Oak Ridge Today

Small businesses invited to participate in DOE national lab vouchers pilot

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ORNL Industry Day Officials Sept. 24, 2015

David Danielson, left, DOE assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, is pictured above with officials at Industry Day at ORNL on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015, when a 3D-printed vehicle and building were unveiled. Other officials include ORNL Director Thom Mason; U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann; Johnny Moore, ORNL Site Office manager; and David Milhorn, UT executive vice president. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Small businesses in the clean energy sector are invited to apply for assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories through the department’s new Small Business Vouchers Pilot.

David Danielson, DOE Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, or EERE, announced the launch of the pilot website during EERE’s Industry Day event on Wednesday, September 23, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“Small businesses that are developing the new clean energy technologies that are needed to cut carbon pollution and create good-paying American jobs often lack the resources necessary to move their innovative ideas from the laboratory bench to the marketplace,” Danielson said. “The EERE Small Business Vouchers pilot is designed specifically to help small businesses bring next-generation clean energy technologies to the market faster by leveraging the world-class capabilities of our national laboratories to solve small businesses’ most pressing challenges.” [Read more…]

ORAU exceeds $100,000 in annual giving campaign for eighth year in a row

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ORAU 2015 Annual Giving Campaign

The 2015 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign Chair Arlene Garrison, pictured right, Co-Chair Don Hanlon, pictured left, and ORAU President and CEO Andy Page reveal ORAU’s combined giving total of $127,404.42. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

For the eighth year in a row, ORAU has broken the $100,000 mark in donations as part of the annual giving campaign for the United Way and Community Shares.

During a concluding ceremony on September 29 in the ORAU Pollard Technology Conference Center, ORAU President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Page announced the 2015 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign total donation amount: $127,404.42.

As part of the total donation, ORAU and its employees pledged $97,835.18 to the United Way and $29,569.24 to Community Shares.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Signing ceremony for Manhattan Project park on Nov. 10 in DC

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Hanford B Reactor

The Hanford B Reactor (Photo courtesy Atomic Heritage Foundation)

 

By Atomic Heritage Foundation

The birthday of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, is now set for November 10, 2015.

While the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act became law on December 19, 2014, the Act requires that the Departments of Energy and Interior reach an agreement within a year of enactment on their respective roles in implementing the new park. At that time, the park will be officially established.

We understand that the Departments of Energy and the National Park Service leaders are close to an agreement. Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz and Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell are scheduled to have a signing ceremony on Tuesday, November 10, in Washington, D.C.

The Manhattan Project Park Act passed after the National Park Service’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget was in place, so the funds available in 2016 for NPS’s work on the park are limited to $180,000.

NPS Associate Director Victor Knox talked about 2016 as a transitional year for the new park, as the Park Service assumes management and focuses on how best to interpret the story of the Manhattan Project. The Department of Energy and its laboratories have been funding a variety of activities this year and have developed a five-year budget plan for restoring and providing public access to its historic assets. [Read more…]

ORHS Marching Band brings ‘The Music of Bond’ to winners circle at Karns, Maryville

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ORHS Wildband Brass on Sept. 26, 2015

The Oak Ridge High School WildBand performs at the Karns Marching Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, when they won overall top scoring band. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

By Merny Hughey

Congratulations to the Oak Ridge High School Marching Band for winning back to back as the overall top scoring band at the Maryville and Karns Marching Invitational events this month.

Under the direction of Spence Milligan, Mike Spirko, Josh Bibbs, and Sean Greene, with music arranged by Mike Spirko, the students have brought “The Music of Bond” to the winners circle two Saturdays in a row as well as to the Wildcat football games.

From the tuxedo show shirts to our very own James Bond, the band is not only performing difficult music to the beat of our talented percussion section, but also enhancing the iconic Bond music with dance, color, and story from the Color Guard.

The WildBand won the high music score at these first two competitions as well as top scores for Drum Major, Percussion, and Color Guard against other very talented bands that have more practice time due to scheduling. [Read more…]

Gem hunter presents Smithsonian-style gem show at Karen’s Jewelers Oct. 1-3

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Ruby Specimens

Rubies in the “mother rock” in which they were found in Afghanistan will be on exhibit at Karen’s Jewelers. (Submitted photo)

 

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Karen’s Jewelers will welcome an annual visitor bringing gems from Southeast Asia, Afghanistan, and Egypt for a three-day Smithsonian-style show in Oak Ridge.

Gary Bowersox will present rough gems and minerals, precision-cut gemstones and designer jewelry at Karen’s Jewelers in Oak Ridge from Wednesday through Friday, September 30-October 2. Bowersox has made Karen’s Jewelers a destination on his “Magnificent Gemstones of the World” event for nearly 20 years, according to proprietors Jonathan and Martha Hart.

More than 60,000 gems will be on display at the gem show and sale at Karen’s Jewelers, 1120 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The exhibit will be open from noon.-6 p.m. September 30, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. October 1 and 2.

Among gems in the show will be a rare padparadscha sapphire from Sri Lanka, among many sapphires from the region. The gem is described as a delicate mix of pink and orange. Also from Sri Lanka will be sphene, another rare and brilliant green, orange or brown gemstone, along with moonstone and special zircons. [Read more…]

Radioactive components removed from former reactor at ORNL

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Group Photo Radioactive Components Reactor Pool

Federal and contractor employees who worked on the project to remove irradiated components from a reactor pool gather to watch the transport of the shipment offsite for disposition. (Photo courtesy DOE Office of EM)

 

Water was found seeping from a pool at a former reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory one year ago, and in August, workers removed four irradiated components from the pool that produced about 96 percent of the radiation, federal officials said Thursday.

The four irradiated components weigh about 200 pounds each, said the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management, or EM.

Water was found seeping from the reactor pool at the Oak Ridge Research Reactor during a routine inspection in September 2014. The facility, also known as Building 3042, is one of hundreds of Manhattan Project and Cold War-ear structures across the Oak Ridge Reservation monitored by the Oak Ridge Office of EM.

Nuclear research had not been conducted at the facility since 1988, but it still contained the highly irradiated components from those operations. The leak was causing the pool to lose the water that served as a protective, shielding agent for the irradiated components, officials said. [Read more…]

Trial for Corwin’s alleged killer to be moved

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Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee

Information from WYSH Radio

The trial for a former Marine accused of killing an Oak Ridge native who was living in California with her Marine husband is being moved.

Christopher Lee is charged with the 2014 murder of Erin Corwin.

Prosecutors say that after he killed her, Lee dumped Corwin’s body down an abandoned mine shaft in a remote section of the Joshua Tree National Park.

Authorities say the two had an affair while Corwin’s husband was based at Twentynine Palms, California. [Read more…]

AC runs for 517 yards, forces six Dragon turnovers in 51-47 win at Clinton

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Oak Ridge Today

Information from WYSH Radio

Friday night, it looked for two quarters like the Clinton Dragons might snap arguably their most vexing dry spell—the six-year long losing streak to archrivals Anderson County—but in the second half, the Mavericks ran all over that notion, rallying from a 27-6 halftime deficit for a thrilling 51-47 win at Clinton.

The win ran AC’s streak in the Crosstown Showdown to seven in a row and 16 of the last 17 meetings.

Anderson County outscored Clinton 45-20 in the second half on the strength of their running game, led by Mason Phillips’ 293 yards and 5 touchdowns on 44 carries.

Quarterback Tate Holmes added 147 yards rushing and a score. His only completion of the game was a 29-yard scoring strike to Thasaud Thrasher. [Read more…]

Man convicted of possessing heroin for sale in school zone

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Charles Randolph Johnson

Charles Randolph Johnson

A man who came to Anderson County from the Detroit area has been convicted of possessing heroin and marijuana for sale in a school zone, and he faces 25 to 40 years in prison, authorities said Wednesday.

Charles Randolph Johnson was found guilty on Friday, September 18, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a press release. The jury deliberated for 1.5 hours before announcing their verdict after a trial that lasted 1.5 days.

Johnson has a separate November 10 trial for actually selling the heroin, Clark said in the press release. The DA said Johnson has been charged separately for allegedly selling heroin three times on Coconut Lane near Claxton Elementary School. He also has charges pending for allegedly coercing a witness, Clark said.

The DA said the potential 25- to 40-year sentence for the Friday convictions is based on Johnson’s prior felony record and because the jury found that the crime occurred within a school zone. But the specifics of the sentence will be determined by Anderson County Criminal Court Judge Don Elledge at the November 30 sentencing hearing, Clark said. [Read more…]

Students at two schools send cards of appreciation to ACSD for 9/11

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ACSD 9/11 Cards

Students at Linden Elementary School and St. Mary’s School in Oak Ridge sent cards of appreciation to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department for 9/11. (Submitted photo)

 

Students at two schools in Oak Ridge sent cards of appreciation to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department for September 11, 2015, the 14th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, in New York City, Washington, D.C., and an airplane that crashed in Pennsylvania.

“Our thanks to the students of Linden Elementary and St. Mary’s School for their cards of appreciation for September 11, 2015,” ACSD Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said. “We certainly appreciate them!” [Read more…]

Josh Phillips, an Oak Ridge native, to headline Comedy at the Grove on Sept. 25

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Comedy at the Grove on Sept. 25

Oak Ridge native Josh Phillips will headline Comedy at the Grove on Friday, September 25.

The show is presented by Danny Whitson. It starts at 8 p.m. September 25, at the Grove Theater at 123 Randolph Road in Oak Ridge.

“Come join us in celebrating Josh Phillips’ birthday!” a press release said. “Enjoy a night full of entertainment by some of the best local comedians.”

The show is for adults 18 years old and up. You must be 18 to purchase tickets and enter. You must be 21 or older to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages which will be offered before and during the show.

Tickets are only $10, organizers said. [Read more…]

AC rolls over Union County 54-7

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Mavericks ran roughshod over the hapless Union County Patriots on Friday, beating them 54-7 as they bounced back from a big loss earlier in the week to Oak Ridge.

Jamie Prosise ran for a score and recovered a fumble for a touchdown for AC. Thomas Roberts ran for a score and Tate Holmes ran for two scores and threw a long scoring pass to Aaron Sharp.

AC improved to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in Region 3-5A with the win.

See other Week 5 scores on the WYSH Radio website.