Oak Ridge Today

Sen. McNally part of effort to drug test judges

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Information from WYSH Radio

Tennessee Sen. Randy McNally and Rep. Ryan Haynes will introduce legislation that calls for drug testing all Tennessee judges, the two legislators announced Friday.

McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, made the announcement after meeting Thursday with Knox County Prosecutor Leland Price and the families of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom. Christian and Newsom were raped, tortured, and murdered by Lemaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas, and Vanessa Coleman seven years ago.

“For a family to have to go through one trial where it involves the torturous murder of their loved one is far too painful for anyone to endure,” McNally said. “But, to have to go through two trials is inconceivable and inexcusable. This legislation addresses this so that no one will have to endure this kind of lengthy and excruciatingly painful court process again due to drug abuse by a judge.” [Read more…]

Roane County: Man suffers fatal heart attack behind wheel

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Information from WYSH Radio

A retired police detective died last week on a Roane County roadway when he suffered a heart attack behind the wheel.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol said Richard Phillip Hadorn, 67, had been driving his pickup truck on Winton Chapel Road Thursday afternoon when his truck left the roadway and crashed. State troopers said an autopsy determined that he had suffered a heart attack and was likely dead before the truck came to its final rest.

Hadorn, according to our partners at BBB-TV, had only recently moved here from Florida after retiring from the New York Police Department.

Holiday Bureau needs donated toys

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Holiday Bureau of Anderson County is in desperate need of donated toys. There are more than 700 kids that still need toys.

If you can help, contact the bureau at (865) 483-7831 or on Facebook to get details.

Anderson County rallies in second half without Fox to win 32-27

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Information from Jim Harris/WYSH Radio

CLINTON—Anderson County trailed 21-7 at halftime at home Friday night, but outscored South Doyle 25-6 in the second half, despite being without leading rusher Matt Fox (ankle).

Mavericks quarterback Tyler Hicks picked up the slack, scoring three rushing touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with just over two minutes to play. Hicks finished the second round Class 5A playoff game with 131 yards, including 114 in the second half.

Anderson County (11-1) will host Knox West (11-1) in the state 5A quarterfinal Friday night.

Lecture to focus on whether small reactors can rejuvenate nuclear power

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Kent Williams

Kent Williams

A retired distinguished staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will discuss Thursday evening whether small modular nuclear reactors, such as the one proposed in west Oak Ridge, can rejuvenate nuclear power.

The presentation by Kent Williams starts at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge.

Many people in the nuclear industry say that small modular reactors, or SMRs, are key to a revitalized nuclear industry in the U.S. and overseas because of their projected market, safety, and economic characteristics, a press release said. One SMR plant has been proposed at the former Clinch River Breeder Reactor site in west Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

World-wide polio eradication to be discussed at Lunch with League on Tuesday

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Brenda Thornburgh in India

Brenda Thornburgh, left, president of Galbraith Laboratories Inc. and past President of Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club, marks a child’s left pinkie with a purple marker during a polio eradication mission in India in 2012, indicating that the child has received the immunization. (Submitted photo).

Brenda Thornburgh, president of Galbraith Laboratories Inc. and past President of Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club, will discuss the worldwide effort to eradicate polio during Lunch with the League on Tuesday.

The meeting starts at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Oak Ridge Turnpike.

For most Americans, paralytic polio is a disease of the past, a press release said. However, there has been a worldwide increase in the number of confirmed cases across the world in 2013, primarily in non-endemic countries such as Somalia, Kenya, and the Syrian Arab Republic. [Read more…]

Community Band concert at Grove Theater to feature early 20th century music

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The Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble will present its next concert in the “Music for a Lifetime” series at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 24 at the historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge.

The concert program will feature “Early 20th Century Music” with tunes from the Golden Age, the Roaring ’20s, the ’30s, and from the Big Band era. These will include some blues by W.C. Handy, some Gershwin from “Porgy and Bess,” and big band music: “A String of Pearls,” “Sophisticated Lady,” “Satin Doll,” and “Opus One.” Other songs on the program will be music from the “Grand Canyon Suite,” a John Philip Sousa march, and others. [Read more…]

ORCMA holiday wreaths for sale through Wednesday

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The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association is taking advance orders for holiday wreaths made from fresh evergreens.

A traditional symbol of the holiday season, the wreaths are made of Fraser Fir (Southern Balsam). Proceeds from the sale are used in ORCMA’s longstanding commitment to the funding of local music organizations.

The wreaths are made to order in sizes ranging from 14 inches to 32 inches and can be customized in larger sizes as wanted. Red or maroon velvet bows are also available by order. Prices for wreaths range from $17 to $30, and bows cost $7. [Read more…]

Organizational meeting for winter volleyball leagues on Wednesday

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The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will have an organizational meeting on Wednesday for co-ed teams interested in playing in the winter volleyball leagues. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Club Room at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

League play is scheduled to begin the week of Jan. 6. For more information, contact Paula Zarestky at (865) 425-3440 or refer to the Recreation and Parks Department’s Web page at www.orrecparks.org.

Final milestone in U.S.-Russian partnership converting nuclear warheads into fuel

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Ernest Moniz

Ernest Moniz

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Russia has converted 500 metric tons of highly enriched uranium—the equivalent of 20,000 nuclear warheads—and the resulting low enriched uranium, or LEU, has been delivered to the United States, fabricated into nuclear fuel, and used in nuclear power plants to generate nearly 10 percent of all U.S. electricity for the past 15 years, federal officials said.

That’s roughly half of all commercial nuclear energy produced domestically during that period, a U.S. Department of Energy press release said.

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced the final LEU shipment on Thursday.

The LEU was derived from Russian weapons-origin highly enriched uranium, or HEU, under the 1993 U.S.-Russia HEU Purchase Agreement, commonly known as the Megatons to Megawatts Program, the press release said. [Read more…]

High-activity radioactive materials removed from Mexico, NNSA says

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Nuclear Security Administration announced this week that it has recovered high-activity radioactive materials from an oncology clinic in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

NNSA’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative, or GTRI, and the Mexican National Commission for Nuclear Security and Safeguards, or CNSNS, jointly supported the removal, a press release said. The device containing the source was packaged and securely transported to the U.S. for final disposition.

“This operation is part of NNSA’s broad strategy to strengthen both U.S. and global security by keeping dangerous nuclear and radiological material safe and secure,” said NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Anne Harrington. “This mission is a good example of our long-standing partnership with Mexico to prevent proliferation and secure the materials that can be used by terrorists in an improvised nuclear device or dirty bomb.” [Read more…]

Anderson County Chief Jailer Avery Johnson retires

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Avery Johnson Retirement

Chief Jailer Avery Johnson, center, has retired after working for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department for almost 33 years. Also pictured are Anderson County Sheriff Paul White, right, and Chief Deputy Mark Lucas. (Submitted photo)

Chief Jailer Avery Johnson has retired after working for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department for almost 33 years.

Anderson County Sheriff Paul White announced the retirement this week.

Johnson began his career with the department in February 1981, a press release said. After working in patrol, Johnson was assigned to the jail, and he was promoted to sergeant in charge of the jail operations in March of 1984. As the responsibilities of the jail operations increased, Johnson was promoted through the ranks of lieutenant, captain, and later, chief jailer. [Read more…]