Oak Ridge Today

UT students to host forum on intersection design for Pennsylvania at Tulane

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Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Public Works Department is teaming up with students from the University of Tennessee to explore alternative designs for the intersection at Pennsylvania and North Tulane avenues.

Some residents refer to the five-way intersection near Oak Ridge High School as “malfunction junction.”

The effort to explore alternative designs for the intersection is part of a senior project for the group of students from UT’s College of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a press release said. To help gather input from the community, the students will host an interactive open forum on Monday, March 4. The forum will be held in the Oak Ridge Public Library’s auditorium from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Water flowing across all lanes of Highway 95, which is closed

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The Oak Ridge Police Department said road closures due to flooding on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, include eastbound Highway 95 east of the Highway 95/58 split, pictured above; Gum Hollow Road; and Jefferson Avenue at Jefferson Circle and Royce Circle. (Photo courtesy ORPD)

The Oak Ridge Police Department said road closures due to flooding on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, include part of Highway 95, pictured above; Gum Hollow Road; and Jefferson Avenue at Jefferson Circle and Royce Circle. (Photo courtesy ORPD)

 

Water is flowing across all lanes of State Route 95 in west Oak Ridge, and the highway is closed, the Oak Ridge Police Department said Saturday afternoon.

ORPD Officer Trae Sweeten posted video of the flooding just west of Southwood Lane. Water is flowing across all lanes and into the nearby East Fork Poplar Creek, the ORPD said.

The ORPD said SR 95/58 is completely closed between Imperium Drive and Rarity Oaks Parkway.

“Conditions will worsen,” the ORPD said. “Please obey all road closures!”

[Read more…]

Updated: Rain causing widespread flooding, road closures

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The Oak Ridge Police Department said road closures due to flooding on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, include eastbound Highway 95 east of the Highway 95/58 split, pictured above; Gum Hollow Road; and Jefferson Avenue at Jefferson Circle and Royce Circle. (Photo courtesy ORPD)

The Oak Ridge Police Department said road closures due to flooding on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, include eastbound Highway 95 east of the Highway 95/58 split, pictured above; Gum Hollow Road; and Jefferson Avenue at Jefferson Circle and Royce Circle. (Photo courtesy ORPD)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2:45 p.m.

Days of continuous, heavy rain are causing widespread flooding and road closures in the area, including in Oak Ridge.

Late Saturday morning, the Oak Ridge Police Department said road closures include Gum Hollow Road, eastbound Highway 95 east of the Highway 95/58 split, and Jefferson Avenue at Jefferson Circle and Royce Circle.

“There are a number of flooded roads in Oak Ridge right now,” the ORPD said. “Please avoid areas with standing water and obey any road or lane closures for your own safety.”

Saturday afternoon, the Oak Ridge Fire Department said the ORPD conducted a water rescue at a partially submerged vehicle on Oak Ridge Turnpike (Highway 95) in west Oak Ridge.

The Police Department cited the advice that law enforcement officers and weather forecasters often give during flooding conditions: “Turn around, don’t drown.” [Read more…]

Lady Wildcats win fourth straight district championship

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats won their fourth straight district basketball championship with a 47-40 win over Campbell County at Karns on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats won their fourth straight district basketball championship with a 47-40 win over Campbell County at Karns on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

KARNS—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats won their fourth straight district basketball championship with a 47-40 win over Campbell County at Karns on Tuesday.

The girls rallied from a nine-point 24-15 deficit in the second quarter to take a lead that they didn’t give up at the end of the third quarter. The Lady Wildcats outscored the Lady Cougars 10-5 in the final quarter to expand their margin.

Oak Ridge senior Jada Guinn was named most valuable player of the District 3-AAA tournament, which was played at Karns High School. Guinn has been named district tournament MVP three of the past four years: 2016, 2018, and 2019.

“It feels good,” Guinn said after the Tuesday night win. She said the competitive Campbell County game helped prepare Oak Ridge for the next level, which includes the Region 2-AAA tournament that starts today (Friday, February 22). [Read more…]

(For members) MKAA prepares to provide aircraft approach data for Oak Ridge Airport

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A May 2018 draft of the airport layout drawing for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport at East Tennessee Technology Park along State Route 58 in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority/Michael Baker International)

A May 2018 draft of the airport layout drawing for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport at East Tennessee Technology Park along State Route 58 in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority/Michael Baker International)

 

A May 2018 draft of the airport layout drawing for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport at East Tennessee Technology Park along State Route 58 in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority/Michael Baker International)

ALCOA—If it is identified as a next step, the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority is prepared to provide data and a report to the Federal Aviation Administration about aircraft approach and departure paths at the proposed Oak Ridge Airport.

The MKAA approved an award worth up to $48,000 for the project during a committee meeting and board meeting at McGhee Tyson Airport in Alcoa on Wednesday.

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DOE needs more time for K-25 history projects

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An outside view showing the K-25 History Center, Equipment Building, and Viewing Tower at East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy U.S. Department of Energy)

An image published in October 2017 shows the K-25 History Center, Equipment Building, and Viewing Tower at East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy U.S. Department of Energy)

 

The U.S. Department of Energy is requesting more time to complete projects to commemorate the historic contributions of the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge.

Built during World War II, the K-25 site helped enrich uranium for the first atomic bomb used in wartime as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. The plant continued to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons and commercial nuclear power plants after the war, and those who have worked at the site have said it helped win the Cold War.

The history of the site will be honored by preserving the concrete slab of the former K-25 Building, building a Viewing Tower and replica Equipment Building on the south side of the building site, and opening a K-25 History Center on the second floor of the adjacent Oak Ridge Fire Station Number 4.

A historical interpretation agreement was signed in August 2012. But it expires this August. And the roughly $20 million worth of projects won’t be complete by then.

DOE is making “good progress,” but “the reality is we need a little more time,” said Dave Adler, acting deputy manager for DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. Adler and Steve Cooke, K-25 preservation coordinator for DOE, briefly discussed the proposed amendment to the agreement during a Tuesday evening work session with the Oak Ridge City Council. [Read more…]

CTF search finds meth, heroin, pills in Briceville

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A search by law enforcement officers at a home in Briceville on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, found large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin and hundreds of prescription pills, and charges are pending, a press release said. (Photo courtesy Anderson County Sheriff's Department)

A search by law enforcement officers at a home in Briceville on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, found large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin, and hundreds of prescription pills, and charges are pending, a press release said. (Photo courtesy Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

 

A search by law enforcement officers at a home in Briceville last week found large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin, and hundreds of prescription pills, a press release said. Charges are pending, the release said.

The Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force in Anderson County, which had search warrants, searched the home on Wednesday, February 13, according to a press release from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

The search warrants led to the discovery of one pound and two ounces of methamphetamine, 21 grams of heroin, and hundreds of prescription pills, the press release said. The suspect and owner of the property where the search warrants were served was located and interviewed, the release said. The approximate street value of the narcotics was $53,000.

The suspect was not identified in the press release. [Read more…]

TVA releases draft power generation plan

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The Tennessee Valley Authority has released a draft version of a plan that evaluates its options to meet its power generation needs during the next 20 years, and it is accepting public comments.

Under development since early 2018, the draft of the Integrated Resource Plan was released for public review on Friday.

The Integrated Resource Plan is a power planning roadmap, TVA said in a press release Wednesday. It examines a variety of economic, regulatory, and market-driven scenarios and strategies—both within and outside TVA’s control—to help the public utility respond to changing energy demands while continuing to provide reliable power at the lowest possible cost, the press release said.

“The 2019 IRP emphasizes the importance of flexibility in our generation in response to the changing energy marketplace,” said Laura Campbell, TVA vice president of enterprise planning. “TVA looked at a wide range of possible futures, and flexibility is important in every case to ensure a reliable power supply.” [Read more…]

Council, DOE to discuss proposed amendment to historical interpretation agreement

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The Oak Ridge City Council and U.S. Department of Energy will discuss a proposed amendment to a historical interpretation agreement on Tuesday evening.

The agenda for the non-voting Council work session does not give the purpose of the proposed amendment or say what it might do.

But it appears that the proposed amendment could be related to historical interpretation at the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge because one of the DOE representatives scheduled to talk to Council is Steve Cooke, K-25 preservation coordinator for the U.S. Department of Energy. Also scheduled to talk to Council is Dave Adler, acting deputy manager for DOE’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge police chief to discuss crime, traffic safety

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Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

The next Lunch with the League program will be held on Tuesday, February 19.  The speaker will be Oak Ridge Police Department Chief Robin Smith.  His topic will be titled “Data Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety.”

The meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Smith has served with the Oak Ridge Police Department since 2012. He served as a lieutenant for two years before being promoted to captain and then deputy chief. He was appointed ORPD Chief in October 2018. [Read more…]

No injuries reported when car crashes into school bus

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No one was injured when a car crashed into an Oak Ridge school bus on Thursday, police said.

The two-vehicle crash was reported at about 6:55 a.m. Thursday in the eastbound lanes of Oak Ridge Turnpike at Salem Road.

School bus #64 was struck on the driver’s side near the rear axle by a car pulling out onto the Turnpike from Salem Road, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. [Read more…]

TVA board unanimously approves closing Bull Run Fossil Plant

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The Tennessee Valley Authority's Bull Run Fossil Plant is pictured above in Claxton on Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Fossil Plant is pictured above in Claxton on Monday, Aug. 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors unanimously agreed Thursday morning to close the Bull Run Fossil Plant, a coal-burning power plant in Claxton.

The single-generator plant is across the Clinch River from east Oak Ridge.

In another plant retirement, the board voted 6-1 Thursday to close the one coal-fired generator still operating, Unit 3, at the Paradise Fossil Plant near Drakesboro, Kentucky.

The vote on Paradise was 6-1 on Thursday, with board member Kenneth Allen dissenting.

Paradise Unit 3 could be retired in December 2020, and Bull Run could be closed December 2023, TVA said. Bull Run has been reported to be running at about 30 percent capacity for several years. [Read more…]