Oak Ridge Today

Clinton has fireworks, other activities on July 4

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Clinton Fourth of July Celebration 2017

Activities for Fun on the Fourth in Clinton on Tuesday, July 4, will start at 5 p.m. Fireworks will start at 10 p.m. at Lakefront Park in Clinton.

Here are the activities announced by Clinton:

  • Backyard Bouncers will have a module bounce house,
  • bungee run,
  • all stars basketball game,
  • rock climbing wall,
  • 68-foot Army boot camp obstacle course,
  • 22-foot two-lane tsunami water slide with slip-and-slide,
  • race car combo with water slide,
  • human hamster balls with track,
  • pirate bounce house, and
  • trackless train that are available for the public with no charge. (Important notice: must have wrist band to ride)

[Read more…]

Summer coding, technology classes for girls offered in Oak Ridge

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Submitted photo

Submitted photo

 

Oak Ridge Computer Science Girls or ORCSGirls is on a mission to inspire girls in the community to explore the possibilities of technology and computer science, a press release said.

In its short existence since the beginning of the year, ORCSGirls has already run 16 coding and technology events and reached more than 200 middle school girls thanks to TechShopz in a Box by TechGirlz and wonderful volunteers, including many from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (read about them here) and the girls from the Oak Ridge Wildbots, the press release said.

This summer, ORCSGirls has partnered with Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge and is offering three full day workshops for girls aged 13-18 at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge. On July 8, girls will create their own mobile game and learn about app programming. Topics at the July 15 class will include an introduction to virtual reality, including making 360 degree pictures, building a Google Cardboard, and learning JavaScript. [Read more…]

Pro2Serve receives five-year contract worth up to $49 million to support Oak Ridge cleanup

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Oak Ridge Environmental Management

Professional Project Services Inc., or Pro2Serve, has received a five-year contract worth up to $49 million to provide technical support services to the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM. The contract was awarded June 19, the U.S. Department of Energy said in a press release.

“After conducting an extensive nationwide procurement, we are very pleased to continue our partnership with Pro2Serve,” said OREM Acting Manager Jay Mullis. “They’ve been a great asset to our program in the past, and we look forward to their valuable support as we clean and transform the Oak Ridge Reservation.”

The Oak Ridge-based company provides a wide suite of services to DOE’s Environmental Management program locally, the press release said. They are responsible for reviewing and evaluating the cost, schedule, and technical approach for upcoming and current cleanup projects. They also assist with engineering, project planning, project management, cost estimating, and schedule and cost analysis. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project program in Jackson Square on Saturday

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You can join Manhattan Project National Historical Park staff for a walk through Jackson Square on Saturday, July 1, at 10 a.m.

The program is free. It will begin in the upper parking lot of Jackson Square in front of the fountain, a press release said.

“During the program, we will discuss how routine, tradition, and the comforts of home helped keep Oak Ridge residents focused on the mission and not their hardships,” the press release said. “We will walk to the Alexander Inn Guest House and the Chapel on the Hill during the program.” [Read more…]

U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America to play free concert on Friday

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U.S. Air Force Airlifter Brass

The U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America’s Airlifter Brass will play in a free concert at the Oak Ridge Civic Center Amphitheater on Friday, June 30. The performance will start at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Details on individual concerts can be found at www.bandofmidamerica.af.mil/events or www.facebook.com/BandofMidAmerica/events, a press release said.

“Grab your chairs and bring the family for a great night of music,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Public invited to free tour of Melton Hill Lock on Clinch River in August

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District and Tennessee Valley Authority invite the public for a free tour of Melton Hill Lock southwest of Oak Ridge at Clinch River mile 23.1 in Lenoir City on Saturday, August 19, 2017. (Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District and Tennessee Valley Authority invite the public to a free tour of Melton Hill Lock south of Oak Ridge at Clinch River mile 23.1 in Lenoir City on Saturday, August 19, 2017. (Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

 

There will be a free tour of Melton Hill Lock on the Clinch River just south of Oak Ridge on Saturday, August 19.

The tour has been organized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District and Tennessee Valley Authority.

The Melton Hill Lock is at Melton Hill Dam on the Clinch River (Melton Hill Reservoir) at mile 23.1 in Lenoir City.

Four groups of 25 will be able to tour the facility at 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., and 11 a.m., a press release said. Pre-registration is required for all tour guests (including minors) at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080948a4a92eaafa7-melton. The deadline to register is August 11. Personal information collected during sign-up is used for security background checks.

Tour Details and Rules [Read more…]

Neighborhood Watch has fundraiser at Pizza Inn on Thursday

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Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program Fundraiser 2017

The Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program is having a fundraiser at Pizza Inn on Thursday, June 29, from 5-8 p.m.

Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program is a self-funded organization promoting crime prevention and safety in Oak Ridge neighborhoods, a press release said.

The Thursday fundraiser at Pizza Inn is the primary fundraiser for 2017, the press release said. It will help sponsor events and efforts to provide important information to the community. Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program gets a percentage of sales during the Thursday evening event, the press release said.

“We look forward to seeing you on June 29,” the press release said.

Kentucky sheriff’s office investigating death of Oak Ridge woman

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The Laurel County Sheriff's Office in Kentucky is investigating the death of an Oak Ridge woman, Tearsha Laws, 28, who was found in a wooded area over an embankment on Monday evening, June 26, 2017. Pictured above photographing the scene is Deputy Travis Napier. (Photo by Laurel County Sheriff's Office)

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office in Kentucky is investigating the death of an Oak Ridge woman, Tearsha Laws, 28, who was found in a wooded area over an embankment on Monday evening, June 26, 2017. Pictured above photographing the scene is Deputy Travis Napier. (Photo by Laurel County Sheriff’s Office)

 

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office in Kentucky is investigating the death of an Oak Ridge woman, authorities said.

Tearsha Laws, 28, was found in a wooded area over an embankment on Monday evening, authorities said. Her body was found about six miles north of London, Kentucky, at 4:58 p.m. Monday, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said.

Laws was identified Tuesday morning.

London, Kentucky, is near Interstate 75, north of the Kentucky-Tennessee border and south of Lexington.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Butch Jones, UT football coach, to be special guest at Blankenship Field fundraiser

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Martin McDonald and Butch Jones at Blankenship Field on Sept. 18, 2015

University of Tennessee Volunteers Coach Butch Jones, right, is pictured above with Oak Ridge High School Principal Martin McDonald at Blankenship Field on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. (File photo courtesy Martin McDonald)

 

University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones will be the special guest at a July 11 fundraiser for Blankenship Field.

Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally will also be there. So will board members of the Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation.

The fundraiser will start at 11:30 a.m. July 11 in the banquet room of the DoubleTree Hotel on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. Tickets are $100 per person for this buffet lunch, and they include an opportunity to hear from Jones, an event notice said. [Read more…]

Bridge inspection to temporarily close one lane over Norris Dam

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A routine bridge inspection will require a single lane closure on U.S. Highway 441 across Norris Dam near Norris on Wednesday, June 28. The closure should begin by 11 a.m. and be complete no later than 5 p.m., a press release said.

Law enforcement officers will be on hand to direct traffic, but motorists should expect delays, said the press release from the Tennessee Valley Authority.

“Bridge inspections are a necessary part of ensuring these pieces of vital transportation infrastructure continue to operate safely,” the press release said. “We apologize for this temporary inconvenience of visitors to Norris Dam.”

Based in Oak Ridge, PSI announces new ownership

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Sean Williams

Sean Williams

 

Protection Strategies Inc., which is headquartered in Oak Ridge, has announced that former President and Chief Operating Officer Sean P. Williams is now the majority owner and chief executive officer of the company. Bobby Beaty, who acquired ownership of the company in 2012, will remain a minority partner in the firm and acting in an executive advisory role while taking partial retirement, a press release said.

“Not only do Sean and I share the same vision of PSI, Sean will help ensure that we maintain the values, standards, and relationships of the past while taking the company into the future,” Beaty said.

PSI was founded in 1998, and since that time, the company has added new services and expanded its scope of work throughout the country by specializing in integrated security solutions (cyber, physical, personnel, information, and communications), and high-threat asset protection including special nuclear materials (SNR) and specialized support services, the press release said.

Today, PSI has grown into a company with eight prime federal contracts and various subcontracts with clients that include the National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, United States Coast Guard, Department of Defense, Department of State, Health and Human Services, Environmental Protective Agency, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Western Area Power Authority, Bonneville Power Association, state and local governments, and large commercial entities within the United States and abroad. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project program: Secrecy, Security, Spies at Turnpike Gatehouse on June 23

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The Oak Ridge Turnpike Gatehouse is pictured above on the west end of town. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Turnpike Gatehouse is pictured above on the west end of town. (Submitted photo)

 

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park will present a program on Friday, June 23, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the Turnpike Gatehouse. The program will give visitors some insight to what life was like in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project with all the security, the need for secrecy, and the worry of spies, a press release said.

This program is free and open to the public. Parking is limited, so please try to carpool if possible, the press release said.

The Gatehouse is located at 2900 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Visitors can access the Turnpike Gatehouse from Oak Ridge by following the Oak Ridge Turnpike west as if you are leaving town. Parking will be next to the Gatehouse on the north side of the road. [Read more…]