Oak Ridge Today

Roane State offers training to become a chemical operator

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Photo courtesy Roane State Community College

Photo courtesy Roane State Community College

 

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A new Roane State curriculum that trains people to become chemical operators will begin in the fall semester, said Markus Pomper, dean of the college’s Division of Mathematics and Sciences.

A chemical operator monitors, controls, and troubleshoots automated chemical processes. The work environment can range from processing uranium at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge to making bulk food products, such as high-fructose corn syrup.

The operator monitors data and remotely adjusts controls as needed to ensure chemical processes operate properly. If equipment breaks down, the operator also maintains and repairs valves, pumps, regulators, and sensors. [Read more…]

Golf tournament raises funds for new Roane State golf teams

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From left to right are Roane State alumni who were members of the original golf team at the community college: Chris Griffin, Eddie Evans, Bobby Tipton (in back), Tom Flynn, former Roane State Golf Coach Eddie Liskovec, Mike Emery, John Thomas, Mike Fuller, and Randy Button. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

From left to right are Roane State alumni who were members of the original golf team at the community college: Chris Griffin, Eddie Evans, Bobby Tipton (in back), Tom Flynn, former Roane State Golf Coach Eddie Liskovec, Mike Emery, John Thomas, Mike Fuller, and Randy Button. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

A recent golf tournament at Oak Ridge Country Club raised funds to support a revived men’s golf team at Roane State Community College along with the startup of a women’s squad.

Proceeds from this year’s tournament will help in the purchase of equipment and supplies for the teams, and plans are in the works for future tournaments to support the teams, said Coach Chris Griffin, who is spearheading the effort.

Griffin and a special committee of staff and alumni, in partnership with the Roane State Foundation, organized the tournament, which also included a silent auction of items, events, and trips.

Contributions were received by the Roane State Foundation to support the effort, said Scott Niermann, executive director. The foundation is a not-for-profit entity that provides financial support for the college’s students and programs. [Read more…]

Information about Oak Ridge Schools registration, orientation

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All students new to Oak Ridge Schools need to register at their respective schools from Monday, July 9, to Wednesday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to noon. Parents who pre-registered kindergartners in May also need to complete the registration process on those dates, a press release said.

Registration for new students in grades 9-12 will be made by appointment only, the press release said. For more information regarding high school registration, contact the registrar at (865) 425-9524. Information necessary for new student registration includes the following:

  1. Child’s birth certificate (a certified copy for school records, not the hospital copy or mother’s copy)
  2. Child’s Social Security number (optional)
  3. Health insurance provider
  4. The Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization available from your doctor or Health Department consisting of two parts:
    • Immunizations — A Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization form showing the complete dates (month, day, and year) immunizations were administered.
    • Health Examination — A physical examination is required for all children entering Tennessee schools (K-12). Oak Ridge Schools require a physical examination current since January 1 of the year the student will enter kindergarten. Students entering the seventh grade will also need to provide proof of the T-dap immunization.
  5. Grades 1-12 only — Provide the name, address, and phone number of the school(s) where your child previously attended or provide report cards or withdrawal forms.

[Read more…]

First of its kind, Family Drug Treatment Court opening in Anderson County

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Family Drug Treatment Court Ribbon Cutting July 11 2018

A Family Drug Treatment Court, the first of its kind in Anderson County, launched this week, and there will be a ribbon-cutting next week, a press release said.

The Anderson County Family Drug Treatment Court will be called R2: The Recovery and Resilience Program, the press release said.

R2 is a program for juvenile offenders who have substance misuse issues and have not been successful in maintaining drug abstinence. The program is a minimum of nine months and will incorporate treatment, family therapy, and group therapy paired with accountability and goal setting, the press release said.

“By addressing barriers in the home, we will enable adolescents in Anderson County to break free from the grip of generational drug abuse, setting them up to be successful contributors to our society,” said Anderson County Juvenile Court Judge Brian Hunt.

The press release said the program has been a priority for a large number of stakeholders in the community for many years. [Read more…]

Shen of ORHS one of 20 U.S. high school students selected for USA Biology Olympiad Finals

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Photo of Henry Shen courtesy of Oak Ridge High School teacher Sharon Thomas.

Photo of Henry Shen courtesy of Oak Ridge High School teacher Sharon Thomas.

 

Henry Shen of Oak Ridge High School is one of 20 high school students selected for the 16th Annual USA Biology Olympiad National Finals.

The top 20 students were announced by the Center for Excellence in Education in May.

Nearly 10,000 talented students from across the country registered for the USA Biology Olympiad, or USABO. Nearly 700 were selected as semi-finalists, a press release said.

The 20 finalists were selected following completion of a three-part, two-hour exam in April.

The 20 finalists will meet from June 23 to July 5 at the University of California San Diego for 10 days of biology instruction that includes laboratory training and conceptual understanding, followed by two days of testing, the press release said. [Read more…]

Tucker to be honored, money raised for journalism education at Front Page Follies

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Anne McKinney, left, Myranda McGhee, Sharon Lord, and Adina Chumley rehearse for the 40th anniversary Front Page Follies on June 14, 2018, at the Bijou Theatre. (Submitted photo)

Anne McKinney, left, Myranda McGhee, Sharon Lord, and Adina Chumley rehearse for the 40th anniversary Front Page Follies on June 14, 2018, at the Bijou Theatre. (Submitted photo)

 

Maurice Hendricks, a baritone with the Knoxville Opera and the Marble City Opera, will solo the reprise of “Let My People Golf” in the 40th annual Front Page Follies, which roasts state and local newsmakers, on June 14 at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville. The cast of local media folks and friends is ready to present the musical revue of the year’s news and newsmakers, a press release said.

Front Page Follies offers an evening of laughs as the Front Page Foundation, host of the show, raises funds for journalism and broadcast scholarships and media education programs for students. Lori Tucker, WATE-TV news anchor, will be the honoree at this year’s Follies.

Regarding his role in the performance next week, Hendricks said: “I got an email from a friend saying they were looking for someone to sing this song. I like being involved in all-around fun craziness as an artist, meeting and singing with new people, and networking. So I said, ‘yes, let’s do it!’”

Hendricks has won the Encouraging Award in national auditions for the New York Metropolitan Opera.

The song, “Let My People Golf,” skewers the attitudes that prevented then-University of Tennessee basketball coach Wade Huston, an African-American hired in 1989, from joining a local country club. “It’s interesting to see that situation was only in 1989, not in the ‘60s,” Hendricks said. “We’ve come a long way but still have a long way to go.” [Read more…]

Council to consider budget with two-cent tax rate increase

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oak-ridge-city-council-december-2016

The Oak Ridge City Council is pictured above in December 2016. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider a budget with a proposed two-cent increase in the property tax rate and what would generally be a 2 percent pay increase for employees.

If approved by Council, the tax rate change would be the first increase in years. Oak Ridge Today reported that the budget approved last year was the 10th one in a row without a tax rate increase.

The two-cent increase in the property tax rate, which would raise it to $2.54 per $100 of assessed value, would help fund the bond repayments for the new Oak Ridge Senior Center, Scarboro Park renovation, and Oak Ridge Preschool, and also provide the city some “breathing room,” Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said. The Senior Center, Scarboro Park, and Preschool projects are expected to cost about $13 million total.

Municipal officials said there has been a $750,000 shortfall in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, in revenues from Roane County. That shortfall is attributed to some sales tax exemptions, and it is believed to mostly be from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the major taxpayer in the Roane County portion of the city. The shortfall affected Oak Ridge this year and has been resolved this year, but the city had to use reserves, which affected money that could be used for capital projects in the next fiscal year, fiscal year 2019, which starts July 1, Watson said. [Read more…]

City, schools to present budgets to City Council on Tuesday

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

 

City and school officials will present their fiscal year 2019 budgets to Oak Ridge City Council in a special meeting on Tuesday.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education budget, which has already been approved by the school board, will be presented by Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers and Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer. The city has typically provided a little less than 30 percent of the school system’s funding.

The proposed municipal budget will be presented by Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson. [Read more…]

Thursday night: Oak Ridge Choir seniors ‘say goodbye’ to ORHS in concert

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Come celebrate “The Greatest Show” with the Oak Ridge High School Choirs. Share “A Million Dreams” with seniors as they say goodbye to Oak Ridge High School, a press release said.

The concert starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $3 for adults and $1 for students.

Wednesday night: Oak Ridge school board has public hearing, first reading of budget

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education has a public hearing and first reading of the budget for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, tonight (Wednesday, May 16).

The special meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Oak Ridge Schools Administration Building at 304 New York Avenue.

The school board had a line-by-line review of the budget on Monday, and the fiscal year 2019 budget was presented May 8.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Reminder: Community Wellness Fair hosted by city, schools on Wednesday

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

Reminder: The City of Oak Ridge Wellness Committee and Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated School Health are teaming up to host a Community Wellness Fair. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 16, from noon to 4 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Civic Center. Admission is free and everyone is invited, a press release said.

The Civic Center is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Demonstrations, informational booths, and health screenings will be set up inside the gymnasium. Topics to be covered include: [Read more…]

Updated: Council authorizes final design for Preschool, Senior Center

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Oak Ridge Pre-K School (Image by Studio Four Design via City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge Pre-K School at Scarboro Park (Image by Studio Four Design via City of Oak Ridge)

 

Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. May 15.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday authorized the final designs of the Senior Center and the Preschool and Scarboro Park Renovation. The two projects together could total about $13 million. The Senior Center and Preschool have been on the city’s wish list for a decade or two—or even longer.

Resolutions unanimously approved by City Council on Monday in 7-0 votes authorize Studio Four Design Inc. of Knoxville to proceed to the final construction design of the two projects. One project, the Preschool, would be at Scarboro Park, and the other, the Senior Center, would be at Alvin K. Bissell Park.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told City Council members in May 9 memos that Studio Four Design, led by Jacene Phillips, has achieved 50 percent design on the two projects and reviewed the proposed designs with city, school, and Senior Advisory Board officials and “achieved consensus on design requirements.”

The more expensive of the two projects, the Oak Ridge Preschool and Scarboro Park Renovation, has a current estimated cost of $9,792,674, or close to $10 million.

The Senior Center could cost about $3 million. [Read more…]