Oak Ridge Today

Clinton men win TN Team Trail Fishing Tournament

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First prize in the TN Team Trail Fishing Tournament at Anderson County Park on Saturday, March 19, 2016, was won by B.J. Henderson and Billy Joe Henderson from Clinton, with a total of 22.14 pounds. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

The TN Team Trail Fishing Tournament was a huge success with 176 boats and 348 anglers participating in the event on Saturday, March 19, at Anderson County Park on Norris Lake. Participants came from West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and throughout East and Middle Tennessee.

First prize was won by B.J. Henderson and Billy Joe Henderson from Clinton, with a total of 22.14 pounds. Second place was Jordan Lane and Roger King with 19.72 pounds. Third place was Wayne Moyher and Casey Baker with 19.65 pounds.

The Largemouth Lunker was caught by Rick Disney and Mike Miller with a weight of 7.35 pounds.

A total of 486 bass were caught and released at a total weight of 1,342 pounds. Total cash payout for the tournament was $39,350. [Read more…]

Anderson County secures Tennessee College of Applied Technology facility

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Commission learned Monday night that the county has been chosen by the state to be the next home of a Tennessee College of Applied Technology—or TCAT. TCATs are training facilities aimed at improving the skill levels of members of Tennessee’s workforce and are seen by potential industries as great training grounds for potential employees.

Anderson County Economic Development Association President Tim Thompson told commissioners Monday that his organization and the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce have been working hard on securing the facility for more than a year and that the county had beaten out Blount County.

Thompson credited the owners of the former Hensley’s IGA grocery store in Andersonville and SL Tennessee in the I-75 Industrial park for their roles in making the TCAT a reality. The Hensley owners have agreed to donate the vacant 20,000-square foot store to the state to renovate and use as a temporary training facility for a period of about two years. The temporary facility will be needed while the state builds the new College of Applied Technology on a seven-acre parcel of land donated for the project by SL Tennessee. [Read more…]

Comfort Inn closed for few days after fire on Saturday

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The Comfort Inn in Oak Ridge will be closed for a few days for renovations after a fire on the fourth floor early Saturday, March 19, 2016, officials said. (Photo by Tom Scott)

 

The Comfort Inn in Oak Ridge will be closed for a few days for renovations after a fire on the fourth floor of the five-story hotel early Saturday, officials said.

The fire was reported at 5:15 a.m. Saturday in an air-conditioning unit in a window area at the end of the hallway on the fourth floor.

The 112-room hotel was more than 90 percent occupied with rowers from Oak Ridge Marina and off-road-vehicle riders from Windrock Park north of Oliver Springs, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department said the hotel’s sprinkler system turned on automatically and helped keep the fire under control, which likely saved lives and property.

“There’s no doubt the sprinkler system helped keep the fire from getting any larger,” Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said. [Read more…]

New stores at Main Street Oak Ridge appear unlikely by Christmas 2016

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Workers from Masstar Signs of Greenville, S.C., install a new shopping center pylon sign at South Illinois Avenue and East Tulsa Road announcing Main Street Oak Ridge, the planned $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. Pictured above on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, is Will Biggs of Masstar Signs. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The developers haven’t confirmed it yet, but the construction of new stores at the former Oak Ridge Mall appears unlikely to be complete by the Christmas 2016 shopping season.

In November, RealtyLink said demolition at the 58-acre site could take four months and be complete by the end of this March or early next month, with construction possibly starting April 1.

RealtyLink had planned to turn over seven new stores to retailers in September 2016, and it was expected that they could open in October, in time for the holiday season.

But demolition has not started yet at the former mall property, now known as Main Street Oak Ridge.

Ray Evans, Oak Ridge retail consultant, said the opening before Christmas was predicated on demolition and construction starting in January 2016.

“For a variety of reasons, that couldn’t happen,” Evans said. [Read more…]

IIa awarded U.S. Air Force contract in United Kingdom

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Kirk-Stoye

Kirk Stoye manages Information International Associates activities at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall bases in the United Kingdom. (Submitted photo)

Information International Associates has been awarded a contract to help the U.S. Air Force at two major installations in the United Kingdom through September 2020.

Information International Associates, or IIa, will provide base level human resource system management and base enlisted specialty training management services to the U.S. Air Force at the two sites in the UK, a press release said.

This is the fourth consecutive award of this contract to IIa, the press release said. Since 2003, IIa has provided all personnel, supervision, and other resources at Royal Air Force, or RAF, bases Mildenhall and Lakenheath in Suffolk County, UK, about one hour north of London. Kirk Stoye is responsible for activities at both RAF bases.

Kelly Callison, IIa’s senior vice president of operations, manages the UK contract from IIa’s corporate headquarters in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

“Under the leadership of Kirk Stoye, our UK employees have consistently received excellent and superior ratings for their performance,” Callison said. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the USAF for another five years.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Breast Center earns perfect FDA score for 20th year

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The Oak Ridge Breast Center received a perfect FDA score during a recent evaluation. This is the 20th year in a row that the Breast Center received a perfect score. (Photo by Covenant Health)

 

Once again, Oak Ridge Breast Center has earned a perfect score as the result of an annual inspection by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. It marks the 20th consecutive year the center has achieved a perfect score and follows its elite designation as a Breast Center of Excellence, a press release said.

FDA inspections are an important component in enforcement of the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992, according to breast center manager Shari Blattner. The law was passed in response to concerns that mammography didn’t meet uniformly high standards throughout the United States.

Breast cancer centers must meet stringent guidelines. Standards cover quality assurance and quality control; radiology equipment; qualifications of technicians, physicians, and medical physicists; and medical record keeping. Inspections and certifications check everything from the mammography facility to the films for final images and the image quality.

“The FDA found that Oak Ridge Breast Center is in complete compliance with national mammography quality standards, and it had no recommendations for improvements,” Blattner said. [Read more…]

UCOR awards three small business contracts worth close to $1 million

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UCOR has awarded three contracts worth nearly $1 million to small businesses for services associated with the cleanup of the East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge.

One contract was awarded to ESG Construction LLC of Knoxville, and two were awarded to Construction Technology Specialists Inc., or CTSI, which is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

ESG was awarded a contract for $450,000 to replace the heat-trace controls at the Liquid and Gaseous Waste Operations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A general and electrical contractor, ESG is an Small Business Administration-certified Historically Underutilized Business, or HUBZone, firm. Work is expected to be completed by the end of the year. [Read more…]

Fox News editor to be keynote speaker at Oak Ridge Chamber luncheon

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Chris Stirewalt

Chris Stirewalt

Chris Stirewalt, digital politics editor for the Fox News Channel, will be the keynote speaker for the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Program of Work Kickoff luncheon at noon on Monday, March 21. The luncheon will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton at 201 South Illinois Avenue.

At the luncheon, the Chamber’s 2016 Program of Work will be introduced. The Chamber’s Eugene L. Joyce Lifetime Achievement Award and the Kerry Trammell Volunteer of the Year award will be presented as part of the program.

Stirewalt has worked in the FNC’s Washington Bureau since 2010. He helps coordinate political coverage across the network, a press release said. His daily newsletter, “Fox News First,” has nearly 300,000 subscribers. [Read more…]

CapitalMark Bank now Pinnacle Financial

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CapitalMark Bank and Trust changed its name and identity to Pinnacle Financial Partners on Monday, March 14, 2016, in a sign unveiling event at its Oak Ridge office in Jackson Square. (Submitted photo)

 

CapitalMark Bank and Trust changed its name and identity to Pinnacle Financial Partners on Monday in a sign unveiling event at its Oak Ridge office in Jackson Square.

CapitalMark was merged with Pinnacle on July 31, 2015, giving the firm a presence in three additional East Tennessee counties. CapitalMark had continued to operate under its brand until the systems and operations of the companies were totally integrated with Pinnacle.

Clients from both firms will enjoy more benefits as a result of the integration, including the convenience of accessing 43 offices in Tennessee’s four urban markets—Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, and Chattanooga, a press release said.

For the past month, Pinnacle has communicated extensively with clients to explain the changes they will see in procedures, materials, and the website, www.pnfp.com, the release said. [Read more…]

Support ADFAC through ‘Dine and Donate’ on Monday

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Gondolier and Hoskins, both in Clinton, are two of March’s Dine and Donate restaurants. (Submitted photo)

 

On Monday, March 14, six local restaurants will donate a generous portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

Restaurants participating on Monday, March 14, are:

  • Gondolier in Clinton
  • Hoskins in Clinton
  • Mediterranean Delight in Oak Ridge
  • Outback Steakhouse in Oak Ridge
  • Razzleberry’s in Oak Ridge
  • Papa Murphy’s in Oak Ridge

[Read more…]

Healthcare employers invited to participate in Roane State job fair

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Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building

Roane State Community College is having a job fair from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building at the Oak Ridge campus at 701 Briarcliff Avenue. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Employers are invited to participate in a March 30 job fair at Roane State Community College for students who are pursuing careers in health care and plan to graduate this year.

The fair is planned for Wednesday, March 30, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus, which is at 701 Briarcliff Avenue. Setup begins at 11 a.m. in the Goff Health Sciences and Technology Building.

Employers are asked to register by March 18. There is no registration fee. To register, visit www.roanestate.edu/jobfair. [Read more…]

TVC announces sessions, speakers for 2016 Summit at Tennessee Tech

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TVA 2016 National Summit

On June 1-2, more than 300 community, academic, and government leaders from the five-state region will gather at Tennessee Tech University for the 2016 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit to focus attention on the vital role entrepreneurs provide in turning the brain power and technologies from the region’s universities and federal programs into new business start-ups and the expansion of existing businesses.

The Summit is themed “Where Entrepreneurs and Technology Meet.” The event will be hosted by Tennessee Tech University President Phil Oldham in cooperation with U.S. Representative Diane Black.

The Summit will include two main sessions. [Read more…]