Oak Ridge Today

New SRO approved at Oak Ridge Schools, could start Monday

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Oak Ridge City Council

The Oak Ridge City Council voted 5-1 on Monday to approve a move that allows another school resource officer, or SRO, to be added to Oak Ridge Schools.

Note: This story was updated at 9:45 a.m. Jan. 14.

The Oak Ridge City Council approved a move on Monday that will add a second school resource officer in the city’s schools, and the new SRO could start Monday.

The new SRO is Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Michael Swigert. The current SRO is Officer Sherrill Selby.

It’s not as big a step as some officials had proposed during the past few years. There have been various proposals to have a total of three SROs, including one at each of the city’s two middle schools, or even more, perhaps one SRO at each school. The discussions seemed to gain urgency after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December 2012, but funding has been an obstacle. [Read more…]

City move could add another police officer to Oak Ridge Schools

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Oak Ridge High School

The number of reported crimes is down at Oak Ridge High School since police officers were given office space there in August, and a move recommended by city administrators could add another school resource officer in the Oak Ridge school system.

The number of reported crimes is down at Oak Ridge High School since police officers were given office space there in August, and a move recommended by city administrators could add another school resource officer in the Oak Ridge school system.

It’s part of a program to improve student safety and use law enforcement to reduce unacceptable student behaviors, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson and Police Chief Jim Akagi said.

Oak Ridge Schools now have one school resource officer, or SRO. There have been discussions about adding more officers, especially since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December 2012, but funding has been an obstacle.

On Monday, the Oak Ridge City Council will consider a resolution that would allow the Oak Ridge Police Department to hire an extra police officer, exceeding its authorized personnel staffing levels, in order to assign an existing police officer as an SRO. There have been proposals to add more—in December, City Council member Trina Baughn proposed one at each of the city’s two middle schools—but Watson and Akagi are recommending one additional officer now. [Read more…]

Weather: Anderson, Roane schools closed Tuesday, Lunch with League canceled

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Anderson and Roane county schools will also be closed Tuesday due to hazardous road conditions, record low temperatures, and negative wind chills.

As reported earlier, students at Oak Ridge Schools will not return from Winter Break on Tuesday, but will instead start on Wednesday.

The Lunch with the League scheduled for Tuesday has been canceled due to the cold weather.

Anderson County Schools said its Central Office staff will follow bad weather procedures. Roane County Schools said the Central Office staff will report to work at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Wind chill values Monday night could range from -3 in Chattanooga to -16 in Oneida, with the forecast calling for -9 in Knoxville, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown. Wind chill values near Oak Ridge are forecast to range between -7 and -12.

Oak Ridge Schools opening delayed to Wednesday, press conference rescheduled

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Dangerously Cold Wind Chills

Students at Oak Ridge Schools will return to class on Wednesday, rather than Tuesday, and the Keys to College press conference that had been scheduled for Monday afternoon has been rescheduled due to the weather. And the Anderson County Schools Central Office is closed Monday, officials said.

As reported earlier, Roane County Schools are closed Monday.

The Oak Ridge Schools’ press conference on the Keys to College and Career Readiness program has been rescheduled to 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Oak Ridge High School lobby. [Read more…]

Tuesday presentation by UT professor to focus on science, ethics, war

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Jeffrey Kovac

Jeffrey Kovac

A University of Tennessee professor will discuss science and war-related research during a Tuesday presentation in Oak Ridge. (Note: This presentation was canceled due to the weather and could be rescheduled later.)

Jeffrey Kovac, a UT chemistry professor and director of undergraduate studies, will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League at noon Tuesday.

“Science and the military have had a long and often mutually beneficial relationship, a relationship that is seldom questioned,” a press release said. “But because scientists are simultaneously professionals, citizens of a particular country, and human beings, sometimes with strong religious convictions, they are subject to conflicting moral and practical demands. In this presentation, Dr. Kovac will examine the question of whether scientists should engage in war-related research and, if so, under what circumstances.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools have Monday press conference on Keys to College and Career Readiness

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Bruce Borchers

Bruce Borchers

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers and his staff will have a Monday afternoon press conference on a program called the Keys to College and Career Readiness.

The press conference starts at 2 p.m. Monday in the Oak Ridge High School lobby. (Update: This press conference has been rescheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday due to the weather.)

“Improving the college and career readiness of all Oak Ridge students will provide for a better foundation of knowledge and skills, allowing them to be prepared for a more technologically sophisticated and internationally competitive working world,” a press release said.

The Keys to College and Career Readiness program was developed by interviewing and surveying Oak Ridge students, parents, staff, and community during a three-month period the release said. More than 1,400 responses were logged and shaped into the seven “keys.” The keys will be used to drive school and district initiatives for the coming years, the release said.

Snow, bitter cold from Sunday night through Tuesday; some schools closed

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Weather forecasters are calling for snow and bitterly cold conditions across the region from Sunday night through Tuesday, and they said Monday night could be the coldest night in more than 10 years.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said a cold front will approach the area Sunday night, and rain will transition to snow in the late evening, with arctic air moving in behind the front.

Low temperatures from Monday night into Tuesday will range from -6 degrees Fahrenheit to around 5 degrees across the region. Dangerously cold wind chills are expected Monday through Tuesday morning. Wind chills will drop to 15 to 25 degrees below zero across the plateau and mountains, and between 5 and 15 degrees below zero over the valley. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation names new director

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Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation Jenna Whitney and Lila Metcalf

Lila Metcalf, left, former director of the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, welcomes the new foundation director, Jenna Whitney. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation has named a new director.

Jenna Whitney started Jan. 1, the foundation’s board of directors announced this week. Whitney has more than 15 years of general management experience in the professional services industry and the U.S. government.

Whitney replaces the foundation’s first director, Lila Metcalf, who has announced that she is leaving the position after almost 10 years with the foundation. She will return full-time to her nursing career.

Whitney recently served as a program manager at a defense contracting firm with oversight of more than $59 million in U.S. government contracts, and she has directed a portfolio of engineering and technical support contracts, a press release said. She has worked overseas for the U.S. State Department, managing financial operations and leading strategic and technical initiatives. [Read more…]

Registration under way for Roane State’s spring semester; fee deadline is Jan. 6

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Registration is under way for the spring 2014 semester at Roane State Community College.

Students need to be aware when they register that the college has a Jan. 6 fee deadline. Students who have registered must pay their fees by Jan. 6 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern to keep their class schedules for spring semester.

Students can pay fees at www.roanestate.edu. They need to log in to RaiderNet and click “Your Account” to get started. [Read more…]

Healthcare employers invited to participate in Roane State job fair

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Employers are invited to participate in a Feb. 26 job fair for Roane State Community College students who are pursuing careers in health care.

The fair is planned for Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 1-4 p.m. at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus, 701 Briarcliff Ave. Setup begins at noon.

Employers are asked to register by Feb. 14. There is no registration fee. To register online, visit www.roanestate.edu/placement. [Read more…]

Register for ORICL courses and trips by Jan. 8; semester starts Feb. 3

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ORICL Wagon Ride at Fall Retreat

More than 30 ORICL members enjoyed a fall retreat at Henry Horton State Park last October. Here, many are ready to take the first wagon ride tour around the park. The tractor driver is the tour guide. (Submitted photo)

Want to know how to improve your bidding in the game of bridge? Play easy songs on the guitar? Take better photos with your digital camera?

These are among the practical courses offered during the winter-spring 2014 semester of the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning, starting Feb. 3.

You can also take ORICL how-to courses on drawing, painting with watercolors, designing earrings, using the computer for genealogical research, retiring successfully, and speaking French, German or Spanish.

The early registration deadline is Jan. 8, 2014, for the winter-spring semester, which ends April 25. Members should register by this date to have the best chance of getting preferred classes and trips. [Read more…]

Hospitality houses get decked in Christmas cheer by cheerleaders

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ORHS Cheerleaders Decorate Hospitality House

Cheerleaders from Oak Ridge High School helped to decorate the Hospitality Houses of Methodist Medical Center for Christmas. The houses offer temporary lodging to patients and families who must travel for extended care at Methodist, even during the holidays. (Submitted photo)

Cheerleaders from Oak Ridge High School decorated hospitality houses at Methodist Medical Center for Christmas.

The Hospitality Houses provide a home away from home for cancer patients and families who must travel for extended medical care at Methodist Medical Center.

“But just because some guests can’t be home during the holiday season doesn’t mean they have to miss the festive feel of garland-draped porches and trees glittering with lights,” a press release said. “Thanks to the Oak Ridge High School cheerleaders, the Hospitality Houses at Methodist Medical Center will be a welcoming Christmas site for all the guests who stay there.” [Read more…]