Oak Ridge Today

Grandmother’s murder trial has been canceled, mental health evaluation ordered

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Valerie Stenson

Valerie Stenson

 

CLINTON—Scheduled for December, the murder trial of an Oak Ridge grandmother who is facing the death penalty has been canceled, and a mental health evaluation has been ordered.

On Thursday, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark in Clinton said he’s not sure if or when the trial for Valerie Stenson, 53, will be rescheduled, and he can’t address why the two-week trial in December has been canceled.

Some of the most recent court documents filed in the case relate to a psychiatric evaluation for Stenson. It’s not clear if that evaluation is related to the cancellation of the trial, which has been rescheduled before, but it does seem that it would be difficult to conduct the evaluation, which could last up to 30 days, before the trial in December.

A status hearing was scheduled for Stenson in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Monday, and subpoenas filed on Tuesday said the trial is off. It had been scheduled for December 4-8 and from December 11-15.

An August 14 order for a psychiatric evaluation that was filed by Anderson County Criminal Court Judge Don Elledge said Stenson was previously evaluated by State of Tennessee experts and determined to be competent to stand trial and to help with her defense. [Read more…]

Report: Chair of nuclear safety board proposes eliminating it

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Sean Sullivan (Photo credit: DNFSB.gov)

Sean Sullivan (Photo credit: DNFSB.gov)

The chairman of a nuclear safety board that provides recommendations and advice on public health and safety issues at certain federal facilities, including two in Oak Ridge, has proposed eliminating the board, according to an investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.

In its October 19 report, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity said it had obtained a June 29 letter from Sean Sullivan, the Republican chair of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, to Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget.

The center has posted the five-page letter online along with an attached one-page historical summary of the five-member board, which issues weekly reports for U.S. Department of Energy sites that include Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, among other activities. In his letter, Sullivan said the board is a “relic of the Cold War-era defense establishment.”

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is an independent oversight organization within the executive branch. It was created by Congress in 1988 to provide advice and recommendations to the secretary of energy on public health and safety at the defense nuclear facilities managed by DOE. Those reports are publicly available and posted online, and they have been used by reporters and public interest organizations, among others. The Center for Public Integrity said the DNFSB has helped persuade the federal government to impose tighter safety rules and regulations at most of the eight nuclear weapons sites. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs man killed in crash on Marlow Road

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An Oliver Springs man died in a head-on collision on Marlow Road on Tuesday night, authorities said.

The crash was reported at about 10:19 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Tennessee Highway Patrol fatality report.

The THP report said Brian E. Hooks, 33, of Oliver Springs was driving east on Marlow Road in a 1992 Nissan four-door when he crossed the center line, entered the westbound lane, and collided head-on with a 1993 Chevrolet four-door driven by Ryan J. Maston, 26, of Clinton.

The crash was investigated by THP Sergeant Scott Hines. [Read more…]

ORNL, City of Oak Ridge partner on sensor project to capture city trends

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UrbanSense passively collects anonymous, open-source data from cellular towers to generate real-time estimates of population density in cities. Insights on how people interact with urban infrastructure helps cities like Oak Ridge, above, assess their needs and plan effectively for future development. (Image by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

UrbanSense passively collects anonymous, open-source data from cellular towers to generate real-time estimates of population density in cities. Insights on how people interact with urban infrastructure helps cities like Oak Ridge, above, assess their needs and plan effectively for future development. (Image by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

 

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are partnering with the City of Oak Ridge to develop UrbanSense, a comprehensive sensor network and real-time visualization platform that helps cities evaluate trends in urban activity.

The project, initiated by ORNL’s Urban Dynamics Institute, centers on addressing cities’ real-world challenges through applied urban science. Oak Ridge is the first city to test the new technology, which uses open-source, anonymous data from virtual and physical sensors.

“Preparing for urban growth and planning for future infrastructure development and resource demands are global problems, but cities need ways to be proactive on a local level,” said UDI Director Budhendra Bhaduri. “Our goal in bringing science to cities is to put the right tools and resources in the hands of city managers and urban planners so that they can assess local impacts and make strategic decisions to get the best return on future investments.”

UDI researchers Teja Kuruganti and Gautam Thakur from ORNL’s Computer Science and Engineering Division are collaborating with Oak Ridge Director of Administrative Services Bruce Applegate on the design and deployment of UrbanSense.

The prototype designed for Oak Ridge monitors population density, traffic flow, and environmental data including air and water quality, with a total of seven sensors to be installed in the city. “The longer they are in place and the more data they collect, the better the city’s sense of its trends will be,” Thakur said. [Read more…]

Centrus, ORNL contract continues uranium enrichment technology work in Oak Ridge

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American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center

The American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center in south Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy USEC/Centrus Energy Corp.)

 

A $16 million contract signed by Centrus Energy Corporation and and UT-Battelle LLC will continue work on gas centrifuge uranium enrichment technology at Centrus facilities in Oak Ridge, the company announced Monday.

The work is on the AC100, a U.S. gas centrifuge uranium enrichment technology.

UT-Battelle LLC operates Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Enriched uranium can be used in nuclear power plants and in nuclear weapons, as fuel for nuclear naval vessels, and to ensure a tritium supply, which is needed to maintain the effectiveness of America’s nuclear deterrent, officials have said previously.

The new Centrus-ORNL contract is valued at $16 million, with payments made when certain defined milestones are completed, Centrus said in a press release on Monday. The contract runs through September 30, 2018.

“Under the contract, Centrus’ scientists, engineers, and operators will test improvements developed by the company for the AC100 centrifuge machine in specialized facilities in Oak Ridge,” the press release said. “Centrus has worked under contract with ORNL since 2014 to improve the AC100 gas centrifuge technology to support national security and energy security needs.” [Read more…]

Learn about Tennessee’s bats at UT Arboretum on Thursday

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Photo courtesy University of Tennessee Arboretum Society

Photo courtesy University of Tennessee Arboretum Society

 

You can learn about the 16 species of Tennessee bats at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Thursday.

Sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society, this family friendly program will be led by Pandy English, the assistant chief of biodiversity for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, a press release said. It’s scheduled to start at the UT Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, November 2.

“We know that bats eat mosquitoes and help pollinate plants, but there is so much more to this mysterious creature,” the press release said.

The program will be at the UT Arboretum Auditorium, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue. It will include a PowerPoint presentation, bat “show and tell” items, and children’s activities at the end, the press release said. Attendees will learn about bat myths and facts, the characteristics and types of bats in Tennessee, and why bats are one of our most invaluable species. [Read more…]

Tourassi named top scientist at ORNL’s annual Awards Night

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Georgia Tourassi, Director’s Award winner for Outstanding Individual Accomplishment in Science and Technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (Photo by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

Georgia Tourassi, Director’s Award winner for Outstanding Individual Accomplishment in Science and Technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (Photo by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

 

Georgia Tourassi of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate has received the ORNL Director’s Award for Outstanding Individual Accomplishment in Science and Technology.

The top scientist award was presented to Tourassi by ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia during Saturday night’s annual Awards Night event hosted by UT-Battelle, the management and operating contractor of ORNL for the U.S. Department of Energy, a press release said.

Tourassi was recognized for advancing the research, development, and deployment of artificial intelligence in data-driven biomedical discovery and medical imaging, including applications for cancer diagnosis and management, the press release said. She was also cited for her support of the missions of biomedical scientific societies and federal agencies and for mentoring students in biomedical science and technology.

Tourassi, who works in the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division and directs the laboratory’s Health Data Sciences Institute, also received the Distinguished Researcher award. [Read more…]

Y-12 Historian Ray Smith is retiring

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Ray Smith, Y-12 National Security Complex historian and city historian, announces a book published posthumously that was written by Bill Wilcox, a former city historian, former technical director at K-25 and Y-12, and a passionate advocate for historic preservation, including the history of the former K-25 site. Smith announced the book at a ceremony unveiling plans for a K-25 History Center on the second floor of the city-owned fire station at the the former K-25 site, now known as East Tennessee Technology Park on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Ray Smith is retiring as Y-12 National Security Complex historian on Nov. 22, 2017. Smith is pictured above during a ceremony for the K-25 History Center at East Tennessee Technology Park on Thursday, Oct. 19. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Y-12 National Security Complex Historian Ray Smith is retiring. Smith said he has been at Y-12 for 47 years, and he is retiring November 22.

Besides being Y-12 historian, Smith is also City of Oak Ridge historian and history columnist for The Oak Ridger newspaper, where he writes “Historically Speaking.” In 2012, he testified during a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on the legislation to create the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which includes Oak Ridge; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington.

Smith has been Y-12 historian for about 10 years. He has also been a maintenance manager at Y-12.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed it,” Smith said this week.

After an overseas trip in August, Smith said he wants to travel with his wife Fanny.

“Fanny and I went to Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, and that made my decision,” Smith said.

Smith, who is a Vietnam veteran, said he will continue to write and be the Oak Ridge historian. He is vice president of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association, and he was recently appointed to the Tennessee Historical Commission. He is a local leader helping to preserve the city’s history. He was friends with Bill Wilcox, the previous city historian who wrote a history of the former K-25 site that has been published posthumously with help from family members, Smith, and the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association.

[Read more…]

Chattanooga doctor running for U.S. House, in Oak Ridge on Saturday

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Danielle Mitchell

Danielle Mitchell

 

Danielle Mitchell, a Chattanooga doctor and independent business owner of a community health care clinic, is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2018 election, a press release said.

Mitchell is a Democrat who hopes to unseat Representative Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican, in next year’s election in Tennessee’s Third District, the press release said. The Third District includes Oak Ridge.

Mitchell is running on a platform that prioritizes “people policy” over partisan politics, as well as a focus on viable solutions that benefit all Tennesseans, the press release said.

She will be in Oak Ridge for a special breakfast and town hall discussion on Saturday morning, October 28, according to the press release. That breakfast, called “Pancakes with a Purpose,” is scheduled from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, October 28, in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, which is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. There is a suggested donation of $20 and all are welcome, the press release said. [Read more…]

Part of Nebraska Ave. to be closed Tuesday for ‘Halloween House’

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MAP Nebraska Ave Temporary Road Closure Oct 31 2017

A temporary road closure is planned along part of Nebraska Avenue on Tuesday, October 31 (Halloween), between 6 and 10 p.m. for the “Halloween House.”

The closure was approved by the city in order to create a safe environment for drivers and pedestrians attending the annual “Halloween House” event, a press release said. That’s based on the large turnout of visitors last year.

A small portion of the 100 block of Nebraska Avenue, between Newridge Road and Newhaven Road, will be affected, the press release said. [Read more…]

Enjoy the ‘Kindred Spirits’ Halloween show at Roane State’s main campus on Saturday

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Members of the cast of last year’s version of “Kindred Spirits” perform before a large audience. This year’s performances are at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in the O’Brien Theatre on Roane State’s main campus in Harriman. (Photo by Roane State)

Members of the cast of last year’s version of “Kindred Spirits” perform before a large audience. This year’s performances are at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in the O’Brien Theatre on Roane State’s main campus in Harriman. (Photo by Roane State)

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

It’s a seasonal extravaganza that promises something for everyone.

It’s the 2017 edition of “Kindred Spirits,” with performances at 1 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 28, in the O’Brien Theatre on Roane State’s main campus in Harriman.

There’s drama, dancing, costume parades for all ages, and Halloween trick-or-treating, all rolled up in one fast-paced hour of entertainment, Roane State music professor Brenda Luggie said.

“Kindred Spirits” is a collaboration between the college’s music department, Cumberland County High School’s Jet Theatrix Drama Club, and the Arts in Motion Dance Studios, with locations in Midtown and Rockwood. [Read more…]

Super Hero Family Fun Day with filmmaker Brett Culp to benefit ADFAC on Saturday

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look to the sky

Submitted

“Superman moments…” that’s what filmmaker Brett Culp calls those times when we’re inspired to overcome challenges or do something more for our neighbors. “Look to the Sky” tells the true and uplifting story of young people from around the country who are making a real difference and inspiring hope for us all.

A charity screening of this film will be the culmination of a fun, family friendly super hero day to be held Saturday, October 28, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. “Look to the Sky” will be shown in the Grove Theater beginning at 1:30 p.m., with all proceeds going to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC. ADFAC has a heroic 30-year history of serving under-resourced families in our community, bringing hope and light wherever they go.

Culp will be making an appearance and joining us for this community event. As stated on Culp’s website, “Culp is the personal cinematographer for Hollywood stars, music icons, hall of fame athletes, and royal families.” [Read more…]