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‘Amazing’: Small pole keeps large tree from falling on house

Posted at 12:38 pm December 29, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

leaning-tree-manhattan-avenue-dec-29-2016

A small utility pole, pictured at center, kept a large oak tree from falling on a home on Manhattan Avenue, next to Woodland Elementary School, for a few hours on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. The tree was estimated to be about 75 years old and weigh roughly 10 tons. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 10 p.m. Dec. 30.

A small utility pole kept a large, leaning oak tree, estimated to weigh about 10 tons, from falling on a home on Manhattan Avenue, next to Woodland Elementary School, for several hours on Thursday morning.

Emergency workers were assessing how to remove the oak tree late Thursday morning. Barnhart Crane and Rigging was called to help find city workers and tree crews find a solution.

In the meantime, Manhattan Avenue was closed near Woodland Elementary School. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Police and Fire, Slider Tagged With: Manhattan Avenue, tree, utility pole

Driver taken to hospital, power out after van hits utility pole at Family Clinic

Posted at 12:37 pm June 6, 2015
By John Huotari 9 Comments

DEEM Van Crash at Utility Pole at Family Clinic

The driver was taken to the hospital and power was temporarily out near the Family Clinic of Oak Ridge after a DEEM van, pictured at center behind the Oak Ridge Electric Department truck, crashed into a utility pole at New York and Vermont avenues on Saturday morning. Above, a tow truck, right, responds to remove the van, and the Oak Ridge Electric Department, foreground, responds to repair the pole. (Photo by Daniel Powers)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7:43 p.m. June 8.

The driver was taken to the hospital and power was temporarily out near the Family Clinic of Oak Ridge after a van crashed into a utility pole at New York and Vermont avenues on Saturday morning.

The crash was reported at about 9:05 a.m. Saturday.

Kristin Nevius said she was driving a Chrysler Town and Country van southbound toward Oak Ridge Turnpike on New York Avenue when the other van narrowly missed her vehicle and crashed into the pole while headed north on New York Avenue. Nevius and passenger Peggy VandenBurg and Nevius’ two children were not injured, but they said they were upset by the close call and subsequent crash. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: City of Oak Ridge, crash, DEEM, Family Clinic of Oak Ridge, Kristin Nevius, Methodist Medical Center, New York Avenue, Oak Ridge Electric Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Turnpike, Peggy VandenBurg, utility pole, Vermont Avenue

Fallen tree branch causes small electric line fire

Posted at 2:16 pm October 12, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Electric Line Fire on North Seneca Road

A fallen tree limb knocked down a power line on Friday night, starting a small fire in a yard on North Seneca Road.

 

A fallen tree limb knocked down a power line from a utility pole on Friday night, starting a small electric fire in a yard at 150 North Seneca Road.

The Oak Ridge police and fire departments blocked the road until the Oak Ridge Electric Department was able to respond and shut off the power.

The fire was reported at about 11:30 p.m. Friday. It burned for about an hour but did not spread, and firefighters and police officers kept an eye on it while they waited for the power crew.

See another picture here:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: electric line, electric line fire, fire, fire department, North Seneca Road, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Electric Department, Police Department, tree limb, utility pole

Driver cut from vehicle, taken to UT after crashing into power pole

Posted at 3:14 pm January 2, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Old Edgemoor Road Power Pole

The Oak Ridge Electric Department installs a new utility pole after a driver crashed into the old one and broke it on Old Edgemoor Road on Thursday morning.

A driver had to be cut from his upside-down SUV and taken to the hospital on Thursday morning after he crashed into a guide wire on a utility pole on Old Edgemoor Road, traveled up the wire, and then hit the pole and broke it, authorities said.

The Mercury Mountaineer likely went about 10 feet in the air and then fell on its top, crushing the roof, said Marty Griffith, Oak Ridge Fire Department battalion chief. Electrical lines landed on top of the vehicle, and the Oak Ridge Electric Department was called to turn off the power.

Griffith said the driver was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville with a head laceration. He did not have any other obvious injuries. Griffith said the man might have had a medical emergency before the crash. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: crash, Edgemoor Road, Marty Griffith, Oak Ridge Electric Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Old Edgemoor Road, power pole, utility pole

Car crashes into utility pole, knocks out power to few stores

Posted at 8:25 pm March 19, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lafayette Drive Utility Pole Crash

A car driven by an Oak Ridge man crashed into a utility pole near Lafayette Drive on Saturday, knocking out power to about 10 customers, including Walmart and Chick-fil-A. (Photos by Tom Scott)

A car crashed into a utility pole along Lafayette Drive on Saturday afternoon, knocking out power to a few large customers, including Walmart and Chick-fil-A.

Jeffrey Wells Wallace, 60, of Oak Ridge, was eastbound in a 2010 Toyota Prius four-door sedan on Lafayette Drive near Midway Lane when his vehicle went off the roadway and struck a utility pole about six feet off the road at about 2:45 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Wallace was conscious was police arrived, but he said he didn’t remember the collision, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Brandan L. Sharp said in a crash report. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Brandan L. Sharp, Chick-fil-A, crash, electricity, Jeffrey Wells Wallace, Lafayette Drive, Margaret Elgin, Midway Lane, Oak Ridge Electric Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, power, utility pole, Walmart

City replaces broken South Jefferson Circle utility pole

Posted at 11:38 am October 23, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

City Replaces South Jefferson Utility Pole

Oak Ridge work crews on Monday replace a South Jefferson Circle utility pole that was damaged in a single-vehicle accident on Sunday night. (Photo by Tom Scott)

Oak Ridge work crews on Monday replaced a South Jefferson Circle utility pole that was damaged in a single-vehicle accident on Sunday night.

In that accident, a car hit a cable holding up the utility pole, breaking it and briefly knocking out power to about 690 customers on Louisiana Avenue and side streets.

The driver was reportedly taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center with what appeared to be minor injuries.

City workers used a utility truck to hold the pole in place through Sunday night.

Oak Ridge Electric Department Director Jack Suggs said there were no more power outages while the pole was replaced Monday afternoon.

Filed Under: Government, Police and Fire Tagged With: Jack Suggs, Oak Ridge Electric Department, South Jefferson Circle, utility pole

Car collision breaks utility pole, knocks out power

Posted at 12:30 pm October 22, 2012
By John Huotari 3 Comments

Car Accident South Jefferson Circle

A driver reportedly suffered minor injuries and power was knocked out in an area of west Oak Ridge after a single-vehicle accident on South Jefferson Circle on Sunday. (Photos by Tom Scott)

A car hit a utility pole cable on South Jefferson Circle on Sunday night, breaking the pole and knocking out power to about 690 customers, a city official said Monday.

The customers who lost power after the 7:45 p.m. accident were located along Louisiana Avenue and its side streets, Oak Ridge Electric Director Jack Suggs said. He said temporary repairs were made, and power was fully restored at about 9:15 p.m.

Suggs said the car left the roadway—it wasn’t clear whether it had been on Oak Ridge Turnpike or South Jefferson Circle—and struck a guy wire that holds up a pole near Weatherford Mortuary. The pole broke and split down the middle.

“Emergency responders arrived at the scene and secured it until personnel from the power company could be called in and respond,” Suggs said.

The driver was reportedly taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center with what appeared to be minor injuries.

Car and Power Pole Accident

Oak Ridge firefighter David Gray responds to a single-vehicle accident between a car and a utility pole on South Jefferson Circle on Sunday night.

City workers used a utility truck to hold the pole in place through Sunday night.

Suggs said crews planned to replace the pole today. Suggs said he didn’t expect many outages, if any, while the pole is changed.

“Although the ever present possibility of a power outage becomes even greater when lines are being repaired, we anticipate that we will be able to notify all customers affected individually,” Suggs said.

Filed Under: Government, Police and Fire Tagged With: collision, Jack Suggs, power, South Jefferson Circle, utility pole

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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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