William Rex Jackson, age 97, a resident of Clinton, passed away Thursday, Aug. 16, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.
Mr. Jackson was born Nov. 27, 1914, in Coalfield. He continued to live in Coalfield until his move to Clinton in 1956.
ORNL has reception for Zacharia, departing deputy director
Oak Ridge National Laboratory has a reception for departing Deputy Director Thomas Zacharia, front center, on Wednesday afternoon. Also pictured, at front left, is Zacharia’s wife Sindhu, and in the background are ORNL’s Sylvia Davis and University of Tennessee Executive Vice President David Millhorn. (Photos by ORNL’s Jason Richards)
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory had a reception Wednesday afternoon for deputy director Thomas Zacharia and his wife Sindhu, who are leaving at the end of the month.
Zacharia, ORNL deputy for science and technology, is leaving to take a leadership position at a science and education foundation based in Doha, Qatar.
He has worked for the lab for 26 years.
Zacharia will become executive vice president of research and development for the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.
Bessie Phillips
Bessie Phillips
Bessie Phillips, age 100, a resident of New River, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Wednesday, Aug. 15, at the home of her son, Estel Phillips, in Wartburg.
Mrs. Phillips was born in a log home on Jan. 7, 1912, in New River. She watched our country change and witnessed automobiles, electricity, plumbing, the railroad, and other improvements come to New River.
Thomas E. ‘Tommy’ Miller
Thomas E. “Tommy” Miller
Mr. Thomas E. “Tommy” Miller passed away Tuesday, Aug. 14.
He was born in Johnson City on Dec. 29, 1945. The Miller family moved to Oak Ridge in 1949.
He grew up hunting, fishing, and playing sports. He was an Eagle Scout and Explorer Scout with the local Boy Scouts troop. Mr. Miller graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1964.
Thomas Clifton Tucker
Thomas Clifton Tucker
Thomas Clifton Tucker, 81, of Oak Ridge, passed away Aug. 14.
Born in Chicago, he graduated from the University of Illinois in chemical engineering. After accepting a position at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, he earned a master’s in mathematics from the University of Tennessee.
Fire starts in garbage truck in Oliver Springs
Oliver Springs firefighters put out a fire that started in a garbage truck early Friday morning. (Photo by Tom Scott)
A fire started in a garbage truck in Oliver Springs early Friday morning, fire photographer Tom Scott said.
The driver pulled into the parking lot of the Tri-County Mall in Oliver Springs and dumped the entire load, Scott said. The Oliver Springs Fire Department responded and extinguished the 4:15 a.m. blaze.
Two women arrested on drug, conspiracy charges after undercover buy
Christy Charlene Seivers
Two Clinton women were arrested on drug and criminal conspiracy charges after one of them allegedly delivered $200 worth of pills to a confidential informant at a Git’n Go on Clinch Avenue on Wednesday night, authorities said.
Undercover officers had arranged to buy the prescription narcotics from Christy Charlene Seviers, 39, of Clinton, an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department report said. Seviers allegedly needed the money from the sale of the 15 pills to finance a trip to a pain clinic in Manchester, Tenn.
ORAU seeks applicants for Extreme Classroom Makeover
Oak Ridge Associated Universities has set a Sept. 7 deadline for local teachers who intend to apply for an Extreme Classroom Makeover contest.
Teachers within 50 miles of Oak Ridge can compete in the fifth annual contest, which awards $25,000 worth of new educational technologies as well as training and support.
This year, eligible teachers include those who teach math and science to public school children from 3rd grade to 10th grade.
Federal official says Y-12 security breach demands swift, strong action
A rapid response was required after the unprecedented security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex last month, a federal official said this week.
And the U.S. Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration have both taken aggressive steps to restore and enhance security at the plant, the nation’s main production facility for many nuclear weapons components, the official said.
“Secretary Chu has made clear that the security of our nation’s nuclear material is the department’s most important responsibility, and he has no tolerance for federal or contractor personnel who cannot or will not do their jobs,” DOE spokesman Damien LaVera said. “As the secretary has made clear, the recent incident at Y-12 was a completely unacceptable breach of security and an important wake-up call for our entire complex. The severity of the failure of leadership at Y-12 demands swift, strong, and decisive action by the department.”
Corker: Y-12 security breach shows need for UPF, shouldn’t hurt employment
Bob Corker
It was a “major wake-up call,” but last month’s security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex should not hurt employment or work in Oak Ridge, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker said Thursday.
He said the intrusion by three anti-nuclear weapons activists into a high-security area at Y-12 actually demonstrates the need for a newer, more secure uranium processing facility, or UPF. There has been some concern in Oak Ridge about how the unprecedented security breach at Y-12 might affect funding or planning for the UPF, which could cost up to $6.5 billion and be the largest construction project in Tennessee history.
But Corker, a Tennessee Republican, said some Congressional representatives might actually want to act quicker now to build the UPF, which would consolidate enriched uranium operations at Y-12, including assembly and dismantlement work.
Candidates qualify for November election in Oak Ridge, Lake City, Norris
Note: This story was last updated at 4:17 p.m. Sept. 16.
Five candidates are competing for three seats on Oak Ridge City Council in the Nov. 6 election, while three candidates could battle for two seats on the Oak Ridge Board of Education.
The three Council candidates include the three incumbents, L.C. “Charlie” Hensley, Charles J. “Chuck” Hope Jr., and Ellen D. Smith. Hensley and Smith were elected in June 2007, and Hope was appointed last summer after former Council member Tom Hayes resigned.
It also includes two challengers, Trina Baughn and Kelly Callison.
Oak Ridge Fire Department ranks second in state academy training hours
The Oak Ridge Fire Department recently learned it ranked second in the state in total training hours through a state fire academy.
The department completed 3,970 hours of training through the Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy during fiscal year 2012, which ended June 30.
Oak Ridge ranked second among 734 fire departments, a city press release said.
