Oak Ridge Today

First Presbyterian offers free meal, groceries on Feb. 11

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First Presbyterian Church will provide a free meal and bag of groceries to food-insecure guests who drive by the church between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 11, a press release said.

The church’s monthly Welcome Table community meal program plans to supply each guest with a hot meal consisting of taco soup, Fritos chips, fresh fruit, and brownies or cookies.

In addition, each family in a car will receive a grocery bag containing two cans of spaghetti sauce with meat, one package of spaghetti noodles, one container of Parmesan cheese, one can of fruit, one can of vegetables, crackers, peanut butter, and two cans of soup. [Read more…]

Williams is new director of Roane State’s Small Business Development Center

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Stephen Williams

By Bob Fowler Roane State staff writer

A local business consultant with vast experience has been named the director of Roane State’s Tennessee Small Business Development Center.

Stephen Williams, well known in the Oak Ridge and Roane State service area, begins his new duties on Monday, February 8, in his office at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

He replaces long-time director Jutta Bangs, who has taken another job.

“I’m really excited about being a part of Roane State and their efforts with workforce development,” Williams said. “I’ll be able to contribute what I’ve learned in more than 35 years in business and owning businesses.”

[Read more…]

Eric Rackard is new Oak Ridge fire marshal

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Eric Rackard

The City of Oak Ridge has named Eric Rackard as its new fire marshal.

Rackard, who has recently served as an Oak Ridge Fire Department battalion chief, takes on the new role following Travis Solomon’s promotion to fire chief last month. Rackard joined the department in November 2007, a press release said.

“I am honored by this promotion and greater opportunity to serve the citizens of Oak Ridge,” Rackard said in the press release.

In the role of battalion chief, Rackard managed daily operation requirements for the Fire Department’s A Shift, including staffing, overtime, training, and logistics. 

“I was also responsible for command and control on all major incidents on A Shift,” Rackard said. “I also lead a lot of trainings, including coordinating state commission training and serving as the hazardous materials team leader.”

[Read more…]

Volunteer to discuss working with immigrants at the border

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Rachel Bohstedt Estes

Rachel Bohstedt Estes will discuss her work with immigrants at the Texas-Mexico border as guest speaker at the Wednesday, February 10, meeting of Altrusa International of Oak Ridge, hosted by the International Relations Committee.

Her topic is “Learning and Listening at the Border.” The meeting will be virtual, hosted on Zoom, beginning at noon, a press release said.

Estes, director of outreach and missions at Canterbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, began volunteering at the border in the summer of 2018, when immigrant children were being separated from their families at the border.

“I began thinking of how we can be the best community for each other,” she said. Estes called a friend and said: “I think we need to go there and make sure they know people with love are around them. Even if we can’t extract them from the horror, we can be present.” [Read more…]

NNSA has virtual job fair, including for Y-12

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The sign at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration has a virtual job fair for its laboratories and production sites on Wednesday, January 27.

The NNSA said it wants to hire about 2,000 new employees in 2021.

The virtual job fair is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday. It will include hiring officials from NNSA and its national laboratories, plants, and sites, a press release said. Those include:

[Read more…]

AC Democratic Women to hear about income inequality Monday

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Millicent Taylor, an adjunct professor at Pellissippi State Community College, will discuss income inequality as the guest speaker at the Monday, January 25, meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club.

Taylor’s topic will be “How Low Interest Rates During the Pandemic Have Worsened US Income Inequality.” The meeting will be hosted on Zoom at 7 p.m.

Taylor has served as an international economist for the Central Intelligence Agency. She received a bachelor of arts degree in economics at Vanderbilt University, and a master’s degree and PhD in economics at the University of Tennessee. [Read more…]

VITA Tax Center opens Feb. 9

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The Oak Ridge Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) is now in its fourth decade of helping community residents to complete and file tax returns.

The 2021 VITA Tax Center will open on Tuesday, February 9, and it is again located at the United Way of Anderson County at 728 Emory Valley Road. The Center will be open from Tuesday through Saturday. The new operating hours are from 1-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. There will be no evening hours.

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Roane State temporarily closes Coffey-McNally Building

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Roane-State-Coffey-McNally-Building
The Roane State Community College campus in Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo by Roane State)

Roane State Community College has temporarily closed the Coffey-McNally Building because of a recent increase in self-reported COVID-19 cases on the Oak Ridge Branch Campus.

The closure of the Coffey-McNally Building is a precautionary measure, Roane State said in a press release. The building closure took effect Wednesday evening.

The reported cases appear to be isolated, and all those affected are observing quarantine, Roane State said. The Coffey-McNally Building will be thoroughly cleaned before its planned reopening on Monday, January 25, the college said. The Goff Building will remain open.

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Police chief to speak to League of Women Voters on Tuesday

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Robin Smith

Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith will speak to the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge on Tuesday.

The meeting will be virtual, conducted online, because of COVID-19. It is scheduled to start at noon Tuesday, January 19.

Smith has served with the Oak Ridge Police Department since 2012. He served as a lieutenant for two years before being promoted to captain and then deputy chief, a press release said. He was appointed ORPD chief in October 2018.

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Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will feature ORHS principal

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Garfield Adams

A celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday morning will feature Garfield Adams, Oak Ridge High School principal.

It’s the 33rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Program, and it’s titled “The Community Speaks.” The theme for this year’s program is “A Change Has Come.”

The program is virtual, and it will be on Zoom Webinar. The program will feature a past first-place winner of the NAACP Essay Contest, a press release said.

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Controlled burns start this week on DOE land

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The U.S. Department of Energy is starting a series of controlled burns of grassland areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation this week.

The controlled burns could continue through mid-April, depending upon weather. The burns will be on the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Three Bend Area off Pump House and Bull Bluff Roads, and other managed grassland areas off Bethel Valley Road and off Highway 58, a press release said.

The controlled burns will take place at:

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Current status of city facilities due to COVID

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Oak Ridge officials continue to ask residents to conduct municipal business over the phone and by phone when possible because of COVID-19.

On Wednesday, the City of Oak Ridge released an update about city facilities as the world continues to be affected by the pandemic.

The city said it is supporting the Tennessee Pledge of the state government. You can refer to State of Tennessee websites for updates and advice on precautions to be taken by particular businesses, a press release said.

City facilities will continue to be operated as below as precautions and security matters are considered for the safety of employees, and social distancing for customers, the press release said. Visitors may receive a temperature scan and be asked about their current health, the press release said. You can call the city manager’s office or department offices on the city’s website for more information.

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