Oak Ridge Today

RISE ABOVE: Redtail exhibition soars into Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Rise Above

Commemorative Air Force project celebrating Tuskeegee Airmen appears as part of Secret City Festival’s “Celebrate Our Heroes” weekend

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Red Tail Squadron, America’s tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, brings their RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit to Oak Ridge this week as part of the Secret City Festival’s “Celebrate Our Heroes” event. The exhibit is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. now through Saturday at 115 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge in front of Maxed Out Gym.

The RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit is a fully functional mobile movie theater housed in a climate controlled 53-foot semi trailer that is deployed to events around the country. This immersive experience inspires and educates audiences about the Tuskegee Airmen, our country’s first black military pilots and their support personnel, and the obstacles they had to overcome to serve their country during World War II. Because of its dynamic 160-degree panoramic screen, the film creates the feeling of being in the cockpit soaring above the clouds in the P-51C Mustang—the signature aircraft of the Tuskegee Airmen. View a preview at www.redtail.org/traveling-exhibit/.

More than half a million people in 36 states have experienced a compelling and inspirational piece of American history delivered by this unique educational outreach vehicle since the program launched in 2011, a press release said. Each year, the CAF Red Tail Squadron embarks on a nine-month cross-country tour that includes appearances at air shows, schools, museums, and community events. The group’s six guiding principles—Aim High, Believe In Yourself, Use Your Brain, Be Ready To Go, Never Quit, and Expect to Win—serve as the foundation for their outreach programs and are based on the experiences and successes of the Tuskegee Airmen. [Read more…]

Zacharia named director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Thomas Zacharia

Thomas Zacharia

 

Thomas Zacharia, who built Oak Ridge National Laboratory into a global supercomputing power, has been selected as the laboratory’s next director by UT-Battelle, the partnership that operates ORNL for the U.S. Department of Energy, a press release said.

“Thomas has a compelling vision for the future of ORNL that is directly aligned with the U.S. Department of Energy’s strategic priorities,” said Joe DiPietro, chair of the UT-Battelle Board of Governors and president of the University of Tennessee.

“He has led many of the innovative research and development initiatives that ORNL has successfully pursued over the past decade. His background in materials and computing positions him well to strengthen ORNL’s signature research capabilities in computational, neutron, materials, and nuclear science. His vision of ORNL playing a prominent role in advancing U.S. national and energy security reflects his leadership strengths. He has been key to the success of developing joint academic programs with UT. Finally, he embraces diversity and has a passion for developing and strengthening the workforce at the laboratory.”

Zacharia came to ORNL in 1987 as a postdoctoral researcher after receiving his Ph.D. in engineering science from Clarkson University in New York. He also holds a master’s in materials science from the University of Mississippi and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology in Karnataka, India. [Read more…]

Manhattan Project National Historical Park to welcome new U.S. citizens in Oak Ridge in June

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

National Park Service Logo

The National Park Service and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service will partner to hold a naturalization ceremony for new United States citizens on Friday, June 16. The ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. June 16 at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. The public is invited to witness the ceremony, a press release said.

Chief United States District Judge Thomas A. Varlan will preside. Amanda North and Natasha Loyd from Oak Ridge High School will sing the national anthem. The Oak Ridge Police Department will provide the presentation of colors.

“National parks aren’t just about scenic beauty,” said Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area Superintendent Niki Stephanie Nicholas. “Rather, they also represent sites of conscience, and commemoration. These sites serve as the standard-bearers of our shared history and what it means to be American. As you contemplate what it means to be an American citizen and these places that you now own, I would ask you to also play a role in protecting them and preserving them. Get out and explore.” [Read more…]

Two Oak Ridge companies receive small business awards from DOE office

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Buster Bivens and Kaitlyn Weaver of Restoration Services, Inc. (RSI) perform field inspections at a Portsmouth Site process building. DOE recognized RSI with the Small Business of the Year award. (Photo from DOE Office of Environmental Management "EM Update" newsletter)

Buster Bivens and Kaitlyn Weaver of Restoration Services Inc. (RSI) perform field inspections at a Portsmouth Site process building. DOE recognized RSI with the Small Business of the Year award. (Photo from DOE Office of Environmental Management “EM Update” newsletter)

 

Note: This information and photos first appeared in the May 31 edition of the “EM Update” newsletter published by the DOE Office of Environmental Management.

Two Oak Ridge companies involved in federal cleanup work have received small business awards from a U.S. Department of Energy office.

Restoration Services Inc., or RSI, was named the Small Business of the Year during the 16th Annual DOE Small Business Forum and Expo in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 16-18.

Another Oak Ridge business, Scientific Sales Inc., or SSI, was named the 8(a)/Small Disadvantaged Business of the Year.

Awards were presented to a total of five small businesses, including RSI and SSI, during the expo in Kansas City this month. The companies support the U.S. Department of Energy’s environmental management, or EM, work. The awards, which were for fiscal year 2016, were from DOE’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.

The other three EM-related businesses that received awards were: [Read more…]

Proposed city budget would not raise property tax rate

Posted at
By 4 Comments

Mark Watson

Mark Watson

 

The budget proposed by Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson on Tuesday would not increase the property tax rate. Instead, the budget would hold the property tax rate steady at $2.52 per $100 of assessed value.

It could be the 10th year in a row without a tax rate increase. That’s if the Oak Ridge City Council approves the city manager’s proposed budget.

Watson said it’s essentially the same budget as last year, with some capital improvements and funding for an energy savings plan for lighting, heating, and cooling systems in the city and schools.

Fully funding a request from Oak Ridge Schools for 2.5 percent pay raises for teachers and staff would require the equivalent of a four-cent tax rate increase, Watson said during a special City Council meeting on Tuesday. [Read more…]

Proposal to eliminate ARC wouldn’t affect current airport funding, but could affect future funding

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Image via Billy Stair presentation at Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority General Aviation Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 15, 2017.

Image via Billy Stair presentation at Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority General Aviation Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 15, 2017.

 

The Oak Ridge Airport project has received $2 million in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission, and that money wouldn’t be affected by the president’s proposal to eliminate the independent agency in the next fiscal year, a spokesperson said.

But future funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission will depend upon what Congress decides to do with ARC and whether it continues funding the commission, said Becky Huckaby, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority.

The budget request released by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, May 23, proposes to eliminate the Appalachian Regional Commission and other independent agencies, providing funding only for the orderly closure of the agencies. The request would apply to Fiscal Year 2018, which starts October 1.

ARC is one of the funding sources for the Oak Ridge Airport, which could cost an estimated $35 million to $40 million and have a mix of state and federal funding, and local funding from the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, or MKAA. Besides ARC, other direct and indirect funding sources include the U.S. Department of Energy, which would provide the land; the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA; the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission; and the Tennessee Department of Transportation. [Read more…]

One in critical condition, two discharged after fatal crash by UT Arboretum

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

One person died and four people were injured in a two-vehicle crash involving a sedan and an SUV near the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon, May 26, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

One person died and four people were injured in a two-vehicle crash involving a sedan and an SUV near the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon, May 26, 2017, authorities said. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A Corryton woman remains in critical condition at a Knoxville hospital and two people have been discharged after a fatal two-vehicle crash in Oak Ridge on Friday, officials said.

Tabitha Douglas, 26, is in critical condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, the hospital said Tuesday.

Douglas was driving a sedan at the time of the crash, which was reported at about 2:47 p.m. Friday at Commerce Park Drive, which is across from the University of Tennessee Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue.

A passenger in the sedan, Ashley Blalock, 30, of Knoxville, died. [Read more…]

Man indicted on vehicular homicide, other charges after Clinton Highway crash

Posted at
By 3 Comments

Scott-Gray-Hearing-Aug-11-2016

Scott Gray, who has been indicted on vehicular homicide and other charges, is pictured above during a preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division I, in Clinton on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

CLINTON—A Knoxville man has been indicted on vehicular homicide and other charges in the death of a 23-year-old Heiskell woman after a two-vehicle crash on Clinton Highway in April 2016.

The specific homicide charge against Scott Allen Gray, 27, is vehicular homicide by intoxication. Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers testified during an August 11 preliminary hearing in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division I, in Clinton that Gray smelled of alcohol and said he had been drinking and taken two anti-anxiety pills before the crash. Gray’s passenger, Jessica Miner Taylor, died about a week after the crash.

The Anderson County Grand Jury also indicted Gray on charges of reckless endangerment when a deadly weapon (a motor vehicle) is involved; failure to yield the right of way, resulting in death; failure of provide evidence of insurance; failure to carry a certificate of registration; failure to use due care; violation of the open container law; possession of drug paraphernalia; and possession of marijuana.

Gray had an arraignment and bond hearing scheduled this past Friday in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton.

Charges against Gray were bound over, or sent to the Grand Jury, during the preliminary hearing in August. The indictments were filed May 2. An indictment moves a case from Anderson County General Sessions Court to Anderson County Criminal Court. [Read more…]

WYSH: Two weekend fires deemed suspicious

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

Two weekend fires in Anderson County are being investigated as suspicious.

The first occurred late Sunday night at a mobile home on Hillvale Road. Deputies reported that the trailer was engulfed in flames upon their arrival at around 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Crews from the Claxton and Andersonville Volunteer Fire Departments arrived and doused the flames, after which the on-scene commander told Deputy Matthew Landis that he suspected the cause of the fire was arson.

Neighbors told deputies that the property owner had passed away several years ago and they did not know who owns it now. Neighbors said that they had seen a woman and two men at the house earlier in the evening, and said they suspected that the trailer was being used as a meth lab.

With the cause of the fire deemed suspicious, the case was turned over to the Criminal Investigation Division for follow-up. [Read more…]

Storm damage delays opening of city pool in Clinton

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio/Oak Ridge Today

Strong storms that rolled through the area over the weekend caused widespread damage and power outages across East Tennessee.

While this area appeared to escape the brunt of the storm’s damage, there were numerous reports of trees and power lines down. In Clinton, a tree fell across the fence at the Municipal Swimming Pool at Jaycee Park, damaging the fence and dropping limbs, branches and leaves in the pool itself. A second tree crushed the gate at the park’s main entrance as well.

The pool had been scheduled to open for the summer today (Tuesday, May 30), but that opening date has been pushed back to tomorrow. City crews will spend today removing the trees and repairing the damage.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said public safety agencies were very busy during the Saturday evening storm. The Sheriff’s Department handled 37 storm-related calls Saturday evening through Sunday, mostly due to trees and power lines blocking roads, Lucas said. [Read more…]

Fountain open again in Jackson Square

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The splash pad in Jackson Square is open. Here's a picture shared by reader Anna Freeman on Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pictured is her son Eli Freeman, 15 months. (Photo by Anna Freeman)

The interactive fountain or splash pad in Jackson Square is open again. Here’s a picture shared by reader Anna Freeman on Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pictured is her son Eli Freeman, 15 months. (Photo by Anna Freeman)

 

In the past month or so, we’ve had a few inquiries from readers about the splash pad or interactive fountain in Jackson Square and when it might open.

On Saturday, reader Anna Freeman reported that it’s open, and she shared a photo with Oak Ridge Today.

On Tuesday, the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department said the fountain, which some refer to as a splash pad, had been closed so the pumps could be repaired. It’s back open now, the City of Oak Ridge said in a statement.

Secret City Festival: Seven days of celebration

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, 2017, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge. (Photo and caption courtesy Celebrate Oak Ridge and Carolyn Krause)

 

Two weekends, counting Fridays. Two weekdays. Seven days of celebration, from June 2 through June 10, mostly at A. K. Bissell Park. And admission to all events is free of charge.

The new Secret City Festival, brought to you by Celebrate Oak Ridge, will be bookended by two special weekends. The first weekend will celebrate Oak Ridge and World War II history. A free family movie will be shown on Tuesday, June 6; the arts will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 7; and music and art are the focus of the second weekend, June 9-10.

Celebrate Oak Ridge June 2017 Schedule Web

On Friday, June 2, tours of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with shuttles running to and from the American Museum of Science and Energy and New Hope Center. U.S. citizenship and pre-registration are required for tours. Graphite Reactor tours at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will also be held then on a first-come, first-served basis, with departure on buses from AMSE.

Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch will officially open the festival, and the crew of the U.S.S. Oak Ridge will present and ring the U.S.S. Oak Ridge bell at 8:30 p.m. At 9 p.m., the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” will be shown free of charge.

Overnight, approximately 200 re-enactors will be setting up an overnight encampment with World War II-era tents in Bissell Park. [Read more…]