Oak Ridge Today

Roane State alumnus shared experiences with environmental health technology students

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UCOR Radiological Protection Manager Rodney Bauman, left, and Roane State graduate Brad Ross, the UCOR field radiological project manager, recently spoke to the college’s Environmental Health Technology class. (Submitted photo)

A Roane State Community College graduate returned to his alma mater and spoke to students in associate professor Dan Hyder’s Safety and Emergency Response class.

UCOR field radiological protection manager Brad Ross was joined by the contractor’s radiological protection manager, Rodney Bauman, for the talk at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus.

“They spoke to my class about the field of health physics,” Hyder said. “They discussed the risks associated with radiation, the different types of careers and working environments, the history of the field, the positives of working in health physics, and how to prepare for a career and obtain employment.”

Ross is a graduate of Roane State’s environmental health technology program, and he has worked more than 25 years in health physics in Oak Ridge, Hyder said. [Read more…]

Watch ‘Aquaman’ at outdoor pool Saturday night

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The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road will show the 2018 movie “Aquaman” on Saturday night, June 15, 2019. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool will show the 2018 movie “Aquaman” on Saturday night, June 15.

“Aquaman” (rated PG-13) will be shown poolside on an inflatable screen during the “Flick N Float” movie night, a press release said.

Gates will open at 8:30 p.m. with the movie scheduled to start at approximately 9 p.m., the press release said. Attendees can watch the movie while floating in the water (shallow end only) or sitting in the grassy area.

[Read more…]

Western Carolina standout named assistant women’s basketball coach at Roane State

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Angel Allen

Angel Allen, a recent Western Carolina University graduate and four-year player for the Catamounts, has been named assistant women’s basketball coach at Roane State Community College.

Allen joins the staff of first-year coach Jason Taylor, a Roane State alumnus who took over the program in May.

Allen, from Murfreesboro, attended Blackman High School and was a two-time girls’ AAA state champion (2014 and 2015) and a one-time ESPN, Maxpreps, and USA Today national champion (2014). [Read more…]

Small businesses, business leaders honored

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Lisa Copeland, CNS Y-12 small business program manager, presents the CNS Small Business of the Year award to Diana Tremaine and Darrin Lawrence of ARS Aleut Remediation. (Submitted photo)

Consolidated Nuclear Security, UT-Battelle, and the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce recently honored local business leaders and outstanding small businesses. The three entities annually sponsor a Celebrate Oak Ridge Business breakfast in May.

ARS International LLC was awarded the Small Business of the Year designation by Consolidated Nuclear Security. ARS is an Alaskan native corporation, small disadvantaged business, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Aleut Corporation, a press release said. ARS has provided services to the U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and commercial industries in the form of hazardous material remediation, laboratory analysis, and construction/demolition services, a press release said.

UT-Battelle named Kelsan as its Small Business of the Year. Kelsan provides its customers with the region’s largest selection of sanitary maintenance-related products and consistently ranks as the southeast’s leading “Jan-San” distributor, the press release said. [Read more…]

Roane State’s Stephens honored for her work

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DeAnna Stephens

Roane State Community College assistant professor of English DeAnna Stephens earned two honors this spring.

Stephens won the poetry competition at the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival.

She also received first place in the fiction category at the Tennessee Mountain Writers Conference Awards Banquet.

Stephens said she was very excited when informed in mid-March that she was a finalist in the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival. Before she won, Stephens said she hadn’t planned to attend the event.

Things changed, especially since the recognition included a $1,000 prize, a free pass to the festival, and the opportunity to read her poems to an appreciative audience, a press release said. [Read more…]

Ninth graduating class of Youth Leadership Oak Ridge

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The 2018-2019 Youth Leadership Oak Ridge Class recently celebrated with a graduation ceremony. Youth Leadership Oak Ridge is a program of the Center for Leadership and Community Development, an affiliated organization of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. (Submitted photo)

Youth Leadership Oak Ridge, a program of the Center for Leadership and Community Development, an organization affiliated with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, recently had a graduation ceremony for its 2018/2019 class. The celebration was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton. Gene Patterson of Consolidated Nuclear Security offered the keynote speech, a press release said.

Youth Leadership Oak Ridge was started as the community project of the 2009 Leadership Oak Ridge class. Patterned after the adult program, but revised to reflect the interests of high school students, the program has just completed its ninth year, the press release said.

The class met most Wednesdays after school during the school year and covered topics related to personal skills development, entrepreneurship, government, and quality of life, the press release said. Each area of focus provided for interactive activities as well as advice and guidance from experts in those areas. [Read more…]

ORISE beryllium lab recertified by College of American Pathologists for 6th consecutive time in 10 years

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Lab increases capacity to meet more demand

The College of American Pathologists, or CAP, has accredited the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Energy beryllium laboratory in Oak Ridge for the sixth time since the laboratory’s first accreditation in 2009.

The laboratory is one of only three labs nationwide that performs the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test. This test determines if a patient has developed a sensitization to beryllium, which could evolve into chronic beryllium disease. Exposure to the lightweight metal is often encountered by inhaling beryllium dust particulates in an industrial workplace setting.

The biannual CAP accreditation process requires an onsite inspection of all procedures and processes as well as the laboratory’s records, a press release said. During this process, inspectors thoroughly examine staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and its records, and overall management. They follow lab personnel through each stage, from unpacking the blood specimens through the processing of these samples to the final analysis to determine if any of the samples show a sensitization to beryllium, the press release said. [Read more…]

‘Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge’ activity book for sale with proceeds benefitting ADFAC

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Left to right, ADFAC Committee member Ray Smith is joined by Barbara Ferrell, The Ferrell Shop; Denise Parten, Southern Bliss; Annie Cacheiro, ADFAC executive director; Becky Hook, ADFAC school supply coordinator and activity book chair; and Jim Dodson, ADFAC board of directors and committee member. (Photo courtesy ADFAC)

Looking for a great summer activity for your family or perhaps visiting relatives? ADFAC (Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties) has the answer, a press release said.

“The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” is an activity book designed to present the history of Oak Ridge through pictures and activities for children ages 5-13, the press release said. Art work, poems, puzzles, and short stories created by students from Oak Ridge schools were submitted for publication. Area adult artists and photographers also donated their services to benefit ADFAC.

Developed in conjunction with ADFAC’s 30th anniversary and Oak Ridge’s 75th anniversary, “The Secret is Out: Discover Oak Ridge” gives a pictorial history of the city and includes organizations of interest to children. Graphic designer Ariana Rector created the cover, which highlights Oak Ridge’s historically significant accomplishments in a timeline from black and white to color, the press release said. She is also credited with illustrating many of the coloring pages and compiling the submitted works. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Police Department earns accreditation from TLEA

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The Oak Ridge Police Department has been accredited by the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. ORPD was awarded this achievement during the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police meeting held in Franklin, Tenn., on May 29, 2019. Pictured above are Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith, left, and Lt. John Kelly, who led the accreditation effort. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Police Department has been accredited by the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. ORPD was awarded this achievement during the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police meeting held in Franklin, Tennessee, on May 29, a press release said.

To achieve accreditation with TLEA, an agency voluntarily submits to a three-year process of enhancing the agency’s professionalism and effectiveness using 160 law enforcement standards and participating in a thorough on-site assessment, the press release said.

The standards evaluate an agency’s policies that address a variety of areas including organizational, operational, and budget management practices, the release said.

“The program is intended to encourage cooperation, recognize professional standing, develop professional services, and ensure public safety throughout the State of Tennessee,” the press release said. “The TLEA program is a valuable and cost-effective way to enhance overall agency effectiveness and professionalism.”

[Read more…]

Fireworks are July 4 in A.K. Bissell Park

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Oak Ridge fireworks are July 4 in Alvin K. Bissell Park. The Independence Day fireworks show is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, and it is expected to begin after dark at approximately 9:45 p.m. July 4, 2019. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge fireworks are July 4 in Alvin K. Bissell Park. The Independence Day fireworks show is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, and it is expected to begin after dark at approximately 9:45 p.m. July 4.

The Oak Ridge Community Band, now in its 75th year, will perform prior to the fireworks. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses, a press release said. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m. WMYL 96.7 Merle FM will be live following the band performance and will broadcast the soundtrack for the fireworks display, the press release said.

“Anyone planning to attend is advised to bring a lawn chair or blanket for outdoor seating,” the release said. “A safety zone will be established by the Oak Ridge Fire Department. Please sit only in the designated areas.”

[Read more…]

Lavender Festival features herbs, crafts, food, music Saturday

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2017 Lavender Festival (Image Credit: Shawn Millsaps)

Tennessee’s only Lavender Festival returns for its 21st year in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge on Saturday, June 15. The festival is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Celebrating all things herbal, crafts, local foods, and more, the Lavender Festival is free to customers, and last year attracted an estimated crowd of 11,000,” a press release said. “In addition to free admission, Lavender Festival also offers plenty of free parking in city and business lots surrounding Jackson Square.”

The festival is full of tradition and fun, and it always features something new, the press release said. For example, a traditional bagpipe player will open the festival at 8 a.m., playing from upper Blankenship Field into Jackson Square. Also keeping with tradition, Alan McBride will follow with the hammered dulcimer in the bandstand, the release said. A complete music schedule is included below.

The highlight of Lavender Festival will be the group of 150 artisan, herb, and floral vendors that will line the covered walkways of Jackson Square, the parking lot, and both sides of Broadway Avenue, which will be closed to traffic.

[Read more…]

ORAU awards 36 research grants to junior faculty at member universities

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Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

ORAU has awarded competitive research grants totaling $180,000 to 36 junior faculty from its member institutions. The annual grants are made through the company’s Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards program that provides funds to enrich the research and professional growth of young faculty, a press release said.

The recipients, each of whom is in the first two years of a tenure track position, will receive $5,000 in seed money for the 2019-2020 academic year to enhance their research during the early stages of their careers. Each recipient’s institution matches the ORAU award with an additional $5,000, making the total prize worth $10,000 for each winner, the press release said. Winners may use the grants to purchase equipment, continue research, or travel to professional meetings and conferences.

Since the program’s inception, ORAU has awarded 734 grants totaling more than $3.4 million. Including the matching funds from member institutions, ORAU has facilitated grants worth more than $6.9 million, the press release said. [Read more…]