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve Oak Ridge as president of Explore Oak Ridge,” DeRose said in a press release. “The team at Explore Oak Ridge, the board of directors, and our partners at the City of Oak Ridge were a critical part of every success Explore Oak Ridge experienced over the past several years. I’m confident that I’ll be leaving the organization in exceptional hands. The decision to leave Explore Oak Ridge was difficult and required a lot of consideration by my family and me.” [Read more…]

Items from AMSE on Tulane will be for sale

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The American Museum of Science and Energy is pictured above on South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge on Monday, Jan. 2, 2017. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Items from the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue will be available for sale from September 6-8.

That museum location closed in July as officials move the museum to a renovated building at Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. The new museum is expected to open in October.

The public property sale in September was announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Energy Integrated Support Center—Oak Ridge and the American Museum of Science and Energy Foundation. The sale will take place September 6-8 at 300 South Tulane Avenue, the AMSE facility on Tulane Avenue. [Read more…]

Barker names chief deputy, jail administrator

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Brian Galloway

Brian Galloway

Russell Barker, who will be sworn in as Anderson County sheriff on September 1, has named his chief deputy and jail administrator.

Brian Galloway will serve as chief deputy, and Richard Parker will serve as jail administrator.

Galloway will replace Mark Lucas, who is retiring August 31 after losing to Barker in the race for sheriff in the August 2 general election in Anderson County.

Parker will replace the current jail administrator, Avery Johnson. [Read more…]

CNS settles with DOE, NNSA over improper shipment, storage of classified records

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A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It's pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A large off-site building on Pine Ridge that was once used to store records for the Y-12 National Security Complex. The building is pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC has reached a settlement agreement with federal officials over the improper shipment and storage of classified archived records at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

The settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration requires CNS, which manages and operates Y-12, to implement corrective actions and pay a $73,000 monetary remedy.

The settlement agreement was entered into on July 23 between CNS, NNSA, and DOE’s Office of Enterprise Assessments’ Office of Enforcement.

In a July 13 letter, NNSA Administrator Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty and Kevin L. Dressman, acting director of the Office of Enforcement, said CNS made a decision in 2016 to vacate an off-site records storage facility on Pine Ridge that had met DOE requirements.

To vacate that building, CNS sent boxes of inactive archived records, dating back to 1943, to one of three U.S. National Archives and Records Administration facilities: unclassified records went to two different federal records centers based on whether the records were textual or non-textual (e.g., films), and classified records, regardless of the medium, were transferred to a federal records center that is authorized to store classified information. [Read more…]

WYSH: Clinton bridge replacement contract awarded

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Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge

The Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge on Clinch Avenue near downtown Clinton is pictured above in December 2013. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Information from WYSH Radio

WYSH Radio has reported that the contract to replace the Lewallen Bridge on Highway 25W/State Route 9 (Clinton Highway/Clinch Avenue) over the Clinch River near downtown Clinton 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.

The bridge connects downtown Clinton and north Clinton to south Clinton.

The aging bridge is due for replacement, according to the state, and while it is still considered safe, the replacement will address looming concerns regarding the structure due to its age. [Read more…]

TVA evaluating power generators, including Bull Run Fossil Plant

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

 

Note: This story was updated at 8:50 p.m.

An assessment by the Tennessee Valley Authority will evaluate its power generators, including the coal-burning Bull Run Fossil Plant in Claxton, and determine whether the plants will be needed in the future, a spokesperson said Monday.

The focus of the assessment, which could take three to six months, will be 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.

No decisions have been made yet, Brooks said.

He said TVA is assessing its entire generating asset base, including coal, nuclear, natural gas, and hydropower. The public utility is always evaluating its energy mix and making decisions, Brooks said. TVA President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Johnson cited a “mismatch” between energy supply and customer demand, according to S&P Global, which attended a quarterly TVA board meeting in Knoxville on Wednesday.

The results of the assessment will be provided to the TVA board of directors. It’s not clear yet if the assessment will include a recommendation to the board, but the board could make a decision based on the assessment. [Read more…]

Man pleads guilty to murder in shooting in Walmart parking lot

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Robert Keith Myers

Robert Keith Myers

 

Note: This story was last updated at 5:33 p.m.

A 33-year-old man pleaded guilty to murder Monday after a shooting in the parking lot at the Walmart in Clinton last year, and he also pleaded guilty to attempted murder and kidnapping after severely beating and shooting at a woman near Briceville, authorities said.

Robert Keith “Robbie” Myers pleaded guilty on Monday to the second-degree murder of Marshall Pinsly on April 28, 2017, and he also pleaded guilty to the attempted second-degree murder and kidnapping of Brandy Moneymaker on February 8, 2017, according to Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark. The plea agreement was heard in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Monday, Clark said in a press release.

Myers received back-to-back prison sentences of 15 years and 12 years. He has an effective sentence of 27 years, which he will serve without the possibility of parole, Clark said. [Read more…]

Soccer: Oak Ridge girls defeat Farragut for first time since 2008

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Oak Ridge sophomore Katelyn Mattus (31) is pictured above with freshman Lexi Foley (4) of Farragut during a 5-2 win for the Lady Wildcats at home on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Oak Ridge sophomore Katelyn Mattus (31) is pictured above with the soccer ball while defended by freshman Lexi Foley (4) of Farragut during a 5-2 win for the Lady Wildcats at home on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge sophomore Katelyn Mattus (31) is pictured above with freshman Lexi Foley (4) of Farragut during a 5-2 win for the Lady Wildcats at home on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Oak Ridge sophomore Katelyn Mattus (31) is pictured above with the soccer ball while defended by freshman Lexi Foley (4) of Farragut during a 5-2 win for the Lady Wildcats at home on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge girls defeated Farragut in soccer on Tuesday for the first time since 2008.

The two teams played Tuesday evening at the Pro2Serve Soccer Complex at Oak Ridge High School. The Lady Wildcats (2-0) won 5-2.

The last time the Oak Ridge girls beat Farragut was in a 3-0 regional semifinal win in 2008. Since then, they’ve had two ties (in 2009 and 2010), and every other game has ended in a loss, according to the coaching staff.

Oak Ridge senior Kate Hausladen scored two goals for the Lady Wildcats on Tuesday, one in the third minute of the game and the other in the 52nd minute.That last score from Oak Ridge came as Hausladen got behind the defense on a breakaway down the left side of the field and angled a shot across the front of the goal that bounced in off the right post.

Hausladen’s two-goal performance against the Lady Admirals on Tuesday followed a hat trick (three goals) against Knoxville Catholic at home on Thursday, August 16. Oak Ridge won that first regular-season game 4-2.

The Lady Wildcats play Christ Presbyterian Academy of Nashville at home on Saturday. The junior varsity game starts at 4 p.m., and the varsity game begins at 6 p.m.

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See more photos from Tuesday’s game here.

MCLinc buys Mitchell Road facility, plans to open new lab next year

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Photo courtesy Akins Public Strategies

Photo courtesy Akins Public Strategies

 

MCLinc has purchased a 41,000-square-foot facility located on Mitchell Road, where it will move its new laboratory and headquarters in early 2019 after remodeling part of the building for lab use.

The building will include a new laboratory and office space, along with about 16,000 square feet of space that will be rented to other tenants.

“While our original plan was to build a new laboratory in Horizon Center, time constraints of construction of the facility made it necessary for us to look at other opportunities,” said Barry Stephenson, MCLinc president and chief executive officer. “We are committed to our employees and to the community of Oak Ridge, where we have operated for the past 20 years, and we’re excited about what the future holds as we expand our laboratory and staff.”

In addition to saving 20 current positions with the move, MCLinc forecasts adding 26 new positions during the first five years of operations in its new facility, a press release said. [Read more…]