Oak Ridge Today

Breakfast Rotary welcomes ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia

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Thomas Zacharia (Photo courtesy D. Ray Smith)

Thomas Zacharia (Photo courtesy D. Ray Smith)

 

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The Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club welcomed Thomas Zacharia, director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to its August 9 breakfast meeting. Zacharia became director of ORNL on July 1, 2017, after a long and successful career with ORNL beginning in 1987 as a postdoctoral researcher and culminating in his recent appointment as director.

His professional career at ORNL spans many fields with a special focus in materials research and computational sciences. In his comments to the club, he outlined his long-term expectations for ORNL and its critical role in supporting U.S. Department of Energy missions to advance science and technology in such areas as high-performance computing, advanced materials, nuclear power, and national security.

In addition, Thomas stated he expects ORNL will continue to expand its role in transferring ORNL technologies to industry in the local area and across the nation. ORNL scientific discoveries are expected to continue to help make our economy more competitive in world markets. [Read more…]

USRowing Masters National Championships is in Oak Ridge this week

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The 2017 USRowing Masters National Championships will be held on the Oak Ridge rowing course from August 17-20. (Photo courtesy USRowing)

 

The 2017 USRowing Masters National Championships are in Oak Ridge this week.

The rowing races are scheduled from Thursday, August 17, to Sunday, August 20, on the Oak Ridge rowing course on Melton Hill Lake.

The 2016 regatta had more than 2,000 entries as 165 clubs converged on the waterways of Lake Quinsigamond for the largest USRowing event ever. For Oak Ridge Rowing Association Regatta Director Sarah McAuliffe, it set the bar even higher for this year, and she is looking forward to the challenge, a press release said.

“Oak Ridge Rowing Association is extremely excited to provide an excellent athlete experience for rowers at Masters Nationals 2017,” McAuliffe said. “With our race course recognized as one of the best in the country, and an organization that has decades of experience hosting high-caliber events, rowers will have the ability to connect with other athletes socially and competitively.” [Read more…]

Today: Outback, other restaurants, support ADFAC through Dine & Donate

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A sampling of menu items from Outback Steakhouse. (Submitted photo)

A sampling of menu items from Outback Steakhouse. (Submitted photo)

 

If you have a craving for that Bloomin’ Onion or a juicy steak, Outback Steakhouse may be the place for you.

Outback, located at 402 South Illinois Avenue, will be helping Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, on Monday, August 14 through the Dine & Donate Program.  On the second Monday of each month, Outback and fourteen other restaurants donate a portion of their sales to support ADFAC.

“Dine and Donate is a very important fundraiser for ADFAC,” said Cande Seay, Dine & Donate chair. “It’s good to see families and friends enjoying a delicious meal at a local restaurant while contributing to our organization.” [Read more…]

Man dies after fire at Manhattan Apartments

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A 61-year-old man died after a fire was reported at the Manhattan Apartments on Saturday morning, authorities said.

An alarm sounded in one of the apartments at about 7:50 a.m. Saturday, according to information from the Oak Ridge Fire Department that was provided by City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Sarah Self.

Oak Ridge Police Department officers found heavy smoke inside the apartment when they arrived Saturday morning, and the Oak Ridge Fire Department was dispatched.

Nearby residents were evacuated while firefighters made entry to the apartment and extinguished the fire. A man was found inside, the city said. [Read more…]

Next City Blueprint meeting scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24

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Image by City of Oak Ridge

Image by City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Community Development Department is continuing the Oak Ridge City Blueprint effort with a discussion focused on the Emory Valley, Briarcliff, and Lakeview residential neighborhoods. An open house will be held between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 24, at Jefferson Middle School.

Families living in these subareas are encouraged to attend and provide ideas and suggestions for possible neighborhood improvements, a press release said. There is no formal presentation planned for this event. Those attending can come and go anytime during the open house to meet, ask questions, and share thoughts with city staff and board representatives.

What: Oak Ridge City Blueprint Open House

Emory Valley, Briarcliff, and Lakeview neighborhoods [Read more…]

Former DOE employee sentenced to serve time in federal prison

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A Knoxville man was sentenced Tuesday for his convictions involving wire fraud, false claims, and making a false statement against his former employer, the U.S. Department of Energy, federal authorities said.

Henry M. Love II, 51, will serve seven months in federal prison followed by six months home detention, according to a press release from the office of United States Attorney Nancy Stallard Harr of the Eastern District of Tennessee in Knoxville. Love was also ordered to pay $40,111.95 in restitution to DOE.

After an August 2016 jury trial, Love was convicted of 11 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of false claims, and one count of making a false statement, the press release said. [Read more…]

Rezoning could allow commercial development on former AMSE property

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The 7.44-acre parcel outlined in red above could be rezoned and allow commercial development south of the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue. (Image courtesy State of Tennessee)

The 7.44-acre parcel outlined in red above could be rezoned and allow commercial development south of the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue. The DoubleTree Hotel is at center-left, and the U.S. Post Office is at upper right. (Image courtesy State of Tennessee)

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:45 a.m. Aug. 12.

A rezoning being considered by Oak Ridge municipal officials could allow commercial development on property that is now mostly a grass field south of the American Museum of Science and Energy. The 7.44-acre site could be used by retailers, restaurants, or groceries, or for office space or multi-family developments, according to a zoning change request filed by the owner.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission will consider the rezoning request on Thursday. The request was filed by TN Oak Ridge Illinois LLC of Greenville, South Carolina. That company was set up by RealtyLink, the developer of Main Street Oak Ridge at the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The property includes a grass field along South Illinois Avenue between South Tulane Avenue and Badger Avenue. The northern portion of the property includes part of the AMSE parking lot.

The parcel, appraised at $908,300, is located within the city’s central commercial core, the Oak Ridge city staff said in a review of the rezoning request. There are commercial properties on the opposite side of South Tulane Avenue, including the Main Street Oak Ridge redevelopment, the staff said. There is also commercial development on the other side of South Illinois Avenue. [Read more…]

Library giving out 500 pairs of eclipse glasses on Monday

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Kathy McNeilly, second from right, director of the Oak Ridge Public Library, and library employees presented a pair of solar eclipse glasses to City Manager Mark Watson, center, on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. Also pictured from left to right are Martha Lux, Teresa Fortney, and Elaine Keener. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

Kathy McNeilly, second from right, director of the Oak Ridge Public Library, and library employees presented a pair of solar eclipse glasses to City Manager Mark Watson, center, on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. Also pictured from left to right are Martha Lux, Teresa Fortney, and Elaine Keener. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Public Library will give out 500 pairs of eclipse glasses to library patrons on Monday, August 14. The glasses will be given out while supplies last, the library staff said. A valid library card or photo identification must be shown, and there is a limit of one pair of glasses per library account, the library staff said.

The solar eclipse is August 21. Oak Ridge is one of the few cities in the path of totality in Tennessee. It is estimated that the total solar eclipse in Oak Ridge will last 27 to 31 seconds at approximately 2:33 p.m. EDT August 21.

It’s the first solar eclipse over the continental United States since 1979. [Read more…]

Tree limb temporarily knocks out power to about 900 customers

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A Friday morning power outage caused by a tree limb temporarily knocked out power to about 900 customers, the City of Oak Ridge said.

Oak Ridge Electric Department Director Jack Suggs said electric service was interrupted at about 7:15 a.m. Friday to an area centered on Highland Avenue, including portions of Robertsville Road, West Outer Drive, and adjacent streets. The outage was caused by a tree limb that blew into the line near Robertsville, Suggs said.

The limb was located and removed. The system was inspected, and power was restored by about 8:25 a.m., Suggs said.

Woman charged with homicide in death of motorcyclist

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Noelle Leigh Patty

Noelle Leigh Patty

 

This story was last updated at 12:30 p.m.

An Oak Ridge woman has been charged with homicide in the death of a motorcyclist in a fatal car-motorcycle crash on North Illinois Avenue in January 2016. It’s one of two new felony charges added in the case against Noelle Leigh Patty, 40.

Patty is accused of criminally negligent conduct that resulted in the death of motorcyclist Rufus E. Shephard III, 44, of Oak Ridge, at the western exit of the Westcott Center, the Kroger shopping center, on January 31, 2016.

Patty was indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury on August 1, 2017, and she is facing five criminal charges. Two of the charges are felonies, and three are misdemeanors. The two felony charges, which are both new, are criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment when a deadly weapon is involved. The three misdemeanor charges are failure to obey a traffic control device, failure to provide proof of insurance, and failure to yield the right of way, resulting in death. [Read more…]

ORNL workforce reduction could save $34 million per year, mostly affect those of retirement age

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The Oak Ridge National Laboratory is pictured above. (Photo by ORNL)

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory is pictured above. (Photo by ORNL)

 

The workforce reduction of up to 350 positions at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is expected to decrease personnel costs by about $34 million each year, and the lab expects most of those who apply for voluntary separations from the lab to be of retirement age, a spokesperson said Wednesday.

The workforce reduction, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year, was announced by new ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia in a Tuesday morning email to employees.

“From time to time, sustaining our work effectively and efficiently requires the most difficult of decisions, which is to reduce our staff in certain areas of the lab,” Zacharia said in that email.

The lab hopes to reduce its workforce of 4,800 employees by about 7.3 percent (350 positions) using voluntary separations. Involuntary separations will be used if necessary.

On Wednesday, ORNL spokesperson Morgan McCorkle said the lab plans to reduce about 250 overhead positions and 100 research and development jobs. Overhead jobs are those not directly related to research. The research and development staff who will be eligible for voluntary separations are those who charge more than half of their time to overhead accounts or whose program budgets were reduced in fiscal year 2017, McCorkle said.

A specific breakdown of the affected jobs is not yet available. [Read more…]

Former astronaut to speak during eclipse activities at AMSE on Saturday, Aug. 19

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A former astronaut originally from Jamestown, Tennessee, will share stories and answer questions regarding his experience as a payload specialist aboard a NASA Space Shuttle mission in 1997 as part of solar eclipse-related activities at the American Museum of Science and Energy on Saturday, August 19.

Roger Crouch will be at AMSE at 1 p.m. August 19.

The activities at AMSE that day are in preparation for the total solar eclipse occurring on Monday, August 21. They’re scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Hands-on “Explore Science: Earth & Space” activities will allow visitors to explore the eclipse phenomenon, a press release said. The activities were developed and distributed nationwide by the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net) and used in more than 250 museums during the spring and summer of 2017. [Read more…]