Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge small business wins DOD chemical, biological defense contract

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Omega-Technical-Services-Logo

Omega Consultants Incorporated has been awarded a prime contract by the U.S. Army’s Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense, or JPEO-CBD, under the Department of Defense.

There were 17 companies selected for this Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity, or IDIQ, contract consisting of 10 small business awards and seven large business awards. The contract ceiling is $900 million throughout the period of performance.

Omega was the only Tennessee business selected as a prime contractor for this contract award. Omega is also a subcontractor for the Camber Corporation team that received a large business award. The contract award is for three years, with an option for three additional years. JPEO-CBD is the Joint Services single focal point for research, development, acquisition, fielding, and life-cycle support of chemical and biological defense equipment and medical countermeasures. [Read more…]

Rescheduled: Learn about volunteering in the Manhattan Project National Park on Tuesday

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National-Park-Service-Employees

You can learn more about volunteering for the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a meeting at the Midtown Community Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016. National Park Service employees are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

 

You can learn more about volunteering for the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge, during a meeting at the Midtown Community Center on Tuesday.

The meeting was rescheduled from this past Thursday to this coming Tuesday (January 26) because of snow last week.

The information session on volunteer opportunities will be hosted by the Manhattan Project National Historical Park-Oak Ridge. It’s scheduled from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday at the Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge.

The new park, which also includes Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, was formally established on November 10, 2015, in a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C. The signing ceremony featured U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. [Read more…]

Anderson County Schools closed Monday

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Most main roads are clear, but many secondary and back roads are extremely slick and treacherous in the northern part of Anderson County, officials said. Also, there are icy areas in the unloading zones at the county’s schools.

So, Anderson County Schools will be closed Monday, January 25, officials said.

The Central Office will follow the inclement weather procedure.

Pierce to discuss suffrage, Tennessee Women Suffrage Monument during Monday meeting

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Patricia “Pat” Pierce

Patricia “Pat” Pierce will speak at the Monday, January 25, meeting of the AAUW, Oak Ridge Branch, and she will discuss “suffrage and the effort to erect a Tennessee Women Suffrage Monument at Legislative Plaza in Nashville,” a press release said.

The meeting starts at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the First Presbyterian Church, Room 102, in the activities wing of the church.

Pierce has been deeply involved in the effort to have the memorial approved, the press release said. On December 15, the Tennessee Capitol Commission unanimously approved the request.

A lunch of soup, sandwiches, and cookies at a cost of $8 will be provided by The Soup Kitchen at 11:30 a.m., with the program beginning at noon. Tea and coffee will be available also. Those attending are welcome also to bring a sack lunch.  Reservations are necessary to reserve a space, however. They may be made by calling Mary Uziel at (865) 483-1043 or Marge Congdon at (865) 483-3120. Those wishing to attend were encouraged to call by Thursday, January 21. [Read more…]

Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday morning

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This year’s first Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday morning. It’s scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, January 25,  in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to discuss the legislative outlook for this session of the Tennessee General Assembly and to respond to questions and hear opinions from the audience. The public is encouraged to attend. A free continental breakfast will be served.

The breakfasts are organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. They are held at the same time and place on the fourth Monday of each month. This year, that will be February 22, March 28, and April 25, or as long as the General Assembly is in session. [Read more…]

Man charged with reckless aggravated assault after crash seriously injures two, causes SUV to roll

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Matthew R. Gibson

Matthew R. Gibson

Note: This story was updated at 2:35 p.m. Jan. 25.

A 72-year-old Oak Ridge man has been charged with reckless aggravated assault after he allegedly drove at high speed in a pickup truck on a residential street, ignored a stop sign, and collided with a sport utility vehicle, causing it to roll and seriously injuring two people inside, authorities said.

Matthew R. Gibson, of South Purdue Avenue, was also cited for not having his driver’s license and for a stop sign violation.

His bond on the reckless aggravated assault charge was set at $20,000, and he remained jailed in the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton on Sunday morning.

The two-vehicle crash was reported at about 2:45 p.m. Saturday, January 16, at the intersection of Manhattan and North Purdue avenues in the Woodland neighborhood, behind Food City. [Read more…]

Updated: Missing preschool teacher found, apparent victim of fatal single-vehicle crash

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Melanie-Coley

Melanie Coley

Note: This story was last updated at 3:10 p.m.

The Loudon County woman who was reported missing on Friday and last seen at Bad Daddy’s Burger in Turkey Creek on Thursday has been found, and she is the apparent victim of a fatal single-vehicle crash, authorities said.

Melanie Coley, 29,was found ejected from her wrecked 2014 Dodge Avenger on Saturday morning in the 1400 block of Sugar Limb Road in Loudon County, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said.

She had last been seen around 10:45 p.m. Thursday at Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, located at 11863 Parkside Drive in Farragut. The Primrose School of Farragut had identified Coley as a preschool teacher there.

Tennessee Highway Patrol discovered the crash after coordinating with KCSO Major Crimes detectives to investigate Coley’s travel routes and patterns. The area had previously been checked by public safety personnel, but the vehicle was off the road and not visible to passing traffic, authorities said.

It appears as though Coley was on her way home when the crash occurred, the KCSO said. The Loudon County Coroner’s Office will perform an autopsy.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Mail carrier shaken up, but not injured, when tree falls on delivery truck

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USPS-Mail-Truck-Damage-Jan-22-2016

A mail carrier was shaken up but not injured when a tree fell on her delivery truck in west Oak Ridge on Friday morning, Jan. 22, 2016, officials said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A mail carrier was shaken up but not injured when a large tree fell on her delivery truck in west Oak Ridge on Friday morning, officials said.

The mail carrier was in her vehicle delivering mail on Mohawk Road when the tree fell on it at about 10:10 a.m. Friday, said David Walton, spokesman for the Tennessee district of the United States Postal Service.

The carrier was able to get out of the vehicle, but the tree had to be cut before the truck could be moved, Walton said.

The delivery vehicle was towed back to the Post Office, where the mail was unloaded onto another vehicle. Another carrier then finished the route. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge recreational facilities, library closed Saturday; AC govt. offices close early Friday

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Note: This story was updated at 1:20 p.m.

Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks facilities and the Oak Ridge Public Library will be closed on Saturday, January 23, due to the forecasted winter weather, officials said.

This closure includes the Oak Ridge Civic Center, the Public Library, the Scarboro Community Center, and the Senior Center.

At this time, officials plan to reopen city facilities on Sunday, January 24, at normal operating hours, a press release said.

The Anderson County Courthouse and other county government offices closed early, at 1 p.m. Friday, due to winter weather already moving into Anderson County.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Oak Ridge basketball games rescheduled, canceled

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The Oak Ridge junior varsity and varsity basketball games scheduled for tonight (Friday, January 22) against Powell have been rescheduled for Thursday, January 28.

The freshman and junior varsity, or JV, games against Christian Academy of Knoxville on Saturday, January 23, are canceled.

The calendar for next week is below. All games are at home at Oak Ridge High School. [Read more…]

Only one serious crash in AC during Wednesday snow; part of I-75 closed for 5 hours

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Anderson County Sheriff Patch

There were nine non-injury traffic crashes and one wreck with injuries in Anderson County during the Wednesday snowstorm, authorities said.

The one crash with injury was on Clinton Highway (U.S. Highway 25W) near White Loop Road at about 6:33 p.m. Wednesday. It was the only serious crash during the snow, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said. The Sheriff’s Department responded along with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Anderson County Emergency Medical Services, Anderson County Rescue Squad, and the Claxton Fire Department.

The THP said the road was covered by snow and slush when a 2005 Ford Freestar driven west by Gregory Brantley, 34, of Detroit, slid sideways across the road into the path of an eastbound 2016 Toyota 4Runner driven by Lauren Holder, 28, of Clinton.

The Freestar driven by Brantley hit the front of the 4Runner driver by Holder, the THP said in a preliminary report. [Read more…]

ORNL supports new projects to develop advanced nuclear technologies

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Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory will support two new DOE-funded projects to explore, develop, and demonstrate advanced nuclear reactor technologies.

The projects announced January 15 will allow industry-led teams with participants from universities and national laboratories to further nuclear energy technology, and will enable companies to further develop their advanced reactor designs with potential for demonstration in the mid-2030s. Initially, DOE’s investment will be $6 million for each project and both companies will provide cost-share. The possible multi-year cost-share value for this research is up to $80 million.

A project led by Southern Company Services, a subsidiary of Southern Company, focuses on molten chloride fast reactors, or MCFRs. The effort includes ORNL, TerraPower, the Electric Power Research Institute, and Vanderbilt University. [Read more…]