Oak Ridge Today

Can a robot have a mind? Learn more Tuesday

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On Tuesday, October 13, Friends of ORNL will have a lunch meeting and an interesting program. This month, Bruce MacLennan of the University of Tennessee Electrical and Computer Science Department in Knoxville will speak on the topic “Can a Robot Have a Mind?”

This meeting is open to the public.

The meeting location in Oak Ridge will be at the UT Resource Center (the white-colored building at 1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike (State Highway 95) between Taco Bell and Applebee’s at the intersection of the Turnpike and Rutgers Avenue. Use the canopy entrance at the southwest (back) corner of the building.

The lunch begins at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation is at noon.

Learn how music therapy can help treat mental illness, health on Oct. 17

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Erica Buchhammer Music Therapy

Erica Buchhammer, music therapist (Submitted photo)

“Music Therapy and Mental Health” is the topic for the Mental Health Ministry program to be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, October 17, at Grace Lutheran Church.

The presenter, certified music therapist Erica Buchhammer, will discuss and demonstrate with numerous musical instruments how music may be used in the treatment of individuals challenged by mental illness or other health issues.

In her synopsis about the presentation, Buchhammer describes music therapy as “a psychotherapeutic method that uses musical interaction as a means of communication and expression, with the goal of developing relationships and addressing issues where words alone may not suffice.”

A part of the presentation will be interactive, demonstrating the various categories of music activities used in the therapy from listening and responding to playing and composing to movement, recreation and relaxation, or combined with other expressive arts. [Read more…]

Dale Carnegie Leadership Essential Workshop Series starts October 15

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has once again teamed up with Dale Carnegie of Tennessee to offer a six-workshop series on Leadership Essentials. A discount is available for members of the Chamber and for those who register for all six sessions.

The first session will be held on October 15 from 8-10 a.m. at the Chamber, located at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Session one is entitled “Present With Impact.” Effective presentation begins with establishing the objectives of the message and narrowing down to the key points a presenter wants to leave with listeners, a press release said. It is also important to open with impact to create a positive first impression and close with power to leave a lasting final image. Good facilitators use a variety of evidence to support their key points and link the message together to communicate with logic and precision.

Cost for members of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is $30 per session or $150 for all six. Cost for non-members is $50 per session or $250 for all six. If one person from an organization isn’t available to attend all six, another person from that organization may attend instead for no additional fee. [Read more…]

ORAU’s Phil Andrews named CFO of Year by Greater Knoxville Business Journal

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Phil Andrews

Phil Andrews

The Greater Knoxville Business Journal named ORAU Vice President and CFO Phil Andrews as 2015 CFO of the Year in its nonprofit/government category.

According to the Greater Knoxville Business Journal website, this designation, presented by the Knoxville Chapter of the Financial Executives International, recognizes chief financial officers from companies in the Greater Knoxville area who have made significant contributions to company growth, leadership and community involvement.

Since joining ORAU in 2007 as vice president of business operations and CFO, Andrews has managed the financial aspects of the organization’s dramatic revenue growth from $230 million in 2007 to nearly $360 million in 2014, representing unprecedented company growth of almost 60 percent, a press release said. The revenue projection for 2015 is $400 million, which will be ORAU’s best year ever. [Read more…]

Retired DOE contractor employees, spouses have annual meeting Oct. 19

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The Coalition of Oak Ridge Retirees, or CORRE, will have its annual meeting on Monday, October 19.

CORRE is an organization of retirees that works to improve the welfare of more than 12,000 former employees and surviving spouses of the various managing contractors of U.S. Department of Energy facilities in Oak Ridge, a press release said.

The October 19 meeting starts at 2 p.m. at the Heritage Fellowship Church at 121 North Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. Parking is available at the Heritage Fellowship Church.

“All retirees, their spouses, and surviving spouses are urged to attend and are encouraged to bring other retirees,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Fall Festival at Boys, Girls Club features games, costume contests, candy, Haunted Forest

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2015 Enchanted Forest Flyer

The Fall Festival at the Boys and Girls Club of Oak Ridge on Friday will feature games, costume contests, candy, and a Haunted Forest. The community is invited.

The annual festival will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 16, at the club, which is at 102 South Jefferson Circle in Oak Ridge.

Attendees can expect a fun and spooky evening,” a press release said.

Admission is $3.00 per child. Concessions will be available.

The Boys and Girls Club of Oak Ridge, a unit of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the youth of Oak Ridge and surrounding communities.

For more information, call Sara Baker, Unit Director, at (865) 482-4433.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AC wins district volleyball championship, OR is runner-up; both advance to region

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Anderson County Lady Mavericks District 3-AAA Volleyball Champions 2015

The Anderson County Lady Mavericks, pictured above, won the 2015 District 3-AAA volleyball championship, beating Oak Ridge 3-1 at Halls on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015. Both teams advance to the Region 2 tournament that starts Tuesday at ACHS. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:35 p.m.

HALLS—The Anderson County Lady Mavericks won the District 3-AAA volleyball championship on Wednesday, beating Oak Ridge 3-1. Both teams advance to the Region 2-AAA tournament that starts Tuesday at Anderson County High School.

The Lady Wildcats, who finished as District 3-AAA runner-up, won their semifinal games 3-1 over Halls earlier Wednesday, while the Lady Mavericks swept Gibbs 3-0.

Anderson County’s one loss to Oak Ridge in the final round on Wednesday was the first district loss for the Lady Mavericks this season. They won the first two games 25-18 and 25-8, but then lost the third one 26-28.

The girls fell into a lull in the third game, but erased that from their minds and started over in the fourth match, Lady Mavericks Coach Jayme Smith said. They won the fourth game 25-11. Winning teams had to win three of the five potential games. [Read more…]

Dragons hang tough, but CAK pulls away 42-21

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Clinton Dragons Football Logo

Information from WYSH Radio

The Clinton Dragons kept it close for a half at second-ranked CAK, trailing 14-7 at halftime on Thursday, but the Warriors pulled away with 21 third-quarter points on their way to a 42-21 win.

Cole Smith threw three touchdowns for the Warriors and ran for two more scores as CAK improved to 8-0.

Clinton’s J’Quan Thomas returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and caught 12 passes for 135 yards, including a 50-yard scoring catch and run in the fourth quarter. [Read more…]

Football stats: Oak Ridge and McMinn County

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Wildcats Tee Higgins and McMinn County Zane Byas on Oct. 8, 2015

Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) stretches to catch a deep ball from quarterback Jordan Dunbar, but the pass fell incomplete just off his fingertips. Higgins is covered here by junior Zane Byas of McMinn County (7). (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Senior running back T.J. Allison scored two more touchdowns for Oak Ridge, and the Wildcats had their second shutout of the season in a 24-0 win over McMinn County at home on Thursday. Here are preliminary stats by Mark Haste.

Oak Ridge junior receiver Tee Higgins, who did not score a touchdown last week for the first time this season, added another to his total on Thursday. With Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis watching from the sidelines, Higgins also had a long punt return that set up a touchdown and an interception on a long throw by McMinn County sophomore quarterback Bradley Hayes.

Senior running back D.J. Kimpson generated almost all of the offense for the Cherokees. He ran for 159 yards on 38 carries. That was more than three-quarters of the Cherokees’ total offense of 203 yards. Kimpson gained 109 yards in the first half alone. Hayes only threw the ball six times, and he had two completions and two interceptions.

See a story on the game here.

See Julio Culiat photos of the game here.

TEAM STATISTICS

Oak Ridge

McMinn County

FIRST DOWNS

18

 Total 11

13

 By rushing 8

5

 By passing 2

0

 By penalty 0
RUSHING

38

 Attempts 46

208

 Yards gained 189

3

 Yards lost 28

205

 Net yards 161
PASSING

9

 Completions 2

15

 Attempts 6

60.00%

 Percentage 33.33%

1

 Intercepted 2

122

 Net yards 42
TOTAL OFFENSE

327

 Net yards 203
PUNTS

1

 Attempts 5

39

 Average 27.4
RETURN YARDS

50

 Punt returns 0

15

 Kickoff returns 0

0

 Interception returns 7
FUMBLES

1

 Total 0

1

 Fumbles lost 0
PENALTIES

1

 Total 5

10

 Yards lost 40

[Read more…]

OS Bobcats repeat as region champions with 18-12 win over Spring City

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Oliver Springs 2015 Middle School Football Eighth-graders

The Oliver Springs Bobcats 2015 middle school football eighth-graders are pictured above. (Photo courtesy BBB-TV)

 

Information courtesy BBB-TV

The Oliver Springs Bobcats middle school team repeated as region champions with an 18-12 victory over Spring City on Thursday night.

Here is more information from BBB-TV:

Oliver Springs redeemed their earlier loss on the season to Spring City on Thursday night in the Regional Championship game in Spring City by defeating the Bulldogs 18-12.

Lane Lee scored two touchdowns and threw for another to Jackson Baker for the Bobcats (7-2).

This was back-to-back championships for the Bobcats as they beat Spring City last year at Oliver Springs in their undefeated season. [Read more…]

Free ‘Sparky and Rhonda Rucker’ concert, Oak Ridge climate prayer vigil Sunday

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Oak Ridge Climate Prayer Vigil 2015

A first-of-its-kind climate prayer vigil in Oak Ridge on Sunday will feature a free concert and faith leaders, scientists, and citizens concerned about climate change, a press release said.

The concert at Melton Lake Park will feature Sparky and Rhonda Rucker of Maryville. Others participating in Sunday’s vigil and concert are Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light, or TIPL; Citizens Climate Coalition, or CCC; and prominent Tennessee climate organizers, faith leaders, lawmakers, environmental and municipal organizations, and concerned citizens, the press release said.

It’s the first Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light​ Climate Prayer Vigil in Oak Ridge. Sunday’s event will include statements on the urgency of climate action, music, candles, prayers by three faith leaders, a silent meditation, and a benediction.

Then, hosted by the Citizens Climate Coalition, climate organizations, scientists, and others will offer opportunities for effective action, the press release said. [Read more…]

Community Band concert on Sunday features music for adults, children

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Oak Ridge Community Band Spring Concert April 19, 2015

The Oak Ridge Community Band is directed by Dale Pendley in concert in April 2015 at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center. (Submitted photo)

 

A concert by the Oak Ridge Community Band on Sunday will feature music for adults and children.

It’s the start of the new 2015-2016 series of indoor concerts, and it will open with the Children’s Concert scheduled for Sunday afternoon, October 11. The performance will begin at 3:30 p.m at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

Along with the new season will come some new changes, a press release said. Tickets at the door will be only $5 per person for all adults over 18, and children through age 18 will be free.

In addition, the public will have the opportunity at the October 11 concert to purchase season member cards allowing admission to concerts held in October, November, January, February, and April for only $15 per person, which is a savings of the cost of tickets to two out of the five concerts listed above. [Read more…]