Community News

Anyone who has ever wondered what secrets are hidden in the massive Manhattan Project historical holdings of the National Archives has a chance to find out next week.

Joel Walker, an education specialist with the National Archives at Atlanta, will discuss selected documents of the Manhattan Project during the next Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association meeting.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. Jan. 13.

It will be in Midtown Community Center, also known as Wildcat Den, at 102 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge.

More than 150 people were helped during the 16th annual Coats for the Cold.

The charity, spearheaded by Dennis Ferguson, starts with coat collections by the public. The outerwear is then cleaned and made available to the public.

“We gave coats out to people in the community that needed them," said Ferguson, who began the humanitarian effort during his longtime stint in the Tennessee General Assembly. “We didn’t want anybody to go cold.”

TVA employees are providing food, gifts and other donations to children and families in need across the TVA service area this holiday season.
Kingston Fossil Plant employees gave food boxes to 24 families of children at Dyllis Elementary School near Harriman.
The staff at Bull Run Fossil Plant provided gifts for 32 children at Claxton Elementary School in Powell and delivered food baskets to 25 families.

25 Years Ago
Operation REACH collected $5,693, its largest amount to date. That amount allowed 130 children to buy Christmas presents for their families. Each child had a $50 budget. (In 2010, the REACH goal was $125,000 to help 500 children.)

10 Years Ago
Kingston Parks and Recreation Department purchased about $15,000 worth of new equipment for children who play at Kingston City Park. The new equipment, designed primarily for 5- to 8-year-olds, will replace equipment that was becoming a safety concern.