Oak Ridge Today

County veterans invited to community breakfast

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Military veterans from Anderson County will come together this weekend for the first Veterans Breakfast.

The first breakfast, hosted by Anderson County citizens and sponsored by County Mayor Terry Frank, will be held from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14, at the Clinton Community Center, a press release said. There will be a brief program at 9 a.m. All of the Veterans Breakfasts will recognize and honor local veterans and their families for their service to the United States.

Anderson County residents and community volunteers are working together to make the breakfast a free monthly event that will allow veterans to fellowship and share stories together. The City of Clinton is recognized as a special sponsor for hosting the monthly location and setup, the press release said. [Read more…]

Explore Oak Ridge to co-locate with Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

 

Explore Oak Ridge (the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau) will be moving its operations from its current location at 102 Robertsville Road to co-locate with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce in July, according to an agreement reached by the two organizations earlier this week.

The Chamber building is located at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike, near Oak Ridge High School and across from the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The initial lease is for three years, with two additional one-year extension options. It will position the Chamber, Explore Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board, and the Roane State Tennessee Small Business Development Center in one facility, a press release said. [Read more…]

Sears Hometown Store opening this fall in Oak Ridge

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A new Sears Hometown Store will open in Oak Ridge this fall, a press release said. The store will be located at 142 Fairbanks Road.

“We are delighted to have local business owner and resident Leslie Agron and his team serving customers in Oak Ridge and the surrounding communities,” said Mike Jones, Region Development Manager—Sears Hometown Stores. “We are especially excited to be a part of the Oak Ridge retail community and to be able to bring back the Sears name and products to this area. We also appreciate the partnership with R&R Properties and others in the community who have worked diligently to get this project going.”

Rick Chinn of R&R Properties said he is excited about the project.

“We worked very closely with Leslie and the corporate folks from Sears to find just the right location in this market that would fit the needs of the required store layout,” Chinn said in the press release. [Read more…]

Highway safety initiative comes to Roane County

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Screen Shot 2016-05-06 at 12.56.36 PM

If you are wondering what these message boards and yard signs are doing all over town, wonder no more.

The portable message boards have a simple message of “Buckle Up Tonight” that flashes twice as each car passes. The yard signs read on one side “Buckle Up Tonight to See Tomorrow.” The message on the other reads “Exercise Some Restraint When You Go Out Tonight,” and it shows a seatbelt graphic.

This is part of a campaign organized by University of Tennessee Center for Transportation Research. This initiative is funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Tennessee Highway Safety Office to increase nighttime seat belt use. [Read more…]

Youth Pride Fest hosted in Oak Ridge on May 14

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Diversity will be celebrated at the third annual Youth Pride Fest on Saturday, May 14, in Oak Ridge, a press release said.

“The fun planned event is an opportunity for LGBTQ youth and allies to celebrate themselves through awareness, visibility, and pride,” the press release said. Youth Pride Fest will take place from noon to 5 p.m. May 14 at First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge. The church is located at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike, which is at the corner of Lafayette and Oak Ridge Turnpike.

All East Tennessee LGBTQ youth and allies under the age of 21, and parents are invited, the press release said. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required and can be made at youthpridefest.weebly.com. Click on sign-up. [Read more…]

Reminder: Volunteers raise money for community playground at Robertsville Middle

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Robertsville Middle School

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

Reminder: Robertsville Middle School is in the process of building a community playground, and volunteers have scheduled a fundraiser on Friday, May 6, that will feature food and music.

This playground will be available for use by all students but also will be built to accommodate the needs of the special education students. The playground will also be available after school and on the weekends for families in the community of the school and families in Oak Ridge.

Robertsville serves more than 700 students in grades 5-8 and presently has no playgrounds available.

“This truly will be a community playground, not only by those who use it, but by how it will be paid for,” a press release said.

The school is partnering with individuals, private businesses, and local companies to raise the $20,000 to build the playground, the safety chips, border around playground, and benches, the release said. RMS donated $4,500 to get the project started, and so far, more than $8,000 has been raised. [Read more…]

Applications being accepted for Australia Endeavour Scholarships, Fellowships

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Study, research, or professional development opportunities available for appointments ranging from one month to four years

ORAU has partnered with the Australian government to seek U.S. and Canadian applicants for Australia’s Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships, an internationally competitive, merit-based scholarship program that provides up to $272,500 Australian dollars for study, research, or professional development opportunities between Australia and the world. That’s about $204,000 U.S. dollars or roughly $260,000 Canadian.

Applicants may apply through 11:59 p.m. (Australian Eastern Standard Time) June 30, 2016, for the following opportunities: [Read more…]

Tonight: UT professor to discuss impact of invasive insects on forests

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University of Tennessee Professor Scott Schlarbaum will present a program on “Invasive Insects’ Effect on our Forests” at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at the UT Arboretum. It has been reported that this presentation will “scare the pants off you.”

Our area is currently beset by hemlock woolly adelgids, emerald ash borers, and other invasive insects, a press release said.

Schlarbaum has served as a faculty member of UT’s Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries since 1984, and has served in a variety of professional positions and committees regarding forest health and genetics. [Read more…]

Smith of RMS to serve on American Library Association award committee

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Scot-Smith

Scot Smith

Scot Smith, the library media specialist at Robertsville Middle School, has been elected to serve on the American Library Association’s 2018 Michael J. Printz Award Committee.

The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature and is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and Booklist.

Smith was one of four librarians nationwide elected to the committee.

CNS provides $180,000 in grants to 30 nonprofits

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CNS Y-12 Fierley and Boys & Girls Clubs Likens and Pettyjohn

Mike Fierley (center), CNS employee committee chair, poses with Ann Likens (left) and Jennifer Pettyjohn of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley at the recent grant recipient celebration.

 

Expanding the availability of school supplies for children in distressed areas. Providing door-to-door transportation to senior citizens who can’t get to medical providers. Pairing at-risk children with horses rescued from abuse. These are just a few examples of the outstanding work going on in East Tennessee and supported by the Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC Y-12 Community Investment Fund.

The employee-directed fund provided grants totaling $180,000 to 30 nonprofit organizations in 10 East Tennessee counties. The fund is administered by the East Tennessee Foundation, or ETF, which issued a call for grant proposals in December. More than 70 East Tennessee nonprofits responded. The winning agencies were honored at a reception on May 4 at New Hope Center in Oak Ridge.

CNS is the managing contractor at Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas. CNS began its partnership with ETF last year, organizing the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of Y-12 employees who reviewed applications and recommended grants to support nonprofit organizations with projects that addressed one or more of the committee’s four focus areas: education, senior citizens, veterans, and youth. [Read more…]

ORHS student wins first in Chemistry Division of national competition, earns $12,000 scholarship

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Thomas Colburn — Decomposition of Plastics

Thomas Colburn — Decomposition of Plastics (Photo by Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Oak Ridge High School senior Thomas Colburn was a divisional first-place winner in a national science and humanities competition in April. Colburn received a $12,000 academic scholarship.

He was announced as the first place winner of the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in the Chemistry Division on April 30.

Colburn and Albert Xue, both from Oak Ridge High School, were part of a five-student delegation that traveled from Tennessee to Dayton, Ohio, to showcase their research at the end of April. The Junior Science and Humanities Symposium is a tri-service U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force program designed to encourage student research in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. While more than 7,600 students competed at the regional level, fewer than 100 students were invited to give an oral presentation this year at the 54th National JSHS competition. [Read more…]

Emory Valley Center breaks ground on new building

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EVC_Shovelers_grndbreak-15April16

Pictured above during a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, April 15, 2016, are Tennessee Representative John Ragan, Calvin with Emory Valley Center, Mike with EVC, state Senator Ken Yager, EVC Board President John Eschenberg, Gaye with EVC, EVC President Jennifer Enderson, state Senator Randy McNally, Capital Campaign Co-Chairs Dottie Thompson and Gene Caldwell, Michael with EVC, and EVC Board member Alan Icenhour. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

Emory Valley Center held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new building on Friday, April 15. The ceremony included people that Emory Valley Center supports, EVC staff and board members, Capital Campaign co-chairs Dottie Thompson and Gene Caldwell, Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, Representative John Ragan, Senator Ken Yager, and representatives of Michael Brady Inc. and Hickory Construction Inc.

Emory Valley Center launched a Capital Campaign for a new building six years ago, when plans for probable demolition of the building the organization uses for some of its services to people with disabilities was discussed by the owners. Through the efforts of Thompson and Caldwell, business and individual donors, and grant awards for the project, the campaign is at a point where construction can begin.

“We are very excited to break ground on our new building and for construction to begin,” said EVC President Jennifer Enderson. “So many individual supporters, businesses, families, staff, and other community partners have worked very hard to make our new building a reality, and we are very grateful for their efforts and continuing support.” [Read more…]