Oak Ridge Today

USEC to cease uranium enrichment at Paducah Plant

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USEC Inc. announced Friday that it had not been able to conclude a deal for the short-term extension of uranium enrichment at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky, and the company will begin ceasing uranium enrichment at the end of May. The Paducah plant is the only U.S.-owned and operated uranium enrichment facility in the United States. USEC, which has operations in Oak Ridge, leases the Kentucky plant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

“While we have pursued possible opportunities for continuing enrichment, DOE has concluded that there were not sufficient benefits to the taxpayers to extend enrichment,” said Robert Van Namen, USEC senior vice president and chief operating officer. “I am extremely disappointed to say we must now begin to take steps to cease enrichment. [Read more…]

Perma-Fix awards scholarships from Roane Chamber high school career day

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The third annual Perma-Fix Career Day Scholarships have been awarded to a graduate from each of the five Roane County high schools. The students receiving the $250 scholarships applied for them during their junior year while participating in the High School Career Day, sponsored by the Roane County Chamber of Commerce.

The five graduating students receiving the Perma-Fix Scholarships this year are David “Tre” Pack, Harriman High; Patricia Howe, Midway High; Charlee Lee Roberts, Oliver Springs High, Eric Luffman, Roane-Kingston County High; and Kelsey Legg, Rockwood High. They all attended the Chamber’s 2011 Career Day. [Read more…]

TVC Summit next week includes House majority leader

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Eric Cantor

Eric Cantor

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Business, community, and political leaders and senior decision-makers will convene at the 2013 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit next week to discuss issues that are critical to the economic engine of the Tennessee Valley, a press release said.

Hosted by Third District Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, the two-day meeting themed “Securing America’s Future” will focus on energy and environment, innovation and entrepreneurism, public and private partnerships, and advanced manufacturing, the release said.

The Summit will be held at the Y-12 National Security Complex’s New Hope Center in Oak Ridge on May 29-30. [Read more…]

Rowe named Roane Alliance office, fiscal services manager

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Brenda Rowe has been named office and fiscal services manager for The Roane Alliance.

Rowe has been working for The Roane Alliance since July of last year, after working in the public relations office at Roane State Community College in Harriman. [Read more…]

TVA names Horizon Center site as primary data center site

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Horizon Center Data Center Site

A 28-acre site at Horizon Center has been designated by the Tennessee Valley Authority as a site that is ready to recruit data centers. (Submitted photo)

The Tennessee Valley Authority has identified a 28-acre site at Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge as a potential data center site, a designation that will help Oak Ridge recruit companies, an official said.

“Having a primary data center site in Oak Ridge is a tremendous advantage and will definitely give us a competitive edge when recruiting data center prospects,” said Kim Denton, president and chief executive officer of the Oak Ridge Economic Partnership. [Read more…]

Roane Alliance kicks off Education Matters! fundraising drive

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Roane County Education Matters

Front row: Allen Lutz; back row (l-r): Carmen Van Horn, Gary Aytes, Chris Whaley, Leslie Henderson, and Chris Ayers. (Submitted photo)

The Roane Alliance on Thursday kicked off a fund drive to keep its Education Matters! initiative—a “Best Practice” program, according to the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce— continuing in the future.

The Education Matters! program funding is being cut as of June 30 of this year.

“The Education Matters! mission is that every child in Roane County gets some post-secondary education—and does well at it,” said Leslie Henderson, president and chief executive officer of The Roane Alliance. “Education Matters! is making remarkable progress towards that goal, but starting at the end of June this year, the program has lost its funding and we need the community’s help. [Read more…]

Free Affordable Health Care Act seminar on Wednesday

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On Wednesday, May 22, the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, in partnership with the Strategic Consulting Solutions, LeGacy Resource Corp., Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and the University of Tennessee, will offer a free workshop for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want a better understanding of the Affordable Care Act.

The speaker will be Jeff Ginsburg, director of human resources of LeGacy Resource Corp. The workshop will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. [Read more…]

New China Palace waterfront lease extended through Labor Day

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New China Palace Restaurant

The New China Palace on Melton Lake Drive has been granted a three-month lease extension on this city-owned waterfront site through Labor Day. The restaurant plans to re-open later this year on Central Avenue.

The New China Palace restaurant has been given a three-month lease extension that will allow it to stay on the Oak Ridge waterfront through Labor Day.

It’s expected to be the last lease extension for New China Palace at the city-owned property at Melton Lake Park. The restaurant received one other three-month extension that started in March and runs through the end of May.

The restaurant plans to re-open later this year at the former Village Restaurant property on Central Avenue.

On Thursday, Oak Ridge Economic Development Consultant Ray Evans said Tony Cappiello, who owns the Central Avenue property, has a final architectural review for the proposed new restaurant today and could submit site plans on Monday. [Read more…]

East Tennessee nonprofit has estate sale at Alexander Inn on May 25

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Alexander Inn

Plans call for converting the Alexander Inn, formerly known as The Guest House, into an assisted living center. An East Tennessee nonprofit will have an estate sale there on May 25.

An East Tennessee nonprofit organization will have an estate sale at the Alexander Inn on May 25.

The historic two-story hotel, unused for about two decades, is being converted into an assisted living center. The estate sale will give the public a one-time opportunity to walk through a portion of the historic inn before renovations begin and purchase furnishings from the 1940s through the 1980s, a press release said.

The sale, which is scheduled form 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 25, is being organized by the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance in conjunction with Knox Heritage’s Salvage Room. [Read more…]

East Tennessee teachers win UCOR ‘mini-grants’

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Teachers in more than a dozen East Tennessee schools have won 25 “mini-grants” in an education program meant to recognize and support teaching excellence, and help teachers with specific projects or curricula.

The grants focus primarily on projects meant to help students learn about science, technology, engineering, and math, a press release said. UCOR, a federal cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, announced the grant winners Wednesday.

The winners and their proposed projects and schools are: [Read more…]

B&W team says it’s the best choice for Y-12, Pantex contract

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Y-12 National Security Complex

Y-12 National Security Complex (Submitted photo)

One of the two teams that did not win the $23 billion contract to manage and operate two nuclear weapons plants in Tennessee and Texas said newly released federal documents show it had the best bid.

The contract to manage the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, was awarded to Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, of Reston, Va., on Jan. 8. The consolidated contract, the first ever for the National Nuclear Security Administration, is expected to save money.

But the two losing teams—Nuclear Production Partners LLC of Lynchburg, Va., and Integrated Nuclear Production Solutions LLC of Oak Ridge—filed bid protests. On April 29, the U.S. Government Accountability Office upheld those protests in part. The GAO questioned whether the NNSA had properly evaluated the expected savings, and the agency recommended that the contract procurement be re-opened and more information requested from the bidders. [Read more…]

Roane Chamber human resources seminar on Tuesday

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The Roane Chamber of Commerce is providing a special seminar, “Stay out of court: Human Resource Legal Matters Update” on Tuesday May 14, from 10 a.m. to 2:45 pm at Roane State Community College. [Read more…]