Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge nature walks scheduled for April-June

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The 2019 season of Oak Ridge Reservation nature walks continues on Sunday, April 14, with a wildflower and old growth forest walk.

More than 1,100 vascular plants, 72 fish, 34 mammals, and more than 200 bird species have been observed on the U.S. Department of Energy reservation. This year, the public is invited to eight nature walks designed to highlight the rich flora and fauna diversity of the ORR and to demonstrate the work being done to sustainably manage and conserve this resource, a press release said. The series closes with a history talk in August.

Reservations for the following events must be made in advance by noon the Thursday prior to each walk by contacting Tracy Clem at (865) 574-5151 (bodinetm@ornl.gov). If weather forces postponement of an event, it will be announced on Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Information Line at (865) 574-9836 (i.e. 574-XTEN) at least two hours before the scheduled start of the walk. Children are allowed on the walks; no pets, please.

Sunday, April 14: Wildflower and old growth forest walk

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Final notice: New class of Y-12 workers added to compensation program

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The sign at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A new class of workers at the Y-12 National Security Complex has been added to a federal energy employees compensation program that was established about two decades ago, officials announced Thursday.

The affected employees would have worked at Y-12 between January 1, 1958, and December 31, 1976. They would have been employees of the U.S. Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies, or their contractors and subcontractors. They would have had an aggregate of at least 250 work days. That could have occurred either only through this employment or in combination with work days that meet the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in what is known as the Special Exposure Cohort.

The notice that the new class of employees has been added to the Special Exposure Cohort was published in the Federal Register by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. Oak Ridge Today reported in December that the class was being evaluated, based on exposure to radiation from thorium metal parts and plutonium-241 isotopes, and reported in March that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had designated the class of employees to be added. The new designation became effective March 28.

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Big Ed’s Memorial Golf Tournament is April 26

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Oak Ridge Country Club Golf Course

The 18th Annual Big Ed’s Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, April 26, will benefit Community Mediation Services of Anderson Country.

It will provide participants a great way to give back to the youth and families in our community while having a great day of golf, a press release said.

You can join Big Ed’s Pizza and Community Mediation Services for the golf tournament on Friday, April 26, at the beautiful and challenging Oak Ridge Country Club, the press release said.

The tournament will start at 8:30 a.m. April 26 in a scramble format. Golfers will get a complimentary breakfast, beverage carts, and a smoked barbecue lunch provided by Big Ed’s. Prize contests for participants will be awarded along with a hole-in-one grand prize. Free Big Ed’s shirts and golf towels for all golfers are included, the press release said. An on-site silent auction will be available.

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Final days for Volunteer Tax Center

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April 15 is just around the corner, and the IRS VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Center is ready for the final rush. Volunteers at the Tax Center have submitted 1372 during February and March with a total of $1,650,441.00 refunded to citizens of Anderson, Roane, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, and surrounding counties, a press release said. The Center can process 160-180 returns each week.

The VITA program is designed to assist senior citizens and low-to-medium income individuals and families. There is no charge for this service. The VITA Tax Center is sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service and supported by the Anderson County United Way. Taxpayers need to bring photo identification, a copy of last year’s return, Social Cecurity cards for all people listed on a return, health coverage forms, all relevant income forms (W-2s, 1099s, Social Security annual statement) and documentation for daycare, education, and itemized deduction expenses, the press release said.

The Tax Center is located in the Trinity Center at 320 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge. It is open Tuesday-Friday from 3 to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon. Taxpayers are seen on a first-come basis. Volunteers will also be available on Monday, April 15, from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

This press release was submitted by Diane Edwards.

Farmers Market opens Saturday

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Farmers Market
The Oak Ridge Farmers Market opens for the season in Jackson Square at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 13, 2019. It will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays though November, and a Holiday Market is planned for December. (File photo)

The Historic Oak Ridge Farmers Market presented by East Tennessee FARM will open for the 2019 season on Saturday, April 13.

The market will be held 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday through November in Jackson Square. The markets operate rain or shine. A Holiday Market is planned again for December. The previously held Wednesday market in Jackson Square has been discontinued.

FARM is a historical agricultural co-op operating in Oak Ridge since 1976, making it one of the oldest farmers markets in the state of Tennessee, a press release said. Area farmers have been working together to bring locally grown food and other farm products to the Oak Ridge community for 43 years, the release said.

“The Saturday morning market in Jackson Square is a popular gathering place for Oak Ridgers and visitors,” the press release said.

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Free legal clinics offered in Tennessee in April

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The Tennessee Supreme Court has designated April as the third annual HELP4TN Days, a time dedicated to bringing free legal resources to Tennesseans in need. Throughout the month of April, more than 100 free legal clinics will be held throughout the state, and online and phone-based legal services will be offered to residents who cannot make it to a legal clinic.

Oak Ridge is one of the locations where the free legal clinics will be held.

“The legal system can be confusing and intimidating to many,” Chief Justice Jeff Bivins said. “The goal of the Court’s Access to Justice Initiative is to help Tennesseans get the legal assistance they need when and where they need it.”

The best place to start when looking for legal resources is help4tn.org or by calling (844) HELP4TN, a press release said. Both options can link Tennesseans to dozens of legal resources, the release said.

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Planning Commission to discuss revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge

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A revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission will discuss the proposed revisions during a work session on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission will again consider revisions to the plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The potential revisions will be discussed during a Planning Commission work session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

The most recent version of the revised plan is similar to what Oak Ridge officials have seen before with minor variations. Some things have been incorporated that were only discussed before, such as sidewalks.

After being discussed today, the potential changes could be considered by the Planning Commission for a recommendation to Oak Ridge City Council next week, during an April 18 meeting. The changes would be considered as an amendment to the planned unit development for Main Street Oak Ridge. Among other things, the revisions would replace proposed multifamily residential units near Rutgers Avenue with retailers, and they would propose mixed-use areas in a future phase along Wilson Street.

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Ribbon-cutting for renovated K-25 Visitor Center & Overlook is April 25

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K25 Ribbon Cutting Invitation

A ribbon-cutting has been scheduled at the renovated K-25 Visitors Center and Overlook in west Oak Ridge on Thursday, April 25.

The ceremony has been scheduled from 4-6 p.m. April 25. The ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

“This project has been a labor of love between Bionomics and Roane County Visitors Bureau/The Roane Alliance, and we are excited for you to see all the changes that have already taken place,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Clinton 911 using new technology to locate callers

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Clinton 911 Communications Center is one of the first emergency answering points in the area to start receiving accurate device location data via the RapidSOS Clearinghouse, according to a press release posted on the Clinton Police Department’s Facebook page last week.

This new technology will help Clinton dispatchers and call takers better pinpoint the location of 9-1-1 callers using cell phones (from iPhones with iOS 12+ and Android phones version 4.0+). In addition, the call center will be able to receive emergency data from apps like Uber, wearable devices, and internet-connected connected homes and cars. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project public program: Ride with a ranger on Saturday, April 27

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Join a park ranger for a bike ride on the North Boundary Greenway in Oak Ridge to see how the former communities of the area have changed during the past 70 years. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present a free program at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 29, 2017. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

Join a park ranger for a bike ride on Melton Lake Greenway in Oak Ridge to learn more about the city’s history. The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present the free program at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 27, 2019. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

 

You can join a park ranger for a bike ride down Melton Lake Greenway and learn more about the city’s history later this month.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present the free program on Saturday, April 27, at 10 a.m. The program will begin at Elza Gate Park, a former entry point to the once-secret city, and continue down Melton Lake Greenway.

“Rangers will stop several times along the bike ride to point out the rich history that is found within the Oak Ridge area,” a press release said.

The ride will be approximately eight miles round-trip; it is recommended that visitors bring drinking water, the press release said. [Read more…]

Injured CUB lineman recovering after electrical shock

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Clinton Utilities Board Logo

Information from WYSH Radio

A Clinton Utilities Board lineman was recovering in the hospital on Wednesday, one day after being injured while on the job in Clinton on Tuesday.

Shortly before noon Tuesday, a CUB employee identified by his daughter as Mike Bavousett was part of a crew working to replace old conductors with newer ones as part of an upgrade project. The crew was in the process of splicing a piece of wire into the conductor to get the wire down to the pulling equipment on the ground when the conductor came loose from the splice and slipped up into an energized conductor overhead where Bavousset was working. Officials are still working to identify exactly what went wrong. No one else was injured in the incident. [Read more…]

Company could invest $500 million at medical isotope production facility

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Pictured above is a rendering of the proposed Coquí Radio Pharmaceuticals Corporation medical isotope production facility at the Heritage Center in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy Coquí)

Pictured above is a rendering of the proposed Coquí Radio Pharmaceuticals Corporation medical isotope production facility at the Heritage Center in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy Coquí)

 

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

Coquí Radio Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced Wednesday that it could invest $500 million at a new medical isotope production facility at the Heritage Center in west Oak Ridge.

The facility could start production in late 2025, said Carmen Bigles, founder and chief executive officer of Coquí Radio Pharmaceuticals.

The U.S. Department of Energy has transferred land for the facility and provided research support through the national laboratories, the company said in a press release Wednesday morning.

Coquí’s facility will produce medical isotopes that diagnose and treat diseases, primarily molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), which is used in 18 million medical procedures a year in the U.S., the press release said.

The facility will provide more than 200 high-paying, permanent jobs, Coquí said. [Read more…]