Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge wins district soccer championship 5-0 over Halls

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Wildcats Soccer District Championship 2015

The Oak Ridge Wildcats boys soccer team won the district championship for a second year in a row, beating Halls 5-0 at home on Friday. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats boys soccer team beat the Halls Red Devils 5-0 at home on Friday to repeat as District 3-AAA champions.

The Wildcats (14-3-2) had been ahead 1-0 at halftime, but they opened up a large lead in the second half with a flurry of four goals in less than 15 minutes. Halls (10-4) struggled to get the ball out of its end of the field and had no shots on goal, compared to 23 for Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly said the Red Devils appeared to be a “little tired” in the second half, playing so much defense against the Wildcats.

“We’ve got a pretty good team,” Trombly said. “We’ve been peaking toward this point.” [Read more…]

ADFAC: Give Mom a late Mother’s Day treat—on purpose!

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Popeyes Dine and Donate May 2015

Two children stop by Popeye’s in Oak Ridge for a quick after-school snack. Dedicated to providing “Louisiana Fast” food, Popeye’s menu takes a step outside the box, offering chicken and seafood prepared spicy or blackened. Side items range from freshly made biscuits and Cajun fries to red beans and rice and jambalaya. (Photo submitted by ADFAC)

 

On Monday, May 11—the day after Mother’s Day—several local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

Across Oak Ridge and Anderson County, these 12 restaurants provide a unique opportunity for a slightly late gift that gives back to the community.

“The moms in our lives do so much to help us and others,” said Cande Seay, chair of the Dine and Donate committee. “A special meal out is a great way to show your appreciation of Mom’s hard work. Dining out on Monday, May 11, at one of our fabulous Dine and Donate restaurants gives you the chance to treat your Mom and pay it forward in her honor!”

Restaurants participating on Monday, May 11, are: [Read more…]

Land Bank has first housing strategy meeting on Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Land Bank Housing Strategy

The Oak Ridge Land Bank Corporation will host its first housing strategy meeting on Thursday. The goal is to address the city’s housing situation while building partnerships in a collaborative effort to promote the city “as the place to live and work by improving our community’s neighborhoods,” a press release said.

The work session is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

Agenda items including the state of housing, a mobile tour, and partner presentations by ADFAC (Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties), Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, Oak Ridge Housing Authority, and Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. [Read more…]

BES Technologies celebrates one million gallons of recycled water

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

BES Technologies Rad Waste Water Laundry Operations

BES Technologies LLC, or BEST, has reached a major milestone by recycling one million gallons of radiological waste water through its laundry operations at the East Tennessee Technology Park.

“This represents the prevention of one million gallons of water that would have gone into our environment, but instead was cleaned and re-used,” a press release said. “This recycling process not only avoids environmental insult, but also allows for savings to be passed on to customers by cleaning and reusing water.”

The press release said the laundering service uses a state-of-the-art radiological water treatment system, and it is able to reuse more than 70 percent of the water used in its process. [Read more…]

Sound Company presents Songs of Seuss on Friday, Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Sound Company Songs of Seuss

The Sound Company Children’s Choir of Oak Ridge presents Songs of Seuss in historic Grove Theater this weekend. Performances are scheduled for Friday, May 8, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 9, at 3 p.m.

“The rhetorical dexterity of Theodor Seuss Geisel, which inspired the stylings of ‘Seussical the Musical’ on Broadway, is inspiring our young performers today to stretch their imaginations and creativity,” said Sound Company director Katy Wolfe.

“Sound Company vocalists, from elementary to high school ages, will be singing selections from ‘Seussical,’ exploring new ways to express visually and aurally a sense of wonder at the world around them,” Wolfe said in a press release. “Just like the original works of Dr. Seuss, these songs can entertain young and old alike!”

During the performance, you may recognize a certain cat in a red striped hat, the press release said. [Read more…]

Atomic Heritage meets with Japanese mayors to discuss Manhattan Project park

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

AHF Meets with Nagasaki and Hiroshima Mayors

AHF President Cindy Kelly with Nagasaki Mayor Tomahisa Taue on her right and Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui on her left. (Photo by AHF)

 

The Atomic Heritage Foundation, the nonprofit organization that worked for 15 years to create a Manhattan Project national park, met with the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki this month to discuss how the story of the atomic bomb will be interpreted.

The meeting, which was held at the Institute of International Education at the United Nations Plaza in New York City, marked a “positive first step in opening a dialogue with the Japanese, whose input will be important to the interpretation of the new park,” a press release said. In addition to the two mayors, the Atomic Heritage Foundation also met with Japanese local government officials.

The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first nuclear weapons during World War II. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will include Oak Ridge; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington.

The meeting in New York City on Friday, May 1, began with opening remarks from Nagasaki Mayor Tomahisa Taue and Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, who described the suffering of those affected by the atomic bombing, a press release said. They expressed hope that interpretation of the new Manhattan Project Park would not end with the dropping of the bomb but also “focus on what happened under the mushroom cloud.”

The United States dropped one bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, and a second over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Japan surrendered a few days later. Uranium for the first weapon, code-named “Little Boy,” was enriched at federal sites in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Total reported crimes down 18 percent in Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

There was an overall 18 percent drop in reported crimes in Oak Ridge in 2014, officials said Thursday.

The annual numbers, which compared 2014 to 2013, were released by the Oak Ridge Police Department and the City of Oak Ridge.

Anderson County released its annual crime statistics on Wednesday, and they showed crime was down in all of the county and its cities by 12 percent in 2014—and down by 42 percent over the last eight years.

The Oak Ridge numbers were generated by Oak Ridge Police Department Crime Analyst David Gordon in coordination with the Anderson County District Attorney General’s Office.

“The Police Department achieved reductions in crime from last year in many categories,” a City of Oak Ridge press release said. “However, some are of particular note and should be highlighted.

“Here is a quick summary of the attachment for 2014 crime stats (compared to 2013), with an approximate +/- factor of .5 percent, which includes those reductions which are most significant: [Read more…]

DA: Crime down 12 percent in Anderson County

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Dave Clark

Dave Clark

Crime dropped 12 percent in Anderson County and its cities in 2014, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said Wednesday.

It’s the eighth year in a row that crime has dropped, according to statistics released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Clark said in a press release. He said crime is down 42 percent in the county and its cities during the past eight years.

During that same period, crime was down in Tennessee by an “impressive” 16 percent, Clark said.

“However, locally, we have more than doubled the crime reduction that has been accomplished across the state,” he said. [Read more…]

Investigation continues, suspect info released in Y-12 FCU kidnapping, extortion

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Police Department at Y-12 Federal Credit Union

Oak Ridge Police Department officers and detectives responded to the Y-12 Federal Credit Union on Tuesday morning, April 28, for what was later reported to be a kidnapping and extortion plot involving a credit union employee’s family and the Oak Ridge branch of the credit union.

 

Authorities continue to investigate a kidnapping and extortion plot involving the Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge last week, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has released some information describing the three suspects.

The alleged kidnapping and extortion started at about 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, April 28, when a credit union employee’s family was kidnapped from the Whittington Creek neighborhood in west Knox County in an effort to extort money from the credit union, the FBI said in a press release on Wednesday.

“The employee’s family was held at gunpoint for a period of time before being released in the Gettysvue Country Club parking lot in Knoxville, around 9:25 a.m.,” the release said. “Upon being released, the victims were able to seek help from a nearby residence. During the law enforcement response, the suspects fled and remain at large. No injuries were reported, and no money was taken from the credit union.” [Read more…]

Top issues identified: Housing, population, Main Street, retail

Posted at
By 3 Comments

Warren Gooch

Warren Gooch

A community survey has identified housing, population, and the development of Main Street Oak Ridge and retail shopping as top issues, Mayor Warren Gooch said Tuesday.

Other top issues include jobs and economic development, and public relations efforts to promote the city.

High priorities on a list of potential capital investments or projects include infrastructure improvements, a new preschool, and funding of an incentive program for people buying or renovating a house.

Ten groups have participated in the survey since January 1, Gooch said. Those groups include the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, the three Rotary clubs, Oak Valley Baptist Church, Anderson County Tea Party, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce coffees, Leadership Oak Ridge, Neighborhood Watch awards banquet, and citizens at large.

Gooch, who gave a speech to the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge on Tuesday, said residents can still participate in the survey.

Here are survey results as of April 30, 2015:

What is the most important issue facing Oak Ridge?

[Read more…]

Man who allegedly stabbed vehicle, chased driver faces assault charges

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Timothy Jim Phillips

Timothy Jim Phillips

An Oak Ridge man who allegedly stabbed the hood of a vehicle and chased the driver at an apartment complex on Monday morning has been charged with aggravated assault and vandalism, authorities said.

The driver fled the vehicle, but he was allegedly chased by Timothy J. Phillips, 55, a press release said.

“The driver of the vehicle eventually punched Mr. Phillips in the head, causing him to fall to the ground,” said the release, from the City of Oak Ridge. “The driver of the vehicle sustained a minor cut on one finger; Mr. Phillips had a laceration on his forehead and was bleeding from the mouth.”

Phillips was arrested and taken to the Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, where he received treatment for his injuries. He was then taken to the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton and charged with aggravated assault and vandalism, the press release said. [Read more…]

Groundbreaking, demolition for Main Street Oak Ridge on schedule for June 30, mayor says

Posted at
By 4 Comments

Warren Gooch

Warren Gooch

Groundbreaking and demolition for Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, is on schedule to begin by June 30, Mayor Warren Gooch said Tuesday.

The $80 million redevelopment of the 60-acre site in the heart of the city is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated project of the past decade.

Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina company that has proposed Main Street Oak Ridge, announced last week that MDC Development Group of Atlanta will be the hotel developer at the site.

“MDC is also a major developer in the senior housing industry and 15 months ago opened Canterfield Oak Ridge Assisted Living,” Gooch said. “It has been very successful and well-received in our community.” [Read more…]