Oak Ridge Today

Black bears out in summer in East Tennessee, TWRA offers tips

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Black Bear at Anderson County High School on Oct. 6, 2015

No one was injured, and a black bear was chased away with rubber bullets and beanbag rounds after it spent three hours at Anderson County High School, mostly eating acorns, on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

It’s not unusual to see black bears in East Tennessee in the summer, including in Oak Ridge, Anderson County, and the Great Smoky Mountains. Here is information and tips about black bears from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Summertime brings about a plethora of outdoor activities including cookouts, camping, and fun on the water. It also brings out the black bears.

Reports of bear sightings are circulating around East Tennessee, which comes at no surprise considering this is bear country. Increased activity is also expected this time of year as bears continue their quest to replenish their energy and fatten back up from a long, lean winter.

Last fall, hard mast production was sparse and in particular, the acorn crop was very spotty. Black bears depend heavily on acorns as a food source to pack on those extra pounds before entering their winter dens.  Many bears went into their dens malnourished and some were so lean that they didn’t den at all. For example, Appalachian Bear Rescue in Townsend took in numerous cubs that were about 10 months of age that weighed a mere six and seven pounds.

Many bears emerged from their winter dens much leaner than in normal years and have been anxiously waiting the ripening of the summer berries. Fortunately, black berries, raspberries, dewberries, and mulberries are coming into season, and bears are reaping the bounties. Bears will also enjoy blueberries and huckleberries as the summer progresses followed by wild grapes, cherries, and other fruits that will hopefully carry them over until the hard mast matures this fall. [Read more…]

Kids in the Creek outing on Emory River on Saturday, June 25

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Photo courtesy Tiffany Foster

Photo courtesy Tiffany Foster

 

Looking for a fun and educational summertime activity for the kids? On June 25, a Kids in the Creek outing will be held at Reister Access on the Emory River. The event will start at 10 a.m. with a welcome and safety talk, followed by two breakout sessions on fish and insects, and will conclude between noon and 12:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to all kids who are rising third-graders or older. Children must be accompanied by adults at all times; no unaccompanied minors will be permitted, a press release said.

Adults must be prepared to sign liability waivers on behalf of children. Participants should be prepared to get wet, and should wear shoes that are river-ready. Snacks are advisable, along with dry clothes, sunscreen, and bug spray. [Read more…]

Today: Harlem Ambassadors for Habitat, former NASA chief astronomer, Smith on Three Bend

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A reminder—There are three events happening this evening: the Harlem Ambassadors Basketball Show in a benefit for Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, a former chief astronomer at NASA who is referred to as the “mother of the Hubble Telescope” discussing the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to black holes, and local historian and writer Ray Smith discussing the Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Management Refuge Area of the Oak Ridge Reservation.

The Harlem Ambassadors Basketball Show starts at 6 p.m. today (Thursday, March 24) at Wildcat Arena at Oak Ridge High School. This show is not only entertaining, organizers said, it also brings an important message to kids: “Stay off drugs, stay in school, don’t be a bully!”

Individuals have sponsored tickets so that student-athletes in Anderson County can come to the game for free.

The “opposing” team, the Habi-bats, is made up of local coaches and other local basketball standouts.

“We hope to fill the arena and sell lots of hotdogs, all in an effort to raise money to build and repair homes in Anderson County,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Smith to discuss Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Management Refuge Area at AFORR meeting

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Ray Smith

Ray Smith

Local historian and writer Ray Smith will discuss the Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Management Refuge Area of the Oak Ridge Reservation during a meeting next week.

Smith will be the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation, or AFORR, on Thursday, March 24.

There will also be a roundtable discussion about the cultural and historical values of the Solway, Freels, and Gallaher bends, a press release said.

The meeting, located in the City Room at the Roane State Community College campus in Oak Ridge, is free and open to the public. [Read more…]

Controlled burns scheduled on DOE Oak Ridge Reservation

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Controlled burns of grassland areas are scheduled starting this week and continuing through April at East Tennessee Technology Park and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The controlled burns were announced by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office.

Beginning this week and continuing through April, the controlled burns will take place, weather permitting, at: [Read more…]

Swift rescue by nephew saves life of Clinch River fisherman

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TWRA logo for news release

Note: This story was last updated at 8:50 p.m.

NORRIS—A fisherman who fell overboard on the Clinch River below Norris Dam on Sunday afternoon has his nephew to thank for quick action that undoubtedly saved his life, officials said.

Cecil Branscom, 70, of Dublin, Virginia, and his nephew Scott Branscom, 48, of Knoxville, launched their boat at Peach Orchard Access Area on the Clinch River on Sunday afternoon and headed upstream toward Norris Dam. When they reached the weir dam at around 2 p.m., they prepared to begin fishing when the boat’s engine hit a rock in the water, sending Cecil overboard from the front of the vessel into 48-degree water.

Scott Branscom managed to get his uncle back into the boat. Cecil Branscom was wearing several layers of clothing that was saturated from the frigid water, and he was not wearing a life jacket, the press release said. [Read more…]

Haw Ridge Park, greenways to be closed during TWRA hunts

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City of Oak Ridge SealHaw Ridge Park and the North Boundary and Gallaher Bend greenways will be closed for hunts in the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area on several dates starting this weekend, the City of Oak Ridge said.  The closure on Haw Ridge includes the portion of Melton Lake Greenway through the park, from the lake to the parking lot on Edgemoor Road.

The hunts will take place on the following dates:

  • October 31-November 1
  • November 14-15
  • December 12-13

[Read more…]

No one injured, black bear chased away after three hours at ACHS

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Black Bear at Anderson County High School on Oct. 6, 2015

No one was injured, and a black bear was chased away with rubber bullets and beanbag rounds after it spent three hours at Anderson County High School, mostly eating acorns, on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 8:40 a.m.

CLINTON—No one was injured, and a black bear was chased away with rubber bullets and beanbag rounds after it spent three hours at Anderson County High School, mostly eating acorns, on Tuesday.

The bear was first seen at about 3:55 p.m. Tuesday on the east side of a parking lot on the east side of the high school campus.

ACHS Assistant Principal Ben Downs, Principal Andrea Russell, and a school resource officer were involved in a student issue in the parking lot, when Downs looked over his left shoulder and saw the bear.

“There it was coming out of the woods,” Downs said. [Read more…]

Safety Fest TN kicks off next week, safety demonstrations open to public

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Safety Fair Demonstration Schedule

Safety Fest TN will hold safety demonstrations that are open to the public next week, including an auto rollover simulation, a slip simulator, and a tree stand safety demonstration.

The demonstrations will be in the parking lot at the New Hope Center, at the front of Y-12 National Security Complex, at 602 Scarboro Road from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, September 15.

The free demonstrations are in conjunction with more than 60 safety classes that will be conducted during the week of September 14-18 at six locations in Oak Ridge and Knoxville. The classes are free of charge to those who register. [Read more…]

TWRA officers rescue capsized kayakers from Clinch River in Clinton

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CLINTON—Two wildlife officers from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency went into rescue mode late this evening, bringing a happy ending to what could have turned into a sad story, authorities said.

At around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Steve and Connie Hunter of Ten Mile, Tennessee, were enjoying a kayak float with their sons down the Clinch River near the Second Baptist Church in Clinton when both were capsized into 45 degree water. Their sons attempted to stay with them, but the strong current forced them downstream where they made it to shore and dialed 911.

TWRA Sergeant Roy Smith and Officer Jeff Roberson responded to the accident alongside Anderson County Rescue Squad, Clinton Police Department, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

At around 5:20 p.m., Smith and Roberson located the Hunters clinging to a log overhanging the river. The officers brought the subjects into their patrol boat and transported them to shore where they were assessed by Anderson County EMS and released. [Read more…]

Synchronous fireflies found in Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area

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Synchronous Fireflies

In the foreground: Predatory Photuris sp. which is recognizable by the red on the pronotum (head shield), larger size, and stripes on the wings. The firefly in the background is the Photuris frontalis (a.k.a. snappy sync). (Photo by TWRA)

 

By Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Paul Shaw, a TWRA fisheries creel agent, has taken an interest in fireflies this summer, which has led to an amazing discovery.

Intrigued by the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and learning that Lynn Faust, the premiere synchronous firefly researcher in the GSMNP had them on her property near his own, Shaw set out on a mission to find other populations in east Tennessee.

His initial search in early June produced a healthy but isolated population on his densely forested property, which lies about a mile north of the Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area.

During the next few weeks, Shaw—along with ORWMA Manager Jim Evans, former TWRA employee Wade Gefellars, and several others—formed a group called the “Firefly Team” that began visiting sites around ORWMA with hopes of discovering other synchronous fireflies. Their research areas consisted of about 30 sites, which were not arbitrary, random locations but were carefully calculated by biological factors similar to those at Elkmont. [Read more…]

Norris Lake boating crash leaves operator in serious condition

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Norris Lake Boat Crash

TWRA Investigator Matt Majors stands at the engine’s lower unit, which was torn from the boat during an accident at Heatherly’s point on Norris Lake late Thursday night. The vessel traveled about 69 feet after striking the point. (Photo by TWRA)

 

LAFOLLETTE—A LaFollette boater remains in serious condition following a boating accident that happened on Norris Lake late Thursday night, authorities said.

Just before midnight, Jimmy Arnold, a 52-year-old white male from LaFollette, was operating an open bow 24-foot Chaparral boat on Norris Lake when the accident occurred just downstream of Shanghai Marina, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said.

According to witnesses on a nearby houseboat, Arnold, who was the vessel’s sole occupant, was headed to their location at Heatherly’s point when the vessel ran aground, sending it about 69 feet onto the point. Witnesses onboard the houseboat dialed 911. [Read more…]