Oak Ridge Today

Updated notice of road closure for Pennsylvania Avenue

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The Oak Ridge Public Works Department has rescheduled a planned road closure from Monday, August 1, to Tuesday, August 2.

Crews will now close both lanes of Pennsylvania Avenue from East Pasadena Road to North Tulane Avenue and a small section of East Pasadena at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday. At least one lane will reopen by 2 p.m. so school bus routes can run as scheduled. This will also lessen the impact on student pick-up and drop-off traffic.

The closure is necessary for the Oak Ridge Electric Department to replace a utility pole on the island at the junction of North Tulane, Pennsylvania, and Providence Road. [Read more…]

Harriman man killed in Roane County crash

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A Harriman man died in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 61 in Roane County on Friday, authorities said.

Martin J. Palenski, 37, was not wearing a seat belt, and he was ejected when the car he was driving rolled after hitting an embankment at about 12:36 p.m. Friday, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.

The THP said Palenski was driving a 2002 Ford Taurus west on Highway 61. While going around a righthand curve, the Taurus went off the left side of the road, a crash report said. Palenski overcorrected and hit an embankment on the right side of the road, the THP said. The Taurus then rolled, and Palenski was ejected, the THP said. [Read more…]

Obituary: Janet Cosby Scott

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Janet Cosby Scott

Janet Cosby Scott

 

Janet Cosby Scott, 82, of Oak Ridge, passed away on July 25, 2016.

Janet was born in Homewood, Alabama, to Daniel Milton Cosby and Elizabeth Beavers Cosby on December 21, 1933.

She attended and graduated from Sarasota Florida High School. She graduated from Auburn University and was a loyal alumni and fan. While at Auburn, she was president of the Women’s Student Government Association and president of Kappa Delta Sorority.

On March 27, 1955, she married Thomas H. Scott. She was an elementary school teacher for five years prior to becoming a fulltime and a dedicated mother of her two children, Jan and David. Typical of her commitment, she served as Girl Scout leader for Jan’s troop, leading a trip to Mexico, and attended 130 of the 132 college basketball games played by her son, David.

Janet was a strong supporter of the Oak Ridge High School sports programs and regularly attended football and basketball games. [Read more…]

Wildcats have scrimmage against Heritage at Blankenship tonight

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The Oak Ridge Wildcats have a scrimmage against Heritage at 7 p.m. today (July 29) at Blankenship Field.

The admission is $3 per person at the lower and upper gates.

Limited concessions will be available, and Wildcat Cards will be sold in the upper concession stand.

School begins Monday, August 1, and practices will be held immediately after school (at the coach’s discretion) every day until game weeks begin. [Read more…]

Norris Dam celebrates 80 years this weekend with food, fun, music

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Norris_Dam_June-15-2015

The Tennessee Valley Authority is celebrating the 80th anniversary of Norris Dam with food, family-friendly fun, music, and self-guided tours of Norris Dam. (Photo by TVA)

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority is celebrating the 80th anniversary of Norris Dam with a food, family-friendly fun, music, and self-guided tours of Norris Dam.

“It’ll be a birthday party to remember…and TVA is giving away all of the presents!” a press release said.

The party is scheduled from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, July 29 and 30, at the dam.

No reservations or tickets are required, and admission is free.

“Come bring your family and friends for an experience to remember,” the press release said.

Full details are at http://www.tva.com/norris80. [Read more…]

Pool’s final day of season Aug. 6, first-ever Puppy Pool Party on Aug. 7

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Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool July 2016

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool is pictured above in July 2016. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool will be closing soon for the season, but before it does, the pool will re-open for one final day this season and the city will host its first-ever Puppy Pool Party.

The outdoor pool will close Sunday, July 31, and be closed through the first week of August. The pool will re-open one last time for the season on Saturday, August 6, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

On Sunday, August 7, from 5-7 p.m., the outdoor pool will host its first Puppy Pool Party, a press release said. All dogs must be non-aggressive and kept on leashes. Pet owners must also have proof of current vaccinations. There is a fee of $3 per dog to participate, or each owner may bring a donation of canned or dry dog food to support the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter. [Read more…]

Revised: Road closure in Oak Ridge on Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge Public Works Department will close the east bound lane (one lane only) on Pennsylvania Avenue from Hillside Road to West Passmore Road on Tuesday, July 26. The Electric Department work in this area has been delayed. The single lane road closure is necessary for crews to patch a strip of the road on Pennsylvania Avenue.

“Residents are urged to use extreme care and caution while driving in the area, and we ask that you consider using alternate routes,” a press release said. “We apologize for any inconvenience this closure may cause and appreciate your patience.” [Read more…]

Overall number of health physics degrees drops to lowest level in more than decade

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Despite number of bachelor’s and master’s degrees decreasing, number of doctorate degrees increased significantly

The overall number of students who graduated in 2015 with health physics degrees dropped to the lowest level in more than a decade. This is according to the latest annual study conducted by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, which surveyed 22 health physics programs, representing nearly all such programs at the nation’s universities.

The report, titled “Health Physics Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2015 Data,” showed that a total of 136 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees were granted between September 1, 2014, and August 31, 2015.

Table 1. Health Physics Degrees, 2006-2015

[Read more…]

ETEBA has information session on new low-level waste disposal facility on Wednesday

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EMDF Onsite Disposal Location Options

There is a public information session on Wednesday on the U.S. Department of Energy’s proposal to build a new on-site low-level waste disposal facility on the Oak Ridge Reservation.

The public information session is hosted by the Energy, Technology, and Environmental Business Association, or ETEBA. It’s scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, at Pollard Auditorium, which is at 210 Badger Avenue in Oak Ridge. The public is invited.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, has identified four site alternatives for the proposed facility, which is called the Environmental Management Disposal Facility, or EMDF.

“The purpose of this session is to provide the public with information about these four sites in preparation for the formal public comment period that will occur later this year,” a press release said. “Representatives of DOE, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide an overview of the site alternatives as well as the regulatory issues and requirements associated with these four sites, and will be on hand to address questions from the public following the presentations.” [Read more…]

American Physical Society names ORNL’s Holifield Facility as historic physics site

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ORNL-Holifield-Radioactive-Ion-Beam-Facility-1

The Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is pictured above. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

The American Physical Society on Monday honored the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as an APS Historic Physics Site.

It’s the first designated APS Historic Physics Site in Tennessee. The APS is one of the world’s top professional societies for scientists.

APS President-elect Laura Greene presented a plaque marking the historical designation of the now-decommissioned physics research facility to kick off the Nuclear Structure 2016 conference and Neutrinos in Nuclear Physics workshop being held this week in Knoxville. ORNL Deputy for Science and Technology Thomas Zacharia accepted the plaque for ORNL.

ORNL is a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory.

“In naming the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility as a Historic Physics Site, the American Physical Society took into consideration the half century of nuclear and atomic physics research performed there, as well as the scores of scientists who performed experiments with its unique capabilities,” Greene said. “The Holifield Facility has indeed been an important contributor to the physical sciences history.” [Read more…]

Navarro Research, Engineering buys Tech 2020 building

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Technology-2020-Jan-27-2016

Navarro Research and Engineering Inc. acquired the Tech 2020 building late last week, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce said Monday, July 25, 2016. The purchase of the building will allow the company’s corporate headquarters to remain in Oak Ridge, retaining more than 100 jobs in the community. The board of directors for Technology 2020 voted Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016, to wind down operations after more than two decades of operations. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Navarro Research and Engineering Inc. acquired the Tech 2020 building in Oak Ridge late last week. The purchase of the building will allow the company’s corporate headquarters to remain in Oak Ridge, retaining more than 100 jobs in the community, a press release said.

The Tech 2020 building was placed on the market following the January 2016 announcement that the organization would be winding down operations. Tech 2020 was a nonprofit organization that had focused on technology-based entrepreneurial support and access to capital. The organization contributed to the success of several area start-ups.

“We are pleased that Navarro has found a new home in the Tech 2020 building,” said Phil Andrews, chief financial officer of Oak Ridge Associated Universities and chair of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors. “It’s a win for the community to be able to keep the company and employees in Oak Ridge. The fact that the company has purchased a building, rather than leasing or renting one, shows the kind of commitment Navarro has to the city.” [Read more…]

Roane State launches new program in computer information technology

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Roane State Computer Information Technology

George Meghabghab, right, is the program director for Roane State’s new Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Technology. (Photo by Roane State Community College)

 

Roane State Community College has launched a new program that includes extensive instruction in computer programming and prepares students for valuable tech industry certifications.

Classes for the new Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Technology begin this fall. Nearly all of the program’s courses can be taken online.

“We are very excited about the computer information technology program,” program director George Meghabghab said. “Our curriculum is closely aligned with the skills tech companies want in their employees.”

Students will learn to develop applications, design and query databases, maintain and secure networks, and more. Course subjects include HTML and CSS, programming, database concepts, JavaScript, and network routing. [Read more…]