Oak Ridge Today has added a Pets section on our home page, and we are working with the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter to feature adoptable pets through a Pet of the Day feature. We posted the first featured pet today (Sunday).
Thank you to the Animal Shelter and its volunteers for suggesting this feature.
We have also periodically received requests to add a section on Oak Ridge Today for lost and found pets. We’re working on that feature with the Animal Shelter and will let you know when it’s ready.
Freshman Tee Higgins of the Oak Ridge Wildcats fires up fans with a one-handed dunk during the Friday night win over the Powell Panthers.
Led by the 26 points of senior Jaylin Henderson, the Oak Ridge Wildcats opened up a large lead against Powell in the second half on Friday night, avenging a loss to the Panthers earlier this season with a 79-47 win.
The Panthers (10-6, 6-4 in District 3) jumped out to an early lead as the Wildcats missed some easy shots in the first quarter. But the 6-foot-1 Henderson kept the Wildcats alive, and senior Isaac Merian dropped in a three-pointer near the end of the first quarter that gave Oak Ridge its first lead of the night. The Wildcats (19-5, 9-1) never looked back.
Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said it was likely the best game of the year for Henderson, a senior guard. He defended well, didn’t force shots, and wasn’t selfish with the ball, Green said. Henderson had six rebounds and five assists. [Read more…]
JCPenney at the Oak Ridge Mall will stay open as the company closes 33 stores across the United States.
The JCPenney in Oak Ridge will stay open as the retailer closes 33 underperforming stores across the United States.
The list of closures announced Wednesday includes only one Tennessee store, the JCPenney at Northgate Mall in Chattanooga.
The JCPenney in Oak Ridge is at the city’s mostly empty mall, where a $85 million redevelopment has been proposed. Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina company that has had a purchase contract on the mall since January 2013, has said the renovated 59-acre site could open in 2016 and include a mix of retail and office space, a hotel, and up to 50 multi-family residential units, as well as a few restaurants. Belk and JCPenney are expected to stay. [Read more…]
Information from Dudley Evans/BBB-TV
The Oliver Springs Town Council on Thursday night voted 5-0 to appoint Don Shillings to serve out the remaining two-plus years of former Alderman James Brummitt’s term.
Brummitt resigned two weeks ago from the alderman’s position, saying he wanted to devote more time to family and his other political seat as as Roane County commissioner, where he also serves as chairman. Shillings was one of two names brought before the Council during the meeting. He was present and, immediately after the vote, was sworn in and took his seat.
No stranger to politics, Shillings served two terms on the Oliver Springs Town Council in the past, one a four-year term and the other a two-year term. He thanked his fellow council members and the mayor for their support, and he said he looks forward to serving the citizens again in Ward 6.
On Thursday, federal agents investigate the Oliver Springs offices of TOPS, a U.S. Department of Energy subcontractor.
Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. Jan. 17.
OLIVER SPRINGS—A federal subcontractor that works at U.S. Department of Energy sites in Oak Ridge is under investigation by several federal agencies, including the FBI, IRS, and DOE Office of Inspector General.
Federal agents were at the Oliver Springs headquarters of the contractor, TOPS, on Thursday, but officials would not comment on the investigation. The office is on Winter Gap Road, next to Highway 62 just north of downtown Oliver Springs.
Dennis Holenstein at the IRS’ Nashville Field Office confirmed that agents from IRS Criminal Investigations were assisting with the investigation, but he referred a reporter to the DOE Office of Inspector General. The IG, in turn, referred calls to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said its policy is to neither comment on, nor confirm or deny, the existence or status of a pending investigation.
Now demolished, the former K-25 Building at the East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy)
Workers at the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, were asked to shelter in place for about 30 minutes early Thursday afternoon as police officers searched for an armed person who had been reported to be traveling from the Clinton area to west Oak Ridge.
It was the same search that led to a brief lockdown at Jefferson Middle School at about 1 p.m. Thursday, said Mike Koentop, U.S. Department of Energy spokesman in the Oak Ridge Office.
“It was not related at all to any DOE activity,” Koentop said. “Steps were taken as a precaution.” [Read more…]
Jefferson Middle School
Jefferson Middle School was briefly locked down early Thursday afternoon as police searched for a person armed with a handgun at a nearby business.
The Oak Ridge Police Department began searching for the person at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday after receiving information that the individual, who is not identified in a press release, had just left the Clinton area and might be on the way to the west end of Oak Ridge.
“Oak Ridge police personnel from the Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Administration divisions immediately deployed throughout the city to locate the individual, and at approximately 12:52 p.m., information was received that the individual may have been in a vehicle in the Home Depot parking lot in Oak Ridge,” an ORPD press release said. “Oak Ridge police unmarked units identified a vehicle matching the description of the individual’s vehicle in the parking lot and requested the Jefferson Middle School initiate a lockdown, as it was nearby. [Read more…]
Chuck Fleischmann
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill funding the federal government for 2014, avoiding government shutdowns for the rest of the fiscal year and providing some fiscal certainty for the weak economic recovery, Congressman Chuck Fleischmann’s office said in a statement Wednesday.
“For too long Congress has jumped from crisis to crisis, and that is neither good for the economy nor the American people,” said Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican whose district includes Oak Ridge. “The bill, which passed the House today with bipartisan support, provides zero new funding for Obamacare, protects all current pro-life policies, and provides real fiscal oversight. This bill was a compromise and is not perfect, but it is a step in the right direction and holds the line on spending priorities.”
The vote for the $1.1 trillion spending bill, which will fund the government through October, was 359-67, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats opposed in the Republican-led House. The legislation now goes to the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, and it is expected to pass it easily this week. [Read more…]
Gregory Allen Denton
The Anderson County man who surrendered as officers prepared to use tear gas after an eight-hour standoff that started on Batley Road early Wednesday morning had fired a handgun at his renters, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Gregory Allen Denton, 50, of Batley Road, had allegedly assaulted Benjamin Emory, 47, inside the home and then fired a shot at him, Anderson County Sheriff Paul White said in a press release. Denton is also accused of shooting at Emory’s girlfriend, Angela Badgett, 45, as she fled from the home. Neither Emory or Badgett were shot.
Deputies responded to the shots-fired call near Oliver Springs at about 3 a.m. Wednesday. When they arrived, they found Emory injured from the assault on the rear porch and took him to safety. Emory was treated by Anderson County Emergency Medical Services, White said. [Read more…]
It’s shaping up to be a big election year, and Oak Ridge Today has added a special 2014 Election section to help you keep up with the candidates and issues. You can access that section by clicking on the 2014 Election button in the navigation bar near the top of the website.
As of Friday, there were already more than three dozen candidates for various state and county offices in Anderson County. [Read more…]
Victoria “Vickie” Bannach
Assistant District Attorney General Victoria “Vickie” Bannach is running as a Republican candidate for Anderson County Juvenile Court judge.
“As a parent and prosecuting attorney, she has seen first-hand the importance of stable families, strong values, good education, and discipline in raising healthy, well-adjusted children, and maintaining a safe community,” a press release said.
Bannach is one of five potential candidates for Anderson County Juvenile Court judge. The current juvenile court judge, Brandon Fisher, a Clinton Democrat, is running for Anderson County chancellor.
In the press release, Bannach said she will ensure that the children and families of Anderson County are treated with compassion, and reunification, fairness, and equality will be considered in juvenile court cases. At the same time, the best interests of the children will be protected, she said.
“The residents of Anderson County deserve no less,” Bannach said. [Read more…]
Chuck Spencer
Note: The following is a copy of the message that B&W Y-12 President and General Manager Chuck Spencer sent to employees on Friday.
I wanted to be the first to tell you about these organizational changes, but given the speed of media you may have already heard them from other sources. If so, I apologize.
When I arrived at Y‑12 in August of 2012, the site had just experienced a significant security event and was at a very low point. However, we immediately set about to work together to rebuild security and to regain the confidence of our many stakeholders. To do that, we have gone through much change and worked tirelessly. What I am most proud of is how we immediately became more introspective. How we all began to question virtually every aspect of our business. Not just security, but operations, maintenance, our assurance system, development, engineering, etc. We did this not because we were performing poorly in these areas, but because that is what a good company does. It is willing to look at itself with a critical eye so that it can be the best at what it does. I am very proud of what you have accomplished in the year and a half you have allowed me to be a part of your team and am confident that you are well prepared for a great future. Given that, it is with mixed emotions that I need to inform you that I plan to return to my position as chief operating officer for B&W’s Technical Services Group. [Read more…]
