• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds

City workers repair broken water lines Saturday

Posted at 3:38 am January 7, 2018
By John Huotari 1 Comment

An Oak Ridge Public Works Department crew repairs a broken water line underneath Northwestern Avenue near Nevada Circle at lunchtime Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. The crew here is supervised by Oak Ridge Public Works Department Utility Line Maintenance Crew Chief Michael Brown. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

An Oak Ridge Public Works Department crew repairs a broken water line underneath Northwestern Avenue near Nevada Circle at lunchtime Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. The crew here is supervised by Oak Ridge Public Works Department Utility Line Maintenance Crew Chief Michael Brown, left. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 12 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Public Works Department continued to repair broken water lines on Saturday as cold winter weather caused ground to shift, breaking some pipes.

One crew was repairing a six-inch water line underneath Northwestern Avenue near Nevada Circle at about lunchtime Saturday, and there was another busted line reported on East Tennessee Avenue just east of Georgia Avenue.

Saturday night, city workers repaired another broken water line underneath Northwestern Avenue, this time near Nasson Lane and Princeton Avenue, and two more water line breaks were reported on Emerson Circle and Kentucky Avenue.

A crew was out past 1 a.m. Sunday finishing repairs on that second water line break under Northwestern Avenue, the one near Nasson Lane, as temperatures dropped again overnight. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Slider, Weather Tagged With: broken water lines, City of Oak Ridge, East Tennessee Avenue, Emerson Circle, Gene Wilson, Jeremy Justice, Joey Wheeler, Kentucky Avenue, Michael Brown, National Weather Service, Northwestern Avenue, Oak Ridge Public Works Department, Tyler Road, water line break

Three people escape house fire on Northwestern

Posted at 10:50 am November 26, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Three people escaped with no injuries from a house fire on Northwestern Avenue early Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Three people escaped with no injuries from a house fire on Northwestern Avenue early Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, authorities said. The Oak Ridge Fire Department and Oak Ridge Police Department both responded. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Three people escaped with no injuries from a house fire on Northwestern Avenue in the Woodland neighborhood early Sunday, authorities said.

An adult male and two juveniles were home at the time of the fire, and all three escaped, said Eric Rackard, Oak Ridge Fire Department battalion chief.

The fire was reported near the intersection with Nasson Lane just after midnight Sunday.

The cause is under investigation, Rackard said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Eric Rackard, fire, house fire, Northwestern Avenue, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge Police Department

No injuries in minor school bus crash on Northwestern

Posted at 11:34 am November 11, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

School Bus Crash on Northwestern Avenue on Nov. 10, 2015

No one was injured in a minor crash involving an Oak Ridge school bus and a pickup truck on Northwestern Avenue near West Gettysburg Avenue after 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. Pictured above from left are bus driver Walter Erbaugh, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Nathan Stinnett, and First Student Location Manager Diane Gibson. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

No one was injured in a minor crash involving an Oak Ridge school bus and a pickup truck on Northwestern Avenue on Tuesday afternoon.

The sideswipe collision occurred near West Gettysburg Avenue at about 4 p.m. Tuesday. It involved Bus 1950 from Woodland Elementary School.

There was only one student on the bus at the time, and another bus picked her up.

It’s been 20 months since an Oak Ridge school bus was last involved in a crash. On March 5, 2014, a car crashed into the front of a school bus that had stopped to pick up students at Hillside Road and Highland Avenue. No students were injured in that crash either.

Tuesday’s collision was two houses down from the site of a June 3, 2013, crash between a school bus and car at the intersection of Northwestern and West Gettysburg avenues. No children were reported to be injured in that crash either.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Bus 1950, Diane Gibson, First Student, Nathan Stinnett, Northwestern Avenue, Oak Ridge Police Department, school bus, school bus crash, Walter Erbaugh, West Gettysburg Avenue, Woodland Elementary School

City buys, demolishes blighted home in Woodland

Posted at 10:36 am July 3, 2014
By John Huotari 5 Comments

South Purdue Avenue Home Demolition

A work crew demolishes a blighted home on South Purdue Avenue in Woodland on Thursday. (Photos courtesy City of Oak Ridge/Matt Widner)

 

The city of Oak Ridge bought a blighted home at the corner of Northwestern and South Purdue avenues in April and demolished it on Thursday, June 26.

“It was in really bad shape,” Oak Ridge Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin said. “This one was past saving.”

The home, which had been vacant, was extremely contaminated and dirty inside, and there were problems with every system in the small, single-story house, including the electrical and heating and cooling systems, said Matt Widner, Oak Ridge Community Development housing specialist. The ceilings were collapsing.

“It was a mess,” Widner said.

The straw-covered quarter-acre lot is now vacant. Before the demolition, a yard sign said the project was “Turning Blight into Right.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: blighted home, CDBG, Community Development Block Grant, EDi, Highland View, Highland View Redevelopment Area, homes, Kathryn Baldwin, Matt Widner, Northwestern Avenue, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Community Development, South Purdue Avenue

Black bear in Oak Ridge

Posted at 2:01 pm July 29, 2013
By John Huotari 6 Comments

Black Bear in Tree

A black bear is in a tree at Northwestern and Rutgers avenues in Oak Ridge on Monday morning. (Photos by Todd Baker)

A black bear was at an apartment complex at about 10:30 a.m. Monday at Northwestern and Rutgers avenues in Oak Ridge.

The bear was seen at The Manhattan Apartments on Rutgers Avenue and also in a tree. There were several other sightings of the bear throughout the day.

There were several reports of bears in Oak Ridge in May and June last year, and at least two were trapped, one on East Drive and the other at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. There were also reports of bears crossing through Woodland one year ago, a mother and cub spotted west of the Y-12 National Security Complex, and a bear reported in yards on Orchard Circle and Oglethorpe Place. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: bear, Manhattan Apartments, Northwestern Avenue, Rutgers Avenue

Report: Teen driver didn’t see stop sign due to tree limbs before hitting bus

Posted at 10:10 pm June 4, 2013
By John Huotari 4 Comments

Oak Ridge Preschool Bus Crash

No students were reported to be injured after a Monday afternoon collision between a school bus and a car in Woodland.

The 17-year-old driver who hit a school bus in Woodland on Monday afternoon said he did not see a stop sign at the intersection of Northwestern and West Gettysburg avenues due to tree limbs, and he failed to stop before colliding with the bus, authorities said.

The Clinton teenager estimated he was traveling at about 30 mph in a 1997 Volvo 960 sedan as he drove west on West Gettysburg Avenue just before the 2:16 p.m. crash, according to an Oak Ridge Police Department accident report.

The bus driver, Yvonnda Smith McNair, 60, of Oliver Springs, told ORPD Officer Leslie Miller that she was driving south on Northwestern Avenue when the Volvo failed to stop and hit the bus, owned by contractor First Student Inc. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, K-12, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Bob Smallridge, collision, crash, First Student Inc., Josh Waldo, Leslie Miller, Northwestern Avenue, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Preschool, ORPD, school bus, stop sign, West Gettysburg Avenue, Woodland, Yvonnda Smith McNair

No children reported to be injured in school bus crash

Posted at 3:20 pm June 3, 2013
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Oak Ridge Preschool Bus Crash

No students were reported to be injured after a Monday afternoon collision between a school bus and a car in Woodland.

No children appeared to be injured after a Monday afternoon collision between a school bus and car at the intersection of Northwestern and West Gettysburg avenues in the Woodland neighborhood, authorities said.

However, a bus assistant may have hurt her shoulder, and she went to the hospital to be checked out, Oak Ridge Interim Superintendent Bob Smallridge said.

The yellow school bus, Bus #596, which is operated by contractor First Student, was carrying about 18 children from Oak Ridge Preschool at about 2:16 p.m. Monday when it collided with a red Volvo four-door sedan. The students were headed home after school. None were taken away from the crash by ambulance, Oak Ridge Assistant Fire Chief Josh Waldo said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, K-12, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Emergency Medical Service, Bob Smallridge, crash, Josh Waldo, Northwestern Avenue, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge interim superintendent, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Preschool, school bus, West Gettysburg Avenue, Woodland

Search Oak Ridge Today

Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Recent Posts

  • Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival Announces 2025 Storytellers
  • Laser-Engraved Bricks Will Line Walkway of New Chamber Headquarters
  • Democratic Women’s Club to Discuss Climate Change, Energy and Policy
  • Estate Jewelry Show at Karen’s Jewelers Features Celebrity Jewelry
  • Keri Cagle named new ORAU senior vice president and ORISE director
  • ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal+ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal More than $1 million raised in past 10 years benefits United Way and Community Shares Oak Ridge, Tenn. —ORAU exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 in donations as part of its internal annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares nonprofit organizations. ORAU has raised more than $1 million over the past 10 years through this campaign. A total of $126,839 was pledged during the 2024 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign. Employees donate via payroll deduction and could earmark their donation for United Way, Community Shares or both. “ORAU has remained a strong pillar in the community for more than 75 years, and we encourage our employees to consider participating in our annual giving campaign each year to help our less fortunate neighbors in need,” said ORAU President and CEO Andy Page. “Each one of our employees has the power to positively impact the lives of those who need help in the communities where we do business across the country and demonstrate the ORAU way – taking care of each other.” ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, provides science, health and workforce solutions that address national priorities and serve the public interest. Through our specialized teams of experts and access to a consortium of more than 150 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to provide innovative scientific and technical solutions and help advance their missions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakRidgeAssociatedUniversities Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/orau Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orau ###
  • Children’s Museum Gala Celebrates the Rainforest
  • Jim Sears joins ORAU as senior vice president
  • Oak Ridge Housing Authority Receives Funding Assistance of up to $51.8 Million For Renovating Public Housing and Building New Workforce Housing
  • Two fires reported early Friday

Recent Comments

  • Raymond Mitchell on City manager’s ‘State of the City’ canceled due to weather
  • Raymond Mitchell on City manager’s ‘State of the City’ canceled due to weather
  • Mysti M Desilva on Crews clearing roads, repairing water line breaks
  • Mel Schuster on Crews clearing roads, repairing water line breaks
  • Cecil King on Crews clearing roads, repairing water line breaks
  • Rick Morrow on Roads, schools, businesses closed after heavy snow
  • Diana lively on Free community Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 25
  • Anne Garcia on School bus driver arrested following alleged assault on elementary student
  • Raymond Dickover on Blockhouse Valley Recycling Center now open 6 days per week
  • Mike Mahathy on School bus driver arrested following alleged assault on elementary student

Copyright © 2025 Oak Ridge Today