Oak Ridge Today

Cheerleaders decorate MMC hospitality homes for cancer patients

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge High School Cheerleaders at Hospitality Houses

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)

Oak Ridge High School cheerleaders recently decorated two hospitality homes at Methodist Medical Center for Christmas.

The Hospitality Houses provide a home away from home for cancer patients and families receiving 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.

[Read more…]

School security ramped up in Anderson County, Clinton

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

In the wake of last week’s deadly school shootings in Connecticut, many people in the area have wondered what is being done to keep their children safe at school.

WYSH asked Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough how often officers conduct walk-throughs at the city’s three elementary schools. Scarbrough said every school in the city, including the three county schools within the city limits, are visited by officers two to three times per day in unscheduled, random, drop-in visits.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said there are eight full-time school resource officers, or SROs, who rotate between the county’s 17 schools. That number includes SROs who are assigned to just one school, namely the two county high schools.

[Read more…]

Two more finalists withdraw from superintendent search

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Two more finalists for Oak Ridge Schools superintendent have withdrawn, and the search will have to be re-opened, an official said Wednesday.

One candidate, Roger Collins, toured Oak Ridge this past Friday. The other, Dan Lawson, was scheduled to be here Thursday, but that visit has been canceled.

On Wednesday, Oak Ridge Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer said Collins and Lawson have decided they want to stay where they are. Collins has been superintendent of Nelson County Public Schools in Lovingston, Va., for 10 years. Lawson, superintendent of Tullahoma City Schools in Tullahoma, Tenn., has been with his district 16 years.

[Read more…]

Connecticut massacre focuses attention on school security in Tennessee

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The school shootings in Newtown, Conn., on Friday have focused attention on school security in Tennessee, led to pledges to increase the police presence at some schools, and bolstered calls for more school resource officers across the state.

It has also revived an intense debate about gun control in the United States.

The shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown last week killed 20 children, six adults, the gunman, and his mother. On Tuesday, the National Rifle Association said it was prepared to “offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again” and would have a major news conference on Friday.

In Tennessee, a few legislators have proposed requiring school resource officers in all schools, training at least one staff member to use firearms, or allowing teachers to carry handguns into schools not patrolled by armed police officers. But it’s not yet clear how much support—or funding—those proposals will have.

In Oak Ridge, Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer said education officials will continue to advocate for more school resource officers, or SROs. But local officials said adding SROs could depend upon funding.

In Anderson County, Mayor Terry Frank sent out information on Tuesday on the positive measures taken this week by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department after last week’s shooting, including four walk-throughs at Dutch Valley Elementary School on Monday.

[Read more…]

‘Meet and greet’ canceled with second superintendent candidate

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The “meet and greet” that had been scheduled with a second school superintendent candidate on Thursday has been canceled, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce said Tuesday.

The session had been scheduled for lunchtime Thursday with Dan Lawson. He is superintendent of Tullahoma City Schools in Tullahoma, Tenn.

[Read more…]

UT study predicts extreme climate in eastern United States

Posted at
By 2 Comments

From extreme drought to super storms, many wonder what the future holds for the climate of the eastern United States. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville does away with the guessing.

Results show the region will be hotter and wetter.

Joshua Fu, a civil and environmental engineering professor, and Yang Gao, a graduate research assistant, developed precise scales of cities that act as a climate crystal ball, seeing high-resolution climate changes almost 50 years into the future.

The study found that heat waves will become more severe in most regions of the eastern United States and that both the Northeast and Southeast will see a drastic increase in precipitation.

[Read more…]

Second superintendent finalist to visit Oak Ridge on Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The second of three finalists for Oak Ridge Schools superintendent will visit the city on Thursday.

Dan Lawson, superintendent of Tullahoma City Schools in Tullahoma, Tenn., will be at a “meet and greet” session at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce from 11:30-12:30 p.m. Thursday.

As part of his tour, he could also visit Willow Brook Elementary School and the Oak Ridge Preschool, Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer said Monday.

[Read more…]

One of three superintendent finalists tours Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Roger Collins Visits Oak Ridge

Roger Collins, superintendent of Nelson County Public Schools in Lovingston, Va., and his wife Debora visited Oak Ridge on Friday. Collins is one of three finalists for Oak Ridge Schools superintendent.

Roger Collins, one of three finalists for Oak Ridge Schools superintendent, was in town Friday to meet with local leaders and school administrators and tour the city.

Collins is now the superintendent of Nelson County Schools in Lovingston, Va. That system has 2,000 students, and it’s close to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia, Collins said.

He said Nelson County and Oak Ridge both have quality school systems.

[Read more…]

Roane State’s new arts magazine, the Rascal, now available online

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The first edition of the Roane State Rascal, the community college’s new arts magazine, is available online.

Visit www.roanestaterascal.org to view the magazine or download a copy.

Edited by Roane State’s Michael Hudson and Jessica Millis, the Rascal features fiction, poetry, art, and multimedia (online only). Roane State students, faculty, staff, and alumni contributed.

[Read more…]

Second top school administrator leaving Oak Ridge at end of year

Posted at
By 2 Comments

She was Oak Ridge preschool principal for 12 years and assistant interim superintendent for eight months, and now Marian Phillips has been offered a new job at the University of Tennessee.

She will start at UT on Jan. 7. She will be leaving Oak Ridge shortly after Superintendent Tom Bailey, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Phillips became assistant interim superintendent after Ken Green left in May.

[Read more…]

Company pledges $10,000 to five-year school foundation campaign

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Cadre5 and Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation

Steve Hicks, president and chief executive officer of Cadre5 LLC, is pictured with Cathy Toth, Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation secretary and chair of the ORPSEF Making a Critical Difference campaign. (Submitted photo)

During the next five years, the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation (ORPSEF) has set a goal to provide $100,000 annually to the Oak Ridge schools.

Cadre5, a full-service technology and design firm with a focus on custom software development and technology innovation, recently made a $10,000 commitment to the campaign, and the company will give $2,000 annually to help the ORPSEF reach its goal.

“Finding employees that have the skills to face some of the nation’s most difficult technical issues can be a challenge,” said Steve Hicks, president and chief executive officer of Cadre5 LLC. “By supporting our local schools, we not only create a community that is attractive to grow today’s businesses, we are establishing a strong foundation for our future workforce to ensure that we will have the talent to answer tomorrow’s tough questions.”

[Read more…]

Carolers at Oak Ridge Library on Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge High School Madrigal Singers will perform at noon Thursday at the Oak Ridge Public Library.

The students sing routinely in many languages and perform music from many time periods, Renaissance to modern, a press release said. Several participate in All East and All State choirs, and many receive college scholarships to help them pursue their music studies.

[Read more…]