Oak Ridge Today

ETEC honors Hot Bagel owners with ‘Muddy Bagel’ Award

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Donna and Tom Sullivan, owners of Hot Bagel Company, were celebrated Friday morning, May 29, 2020, with a Muddy Bagel Award from the East Tennessee Economic Council for their community service for more than 25 years. At left is ETEC President Jim Campbell. (Submitted photo)

Donna and Tom Sullivan, owners of Hot Bagel Company, were celebrated Friday morning with a Muddy Bagel Award for their community service for more than 25 years.

The Muddy Bagel Award is a spin-off of the Muddy Boot Award. That award from the East Tennessee Economic Council has been given for many years to people who “go above the call of duty to make the community a better place to live and work.”

The Sullivans are retiring. Hot Bagel has been the caterer for ETEC since 1995.

The Muddy Bagel Award was presented during a Zoom meeting of ETEC’s Board of Directors on Friday morning.

[Read more…]

Roane State has virtual information sessions for students and parents

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

RSCC Coffey McNally Building Oak Ridge
The Coffey/McNally Building is pictured at the Oak Ridge campus of Roane State Community College. (Photo by Roane State)

Roane State Community College is having two virtual information sessions this week that are focused on addressing questions from students and their parents during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first session, for current and prospective students, was from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 26.

The second session, for parents and caregivers, is from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 28.

[Read more…]

Tennessee Valley Corridor shifts to online events this summer

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Valley Corridor will shift its Annual Summit and 25th anniversary celebration to a series of online events this summer.

The change, which was announced this month, is being made as large summer conferences and gatherings remain in doubt because of social distancing recommendations from public health officials, a press release said.

The Annual Summit had been scheduled for July 15-16 at Milligan College in Johnson City.

But the Tennessee Valley Corridor will instead have people participate in a series of weekly Summit sessions for five consecutive weeks starting Thursday, July 16. Each session will highlight many of the same speakers, topics, and organizations, but the new virtual format aims to maximize participation during the continued COVID-19 crisis, the press release said.

[Read more…]

JCPenney re-opens in Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

JCPenney filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, May 15, 2020, after closing during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Oak Ridge store, pictured above on May 5, has re-opened. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The JCPenney store in Oak Ridge has re-opened. The store is in Main Street Oak Ridge in the center of the city.

The store is open limited hours: from 12-7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday.

There are dedicated hours for at-risk customers: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday. At-risk customers include the elderly, pregnant women, and people with underlying health issues.

It hadn’t been clear if the Oak Ridge store, which had been temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, would re-open after JCPenney filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, May 15.

But it is now open. Customers can enter through the doors on the Cinemark Tinseltown side of the store.

[Read more…]

Children’s Museum re-opens June 2 on three-day-a-week schedule

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Children enjoy the Healthy Living exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge before it closed in mid-March. (Submitted photo)

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge will reopen on a three-day-a-week schedule and welcome visitors beginning Tuesday, June 2, now that museums across the state are allowed to re-open.

The Museum will take precautions recommended as a result of COVID-19, including social distancing and increased cleaning of the facility, to protect the safety of visitors and staff, a press release said.

“Children’s Museum visitors will be expected to practice social distancing, and visitors ages 5 and older will be required to wear a mask. Masks will be optional for visitors ages 3-4,” said Beth Shea, executive director of the Museum. “All staff and volunteers in public areas of the Museum will wear masks, and the Museum will be vigilant about cleaning and visitor safety protocols.”

The Museum’s new schedule will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday until further notice, and the staff hopes to eventually expand the schedule, the press release said. [Read more…]

Drive-by graduation celebration at ORHS on Tuesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

There will be a drive-by celebration to honor graduates at Oak Ridge High School this afternoon (Tuesday, May 26).

The drive-by celebration is scheduled from 3 to 3:30 p.m. on Providence Road. It’s a student-led event, not an official school event.

There are some rules for the celebration:

[Read more…]

COVID-19 cases pass 20,000 in Tennessee

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Graph by Ken Mayes (used with permission)

The number of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee passed 20,000 on Sunday.

The Tennessee Department of Health reported 20,145 confirmed cases on Sunday, with 336 deaths and 12,837 recoveries since the first case was reported in the state in early March.

It was a 1.8 percent daily increase in the number of new cases. During the past two weeks, the daily percentage increase has ranged from 0.6 percent to 3.7 percent.

The number of new cases reported in Tennessee each day has ranged between and 100 and 623. The number of new cases reported Sunday was 356.

The number of deaths reported per day has ranged between two fatalities and 14 the past two weeks. Seven deaths were reported on Sunday.

The doubling time in the number of cases—the amount of time it took to go from 10,000 cases to 20,000 cases—was 26 days. For deaths, it was about 32 days (166 deaths on April 22 and 336 on Sunday). That’s a longer doubling time than reported earlier in the pandemic in Tennessee.

The seven-day average of the percentage increase in new cases in Tennessee had dropped from 2.41 percent on May 12 to 1.79 percent on May 20, but it climbed back up to 2.11 percent on Sunday.

It’s not clear what impact, if any, the expiration of the “stay at home” order in April and the re-opening of businesses last month and this month have had on the increase in the number of cases.

[Read more…]

ORAU announces recipients of 2020 Pollard Scholarships

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Audra Jean “AJ” Jones

 

ORAU has awarded five William G. Pollard Scholarships of $2,500 each toward undergraduate studies for the 2020-2021 academic year. The recipients of this year’s scholarships are Jamie Batson, Cody Blankenship, Olivia Hudson, Audra Jean “AJ” Jones, and Savannah Jones.

Each year, ORAU awards these scholarships to employees’ children or stepchildren who display exceptional achievements in their high school or undergraduate studies. Applicants must submit official transcripts from all high schools and colleges attended, three references (at least two of which must be from teachers), and a 500-word essay describing professional and personal interests.

Here are more details about this year’s winners: [Read more…]

ORAU awards $25,000 to Union Grove Elementary in Extreme Classroom Makeover

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The winner of ORAU’s 2020 Extreme Classroom Makeover competition, Amy Buchanan from Union Grove Elementary School, was surprised at her house with the Extreme Classroom Makeover winner reveal. Her principal, Kristy Brewer, and fellow staff from Union Grove Elementary School joined in the celebration. (Photo courtesy ORAU)

 

Amy Buchanan encourages students at Union Grove Elementary School to imagine a world of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) beyond the limitations of the classroom.

ORAU (Oak Ridge Associated Universities) wanted to help Buchanan and her students do more than imagine.

ORAU recently surprised Buchanan at her house with $25,000 for new classroom technology. This award will allow students to explore, touch, and see the STEM classroom they’ve only imagined.

ORAU chose Buchanan, who serves as the STEM teacher for all of Union Grove Elementary in Blount County, to be the recipient of this year’s Extreme Classroom Makeover competition. She was selected after a review of her submitted video, which demonstrated the rural school’s need for STEM resources. [Read more…]

Outdoor pool to open June 15 with changes

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

The City of Oak Ridge will open its outdoor pool for the season starting June 15, which is later than normal, with changes due to COVID-19.

The pool normally has swimming hours Memorial Day weekend, and then opens for the season around the first of June.

This year, the main outdoor pool on Providence Road will be open, but the little pool for children will remain closed for the summer, the city said in a press release Friday. The indoor pool at the Oak Ridge Civic Center will remain closed through the summer.

A maximum of 200 people will be allowed in the pool area at one time, and reservations can be made online through Eventbrite. Families will be spaced apart. Restrooms will be open, but the showers and dressing rooms will not be. The picnic table area will be closed, and no public or private pool parties will be allowed. Swimming lessons are canceled for now.

In the press release, the city said the pool water is being treated with chlorine, a disinfectant that “wipes out” the virus. The main focus will be following social distancing and repeatedly sanitizing commonly used areas, the press release said.

Here are the changes that will be in effect:

[Read more…]

CUB, TVA partner to donate $20,000 to ADFAC

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Clinton Utilities Board has partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority to award $20,000 to ADFAC to help the local community during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, a press release said.

“In this time of crisis, CUB is proud to partner with TVA to help our neighbors in need,” said Greg Fay, CUB general manager. “ADFAC will use this donation to assist people struggling to pay their utility bills.”

“On behalf of ADFAC, we are very grateful for the partnership we enjoy with CUB and TVA” said Joey Collins, program director for ADFAC’s Household Assistance Program. “We expect these funds to be a significant help to the struggling families of Anderson County as it will assist us in providing them with stability in these uncertain times.” [Read more…]

No Secret City Festival this year

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

There will not be a Secret City Festival this year, organizers said Thursday.

In April, organizers had announced that the festival, which is normally in June, was postponed. But no new date was announced at that time.

On Thursday, the Secret City Festival board of directors said they have explored every option to have the festival in 2020, but “we have determined that we cannot provide the level of excellence this year that we wish to.”

[Read more…]