Oak Ridge Today





City has second public meeting on new entrance sign

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Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge of a proposed sign along South Illinois Avenue/Pellissippi Parkway (State Route 62)

The City of Oak Ridge will have its second public meeting on a new sign at the city’s entrance on South Illinois Avenue at 3 p.m. today (Thursday, February 18).

The public meetings are to receive input on the design of the new sign, which will be at the entrance to Oak Ridge from Knox County in Solway.

The sign will be placed on the island between South Illinois Avenue (Pellissippi Parkway/State Route 62) and Bethel Valley Road. It would be near the exit drivers use to go to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex.

The public meetings are being held online on Zoom. The first meeting was Wednesday. During the meetings, people can join and view the designs, ask questions, and leave their feedback verbally or in the chat. The two meetings will be audio- and video-recorded and subtitles will appear on screen for those who are hearing-impaired.

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Construction of new water plant could start in May, be complete next year

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An image showing the interior of the proposed new 16-million-gallon-per-day water treatment plant at the City of Oak Ridge water intake on the Clinch River south of Bethel Valley Road. (Image courtesy of Jacobs Engineering Group and the City of Oak Ridge)

Construction of the new water plant at the city’s water intake on the Clinch River could start in May and be complete in December 2022, according to a proposed schedule presented to Oak Ridge City Council.

The Council on Monday will consider a construction administration contract for the new water plant, which would be south of Bethel Valley Road. It would be able to treat 16 million gallons of water per day.

If approved Monday, the professional engineering services agreement would be with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. of Knoxville. The contract would be valued at up to about $1.88 million. It would be for construction administration and observation of the construction of the new water treatment plant and a main transmission line.

Approval of the agreement with Jacobs Engineering on Monday could be contingent upon the city’s ability to use Drinking Water State Revolving Funding, which is pending approval, according to the resolution to be considered by Council.

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South Illinois Avenue to re-open by midnight

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South Illinois Avenue is expected to re-open by midnight Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, near the University of Tennessee Arboretum after being closed for more than two days because of a large high-voltage transmission tower that was knocked over in a crash on Friday. The repair work is pictured above on Sunday. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

South Illinois Avenue is expected to re-open by midnight near the University of Tennessee Arboretum after being closed for more than two days because a large high-voltage transmission tower was knocked over near the road in a crash on Friday. The road re-opening is expected to occur before the Monday morning commute.

Power is still out for a small southeast portion of the city near the crash site, including the University of Tennessee Arboretum, the City of Oak Ridge said Sunday evening.

The single-vehicle crash into the Tennessee Valley Authority steel lattice transmission tower was reported at Union Valley Road at about 4:15 p.m. Friday. That section of the four-lane road, also known as State Route 62 and Pellissippi Parkway, has been closed since shortly after the crash. The road is the main connection between Oak Ridge, Knox County, and Knoxville.

TVA and the Oak Ridge Electric Department worked over the weekend to replace the damaged transmission tower, which carries TVA and Oak Ridge power lines. The repair crews had help from the Oak Ridge Police Department and Oak Ridge Public Works Department. It was a complex emergency repair, the City of Oak Ridge said.

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Photos: TVA transmission tower repair

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Crews replace the Tennessee Valley Authority’s high-voltage steel lattice transmission tower knocked over in a crash at Union Valley Road and South Illinois Avenue on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The City of Oak Ridge has published photos of the work to replace the high-voltage steel lattice transmission tower knocked over in a single-vehicle crash at Union Valley Road and South Illinois Avenue on Friday.

The city said the Tennessee Valley Authority and Oak Ridge Electric Department crews are working together, with help from the Oak Ridge Police Department and Public Works Department, to “maintain a safe work environment for a very complex emergency repair.

“Crews are working to have South Illinois Avenue at Union Valley Road open as soon as possible,” the city said.

On Sunday, TVA said the repair work could be complete in time to re-open South Illinois Avenue, a four-lane roadway that connects Oak Ridge to Knox County, for the Monday morning commute. That’s assuming there are no delays due to weather or drilling problems.

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Crews repairing damage after crash knocks down power tower

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Crews repair the damage to the Tennessee Valley Authority distribution system after a pickup truck crashed into a steel lattice transmission tower, causing widespread power outages in Oak Ridge and the surrounding area on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. The work is pictured above on Saturday evening. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Crews were repairing the damage to the Tennessee Valley Authority power distribution system on Saturday after a pickup truck crashed into a large high-voltage steel lattice transmission tower on Friday, knocking it down and causing widespread electrical outages.

All four lanes of South Illinois Avenue (State Route 62) in Oak Ridge remain closed between Lafayette Drive/Scarboro Road and Bethel Valley Road while the repairs are being made. It’s not clear how long the work might take. The road remains closed because of heavy equipment, low hanging lines, and the safety of work crews, the City of Oak Ridge said Saturday.

Power to the University of Tennessee Arboretum remained out Saturday evening, the city said.

The steel lattice tower that was damaged Friday appeared to have been removed by Saturday evening, or it was no longer leaning near the roadway the way it had been Friday.

The crash was reported at Union Valley Road and South Illinois Avenue, near the UT Arboretum, at about 4:15 p.m. Friday. Three people were injured, and charges are pending against the driver.

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Current status of city facilities due to COVID

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Oak Ridge officials continue to ask residents to conduct municipal business over the phone and by phone when possible because of COVID-19.

On Wednesday, the City of Oak Ridge released an update about city facilities as the world continues to be affected by the pandemic.

The city said it is supporting the Tennessee Pledge of the state government. You can refer to State of Tennessee websites for updates and advice on precautions to be taken by particular businesses, a press release said.

City facilities will continue to be operated as below as precautions and security matters are considered for the safety of employees, and social distancing for customers, the press release said. Visitors may receive a temperature scan and be asked about their current health, the press release said. You can call the city manager’s office or department offices on the city’s website for more information.

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Oak Ridge Chamber’s ‘Reverse’ Christmas Parade on Saturday

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Santa will be on hand at this year’s Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s “reverse” parade to be held Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, from 6-8 p.m. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s annual Christmas Parade will be held this year, but with a twist. This year’s offering will be a “reverse” parade, a press release said.

The event will be held on Saturday, December 12, from 6-8 p.m. The theme of this year’s “reverse” parade is “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” More than 40 individuals and organizations have signed up to display along the parade route, the press release said. [Read more…]

Council asked to urge COVID precautions; 14 city employees have tested positive

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Fourteen city employees have had COVID-19 and 32 people have had to quarantine due to potential exposure since the pandemic began in March, and the Oak Ridge City Council will consider a resolution this evening that asks people to wear a mask, wash their hands frequently, avoid crowds, and maintain a distance from people outside their household.

All of the infected municipal employees have recovered, the City of Oak Ridge said in a brief statement in response to questions on Monday. The positive test results have been since March. It wasn’t immediately clear if the infections have been spaced out over time or if they have been clustered in any months.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson has recommended the precautions, according to a resolution that City Council will consider during a regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, November 9.

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City hires new personnel director

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Janice Harris

The City of Oak Ridge has selected Janice Harris as its new personnel director.

Harris, a retired Air Force master sergeant, was among 68 applicants. Five people were selected to advance to a final round before she was ultimately chosen for the role, a press release said.

“She is no stranger to the City of Oak Ridge, and she’s excited to get started,” the press release said. She has lived in the city since 2018.

“I’m excited for everything—just being able to work for the city,” Harris said in the press release. “Even though we’ve been living here for two years, I’ll get to see the city through a different set of eyes now.”

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Suspect identified in fatal hit-and-run

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Christhian Ordonez-Alvarenza

The suspect in the fatal hit-and-run crash on Tuesday morning has been identified as Christhian Ariel Ordonez-Alvarenza, 28, of Oak Ridge, a city spokesperson said Tuesday evening.

He was detained shortly after the crash and later charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving a death, driving while unlicensed, filing a false police report, and tampering with evidence, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

He was jailed in the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton on Tuesday night.

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Only those who meet CDC criteria can be tested Friday

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Free drive-through testing for COVID-19 started Wednesday morning, April 15, 2020, in the Oak Ridge High School parking lot. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Only people who meet certain criteria can be tested for COVID-19 at Oak Ridge High School today (Friday, April 17).

The criteria, established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include only people with COVID-19 symptoms, first responders, health care workers, and patients who may have been exposed to the virus, the City of Oak Ridge said Thursday night.

COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, or shortness of breath. COVID-19 is a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly.

Appointments for testing must be made online at KrogerHealth.com/COVIDtesting or by phone at (888) 837-8852.

If someone who meets CDC criteria is unable to register online or by phone, they can be registered on site, but they still need to meet the CDC criteria, the city said.

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Updated: Kroger Health testing all, regardless of symptoms

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Free drive-through testing for COVID-19 started Wednesday morning, April 15, 2020 in the Oak Ridge High School parking lot. Note: Some people’s faces have been blurred in the photo above to protect patient privacy. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Friday update: Only people who meet certain criteria can be tested for COVID-19 at Oak Ridge High School today (Friday, April 17). See newer story here.

Kroger Health is now testing everyone at an Oak Ridge site, regardless of whether they show symptoms of COVID-19, a city spokesperson said Thursday morning.

The testing site opened at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday morning, and it is open through Friday afternoon.

Initially, those who wanted to be tested had to have symptoms and meet testing criteria. Symptoms of COVID-19, a contagious respiratory illness that can be deadly, include fever, cough, or shortness of breath.

But the testing criteria changed after Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Wednesday announced free testing for all Tennessee residents.

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