Oak Ridge Today

Water line breaks in Oak Ridge, Clinton cause traffic detours

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Information from WYSH Radio

Water line breaks caused traffic detours in Oak Ridge and Clinton early Tuesday morning.

A water main break on West Outer Drive caused water to spill onto North Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge and freeze. The water was shut off, and crews worked to put down salt and sand on the roadway. Traffic was detoured around the area while crews worked to repair the line.

The early-morning water main break in Clinton shut down a portion of Main Street. Crews closed down the road between Weaver and Washington while they worked to repair the busted pipe.

Fire destroys Claxton home, two occupants uninjured

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Information from WYSH Radio

Two people escaped without injury early Tuesday morning after a fire broke out in their home in Claxton.

The fire was reported at a house in the 110 block of Tobby Hollow Lane at around 4 a.m., and Claxton firefighters responded to the scene. Two occupants of the house got out safely after their grown son, who lives next door, spotted the fire and alerted them.

Officials say the cold temperatures made it harder to extinguish the flames, adding that the home is a total loss.

Tobby Hollow Lane is off New Henderson Road across the Clinch River from Haw Ridge Park.

TVA power demand hits second-highest winter peak

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TVA Offices in Chattanooga

The Tennessee Valley Authority offices in Chattanooga are pictured above. (Photo courtesy TVA)

Power demand hit a peak of 32,460 megawatts at 9 a.m. Tuesday, the second-highest winter peak in Tennessee Valley Authority history.

The preliminary peak power demand occurred when the average temperature in the Tennessee Valley was a frigid 4 degrees, TVA said.

In a press release, the public utility said electricity use is now coming down. [Read more…]

Weather: Anderson, Roane schools closed Tuesday, Lunch with League canceled

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Anderson and Roane county schools will also be closed Tuesday due to hazardous road conditions, record low temperatures, and negative wind chills.

As reported earlier, students at Oak Ridge Schools will not return from Winter Break on Tuesday, but will instead start on Wednesday.

The Lunch with the League scheduled for Tuesday has been canceled due to the cold weather.

Anderson County Schools said its Central Office staff will follow bad weather procedures. Roane County Schools said the Central Office staff will report to work at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Wind chill values Monday night could range from -3 in Chattanooga to -16 in Oneida, with the forecast calling for -9 in Knoxville, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown. Wind chill values near Oak Ridge are forecast to range between -7 and -12.

TVA expects high electricity demand during cold wave

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TVA Offices in Chattanooga

The Tennessee Valley Authority offices in Chattanooga are pictured above. (Photo courtesy TVA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority expects plunging temperatures from an arctic cold wave moving across the region will produce high demand for electricity.

TVA’s bulk electric system remains secure and stable at this time, a press release said.

“TVA has been monitoring and carefully preparing for this blast of potentially record-cold weather since last week,” TVA Chief Operating Officer Chip Pardee said. “We have taken proactive measures so the system remains robust and reliable for our customers and power users across the Valley.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools opening delayed to Wednesday, press conference rescheduled

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Dangerously Cold Wind Chills

Students at Oak Ridge Schools will return to class on Wednesday, rather than Tuesday, and the Keys to College press conference that had been scheduled for Monday afternoon has been rescheduled due to the weather. And the Anderson County Schools Central Office is closed Monday, officials said.

As reported earlier, Roane County Schools are closed Monday.

The Oak Ridge Schools’ press conference on the Keys to College and Career Readiness program has been rescheduled to 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Oak Ridge High School lobby. [Read more…]

New security contractor for DOE Oak Ridge receives ‘commendable’ rating

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Joe L. Evins Federal Building

The Joe L. Evins Federal Building is one of three federal facilities protected by National Strategic Protective Services LLC in Oak Ridge.

The new security contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy in Oak Ridge has received a “commendable” rating for its performance protecting federal facilities.

National Strategic Protective Services LLC, a joint venture of Triple Canopy Inc. and Securiguard Inc., provides protective force services at the East Tennessee Technology Park, Joe L. Evins Federal Building, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“DOE recognized NSPS for its ability to quickly adapt and respond to customer needs while seamlessly assuming responsibility as the Oak Ridge protective force services provider in March 2013,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Hunt running for juvenile court judge

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Brian Hunt

Brian Hunt

Attorney Brian Hunt has announced that he is running for Anderson County Juvenile Court judge.

Hunt now serves as a judge advocate general at the rank of captain in the U.S. Army Reserves and has served as Lake City municipal judge since 2006, a press release said.

Hunt grew up in Clinton, attending Clinton Elementary School and Clinton Middle School, and he graduated from Clinton High School in 1996. He later received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2000 from The University of the South-Sewanee in Tennessee. He graduated from Ohio Northern University Law School in 2003 and began practicing law in 2003. [Read more…]

Snow, bitter cold from Sunday night through Tuesday; some schools closed

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Weather forecasters are calling for snow and bitterly cold conditions across the region from Sunday night through Tuesday, and they said Monday night could be the coldest night in more than 10 years.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said a cold front will approach the area Sunday night, and rain will transition to snow in the late evening, with arctic air moving in behind the front.

Low temperatures from Monday night into Tuesday will range from -6 degrees Fahrenheit to around 5 degrees across the region. Dangerously cold wind chills are expected Monday through Tuesday morning. Wind chills will drop to 15 to 25 degrees below zero across the plateau and mountains, and between 5 and 15 degrees below zero over the valley. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Today upgrading server Saturday afternoon

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Note: This story was updated at 7 p.m.

Oak Ridge Today will be moving to a new server on Saturday afternoon, and we will temporarily be unable to update our website.

The migration is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. today. We’ll let you know when it is complete. (Update: The server migration has been completed. Please let us know if you notice any issues.)

The migration should not affect your ability to read Oak Ridge Today. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs man charged with aggravated kidnapping, assault

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An Oliver Springs man was jailed on aggravated domestic assault and aggravated kidnapping charges early Wednesday morning after he allegedly locked a woman in a room on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge, hit her in the face, and choked her.

Reginald D. Holland, 46, of Wilson Lane, remained jailed Saturday morning. The alleged assault and kidnapping occurred just after midnight on Jan. 1.

The victim, who also lives in Oliver Springs, had “deep red marks on both cheeks and long red marks around her neck, consistent with someone striking (her) in the face and holding them down by the neck,” Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Christopher Bayless wrote in arrest warrants. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation names new director

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Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation Jenna Whitney and Lila Metcalf

Lila Metcalf, left, former director of the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, welcomes the new foundation director, Jenna Whitney. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation has named a new director.

Jenna Whitney started Jan. 1, the foundation’s board of directors announced this week. Whitney has more than 15 years of general management experience in the professional services industry and the U.S. government.

Whitney replaces the foundation’s first director, Lila Metcalf, who has announced that she is leaving the position after almost 10 years with the foundation. She will return full-time to her nursing career.

Whitney recently served as a program manager at a defense contracting firm with oversight of more than $59 million in U.S. government contracts, and she has directed a portfolio of engineering and technical support contracts, a press release said. She has worked overseas for the U.S. State Department, managing financial operations and leading strategic and technical initiatives. [Read more…]