David Holden
Submitted
David Holden, a manager at the Knoxville–Knox County Office on Aging, will speak on “How Changes in Medicare Regulations Will Affect You” at noon Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church.
The Health Luncheon program in the church’s Activities Building, Room 102, is free and open to the community. The lunch costs $5. Call (865) 483-1318 to make reservations and indicate whether you wish to buy lunch. [Read more…]
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class David Bickham, second from right, of Fort Campbell, Ky., escorts Joyce Ward, right, of Oak Ridge, after a Saturday funeral for her oldest son, Staff Sgt. Christopher Michael Ward, who died in an April 6 explosion in Afghanistan. Also pictured are Christopher’s two younger brothers, Travis and Matthew.
For many of us, the war in Afghanistan—now the nation’s longest—is largely forgotten. We are consumed, most of the time, by our daily lives, working, paying bills, raising children, and having a little fun when we can.
But Joyce Ward of Oak Ridge will never forget. Her oldest son, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Michael Ward, 24, died in southern Afghanistan one week ago, the victim of an apparent suicide car bombing that also killed two other soldiers, a U.S. diplomat, and a Department of Defense civilian. They had been delivering donated books to children in Zabul province.
Christopher Michael Ward
Ward was remembered and honored during a Saturday funeral at Weatherford Mortuary in Oak Ridge. In a celebration of his life that mixed occasional laughter with many tears, Ward received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal, as well as the Tennessee Fallen Heroes Medal.
The three medals were presented to his mother, Joyce Ward of Oak Ridge, in a ceremony with Gen. Jefforey Smith, commanding general of Fort Knox, Ky. Smith called Ward a man of character, a member of the small group of Americans who join the military. [Read more…]
Christopher Michael Ward
The Oak Ridge soldier who was killed in Afghanistan one week ago received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal during his funeral Saturday, as well as a Tennessee Fallen Heroes Medal.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Michael Ward, 24, was killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan on April 6.
The medals were presented to his mother, Joyce Ward of Oak Ridge, during a funeral on Saturday at Weatherford Mortuary.
“On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you,” U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann told Joyce Ward.
Oak Ridge firefighters salute as Oak Ridge police and other law enforcement officers escort the body of U.S. Army soldier Christopher Michael Ward, 24, to Weatherford Mortuary. Ward died in southern Afghanistan on April 6. (Photo by Tom Scott)
Oak Ridge Police Department motorcycles and police cars helped escort the body of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Michael Ward, 24, from McGhee Tyson airport to Oak Ridge on Friday morning.
Ward, who was killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan on April 6, was taken to Weatherford Mortuary, where a receiving of friends starts at 10 a.m. Saturday before a 12 p.m. celebration of life.
Oak Ridge police had units stationed at intersections as Ward’s body was escorted through the city. Oak Ridge firefighters saluted as the hearse passed by Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue at about 10:30 a.m. [Read more…]
Lamar Alexander
Bob Corker
The U.S. Senate on Thursday agreed to start debate on gun control legislation.
It was considered the first hurdle in the most serious gun control effort in years.
U.S. senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, both Tennessee Republicans, were among the senators who voted 68-31 to turn back a filibuster and move on to the bill. [Read more…]
The Household Hazardous Waste Collection event will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Oak Ridge Public Works Building.
Items accepted include: [Read more…]
Tom Beehan
A new national historical park that could include Oak Ridge would honor the history of the Manhattan Project, the most significant event of the 20th Century, Mayor Tom Beehan will tell a U.S. House subcommittee in testimony this morning.
The Manhattan Project was a top-secret U.S. program to build the world’s first atomic weapons. The three Manhattan Project sites that could be included in the new park are Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, N.M., and Hanford, Wash.
Despite what some detractors might say, the proposed park is not about weapons, Beehan wrote in prepared testimony.
“I believe this historical park is about scientific and engineering accomplishments at a time when our country was defending itself, both during World War II and the Cold War,” he said. [Read more…]
Flags at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building and city facilities will be flown at half-staff from noon Friday until sunset Saturday in honor of a solider killed in Afghanistan last week, City Manager Mark Watson said.
Funeral services for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Michael Ward, 24, start at 10 a.m. Saturday at Weatherford Mortuary in Oak Ridge. Ward’s mother lives in Oak Ridge, and he attended Oak Ridge High School before enlisting in the Army at 17. [Read more…]
SSG Christopher Michael Ward
A Saturday funeral has been scheduled for an Oak Ridge soldier killed in southern Afghanistan by a suicide car bomber last weekend.
The funeral for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Michael Ward, 24, starts with a receiving of friends from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Weatherford Mortuary in Oak Ridge.
A celebration of Chris’ life will follow at 12 p.m. Family and friends will have a chance to share their stories and memories of Chris. Full military honors will be provided.
Following the services, the family will welcome friends to their home in Oak Ridge, the obituary said. In keeping with Chris’ wishes, his body will be cremated. [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Civic Center swimming pool will be closed on April 12 and 13 for deck maintenance. The pool is scheduled to re-open April 15 on normal schedule.
For more information, call the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department at (865) 425-3450 or visit the city’s website at www.oakridgetn.gov
The New China Palace on Melton Lake Drive has been granted a three-month lease extension, and the restaurant will be open on the city’s waterfront through May. The restaurant plans to re-open on Central Avenue by July.
The New China Palace restaurant will be open on the Oak Ridge waterfront through May, and the new owner plans to open in a new place on Central Avenue by July.
In a letter last June, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told the restaurant’s former owners Chung-Nan Chou and Fu-Li Chou that the city would not renew the lease when it expired in February.
But the new owner Cheng Ping Ren said the city gave the restaurant a three-month lease extension on the waterfront site on Melton Lake Drive. It expires May 31. [Read more…]
Daniel B. Poneman
A U.S. Department of Energy official on Wednesday said the president’s $28.4 billion budget request for DOE emphasizes a “continued commitment to an all-of-the-above energy strategy that prioritizes investments in innovation, clean energy technologies, and national security.”
President Barack Obama released his budget proposal for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 on Wednesday. It still has to be considered by Congress.
U.S. Deputy Secretary Daniel B. Poneman said the proposed budget request for DOE is part of an administration-wide effort to “strengthen the American economy with energy that is cleaner, cheaper, and creates sustainable jobs. [Read more…]
