Oak Ridge Today

‘Jeopardy!’ run ends for Oak Ridge woman

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Scarlett Sims, right, of Oak Ridge is pictured above with Alex Trebek, host of the television quiz show "Jeopardy!" (Photo courtesy Jeopardy Productions Inc.)

Scarlett Sims, right, of Oak Ridge is pictured above with Alex Trebek, host of the television quiz show “Jeopardy!” (Photo courtesy Jeopardy Productions Inc.)

 

The “Jeopardy!” run of Scarlett Sims of Oak Ridge ended on Friday.

Sims, a stay-at-home mom, ended the 12-game winning streak of New York City bartender Austin Rogers on Thursday, when she won $33,000, according to WBIR-TV of Knoxville, which broadcasts the show.

She missed the Final Jeopardy question Friday, ending the second night with $400, WBIR reported. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge mom emerges as new champion on ‘Jeopardy!’

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Scarlett Sims, right, of Oak Ridge is pictured above with Alex Trebek, host of the television quiz show "Jeopardy!" (Photo courtesy Jeopardy Productions Inc.)

Scarlett Sims, right, of Oak Ridge is pictured above with Alex Trebek, host of the television quiz show “Jeopardy!” (Photo courtesy Jeopardy Productions Inc.)

 

Scarlett Sims, a stay-at-home mom from Oak Ridge, emerged as the new champion on “Jeopardy!” on Thursday, a press release said.

The 12-game winning streak of New York City bartender Austin Rogers came to an end during that episode of the television quiz show. Rogers’ run netted him $411,000 in prize money and attracted legions of fans who made the quirky contestant a viral sensation, the press release said.

Rogers finished his run in fifth place on the all-time regular-season (non-tournament) winnings list, the press release said. He will return for the “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions,” airing November 6-17.

“Jeopardy!” airs in Knoxville on WBIR-TV in Knoxville. [Read more…]

Alan Williams named 2017 Front Page Follies honoree

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Alan Williams

Alan Williams

 

Alan Williams, Local 8 News and CW anchor and a 37-year veteran in the broadcast business, will be the honoree at the 39th annual Front Page Follies on June 17.

The Front Page Foundation will present the dinner and show that each year roasts state and local newsmakers at the Knoxville Convention Center. Proceeds will fund journalism and broadcasting scholarships presented in Williams’ honor at the University of Tennessee and a media studies scholarship at Pellissippi State Community College.

“Alan Williams is a veteran broadcast journalist who brings both a professional approach and a personal touch to the news he reports,” said Frank Murphy, Front Page Foundation president.

“Alan can tell sports stories with insights he gained as an SEC athlete, then cover an entertainment event with the experience of a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Country Music Association,” Murphy said. “He knows the community well because he’s worked here more than 30 years, and he’s been an active community volunteer. That kind of perspective has meant a lot to his East Tennessee audience, and we’re proud to name Alan Williams this year’s scholarship honoree.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge man arrested, bond set at $100,000 in Knox trafficking case

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Zubin Percy Parakh

Zubin Percy Parakh

Note: This story was updated at 5:03 p.m.

An Oak Ridge man was arrested and booked into Knox County jail on a trafficking charge on Saturday, one day after Tennessee and Knoxville officials announced that 32 men and women had been arrested in an operation to combat human trafficking.

Bond for Zubin Percy Parakh, 32, of Golfcrest Lane in Oak Ridge, has been set at $100,000 on the trafficking charge. A preliminary hearing has been set for May 31, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office website.

The arrests and citations on prostitution and human trafficking-related charges were made as part of Operation Someone Like Me last week in Knoxville.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said two of the men, including a children’s minister, Jason Kennedy, 46, of Knoxville, responded to ads for what they thought were girls under the age of 18. Kennedy was a children’s minister at Grace Baptist Church on Oak Ridge Highway in Karns, but he has since been fired. [Read more…]

Technology in our everyday lives the topic at Wednesday meeting

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“Technology for our Everyday Lives” will be the topic at an Altrusa meeting on Wednesday, January 27.

Speaker Dan Thompson, chief technical correspondent for WBIR-TV in Knoxville, will look at how technology can enhance our daily lives, but also how some “unwanteds” may have crept in, a press release said.

Thompson will discuss security for our online lives, as well as some ideas on how to communicate this to children. He’ll cover social media profiles, content filtering for our homes, and how to deal with those annoying phone calls from “Microsoft” insisting that something is wrong with your computer.

As a senior analyst for 451 Research, Thompson provides insight into the multi-tenant datacenter market space. He has spent 15 years as a practitioner in the information technology (IT) industry, the last 10 of which were spent at a top managed/cloud service provider, the press release said. [Read more…]

Roane County issues first same-sex marriage license

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Roane County Courthouse

The Roane County Courthouse in Kingston is pictured above. (File photo)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:30 p.m.

Roane County issued its first same-sex marriage license on Friday afternoon, just a few hours after the U.S. Supreme Court backed gay marriage in a landmark 5-4 ruling.

The Roane County license was issued to two women at about 3 p.m. Friday, Roane County Clerk Barbara Anthony said. She said she can’t identify the two women.

Anthony declined to comment on the Supreme Court’s decision, which was celebrated in some circles and criticized in others.

“We just comply with the law,” Anthony said. [Read more…]

Broadcaster Hallerin Hilton Hill to speak to AC Tea Party

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Hallerin Hilton Hill

Hallerin Hilton Hill

Radio broadcaster Hallerin Hilton Hill will be the featured speaker for an Anderson County Tea Party meeting on May 12 in Clinton.

The monthly meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Clinton Church of God.

Hill hosts the weekday “Morning Show” on Knoxville FM radio station News Talk 98.7 WOKI, and he hosts “Anything is Possible” on WBIR-TV on Sundays at noon. [Read more…]

‘Bill Wilcox Bow Tie Award’ to honor Myrick on Oct. 30

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ADFAC Bow Tie Event Committee

Members of ADFAC’s Bow Tie Event Committee are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

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Get your best bow ties ready—the second annual “Bill Wilcox Bow Tie Award” will be presented on Thursday, October 30, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Y-12’s New Hope Center.

The Bow Tie Award and Fund was established in 2013 to honor the memory of Bill Wilcox. Known for his trademark bow ties, Wilcox was an active and loyal supporter of numerous community, civic, and religious organizations, including ADFAC. The Bow Tie Award honors local individuals who, like Wilcox, selflessly share their gifts for the betterment and well-being of the community and its citizens.

“We are pleased to announce the committee has unanimously selected Tim Myrick as the recipient of the 2014 Bill Wilcox Bow Tie Award,” said Louise Mixon, chair of the Bow Tie committee. “Tim is a delightful example of the values this award seeks to recognize. His steadfast commitment to ADFAC and many other organizations made him an easy choice for this distinction.” [Read more…]

Impossible to identify animal remains excavated at pet crematory, state says

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Elliott Pet Service Excavation

Dump trucks remove pet remains on Wednesday that had been excavated from Elliott Pet Services in Morgan County. (Photo courtesy WATE-TV)

It will not be possible to identify animals buried at a pet crematory in Morgan County where remains were excavated this week after a state investigation, officials said Wednesday.

News of the investigation and excavations this week has left many pet owners, including in Anderson County, wondering whether animals they paid to have cremated might be among those buried at the rural wooded site near the Roane County line.

The crematory site on Grouse Ridge Road is operated by Elliott Pet Services. It was the subject of a citizen’s complaint in September that alleged animals were being dumped on the site.

In September, the business also received an open dumping violation notice from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. And in October, the company was cited for not maintaining logs.

Business owner Cameo Farr and her attorney, Kevin Angel of Oak Ridge, told several Knoxville television stations that burying animals is part of her business, and she has always cremated animals that were supposed to be cremated. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Symphony presents Veterans Day concert Sunday

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John Becker

John Becker

The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will present a Veterans Day concert on Sunday in Maryville.

World War II veterans will be admitted free, and all other veterans can enjoy the concert at a reduced price, a press release said.

John Becker, WBIR news anchor, will narrate “The Greatest Generation” by Greg Danner, a composer from Cookeville, Tenn. Since April 2008, Becker has produced the TV series “Service and Sacrifice” on the lives of East Tennessee veterans.

ORSO will open the concert with “The Star Spangled Banner” (lyrics by Francis Scott Key and melody by John Stafford Smith) and close it with Morton Gould’s “American Salute” and Robert Lowden’s “Armed Forces Salute.”

The Oak Ridge Chorus, accompanied by ORSO, will sing Randall Thompson’s “Frostiana,” which provides a choral setting for seven poems by Robert Frost (1874-1963). These poems take a nostalgic look at New England country life.

The chorus and orchestra also will play John Williams’ “Hymn to the Fallen” (from the movie “Saving Private Ryan”).

 The theme of the concert is “American Celebration,” and the theme of the season is “Tennessee Sounds Good to Me” in celebration of Tennessee composers and performers.

The concert starts at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Clayton Center for the Arts at Maryville College, 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway.

Tickets can be purchased at the door for $25 (adult), $10 (college students 19 years or older, with ID), and $5 (students 18 years and younger).

Schedule, ticket and concert information, as well as driving directions to Maryville College, are available on the ORCMA website at www.orcma.org. To renew a season subscription or become a new subscriber at a discount, call the ORCMA office at (865) 483-5569.