Oak Ridge Today

Hot Dogs with the Works indoor picnic at ORUUC Free Community Meal on Friday

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Concern that it might be too hot outside for a picnic to mark the end of summer at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Free Community Meal on Friday, August 25, didn’t deter the volunteers of their picnic idea.

“The group decided to just throw it indoors instead!” a press release said.

Everyone is invited for hot dogs, baked beans, cookies, and fruit, the press release said. ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike (close to traffic light number 2) in Oak Ridge. Dine-in the Social Hall or take-out will be available from 5 to 6 p.m., the release said.

“Plans are already under way to celebrate our seventh birthday at the meal on September 29. The menu is still being planned but for certain will include birthday cake,” said volunteer Abbie Moore. “Over the years, our volunteers have prepared and served several thousand meals. We strive to serve nutritious, homemade meals to our guests. [Read more…]

Mission need approved for lithium production facility at Y-12, but cost, schedule not determined

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The sign at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The sign at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above on Scarboro Road on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The mission need has been approved for a new lithium production facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex and various alternatives have been reviewed, but the cost and schedule have not yet been determined, a federal official said this month.

“Y-12 is working to ensure that its lithium production capability is maintained for current and future defense program missions,” said Steven Wyatt, public affairs manager for the National Nuclear Security Administration Production Office. “This is a challenge as this work is performed in 9204-2, a building that was constructed during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project. Ultimately, our goal is to replace 9204-2 with a modern facility, but until that has been achieved, we will continue to make improvements as needed.”

Building 9204-2 produces non-nuclear materials associated with stockpile stewardship missions, Wyatt said.

“We are not at liberty to provide any further details on this work,” he said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge to begin 75th Anniversary Celebration in September

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Warren Gooch

Warren Gooch

Oak Ridge will begin its 75th Anniversary Celebration in September, a press release said.

Oak Ridge Mayor Warren L. Gooch announced Thursday that the city will form a committee to help coordinate and circulate information about the 75th anniversary, the press release said.

The 75th anniversary festivities will begin in September and continue through the end of 2018, the release said.

Among the planned events are a lecture presented by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association on September 15, 2017, titled “The Legacy of Place” by guest speaker Denise Kiernan, author of “The Girls of Atomic City” and “The Last Castle.”

The Oak Ridge Fire Department plans to host “Then and Now,” a 1940s-era Fire Prevention Parade along Oak Ridge Turnpike on October 7, 2017.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex will celebrate the anniversaries of their respective beginnings as well, the press release said. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society to hold fall wildflower walk meet & greet in September

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Kris Light is pictured above on a fall wildflower walk at the University of Tennessee Arboretum. (Photo by UT Arboretum Society)

Kris Light is pictured above on a fall wildflower walk. (Photo by UT Arboretum Society)

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will host a meet-and-greet followed by a fall wildflower walk at Haw Ridge Trails on Saturday, September 2. The event is scheduled from 9-11 a.m.

Kris Light, an expert naturalist, educator, and photographer will lead this fun, educational, and easy walk, a press release said. Participants may want to bring a camera to take pictures of the many wildflowers, the release said.

Describing the walk, Light said, “Most people think of springtime as wildflower season, but late summer and fall color the fields and roadsides in gold, purple and white. Come to the fall wildflower walk to learn more about the wildflowers of the fields.” [Read more…]

ORNL, TVA, NuScale Power, others to present at nuclear supply chain workshop

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Nuclear Suppliers Workshop Oak Ridge September 6-7 2017 Oak Ridge

The agenda has been finalized for the Nuclear Suppliers Workshop in September that will be hosted by the U.S. Nuclear Infrastructure Council and the East Tennessee Economic Council.

On September 6-7, companies interested in being part of the supply chain and searching for manufacturing opportunities around small modular reactors, next generation nuclear technology, nuclear medicine, and national security programs are invited to attend the Nuclear Suppliers Workshop at Pollard Technology Conference Center in Oak Ridge.

Thomas Zacharia, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory will be the keynote speaker, a press release said. The Tennessee Valley Authority, NuScale Power, Duke Energy, AMS Corporation, Teledyne Brown Engineering, and others will also present. [Read more…]

Household Hazardous Waste Collection event set for Sept. 16

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Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event 2017 flyer

Anderson County Solid Waste Management and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation are sponsoring a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event on Saturday, September 16.

The collection is scheduled between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Central Services Complex located at 100 Woodbury Lane (behind the Hobby Lobby shopping center). This is a state-sponsored household hazardous waste event and is open to all residents of Tennessee, a press release said.

Household hazardous waste is considered anything that is generated in the household that has a hazardous property. Examples include household disinfectants, drain cleaners, adhesives, pesticides, old gasoline, and pool chemicals. A material is considered hazardous if it is flammable, corrosive, toxic, or reactive with heat or contact with metals, the press release said. [Read more…]

Memory Magic scrapbook event in Oak Ridge in September

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A previous Memory Magic scrapbook event at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

A previous Memory Magic scrapbook event at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department is sponsoring the 12th Annual Memory Magic scrapbook event at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Friday, September 22, and Saturday, September 23.

The event will include vendors and a large crop area, but there is limited seating, a press release said. Online registration is under way and will continue through Wednesday, September 20. Walk-in registration is also available during business hours at the Civic Center front desk.

The crop area will open at 8 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. each day. Participants will receive a crop space, an event tote, light snacks during the evening hours, and tickets for prize drawings, the press release said. The cost to crop is $30 for one day or $50 for both days. [Read more…]

ORNL: High-resolution modeling assesses impact of cities on river ecosystems

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A new study from Oak Ridge National Laboratory shows the far-reaching impacts of U.S. cities’ energy consumption on regional ecosystems. Urban areas cover only about 5 percent of the Southeast’s landscape, but cities’ water and energy infrastructures often extend well beyond urban areas as power plants (represented as black dots) are distributed throughout the entire region. (Credit: Ryan McManamay/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

A new study from Oak Ridge National Laboratory shows the far-reaching impacts of U.S. cities’ energy consumption on regional ecosystems. Urban areas cover only about 5 percent of the Southeast’s landscape, but cities’ water and energy infrastructures often extend well beyond urban areas as power plants (represented as black dots) are distributed throughout the entire region. (Credit: Ryan McManamay/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

 

New mapping methods developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory can help urban planners minimize the environmental impacts of cities’ water and energy demands on surrounding stream ecologies, a press release said.

In an analysis published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an ORNL-led team used high-resolution geospatial modeling to quantify the effects of land, energy, and water infrastructures on the nation’s rivers and streams.

Using streamflow data from the U.S. Geological Survey, the researchers mapped changes to natural hydrology to assess how infrastructure development and competition over water resources affects the environment at a national scale. Their data-driven approach sheds light on the extent to which water resources and aquatic species are affected by urban infrastructures and could help cities curb their burden on regional ecosystems, the press release said.

The results indicate that urban land transformation and electricity production together affect 7 percent of U.S. streams, which influence habitats for more than 60 percent of all North American freshwater fish, mussel, and crayfish species, the release said. [Read more…]

Carjacking, attempted robbery, assault charges sent to grand jury

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Sheila K Jones

Sheila K. Jones

 

Attempted robbery, carjacking, and aggravated assault charges against an Oliver Springs woman were sent to a grand jury for its consideration after a preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge on Tuesday.

Charges against Sheila K. Jones, 43, of Henley Circle, also include evading arrest, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and driving on a revoked license.

Jones had allegedly been a passenger in a vehicle in May when she allegedly climbed on top of the driver, Deborah G. Russell of Oliver Springs, who had said she was going home. Jones allegedly pressed Russell’s right leg down to the gas pedal and grabbed the steering wheel to prevent Russell from turning near the intersection of Tulsa Road and South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge, according to affidavits filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court on May 11.

“The victim (Russell) indicated that the defendant (Jones) started saying things such as ‘I’ll beat your ass’ and ‘I’ll blow your brains out,” the affidavits said. “After the defendant put the vehicle in park, the victim released her seatbelt, and the defendant opened and shoved the victim out of the driver’s door. The victim was still ‘hung’ in the seatbelt, until it finally came off, and the defendant shouted, ‘You made me do this!'”

At that point, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Cory Strange saw the vehicle—an older model gold vehicle that had been stopped next to an apparent pedestrian—spin its rear tires and make a hasty illegal U-turn in the middle of ORAU Way, according to the affidavits. [Read more…]

Next City Blueprint meeting is Thursday

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Emory Valley_Briarcliff and Lakeview Poster

Note: This story was updated at 11:30 a.m.

The Oak Ridge Community Development Department is continuing the Oak Ridge City Blueprint effort with a discussion focused on the Emory Valley, Briarcliff, and Lakeview residential neighborhoods. An open house will be held between 5:30 and 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 24, at Jefferson Middle School.

Families living in these subareas are encouraged to attend and provide ideas and suggestions for possible neighborhood improvements, a press release said.

“Please note that no formal presentation is planned for this event,” the press release said. “Those attending can come and go anytime during the open house to meet, ask questions, and share thoughts with city staff and board representatives.”

What: Oak Ridge City Blueprint Open House—Emory Valley, Briarcliff, and Lakeview neighborhoods [Read more…]

Vehicle crashes into Jackson Square businesses

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A vehicle crashed into two businesses in Jackson Square on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, causing interior and exterior damage, authorities said. (Photo by Daniel Powers)

A vehicle crashed into two businesses in Jackson Square on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, causing interior and exterior damage, authorities said. (Photo by Daniel Powers)

 

A vehicle crashed into two businesses in Jackson Square on Sunday, causing interior and exterior damage, authorities said.

The single-vehicle crash was reported at about 1:20 p.m. Sunday, August 20.

The Oak Ridge Police Department said the crash injured the driver, who was taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge for treatment.

“The extent of their injuries is unknown,” the City of Oak Ridge said in a statement Wednesday. “No other injuries were reported.”

The two damaged businesses are Through the Looking Glass and All About U Hair Salon. [Read more…]

Anderson County resident accidentally shoots brother

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An Anderson County resident accidentally shot his brother with a bullet that ricocheted inside a home on Pine Ridge Road in Marlow, authorities said.

The accidental shooting was reported on August 9. The brothers, who are adults, were interviewed at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, according to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department incident report.

The report said the shooting occurred when one of the brothers, Dakota Mardis, was getting ready to clean a .22-caliber rifle that had been given to him and his brother, Dylan Cannon, by their parents. Mardis unloaded the rifle and then pulled the trigger, Cannon told Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Matthew P. Landis, according to the report.

“Dylan stated the rifle went off and a bullet ricocheted off a cinder block and hit him in the face near the left eye,” the report said. [Read more…]