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UT Arboretum Society has MOTH-er’s Night Out tonight

Posted at 10:50 am June 9, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Images submitted by UT Arboretum Society

Images submitted by UT Arboretum Society

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will sponsor the popular MOTH-er’s Night Out program to learn about moths and other nocturnal insects today (Saturday, June 9). The event is scheduled from 8 to 10 p.m. at the UT Arboretum Visitors Center, which is located at 901 South Illinois Avenue (State Route 62) in Oak Ridge.

“Have you ever wondered about what kind of insects are out hunting and eating while you sleep snugly in your bed at night?” a press release said. “Come learn about these fascinating creatures with naturalist Kris Light. Why should you spend a Saturday night learning about moths? Moths are one of the most diverse species on earth with more than 11,000 moth species in the United States alone! Their colors and patterns make them masters of camouflage. Moths are both important pollinators and a food source for other animals. After an introductory program in the Visitors Center, we will venture outdoors to check our moth attraction sheets to observe the insects that have been attracted by the black lights.”

Organizers recommend you bring a camera, your friends, and your kids, “as well as a magnifying glass, a flashlight, and a desire to learn about these fascinating critters! Bring your mother too!”

The free program is appropriate for all ages.

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: Kris Light, Moth-er's Night Out, University of Tennessee Arboretum Society, UT Arboretum, UT Arboretum Society

Energy Secretary Perry to visit ORNL for supercomputing announcement

Posted at 11:58 pm June 7, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Rick Perry

Rick Perry

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry will visit Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Friday to make a supercomputing announcement, a media advisory said.

The advisory doesn’t provide any additional information about the announcement, which will be made at noon at ORNL.

Perry will tour ORNL, meet with employees, and deliver remarks at the supercomputing event. He will be joined by several elected officials from Tennessee, the media advisory said.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Rick Perry, supercomputing, U.S. energy secretary

Friends of Library has authors table, readings at Secret City Festival

Posted at 10:39 pm June 7, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Danita "Dee Dee" Ashley

Danita “Dee Dee” Ashley

The Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library will participate in the Secret City Festival held at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, by sponsoring local authors. The authors will be in the Club Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, autographing and selling their books at the following times:

Friday, June 8

  • 10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Danita “Dee Dee” Ashley; Charles and Beverly Connor
  • 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Connie Green; Carol Grametbauer
  • 2 p.m.-4 p.m.: Wes Sims

Saturday, June 9

  • 10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Carol Oen; Judy DiGregorio
  • 12 p.m.-2 p.m.: Shirley Raines; Patricia Hope
  • 2 p.m.-4 p.m.: Ray Smith

The featured local authors will read from their work at 15-minute intervals, and they include: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Entertainment, Front Page News, Writing Tagged With: authors, Carol Grametbauer, Carol Oen, Charles and Beverly Connor, Connie Green, Danita "Dee Dee" Ashley, Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library, Judy DiGregorio, Oak Ridge Civic Center, Patricia Hope, Ray Smith, Secret City Festival, Shirley Raines, Wes Sims

NRA Foundation awards grant to national champion Roane State Shooting Sports Team

Posted at 2:30 pm June 7, 2018
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

Roane State’s national championship Shooting Sports Team has been awarded a grant for supplies from the NRA Foundation. Shown after winning the national title last fall are, from left, Assistant Coach James Wattenbarger, Head Coach Kenneth Carey, Ty McCaskey, Nathan Wattenbarger, Andy Carey, Codey Dean, Assistant Coach Kevin Hembree, and Nathan Hembree. (Submitted photo)

Roane State’s national championship Shooting Sports Team has been awarded a grant for supplies from the NRA Foundation. Shown after winning the national title last fall are, from left, Assistant Coach James Wattenbarger, Head Coach Kenneth Carey, Ty McCaskey, Nathan Wattenbarger, Andy Carey, Codey Dean, Assistant Coach Kevin Hembree, and Nathan Hembree. (Submitted photo)

 

The national champion Roane State Community College Shooting Sports Team has received a Friends of the NRA Foundation Grant for supplies valued at more than $4,400, a press release said.

“We greatly appreciate the foundation’s support for our athletes,” team coach Kenny Carey said.

Through the grant, the team will receive Winchester 12-guage shotgun shells, Winchester 20-gauge shotgun shells, and a promotional banner.

The Roane State Shooting Sports Team participates in trap, skeet, sporting clays, and five stand competitions. The team has received state and national recognition for its performance, including a first-place finish in the Scholastic Clay Target Program last fall. The competition included more than 200 athletes from 14 states and 21 colleges. [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Front Page News, Sports Tagged With: Andy Carey, Codey Dean, five stand, James Wattenbarger, Kenny Carey, Kevin Hembree, Nathan Hembree, Nathan Wattenbarger, NRA Foundation, NRA Foundation Grant, Roane State, Roane State Community College, Roane State Community College Shooting Sports Team, shooting sports, Skeet, sporting clays, Trap, Ty McCaskey

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

Posted at 12:22 pm June 7, 2018
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

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…]

Filed Under: College, Comedy, Community, Education, Entertainment, Front Page News, Music Tagged With: Adina Chumley, Bijou Theatre, David Lauver, Frank Murphy, Front Page Follies, Front Page Foundation, journalism, journalism and broadcast scholarships, Lori Tucker, Maurice Hendricks, media education

Oak Ridge recruiting members for four boards

Posted at 1:49 pm June 6, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The City of Oak Ridge is recruiting members for four boards. The four boards are Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, Environmental Quality Advisory Board, Trade Licensing Board, and Traffic Safety Advisory Board.

Applications from Oak Ridge residents are being accepted in the Oak Ridge City Clerk’s Office. The submission deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, June 29.

Here is more information about the boards and the vacancies: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge Tagged With: boards and commissions, City of Oak Ridge, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Environmental Quality Advisory Board, Trade Licensing Board, Traffic Safety Advisory Board

Some roads, including part of Turnpike, to be closed for Veterans Parade on Saturday

Posted at 10:40 am June 5, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Some roads, including part of Oak Ridge Turnpike, will be closed for a Veterans Parade on Saturday morning. The parade is part of the Secret City Festival celebration this week.

The road closures were announced by the City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Police Department.

The Veterans Parade route will run from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) parking lot off of Badger Avenue to ORAU Way. Participants will then make a right turn onto Oak Ridge Turnpike and end in the Oak Ridge Public Library parking lot. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge Tagged With: Badger Avenue, City of Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Turnpike, ORAU Way, road closures, Robertsville Road, Veterans Parade

Flexible Roane State financial services program was good fit for working student

Posted at 4:14 pm June 4, 2018
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

June 4, 2018
Flexible Roane State financial services program was good fit for working student

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

JAMESTOWN, Tenn. — It took determination, and Tiffany Atkins persisted.

Now Atkins is one of the first graduates to obtain Roane State’s associate degree in financial services — a flexible, adult-friendly program designed for those who want to start or advance their career in banking, finance, or insurance.

It wasn’t easy balancing a full-time job as a teller at the Bank of Fentress County with taking classes. To help fit the program into her schedule, Atkins took online classes and courses at Roane State’s nearby Fentress County campus in Jamestown.

“I loved being able to do interactive (live video) classes at Fentress County,” Tiffany said.

Roane State officials were more than helpful as she pursued her degree, she recalled. “Everyone was wonderful and I never had a problem. They knew I worked, and they worked with my schedule. I got help with everything I needed.”

Roane State’s financial services program is now one of the college’s most flexible options. Students have the opportunity to attend classes from their personal computer or mobile device from anywhere. Through Roane State’s new distance education platform (Zoom), students can attend interactive classes with live lectures, or record the classes and take them at their convenience.

Tiffany started her college studies when she was 19 and completed them three years later. Her financial services studies meshed nicely with her training at the bank, where she was being groomed as a loan processor. “I could use what I was learning in class for work, and vice versa.”

Now, Tiffany is 24 and prepares loan documents for the Bank of Fentress County while her husband, Aaron, works at Cumberland Farmers Cooperative in Crossville.

They’re getting ready for the birth in August of their first child, a boy they plan to name Mason.

“She (Atkins) is an excellent example of how you can come back to Roane State as a returning, busy working adult and finish a degree,” said Roane State Vice President of Workforce Development Teresa Duncan.

“Now she is going to soon have her first child, and she can head into motherhood as a college graduate who can provide even more opportunities for her child in the future.”

To learn more about Roane State’s two-year financial services program, visit roanestate.edu/financialservices or contact Mike Farmer, farmerwm@roanestate.edu or (865) 354-3000 ext. 4862.

Remember, eligible adults can now attend Roane State tuition-free with the new Reconnect grant. Learn more at roanestate.edu/reconnect.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Roane State

Roane State student thrives in Middle College program

Posted at 4:13 pm June 4, 2018
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

June 4, 2018

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

Ask Connor Murphy about Roane State’s Middle College program, and his face lights up.

“I really like it,” said Connor, 17, who completed his first year of the innovative program while achieving academic honors.

In Middle College, eligible high school juniors attend Roane State classes in the mornings and return to their respective schools in the afternoons to complete their high school courses.

By the time Middle College students graduate from high school, they also receive associate degrees from Roane State, giving them a two-year head start toward a bachelor’s degree.

Connor thrives on courses like Calculus II and Calculus-based Physics, but he found the Roane State art appreciation course last fall to be a bit daunting and filled with concepts new to him.

“I thought Connor could coast through that (art appreciation),” said his father, Jack Murphy. “But there were quizzes every week, and it was challenging.”

Connor’s abilities in math and science perhaps aren’t too surprising, especially for someone whose hobbies include computer programming and mining cryptocurrencies.

Connor has been a familiar sight around the college’s Oak Ridge campus this year, piloting his motorized wheelchair with his 85-pound golden retriever, a service dog named “Tank,” by his side.

Connor has an ailment called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. His mom, Lise Murphy, accompanies him to Roane State and helps out when needed. Both parents have become huge fans of Roane State and its Middle College program as a result of their son’s experiences.

“I love it,” Lise Murphy said. She’s been going to school with Connor since kindergarten, but her role has changed over the years. “I used to help the teachers, but now, I’m just trying to keep up with the classes,” she said.

“The (Roane State) teachers have been so wonderful, and I’ve seen this first-hand. It’s been a great, great experience, and I give huge kudos to the professors.”

“Middle College gives the kids a chance to excel in academically challenging classes,” Jack Murphy said. “I think Middle College is a huge opportunity.”

Both parents and Connor’s aunt, Marianne Murphy, heap praise on college officials for being so accommodating. “They can’t do enough (for Connor),” Lise Murphy said.

One of Connor’s courses was moved to a downstairs classroom in the college’s Coffey-McNally Building when an elevator was briefly out of order, Marianne Murphy recalled.

For Connor, Roane State’s fall semester will include more challenging courses, especially in math and science.

He’s completed the necessary requirements to graduate from Clinton High, but he still goes there for robotics club and National Honor Society meetings.

Then, it’s on to a university — perhaps the University of Tennessee — where he wants to major in bioengineering.

To learn more about Middle College, visit roanestate.edu/middlecollege or contact Middle College coordinator David Lane, (865) 354-3000 ext. 4223 or lanedr@roanestate.edu.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Middle College, Oak Ridge, Roane State

Roane State Community College Receives Training Ambulance from Lifeguard Ambulance Service

Posted at 1:46 pm June 1, 2018
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

June 1, 2018

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

KNOXVILLE – Roane State Community College EMS students now have an ambulance for hands-on training, thanks to a donation from Lifeguard Ambulance Service in Knoxville.

Officials recently accepted the keys and title to the vehicle at the college’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences.

The gift of the 2002 Ford Type II ambulance “is very much welcomed,” said Roger Badger, who teaches EMT and paramedic classes. “We’ve got a lot of opportunities here.”

The ambulance will be outfitted with standard response equipment and allow college faculty to offer an emergency vehicle operations course, which must be completed as a new hire with an EMS service.

“This will make our programs even stronger so graduates can handle any emergency they may face in the field,” said David Blevins, Roane State Director of EMS Education.

Students will learn first-hand how to work in an ambulance’s close quarters, said Kristin Davis, operations supervisor for Lifeguard Ambulance. As part of the company’s policies, the ambulance – which has more than 500,000 miles on it — was retired from service and donated to Roane State.

“We got together (with Roane State) and made it happen,” said Bernie Hayes, director of Lifeguard’s Knoxville office.

The college offers classes for Emergency Medical Technician, advanced EMTs, paramedics and critical care paramedics.

“We’re excited to provide our students with more in-depth training prior to their ride-alongs with EMS services during their education,” Blevins said. Students beginning their EMS careers and those wanting to obtain more degrees or certifications will benefit from the donation, he added.

The donation occurred during National EMS Week May 21-24.

This generous gift in support of Roane State health sciences programs was arranged in partnership with the Roane State Foundation. The foundation is a 501c3 corporation governed by an independent Board of Directors and established to provide financial support for Roane State students and programs.

The Roane State Foundation seeks to enhance community awareness of the college, to secure private contributions and bequests, and to manage donated monies and properties. Learn more at roanestate.edu/foundation.

To learn more about Roane State’s EMT and paramedic programs, visit roanestate.edu/ems or contact Blevins at 865-354-3000, extension 4768 orblevinsds@roanestate.edu. Eligible adults can now attend Roane State tuition-free with the new Reconnect grant. Learn more at roanestate.edu/reconnect.

###
Caption: Roane State Director of EMS Education David Blevins, center, accepts the donation of training ambulance from Kristin Davis, Operations Manager (left) and Bernie Hayes, Director (right) with Lifeguard Ambulance Service in Knoxville.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Roane State

Roane State art students honored

Posted at 12:18 pm May 29, 2018
By Owen Driskill Leave a Comment

May 29, 2018

Archie Clark won top honors for outstanding achievement in art in Roane State Community College’s annual juried student art show, said Art Professor Stacy Jacobs.

Kevin Rodriguez was awarded the Anne Powers Promise Award, given to an artist deemed to have exceptional potential, while an entry titled “Dripping Pillow” by Taylor McMahan won the Art Spirit Award for experimentation in media.

Rodriguez took best in show for his entry, “Party Animal,” while Gracie Scott’s creation, “Assimilation Sub-Cult,” was second place, and Samantha Allen won third place for “Jumpshot.”

Honorable mentions were “Daydreaming” by Rodriguez, Braeden Gibson’s “Untitled,” “Inner Demons” by Victoria Waterman, “Curly Sue” by Samantha Allen, “Suspended Rings” by Gibson, and “Belle Meade Carriage House” by Clark.

Jacobs said a new scholarship has been established in memory of Jason Lee Golliher, a Roane State graduate who won a scholarship to study at The Art Institute of Boston and passed away in 2016.

“The Roane State Foundation is honored to award this scholarship in Jason’s memory to help other talented art students achieve their dreams,” a news release announcing the award stated.

Golliher’s mother, Susan, attended the scholarship presentation. This year’s recipient is Jessica Symonds.
###
Caption: Pictured, from left, are winners of the Roane State juried art show: Samantha Allen, Gracie Scott, Archie Clark, Victoria Waterman, Kevin Rodriquez and Braeden Gibson.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: art, Roane State

City hosting more than 400 national, regional leaders at Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit

Posted at 8:32 am May 29, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

More than 400 people will gather at the CNS Y-12 New Hope Center on Scarboro Road in south Oak Ridge from May 29-31 for the annual Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit. The theme of the summit is “Connecting People, Ideas, Opportunities.”

The event is hosted by Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch in cooperation with U.S. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican whose district includes Oak Ridge.

The Summit will bring together regional leadership from five states—Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia—to discuss clean energy, cyber and national security, advanced manufacturing, and education. The Summit will also celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the City of Oak Ridge, the 85th Anniversary of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and 50th Anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 8 Mission.

If you did not register online, you can register onsite starting at 2 p.m. May 29 at the New Hope Center. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, National Nuclear Security Administration, Oak Ridge, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: CNS Y-12 New Hope Center, Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit

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