Oak Ridge Today

No students injured when car hits school bus

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

No students were injured when a car crashed into the front of a school bus that had stopped to pick up students at Hillside Road and Highland Avenue on Wednesday morning, officials said.

Diane Gibson, transportation director for Oak Ridge Schools, said the driver was picking up two students when she heard a crash and then watched as a car hit the front of Bus 1937 from Willow Brook Elementary School.

“There was nothing she could have done differently,” the schools said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. [Read more…]

Rescuers locate trio stranded overnight on Windrock Mountain trail

Posted at
By 3 Comments

Rescuers have located three people stranded overnight on Windrock Mountain near Oliver Springs.

The trio—ages 19, 22, and 24 years old—were stuck in vehicles on a trail and called Anderson County 911, authorities said.

“Our dispatch mapped the coordinates and forwarded the information to the rescue squad,” Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.

He said all three were located. The two men were checked out by EMS at the scene, and the woman was taken to Methodist Medical Center as a precaution. [Read more…]

Kentucky man avoids serious injury when hit by car

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

A Kentucky man escaped serious injury when he was hit by a car Sunday evening in Clinton.

Clinton police officers were called to the intersection of Hillvale and Seivers Boulevard shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday after a car driven by Jade Richardson of Jellico struck 54-year-old James Thompson of Morehead, Ky. Richardson told police she had been headed north on Hillvale near the entrance to the Hampton Inn when the car in front of her suddenly swerved, revealing Thompson in the middle of the road. She tried to avoid contact but hit Thompson with the left front side of her car. A witness corroborated that version of events.

Thompson was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center by ambulance for treatment of leg injuries, and Richardson was not hurt. No citations were issued.

Clinton home damaged by chimney fire

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

A chimney fire caused some minor damage to a home on Brandawyne Drive in Clinton on Monday afternoon.

Clinton firefighters responded to the home shortly after 3:45 p.m. after receiving a call of a chimney fire. Firefighters used water to extinguish the fire in the fireplace and sprayed water down the chimney from the roof as well, while also clearing the burning debris from inside the fireplace.

Damage was estimated at around $1,000, and no injuries were reported. Crews cleared the scene about an hour and 15 minutes after the first unit arrived.

Wildcats headed back to state tournament after 62-55 win over Dobyns-Bennett

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Seth Davis Oak Ridge and John Fulkerson Dobyns-Bennett

Dobyns-Bennett’s John Fulkerson (#20) and Oak Ridge’s Seth Davis (#5) scramble after a loose ball. (Photo by Ned Jilton II/Kingsport Times News)

Note: This story was last updated at 12:05 p.m. March 5.

The Oak Ridge Wildcats will play in their second consecutive state tournament after a 62-55 win over Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport on Tuesday.

It was another comeback victory for the Wildcats, who had been down 27-35 at halftime.

“We won the game in the second half defensively,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said.

He said senior Kevin Steen, who led the Wildcats with 16 points, sparked the team with 10 points in the third quarter, including a two-handed dunk off a rebound. [Read more…]

Charges pending against ORHS student who assaulted officer, police say

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Charges are pending against an Oak Ridge High School student accused of assaulting an officer and classmate on Monday, authorities said.

An Oak Ridge Police Department press release said School Resource Officer Michael Swigert saw the 17-year-old male involved in a disturbance with a high school staff member at about 2:13 p.m. Monday. The staff member said the unruly boy had just assaulted a 17-year-old female classmate, the release said.

“Officer Swigert attempted to contact the student, who refused to comply with the officer’s commands and continued to create a disturbance, yelling, slamming doors, and knocking over a floor sign,” the press release said. “When Officer Swigert ordered the student to cease his actions, the student again refused to comply and assaulted the officer.” [Read more…]

Family Day at the Civic Center on March 15

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the Second Annual Family Day at the Civic Center from noon to 4 p.m. March 15. All activities except public swim and concessions are free. Concession items will include hot dogs, nachos, chips, cookies, juice, and soft drinks. A chili cook-off will be held in the Social Room. Those wishing to participate in the competition should call the Civic Center front desk to sign up.

Discounted public swim times, in 30-minute increments, will be offered for $1. Children two and under are free. The public swim is open to everyone and is scheduled at the indoor swimming pool from 12:30–1, 1:15–1:45, 2–2:30, and 2:45–3:15 p.m. Lifeguards will be on duty. If parents wish to supervise their children from the pool deck, they must pay admission and be dressed in swimming attire. If children do not need direct parental supervision, the pool can be viewed through glass windows in the snack bar and lobby areas.

Family activities will be offered throughout the Civic Center. They will include pool, ping pong, foosball, crafts, and board games. Active games, including badminton, corn hole, and family versions of volleyball and basketball, are planned for the gymnasium. [Read more…]

With new ISO rating, ORFD among top in nation

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Darryl Kerley

ORFD Chief Darryl Kerley

Improvement could lower commercial rates in particular, help recruitment

The Oak Ridge Fire Department has been notified by the Insurance Service Office that the fire protection rating for the department will be improving to a Class 2, a press release said.

ISO has been evaluating and assigning fire protection ratings to fire departments since 1971. Insurance companies use the fire protection ratings to determine home owners and business insurance premiums. ISO evaluates fire department equipment, station locations, training, fire prevention efforts, and many other factors to assign a protection rating.

The ORFD has held a Class 3 rating for nearly 15 years but will now be a Class 2 department effective June 1, 2014. According to information from ISO, of the 47,250 fire departments across the country, less than 650 obtain a rating of Class 2 rating or better. [Read more…]

TVA completes retaining wall, the largest of its kind, at Kingston ash spill

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Kingston Ash Spill Retaining Wall

KINGSTON—The Tennessee Valley Authority has achieved a significant milestone in its cleanup of the ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant—the completion of an earthquake-resistant, underground retaining wall around the containment cell at the recovery site.

The wall, which completely surrounds the 240-acre containment cell where recovered ash will be permanently stored, was completed on Feb. 20, almost a month ahead of schedule.

“I’m extremely proud of the project team for accomplishing this major undertaking,” said Bob Deacy, TVA senior vice president of projects. “They kept safety at the forefront and completed this significant milestone ahead of schedule.”

Construction of the wall began in summer 2011. Two high-capacity, long-reach hydraulic excavators dug trenches that were 4 feet wide and reached depths between 40 and 70 feet. More than 200,000 tons of cement and other materials were used to construct the wall, which is embedded 70 feet into the bedrock.

It is the largest wall of its kind in the U.S. at nearly 64,000 linear feet, the equivalent of 12 miles, and is designed to withstand a magnitude 6.0 earthquake. [Read more…]

City egg hunt April 12

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2014 Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 12. Hundreds of children are expected to participate in this annual spring event, and more than 15,000 candy and prize filled eggs will be hidden in A.K. Bissell Park with a first, second, and third place prize egg in each age group, a press release said.

Participants should assemble in the Civic Center gymnasium prior to 110 a.m. The children will be divided into separate age groups from four years old through 4th grade, and they will be escorted to their respective hunt areas. This event will be held “rain or shine,” so participants should dress for the weather. If severe weather prevents hiding the eggs outdoors, they will be given away in the gym and a drawing will be held for the prizes.

The Recreation and Parks Department staff will make a reasonable effort to provide appropriate accommodations for special needs. Parents of children who require a more accessible hunt area are encouraged to call ahead. [Read more…]

Education Foundation will award $80,000 more to Oak Ridge teachers

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation will award another $80,000 in grants to Oak Ridge teachers this year, and applications are now being accepted for the 2014 grant cycle.

This year, the Foundation will award $80,000 in grants to teachers, administrative staff, and student groups as part of its ongoing “Making the Critical Difference” campaign. Grant applications are due no later than March 31.

This campaign provides resources and teaching tools over and above those funded with tax dollars, typically in the range of $500 to $5,000, a press release said. The grants are not intended for salaries or to replace items that may have been cut from the schools’ annual budgets. Since the program began in 2004, the Foundation has awarded a total of more than $399,000 to dozens of teachers in every grade. ORPSEF grants may be made for educational programming, professional development, equipment, facilities, travel, conferences, or other purposes that might be approved by the Foundation. [Read more…]

ORISE report shows nuclear engineering graduation rates on the rise in 2013

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Number of graduate degrees expected to remain consistent but undergraduate degrees could see decrease starting in 2015; UT among Top 3 degree-granting programs

The number of college students graduating with majors in nuclear engineering continues to increase, according to a report by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, which surveyed 32 U.S. universities with nuclear engineering programs. The report, titled “Nuclear Engineering Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2013 Data,” includes degrees granted between Sept. 1, 2012, and Aug. 31, 2013.

Graduate, undergraduate nuclear engineering degrees increased from last year [Read more…]