Oak Ridge sophomore Herbert Booker (14) shoots the basketball around Bearden sophomore Drew Pember (3) during an 86-73 win for the Wildcats in the Region 2-AAA basketball championship at Wildcat Arena on Thursday, March 2, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Oak Ridge beat a young, talented Bearden team 86-73 in the Region 2-AAA championship at Wildcat Arena on Thursday. Here are photos by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]
Lamar Alexander
The United States Senate has confirmed former Texas Governor Rick Perry to serve as U.S. energy secretary, and Senator Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, has invited him to Oak Ridge.
The Thursday afternoon vote to confirm Perry was 62 to 37. Alexander was one of the 62 senators voting to confirm Perry. So was Senator Bob Corker, also a Tennessee Republican.
“I’ve known Rick Perry for a long time and am pleased the Senate has voted to confirm him as energy secretary,” Alexander said in a statement. “He appreciates the role the Department of Energy plays in the management and modernization of our nuclear weapons—an important part of the work done at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. He also understands that national laboratories like the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are essential to maintaining our country’s brainpower advantage. I have invited him to come to Tennessee early this year to see firsthand the important work done in Oak Ridge.” [Read more…]
The Big Ed’s Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, April 28, 2017, will benefit Community Mediation Services of Anderson Country, providing participants a great way to give back to the youth and families in the community while having a great day of golf. (Photo via Community Mediation Services)
The Big Ed’s Memorial Golf Tournament on April 28 will benefit Community Mediation Services of Anderson Country, providing participants a great way to give back to the youth and families in the community while having a great day of golf, a press release said.
It’s the 16th Annual Big Ed’s Memorial Golf Tournament. It will be on Friday, April 28, at the Oak Ridge Country Club.
“Oak Ridge Country Club provides a beautiful and challenging setting for all golfers,” the press release said.
The Tournament is a two-session, scramble format with two flights: 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Golfers will get a complimentary breakfast, beverage carts, and a smoked barbecue lunch. Prize contests for participants in each flight will be awarded and a Hole-in-One Grand Prize will be available. Free Big Ed’s shirts and golf towels for all golfers are included. A Silent Auction will be held in conjunction with the Tournament. Auction items will be available for viewing online at www.peacefulresolution.org.
The registration deadline is Monday, April 24 ($125/player; $500/team). [Read more…]
Pictured above are the Oak Ridge High School Wildcat state team qualifiers and coaches David Vander Sluis, far left, and Alicia Williamson, back right. (Photo courtesy Erik Groscost)
By Erik Groscost
The Oak Ridge High School Wildcat Swim Team dual meet record for the 2016-2017 swim season was 4 wins, 0 losses. We were undefeated for the second year in a row! The wins were over Farragut, Berean Christian, Knoxville Catholic, and Clinton/Anderson County high schools.
Our meet against Maryville was canceled due to the heater breaking at the Oak Ridge Civic Center pool in late December. Three weeks of key training were disrupted for both year round and high school swimmers. We found ways around that nuisance and our swimmers still had very good championship meet performances.
Our two big end-of-season championship meets: [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior Courtney Ellison (10) made three three-point shots during a 71-42 win over Hardin Valley in the Region 2-AAA championship at Wildcat Arena on Wednesday, March 1, 2017. She is defended here by Hardin Valley junior Abbey Cornelius (25). (Photo by Luther Simmons)
The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats won the Region 2-AAA championship for the second year in a row on Wednesday, crushing Hardin Valley 71-42 in their best overall game. Here are photos by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]
The Little Ponderosa Zoo in Clinton has flooded. The damage is unknown, but the animals are safe and dry, the zoo said Wednesday afternoon, March 1, 2017. (Photo by Little Ponderosa Zoo)
The Little Ponderosa Zoo in Clinton has flooded. The damage is unknown, but the animals are safe and dry, the zoo said Wednesday afternoon.
“We have been hit with a lot of water today,” The Little Ponderosa Zoo said. “We have been able to keep our animals dry, but the damage to our bridges and buildings like our concession stand is for now unknown. We will know more once the water has receded.”
See The Little Ponderosa Zoo page on Facebook for more information. See a video posted on the zoo’s Facebook page below. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge crews work to clear downed trees and power lines on Westover Drive on Wednesday, March 1, 2017. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)
Oak Ridge crews worked to clear downed tree and power lines on Wednesday. There were reports of trees and power lines down in parts of Anderson County, including Oak Ridge, as severe thunderstorms moved through the area.
There were no reports of damaged homes in Oak Ridge due to the storms.
Here are a few photos courtesy of the City of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]
The threat of severe weather is still in place for today. Be prepared! Make sure you have a way to get weather information and keep up to date on the latest forecast. (Image by National Weather Service in Morristown)
There are several weather advisories in effect for Oak Ridge this afternoon (Wednesday, March 1).
The severe thunderstorm warning is in effect until 2:15 p.m.
There is a flood advisory in effect until 4:15 p.m., and a flash flood warning until 4:30 p.m.
A wind advisory remains in effect until midnight. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones (3) shoots from three-point range during a 46-43 win over Maryville in a Region 2-AAA semifinal elimination game at Wildcat Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Maryville senior guard Easton Upchurch scored 25 points and made seven three-point shots on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to keep Oak Ridge from advancing to its fifth straight regional championship. Here are photos from the Region 2-AAA semifinal game by Luther Simmons. [Read more…]
Joel Donovan Packard
Police found suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia during a search of a home on Vermont Avenue early Friday morning, authorities said.
Two people were arrested on drug charges after the search, and two were arrested on outstanding warrants.
Warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Clinton said a search of the home at 306 Vermont Avenue found suspected methamphetamine, a blister pack containing four suspected pseudoephedrines, three suspected clonazepam, a snort straw, spoons with residue, black digital scales with residue, pipes, clear plastic baggies with residue, and an unknown white residue.
The two people arrested on drug violations, Joel Donovan Packard, 23, and Tiffany Lea Packard, 42, live at the Vermont Avenue home. Both remained jailed in the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton on Tuesday afternoon.
Both Packards have been charged with manufacturing, delivering, or selling Schedule II drugs; manufacturing, delivering, or selling Schedule IV drugs; maintaining a dwelling for manufacturing, selling, or delivering narcotics; and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The search was conducted at about 6:45 a.m. Friday, February 24, by the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County and the Oak Ridge Police Department.
Authorities have previously said that two other people, Jackson McGhee, 41, and James Brown, 27, were arrested after the Friday morning search on outstanding warrants in a related case. [Read more…]
Pictured above for the performances of “The Wizard of Oz” by Oak Ridge High School Masquers from March 3-5, 2017, are Lion: Tre Jackson; Scarecrow: Bronson Burdick; Dorothy: Lauren McCoig; and Tin Man: Dillon Nowhatchik. (Submitted photo)
Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s drama program, will present “The Wizard of Oz,” the classic musical, for four performances in March.
The performances are scheduled for Friday, March 3, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 4, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, March 5, at 2 p.m. All performances are in the Oak Ridge Performing Arts Center. Advanced tickets are $8 and are available at the ORHS office and The Ferrell Shop. At the door, tickets will be $10.
Under the direction of Dana Wham, who has directed, choreographed, or acted in numerous adult and children productions throughout the region, this year’s “The Wizard of Oz” continues the ORHS Masquers tradition of bringing excellent performances, impressive sets, amazing orchestration, and technical panache to the stage, a press release said. “The Wizard of Oz” combines an ambitious theatrical experience with the classic story for Frank L. Baum, the press release said. [Read more…]
Oak Ridge senior Anthony Gibson (23) again led the Wildcats in a playoff win, this time in a 68-38 Region 2-AAA quarterfinal win against West at home on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)
Note: This story was updated at 9 a.m. Feb. 28.
Oak Ridge senior Anthony Gibson again led the Wildcats in a playoff win, this time in a Region 2-AAA quarterfinal win against West at home on Saturday.
Gibson, a 6-foot-1 guard, scored a game-high 18 points in the elimination game at Wildcat Arena on Saturday. He had four three-points shots for 12 of those points.
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, Gibson led Oak Ridge with 24 points as the Wildcats won their fifth straight District 3-AAA championship with an 86-58 defeat of Powell.
With the Region 2 quarterfinal win on Saturday, Oak Ridge advanced to play Maryville at Wildcat Arena at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a semifinal elimination game. The winner of the Tuesday night Oak Ridge-Maryville game will move on to play in the Region 2-AAA championship. The season will be over for the loser.
“This is the toughest game of the year,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said. “There’s a lot on the line across the state.” [Read more…]
