Oak Ridge Today

James ‘Jim’ Thomas Tunnell

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James "Jim" Thomas Tunnell

James “Jim” Thomas Tunnell

James “Jim” Thomas Tunnell, age 60, of Oak Ridge, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 10, at his home, surrounded by his family.

He was born Nov. 15, 1951, in Knoxville, the son of William Lawrence and Mary Elizabeth Tindell Tunnell.

Jim was the owner and operator of Jim’s Off-Road Center for 36 years. He had served as past president of the Southern 4-Wheel Drive Association, which was active in 13 states.

Jim was a member of Batley Baptist Church. He greatly enjoyed spending time at his father’s farm, Tunnell Springs Farm in Marlow.

He was preceded in death by his mother.

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Mieko Kosuge Brown

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Mieko Kosuge Brown

Mieko Kosuge Brown

Mieko Kosuge Brown, age 79, of Oak Ridge, passed away Friday, Oct. 5, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

She was born March 31, 1933, in Mito City, Japan, to Gisubro and Kiko Kosuge, both now deceased.

She was the third child of seven children, and she was a member of Calvary Baptist Church. She was a chemical operator at Y-12, retiring in 2010 at the age of 77, and she received an award for 35 years of service without a sick day. She was a member of the Japanese Dance Club of Oak Ridge. She loved to knit and sew and was a fashion designer, designing and making most of her clothes.

She loved to read, especially Japanese books and loved traveling. In the 1950s, she went to visit here grandmother in Sendai, and met a GI, Ulys Grant. She fell in love and married despite her fathers objections. They had met at a Christian Bible study, and Mieko became a Christian.

She came to America in 1954 and began a family. She had to learn English at night school and had to raise three boys by herself when Ulys became disabled.

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CROET moves headquarters to Commerce Park

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The Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee is moving its headquarters across town to the Commerce Park, where the economic development organization will share a building with Tech 20/20.

CROET has been located at the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office building complex on Laboratory Road for years, and Tech 20/20 has had its headquarters at 1020 Commerce Drive.

In a press release, John Morris, Tech 20/20 president and chief executive officer, said the collaboration between the two economic development organizations brings his career “full circle.”

“In 1996, CROET helped launch one of my start-up companies, Net Learning, with a $100,000 seed loan that served as a catalyst to launch the business,” Morris said. “They were there when we could not get traditional funding, and now I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue to strengthen the partnership between Tech 20/20 and CROET. By being co-located, we will build upon the great relationships we’ve had for years to leverage opportunities and help other businesses and start-ups in non-traditional ways.”

The press release said the partnership between CROET and Tech 20/20 has played a key role in economic development in Oak Ridge, with projects including the Center for Entrepreneurial Growth’s accelerator fund and the Halcyon Commercialization Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

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State asked to investigate DesJarlais’ relationship with patient

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The Tennessee Department of Health has been asked to investigate whether U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, a doctor, had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a patient.

The nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington asked for the investigation in a complaint filed Monday. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization said Tennessee law prohibits doctors from engaging in relationships with patients.

DesJarlais, who lives in South Pittsburg near Chattanooga, is a first-term Tennessee Republican whose district includes part of Roane County, including areas north and west of Oak Ridge.

In a letter to supporters on Friday, DesJarlais acknowledged that he was involved with an unnamed woman he had treated for a foot injury while he was legally separated from his wife during divorce proceedings 12 years ago.

“The relationship was completely mutual,” DesJarlais said.

But in its complaint, CREW said that doesn’t matter. Tennessee’s medical policy holds the physician responsible for maintaining “the boundaries of the professional relationship by avoiding and refraining from sexual contact with patients,” CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan wrote.

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City starts search for Jackson Square design firm this week

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TDOT Commissioner John Schroer Tours Jackson Square

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer, left, tours Jackson Square on Monday with Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, center, and City Manager Mark Watson.

The search for a company to help transform historic Jackson Square with the help of an $800,000 grant could start this week, Oak Ridge officials said Monday.

The city plans to release a request for proposals, or RFP, for consulting engineers this week, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said. The winning firm will help design and configure the new square, and meet with the public. Picking a company could take three to four weeks, Watson said.

A separate company will be selected to do an environmental review of historic buildings at Jackson Square, Oak Ridge’s original town center.

The redevelopment of the square will use a roughly $800,000 state award of federal highway money to improve the parking lot on Broadway Avenue, build and repair sidewalks, add trees and pedestrian lighting, and make the square an “attractive, landscaped plaza and parking area.”

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer toured the square on Monday afternoon with TDOT and local officials, but he declined to put a timeline on the project, which requires a local funding match of $200,000.

Watson said it would take at least 18 months to get to the construction bidding stage.

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TDOT commissioner tours Jackson Square today

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John Schroer

John Schroer

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer will stop in Jackson Square Monday afternoon as part of a four-day tour of projects in East Tennsseee.

Schroer is scheduled to be at Big Ed’s Pizza in Jackson Square at 2:30 p.m. The square, Oak Ridge’s original commercial center, was recently awarded an $800,000 transportation enhancement grant for parking lots, sidewalks, benches, and bicycle racks.

During this week’s tour, Schroer, elected officials, and transportation officials will travel by bus to view TDOT projects currently under way and those listed on the department’s “Three Year Program.”

Schroer began his “TDOT Projects Tour” in TDOT’s Region One. The Region One Tour starts in Morgan County today and ends in Sullivan County on Thursday.

For more information on the “TDOT Projects Tour”, visit www.tn.gov/tdot/tour/.

B&W Y-12 receives DOE sustainability awards

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B&W Y-12 Sustainability Award

Regan Rose, left, and Eric Wright consolidate shredded documents on the Michael Dunn Center’s document destruction truck during an electronic recycling event at New Hope Center on Sept. 14. (Submitted photo)

B&W Y-12 recently received two U.S. Department of Energy Sustainability Awards at a ceremony during the 2012 GreenGov Symposium in Washington, D.C.

The award recognizes innovation and excellence in sustainability, pollution prevention, and environmental sustainability stewardship efforts within DOE, a press release said. An independent panel chose Y-12 from about 137 nominations for two of this year’s 20 awards.

“Today’s Sustainability Award winners are leading by example, showing what’s possible when employees bring creativity, innovation, and dedication to their efforts to make the Department of Energy more sustainable,” DOE Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman said. “The efforts undertaken by these individuals and teams are helping the department to deliver on President Obama’s sustainability goals, while inspiring others both inside and outside of government to start investing in cost-saving clean energy technologies.”

Y-12’s awards were:

  • Reaching Beyond—Y-12 Sustainability Outreach, which included collaborative outreach activities within the Y-12 complex, in the local community, and at the national level, and
  • Y-12 Targeted Excess Materials Program Pursues Sustainable Disposition Paths, which addresses hard-to-disposition excess legacy materials, critical and strategic materials and equipment.

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ORFD recommends alarms that detect flaming, smoldering fires

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The Oak Ridge Fire Department has responded to a recent NBC news report that raised questions about smoke alarms and their effectiveness, including potential delays in notifying homeowners of fires.

In a press release last week, Oak Ridge Assistant Fire Chief Josh Waldo said there are two types of home smoke alarms available: ionization and photoelectric. The ion type reacts faster to open flaming fires and is usually the least expensive. The photoelectric type reacts faster to smoldering fires, like the ones shown in the NBC report, and is less likely to react to cooking, the release said.

Waldo said there are smoke alarms that contain both ionization and photoelectric technology. The Oak Ridge Fire Department recommends them and installs them as part of its smoke alarm program.

Waldo said smoke alarms should be installed on every level of a home, with more detectors in each sleeping area and directly outside of each sleeping area. Smoke alarms should be tested monthly to make sure they are operating, and the batteries should be changed every six months.

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Emory Valley Center accepts business, organization donations

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Emory Valley Center Civitan Club Donation

Pictured are Emory Valley Center Day Workshop employees and, in front row second from left, Emory Valley Center Development Director Robin Biloski, Capital Campaign Co-Chair Gene Caldwell, Civitan Club Past President John Seiber, and Clinton Civitan Chapter Treasurer Susan Miller. (Submitted photos)

The Emory Valley Center recently accepted donations from AT&T and the Civitan Club of Clinton.

The Civitan Club’s donation was the final pledge to the Emory Valley Center’s Capital Campaign, a fundraising drive to raise money for a new building on Emory Valley Road, a press release said.

“One of our major emphases in our organization is to be there to assist adults and children with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and EVC is a perfect partner for us here in Anderson County,” said John Seiber, Civitan past president. “We are so pleased to assist in the campaign to raise funds for the new center.”

The center’s capital campaign is about two-thirds of the way to its goal.

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Authorities identify man killed in Marlow shooting Saturday

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Randall Kyle Wilcox

Randall Kyle Wilcox

Note: This story was last updated at 11:16 a.m. Oct. 15.

State authorities have identified the person shot and killed during a struggle with a deputy in Marlow on Saturday as Randall Kyle Wilcox, 30, of Clinton.

However, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is providing no new details about the shooting, including the type of weapon involved and the nature of the injuries to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputy.

“I am unable to provide any more details at this stage of the investigation,” said Kristin Helm, TBI public information officer.

Wilcox was shot by the Anderson County deputy near 602 Pine Ridge Road on Saturday morning after he reportedly fled on foot from a traffic stop and then tried to take the deputy’s weapon during a confrontation, authorities said Saturday.

Anderson County Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said the Sheriff’s Department is not naming the deputy. He was injured and taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, where he was treated and released.

The injuries were not believed to be serious, Helm said.

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ADFAC’s Feed the Need starts Monday, ends Friday

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Two dozen local restaurants will give part of their sales this week to Aid To Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

It’s called Feed The Need, and it starts Monday and ends Friday. It helps support ADFAC’s 25-year mission of helping local families become more stable and self-sufficient, a press release said.

“We are so excited to have so many restaurants return year after year for this fundraiser,” said Cande Seay, Feed The Need chairperson and ADFAC board member. “And we are thrilled to have so many new restaurants join our Feed The Need family this year.”

The press release said many of the restaurants will be also selling donation cards for $1.

“All donations through Feed The Need will help ADFAC provide the helping hand up to many neighbors in need,” the release said.

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Suspect shot, killed during struggle over deputy’s weapon in Marlow

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An unidentified person was shot and killed by an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputy in Marlow on Saturday morning after the suspect fled on foot from a traffic stop and then tried to take the deputy’s weapon during a struggle on Pine Ridge Road, authorities said.

Authorities aren’t releasing the name of the suspect or the deputy, who was injured and taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, where he was treated and released.

The deputy had stopped the suspect’s car at about 10:22 a.m. Saturday, Anderson County Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said in a statement.

“The driver pulled into a driveway, jumped from the car, and fled on foot,” Lucas said. “The deputy gave chase and a short distance later was confronted by the suspect, where a struggle ensued with the suspect trying to take the deputy’s duty weapon. The suspect was shot and killed.”

Lucas said the deputy and “all other personnel involved in the incident will receive critical incident debriefings over the next few days.”

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