Oak Ridge Today

Longtime county employee retires after 36 years

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Brenda McKamey Retires From Anderson County

Longtime Anderson County government employee Brenda McKamey, center, is pictured above with Mayor Terry Frank, left, and Budget Director Chris Phillips. (Submitted photo)

Brenda McKamey recently retired after 36 years working for the Anderson County government.

McKamey was hired on July 7, 1977, to work as a clerk in the Anderson County Budget Office. She was scheduled to retire on July 7.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank proclaimed July 7, 2013, as Brenda McKamey Day in Anderson County. [Read more…]

Peace group wants fence removed from longtime Y-12 protest area

Posted at
By 7 Comments

Y-12 Fence on Scarboro Road

The temporary fence erected at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex encloses an area, pictured above, that has been used for protests and vigils for years. An Oak Ridge organization that wants to eradicate nuclear weapons has asked a federal court to order the removal of the fence before an Aug. 6 ceremony.

Calling it an assault on their First Amendment rights, an Oak Ridge organization has again asked a federal court to order officials to remove a fence that blocks an area long used for protests, vigils, and demonstrations in front of the Y-12 National Security Complex.

The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, which opposes Y-12’s nuclear weapons production work, filed the preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Friday. The lawsuit, which amends a complaint filed in April, names new U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz as the sole defendant.

OREPA wants the U.S. Department of Energy to reopen a small grass field near Y-12’s main entrance at East Bear Creek and Scarboro roads before an annual Aug. 6 demonstration. If it is left in place, the temporary fence erected April 1 would cause “irreparable harm” to First Amendment rights—including the rights of free speech, peaceful assembly, and the ability to petition the government for a redress of grievances, OREPA said. [Read more…]

Red Hot Horn Dawgs play at Secret City Sounds on Friday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Red Hot Horn Dawgs

The Red Hot Horn Dawgs will play at a Secret City Sounds concert on Friday, July 19. (Submitted photo)

Secret City Sounds continues its Summer Concert Series with The Red Hot Horn Dawgs on Friday, July 19. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Civic Center Pavilion located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The Red Hot Horn Dawgs are a nine-piece band with a full horn section and extroverted showmen, and the group’s musical library spans the best years of American popular music, from Otis Redding and Elvis Presley to Billy Joel, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Kid Rock, and Toby Keith, a press release said. [Read more…]

CNBC: Tennessee ranks second-best in America for transportation, infrastructure

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

For the fourth year in a row, Tennessee’s transportation system ranks as one of the best in the nation, according to CNBC’s 2013 study “America’s Top States for Business.” According to the report, Tennessee ranks second-best in America in the category of “Transportation and Infrastructure,” up from fourth place in 2012.

Tennessee is also the only state topping the list that has no transportation debt. Many states across the nation carry transportation debt and must allocate a large portion of their funds to interest payments, according to a press release from the Tennessee Department of Transportation. [Read more…]

Better late than never: Postponed fireworks shows on Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

A few of the area’s postponed Independence Day celebrations and fireworks shows will be held today, Saturday, July 13.

In Kingston, “Smokin’ the Water” begins at 11 a.m. at City Park with a car show, a watermelon eating contest, a homemade raft race, a kids area, vendors, games, laser tag, and more. Fireworks will be shot at dark.

Lake City’s annual celebration will be held beginning at 2 p.m. with a car show and games on the ball field. Fireworks will be shot at 10 p.m. Merle FM’s own Big Rick—who celebrates his birthday today—will broadcast from the Lake City celebration Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m.

Anderson County Fair starts Sunday with pageants

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Fair starts Sunday at Anderson County High School with the Tiny Miss and Fairest of the Fair pageants.

The Tiny Miss pageant will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday and the fairest of the Fair—including the Princess, Junior, and Senior divisions—will be held at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 and kids ages six and under will get in free. For more information, visit www.andersoncountyfairtn.com.

Johnson Gap Road railroad bridge closed

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

Anderson County Road Superintendent Gary Long announced Friday that the railroad bridge on Johnson Gap Road will be closed until further notice while railroad crews make safety-related repairs. Johnson Gap Road is between Sulphur Springs and Dutch Valley roads northeast of Oak Ridge.

David Scott returns to coach ORHS girls basketball

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge High School athletic director Mike Mullins announced Friday that ORHS alumnus David Scott will return as the girls head basketball coach for the Lady Wildcats after a two-year hiatus. Scott replaces Karra Jackson, who posted a 29-29 record in her two seasons at the helm before leaving to become the head coach at Ryle High School in Union, Ky.

Scott, 49, was elevated to head coach at Oak Ridge after serving four years as an assistant under ORHS legend Jill Prudden, who compiled a 908-161 overall record, which included winning three state championships and six state runners-ups, a press release said. Prudden stepped down in 2010. [Read more…]

Milky white water, half-dozen dead minnows, but no hazardous materials found

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Hazmat Spill Oak Ridge Civic Center Creek

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responds to a possible hazardous materials spill on Thursday evening at a creek that flows through the Oak Ridge Civic Center. (Photo courtesy ORFD)

The water was milky white and there were a half-dozen dead minnows on Thursday evening, but the Oak Ridge Fire Department was unable to find any hazardous materials in a small creek that flows through Alvin K. Bissell Park in the center of the city.

“We couldn’t detect what it actually was, and we couldn’t find any place that it was introduced into the stream,” ORFD Chief Darryl Kerley said Friday.

Kerley said medium and larger fish in the area were okay and so was a snapping turtle. [Read more…]

Ulster Project has annual Irish Fry on Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Ulster Project has its annual Irish Fry on Saturday.

It will include a full traditional breakfast of eggs, sausage, tomatoes, beans, soda bread, juice, coffee, and tea served by Ulster Project teens from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in St. Mary’s Church cafeteria in Oak Ridge. The breakfast costs $8 per person and $7 for seniors (65+).

Price Florist gets another 30-day reprieve from demolition, repair order

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Price Florist

A city board has declared Price Florist on Oak Ridge Turnpike a nuisance and unfit for human occupation and use, and members have given the property owner 30 days to develop a repair plan, get a demolition permit, or reach an agreement to sell it.

Price Florist on Oak Ridge Turnpike got another 30-day reprieve from a repair or demolition order.

Property owner Patricia Warren of Crossville said she is cleaning up the property and has three serious prospective buyers. Two, including a chain that sells “products that you consume,” would demolish the building, and the third would relocate an existing Oak Ridge business from the edge of town to the 0.35-acre site in the heart of the city, Warren said. [Read more…]

Officials to offer update on Alexander Inn project tonight

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Guest House

The Guest House in Oak Ridge, now known as the Alexander Inn, as it looked during the top-secret Manhattan Project in World War II. (Photo by Ed Westcott)

Rick Dover, general manager of the company converting the historic Alexander Inn into an assisted living center, will provide an update on the project during an Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association meeting this evening.

Also present will be Knox Heritage’s Ethiel Garlington, director of preservation field services for the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. today (Thursday, July 11) in the Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road at the corner of Robertsville Road and Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]