Oak Ridge Today

Basketball: Clinton girls finish as runner-up in Christmas tournament

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The Clinton Lady Dragons finished as runner-up in the Don W. Lockard Christmas Invitational basketball tournament in Clinton on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2016, losing to Cumberland Gap 57-17. Clinton was led by Kinley Martin (5), who scored 11 points. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

CLINTON—The Clinton Lady Dragons finished as runner-up in the Don W. Lockard Christmas Invitational basketball tournament last week.

Clinton (4-10, 2-3 District 3-AAA) was overwhelmed by Cumberland Gap in the girls’ championship game. The Lady Panthers took a 34-2 halftime lead on their way to a 57-17 triumph at Clinton High School on Wednesday.

The Lady Panthers (6-5, 1-2 District 2-Class AA) also defeated the Lady Dragons 71-37 earlier in the day. [Read more…]

Gatlinburg fires: Andersonville fire chief describes elevator rescue, driving through ‘gates of hell’

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The Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department helped rescue two people trapped in an elevator in a burning building at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, pictured above, in Gatlinburg during the wildfires on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. (Photo via Roane State Community College)

 

Editor’s note: Many fire departments and emergency workers responded to help fight the wildfires and perform search and rescue during the deadly forest fires that burned areas around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge on Monday, November 28. Here are stories from two Anderson County rescuers who responded to the Gatlinburg fires, as reported by Roane State Community College.

‘We made our way through what looked like the gates of hell’

By Matthew R. Burrell

On the night of Monday, November 28, various Anderson County fire departments were asked to respond on mutual aid calls to the City of Gatlinburg. Of those departments, Andersonville responded with a crew of three and one pumper.

Once we arrived at the meeting point, we were sent to Pittman Center for staging. On our way to our assigned location, there were many thoughts of the unknown. We were bouncing several scenarios off of each other—from “what are we going to do to pass time if all we do is sit in the parking lot,” to how crazy it could possibly be and what we might encounter.

When we first responded, I made contact with the Gatlinburg Fire Department chief, and the intensity in his voice told me that it was bad. But once we hit the spur, we realized just how bad it was. We made our way through what looked like the gates of hell and then entered the city. There was a constant orange glow everywhere you looked. We were amazed at the devastation and at how many buildings were on fire. [Read more…]

Keep Anderson County Beautiful receives $20,000 grant

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Keep Anderson County Beautiful, or KACB, is the recipient of a 2016 Keep America Beautiful/Lowe’s Community Partners $20,000 grant. In mid-December, Keep Anderson County Beautiful said it is building an outdoor chess board at Robertsville Middle School as part of the grant. (Photo by Keep Anderson County Beautiful via Facebook)

 

Keep Anderson County Beautiful, or KACB, is the recipient of a 2016 Keep America Beautiful/Lowe’s Community Partners $20,000 grant, a press release said. Keep Anderson County Beautiful announced on its Facebook page that it has building an outdoor chess board at Robertsville Middle School as part of the grant.

The KACB grant is being used to improve the landscaping at Robertsville Middle School, the press release said. The goal is to develop a pleasant campus with shade structures, benches, picnic tables, trees, and other vegetation.

In mid-December, Keep Anderson County Beautiful, a nonprofit, volunteer organization, announced on its Facebook page that it is building an outdoor chess board at Robertsville Middle School as part of the grant.

This is part of the first phase in a larger plan to make RMS a center of outdoor community activity, to enhance the students’ day-to-day lives, and to improve the campus by giving it a more park-like atmosphere and additional recreational sports areas, the press release said. [Read more…]

Roane State dental hygiene student receives scholarship

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Oral Surgery Specialists of Tennessee representative Scarlett Valentine, left, presented Roane State student Kelly Tallent with a $1,500 study abroad scholarship. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

Oral Surgery Specialists of Tennessee representative Scarlett Valentine, left, presented Roane State student Kelly Tallent with a $1,500 study abroad scholarship. (Photo courtesy Roane State Community College)

 

Roane State Community College dental hygiene student Kelly Tallent of Lenoir City received a $1,500 study abroad scholarship provided by Oral Surgery Specialists of Tennessee.

The scholarship will be used for Tallent’s study abroad experience in spring 2017. Roane State dental hygiene students travel to Costa Rica each year to provide preventive care services to children. [Read more…]

CareerLink showcases internships, research opportunities for minorities at ORNL

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ORISE, ORNL host 43 faculty and undergraduates from minority institutions for networking event

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, or ORISE, recently partnered with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to host a CareerLink Event Day that provided a full day of networking and workshops for faculty and undergraduate students from minority institutions.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists Programs and held at ORNL, this inaugural event benefitted 43 distinguished faculty and undergraduate students from historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, and minority education institutions, or MEIs, who are interested in career opportunities with DOE or its national labs.

“Events like this help excite and educate faculty and students from our nation’s minority education institutions about STEM-related careers,” said Craig Layman, associate director with ORISE. “Students learn more about the critical mission areas of ORNL and, at the same time, network with potential mentors who are among ORNL’s top scientists and engineers.” [Read more…]

Free Community Meal at ORUUC on Friday, Dec. 30

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Is there anything better than homemade macaroni and cheese? Perhaps there is, but when it comes to one of the ultimate comfort foods, it’s at the top of the list. To change it up a bit, the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Stone Soup team will put away the soup pots and instead prepare that cheesy goodness for the Stone Soup Free Community Meal on Friday, December 30.

Join us in the Social Hall for dinner from 5 to 6 p.m. for the homemade meal of the “Best Ever Macaroni and Cheese,” fresh fruit, and brownies. Takeout will be available from 5 to 6 p.m. ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike (close to traffic light number 2) in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Food City has grand re-opening Jan. 3

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Food City will have a grand re-opening ceremony from 5-7 p.m. January 3. A ribbon-cutting has been scheduled for 6 p.m.

There will be a flag retirement ceremony at 10 a.m. Wednesday, January 4.

Food City is at 1005 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

Waste Connections suspends glass recycling

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Note: This story was updated at 1:20 p.m.

Waste Connections of Tennessee has announced that beginning January 1, 2017, they will suspend glass recycling for their curbside pickup program in Oak Ridge in an effort to remain “dedicated to maintaining a healthy and strong recycling program for all residents,” a press release said.

“Markets for recyclable materials ebb and flow, and changes in glass markets have made this change in service necessary,” Doug McGill, municipal marketing manager for Waste Connections Inc., said in a recent letter to Oak Ridge officials. “By removing glass from curbside collection, we will preserve the overall integrity of our recycling program.”

A City of Oak Ridge press release said McGill went on to say that the processor of recyclables in Knoxville will stop accepting single-stream recycling glass after the first of the year, as will most processing companies across the country. [Read more…]

Radio, broadcast schedule for Oak Ridge basketball

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David Clary of Prepradio.com has sent us the radio schedule for the remaining Oak Ridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats basketball games.

The remaining away games will be broadcast on FM 92.7 and FM 107.3. They will also be broadcast on Prepradio.com and Oak Ridge Schools Channel 15.

The broadcast crew will try to do every Christmas Tournament game that doesn’t conflict with each other, Clary said: [Read more…]

Children’s Museum supports fire relief efforts in Gatlinburg

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Guests at the Gala Evening at the Children’s Museum on December 2 contributed $6,260 for the fire relief effort as Clinton auctioneer Bear Stephenson extended the auction of a Gatlinburg activities package to accept contributions for organizations supporting the community and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park after the wildfire that spread from the park into Gatlinburg earlier that week. (Submitted photo)

 

The generosity of Gatlinburg merchants in providing an auction package for the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge Gala resulted, in return, in generosity from the Children’s Museum and Gala attendees, who opened their wallets to support Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park after the devastating Chimney Tops fire.

Guests at the Gala Evening at the Children’s Museum on December 2 contributed $6,260 for the fire relief effort as Clinton auctioneer Bear Stephenson extended the auction of a Gatlinburg activities package to accept contributions for organizations supporting the community and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park after the wildfire that spread from the park into Gatlinburg earlier that week.

Martha Hart first raised the idea of donating to fire relief efforts by donating the proceeds from the Gatlinburg activities package back to the community. Hart, whose family owns Karen’s Jewelers, was helping manage the silent auction with her family as a volunteer at the Gala and suggested moving the Gatlinburg activities package from the silent to the live auction. [Read more…]

Holiday Schedule: Waste Connections Convenience Center

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Waste Connections of Tennessee will close the Convenience Center at 400 Warehouse Road at noon on Saturday, December 24, in observance of Christmas. The Convenience Center will reopen on Monday, December 26.

In addition, the Convenience Center will be closed all day Sunday, January 1, 2017, in observance of the New Year’s holiday. [Read more…]

Norris names interim city manager

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An interim city manager has been named in Norris, according to The Norris Bulletin.

Long-time resident Joe Deatherage, who has a long record of community service and charitable work, was picked unanimously during a special Norris City Council meeting on Monday, the weekly publication said. Council moved quickly to fill the position left vacant by last week’s decision to replace the Norris city manager.

Deatherage, who retired from Lockheed-Martin after 30 years working in Oak Ridge, will serve temporarily until a permanent city manager can be chosen, The Norris Bulletin said. Deatherage said he would not be a candidate for the post beyond the next few months.

See The Norris Bulletin for more information. You can contact the publication at (865) 719-3550 or norrisbulletin@horizonusa.com.