Oak Ridge Today

Prom and graduation reminders from the Sheriff’s Department

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Paul White

Paul White

By Sheriff Paul White

Proms and graduations are traditions for our young students and the community. These times celebrate achievements, reflect on the past, and take the first steps into adulthood. Unfortunately, some teenagers believe the deadly mix of alcohol and driving is also a part of this tradition. Too many are injured or killed after the prom or graduation.

Our students headed to the prom and from graduations are reminded not to drink and drive. Deputies with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be out in force on prom nights and after graduations. Driving under the influence (DUI), illegal drugs, and underage drinking will get you a ride to jail.

The Sheriff’s Department also reminds teens that getting caught drinking while under the age of 21 can result in losing your driver’s license, getting suspended from school, ejected from sports teams, and even banned from graduation ceremonies. [Read more…]

North Boundary Hike on Saturday, May 16

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North Boundary Hike 2015

The North Boundary Hike is from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 16. It’s a six-mile hike of the North Boundary Trail.

Hikers will leave the West End Guard Shack parking area at 9 a.m. May 16. They will follow the Quarry trail, make a right onto Hunley, a right onto North Boundary, and down the Big Oak Ridge connector that will take them back to the West End Guard Shack.

The hike is considered moderate in difficulty due to varied elevations and length. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools hosts first community meeting on fall Intersession

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With the passing of the new Oak Ridge Schools’ balanced calendar for the 2015-16 school year, when school starts on August 3 and there are three two-week breaks every nine weeks, Intersession was introduced for students. Intersession is time, during the breaks, when students can come back to school and work with teachers on areas where they struggled with academics. Intersession is also a time when schools can introduce “enrichment,” when students can come and learn extra things that educators would like to teach to students.

Oak Ridge Schools’ first Intersession will take place October 5-9. Each of the individual schools have been working and planning on activities that they could offer to students during this week. Finalized activities will be sent home to all parents in the middle of August 2015. [Read more…]

Elementary students in Oak Ridge receive bike helmets as part of safety program

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Michael Swigert and Helmet Fitting

Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Michael Swigert fits a third-grader from Linden Elementary School with a bicycle helmet. (Submitted photo)

 

Every two minutes, a child is treated in an emergency medical department for an unintentional bicycle-related injury. This year, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is working to change these statistics through partnership with the “Kohl’s Cares” Helmet Safety Program, which promotes safety events in which educational materials and bicycle helmets are provided to local school children.

Approximately 2,000 helmets are distributed through this program in the 16 counties that are serviced by East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. This year, two elementary schools from the City of Oak Ridge were chosen to partner with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and were the recipients of child bicycle helmets. On March 27, students of the third-grade class at Glenwood Elementary School received 80 helmets, and on April 22, Linden Elementary third-grade students were presented with 150 helmets.

Members of the Oak Ridge Police Department and Oak Ridge Fire Department assisted with the distribution of educational material and provided individualized fittings of each helmet.

NC principal, UT grad named ORHS principal

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Martin McDonald

Martin McDonald

Martin McDonald, of High Point, North Carolina, has agreed to become the principal of Oak Ridge High School effective July 1.

McDonald was selected following the screening of applications and interviews of selected candidates by a committee including administrators, Oak Ridge High School staff members, and both a student and parent representative from ORHS, a press release said.

He will replace the current principal, David Bryant, who is retiring. Bryant had been an assistant principal and interim principal before he was named principal in January 2014. Byrant has also been an administrator at the Alternative Program, and he began his career with Oak Ridge Schools as a special education teacher in 1985. [Read more…]

Video: Check out these robots stacking totes, garbage cans, ‘noodles’

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This is a video taken by Angi Agle on Saturday, April 25, 2015, at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.

This was the first round of the Hopper Division quarterfinals for an alliance that included the Secret City Wildbots, Team 4265 of Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Other members were Team 987, the Highrollers of Las Vegas, Nevada (team captain, #1 ranked in the division), and Team 2826, Wave Robotics of Oshkosh, Wisconsin (ranked #2 in the division). This round began at 9:51 a.m. Central time Saturday.

The first 15 seconds are the autonomous period, where the robot executes a pre-programmed routine with no human control. 2826 Wave achieves points by stacking three yellow totes in the designated area, while 987 Highrollers snag three garbage cans from the center area. While this achieves no autonomous points, the garbage cans stacked on top of gray totes multiplies the point value of the stack, so it is important to get them first—before the other alliance does so. [Read more…]

High achievement: Wildbots alliance finishes second in robotics competition finals

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An alliance that included the Secret City Wildbots of Oak Ridge High School finished second in the final championship round at the FIRST Robotics Competition in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday.

Maddie Buckner, a member of Team 4265 of Oak Ridge High School, is pictured above with Professor Woodie Flowers at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, April 25, 2015. (Photos by Angi Agle)

 

An alliance that included the Secret City Wildbots of Oak Ridge High School finished second in the final championship round at the FIRST Robotics Competition in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday.

It’s the highest achievement in the five-year history of Team 4265, Oak Ridge Board of Education member Angi Agle said.

The Secret City Wildbots were picked to join a four-team alliance with the first- and second-place ranked teams and made it into the elimination rounds on Saturday. That alliance won the Hopper Subdivision and advanced to the finals, the Einstein round, which was also on Saturday.

The alliance included: [Read more…]

Second Annual Youth Pride Fest is May 9 in Oak Ridge

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The second annual East Tennessee Youth Pride Fest will be held in Oak Ridge on Saturday, May 9.

Organizers said the festival will celebrate diversity.

“The fun planned event is an opportunity for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning) youth and their friends and allies to celebrate themselves through awareness, visibility, and pride,” a press release said.

The Youth Pride Fest will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9 at the First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge. The church is located at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike, the corner of Lafayette Drive and Oak Ridge Turnpike). [Read more…]

Secret City Wildbots alliance wins division, going to championship matches

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Secret City Wildbots Hopper Division FIRST Robotics Competition

Photos by Angi Agle

 

The alliance that includes the Secret City Wildbots won the Hopper Division at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, and is headed to the Einstein world championship matches.

The Wildbots, Team 4265 of Oak Ridge High School, were picked to join an alliance with the first- and second-place ranked teams. Their first match was this morning.

Here are photos of the team accepting its award. [Read more…]

ORHS ranked No. 11 most challenging high school in Tenn.

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Oak Ridge High School

The main entrance at Oak Ridge High School is pictured above. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Oak Ridge High School was ranked number 11 on a list of the most challenging high schools in Tennessee, according to a ranking published by The Washington Post.

Other East Tennessee high schools on the list are West High School in Knoxville (#6), Farragut High School in Knoxville (#7), Morristown West in Morristown (#10), and Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport (#12).

The top five high schools are all in the Nashville area: Hume-Fogg Magnet in Nashville (#1), Martin Luther King Magnet in Nashville (#2), Brentwood in Brentwood (#3), Hillsboro in Nashville (#4), and Ravenwood in Brentwood (#5). [Read more…]

Update: Secret City Wildbots alliance ranked No. 1 headed into finals at Robotics Competition

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Secret City Wildbots at First Robotics Competition 2015

The Secret City Wildbots have been competing at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in St. Louis, Missouri, this week, April 22-25, 2015. (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:37 p.m. April 25.

The Secret City Wildbots made it into the elimination rounds today (Saturday, April 25) at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.

Team 4265 of Oak Ridge High School was picked to join an alliance with the first- and second-place ranked teams. Their first match is this morning.

Updates: The Secret City Wildbots’ alliance won the first quarterfinal round 235-205 and is now ranked number 1. The alliance maintained its number 1 ranking headed to the semifinals and then the semifinals. The alliance won the first round of finals 268-185, Angi Agle reported at 1:07 p.m.

Below are two videos of the Secret City Wildbots competing during qualifying rounds this week. The videos are by Angi Agle. The robotics competition runs from April 22-25.

After all matches, the Secret City Wildbots, an Oak Ridge High School team, were ranked 45 as of Friday evening. [Read more…]

Update: Secret City Wildbots compete in qualifying Friday, could make elimination rounds Saturday

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FIRST Robotics Competition Secret City Wildbots 2015

The Secret City Wildbots are pictured above at the 2015 FIRST Robotics Competition Championship on Thursday, April 23, in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photos by Angi Agle) 

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:45 p.m.

The Secret City Wildbots of Oak Ridge High School are competing this week in the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.

Here are pictures from the competition on Thursday by Angi Agle. Oak Ridge won its last round and was ranked #37 as of Thursday evening.

Here is a Friday morning update from Agle: [Read more…]