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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

UT-Battelle Development Corp. contributes $500,000 for proposed airport

Posted at 12:20 pm March 22, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Pictured above is Jeff Smith, president of UT-Battelle Development Corporation and vice chair of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The City of Oak Ridge said it has received a $500,000 contribution from the UT-Battelle Development Corporation to help with the planned airport at Heritage Center, the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge.

The contribution is meant to provide funding that can be used to secure state and/or federal grants that require a local funding match, a city press release said.

Thomas Zacharia, president and chief executive officer of UT-Battelle and director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Jeff Smith, president of UT-Battelle Development Corporation, presented the contribution to Oak Ridge City Council at its March 8 meeting. Smith is also vice chair of the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority.

“I believe the presence of a new airport will be a key differentiator for this community because it supports existing trends so clearly: The airport will make Oak Ridge more attractive to companies and professionals interested in low-cost, high-quality communities with easy access to other cities,” Zacharia said, according to the press release.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: airport, City of Oak Ridge, Jeff Smith, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge airport, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Thomas Zacharia, UT-Battelle, UT-Battelle Development Corporation, Warren Gooch

City Council to discuss special recreation district, which could allow motorsports park

Posted at 2:56 pm March 16, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Horizon-Center-Motorsports-Track-6-Feb-11-2020
Part of the site where a test track and research facility or motorsports park could be built on the back side of Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge is pictured above on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge City Council will discuss a special recreation district, which could allow a motorsports park, among other potential uses, during a meeting this evening.

The special recreation district is being considered as a zoning ordinance amendment. The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission has recommended it, but the City Council has not approved it.

A motorsports park has been proposed at the Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge. The proposal has both supporters and detractors.

The zoning ordinance amendment would not endorse that specific proposal. Instead, it would create a new zoning district, the special recreation district, which could be used for large-scale recreation and entertainment developments.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: Horizon Center, motorsports park, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, zoning ordinance

Council to discuss fatal police shooting, Gateway Project

Posted at 11:02 am February 16, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

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

The Oak Ridge City Council this evening will discuss a fatal police shooting in August and this week’s public meetings about a planned sign at the city entrance on South Illinois Avenue/Pellissippi Parkway (State Route 62).

The Council will meet online in a non-voting work session at 6 p.m. today (Tuesday, February 16).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Gateway Project, Oak Ridge City Council, police shooting, sign

Council to consider zoning district that could allow motorsports park

Posted at 1:58 pm February 8, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Horizon-Center-Motorsports-Track-6-Feb-11-2020
Part of the site where a motorsports park could be built on the back side of Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge is pictured above on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider a zoning ordinance amendment that could allow a motorsports park.

A motorsports park has been proposed at the Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge. The proposal has both supporters and detractors.

The zoning ordinance amendment being considered by Council at 7 p.m. Monday, February 8, does not endorse that specific proposal. Instead, it would create a new zoning district, the special recreation district, which could be used for large-scale recreation and entertainment developments.

A motorsports park would be one of the permitted uses in the new zoning district, if it is approved. Other permitted uses would be an amphitheater, athletic facility, fairground, amusement park, and zoo.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: Horizon Center, motorsports park, Oak Ridge City Council, zoning ordinance

City interested in historic preservation grant

Posted at 2:10 pm February 7, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The City of Oak Ridge is pursuing a historic preservation grant that could be used to study priority historic areas and focus on preservation, the removal of blight, and the expansion of the tax base.

If awarded, the grant from the Tennessee Historical Commission could be worth up to $15,000. It would require a 40 percent local match.

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider accepting the grant, if it is awarded, during its regular meeting on Monday.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, History, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: historic preservation grant, Oak Ridge City Council, Tennessee Historical Commission

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

Posted at 1:04 pm February 7, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

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.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: City of Oak Ridge, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge City Council, water plant, water treatment plant

Council to consider accepting airport grants

Posted at 1:10 pm January 19, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

This is an aerial image of a layout plan for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport at the Heritage Center in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority)

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider accepting grants for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport on Tuesday.

The airport would be built along Highway 58 on the south side of the Heritage Center, the former K-25 site.

Council will meet online to consider accepting the airport grants in a special session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, January 19. You can watch the meeting here.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: airport grants, Oak Ridge airport, Oak Ridge City Council

Oak Ridge Council to meet online Monday

Posted at 11:44 am January 6, 2021
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Council will meet electronically on Monday, rather than in-person, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Monday.

Council members will be able to participate by video and audio conferencing. It will be streamed online on the city’s website and broadcast on Comcast Channel 12.

The city asked residents to watch the meeting online or on television because of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s executive orders that limit public gatherings to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

“Meeting electronically and limiting in-person access to the meeting is necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare in light of COVID-19,” the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: COVID-19, meeting, Oak Ridge City Council

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

Posted at 1:34 pm November 9, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

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.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: COVID-19, Front Page News, Government, Health, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: City of Oak Ridge, COVID-19, face masks, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge City Council

Updated: Dodson, Hammond, Hope re-elected to City Council

Posted at 9:07 pm November 3, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Jim Dodson

Note: This story was last updated at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 8.

Oak Ridge City Council members Jim Dodson, Derrick Hammond, and Chuck Hope were re-elected Tuesday.

They had one challenger, Edward Jackson Jr.

Oak Ridge Board of Education members Angi Agle and Keys Fillauer were also re-elected.

In the City Council election, Dodson received the most votes, 8,253, in Anderson County. He received the second-most votes in Roane County, 1,499. He had a total of 9,752 votes in the two counties, giving him the most total votes of any candidate and 852 more than the second-place finisher.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: 2020 Election, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Chuck Hope, Derrick Hammond, Edward Jackson Jr., election, Jim Dodson, Oak Ridge City Council

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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...]

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