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Motorcyclist in fatal crash identified

Posted at 4:33 pm March 26, 2024
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The motorcyclist who died in a crash on South Illinois Avenue on Saturday has been identified as Eric M. Barnes, 54, of Knoxville.

Barnes was riding a motorcycle south on South Illinois Avenue (State Route 62) at the Bethel Valley Road overpass at about 6:13 p.m. Saturday when the motorcycle hit another vehicle and left the road, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. Barnes died at the crash site.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire Tagged With: crash, Eric M. Barnes, motorcycle, South Illinois Avenue

Motorcyclist dies in crash on S. Illinois

Posted at 3:18 am March 25, 2024
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A motorcyclist died in a crash on South Illinois Avenue on Saturday.

The motorcycle was traveling south on South Illinois Avenue (State Route 62) at the Bethel Valley Road overpass at about 6:13 p.m. Saturday when it struck another vehicle and left the road, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. The motorcyclist died at the crash site, the city said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: crash, motorcycle, Oak Ridge Police Department, South Illinois Avenue

ORPD investigating fatal crash on South Illinois

Posted at 4:24 pm September 30, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Police Department is investigating a fatal crash on South Illinois Avenue that happened shortly before midnight Friday.

In a press release, the City of Oak Ridge said a vehicle traveling south on South Illinois at Scarboro Road left the road at about 11:22 p.m., hit two utility poles and a tree, and then rolled down an embankment south of the intersection.

The vehicle’s driver, Luis Enrique Gomez Trinidad, 36 of Clinton, died in the crash, the city said. No one else was in the vehicle.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire Tagged With: crash, fatal crash, Luis Enrique Gomez Trinidad, Oak Ridge, South Illinois Avenue

Planning Commission approves Weigel’s site plan

Posted at 7:04 pm January 19, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The proposed Weigel’s site at South Illinois Avenue and Union Valley Road is pictured above on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission approved a site plan Thursday evening for a new Weigel’s at South Illinois Avenue and Union Valley Road.

The plan for the 6,600-square foot store on an undeveloped 3.6-acre site was approved 9-0 in a voice vote Thursday.

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Filed Under: Business, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Ben Stephens, Jennifer Williams, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, site plan, South Illinois Avenue, Union Valley Road, Weigel's

Weigel’s proposed at Union Valley

Posted at 8:21 pm January 12, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A Weigel’s store site plan for about 3.6 acres at South Illinois Avenue and Union Valley Road, as presented to the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.

A new Weigel’s store has been proposed along South Illinois Avenue.

The 6,600-square-foot store would be on about 3.61 acres at the intersection with Union Valley Road.

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Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Premium Content, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, South Illinois Avenue, State Route 62, Union Valley Road, Weigel's

New apartments possible on South Illinois

Posted at 4:28 pm January 7, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, will consider a rezoning request that could allow about 400 apartments on about 32 acres along South Illinois Avenue headed toward Knoxville. (Map by City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider a rezoning request that could allow about 400 apartments on roughly 32 acres along South Illinois Avenue.

The property is bordered by South Illinois Avenue, Mitchell Road, and Centrifuge Way (at the top of the hill headed out of Oak Ridge to Knoxville on South Illinois).

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Filed Under: Business, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Premium Content, Slider Tagged With: apartments, C. Paul Harrison, Jennifer Williams, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, rezoning, rezoning request, South Illinois Avenue

Repairs set for S. Illinois Ave. this week

Posted at 10:21 am July 19, 2022
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The City of Oak Ridge Public Works Department will be making asphalt repairs to South Illinois Avenue this week, weather permitting, a press release said.

The work will be in the northbound lanes across from Badger Avenue near Sonic and stopping at Oak Ridge Turnpike. Crews are set to begin at 8 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.

For more information, contact Oak Ridge Public Works Department at (865) 425-1875 or visit OakRidgeTN.gov.

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge Tagged With: asphalt repairs, Oak Ridge Public Works Department, South Illinois Avenue

ORPD: Two arrested after crashing stolen truck

Posted at 12:02 am July 27, 2021
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Two people were arrested after allegedly crashing a stolen pickup truck in Oak Ridge and trying to run from police Monday afternoon, officers said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department tried to stop the pickup truck on South Illinois Avenue at Tulsa Road at about 1 p.m. Monday, a press release said.

“The driver of the pickup truck began to flee, and officers discontinued the attempted traffic stop,” the press release said.

The pickup truck continued driving at a high rate of speed and crashed into a vehicle at the intersection of South Illinois Avenue at South Rutgers Avenue, the press release said. One tire blew out, and the pickup truck continued driving on the remaining three tires toward Edgemoor Road, the release said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: crash, Edgemoor Road, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, South Illinois Avenue, stolen pickup

Pedestrian flown to UT Medical Center with life-threatening injuries after crash

Posted at 12:16 pm June 28, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A pedestrian with life-threatening injuries was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville by a LifeStar medical helicopter after a traffic crash in Oak Ridge at about 4:05 a.m. Monday.

The Oak Ridge Police Department received notification of a crash involving a pedestrian on Monday, June 28, on South Illinois Avenue just north of the intersection of East Tulsa Road, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. The roadway was closed for a few hours.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire Tagged With: crash, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, pedestrian, South Illinois Avenue

City has second public meeting on new entrance sign

Posted at 2:43 pm February 18, 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 City of Oak Ridge will have its second public meeting on a new sign at the city’s entrance on South Illinois Avenue at 3 p.m. today (Thursday, February 18).

The public meetings are to receive input on the design of the new sign, which will be at the entrance to Oak Ridge from Knox County in Solway.

The sign will be placed on the island between South Illinois Avenue (Pellissippi Parkway/State Route 62) and Bethel Valley Road. It would be near the exit drivers use to go to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex.

The public meetings are being held online on Zoom. The first meeting was Wednesday. During the meetings, people can join and view the designs, ask questions, and leave their feedback verbally or in the chat. The two meetings will be audio- and video-recorded and subtitles will appear on screen for those who are hearing-impaired.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: City of Oak Ridge, sign, South Illinois Avenue

Tower rebuilding complete, South Illinois re-opened overnight

Posted at 7:40 pm January 25, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The replacement of a large high-voltage transmission tower was completed Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, and South Illinois Avenue re-opened to traffic at about midnight. (Photo courtesy Tennessee Valley Authority)

The rebuilding of a large high-voltage transmission tower in Oak Ridge was completed Sunday, and South Illinois Avenue re-opened to traffic at about midnight.

The 155-foot steel lattice tower that had to be replaced was knocked over when a pickup truck crashed into it at about 4:15 p.m. Friday. The tower, which is at Union Valley Road, carries high-voltage Tennessee Valley Authority transmission lines and city transmission and distribution lines.

The four-lane road, the main connection between Oak Ridge and Knox County, was closed for about two days after the crash while crews removed and replaced the damaged transmission tower.

TVA said the crash also caused damage to three smaller structures, and they were repaired.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, TVA Tagged With: Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Electric Department, South Illinois Avenue, State Route 62, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Valley Authority, transmission tower, TVA, Union Valley Road

South Illinois Avenue to re-open by midnight

Posted at 11:22 pm January 24, 2021
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

South Illinois Avenue is expected to re-open by midnight Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, near the University of Tennessee Arboretum after being closed for more than two days because of a large high-voltage transmission tower that was knocked over in a crash on Friday. The repair work is pictured above on Sunday. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

South Illinois Avenue is expected to re-open by midnight near the University of Tennessee Arboretum after being closed for more than two days because a large high-voltage transmission tower was knocked over near the road in a crash on Friday. The road re-opening is expected to occur before the Monday morning commute.

Power is still out for a small southeast portion of the city near the crash site, including the University of Tennessee Arboretum, the City of Oak Ridge said Sunday evening.

The single-vehicle crash into the Tennessee Valley Authority steel lattice transmission tower was reported at Union Valley Road at about 4:15 p.m. Friday. That section of the four-lane road, also known as State Route 62 and Pellissippi Parkway, has been closed since shortly after the crash. The road is the main connection between Oak Ridge, Knox County, and Knoxville.

TVA and the Oak Ridge Electric Department worked over the weekend to replace the damaged transmission tower, which carries TVA and Oak Ridge power lines. The repair crews had help from the Oak Ridge Police Department and Oak Ridge Public Works Department. It was a complex emergency repair, the City of Oak Ridge said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, TVA Tagged With: City of Oak Ridge, crash, Oak Ridge Electric Department, Pellissippi Parkway, South Illinois Avenue, State Route 62, Tennessee Highway Patrol, transmission tower, TVA, Union Valley Road, University of Tennessee Arboretum

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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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