• 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

COVID-19 confirmed in Anderson County

Posted at 3:28 pm March 19, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The first case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Anderson County, according to the office of Mayor Terry Frank.

The Anderson County Health Department told Frank and Steve Payne, director of the Emergency Management Agency, about the first confirmed diagnosis.

According to the Health Department, the patient has self-isolated and the Health Department is currently engaged in education and tracing the person’s contacts. The Anderson County Health Department cannot release any further information about the patient, including a more precise location within Anderson County, a press release said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, COVID-19, Front Page News, Government, Health, Health, Slider Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Health Department, coronavirus, COVID-19, Steve Payne, Tennessee Department of Health, Terry Frank

More information on local firefighters, law enforcement responding to Gatlinburg fires

Posted at 4:27 pm November 29, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

clinton-fire-department-in-gatlinburg-2-nov-29-2016

The Clinton Fire Department is pictured above responding to the fires in Sevier County on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. (Photo by Clinton Fire Department)

 

We have more information on local firefighters and law enforcement that have either responded to help fight the fires in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park—or remain in standby in case they are needed.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas and other officials said Andersonville, Claxton, Clinton, Marlow, Oak Ridge, and Oliver Springs fire departments all sent resources to the fire.

Anderson County EMS sent its mass casualty response vehicle on Monday night, and they sent three ambulances Tuesday morning, Lucas said.

Lucas said he talked to Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals on Monday night, and Anderson County deputies are on stand-by in case Sevier County needs additional law enforcement personnel. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Andersonville, Claxton, Clinton, Front Page News, Marlow, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Roane County, Tennessee, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County EMS, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Andersonville, Bill Haslam, Claxton, Clinton, emergency management, fire, Gatlinburg, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mark Lucas, Marlow, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, Pigeon Forge, Ron Seals, Steve Payne, Terry Frank, wildfire

Smoke from brush fires settles in Oak Ridge; burn ban, air quality alert in effect

Posted at 4:22 pm November 7, 2016
By John Huotari 2 Comments

fire-haze-in-oak-ridge-nov-7-2016

A brown-gray haze thickened over Oak Ridge on Monday, Nov. 7, 2016, and the smell of smoke hung in the air as firefighters battled blazes in East Tennessee and across the state. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 5:25 p.m.

A brown-gray haze thickened over Oak Ridge on Monday and the smell of smoke hung in the air as firefighters battled blazes in East Tennessee and across the state.

The haze was visible at least into west Knox County.

Anderson County and Oak Ridge both issued reminders that a burn ban is in effect. The Oak Ridge Police Department sent out a notice that the smoke in the air is due to numerous brush fires throughout the state, and the department asked residents to not call 911 to inquire about the cause.

The Tennessee Division of Forestry reported 96 active fires on Sunday afternoon, with 8,665 acres burned. (See a list of the fires here and a map here.)

Three active fires were reported in Anderson County, with 1,485 acres burned. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Fire, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, Tennessee Tagged With: active fires, air quality alert, Anderson County, brush fires, burn bans, fires, National Weather Service, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Police Department, Steve Payne, Tennessee Division of Forestry

Rescuers pull woman from house fire after she tries to save pets

Posted at 6:03 pm November 19, 2014
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Ridge Lane Home Fire

Two Anderson County deputies and a Marlow firefighter pulled a seriously injured woman out of this home, which was on fire on Ridge Lane on Wednesday afternoon. The woman had reportedly tried to rescue her pets from the fire. At right is Steve Newby, deputy chief of the Claxton Volunteer Fire Department, and at left is Marlow Volunteer Fire Department Captain Zach Pressnell, who helped pull the homeowner from the burning home.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:25 p.m. Nov. 20.

Two Anderson County deputies and a Marlow firefighter rescued a woman who was seriously injured trying to rescue her pets from a house fire on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

The woman, who has not been identified, was taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge and then flown by Lifestar helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, according to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department. Her condition and age weren’t immediately available.

The woman was pulled out of the burning home at 131 Ridge Lane by Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Wiley Maloney, Reserve Deputy Gene Rose, and Marlow Volunteer Fire Department Captain Zach Pressnell. Pressnell said the woman was conscious but lay on the floor about five feet inside the single-story home, with fire rolling out of the front door and heavy smoke inside. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Claxton, Crime, Fire, Marlow, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: A.J. Harris, Anderson County Emergency Management Agency, Anderson County Emergency Medical Services, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Claxton Volunteer Fire Department, fire, Gene Rose, Josh Waldo, Marlow Volunteer Fire Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, pets, Ridge Lane, Steve Newby, Steve Payne, Wiley Maloney, Zach Pressnell

Guest column: Emergency management director responds to question about drinking water safety

Posted at 6:43 pm February 7, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Guest Columns Leave a Comment

Note: Anderson County Emergency Management Director Steve Payne recently responded to a citizens’ question about safety measures the county has in place to protect drinking water in the event of a hazardous situation like that which recently occurred in West Virginia. Here’s Payne’s response, which was forwarded by the County Mayor’s Office, which had initially received the question.

Dear Mayor Frank,

Please forward to the citizen who asked:

What safety measures does Anderson County have in place to protect citizens’ drinking water in the event of a hazardous situation like that which occurred recently in West Virginia?

Anderson County is home to some 50 facilities that manufacture, process, store, or utilize quantities of hazardous radiological or chemical materials. The majority of these facilities are located in industrial parks in the county and cities of Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Lake City.

Facilities with quantities of hazardous materials that meet or exceed threshold levels established by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are required by federal law to file each year a Tier 2 Report stating the material(s) and quantity on site. In addition to the name and quantity of each material, the report includes Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), a site map showing location of material, type of storage container, type of storage conditions, and description of dikes, holding basins, and other safeguard measures. Tier 2 reports received in 2013 from private, non-DOE facilities identify 42 separate hazardous materials. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Guest Columns Tagged With: Anderson County Basic Emergency Operations Plan, Anderson County EMA, Anderson County Emergency Management, Anderson County Emergency Management Agency, Anderson County Local Emergency Planning Committee, Anderson County Water Authority, Bacon Springs, BEOP, chemical materials, Clinch River, Clinton, Clinton Utilities Board, DOE, drinking water, drinking water safety, EMA, Hallsdale-Powell Utility District, hazardous, hazardous materials, Lake City, LEPC, Lin Chilcoat, Lower Clear Creek, Material Safety Data Sheet, MSDS, Norris, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs Water Department, OSHA, radiological materials, safety, SERC, State Emergency Response Commission, Steve Payne, Terry Frank, Tier 2 report, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

ACEMA needs disaster assessment team leaders

Posted at 12:16 pm February 11, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

Anderson County Emergency Management Director Steve Payne is looking for volunteers to serve as leaders for damage assessment teams.

“We’re looking for 30 volunteers with a commitment to serve their neighbors in the event of a natural disaster,” Payne said.

Volunteers will be trained to lead a small team into communities that have suffered damage from severe weather or floods. These teams will make an initial assessment of damage as a first step in providing food and shelter and obtaining state and federal assistance for the communities.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: ACEMA, Anderson County Emergency Management Agency, damage assessment teams, disaster assessment, Lin Chilcoat, Steve Payne, volunteers

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