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Hope elected to Energy Communities Alliance board

Posted at 10:00 am January 12, 2022
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Chuck Hope

Oak Ridge City Council member Chuck Hope has been unanimously elected to the Energy Communities Alliance Executive Board of Directors. The Board met in conjunction with the National Cleanup Workshop held in December in Alexandria, Virginia.

The ECA is the only nonprofit, membership organization of local governments that host or are adjacent to U.S. Department of Energy sites, a press release said. The organization brings together local government officials to share information, establish policy positions, and promote community interests to address an increasingly complex set of environmental, regulatory, and economic development issues at DOE sites across the nation.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: board of directors, Chuck Hope, ECA, Energy Communities Alliance, Oak Ridge City Council, Ron Woody

Interested in city boards, commissions? Attend Jan. 19 session

Posted at 4:38 am January 11, 2022
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge City Council will host a drop-in advisory board information session this month, and candidates interested in applying for a city board or commission are encouraged to attend.

The information session is scheduled between 5 and 7 p.m. on January 19 in the Social Room at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

“The session is an opportunity for those who have applied or are interested in applying to meet with council members, introduce themselves, and ask any questions they have,” a press release said. “Last year, there were 79 applicants for city boards and/or commissions, which is nearly 20 more than the previous year. We hope that offering more chances to get questions answered encourages even more residents to apply and be selected for advisory board service this year.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge Tagged With: advisory board, city board, information session, Oak Ridge City Council

City of Oak Ridge accepting nominations for poet laureate

Posted at 1:52 pm December 17, 2021
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Public Library is supporting an initiative to select and name a poet laureate for the City of Oak Ridge.

The Oak Ridge Poet Laureate Committee is seeking a poet of excellence, who has lived in Oak Ridge for at least one year and is inspired to represent the city and all it strives to be, a press release said.

“Anyone can nominate someone they believe is best fit for the role and self-nominations are accepted as long as they can continue to live in the city throughout the appointment,” the press release said. “They must have significant publication history including books (excluding self-published and vanity presses), and in a variety of journals, and/or media. They must have received recognition in the field and have demonstrated literary excellence.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories, Writing Tagged With: City of Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Poet Laureate Committee, Oak Ridge Public Library, Pat Hope, poet laureate

City receives grant for water plant landslide

Posted at 7:29 pm November 8, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Pictured above is the landslide next to the access road to the Oak Ridge Water Treatment Plant on Pine Ridge, above the Y-12 National Security Complex, on Saturday night, February 23, 2019. (File photo courtesy CNS Y-12)

The City of Oak Ridge has received a $17,389 grant to cover some costs associated with a landslide at the access road to the water treatment plant above the Y-12 National Security Complex in 2019.

The estimated costs of the repairs are $384,444, Oak Ridge Public Works Director Patrick Berge said in a memo to City Manager Mark Watson.

The city began talking to the Federal Emergency Management Agency immediately after the landslide, and the discussions included potential future reimbursements, Berge said. The $17,389 partial reimbursement is through the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories, Weather Tagged With: City of Oak Ridge, Federal Emergency Management Agency, landslide, Oak Ridge City Council, Patrick Berge, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, water plant, water treatment plant

City wants to replace 74-year-old water line that failed nine times

Posted at 4:51 pm August 9, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

West Outer Drive Water Main Break
A water main break along West Outer Drive is pictured above in August 2015.

The Oak Ridge Public Works Department wants to replace a critical 74-year-old water line along West Outer Drive that has failed nine times since 2014.

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider a contract this evening for engineering services to replace the 14-inch cast iron water line between North Illinois Avenue and Wellington Circle. The contract for engineering services with LDA Engineering would be worth up to $120,000.

The city said the water line was installed around 1947. It is about 2,800 feet long and about three feet behind the curb on the north side of West Outer Drive.

“This section of waterline that Public Works proposes to replace has proven to be very unreliable,” Oak Ridge City Engineer Roger Flynn told City Manager Mark Watson in a memo on Monday.

The city staff found one failure in 2014 and eight more since 2018. The failures have been between 648 and 740 West Outer Drive.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: LDA Engineernig, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Public Works Department, Roger Flynn, water line, West Outer Drive

Half of power outages this year caused by falling trees, tree limbs

Posted at 3:13 pm July 22, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A fallen tree on Wiltshire Drive caused widespread power outages on Thursday, May 27, 2021. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Half of the power outages in Oak Ridge this year have been caused by falling trees and tree limbs, Electric Director Ardo Ba told City Council on Tuesday.

Since January, vegetation has accounted for about 50 percent of power outages, Ba said.

Animals such as squirrels and snakes have caused about 13 percent of the power outages in the past six to seven months, and equipment failures, traffic crashes, and other causes have accounted for roughly 37 percent of the outages, Ba said.

Ba provided some details about significant power outages this year. The largest outage occurred on July 8 on Tuskegee Drive near a city fire station, when a transmission line switch caught fire. More than 8,400 people power.

The next largest outage was caused by a tree falling on a transmission line on Wiltshire Drive on May 27. The 150-foot tree that fell on the transmission line had been well outside the right-of-way, Ba said. That line provided a main feed to two substations, and more than 7,200 customers lost power when the tree fell on the transmission line.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Ardo Ba, Oak Ridge City Council, power outage

Council to consider chlorine purchase Monday evening

Posted at 1:37 pm July 12, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road is pictured above. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider the purchase of up to about $60,000 worth of chlorine briquettes for the city’s outdoor pool on Providence Road this evening (Monday, July 12). Approval of the purchase would ensure that the large, unique pool can continue operating past mid-July, according to the city.

The purchase of the chlorine became controversial after Council member Rick Chinn, who is mayor pro tem (like a vice mayor), voted against the purchase of the briquettes last month. Chinn said he did not want to spend any more money on the pool. Residents and pool users responded with outrage, with hundreds of comments posted to social media. Some pledged to oppose Chinn’s re-election to Council next year.

Last month’s vote was for a sole-source purchase that hadn’t been released for a bid, possibly because the city’s supplier, Duffield Aquatics, had been identified as the sole provider in the region. The city uses Pulsar chlorinating briquettes supplied by Duffield Aquatics.

The sole-source purchase meant that last month’s vote required a unanimous vote. So, Chinn’s vote against the purchase meant it wasn’t approved.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Recreation, Slider, Sports Tagged With: chlorine, chlorine briquettes, Duffield Aquatics, Jon Hetrick, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge City Council, outdoor pool, Pulsar briquettes, Pulsar chlorine briquette, Rick Chinn

City has chlorine to continue operating pool, receives bid to buy more

Posted at 10:09 am July 1, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road is pictured above. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

The City of Oak Ridge has enough chlorine to continue operating the outdoor pool until a new shipment arrives in mid-July, and the Oak Ridge City Council is expected to approve a single bid for chlorine briquettes during its July 12 meeting.

In June, City Council did not approve a sole-source contract to buy more chlorine briquettes after Oak Ridge City Council member Rick Chinn, who is mayor pro tem, objected to spending money on the pool. The sole-source contract required unanimous approval, so the one “no” vote meant the purchase was not approved.

Before the vote, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick had told the seven-member Council that the city might have enough chlorine to last through the end of June and possibly into July. Running out of chemicals to treat the pool would result in having to shut it down, Hetrick said. However, in response to questions about a potential “break in service,” Hetrick said at that meeting that he didn’t have an accurate count of the amount of chlorine in stock at the pool.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Recreation, Slider, Sports Tagged With: chlorine, Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge City Council, outdoor pool

For members: Chinn opposes pool spending, affecting chlorine purchase

Posted at 1:54 pm June 20, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road is pictured above. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

Oak Ridge Mayor Pro Tem Rick Chinn, who proposed closing the city’s outdoor pool two years ago, objected to spending any money on the pool on Monday. That meant the city could not, at least for now, buy more chlorine for the large, unique pool on Providence Road, near Oak Ridge High School.

Before the vote, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick had told the seven-member Council that the city might have enough chlorine to last through the end of June and possibly into July. “Then we would run out of chemicals to treat the pool, and we would have to shut the pool down,” Hetrick said.

A purchase considered by the Oak Ridge City Council on Monday would have allowed the city to buy up to $60,000 worth of chlorine briquettes from Duffield Aquatics of Anderson, South Carolina. The purchase would have included about $25,000 for a shipment in early July and a cushion because of a shortage in the chlorine supply.

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The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road is pictured above. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

Oak Ridge Mayor Pro Tem Rick Chinn, who proposed closing the city’s outdoor pool two years ago, objected to spending any money on the pool on Monday. That meant the city could not, at least for now, buy more chlorine for the large, unique pool on Providence Road, near Oak Ridge High School.

Before the vote, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick had told the seven-member Council that the city might have enough chlorine to last through the end of June and possibly into July. “Then we would run out of chemicals to treat the pool, and we would have to shut the pool down,” Hetrick said.

A purchase considered by the Oak Ridge City Council on Monday would have allowed the city to buy up to $60,000 worth of chlorine briquettes from Duffield Aquatics of Anderson, South Carolina. The purchase would have included about $25,000 for a shipment in early July and a cushion because of a shortage in the chlorine supply.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.

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Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Premium Content, Recreation, Slider, Sports Tagged With: chlorine, Chuck Hope, Derrick Hammond, Duffield Aquatics, Ellen Smith, Janice McGinnis, Jim Dodson, Jon Hetrick, Kelly Callison, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, outdoor pool, Rick Chinn, Tammy Dunn, Warren Gooch

For members: Council approves purchase of 3 drones for police, fire

Posted at 1:26 pm May 20, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Council in a special meeting on Tuesday approved the purchase of three drones that will help police officers and firefighters battle blazes, find lost people, and respond to calls about people barricaded with weapons.

The seven-member Council had deferred a vote on the drones during its May 10 meeting after members raised questions about privacy, civil liberties, and requests for images or videos inadvertently captured by the drones.

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The Oak Ridge City Council in a special meeting on Tuesday approved the purchase of three drones that will help police officers and firefighters battle blazes, find lost people, and respond to calls about people barricaded with weapons.

The seven-member Council had deferred a vote on the drones during its May 10 meeting after members raised questions about privacy, civil liberties, and requests for images or videos inadvertently captured by the drones.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.

Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.

Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here:

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
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  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription.

Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Premium Content, Top Stories Tagged With: Chris Wallace, Derek Burchfield, drones, Jeremy Huddleston, Jim Dodson, Mike Uher, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, Robin Smith

City wants to buy three drones for police, fire

Posted at 12:47 pm May 10, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The City of Oak Ridge wants to buy three drones for the Oak Ridge Police Department and Oak Ridge Fire Department.

The drones could minimize risks to emergency responders, according to a city memo. Drones could help officers and firefighters perform dangerous tasks such as responding to reports of armed people and other imminent threats, and evaluating fires and hazardous material incidents, the city said. Drones could also help with searches for lost people, which are often impeded by dense vegetation or delayed while waiting for all-terrain vehicles or boats.

“A drone can perform these tasks without delay and without placing responders at risk,” the memo said.

The drones could be used for aerial observation and intelligence collection, the memo said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: drones, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge Police Department

Commercial horse stables, horse therapy proposed near Big Turtle Park

Posted at 11:04 am May 5, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Commercial horse stables and horse-based therapy programs have been proposed near Big Turtle Park in west Oak Ridge on about 31 acres at the end of Hermitage Boulevard. (Aerial property image from Oak Ridge Board of Zoning Appeals agenda)

Commercial horse stables and horse-based therapy programs have been proposed near Big Turtle Park in west Oak Ridge.

The Oak Ridge Board of Zoning Appeals will consider a special exception to allow the commercial facility in a residential/open space district on Tuesday, May 11.

The request has been sought by Sean and Sara Pennington, who could buy roughly 31 acres at the end of Hermitage Boulevard for the project. The property is currently owned by the owner of an adjacent single-family lot, Joseph and Tanya Tuminello.

“The stables are intended to board horses and provide people with horse-based therapy programs,” according to a staff report for the zoning appeals board.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: horse stables, horse-based therapy, Oak Ridge Board of Zoning Appeals, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, special exception, zoning

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Classifieds

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...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

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

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