Uncategorized Archives - Oak Ridge Today

AAUW meeting features dance program, scholarship recipients, new officers

May 20, 2013 By John Huotari Leave a Comment

An AAUW luncheon meeting today features a fun program, the introduction of college scholarship recipients, and the induction of new officers, a press release said.

AAUW member Peggy Emmett, who has won many regional and national dance competitions, and her dance partner Sam Gordon will give a program on dance, the release said. They will perform some of the routines that Emmett, with her interest in theater, has created, the release said.

Gordon owns Go Dance Studio on Shaeffer Road in Knoxville. [Read more...]

Marlow man charged with vehicular homicide for two deaths after three-car crash

May 17, 2013 By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Danny L. Bean

A Marlow man has been charged with vehicular homicide in the deaths of two women who died after a three-car collision on Oliver Springs Highway in November.

Danny L. Bean, 55, of Ford Road, has been charged with two counts each of vehicular homicide by intoxication and two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness. He has also been charged with reckless endangerment and failure to maintain a single lane.

Bean allegedly crossed the center line while driving southbound in a Toyota 4-Runner on Oliver Springs Highway on Nov. 1, causing a head-on collision with a Hyundia Elantra drive by Alberta Farrer, 56, of Clinton, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Farrer died Nov. 8, a week after the accident, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Police and Fire, Top Stories, Uncategorized Tagged With: Alberta Farrer, Anderson County Criminal Court, Anderson County Detention Facility, Anderson County grand jury, Danny L. Bean, failure to maintain a single lane, indictments, Oliver Springs Highway, Pat Smith, reckless endangerment, State Route 61, Tennessee Department of Safety, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Travis Gallaher, University of Tennessee Medical Center, vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide by intoxication, vehicular homicide by recklessness

Company closes deal on Alexander Inn, plans to use for assisted living center

May 7, 2013 By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Plans call for converting the Alexander Inn, formerly known as The Guest House, into an assisted living center.

It’s been in the works for months, and officials announced on Tuesday that a local company has purchased the historic but rundown Alexander Inn.

Family Pride Corp. plans to convert the vacant two-story hotel into an assisted living center.

The sale was announced by the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance, a key player in the project. A press release said the agreement announced Tuesday includes a preservation easement with ETPA that will ensure the building is protected forever. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Uncategorized Tagged With: Alexander Inn, East Tennessee Preservation Alliance, ETPA, Family Pride Corp., Guest House, Knox Heritage, Manhattan Project, Mark Watson, Rick Dover, Tom Beehan

Oak Ridge Education Foundation donates $81,000 to city schools

May 1, 2013 By Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation Leave a Comment

Deirdre Barrett, right, is pictured above with Alice Feldman, Linda Young, Anne Garcia Garland, and Margaret Gottshall. (Submitted photos)

The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation presented a check for $81,000 to the Oak Ridge Schools at the Foundation’s award ceremony Friday evening. The funds will be used to provide a variety of educational materials in each of the city’s seven public schools.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director and Foundation Chair Thom Mason told an audience of more than 150 attending the event that the gift was part of the Foundation’s “Making a Critical Difference” campaign that provides teachers small grants for teaching tools not available in the city’s education budget. Mason said that, since the program began in 2004, the Foundation has awarded a total of more than $408,000 to dozens of teachers in every grade. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, Education, K-12, Nonprofits, Top Stories, Uncategorized Tagged With: awards ceremony, Cathy Toth, Deirdre Barrett, grants, Lila Metcalf, Making a Critical Difference, Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, Oak Ridge Schools, Thom Mason

Closed-circuit TV may be used for jury selection in Y-12 protester case

April 23, 2013 By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Pictured above are the three anti-nuclear weapons protesters who broke into the Y-12 National Security Complex on July 28. From left, they are Michael Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed.

There could be 70 potential jurors during jury selection for the May 7 trial against three protesters accused of breaking into Y-12 National Security Complex last summer, so supporters and reporters might not be allowed in the courtroom.

One defense attorney said there would be a problem fitting everyone into even the largest courtroom in U.S. District Court in Knoxville, but another said jury selection is part of the trial and should be open to the public.

U.S. District Judge Amul R. Thapar said federal officials may try to set up a closed-circuit television system for jury selection, which could last several hours. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Top Stories, Uncategorized, Y-12 National Security Complex, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: Amul R. Thapar, closed-circuit TV, jury selection, U.S. District Court, Y-12 National Security Complex

Workers, volunteers celebrate animal shelter renovations

April 4, 2013 By John Huotari 1 Comment

Workers and volunteers celebrate renovations at the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter during an open house Monday.

The Oak Ridge Animal Shelter has a new exam room and a renovated surgery room.

It also has new paint, hospital-grade flooring, and a more inviting lobby area with a lower front desk and an animal adoption room.

The renovations, which included cleaning and electrical work, started in January. Except for the flooring, the work was done by the Oak Ridge municipal staff.

City workers and animal rescue volunteers celebrated with an open house Monday. They said the shelter seems more pleasant and inviting now, and the animals seem less stressed. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories, Uncategorized Tagged With: Jim Akagi, Mark Watson, Matt Jinks, Oak Ridge Animal Shelter, Oak Ridge Police Department, Randy Proffitt, renovations, Robin Smith, SARG, Shelter Animals Rescue Group, Shirley Auble, Young Professionals of Oak Ridge

Flashing pedestrian signs could be installed at three crosswalks on Melton Lake Drive

March 17, 2013 By John Huotari 5 Comments

Melton Lake Drive Pedestrian Warning Signs

New solar-powered pedestrian warning signs could be installed at three crosswalks on Melton Lake Drive under a contract to be considered by Oak Ridge City Council on Monday. (Submitted photo)

Solar-powered pedestrian warning signs and new pavement markings could be installed at three crosswalks on Melton Lake Drive.

The crosswalk improvements are proposed at Amanda Drive, Emory Valley Road, and Rivers Run. They will be considered by Oak Ridge City Council on Monday night.

The Oak Ridge city staff has recommended awarding a roughly $38,000 contract to First Place Finish of Oak Ridge for the crosswalk work, which could start in April and be completed in four to six weeks. The bid was the lowest of four received, City Engineer Steven R. Byrd said in a memo to City Manager Mark S. Watson.

Report: Oak Ridge officials discuss wastewater issues with EPA in Atlanta

February 10, 2013 By Chuck Hope Leave a Comment

Editor’s note: The Oak Ridge City Council recently established an ad hoc subcommittee to focus on issues related to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrative order on inflow and infiltration of the city’s wastewater system. Councilman Chuck Hope, who is chairman of the subcommittee, provided the following report on its recent meeting with the EPA in Atlanta.

The subcommittee of City Council that was formed to address our EPA Administrative Order concerns, went to Atlanta, Ga., on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013, to meet with staff from the Southeast Regional (Region 4) EPA office.

The meeting was attended by four EPA staff members: Denisse Diaz, clean water enforcement branch chief; Maurice Horsey, municipal and industrial enforcement section chief; Michele Whetherington, assistant regional counsel; and Dennis Sayre, our assigned contact in municipal and industrial enforcement.

Woman has possible injuries after Lansing Road rollover crash

January 18, 2013 By John Huotari Leave a Comment

An Oak Ridge woman was injured in a rollover accident on South Lansing Road on Sunday night. (Photo by Tom Scott)

An Oak Ridge woman suffered possible injuries in a rollover accident on South Lansing Road on Sunday night.

Terry Beth Matthews, 48, was using her shoulder and lap belt and was not ejected, but she was taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center after her 2004 Toyota Camry rolled near Latimer Road at about 8:55 p.m. Sunday, an Oak Ridge Police Department crash report said.

Matthews was outside the vehicle, which was on its roof, when police and fire units arrived. Her passenger, Richard L. Sweeden, 48, of Kingston, was not injured, but he had left the scene.

Y-12 security breach subject of congressional hearing

September 11, 2012 By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Note: This story was updated to add a link for watching the hearing live.

The July 28 security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex is expected to be one of the topics discussed during a Wednesday morning hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Witnesses scheduled to testify during the hearing of the U.S. House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee include Department of Energy Deputy Secretary Daniel B. Poneman and DOE Inspector General Gregory H. Friedman.

Poneman will be accompanied by Thomas P. D’Agostino, National Nuclear Security Administration administrator, and Glenn S. Podonsky, DOE’s chief health, safety, and security officer.

A webcast could be available on this page: http://energycommerce.house.gov/studio/webcasts. The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee should be Webcast A.

Students from Appalachia attend high school science camp

July 26, 2012 By Dawn Huotari 2 Comments

Three dozen high school students from 12 Appalachian states participate in a math, science, technology institute this month. (Photo submitted by Oak Ridge Associated Universities)

Three dozen high school students and 14 teachers from 12 Appalachian states spent two weeks in East Tennessee this month for a math, science, and technology camp.

The camp was hosted by two local organizations, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Oak Ridge Associated Universities, as well as the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The students and teachers were able to work with mentors at ORNL during the hands-on camp, the 23rd annual High School Summer and Math-Science-Technology Institute. They also participated in East Tennessee tours and activities.

Children play and learn at Children’s Museum summer camps

June 6, 2012 By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

Children can garden during summer camps that start on June 11 at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy of Kay Brookshire)

Children will blend imagination, education and interactive play as they become puppeteers, storytellers, model railroaders, chefs, potters, globetrotters, gardeners, and more during Imagination Station Summer Camps at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

The summer camps, from June 11 through Aug. 3, offer activities for children ages 3-5 in preschool classes, and for children entering grades 1 through 7. Clay camps with professional clay artist Sherrie Carris will be offered throughout the summer for children ranging in age from 6-12. See the Children’s Museum website, www.childrensmuseumofoakridge.org, for a listing of all summer camps.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, Summer Camps