Oak Ridge Today

Student lights desk on fire; RMS bomb threat appears unfounded, ORPD says

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James T. Akagi

James T. Akagi

Note: This story was last updated at 3:58 p.m.

A 16-year-old student at the Alternative School used hand sanitizer and a lighter to ignite another student’s desktop on Wednesday, authorities said.

Students extinguished the fire, and the suspect was arrested at the Alternative School on Thursday. He was processed at the Oak Ridge Police Department on aggravated arson charges and taken to the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Facility in Knoxville, a press release said.

In a separate incident, authorities determined that a report of an alleged bomb threat at Robertsville Middle School on Monday was unfounded, and no criminal charges are expected.

The ORPD said the desk was set on fire just before dismissal at the Alternative School on Wednesday. The Alternative School is next to the Oak Ridge High School and on the same campus. Staff at the Alternative School notified School Resource Office Sherrill Selby about the incident via e-mail. [Read more…]

AMSE calendar of events for May

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The American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge is pictured above.

The American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge is pictured above.

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Here is a calendar of events for the American Museum of Science and Energy in May:

  • May 1–31: Registration Open for AMSE Science Explorer Camp for rising 5th graders (must be 10 years old by June 1, 2014) 6th graders and 7th graders. Two identical one-week sessions are offered June 9-13 and June 16–20 from 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (Monday–Friday) at historic Freels Bend Cabin in Oak Ridge. Campers will do field explorations and hands-on activities related to land and water habitats, life sciences, geology, weather, flight, forensic science, and electricity. The week includes a tour of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and special presentations by ORNL researchers. Cost is $150 for AMSE members, and $175 for non-members. AMSE Science Explorer Camp is sponsored by the AMSE Foundation. Find Camp Registration form online at http://amse.org/visitors/summercamps/ or stop by AMSE to get a form. [Read more…]

Riley, 5, loves princesses but battles brain tumor

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Riley Mozingo

Five-year-old Riley Mozingo was diagnosed with brain cancer May 10, 2010. A princess-themed carnival was held Friday at Lake City Elementary School in her honor. All proceeds from the carnival will help fund her bedroom renovation. (Photos by Sara Wise)

LAKE CITY—“Come on, let’s go,” shouts Riley Mozingo as she drags her good friend, Anderson County Schools junior Emilee Hooks, toward the bounce house outside Lake City Elementary School.

Riley is a typical five-year-old. She loves princesses—especially The Little Mermaid, Ariel—and has big dreams to become a doctor when she grows up. But one thing sets Riley apart: she was diagnosed with astrocytoma grade 3.

She has had eight procedures since she was diagnosed with the brain tumor on May 14, 2010, and has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Now, she has to attend physical therapy sessions because she has trouble with her left side. Her tumor hasn’t shrunk—it actually got bigger during chemo—but it’s stayed about the same size with radiation.

Riley Mozingo and Little Mermaid

Riley admires a Little Mermaid-themed game during the carnival.

But it’s not all bad for Riley. She’s about to have her bedroom renovated by Special Spaces of Knoxville. The nonprofit organization renovates rooms for sick children all across the country, especially those with life-threatening illnesses. Riley is getting a princess-themed room.

Melanie Lamberson of Special Spaces said that once she heard about a five-year-old with cancer, she knew she had to help. [Read more…]

Honors: Norwood Elementary Classworks All-Stars

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Norwood Elementary Classworks All-Stars

Pictured above are Norwood Elementary School students Ronnie Rigney, Kristin Lindsay, Landan Lowery, and Jason Bolden. (Submitted photo)

 

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Congratulations to Norwood Elementary School students Ronnie Rigney, Kristin Lindsay, Landan Lowery, and Jason Bolden. They have been selected as Classworks All-Stars. This honor is only given to 500 students nationwide. This award is for math and reading achievement on the Classworks program sponsored by Anderson County Schools.

Anderson County school officials revoke rejection of Oak Ridge Head Start application

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Anderson County Board of Education

Members of the Anderson County Board of Education pictured above are, from left, Steve Fritts and Scott Gillenwaters, Schools Director Larry Foster, Board Chair John Burrell, Vice Chair Greg Crawford, and member Dail Cantrell.

 

CLINTON—Anderson County school officials have revoked a decision that could have resulted in the loss of about $700,000 in funding for the Head Start program in Oak Ridge in the next school year.

The Anderson County Board of Education rejected Oak Ridge’s Head Start application on April 10 over concerns about the falsification of federal data, specifically reports on the motor skills of children.

But since then, officials from Anderson County and Oak Ridge schools have met and hammered out a 10-point plan that could be put into place for the 2014-2015 school year. The agreement would allow Oak Ridge to continue to receive funding for the city’s Head Start program through Anderson County.

The agreement between the two systems, which would have the city and county work together to hire a new preschool principal or director in Oak Ridge, was considered during a brief special meeting of the Anderson County Board of Education in Clinton on Tuesday. The board unanimously agreed to rescind their April 10 rejection and accept Oak Ridge’s proposal. [Read more…]

School board approves balanced calendar

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Oak Ridge Board of Education

The Oak Ridge Board of Education and school administrators are pictured above during a recent meeting.

Note: This story was last updated at 11:30 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education on Monday approved a new balanced calendar for the 2015-2016 school year. The balanced calendar, which is different than the traditional school calendar, gives students about nine weeks of classroom instruction at a time. This will be the first time that Oak Ridge has had a balanced calendar.

The school board approved the change in a 4-1 vote on Monday. Board member Jenny Richter was opposed.

A separate motion to outsource substitute teachers died with little discussion.

The vote on the balanced calendar came after input from three community members who were opposed to the change from the traditional calendar, which is now being used at most Oak Ridge schools. The board discussed the calendars for nearly an hour before the vote. [Read more…]

ORHS again ranked sixth-best in state

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Oak Ridge High School

Oak Ridge High School is pictured above.

Oak Ridge High School has again been ranked sixth in Tennessee in an annual ranking of the best high schools in the state.

The ranking by U.S. News and World Report said ORHS is among the Top 1,000 high schools in the nation, ranking No. 894.

At 13:1, Oak Ridge High School has a smaller-than-average student-to-teacher ratio, and it is above the state average in college readiness and student proficiency in algebra and English. [Read more…]

Secret City Wildbots receive Excellence in Engineering award at robotics championship

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FIRST Robotics Luke Buckner, Mark Buckner, and Tag Groff

Luke Buckner, Mark Buckner, and Tag Groff in the drivers’ station at the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in St. Louis this past weekend. (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

The Secret City Wildbots team received an Excellence in Engineering award at the FIRST Robotics World Championships in St. Louis this past weekend, Oak Ridge school officials said Monday.

“The Wildbots competed in the Archimedes Division, and after 10 tough qualification matches, earned their way into the Elimination Tournament by defeating the top-ranked team in the division in the final qualification match,” according to information from Gordon F. Williams, engineering instructor, Oak Ridge High School Engineering and Robotics Academy, and FIRST Robotics Team 4265 coach and sponsor.

Williams said the Secret City Wildbots, Team 4265, formed an alliance team consisting of Team 20, The Rocketeers (from Clifton Park, N.Y.); Team 195, The Cyber Knights (from Southington, Conn.); and Team 4077, MASH (from Edmonds, Wash.) that was eliminated in the quarterfinals round. [Read more…]

Secret City Wildbots make robotics quarterfinals, but not semifinals

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Secret City Wildbots Lisa Buckner

The Secret City Wildbots survived the qualification rounds 6-4-0 and were selected to join alliance #6, advancing to the elimination rounds. Team 4265 representative Sydney Buckner, pictured, accepts the invitation from the alliance captain, Team 4077. (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 7:41 p.m.

The Secret City Wildbots survived the qualification rounds 6-4-0 in the in the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in St. Louis, Mo., this week and advanced to the elimination rounds.

Saturday evening update: The Secret City Wildbots made it as far as the quarterfinals, but did not advance to the semifinals.

See previous photos and video here.

Photos, video: Secret City Wildbots at FIRST Robotics Competition

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Secret City Wildbots Robot

The robot is double-loaded for autonomous mode (first 10 seconds of the match). In autonomous mode, each robot is given one ball. However, if one team on the alliance believes that another team’s robot is a more capable shooter, it can relinquish its ball to the more capable teammate. (Photos by Angi Agle)

 

The Secret City Wildbots were 5-4 in the FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in St. Louis on Friday night, with one qualifying round remaining this morning (Saturday morning). Here are pictures and video sent by Angi Agle from the Aerial Assist competition on Friday. [Read more…]

Photo: Secret City Wildbots

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Secret City Wildbots at Qualification

The Secret City Wildbots drive team (L to R: Tag Groff, Alana Joldersma, Luke Buckner, Andreas Franco) prepare for one of five qualification matches on Thursday. (Photo by Angi Agle)

By Angi Agle

The Secret City Wildbots drive team, pictured above, prepared for one of five qualification matches on Thursday. The Wildbots were 2-2 at the time, having lost the first two and won the next two decisively.

There was one more qualification match remaining Thursday, five on Friday, and one Saturday. Teams are ranked on six criteria, with rankings changing rapidly depending on the performance of all teams. We won’t know until noon Saturday which teams advance to the elimination rounds. [Read more…]

Anderson schools could rescind rejection of Oak Ridge Head Start application

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Oak Ridge Schools Administration Building

The Oak Ridge School Administration Building, which houses the Head Start and Preschool program, is pictured above.

Note: This story was updated at 4:50 p.m.

They rejected a Head Start application from Oak Ridge a few weeks ago, but Anderson County school officials could rescind it during a special meeting on Tuesday.

Officials from the two school systems have met and developed a 10-point plan that could be put into place for the 2014-2015 school year. The agreement would allow Oak Ridge to continue to receive funding for the city’s Head Start program through Anderson County, said Keys Fillauer, chair of the Oak Ridge Board of Education.

The agreement will be considered by the county school board during Tuesday’s meeting.

On April 10, the Anderson County Board of Education rejected Oak Ridge’s Head Start application over concerns about the falsification of federal data, specifically reports on the motor skills of children. [Read more…]