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ORNL surges forward with 20-kilowatt wireless charging for vehicles

Posted at 12:13 pm April 7, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s 20-kilowatt wireless charging system features 90 percent efficiency. (Photo by ORNL)

By Ron Walli

A 20-kilowatt wireless charging system demonstrated at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has achieved 90 percent efficiency and at three times the rate of the plug-in systems commonly used for electric vehicles today.

This ability can help accelerate the adoption and convenience of electric vehicles. Industry partners from Toyota, Cisco Systems, Evatran, and Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research contributed to the technology development demonstrated today at ORNL.

“We have made tremendous progress from the lab proof-of-concept experiments a few years ago,” said Madhu Chinthavali, ORNL Power Electronics Team lead. “We have set a path forward that started with solid engineering, design, scale-up, and integration into several Toyota vehicles. We now have a technology that is moving closer to being ready for the market.” [Read more…]

Budgeting for a clean future in Oak Ridge

Posted at 11:02 am April 7, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Karen-Thompson-DOE-Cleanup-Budget-Development-March-2016-1

Karen Thompson, OREM’s branch chief for Planning and Baseline Management Branch, spoke to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board at its March 9, 2016, meeting on developing the FY 2018 budget. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board)

By Ashley Huff

Developing a budget for the massive cleanup efforts undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or OREM, requires advanced planning and careful prioritization of the program’s near-term and long-term goals. DOE’s vision for a clean future largely depends upon funding designated for the Oak Ridge site by Congress each fiscal year.

Appropriations for Oak Ridge cleanup comprise only a part of the overall budget for DOE’s EM Program, which includes a number of additional sites also dealing with the lingering inheritances of the Manhattan Project. The Oak Ridge site has traditionally fared well both in the president’s request and in the actual appropriations determined by Congress. OREM experienced a $36 million increase in its enacted budget for Fiscal Year 2014, meaning the site received $36 million above what the president even requested for the Oak Ridge cleanup mission. In FY 2015, the site received $46 million above the president’s request. For the current year, OREM welcomed a generous “plus-up” from Congress. Appropriations for FY 2016 were $102 million above President Obama’s request for the program.

“The additional funding of $102 million above the president’s request for FY 2016 has allowed OREM to accelerate progress on spending priorities already well established,” said Karen Thompson, OREM’s branch chief for Planning and Baseline Management Branch, who spoke to the Oak Ridge Site Specific Advisory Board at its March 9 meeting on developing the FY 2018 budget. [Read more…]

Colburn, an ORHS senior, awarded student-athlete scholarship

Posted at 10:06 am April 7, 2016
By Rhonda Sumner Leave a Comment

Thomas Colburn AF Bridges State Award of Excellence Scholarship 2016

Thomas Colburn was recently awarded the AF Bridges State Award of Excellence scholarship. This $1,000 college scholarship is given annually to a senior student-athlete who best exemplifies the high ideals, ethics, integrity, citizenship and sportsmanship of the TSSAA. (Submitted photo)

Thomas Colburn, a senior at Oak Ridge High School, was recently awarded the AF Bridges State Award of Excellence scholarship.

This $1,000 college scholarship is given annually to a senior student-athlete who best exemplifies the high ideals, ethics, integrity, citizenship and sportsmanship of the TSSAA (Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association).

Colburn is a member of the Oak Ridge Wildcats cross country and track and field teams, and he also was a finalist in an Intel science competition after a two-year project conducted with help from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory mentor.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Education Foundation to award $85,000 in grants at April 13 ceremony

Posted at 9:09 am April 7, 2016
By Jessica Steed Leave a Comment

Jay Searcy

As part of its “Making the Critical Difference” campaign, the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation will award approximately $85,000 in grants to Oak Ridge teachers at a ceremony on Wednesday, April 13.

Jay Searcy, a national award-winning sports writer and Oak Ridge Class of 1952 alumnus, will be the featured speaker at the event sharing his talk entitled, “How to Improve Our Schools Without Knowing How.” The ceremony is open to the public and will be held in the Oak Ridge High School cafeteria beginning at 4 p.m. April 13. Demonstrations and displays of some of the projects and technology funded by the Foundation will be given after the formal ceremony. Light refreshments will be provided courtesy of Oak Ridge Utility District.

The 2016 grant recipients are as follows:

Oak Ridge Preschool—Margaret Johnston
Glenwood Elementary—Amelia Bell, Lauren Blair, and Gwen Harrell
Linden Elementary—Ginger Adams and Lisa Buckner
Willow Brook Elementary—Ashley Branson and Andrew McDonald
Woodland Elementary—Susie Carden, Kim Howard, Michael Martin, and Evan Parker
Jefferson Middle School—Jim Dodson, Emily Haverkamp, Heather Henderlight, Julie McCullough, Lexie Scott, and Brian Smith
Robertsville Middle School—David Goforth, Mariah Kidwell, Mardee Miller, and David Scott
Oak Ridge High School—Christina Henry, Spence Milligan, Vidal Moreno, Deanna Pickel, Sharon Thomas, and Will Waterson

[Read more…]

Youth Showcase, Auction features rising stars in benefit for Child Advocacy Center

Posted at 5:08 pm April 6, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Sydney Buckner will perform at the Third Annual Youth Showcase and Auction on Friday, April 22, 2016, at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

The Third Annual Youth Showcase and Auction on April 22 will feature rising stars—extremely talented performers in their late teens and early 20s—in a benefit for the Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County, a press release said.

The Youth Showcase and Auction is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 22, at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 per child/youth.

“Arrive at 6 p.m. to enjoy delicious treats, socialize, and browse the silent auction items,” the press release said. The performance begins at 6:45 p.m.

Matt Shafer Powell

Matt Shafer Powell of WUOT-FM will be the master of ceremonies.

“Zach Farrar returns as auctioneer, and will get (the) audience bidding on exciting items such as Disney Park Hopper tickets, a Volunteer Princess Sunset Dinner cruise for two, beautiful quilt, etc., during the performance,” the release said. There will also be a raffle.

All proceeds will be used to provide services for children who have been victims or witnesses of child abuse, neglect, or other crimes. The services are provided by the Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. [Read more…]

‘Dine and Donate’ returns April 11

Posted at 4:32 pm April 6, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

In December 2014, ADFAC’s board of directors provided the staff with a holiday Soup Kitchen luncheon. This timeless photo is a great example of the Soup Kitchen being an ideal place to share a meal with your co-workers, friends, and family! (Submitted photo)

On Monday, April 11, six local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC. It’s a Dine and Donate Monday.

“Dine and Donate Mondays are always an easy way to treat loved ones to a special meal that also gives back to the community,” a press release said.

In Oak Ridge, these restaurants are participating on April 11:

Mediterranean Delight
Razzleberry’s
The Soup Kitchen

In Clinton, you can dine at the following participating restaurants on April 11: [Read more…]

Opinion: Making positive strides in elementary literacy

Posted at 11:39 am April 6, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 7 Comments

Keys Fillauer

By Oak Ridge Board of Education

We have been reading a lot lately about the dire straits of reading instruction and students’ abilities in reading, especially at the early grades. Although there are challenges, there is also momentum to make positive impacts on students’ reading proficiencies in all grades.

What is happening with elementary literacy?

Two school years ago, the state changed (for the better) the English Language Arts and math standards to make them more rigorous in order to ensure that Tennessee high school graduates will be better prepared in the future for college and careers. Most public schools welcomed the change because the former standards just weren’t serving Tennessee students well. However, changing standards also meant changing state assessments.

In Oak Ridge, we saw a drop in our elementary reading results on state exams after these changes. The drops in reading results were especially evident with our economically disadvantaged students.

Bob Eby

For us, this was and is unacceptable. We believe that all students can succeed, and we have expanded our literacy initiative as a result. This literacy initiative includes providing additional time and support starting in kindergarten all the way through high school to students who struggle in reading. We have trained reading specialists who provide intensive instruction to struggling students. We have a summer bookmobile program that is expanding to multiple elementary schools in order to help reduce summer reading setback. We have professional development for teachers on improving reading and writing instruction in the classroom, and we have purchased research-based materials to support them. In addition, we have recently been provided an opportunity to work with the Carnegie Foundation and the Tennessee Department of Education to systematically analyze our early literacy efforts in order to improve student outcomes. This work will begin in April 2016 and will last through September 2018.

But what about testing? [Read more…]

ORHS juniors take ACT on Tuesday, April 19

Posted at 12:35 am April 6, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

ACT testing for Oak Ridge High School juniors will be on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

All Oak Ridge High School juniors will take the ACT on Tuesday, April 19.

Oak Ridge Schools’ goal is to improve the college and career readiness of all Oak Ridge students in order to provide them with a better foundation of knowledge and skills, allowing them to be prepared for a more technologically sophisticated and internationally competitive working world, a press release said. In order to reach this goal, the system has The Seven Keys to College and Career Readiness, and the fifth key is for all students to score an ACT composite of 27 or higher.

“Last year, Oak Ridge High School ranked first among east Tennessee districts in composite ACT scores, but there is still work to be done to reach our goal,” a press release said. “Our next opportunity to shine is coming up in April.”

This year, the City of Oak Ridge is partnering with ORHS to provide secure, quiet space at the Oak Ridge Civic Center for testing, the press release said. All members of the Class of 2017 should report to the Civic Center for testing on the morning of April 19 by 7:30 a.m. Testing should conclude by noon. ORHS school lunch will be available for students who wish to return to ORHS after testing. Students who choose to go home immediately after the testing or immediately after lunch will have an excused absence from their afternoon classes. [Read more…]

Updated: Missing 5-year-old girl has been located

Posted at 8:44 pm April 5, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The five-year-old girl reported missing Tuesday evening has been located, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

The ORPD sent out a text alert that the child had been found via its Nixle alert system at 8:50 p.m. Tuesday.

The girl, a white female named Trinity, had last been seen at 162 Talmeda Road at about 8 p.m. Tuesday, the ORPD had said earlier.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Public Notice: City of Oak Ridge Emergency Solutions Grant Subrecipient Application Package

Posted at 6:01 pm April 5, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

CITY OF OAK RIDGE

EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT (ESG)

SUBRECIPIENT APPLICATION

PACKAGE PY2016-FY2017

(JULY 1, 2016 – JUNE 30, 2017)

The City of Oak Ridge’s Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds must be used to accomplish the following Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) objectives:

To help improve the quality of emergency shelters for homelessness;
To help meet the costs of operating and maintaining emergency shelters;
To provide essential services so that homeless individuals have access to the assistance they need to improve their situation;
To provide street outreach services to the homeless; and
To provide emergency intervention assistance and rapid re-housing services to prevent homelessness and to obtain permanent housing.

The application seeks to aid interested, public (social) service sub-recipients whose goals align with local priorities and also demonstrate the ability to meet the following requirements as outlined in the grant application. The total amount awarded to any applicant shall not exceed $46,697.24: [Read more…]

Anderson County Chamber announces student initiative in advanced manufacturing

Posted at 5:51 pm April 5, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce and Anderson County Schools have partnered on a pilot program that is designed to raise student awareness of job opportunities in advanced manufacturing.

The partnership was announced by Anderson County Chamber of Commerce President Rick Meredith.

“Dream It. Do It. Tennessee is a competition that brings middle school students together with area industries to create videos that tell the stories of those industries,” Meredith said in a press release. “When they’re done, you can view the videos online and vote for your favorites.”

The program, “Dream It. Do it. Tennessee” was co-founded by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services, the press release said. It’s the result of an ongoing need to fill the hundreds of job vacancies that go unfilled each year in advanced manufacturing, and to encourage a new generation of young people into the exciting and lucrative world of manufacturing in Tennessee. [Read more…]

Poll: Which project are you most excited about? Which might be best for Oak Ridge?

Posted at 1:22 pm April 5, 2016
By John Huotari 2 Comments

There are a number of projects proposed or under development in Oak Ridge. Some involve the city or schools or both, while others involve the federal government or are primarily free-market deals.

We are curious about which project you are most excited about, and which you think might be best for Oak Ridge. We also wonder if you object to any of them. So, we built four polls.

In the polls, we included nine projects that have received widespread attention during the past few years. There are others we could add, but we started with these nine. Please feel free to let us know if you think we missed any other significant projects.

Note: At the suggestion of a reader, we added a “none of the above” option to this last poll question after voting had already been under way for about 18 hours. Please keep that in mind when viewing the results.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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