Oak Ridge Today

ORHS Brass Quintet at Band Concert this Thursday

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Santa with the Oak Ridge High School Brass Quintet: Michael Bytell-Lancer—trumpet, Logan Swain—trombone, Ty Dahl—trumpet, Travis Pitz—horn, and Issair Franquez—tuba. (Photo credit: Atom Ray Photography, Angela Carr, photographer; used with permission)

 

The Oak Ridge High School Brass Quintet welcomed Santa to Jackson Square on Saturday, and the Brass Quintet will be just one of the student groups to be enjoyed at the ORHS Band Concert this Thursday.

“Band directors Spence Milligan and Mike Spirko—along with the JazzKats, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Combined Bands—invite you to come and enjoy an evening performance with a little jazz, a little jingle—and a lot of jolly!” organizers said in a press release. “The always popular annual rendition of ‘Sleigh Ride,’ by Leroy Anderson, performed by the Combined Bands will surely make your season bright!” [Read more…]

ORAU Diversity Council hosts 2016 Veterans Appreciation Day

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Eddie Mannis (pictured above) served as the keynote speaker for a Veterans Appreciation Day event on Nov. 10, 2016. He is the founder of HonorAir Knoxville and highlighted the impact the organization has had on veterans and the East Tennessee community. (Photo by ORAU)

 

On Thursday, November 10, the ORAU Diversity Council hosted 2016 Veterans Appreciation Day at the ORAU Pollard Auditorium in Oak Ridge to acknowledge the great sacrifices and contributions of our service men, women, and their families.

Here are two photos by ORAU. [Read more…]

Linden Elementary, Midway Middle win $1,000 for environmental programs

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“Voice of the Vols” Bob Kesling, director of broadcasting/play-by-play for the Vol Network, and Etta Clark, vice president of global public affairs and policy at Eastman, present the 2016 Good Sports Always Recycle winners at Linden Elementary School with their award. (Submitted photo)

 

Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge and Midway Middle School in Ten Mile were recognized at the University of Tennessee homecoming game as two of the statewide winners of the Good Sports Always Recycle, or GSAR, program’s school challenge. Seven other schools were also recognized. All nine were awarded $1,000 each for their programs.

The award sponsors were Eastman Chemical Company, Food City, Waste Connections of Tennessee, and the University of Tennessee, a press release said.

The other GSAR School Challenge winners were Abintra Montessori School in Nashville, Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Emmett Elementary School in Bristol, Fayette Academy in Somerville, John Adams Elementary School in Kingsport, Newport Grammar School in Newport, and Union Elementary STEM and Demonstration School in Gallatin.

New Hope Christian Academy in Memphis was awarded $1,500 for the GSAR Sustainability Steward Award, and Libertas School of Memphis was awarded $1,500 for the Best New Program. [Read more…]

ORHS Orchestra presents tribute to Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Dec. 15

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Oak Ridge High School Orchestra will present its third annual tribute to Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Thursday, December 15. The concert is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. December 15 at Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

The public is invited to attend this high-energy concert, which will also include several traditional holiday favorites, organizers said.

Tickets are $3 at the door.

For more information, visit www.orhsorchestra.org.

Claxton Elementary School closed today due to power outage

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Claxton Elementary School is closed today (Monday, December 5) due to a power outage, Anderson County Schools said.

Underage drinking town hall meeting held at Ritz Theatre

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CLINTON—At the Ritz Theatre in Clinton on Wednesday night, the Anderson County Underage Drinking Task Force held a well-attended Town Hall meeting to discuss underage drinking. A panel of experts was assembled to discuss the issue and answer questions raised by members of the audience.

Panelists included Russell Barker, director of the Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force; Kim Guinn, director of Project AWARE; Gary Terry, assistant principal, athletic director, and mentor at Anderson County High School; and Jack and Mary Lou Winkler, parents in partnership with MADD.

“Underage drinking is not a minor problem; it’s a major one,” Barker said. “Almost every case I’ve ever investigated as a police officer has had alcohol or drugs involved.” [Read more…]

Proposed DOE waste disposal site to be discussed at Lunch with the League on Tuesday

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Ellen Smith

Ellen Smith

The U.S. Department of Energy’s proposal for a new disposal site for waste from ongoing cleanups, and some concerns that have been raised regarding the DOE proposal, will be the subject of Ellen Smith’s presentation at Lunch with the League on Tuesday.

Lunch with the League is scheduled to start at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, December 6, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Smith is on the staff of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Environmental Sciences Division. She is a member of the Oak Ridge City Council, where she serves are mayor pro tem. [Read more…]

Roane State emergency services students gather donations to help firefighters

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Students Ruben Sotomayor, left, and Cameron Driskill gather supplies at Roane State’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences that will assist emergency responders working the Sevier County wildfires. (Photo by Roane State)

Students Ruben Sotomayor, left, and Cameron Driskill gather supplies at Roane State’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences that will assist emergency responders working the Sevier County wildfires. (Photo by Roane State)

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

KNOXVILLE—A student at Roane State’s Knox County Center for Health Sciences collected donations for exhausted firefighters who have been combatting the inferno that has devastated Gatlinburg and the surrounding region.

Ruben Sotomayor, 29, of Caryville launched his effort Tuesday morning after seeing news reports of the widespread destruction.

“I felt I needed to do something,” he said. “They (firefighters) are exhausted. They need something to eat and drink.”

Sotomayor quickly received Roane State’s approval to set up a collection site at the college’s Knox County campus, 132 Hayfield Road. The campus is a hub for the college’s emergency medical services programs and courses. [Read more…]

Children’s Museum offering free admission for photo exhibit today

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This photo by Madiya of Girls Inc. will be among those in the photo exhibit at the Children's Museum. (Submitted photo)

This photo by Madiya of Girls Inc. will be among those in the photo exhibit at the Children’s Museum. (Submitted photo)

 

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is offering free admission this weekend, including Sunday, December 3, inviting the public to view the Parks-in-Focus photography exhibit developed in partnership with the National Park Service and the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

The exhibit, with photos taken by young photographers from Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge, was first shown at the Children’s Museum Gala on Friday, December 2, when the museum’s annual benefit celebrated the centennial of the National Park Service. The Gala, “Tribute to the National Parks—A Centennial Celebration,” was an official National Park Service Centennial Event.

The photographs will be on exhibit throughout the month of December in the Imagination Gallery at the museum, 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Name of new element, tennessine, recognizes state’s contributions, including at ORNL

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The recently discovered element 117 has been officially named “tennessine” in recognition of Tennessee’s contributions to its discovery, including the efforts of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and its Tennessee collaborators at Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee.

“The presence of tennessine on the Periodic Table is an affirmation of our state’s standing in the international scientific community, including the facilities ORNL provides to that community as well as the knowledge and expertise of the laboratory’s scientists and technicians,” ORNL Director Thom Mason said in a press release.

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, or IUPAC, gave its final approval to the name “tennessine” following a year-long process that began December 30, 2015, when IUPAC and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics announced verification of the existence of the superheavy element 117. That was more than five years after scientists first reported its discovery in April 2010.

IUPAC validates the existence of newly discovered elements and approves their official names.

ORNL had several roles in the discovery, the most prominent being production of the radioisotope berkelium-249 for the search. [Read more…]

Basketball: Wildcats, Lady Wildcats win at Clinton

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats beat the Clinton Lady Dragons 61-19 on Tuesday, and the Wildcats won 87-57.

It was the 59th consecutive time the Oak Ridge girls have defeated the Clinton girls since 1990. The Lady Wildcats (3-1, 1-0 District 3-AAA) were led at Don Lockard Gymnasium by junior Mykia Dowdell with 18 points and sophomore Jada Guinn with 14. Only three Lady Dragons (0-4, 0-1) scored, led by Nikki Jones with eight points, Kinley Martin with six, and Danyel Joy with five. [Read more…]

Jefferson Middle earns $10,000 BlueCross Shape the State Grant

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Jefferson Middle School has been awarded a Shape the State grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation to upgrade its physical education program. The grants are valued at $10,000 each. (Photo by Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Jefferson Middle School has been awarded a Shape the State grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation to upgrade its physical education program.

The grants, valued at $10,000 each, provide the nationally acclaimed Sports Play and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) physical education curriculum, teacher training, and equipment for each recipient school. In addition, Jefferson received $1,000 to spend on PE, nutrition, and wellness efforts. Members of the Physical Education Department worked with Oak Ridge Schools Office of Coordinated School Health to write the grant.

“We are very thankful to BlueCross for this providing schools in Tennessee with this wonderful grant opportunity,” said JMS Physical Education teacher Katie Bolling. “Jefferson Middle School students will benefit from the wonderful SPARK equipment. We are excited to implement the curriculum into our physical education program.” [Read more…]