Oak Ridge Today

Three displaced, no injuries in house fire

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Three adults were displaced, but no one was injured in a house fire on Jonathan Place this past weekend, firefighters said.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department was called to a structure fire on the 200 block of Jonathan Place around 9:22 p.m. Friday. Crews arrived at 9:26 p.m. and found smoke coming from the residence. The fire was under control by 9:32 p.m., a press release said.

An initial investigation showed that cause of the fire was determined to be an improperly extinguished cigarette, the press release said.

ORFD, Oak Ridge Police Department, Anderson County EMS, and American Red Cross responded to the scene.

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Shay West promoted to ORFD B Shift captain

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Shay West

Oak Ridge Firefighter Shay West has been promoted to Station 1 B Shift captain.

West began his career with the Oak Ridge Fire Department as a firefighter/engineer in January 2014, a press release said.

He takes over for Ray Burney, who was promoted to battalion chief earlier this year.

“I’d like to thank my former battalion chief, now fire marshal, Eric Rackard for all of his guidance over the past few years,” West said in the press release.

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge Community Band plans for live July 4 concert

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The Oak Ridge Community Band performs on July 4, 2019. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Community Band plans to return to a traditional live, in-person concert schedule beginning with its annual July 4 concert this summer.

The Independence Day concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. July 4, before the City of Oak Ridge fireworks display. The band will perform at A.K. Bissell Park behind the Oak Ridge Civic Center at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

“Like other area musical organizations, the Community Band was unable to perform in-person concerts this past year due to the pandemic,” a press release said. “However, band members are now looking forward to entertaining the public on July 4, which is special for the band as this date marks the 77th anniversary of the band’s very first concert on July 4, 1944.” [Read more…]

Ernestine Avery, one of 85 students to integrate Oak Ridge Schools, to speak this evening

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Ernestine Avery

A presentation in Oak Ridge this evening will feature Ernestine Avery, one of the 85 African American students who integrated Oak Ridge Schools in 1955, a press release said.

Avery was one of the 85 students who had attended Scarboro schools before integrating Oak Ridge Schools in 1955.

The presentation will begin on Zoom at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 27. This will be during the monthly general meeting of the Oak Ridge-Anderson County NAACP Branch, the press release said.

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THDA grant will help with down payment assistance in Oak Ridge

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Pictured above in front row are, left to right, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, Oak Ridge Housing Authority Commissioner Tom Beehan, Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, state Rep. John Ragan, ORHA Executive Director Maria Catron, and Tennessee Housing Development Agency Industry and Government Affairs Liaison Katie Moore; and back row, left to right, ORHA Commissioner Jim Palmer, ORHA Board Chair Jean Lantrip, and ORHA Board Secretary Sharon Crane. (Photo courtesy THDA)

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency has awarded a $106,000 HOME Program grant to the Oak Ridge Housing Authority that will be used to help low-income families purchase a new home.

The Oak Ridge Housing Authority will use the funding to provide assistance up to $14,999 to cover down payment and closing costs for eligible first-time home buyers living in the city limits, a press release said.

“A down payment is often the biggest hurdle to overcome for working families wanting to buy a home,” THDA Executive Director Ralph M. Perrey said. “These funds will allow first-time home buyers who would otherwise be able to afford a mortgage payment to overcome that obstacle.”

ORHA Executive Director Maria Catron said the grant will be used to help low-to-moderate income families, with the exact amount awarded based on the gap needed to cover the buyer’s down payment and closing costs.

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Demolition work at ORNL radioisotope lab could be complete this spring

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A view of the demolition of a hot cell inside a protective cover at the former Radioisotope Development Lab at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (Photo courtesy UCOR)

Demolition work at a former radioisotope laboratory in Oak Ridge could be complete this spring.

The U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and UCOR announced earlier this year that UCOR, a contractor, had begun removing the two remaining structures at the former Radioisotope Development Lab at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“This project launches our next phase of major demolition and cleanup at ORNL,” said Nathan Felosi, OREM’s portfolio federal project director for ORNL. “Our work is eliminating contaminated structures, like this one, that are on DOE’s list of high-risk facilities and clearing space for future research missions.”

Known as “hot cells,” the structures being demolished are heavily shielded concrete rooms that provided researchers protection from highly radioactive material during the years the laboratory was operational, a press release said.

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Final Breakfast with the Legislators of the year is Monday

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The final Breakfast with the Legislators of this year is on Monday. The meeting will be virtual, meaning you can access it online.

The meeting is scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, April 26. It is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.

Tennessee senators Randy McNally and Ken Yager and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to share an update about the current session of the Tennessee General Assembly, a press release said.

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National Park Service asks for public comments about Manhattan Project Park

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An undated aerial photo posted online by the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management shows the former K-25 Building, once the world’s largest building, in west Oak Ridge. The building has been demolished, but its history is being preserved, including at the new K-25 History Center.

The National Park Service is asking for public comments about the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The comments are being sought as the Park Service prepares an interpretive plan for park programming, exhibits, and media, a press release said. The goal is to capture many different experiences and perspectives.

Discussions with the public are being organized by theme and region. The discussions focused on regions concentrate on the areas around the three Manhattan Project park locations: Hanford, Washington; Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Because of COVID-19, all events will be held virtually (online), the press release said.

The public meetings are Tuesday to Thursday this week. Here is the schedule:

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DEA Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday

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The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday.

As part of the event, ASAP of Anderson is partnering with police departments in Anderson County to provide the community a “safe and convenient option to properly dispose of their medicines,” a press release said. “These events help avoid accidental diversion as well as environmental concerns that some home disposal methods can cause.”

The press release said opioid overdose deaths have increased during the pandemic.

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Register online now for ORICL summer courses

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Bill Capshaw, master potter and Oak Ridge resident, regularly teaches pottery to ORICL members who attend his classes at the Oak Ridge Art Center. (Submitted photo)

Looking for mental stimulation? Want to learn a new skill or increase your knowledge of history and science?

Online registration for in-person and online courses offered in the summer of 2021 by the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning (ORICL) will open on April 20. The classes will be given between June 7 and July 30.

You can see the courses in the online Summer 2021 Catalog and register online by visiting the ORICL website at www.roanestate.edu/oricl. If you want to receive a paper catalog, call the ORICL office at (865) 481-8222 between 9 a.m. and 12 noon Monday through Thursday. You can also register by filling out a paper form inside the catalog and mailing it to the ORICL office, Room F-111, Roane State Community College, 701 Briarcliff Ave., Oak Ridge, TN 37830. [Read more…]

Roane State to host COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Oak Ridge for students & employees

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Roane State Community College, in partnership with the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge, is planning a two-part vaccination clinic at its Oak Ridge Branch Campus for Roane State students and employees, a press release said.

The first clinic is scheduled for Wednesday, April 28, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Eastern time, and it will provide the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to participants. Appointments are available for students and college employees by visiting roanestate.edu/vaccine. R numbers will be required to sign up, the press release said. Students and employees from any campus location are eligible.

The clinics will be held in a drive-through format. Participants should follow signs posted on campus, and they can stay inside their vehicles the entire time. A short waiting period after receiving the shot will be required for safety. Vehicles will park in a designated area during this time.

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ORAU will support COVID-19 communications for CDC Office of Minority Health & Health Equity

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

ORAU was recently awarded a contract by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) to provide technical communications support to the office and three COVID-19 award recipients.

ORAU will advise the development of awardee health communication plans and materials targeting limited English proficiency audiences, such as Hispanic or Asian/Pacific Islander populations, as well as help increase the communications capacity of OMHHE to respond to COVID-19 in these and other high-risk communities, a press release said. [Read more…]