Oak Ridge Today

Free business workshop on March 18

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The Tennessee Small Business Development Center, in partnership with the University of Tennessee CIS-PTAC, will offer a free workshop on Tuesday, March 18, from 1-3 p.m.

The “Joint Venture and Teaming Agreements” workshop will discuss government regulations and requirements, as well as practical advice on how to put together your own successful team or joint venture. This presentation will also provide recommendations for strategies in competing for government contracts as part of a team. [Read more…]

Charges pending against juvenile who attacked several officers, police say

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Oak Ridge High School

Oak Ridge High School is pictured above.

Charges are pending against a 17-year-old male student who allegedly created a violent disturbance in an Oak Ridge High School classroom on Thursday morning, fled the campus, and then attacked several officers trying to make contact with him in a parking lot across the street, authorities said.

The high school staff reported the classroom disturbance to Oak Ridge Police Department school resource officers at about 8:01 a.m. Thursday, a press release said. The student was located in a parking lot across the street from the high school. [Read more…]

UT Aboretum to present ‘Healthy Trees-Healthy Tennessee’ on March 13

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The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will present “Healthy Trees—Healthy Tennessee” on Thursday, March 13, at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge at 7 p.m.

Alex Wyss, East Tennessee project director with the Tennessee Nature Conservancy, will be giving an interactive slide show presentation to educate the public about several forest pests that are impacting Tennessee urban and rural forests, and he will discuss what can be done to help stop the spread of these destructive insects.

The Nature Conservancy’s Healthy Trees, Healthy Tennessee trains volunteers in tree stewardship and tree health monitoring. They also engage the public and tree care professionals in tree pest identification, tree health monitoring, and long-term care of trees. The organization’s goal is to raise awareness about the importance of trees and what people can do to keep trees healthy through education and outreach. [Read more…]

Postdocs wanted for energy efficiency, renewable energy research awards

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Applications being accepted through the end of April

Oak Ridge Associated Universities and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy are taking applications for the EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards, an opportunity for recent Ph.D. recipients to conduct applied research at universities, national laboratories, and other research facilities. Applications are being accepted here until April 30.

The EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards aim to support scientific leaders in energy efficiency and renewable energy by attracting the best scientists and engineers to pursue breakthrough technologies in a postdoctoral research program. EERE research participants will have access to unique education and training opportunities, top scientists in their field, and state-of-the-art projects and equipment. [Read more…]

No students injured when car hits school bus

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No students were injured when a car crashed into the front of a school bus that had stopped to pick up students at Hillside Road and Highland Avenue on Wednesday morning, officials said.

Diane Gibson, transportation director for Oak Ridge Schools, said the driver was picking up two students when she heard a crash and then watched as a car hit the front of Bus 1937 from Willow Brook Elementary School.

“There was nothing she could have done differently,” the schools said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. [Read more…]

Charges pending against ORHS student who assaulted officer, police say

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Charges are pending against an Oak Ridge High School student accused of assaulting an officer and classmate on Monday, authorities said.

An Oak Ridge Police Department press release said School Resource Officer Michael Swigert saw the 17-year-old male involved in a disturbance with a high school staff member at about 2:13 p.m. Monday. The staff member said the unruly boy had just assaulted a 17-year-old female classmate, the release said.

“Officer Swigert attempted to contact the student, who refused to comply with the officer’s commands and continued to create a disturbance, yelling, slamming doors, and knocking over a floor sign,” the press release said. “When Officer Swigert ordered the student to cease his actions, the student again refused to comply and assaulted the officer.” [Read more…]

Education Foundation will award $80,000 more to Oak Ridge teachers

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The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation will award another $80,000 in grants to Oak Ridge teachers this year, and applications are now being accepted for the 2014 grant cycle.

This year, the Foundation will award $80,000 in grants to teachers, administrative staff, and student groups as part of its ongoing “Making the Critical Difference” campaign. Grant applications are due no later than March 31.

This campaign provides resources and teaching tools over and above those funded with tax dollars, typically in the range of $500 to $5,000, a press release said. The grants are not intended for salaries or to replace items that may have been cut from the schools’ annual budgets. Since the program began in 2004, the Foundation has awarded a total of more than $399,000 to dozens of teachers in every grade. ORPSEF grants may be made for educational programming, professional development, equipment, facilities, travel, conferences, or other purposes that might be approved by the Foundation. [Read more…]

ORISE report shows nuclear engineering graduation rates on the rise in 2013

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Number of graduate degrees expected to remain consistent but undergraduate degrees could see decrease starting in 2015; UT among Top 3 degree-granting programs

The number of college students graduating with majors in nuclear engineering continues to increase, according to a report by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, which surveyed 32 U.S. universities with nuclear engineering programs. The report, titled “Nuclear Engineering Enrollments and Degrees Survey, 2013 Data,” includes degrees granted between Sept. 1, 2012, and Aug. 31, 2013.

Graduate, undergraduate nuclear engineering degrees increased from last year [Read more…]

Weather: Schools, courts, offices closed; Wildcats sectional game now on Tuesday

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Note: This story was last updated at 1:20 p.m.

Schools in Anderson County, Clinton, and Knox and Morgan counties are closed today (Monday) because of weather conditions and possible icing. And the Wildcats boys’ basketball sectional game in Kingsport, featuring Oak Ridge and Dobyns-Bennett, has been postponed to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Roane State Community College is closing its Campbell, Cumberland, Morgan, Scott, and Fentress county campuses due to icy roads. The campuses in Oak Ridge and Loudon, Knox, and Roane counties are open, but classes at the Clinton facility have been canceled.

The afternoon docket for the Anderson County General Sessions Court in Clinton has been canceled starting at 1 p.m. The afternoon docket for Anderson County Juvenile Court has also been canceled. And the Anderson County Courthouse closed at 1 p.m.

Tennessee officials said state offices will be closed the remainder of the day statewide, but mission-critical state employees will report to work as usual. [Read more…]

Guest column: Schools ask for second vote on calendars

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Christopher J. Marczak

Christopher J. Marczak

By Chris Marczak

We want your vote..one more time! The Oak Ridge Board of Education has asked for one more community vote for the two calendars that are being proposed for the Oak Ridge School system starting for the 2015-16 school year.

The first vote collected on Feb. 10 showed English-speaking parents favored the balanced calendar 1,094 to 183; Spanish-speaking families were split down the middle with a 43-to-43 vote; and staff favored the balanced calendar 395 to 176.

The two calendars being proposed are called a traditional calendar and a balanced calendar. Both of these proposed calendars have been looked at and discussed by the district’s Curriculum and Instruction team; a district Calendar Committee comprised of teachers and administrators; the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Board made up of parents from all schools; Superintendent Bruce Borchers; and me. Both calendars give staff and parents a choice in the type of calendar they want for the children of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Anderson school board to consider director’s contract

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The Anderson County Board of Education will consider the employment contract for the schools director during a March 13 meeting.

During the meeting, the board could extend, renew, or terminate the contract with Director of Schools Larry Foster, a press release said.

The Anderson County School system serves about 6,600 students in nine elementary schools, four middle schools, two high schools, a career and technical center, a K-12 alternative school and a pre-school/Headstart program. The school system also provides an adult education program. [Read more…]

YAB, Youth Leadership take educational trip to Nashville

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Youth Advisory Board on Nashville Trip

Members of both groups are pictured above in the State Senate Chamber with Sen. Randy McNally and Rep. John Ragan. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board and Youth Leadership Oak Ridge groups combined forces and took an educational trip to Nashville on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

While in Nashville, students attended a state committee meeting and participated in a mock Senate session led by Sen. Randy McNally and Rep. John Ragan, a press release said. The group also toured the State Capitol Building, the Tennessee State Museum, and LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans.

For more information about the Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board, contact Matt Reedy with the Recreation and Parks Department at (865) 425-3442. For more information about the Youth Leadership Oak Ridge group, contact Greta Ownby at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at (865) 483-1321.