Oak Ridge Today

Lunch-4-Literacy on Tuesday features Denise Kiernan, raises grant money

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Denise Kiernan

Denise Kiernan, author of “The Girls of Atomic City,” is the featured speaker at the 2014 Lunch-4-Literacy luncheon.

A Tuesday luncheon will feature Denise Kiernan, author of “The Girls of Atomic City,” and it will raise money for literacy grants.

Lunch–4-Literacy has been organized by Altrusa International of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club. It starts at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Oak Ridge High School.

“The purpose of the joint effort is to provide grants to help improve literacy in Oak Ridge and Anderson and Roane counties,” a press release said. “Each year, the grants are awarded to selected recipients. In 2013, $23,532.99 was awarded.”

Tickets are $40 each, and they are available from Altrusa and Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club members or they can be purchased at The Ferrell Shop at Jackson Square and Mr. K’s used book store next to Big Kmart in Oak Ridge. Tickets will also be available at the door. All tickets include a catered lunch. All proceeds from the event go to support local literacy programs, the press release said. [Read more…]

Altrusa to award scholarships for women

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Altrusa International of Oak Ridge is offering scholarships of up to $1,000 to deserving women to support their pursuit of education and/or training. Two of the scholarships honor former Altrusa presidents and civic leaders, Sarah Ketron and Pat Rush.

Altrusans seek to encourage and support women who are striving to complete their education, search for jobs, and become financially independent. The scholarships also target re-entry students who have returned to college or other training after interrupting studies for work or family, or students who are beginning their education after an interruption between high school and college. “One of the key goals for selection is to award scholarships to those who show significant financial need,” said Janet Swift, chair of the Scholarship Committee. [Read more…]

Reminder: Second Oak Ridge school calendar survey this evening

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Christopher J. Marczak

Christopher J. Marczak

Parents of students in the Oak Ridge school system will be called this evening for a second opinion poll on a proposed change to the system’s calendar for academic year 2015-2016.

At 6 p.m. today (Thursday), parents will receive a call through the automated Skyward system asking if they want to convert to a “balanced” calendar for all schools or keep the traditional calendar currently used by all but two of the schools in the system. Teachers and other school staff members will be called at 7 p.m. asking for their preferences.

Option No. 1 will be the balanced schedule, which has nine weeks of instruction beginning the first week of August, with two-week breaks in the fall, winter, and spring, and seven to eight weeks off during the summer. [Read more…]

Andersonville man, 83, reports armed robbery at his home; sheriff searches for suspect

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An 83-year-old Andersonville man was robbed at gunpoint at his home on Andersonville Highway just after noon Wednesday, authorities said.

The suspect walked up to the victim, who was in his garage, displayed a small handgun, and robbed him of cash and his car, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department said. The victim called 911, and several deputies responded.

A description of the victim’s car was broadcast to responding deputies, and about three minutes later, it was spotted a short distance away on Indian Gap Road. The suspect jumped from the car and fled on foot into the woods, the Sheriff’s Department said.

“A search of the area was done, but the suspect was not located,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Six clerks cited for selling beer to minor

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Six clerks in Anderson County were cited to court after businesses in Lake City and Oliver Springs sold beer to a minor during a compliance check in February, authorities said.

The sting was conducted on Feb. 20 and 21 by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, with help from the Lake City Police Department, Oliver Springs Police Department, and Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP.

Investigators with the Sheriff’s Special Operations Unit visited 24 businesses to try to buy beer. Six sold beer to the underage person, the department said in a press release. Two of the six businesses did not check identification showing the person to be under 21, and four checked but sold the beer anyway. One on-premise business served the underage person, but the server realized the age before the sale was completed. [Read more…]

CPD investigates report of stun gun at school

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Information from WYSH Radio

On Monday, the Clinton Police Department investigated a report that a 12-year-old boy was bringing a stun gun to class at Clinton Elementary School.

No stun gun was found, but the student reportedly admitted that he had brought it to class in the past. That student was suspended, and his parents told police they plan to get rid of the stun gun.

The investigation turned up no evidence the device had been used at school, but officers did speak with another student who told them that the stun gun had been used on him at his request because he wanted to see what it felt like.

Pro2Serve appoints new chief financial officer

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Mark Haub

Mark Haub

Professional Project Services Inc., also known as Pro2Serve, has appointed Mark A. Haub as the company’s new chief financial officer, or CFO.

Haub replaces Paul Martin, Pro2Serve’s CFO and treasurer since February 1999. Martin retired this month.

Haub is a certified public accountant who earned his master’s of business administration in marketing, management, and strategy, and finance from the Kellogg School of Management and his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Illinois State University.

He has more than 23 years of experience as a senior financial executive working in higher education, manufacturing, distribution, and retail in domestic and international markets, a press release said. Haub has negotiated terms to secure a multimillion dollar equity capital infusion to fund corporate growth initiatives, led the substantial improvement of product and services bids through implementing market-driven bid processes, played key roles in the development and execution of strategic business plans that substantially improved cash flow and new product gross margins, and provided financial and operational leadership in an entrepreneurial venture resulting in substantial revenue growth, the release said. [Read more…]

ORHS Band Concert at Grove Theater Tuesday night

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Oak Ridge High School Band All-East 2014

The Oak Ridge High School Band will play in a rescheduled concert at 7 p.m. today (Tuesday) at the Historic Grove Theater.

The band includes 29 students who earned chairs through auditions to participate in the annual ETSBOA All East Clinic.

“We had the second largest number of band students from any school to participate in the event and had players on flute, B-flat and bass clarinet, bassoon, alto and baritone sax, trumpet, horn, trombone, baritone, tuba, and percussion,” a press release said. “Directors Spence Milligan and Mike Spirko would like to invite you to come enjoy the combined talents of these students and the entire ORHS Band.”

Season ticket holders should note that the date and venue for this concert was rescheduled from February due to weather; bring your tickets! [Read more…]

Alexander Inn removed from endangered places list

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Alexander Inn Groundbreaking

Local, state, and federal officials join volunteers and nonprofit and business executives for a groundbreaking ceremony at the historic Alexander Inn in November.

Note: This story was updated at 3:37 p.m.

The Alexander Inn, a historic Oak Ridge hotel being converted into an assisted living center, has been removed from an annual list of endangered places in East Tennessee.

The East Tennessee Preservation Alliance announced its 2014 East Tennessee’s Endangered Heritage on Monday in Knoxville. The list includes endangered historic buildings and places in a 16-county region.

The Alexander Inn, also known as the Guest House, had previously been on the list, which includes Magnet Mills in Clinton.

“ETPA was excited to remove the Alexander Inn from the list this year as construction continues in earnest on the new Guest House Alexander Inn Assisted Living Facility,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Farley, candidate for Anderson chancellor, has reception, fundraiser on Thursday

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Michael Farley

Michael Farley

Michael Farley, a candidate for Anderson County chancellor, will have a reception and fundraiser from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 13, at the 205 Main Event venue at 205 S. Main St., across from Fox Chevrolet (the old Ray Viles Ford Building) in Clinton.

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be provided, and everyone is welcome to attend, a press release said. The event is free to all. [Read more…]

Chief engineer for U.S. ITER at ORNL to give project overview on Tuesday

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Brad Nelson

Brad Nelson

The chief engineer for the U.S. ITER Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will give a project overview on Tuesday.

Brad Nelson is the chief engineer for the U.S. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor Project. His Tuesday talk will be the first in a series of three presentations on the U.S. ITER project to Friends of ORNL, with Hans Vogel speaking on April 8 and Graeme Murdoch speaking on May 13.

The New Yorker published a story on ITER in its March 3 edition titled “A Star in a Bottle” by Raffi Khatchadourian.

Nelson’s Tuesday presentation during a Friends of ORNL luncheon lecture starts at noon at the University of Tennessee Resource Center in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Hackworth running for Anderson County mayor

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Jim Hackworth

Jim Hackworth

CLINTON—Former Anderson County Commissioner and Tennessee Rep. Jim Hackworth announced last week that he is a Democratic candidate for Anderson County mayor in the Aug. 7 county general election.

“I am running for county mayor because I am concerned with the lack of focus the current administration has for the issues, such as education, jobs, and quality of life, that are important to Anderson County residents,” Hackworth said in a press release. “Whether serving as a county commissioner or a state representative, I worked with other elected officials to fight for fiscal responsibility, good schools, reduced taxes, and safer neighborhoods and communities.Our management of these issues attracted the attention of businesses and brought new jobs to Anderson County.”

Hackworth is an Anderson County native who worked 34 years at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a project leader and program manager in the Maintenance and Engineering divisions. He retired in 2008.

Hackworth served as a state representative for 10 years and as a county commissioner for eight years. [Read more…]