Oak Ridge Today

Willow Ridge Garden Center named small business of month

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce recently presented Willow Ridge Garden Center with its Small Business of the Month designation for February 2022. Pictured are Christine Michaels, Greg Steele, Kelley O’Dell, Scott Russell, Chris Johnson, April Fugate, Lora Barker, Florenda Howard, and Norm Nelson. (Submitted photo)

 

Willow Ridge Garden Center has been named the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Month for February 2022.

The award is sponsored by Enrichment Federal Credit Union.

Willow Ridge Garden Center is located at 97 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

“When the weather is bleak, wet, dreary, and cold, it may not seem like the time to visit Willow Ridge Garden Center,” a press release said. “But, according to garden center retail manager Greg Steele—or ‘Greg the Friendly Garden Guy’ to followers of the Willow Ridge Facebook page—it’s always planting season. ‘We are here year round and you can plant year round. There is not a time when you can not plant, so you can always get your hands dirty—it’s good for you!'” [Read more…]

Controlled burns scheduled on Oak Ridge Reservation

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Controlled burns are scheduled on the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. (Submitted photo)

Controlled burns are scheduled on the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation.

“The public should expect to see some smoke from this activity,” a press release said. “However, smoke in this and other areas in the region could also be the result of prescribed burns currently being undertaken by other federal and state agencies.”

DOE will be starting a series of controlled burns of grassland areas on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation on the Three Bend Area off Pump House and Bull Bluff Roads, and other managed grassland areas off Bethel Valley Road and off Highway 58, the press release said.

Beginning this week and continuing through mid-April 2021 as weather permits, controlled burns will take place at:

[Read more…]

ORHS student a U.S. Presidential Scholars candidate

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Sidney Ozcan

 

By U.S. Department of Education

Sidney Ozcan, a graduating senior at Oak Ridge High School, has been named one of 5,000 candidates in the 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The candidates were selected from nearly 3.6 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in the year 2022.

Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character, and involvement in community and school activities. [Read more…]

Anderson Senior Center to host mobile mammography unit Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Mobile mammography screenings will be available at the Anderson County Senior Center on Thursday.

The mobile mammography unit is from the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The senior center is at 96 Mariner Point Drive in Clinton, and the screenings will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, February 17.

Appointments are required, and they can be scheduled by calling the UT Breast Health Outreach Program at (865) 839-7416 or by sending an e-mail to Lking@utmck.edu.

[Read more…]

Four qualifiers win at songwriters competition

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Locals, visitors, and music industry leaders came together for a lively celebration and songwriting competition for East Tennessee songsmiths at Tennessee Songwriters Week’s qualifying round in Oak Ridge, Tenn., on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. (Submitted photo)

Locals, visitors, and music industry leaders met for a celebration and songwriting competition for East Tennessee songsmiths at Tennessee Songwriters Week’s qualifying round in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

“A slew of songwriters provided one of the most engaging and exciting songwriting competitions to date,” a press release said.

The competition was at Oakey’s Sports Bar in Oak Ridge. Each competitor was judged based on their overall performance, originality, and connection to the audience, the press release said. Out of the 20 applicants, only four were part of the winners from Oak Ridge’s qualifying round to advance to the next round at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville.

[Read more…]

JMS FIRST Lego League hosts Atomic City Invitational

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jefferson Middle School FIRST Lego League teams hosted the 8th annual Atomic City Invitational on Jan. 15, 2022. Area teams were invited to come participate in the FIRST Lego League Cargo Connect challenge and alliance challenge, sumo bots, and Lego Great Ball Contraption. Fifteen area teams entered 45 robots into the events. (Photo by Janie Shanafield, Jefferson Middle School)

By Janie Shanafield, Jefferson Middle School

Jefferson Middle School FIRST Lego League teams hosted the 8th annual Atomic City Invitational on January 15. Area teams were invited to participate in the FIRST Lego League Cargo Connect challenge and alliance challenge, sumo bots, and Lego Great Ball Contraption. Fifteen area teams entered 45 robots into the events.

The winners were as follows:

[Read more…]

Supreme Court justice to discuss WWII POWs

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Sharon Lee

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee will discuss the compelling stories of five American soldiers captured and held as prisoners of war by the Germans during World War II during a lunchtime meeting next week, a press release said.

The Lunch with the League is scheduled from 12-1 p.m. Tuesday, February 15. The meeting will be virtual, meaning it will be online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lunch is hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, and the public is welcome to attend the virtual meeting.

“Personal history led Justice Lee to her interest in World War II, specifically POWs, and how their experiences shaped their lives after release,” the press release said. “Justice Lee’s father was a World War II POW. Although Justice Lee describes her family as being very patriotic and her father faithfully flying an American flag, their family did not talk about her father’s wartime experiences when she was growing up. Her interest in World War II POWs was sparked by ‘Soldiers and Slaves,’ a book shared with her by then Chancellor Arnold Goldin from Memphis, which later led her to research and prepare a presentation entitled ‘American Heroes With Common Bonds.'”

[Read more…]

First Presbyterian offers free meals, groceries Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge

First Presbyterian Church will provide a free meal and bag of groceries to guests who drive by the church between 5:30 and 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 10.

The church’s monthly “Welcome Table” community meal program plans to supply each guest with a meal consisting of a soup, chips, fruit, and brownies. In addition, a bag of groceries will be delivered to each car. [Read more…]

Friends of Library Book Sale this weekend

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library Winter 2022 Book Sale will continue Saturday, Feb. 5, and Sunday, Feb. 6. Pictured above are FOL officers Nancy Hardin and Jan Pierce sorting books in a previous book sale. (Submitted photo)

A book sale organized by Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library continues this weekend through Sunday.

The FOL Winter Book Sale is at the Oak Ridge Public Library.

Saturday, February 5, is Half-Price Sale Day from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, February 6, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., is Buy-A-Bag-of-Books Sale with each bag provided by FOL priced at $3.

[Read more…]

Roane State’s Rutledge earns Chancellor’s Commendation

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jason Rutledge

Oak Ridge resident Jason B. Rutledge, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, has received the Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor’s Commendation for Military Veterans.

The commendation was conferred in the form of a specially designed Challenge Coin, and Rutledge, 47, was nominated for the honor by Roane State Community College President Chris Whaley, a press release said.

Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings established the commendation in 2020 to honor the “service, bravery, and sacrifices of veterans in campus communities,” according to a TBR news release.

One veteran from each of Tennessee’s 37 community and technical colleges was chosen in 2021 for the annual honor.

[Read more…]

Today is National Wear Red Day

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The first Friday of the month, February 4, is National Wear Red Day. From coast to coast, landmarks, news anchors, and neighborhoods will go red to raise awareness and support for heart disease, a press release said.

Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke combined) kills about 2,300 people a day. Obesity in both youth and adults is at an all-time high, youth are being diagnosed with heart disease earlier than ever, and people just ZIP codes apart can live 25 years less than their neighbors because of disparities in health, the press release said. American Heart Month is vital for awareness, but the American Heart Association urges people to take care of their hearts year-round.

Consider the facts:

[Read more…]

Tax assistance center opens Feb. 8

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Center will open on Tuesday.

The VITA program is an Internal Revenue Service initiative to help taxpayers by providing trained volunteers to prepare and electronically file individual tax returns at no cost to the taxpayers, a press release said.

Oak Ridge VITA program will again be housed at the United Way Offices at 728 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge. Hours are from 1:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The office is staffed entirely by IRS certified volunteers-preparers, greeters, and computer experts. United Way of Anderson County provides funds for software and provides office space, the press release said.

COVID-19 protocols were instituted for the 2020 and 2021 tax seasons and will be in place again this year. VITA tax preparers will not meet in person with taxpayers, but they will prepare taxes and communicate by telephone with taxpayers as needed, the press release said. Taxpayers will need to bring their materials to the United Way office, where greeters will help assure that all materials needed are included.

[Read more…]