Oak Ridge Today

About 620 customers lose power during Sunday outage

Posted at
By 4 Comments

About 620 customers lost power during a Sunday afternoon outage, Oak Ridge Electric Director Jack Suggs said Monday.

The outage started around 3 p.m. and lasted until 4:45 p.m. It affected the center of the city north of Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Suggs said workers did not find the exact cause, but they suspect it was a tree limb that fell onto an electrical line and then blew off or fell through before workers arrived.

The outage affected the Oak Ridge Public Library, Oak Ridge High School, and Grove Center. [Read more…]

Trunk Sale features jewelry, art; benefits Habitat for Humanity

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Bombay by Design Trunk Sale Flier

A Trunk Sale at Grove Center this weekend will benefit Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, and it will feature items ranging from exquisite jewelry and exotic beads to apparel and linen, organizers said.

The sale is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 105 Randolph Road.

Other items will includes accessories, handicrafts, and tribal and bohemian art, organizers said. Merchandise is designed and crafted by banjara (gypsies) and artisans in India.

Sound Company choir has auditions Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Sound Company

Members of Sound Company, the Oak Ridge Children’s Performing Show Choir, sing in a concert during the 2012-2013 season. The choir is holding auditions starting at 9 a.m. Saturday. (Photo by Linda Miller Ripley)

Sound Company, the Children’s Performing Choir of Oak Ridge, will be hosting auditions for the 2013-2014 school year starting at 9 a.m. Saturday at High Places Community Church in Grove Center.

The organization is primarily seeking boys and girls in first and second grades as well as boys in grades three through twelve, a press release said. Girls in grades three through twelve are welcome to audition, but there are limited openings. [Read more…]

Machines start moving dirt, debris; knocking down trees at Kroger Marketplace

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Kroger Marketplace Site Work

A half-dozen excavators, scrapers, dump trucks, bulldozers, and loaders move dirt and debris and knock down trees late Friday afternoon on the north side of the planned Kroger Marketplace shopping center in central Oak Ridge. The heavy equipment pictured above is working near Raleigh Road and the former Robin Lane.

An official groundbreaking for the new Kroger Marketplace shopping center hasn’t been announced yet, but a half-dozen bulldozers, dump trucks, excavators, loaders, and scrapers were moving dirt and debris and knocking down trees late Friday afternoon on the north side of the 25-acre site in central Oak Ridge.

The heavy equipment was working near Raleigh Road and the former Robin Lane, just southwest of Grove Center.

Oak Ridge Today has requested more information from a Kroger spokesman in Atlanta and will provide additional details as they become available. [Read more…]

Habitat for Humanity celebrates reorganized, cleaned-up store

Posted at
By 9 Comments

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Local officials and Habitat for Humanity workers and volunteers celebrate with a June ribbon-cutting ceremony at the renamed home store, which has been cleaned up and offers lower prices, officials said.

Local officials and Habitat for Humanity workers and volunteers celebrated the opening of a reorganized, cleaned-up store in Grove Center during a June ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Formerly known as the Home Store, it’s now called ReStore, said Jennifer Sheehan, interim executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County.

Four large shipping containers that had been in front of the store and used for storage have been removed, and trees have been trimmed, creating a better line of sight to the store from the road, Sheehan said.

“We’re working hard to improve curb appeal,” she said. [Read more…]

Beer Board approves short September suspension for Back 2 Brewski’s

Posted at
By 6 Comments

The Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board approved a suspension of up to two weeks for a Grove Center bar that was the scene of an April 14 fight involving two men, including one who police said was very intoxicated.

But the beer permit suspension, scheduled to start Sept. 1, could be shortened to one week if Back 2 Brewski’s meets a few requirements, including proving that employees who need training on responsibly serving alcohol complete a course by Aug. 30. [Read more…]

Pumpkin Fest, regatta, car show this weekend

Posted at
By 7 Comments

From a regatta and football to a car show and pumpkin festival, there is much to do in Oak Ridge this weekend.

Tonight, the Oak Ridge Wildcats football team wraps up its regular season with a 7:30 p.m. game at Campbell County.

On Saturday, the Secret City Head Race starts at 8 a.m. at the Oak Ridge Marina, and the annual Pumpkin Fest starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. in Grove Center.

[Read more…]

Pumpkin Fest in Grove Center on Oct. 27

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Pumpkin Fest in Grove Center this year will feature music, a costume parade for kids and pets, a kid’s zone, craft demonstrations, vendors, and arts and crafts, a press release said. There will also be magic shows, wagon rides, and a petting zoo.

The 9th annual festival begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. Oct. 27.

The pet costume parade this year is guaranteed to be “bigger and better than ever,” the press release said. It includes prizes.

This year, the festival’s parade and costume contest for children is open to kids as young as infants and as old as 12, the press release said. The first, second, and third place winners of each age group will win a special prize donated by local merchants.

[Read more…]