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ORHS Masquers Showcase is Saturday

Posted at 10:33 pm November 10, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge High School Masquers Fall Showcase is Saturday.

The performances will start at 7 p.m. Saturday in the ORHS Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $5 at the door or online at https://orhsmasquers.booktix.com/.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Entertainment, K-12, Music, Theater, Top Stories Tagged With: Fall Showcase, Masquers, Oak Ridge High School

School bus driver arrested following alleged assault on elementary student

Posted at 8:13 pm November 3, 2023
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Matthew Bak

Note: This story was last updated at 9:30 p.m.

Oak Ridge police arrested a 73-year-old school bus driver Friday evening on an aggravated assault charge after he allegedly acted aggressively toward an elementary-aged student, the city said in a press release. Additional charges are pending, the press release said.

Matthew T. Bak of Oliver Springs was taken into custody Friday following an investigation into reports that he acted aggressively toward an elementary-aged student on the bus he was driving on Thursday evening, the City of Oak Ridge said in the press release. Bak’s actions caused all students on the bus to fear for their safety, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, Matthew T. Bak, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Police Department, school bus

Links between religion, violence, gender to be discussed at Lunch with League

Posted at 5:45 pm October 30, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

Rosalind Hackett

Links between religion, violence, and gender will be discussed during Lunch with the League on Tuesday, November 7.

Lunch with the League is hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.

The November 7 talk is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

“All are welcome to bring their lunch or purchase a boxed lunch for a nominal fee,” a press release said. “Coffee and tea will be served. The presentation will begin at noon.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Churches, College, Community, Education, Front Page News Tagged With: gender, League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, Lunch with the League, religion, Rosalind Hackett, violence

Final days of ORHS WildBand fruit sale

Posted at 5:17 pm October 30, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge High School WildBand earned the top class 5A band spot September 23, 2023, at the Clinch River Classic competition.  The performance was titled “WildBand presents…METAL.” In addition to first place for the band, WildBand received first place for percussion, second place for drum majors and second place for guard. (Photo courtesy Michael Johnson)

This is your last week to order Oak Ridge High School WildBand fruit to arrive in time for the winter holidays.

It’s also your last chance to see WildBand perform its award-winning METAL halftime show during the Oak Ridge football playoff game at Blankenship Field on November 3, a press release said. “The band had strong 4A showings recently at the Walden Ridge and Foothills Classic marching competitions,” the release said. 

The award-winning band, which has a fresh fruit fundraiser, consistently earns superior ratings and top-ranking placements at regional marching band competitions, while also providing the community artistic enrichment through annual concerts and halftime shows at football games, the press release said.

It said the indoor percussion ensemble and winter guard achieve the highest scores and rankings in regional contests, and in 2022, both made it to the finals in regional WGI competitions. The indoor percussion ensemble went on to achieve a historic 10th place finals finish at the WGI World Championship in Dayton, Ohio, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Education, Entertainment, Front Page News, K-12, Music, Top Stories Tagged With: fruit sale, Michael Spirko, Oak Ridge High School Wildband, ORHS Symphonic Band

Library announces check-out changes

Posted at 2:38 pm July 1, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The new outdoor book drop is pictured above at the Oak Ridge Public Library. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

Ten days after celebrating renovations, the Oak Ridge Public Library has announced changes to its check-out procedures and policies that take effect on Saturday, July 1. Among the changes:

  • The library will no longer charge overdue fees for materials that are returned late (interlibrary loans are an exception).
  • The library will automatically renew eligible items that have not been returned if the item does not have a hold. However, there is a limit to the renewals, and library patrons will still be charged for lost or damaged items.

The City of Oak Ridge described the new check-out procedures in a press release.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Education, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: check-out procedure, Oak Ridge Public Library, overdue fees, renewal

Oak Ridgers celebrate library renovations

Posted at 6:53 pm June 20, 2023
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Public Library Director Julie Forkner, right, talks to a standing-room-only crowd about renovations to the library’s East Wing on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A standing-room-only crowd attended the grand re-opening celebration of renovations to the East Wing of the Oak Ridge Public Library on Tuesday.

The renovations include a brand-new Children’s Room and bathrooms that meet Americans with Disability Act standards.

The projects were made possible through a combination of funding from the City of Oak Ridge, a Support Grant to Local Governments, and the Friends of Oak Ridge Public Library administering a bequest (a personal property gift) on behalf of Jerry Kinnamon.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: Children's Room, east wing, Julie Forkner, Oak Ridge Public Library, Oak Ridge Room, renovations

Sholl named interim executive director of UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute

Posted at 3:12 am June 13, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

David Sholl will serve as interim executive director of the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute. (Photo credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Department of Energy)

David Sholl, director of the Transformational Decarbonization Initiative at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been appointed interim executive director of the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute. His appointment was effective Monday, June 12.

“Sholl’s background, passion, and expertise will ensure continued progress as the institute recruits exemplary joint research faculty, builds its research portfolio, develops students and prepares them to become leaders, and contributes to workforce development in areas important to Tennessee,” a press release said.

“The work UT faculty and students are doing in partnership with ORNL researchers is advancing the frontiers of knowledge and strengthening Tennessee’s leadership role in areas like clean energy, future mobility, advanced materials, and next-generation manufacturing,” said UT Chancellor Donde Plowman. “We look forward to working with David and to leveraging our strategic partnership with ORNL to advance discoveries, learning, and innovations that make life and lives better here in Tennessee and around the world.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Front Page News, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: David Sholl, Donde Plowman, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Transformational Decarbonization Initiative, U.S. Department of Energy, University of Tennessee, University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, UT

Oak Ridge Public Library East Wing grand reopening set for June 20

Posted at 6:15 pm June 6, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Renovations of the East Wing of the Oak Ridge Public Library include a brand-new Children’s Room and bathrooms that meet Americans with Disability Act standards.

The library will celebrate with a June 20 grand reopening.

The projects were made possible through a combination of funding from the City of Oak Ridge, a Support Grant to Local Governments, and the Friends of Oak Ridge Public Library administering a bequest (a personal property gift) on behalf of Jerry Kinnamon.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories Tagged With: Children's Room, Julie Forkner, Oak Ridge Public Library, renovations

Superintendent to discuss ‘State of Oak Ridge Schools’

Posted at 12:58 am April 18, 2023
By Maureen Hoyt Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers will speak about the “State of Oak Ridge Schools” at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, April 18.

The program is open to the community and will be held from 12-1 p.m. at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. A meet and greet will begin at 11:30 a.m. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: Bruce Borchers, League of Women Voters, Lunch with the League, Oak Ridge Schools

Pint Night with Sam & Mary Ann Venable to benefit Front Page Foundation

Posted at 1:00 pm April 13, 2023
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

Mary Ann and Sam Venable

Sam and Mary Ann Venable will bring humor and conversation as celebrity guest bartenders at a Pint Night raising funds for journalism and communications scholarships on Thursday, April 13, at Scruffy City Hall.

The Venables will help the nonprofit Front Page Foundation raise money for scholarships from 5-8 p.m. April 13 at the bar and restaurant at 32 Market Square in Knoxville. Scott and Bernadette West, Scruffy City Hall’s owners, will donate a portion of drink proceeds to the Foundation, which hosts Pint Nights periodically with celebrity guest bartenders.

Sam Venable, columnist specializing in humor for the Knoxville News Sentinel, has written for the newspaper since 1970. A graduate of the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he is the author of 14 books, most recently “The Joke’s on YOU! All I Did Was Empty My Files.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Community, Education, Entertainment, Front Page News, Nonprofits Tagged With: East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists, Front Page Foundation, Mary Ann Venable, Sam Venable, Scruffy City Hall

Schools publish number of open seats per school

Posted at 4:21 am March 12, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Schools has published the number of open seats available in each grade at elementary and middle schools for students who are interested in cross-boundary and out-of-district tuition enrollment.

The number of open seats ranges from zero to eight, depending upon the school and grade. Numbers are subject to change based on new families moving into the district, according to Oak Ridge Schools.

The open enrollment numbers for the 2023-2024 school year are available on this school district website page: Enrollment Information for 2023-2024 – Oak Ridge Schools (ortn.edu).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, K-12 Tagged With: cross-boundary, enrollment, Oak Ridge Schools, open enrollment, tuition enrollment, tuition rates

Austin Knight Foundation donates $5,000 to Roane State’s EMS program

Posted at 5:38 am March 11, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Pictured above from left to right are David Blevins, Roane State EMS Program Director; Ginny Cole Davis, WATE-TV’s Living East Tennessee (and a Roane State alum); Amanda and B.J. Hillard with son Finn; and Scott Niermann, Roane State Foundation Executive Director. (Submitted photo)

A foundation established by the parents of a former Roane State Community College student recently donated $5,000 in support of the community college’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program.

William “B.J.” Hillard and Amanda Hillard said they are honoring the memory of their son, Austin Logan Knight, through the Austin Knight Foundation. Austin was killed in a car crash in 2018, just a month after enrolling in Roane State’s EMT program.

Over the last five years, Austin’s parents have worked to incorporate their late son’s passions with their efforts in the community on behalf of the foundation, a press release said. As Roane State’s EMS program director David Blevins explained, this also provides them an opportunity to tell Austin’s story.

“Austin wanted to become an EMT to help others,” Blevins said. “He was committed to his goal of learning to save lives and understood what makes the profession so special, even at such a young age. Seeing his family find new ways to help others in his memory is truly inspiring.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: College, Education, Front Page News, Top Stories Tagged With: Austin Knight Foundation, Austin Logan Knight, David Blevins, emergency medical services, emergency medical technician, EMS, EMT, Roane State Community College, Roane State Foundation, Scott Niermann

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  • ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal+ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 goal More than $1 million raised in past 10 years benefits United Way and Community Shares Oak Ridge, Tenn. —ORAU exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 in donations as part of its internal annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares nonprofit organizations. ORAU has raised more than $1 million over the past 10 years through this campaign. A total of $126,839 was pledged during the 2024 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign. Employees donate via payroll deduction and could earmark their donation for United Way, Community Shares or both. “ORAU has remained a strong pillar in the community for more than 75 years, and we encourage our employees to consider participating in our annual giving campaign each year to help our less fortunate neighbors in need,” said ORAU President and CEO Andy Page. “Each one of our employees has the power to positively impact the lives of those who need help in the communities where we do business across the country and demonstrate the ORAU way – taking care of each other.” ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, provides science, health and workforce solutions that address national priorities and serve the public interest. Through our specialized teams of experts and access to a consortium of more than 150 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to provide innovative scientific and technical solutions and help advance their missions. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Learn more about ORAU at www.orau.org. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakRidgeAssociatedUniversities Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/orau Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orau ###
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