Oak Ridge Today

General Fusion locating U.S. headquarters in Oak Ridge

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General Fusion Corporation will locate its U.S. headquarters in Oak Ridge as the company advances plans for a commercial pilot plant, Tennessee officials and company executives announced Wednesday.

The headquarters decision was announced Wednesday by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe, and General Fusion Corporation executives.

General Fusion Corporation is based in Vancouver, Canada. The company says fusion could provide a carbon-free power source that would meet the growing global energy demand while fighting climate change.

The U.S.-based subsidiary of General Fusion Incorporated will initially invest $539,000 and create 20 new jobs in Anderson County during the next five years, a press release said. It’s the first private fusion company to establish an office in Tennessee, General Fusion said. The new headquarters in Oak Ridge will be near Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a science and energy lab that is home to the U.S. ITER program. ITER is an experimental fusion device being built in southern France through an international collaboration and planned to be the first such device to produce net energy.

In Oak Ridge, General Fusion said it will collaborate with “world-leading fusion scientists and tap into key engineering talent.”

[Read more…]

Small business of month: Acato Information Management

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Acato Information Management, located at 173 Mitchell Road, is the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Month for November 2021. (Submitted photo)

 

Acato Information Management, located at 173 Mitchell Road, is the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Month for November 2021, a press release said. The award is sponsored by Enrichment Federal Credit Union.

“Service, integrity, and joy—those are the core values of Acato Information Management,” the press release said. “Owner Cathy Toth says those values drive everything they do.”

Launched in 2010, Acato is a software company focused on software quality. The company provides software testing for clients and government contractors.

“Traditional software testing revolves around executing tasks and resolving defects,” Toth said. “The value we bring is figuring out how well you know if you got what you wanted and then how you will confirm that you got what you wanted. It’s that analysis and then building tests to do that is really where we bring more value to the client.” [Read more…]

AT&T Foundation donates $10,000 for Roane State scholarships

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Representatives from AT&T Tennessee present Roane State Foundation with a $10,000 check that will help provide scholarships for minority and underserved Roane State students. Pictured left to right are Linda Brown, Roane State Foundation Coordinator; Alan Hill, AT&T Regional Director; Sen. Ken Yager; Tiffany Eskridge, Roane State Foundation Board Member; Pam Rudnitzki, Roane State Foundation Scholarship Specialist; Rep. Kent Calfee; Roane State President Chris Whaley; and Scott Niermann, Executive Director of Roane State Foundation. (Submitted photo)

The AT&T Foundation has donated $10,000 to Roane State Foundation to provide “last dollar” scholarships for minority and underserved students, a press release said.

“We are grateful to AT&T and its continued support of public higher education and our students, who will benefit greatly from the company’s generosity,” said Chris Whaley, president of Roane State Community College. “Our students have many financial needs aside from the cost of tuition and this support will help them on their path to higher education.”

The donation is part of the AT&T Foundation’s $130,000 gift to the Foundation for the College System of Tennessee, the press release said. Funding has been divided equally among Tennessee’s 13 community colleges to support students across the state.

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Oak Ridge Chamber’s Christmas Parade is Saturday, Dec. 11

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Santa plans to participate in the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s annual Christmas Parade. This year’s traditional parade will be held on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, beginning at 6 p.m. (Photo credit: Ray Smith.)

 

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will have its annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 11.

This year’s theme is “The 12 Days of Christmas.”

The sponsor of this year’s parade is The Cowperwood Company.

There is no cost to participate.

The Chamber will be accepting parade entries online through Tuesday, December 7. You can register by visiting the Chamber’s website: www.oakridgechamber.org. [Read more…]

Spa One Seventy has ribbon-cutting

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Spa One Seventy on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Spa One Seventy on Tuesday, October 26.

Spa One Seventy is located at 170 West Tennessee Avenue, Suite 200.

Howl-O-Ween dog costume contest at PetSmart

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There will be a Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Contest at PetSmart in Oak Ridge on Saturday, October 30.

The contest is presented by the Anderson County Animal Shelter and the County Mayor’s Office, a press release said.

It will begin at 11 a.m. that day. Registration for the contest will begin at 10:15 a.m. under the tent in the parking lot, the press release said.

PetSmart is at 203 Main Street in Oak Ridge.

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Roane State launches business ownership certificate

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There are always pitfalls and challenges when launching a new business, and Roane State has started a new program to help fledgling entrepreneurs succeed.

The Business Ownership Certificate is a two-semester program that focuses on the most common barriers to startup companies, said Roane State Community College Associate Professor Mike Farmer, the college’s business program director.

“Business owners need to both be experts in their field and be ready for the hidden challenges of ownership,” Farmer said. “They must handle finances, taxes, business regulations, employee management, human resources, and advertising.”

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber names Life Safety Inspections small business of month

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Life Safety Inspections (LSI), located at 313 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Suite 107 A, is the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Month for October 2021. The award is sponsored by Enrichment Federal Credit Union. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

Life Safety Inspections is the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Month for October 2021. The award is sponsored by Enrichment Federal Credit Union.

Ask owner Chip Dooley what led him to start LSI and he’ll tell you it came to him in a dream. 13 years ago, he found himself unhappy in his job – he had even gone so far as to write a letter of resignation, but just wasn’t quite ready to submit it. He tucked it away under his desk calendar and went home. That night, he dreamed about fire extinguishers and exit signs. He began researching fire extinguisher companies in the area and could only find six. After working on a business plan, he decided the market could handle another one.

According to Chip, “The hardest thing was to bring it to my wife and say, ‘Hey! I’m quitting my job, and we’re gonna be broke.’ She didn’t bat an eye. She said, ‘That’s fine’ and I was just amazed. She’s been my champion and cheerleader ever since.” [Read more…]

Clinch River Fall Antique Festival starts Friday

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Clinch River Antique Festival
File photo

The Clinch River Fall Antique Festival starts in downtown Clinton on Friday, October 1.

It’s the 20th annual festival.

“The Clinch River Fall Antique Festival is an autumn tradition that keeps growing as the years
go on,” a press release said. “What was created to commemorate the Clinch River mussel pearls and their
economic contributions to East Tennessee in the early 1900s is now the largest fall event
in Anderson County. Each year, the festival that’s held just a few miles away from I-75 in
Historic Downtown Clinton, Tennessee, brings in upwards of 15,000 people to the
community over two days.”

The 20th Annual Clinch River Fall Antique Festival is hosted by the Anderson County
Chamber of Commerce. It is scheduled from noon-10 p.m. on Market Street on downtown Clinton.

Day one of this two-day event will begin with many vendors set up on Market Street beginning at noon, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Drive Electric Festival

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Celebrate National Drive Electric Week with free no-strings-attached test drives of electric vehicles and enjoy an EV show.

“Come have all your driving electric questions answered if you’re looking to get an EV,” a press release said. “If you already own an EV, please come join our EV show and help us get to our goal of 100 EVs and have the biggest event in Tennessee. Come experience the fun of driving electric!”

Expected owner vehicles include Chevrolet Bolts and Volts, Energica Motorcycle, Fisker Karma, Kia Niro, Nissan LEAF, Smart for Two, Tesla Models 3, Y, S, and X, Toyota Prius Prime, Volkswagen ID4, Zero motorcycle, and more. Harper Auto Square plans to bring a Porsche Taycan, a Volkswagen ID4, and an Audi eTron, the press release said. Reeder Chevrolet is planning to bring a Chevy Bolt. The Knoxville Tesla Service Center will bring their cars. Other local dealers will bring models available in the Knoxville area.

“Don’t miss the regional debut of two Arcimoto FUVs,” the press release said.

Food trucks will be on hand, and there will be outdoor games and giveaways.

Where: Pellissippi State Community College in Hardin Valley
When: Saturday, September 25 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

For more information, see the event page at https://driveelectricweek.org/event.php?eventid=2779.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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UCOR requiring COVID vaccinations

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UCOR is requiring its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The requirement applies to all of its nearly 2,000 employees, and it is a condition of employment, the company said Tuesday.

The vaccination requirement was announced by UCOR President and CEO Ken Rueter on August 26.

The company, an Amentum-led partnership with Jacobs, is the U.S. Department of Energy’s lead environmental cleanup contractor on the Oak Ridge Reservation, and it has an award-winning safety record, the company said. Rueter said that the decision to require the vaccine was in line with the company’s commitment to safety and its culture of caring.

[Read more…]

Farm Fest in Jackson Square on Saturday

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Farm Fest in the Square is in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

The festival will be in Jackson Square from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, September 18.

“The event will be a celebration of life down on the farm,” organizers said. “We have a pie bake off, square dancers, animals from Little Ponderosa Zoo, music from Liza Jane and Curly Fiddler, an open bluegrass jam, and vendors! The Oak Ridge Farmers Market will be right across the street, so come get some great eats and learn a bit about the history of farm life.”

[Read more…]