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MCLinc donation funds ramp for Children’s Museum

Posted at 1:13 am April 18, 2023
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

Barry Stephenson, left, Michele Sanders and Beth Shea stand on steps leading to the World of Trains exhibit in the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. A ramp funded by Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc. will be built here later this year. (Submitted photo)

Submitted

Barry Stephenson believes the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is one of the city’s treasures.
The laboratory he leads, employee-owned Materials & Chemistry Laboratory Inc. (MCLinc), wants to make sure this treasure continues to serve children and families well. MCLinc recently made a $50,000 contribution to fund the final ramp needed to make the interior of the historic Children’s Museum building accessible for strollers and those with disabilities.

The ramp will meet standards of the Americans for Disabilities Act, which describes what is needed for a building to be physically accessible to persons with disabilities. The ramp will connect the Selma Shapiro Wing of the Museum to the next level housing the World of Trains exhibit. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Front Page News, Museums, Oak Ridge Tagged With: Barry Stephenson, Beth Shea, Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, Materials & Chemistry Laboratory, MCLinc, Michele Sanders

ORNL Credit Union president retiring

Posted at 1:02 am April 18, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

ORNL Federal Credit Union President and Chief Executive Officer Colin Anderson plans to retire September 30. Anderson has been president and CEO since July 2015, and he has informed the ORNL FCU Board of Directors and employees of his intention to retire.

The board has hired D. Hilton Associates of The Woodlands, Texas, to lead the executive search efforts, a press release said.

“The credit union consulting firm is an industry leader in executive search recruitment,” the press release said. “Anderson will work with D. Hilton and the ORNL FCU Board on a smooth transition of leadership.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Oak Ridge Tagged With: Colin Anderson, ORNL Federal Credit Union, Randy Gorman

Oak Ridge Housing Authority proposes home project in Scarboro

Posted at 3:13 am April 17, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Housing Authority is interested an affordable housing project on about 16-18 acres of city-owned land next to the Scarboro Community Center. The site is pictured above on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Housing Authority is interested in an affordable housing project on about 16-18 acres of city-owned land next to the Scarboro Community Center. The site was expected to be developed by Habitat for Humanity more than a decade ago, but that project did not proceed for reasons that aren’t clear.

The project could help as it becomes more difficult for many people to find a place to live, either because they can’t find a home that is available or because of rising home prices and rental rates.

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Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Premium Content, Slider Tagged With: housing project, Maria Catron, Mark Watson, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Housing Authority, ORHA, Scarboro Community Center

Company could evaluate leaving rail in place at airport

Posted at 4:50 pm February 11, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Image from Oak Ridge City Council agenda packet for Feb. 13, 2023.

The Brentwood company performing preliminary studies for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport could evaluate leaving a short section of railroad in place and building a runway bridge over it.

The short section of railroad has been called a potential “deal-killer” for the airport.

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Filed Under: Business, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Premium Content, Slider Tagged With: environmental assessment, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, Goodwyn Mills Cawood, Jack Suggs, Oak Ridge airport, Oak Ridge City Council, preliminary engineering design, rail line, rail spur, railroad, Tennessee Department of Transportation

Trapuzzano receives Eugene L. Joyce Achievement Award

Posted at 10:34 am February 5, 2023
By James Kesterson Leave a Comment

Tim Trapuzzano

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce presented Tim Trapuzzano with the Eugene L. Joyce Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual awards gala, An ExtraORdinary Evening, in late January.

Trapuzzano is president and chief executive officer of Omega Technical Services in Oak Ridge, located at 118 Mitchell Road in Oak Ridge.

The Eugene L. Joyce Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a nominee who has truly distinguished himself or herself and embodies the essential values of volunteerism, community service, and dedication to the economic vitality of the community, a press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Brandy Miracle, Eugene L. Joyce Lifetime Achievement Award, Jim Normand, Joyce Award, National Nuclear Security Administration, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Omega Technical Services, Tim Trapuzzano

Speakers mostly support TRISO-X fuel facility at meeting

Posted at 2:30 pm January 27, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

TRISO-X has proposed a nuclear fuel fabrication facility on 110 acres at Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge. (Photo from TRISO-X environmental report to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission)

A small group of residents who spoke at a public meeting on Wednesday were mostly supportive of a proposed nuclear fuel facility in west Oak Ridge. None of the seven local speakers opposed the project, but they had some suggestions for what the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission should consider as it prepares an environmental impact statement. That was the type of input the NRC had requested.

The nuclear fuel facility would be the first manufacturing facility of its type in the United States. It has been proposed by TRISO-X, and it would be on 110 acres at Horizon Center. The coated particle uranium fuel produced there could be used in new types of nuclear reactors such as small modular reactors.

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Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Premium Content, Roane County, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: City of Oak Ridge, David Wilson, East Tennessee Economic Council, EIS, environmental impact statement, HALEU, high-assay low-enriched uranium, Horizon Center, Mark Watson, Matt Bartlett, Michael Russell, NRC, nuclear fuel facility, nuclear material license, nuclear power, nuclear reactor, Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board, public comment, Steve Mead, Tracy Boatner, TRISO-X, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, uranium fuel, X-energy

NRC accepting comments on environmental review for nuclear fuel facility

Posted at 9:22 pm January 19, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

TRISO-X has proposed a nuclear fuel fabrication facility on 110 acres at Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge. (Photo from TRISO-X environmental report to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission)

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will have a public meeting in Oak Ridge next week to accept public comments about the environmental review for a proposed nuclear fuel facility at Horizon Center.

It would be the first manufacturing facility of its type in the United States. It has been proposed by TRISO-X, which wants to manufacture coated particle uranium fuel for new types of nuclear reactors—advanced and small modular reactors. The fuel could power reactors for electrical and chemical use, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

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Filed Under: Business, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Premium Content, Roane County Tagged With: fuel fabrication, HALEU, high-assay low-enriched uranium, Horizon Center, NRC, NRC license, nuclear fuel, nuclear reactors, public meeting, TRISO-X, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, X-energy

Planning Commission approves Weigel’s site plan

Posted at 7:04 pm January 19, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The proposed Weigel’s site at South Illinois Avenue and Union Valley Road is pictured above on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission approved a site plan Thursday evening for a new Weigel’s at South Illinois Avenue and Union Valley Road.

The plan for the 6,600-square foot store on an undeveloped 3.6-acre site was approved 9-0 in a voice vote Thursday.

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Filed Under: Business, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Ben Stephens, Jennifer Williams, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, site plan, South Illinois Avenue, Union Valley Road, Weigel's

Railroad could jeopardize airport

Posted at 10:12 pm January 18, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

If not removed, this section of railroad tracks at Heritage Center, the former K-25 site, would be a “deal-killer” for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport because the runway would be built in this area but could not be with the railroad tracks there. This is looking east across the main entrance to Heritage Center on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Railroad tracks at Heritage Center, the former K-25 site, have emerged as a potential “deal-killer” for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport.

On Tuesday, Oak Ridge city leaders said a new company in west Oak Ridge might want to use the rail line to ship materials, but the tracks run through and roughly perpendicular to where the airport runway would be. Officials had expected the rail line, which had been “very inactive,” to be transferred.

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Filed Under: Business, Business, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Premium Content, Roane County, Slider, State, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Chuck Hope, East Tennessee Technology Park, environmental assessment, haul road, Heritage Center, Jack Suggs, K-25, Mark Watson, Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, Oak Ridge airport, rail line, railroad, Surface Transportation Board, U.S. Department of Energy, Warren Gooch

City Council approves rezoning for trade school

Posted at 3:37 am January 13, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A rezoning allows a plumbers and steamfitters union to use a former hardware store on Oak Ridge Turnpike for a trade school. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday unanimously approved a rezoning that allows a former hardware store to be used for a trade school.

It was the second and final reading of the rezoning request. The city staff had recommended the change.

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Filed Under: Business, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Premium Content Tagged With: ACE Hardware, Oak Ridge City Council, Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union #102 JATC, rezoning, trade school

Council postpones apartment rezoning vote

Posted at 9:54 pm January 12, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, will consider a rezoning request that could allow about 400 apartments on about 32 acres along South Illinois Avenue headed toward Knoxville. (Map by City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday postponed a vote on a rezoning that could allow a large apartment complex along South Illinois Avenue.

City Council members said a 96-page traffic study for the project appeared to be from July, but they had only received it recently.

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Filed Under: Business, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Premium Content Tagged With: apartments, Charlie Hensley, Jennifer Williams, Oak Ridge City Council, rezoning, traffic study, Warren Gooch

Rezoning could allow homes on Warehouse Road

Posted at 9:26 pm January 12, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A rezoning could allow about a dozen single-family residential lots on about five acres of currently vacant land on Warehouse Road. A conceptual plan is shown above.

A rezoning that could be considered by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission could allow a dozen single-family residential lots on roughly five acres of currently vacant land on Warehouse Road.

The rezoning request, which does not obligate the property owner to build the homes, was presented to the Planning Commission during a non-voting session Thursday evening.

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Filed Under: Business, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Premium Content Tagged With: Jennifer Williams, Len Hart, low density residential, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, residential lots, rezoning, rezoning request, Warehouse Road

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