A popular tire store in Oak Ridge remains closed after a fire this month.
A sign posted on C&D Tire on Sunday said the store will be closed until further notice.
In the meantime, the fire is under investigation, and there is yellow fire line tape strung across doors.
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The fire on Friday at C&D Tire is under investigation.
The Oak Ridge Fire Department arrived at the fire within two minutes after receiving the report of the fire, according to City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Lauren Gray.
The fire was reported at 6:27 p.m. Friday. It was under control in less than 10 minutes and extinguished in less than 15 minutes, Gray said.
On Sunday, the garage doors at the shop, a popular place to buy tires in Oak Ridge, were boarded up with yellow fire line tape strung across the doors.
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Note: This story was updated at 3 p.m.
The Tennessee Valley Authority has terminated rolling blackouts in Oak Ridge.
“Everything is now going back to normal,” City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Lauren Gray said.
The mandatory rolling blackouts that affected electricity across the region and in the City of Oak Ridge were to help TVA meet the power demand today (Friday, December 23), a press release said.
The blackouts were expected to affect about 2 percent of Oak Ridge Electric Department customers and last for about 30 minutes, the press release said. The blackouts were expected across the Tennessee Valley.
They were being conducted because of the low temperatures and to meet high power demand, according to the press release, which came from the City of Oak Ridge.
Information was not available about which 2 percent of customers were affected, although there were measures in place to ensure hospitals, fire departments, and other similar operations are not without power, Gray said.
[Read more…]The Oak Ridge Police Department identified two juveniles Tuesday in connection to the shooting threat posted on social media that prompted a lockdown at Oak Ridge High School on Monday.
“Both juveniles admitted to making the threat,” the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. “Throughout the course of the investigation, it has been determined that no weapon was ever involved. Charges are forthcoming.”
The press release did not identify the juveniles or the specific threat. On Monday, the city said it was a shooting threat.
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The Oak Ridge Police Department is still investigating a shooting threat that was made on social media and led to an hours-long lockdown at Oak Ridge High School starting Monday morning.
Monday afternoon, the City of Oak Ridge said students will be released from school at their normal times, and the Oak Ridge Police Department is taking precautions to continue to investigate and keep students safe during dismissal.
“We appreciate the seamless coordination and efforts between the school system, city, and ORPD as this investigation continues,” the city said.
The lockdown was reported at about 11 a.m. Monday after administrators said they were made aware of a shooting threat posted on social media.
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Note: This story was updated at 9:10 a.m. Sept. 12.
Daytime activities have been canceled at the Secret City Festival this month as the state and county experience a COVID-19 surge driven by the delta variant. However, the evening concerts, food trucks, and fireworks have not been canceled.
“Due to the ongoing resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Festival Board has been in discussions with the City of Oak Ridge, where concerns were raised about our ability to hold a viable, safe, and successful event,” Naomi Asher, marketing chair for the festival, said in response to questions Saturday. “Sadly, we must cancel all daytime festival activities, so that what we will be left with are the two evening concerts, food trucks, and fireworks.”
Asher said the Festival Board and City of Oak Ridge made the decision.
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A peaceful protest and a conversation about race relations are scheduled for Tuesday in Oak Ridge.
The conversation about race relations in the United States and Oak Ridge is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday. It’s between Oak Ridge City Council member Derrick Hammond, who is a pastor; Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith; and local youth. You can watch it live on Facebook at the Oak Ridge Police Department page and on the Oak Valley Baptist Church website at oakvalleybc.com.
The peaceful protest is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of Wildcat Arena at Oak Ridge High School. Participants will make signs and shirts there. At 5 p.m., they plan to march to the International Friendship Bell at Alvin K. Bissell Park, organizer Trevor King said in a Facebook post.
The Oak Ridge Police Department will be there and will participate, although it’s not a city event. Smith will walk across the street with everyone, and he has been asked to speak, City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Lauren Gray said Monday.
King said everyone is welcome to attend Tuesday’s event.
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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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Note: This story was last updated at 2:55 p.m.
Drive-through testing for COVID-19 started Wednesday morning in Oak Ridge.
The free testing is being offered by the City of Oak Ridge and Kroger Health. It’s scheduled from Wednesday, April 15, to Friday, April 17, in the Oak Ridge High School parking lot near Oak Ridge Turnpike.
Before testing began Wednesday morning, about 200 appointments had been scheduled over a three-day period, the City of Oak Ridge said.
Up to 250 people can be tested at the drive-through station each day. You do not need to be an Oak Ridge citizen to get tested, the city said.
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