Oak Ridge Today

ORHS Band performing with UT Pride of Southland Band on Saturday

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Seniors in the 2017 Oak Ridge High School Wildcat Marching Band are pictured above with a new banner. (Photo courtesy Merny Hughey)

Seniors in the 2017 Oak Ridge High School Wildcat Marching Band are pictured above with a new banner. (Photo courtesy Merny Hughey)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10 a.m. Sept. 25.

The Oak Ridge High School Wildcat Marching Band is performing with the Pride of the Southland Band this Saturday at the University of Tennessee and UMass football game.

The WildBand will participate in the march to the stadium and the patriotic themed halftime performance, a press release said.

“Kickoff at noon makes an early rehearsal call at UT of 7:15 a.m. tough but absolutely doable,” the press release said. “We were happy to rearrange our fall competition schedule in order to accept the invitation from Dr. Don Ryder, director of bands at UT. With all four band directors in the Oak Ridge Schools system being alumni of the Pride—Spence Milligan and Mike Spirko (also former Pride drum major) at ORHS, Sean Rutherford at Jefferson Middle School, Elizabeth Reams at Robertsville Middle School—it will be a homecoming for them as well as a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the ORHS Band students.”

There is an added connection since there are currently six ORHS alumni marching with the Pride, two of whom have siblings currently in the WildBand. The six are Delaney Thurston, Maggie Nathan, Kaitlin Ledden, Marah Yaun, Hunter Gray, and Matthew Martin. [Read more…]

‘Magnificent Gemstones of the World’ show at Karen’s Jewelers Sept. 21-23

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Gary Bowersox displays his book, "Gemstones of Afghanistan." (Submitted photo)

Gary Bowersox displays his book, “Gemstones of Afghanistan.” (Submitted photo)

 

A leading expert on gemstones of the world, Gary Bowersox will bring his exhibit of more than 10,000 gems to Karen’s Jewelers in Oak Ridge. The gem show, “Magnificent Gemstones of the World” from September 21-23, will include more than 100 different types of gemstones, many collected by Bowersox on his travels throughout the world.

Bowersox, an explorer, gem hunter, and author, has searched for emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, among other gemstones, in central Asia, riding on horseback to remote caves in Afghanistan where dynamite and grenades have been used by local miners to uncover precious gems. He has hiked through the Hindu Kush and ridden camels, mules, sheep trucks, and tanks to explore remote mines in Asia, a press release said.

The stars of the gem show include a 70-carat Afghanistan emerald pendant and a 51-carat Tajikistan ruby with matching earrings. The show, featuring rough and cut gemstones and jewelry, will include aquamarine, garnet, tourmaline, lapis lazuli, amethyst, topaz, and kunzite, as well as emerald, ruby, and sapphire. The Smithsonian-style exhibit features gems often seen only in museums.

The gem show and sale will be from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, September 21 and 22, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, September 23 at Karen’s Jewelers, 1120 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Oak Ridge is one of 11 U.S. cities where his show is being presented this year. [Read more…]

Many community organizations support the Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell

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The three Oak Ridge Rotary Clubs present a check for $10,000 for the Peace Pavilion that will house the International Friendship Bell, at the kickoff for the fundraising campaign last year. From left, they are last year’s Rotary Club presidents, Devrin Kuipers, Oak Ridge Sunset Rotary Club; Jennifer Campbell, Rotary Club of Oak Ridge; and Emily Jernigan, Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. Accepting the check are Pat Postma and Alan Tatum, co-chairs of the International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

The three Oak Ridge Rotary Clubs present a check for $10,000 for the Peace Pavilion that will house the International Friendship Bell, at the kickoff for the fundraising campaign last year. From left, they are last year’s Rotary Club presidents, Devrin Kuipers, Oak Ridge Sunset Rotary Club; Jennifer Campbell, Rotary Club of Oak Ridge; and Emily Jernigan, Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. Accepting the check are Pat Postma and Alan Tatum, co-chairs of the International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

 

When local organizations step up to support local initiatives, communities experience success.

“Communities that organize and work with a goal in mind benefit and prosper far more than those that don’t,” said Pat Postma, co-chair of a group leading a fund drive for a new Peace Pavilion for the Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell.

Postma is pleased that many local organizations have contributed to the Friendship Bell drive, seeing it as a sign of strong community support when organizations that raise funds for their own causes contribute to other community initiatives, as well. They join contractors, businesses, local governments, and individuals that are supporting the effort, a press release said.

Among the first organization to contribute to the drive was the Girl Scouts Oak Ridge Service Unit, which observes the United Nations International Day of Peace annually at the Friendship Bell and has established friendships with Girl Scouts from Oak Ridge’s sister city in Japan, the press release said.

“The Girl Scouts of Oak Ridge made a donation of $1,000 when we had a visit from our sister Girl Scout Troop 37 in Naka, Japan, in 2014,” said Jerry Luckmann, community service coordinator for the Oak Ridge Service Unit, which covers about 30 troops in the Oak Ridge area. [Read more…]

Lunch with the League features police chief on Tuesday

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James T. Akagi

James T. Akagi

The Oak Ridge League of Women Voters will host Lunch with the League on Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The speaker will be Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi.

The public is invited, and there is no cost to attend.

The lunch, which will last until about 1 p.m. Tuesday, will be in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Akagi will talk about current issues in the City of Oak Ridge and surrounding areas that are affecting police activities—including opioid usage, immigration, and school safety, a press release said. [Read more…]

Groundbreaking for Friendship Bell Peace Pavilion is Thursday

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The new Peace Pavilion for the International Friendship Bell at Alvin K. Bissell Park will feature a cantilever design. (Submitted image)

The new Peace Pavilion for the International Friendship Bell at Alvin K. Bissell Park will feature a cantilever design. (Submitted image)

 

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new International Friendship Bell Peace Pavilion will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday, September 21, at the bell’s new location in Alvin K. Bissell Park, just west of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch will be master of ceremonies for the groundbreaking. The Oak Valley Baptist Church Choir will present a music program relating to the friendship and peace theme of the event. Pat Postma and Alan Tatum, co-chairs of the International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee, will take part in the ceremonies.

Major donors—including UT Battelle/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and CNS-Y-12—will participate in breaking ground for the new pavilion, a press release said.

The bell, created for Oak Ridge’s 50th birthday, is expected to bring its message of peace and friendship to the thousands of visitors expected at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, the press release said.. The new pavilion for the bell came about after city officials discovered that structural beams in the original bell house had severely deteriorated. [Read more…]

Y-12 has emergency management exercise on Wednesday

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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)

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)

 

Emergency response personnel from the National Nuclear Security Administration and Consolidated Nuclear Security—along with federal, state, and local emergency management personnel—will conduct an emergency management exercise Wednesday, September 20, in and around the Y‑12 National Security Complex.

During this exercise, people near Y-12 may observe police and other emergency response vehicles, as well as responders simulating activities, a press release said. These activities are part of the exercise, the release said.

This event is one of several emergency management exercises conducted on a regular basis at the U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration facilities in Oak Ridge. These exercises test the ability of emergency personnel to respond quickly and effectively to emergency situations and ensure that the public, Y-12 employees, and the environment would be protected in the event of an actual emergency occurring on the Oak Ridge Reservation, the press release said.

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a single contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration.

TBI investigating officer-involved shooting in Roane County

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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating a shooting that involved a Roane County officer on Saturday morning. Ninth District Attorney General Russell Johnson requested the help of TBI agents, a press release said.

Preliminary information indicates the incident occurred at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, when deputies from the Roane County Sheriff’s Office responded to an incident at 352 Mays Valley Road, the TBI said.

“Deputies arriving at the scene were confronted with a male individual with a weapon, and that man, since identified as David Daugherty, 47, was shot during that confrontation,” the TBI said. Daugherty was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for treatment, the TBI said. No deputies were injured during the incident.

Mays Valley Road is west of Oliver Springs and Blair Road, north of the western part of Oak Ridge, and south of Harriman Highway (State Route 61), which connects Oliver Springs and Harriman. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs: No injuries when gas causes explosion

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Oliver Springs Fire Department

Oliver Springs Fire Department

 

The Oliver Springs Fire Department said it responded to a report of an explosion on Tri County Boulevard at Mahoney Road on Sunday evening.

“On arrival, members found a large brush pile that was on fire,” the Fire Department said in a post online. “The cause of the explosion was due to the use of gasoline as a source for ignition.”

There were no injuries or property damage. The fire was extinguished by Oliver Springs Fire Department personnel.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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ORAU awards $36,000 in education grants to local teachers

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Teachers representing 14 schools in Anderson County received STEM teaching tools, new technology, and grant funds worth $36,000 on Sept. 11 at the 2017 ORAU Education Grants Award Ceremony & Reception in Pollard Technology Conference Center. (Submitted photo)

Teachers representing 14 schools in Anderson County received STEM teaching tools, new technology, and grant funds worth $36,000 on Sept. 11 at the 2017 ORAU Education Grants Award Ceremony & Reception in Pollard Technology Conference Center. (Submitted photo)

 

ORAU awarded 38 teachers from 14 East Tennessee schools more than $36,000 on Monday at the 16th annual ORAU Education Grants ceremony.

Educational materials and equipment purchased with the grant awards—such as iPads, computer software, robotics kits, and more—will help teachers continue to meet state-wide curriculum standards and enhance the learning experience of their students in STEM subjects, a press release said.

“ORAU is proud to support schools in Anderson County by helping local educators obtain the resources and tools required to engage students of all ages in STEM subjects while enriching their education,” ORAU President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Page said. “These educators never fail to demonstrate their dedication to student success.”

Since beginning the Education Grant program in 2002, ORAU has provided more than $487,000 to area schools to fund educational projects that complement its mission of enriching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, the press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Basketball Golf Classic is Sunday

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Oak Ridge Basketball Golf Classic Sept 17 2017

The 20th Annual Oak Ridge Basketball Golf Classic is set for Sunday, September 17, at Oak Ridge Country Club.

The tournament format will be a four-person scramble with a shot gun start at 2 p.m., a press release said.

“Please mark your calendars and join us for a fun day of golf!” the press release said. “All proceeds go to support the Oak Ridge boys basketball program.”

Here is more information: [Read more…]

CNS names four to Fellows Program, recognizing technical expertise

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Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC has chosen four employees for its Fellows Program, one from the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, and three from the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. They are Vincent Lamberti, top left; Alan Moore, top right; and Glenn Pfennigwerth, bottom left, all of Y-12, and Lorelei Woods of Pantex. (Submitted photos)

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC has chosen four employees for its Fellows Program, one from the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, and three from the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. They are Vincent Lamberti, top left; Alan Moore, top right; and Glenn Pfennigwerth, bottom left, all of Y-12, and Lorelei Woods of Pantex. (Submitted photos)

 

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC has chosen four employees for its Fellows Program, one from the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, and three from the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

The program recognizes technical staff members at Pantex and Y-12 who achieved status as a national or international expert in their field, a press release said. Each fellow serves a renewable two-year term acting as the technical expert in their competency area and mentor to other staff.

Those chosen are Pantex Component Analysis/Surveillance Fellow Lorelei Woods, Uranium Fellow Glenn Pfennigwerth, Metallurgy Fellow Alan Moore, and Y-12 Component Analysis/Surveillance Fellow Vincent Lamberti. [Read more…]

Kiwanis to tour Emory Valley Center on Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge Kiwanis Club will tour the Emory Valley Center’s new Caldwell-Thompson Building for “Maximizing Human Abilities” on Tuesday.

The tour will start at noon on Tuesday, September 12, and it will be led by Janet Wood, the EVC vice president of community engagement, a Kiwanis notice said.

The tour was arranged by Terry Peek, who is director of the EVC Early Learning Center and also the Oak Ridge Kiwanis Club’s president-elect.

Those wishing to attend the tour can meet in the building lobby at 11:55 a.m. Tuesday for the noon tour. [Read more…]