Oak Ridge Today

RadioShack store in Oak Ridge closing

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The Radio Shack store in Oak Ridge has posted a sign that it is closing. This photo was taken on Saturday, May 13, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The RadioShack store in Oak Ridge has posted a sign that it is closing. This photo was taken on Saturday, May 13, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The RadioShack store in Oak Ridge is reported to be closing. There is a “Store Closing” sign posted at the front of the store, and many items have been on sale.

The most current information we have is that the store could close later this month, although we have not been able to confirm that. RadioShack has not returned requests for comment this week.

RadioShack, an electronics convenience store, announced March 8 that it had filed for bankruptcy. At that time, the company said it was closing about 200 stores and evaluating options on the other 1,300.

“The company and its advisors are currently exploring all available strategic alternatives to maximize value for creditors, including the possibility of keeping stores open on an ongoing basis,” a March press release said. [Read more…]

Update: Truck driver was ill, but shipment was routine, posed no threat to public

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Oak Ridge Turnpike re-opened near Big Turtle Park after about 1.5 hours Wednesday afternoon, May 17, 2017, after authorities investigated a possible hazardous materials situation involving a truck pulling a flatbed trailer with two cargo containers marked radioactive. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Oak Ridge Turnpike re-opened near Big Turtle Park after about 1.5 hours Wednesday afternoon, May 17, 2017, after authorities investigated a possible hazardous materials situation involving a truck pulling a flatbed trailer with two cargo containers marked radioactive. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 6:45 p.m.

Authorities investigated a truck shipment labeled radioactive after a driver was reported ill on Wednesday afternoon, and they found the shipment was routine and posed no threat to the public, the Oak Ridge Fire Department said.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responded to the call of the truck driver who was ill on Oak Ridge Turnpike near Newport Drive at about 11:50 a.m. Wednesday.

When they arrived, firefighters saw the truck and its flatbed trailer were transporting hazardous waste, so as they evaluated the patient, the Fire Department said in a City of Oak Ridge press release.

Firefighters also followed procedure to evaluate the shipment to ensure there was no association with the truck driver’s illness, the press release said.

“Officials closed that section of the Oak Ridge Turnpike as a precautionary measure until the patient could be evaluated and transported to the local hospital,” the press release said. “The truck was relocated off of the state highway to a city parking lot for additional evaluation and the highway was re-opened.” [Read more…]

Turnpike re-opened, truck escorted to business after authorities investigate possible hazardous materials

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Oak Ridge Turnpike re-opened near Big Turtle Park after about 1.5 hours Wednesday afternoon, May 17, 2017, after authorities investigated a possible hazardous materials situation involving a truck pulling a flatbed trailer with two cargo containers marked radioactive. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Oak Ridge Turnpike re-opened near Big Turtle Park after about 1.5 hours Wednesday afternoon, May 17, 2017, after authorities investigated a possible hazardous materials situation involving a truck pulling a flatbed trailer with two cargo containers marked radioactive. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 6:45 p.m.

Oak Ridge Turnpike re-opened near Big Turtle Park after about 1.5 hours Wednesday afternoon after authorities investigated a possible hazardous materials situation involving a truck pulling a flatbed trailer with two cargo containers marked radioactive.

The Turnpike was closed between Montana Avenue and Newport Drive at about 12 p.m. Wednesday. It re-opened after the truck and trailer were moved to a parking lot at Big Turtle Park near the dog park and a soccer field.

At about 1:30 p.m., the Oak Ridge Police Department and Oak Ridge Fire Department escorted the truck and trailer through central Oak Ridge to Toxco on Flint Road.

It wasn’t immediately clear if there was any hazardous materials detected, although the truck and its containers were presumably deemed to be okay since they were escorted through town, and workers and police officers were standing near them at Toxco. Toxco repackages low-level radioactive waste. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool open for Memorial Day weekend

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Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool will be open to the public over Memorial Day weekend this year, Saturday, May 27, through Monday, May 29, from noon to 6 p.m. each day.

This will be a “soft opening” over the holiday weekend, with the pool being closed for the three days following Memorial Day, from Tuesday, May 30, to Thursday, June 1, a press release said. The outdoor pool will then open for normal summer hours starting Friday, June 2. [Read more…]

Community meeting on May 25 to discuss new Oak Ridge Preschool

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The new preschool could be located at Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge or Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, and the city's school board expects to recommend one of the two sites on Monday, Feb. 27, a school official said Friday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Plans call for the new Oak Ridge Preschool to be located at Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge City Council voted during a special-called meeting on March 27 to select the Scarboro Park site as the location for a new Oak Ridge Preschool. As part of the ongoing dialogue with the community about this future facility, city leaders will host another public forum-style meeting at the Scarboro Community Center on Thursday, May 25, from 6 to 8 p.m., a press release said.

Two previous community meetings were held at the same venue, one on March 23 and another on April 20, to discuss the preschool. Members of the community who attended those meetings were able to see preliminary concepts, ask questions, and provide input on decisions, the press release said.

The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools have been working to choose a site for the new preschool for about two years. Once the building is complete, the preschool will relocate from the school administration building on New York Avenue. Members of a committee formed to recommend possible sites looked at city-owned properties and a multitude of factors that would impact future students, their families, and the community as a whole, the press release said. Scarboro Park, the site ultimately selected by City Council and the Board of Education, is across the street from the Scarboro Community Center on Carver Avenue. [Read more…]

Ray Smith selected to serve on Tennessee Historical Commission

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D. Ray Smith (Submitted photo)

D. Ray Smith (Submitted photo)

 

Ray Smith, historian for the City of Oak Ridge and the Y-12 National Security Complex, has been selected to serve on the Tennessee Historical Commission, a press release said.

It’s the first time an Oak Ridger has been selected to serve on the Tennessee Historical Commission, the press release said.

There are 20 members from across the state, and a balanced mix of members is maintained to best represent the entire state on the commission, the release said.

It said Oak Ridge contributes to the State of Tennessee in a number of significant ways, including economic development and heritage and science tourism. [Read more…]

ORNL: UT-Battelle Scholarship awarded to Bearden student

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UT-Battelle Scholarship winner Allison Michelle Campbell of Bearden High School with Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason. (Photo by ORNL)

UT-Battelle Scholarship winner Allison Michelle Campbell of Bearden High School with Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason. (Photo by ORNL)

 

Bearden High School senior Allison Michelle Campbell has been named recipient of the 2017 UT-Battelle Scholarship to attend the University of Tennessee.

The scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior planning to study science, mathematics, or engineering at UT. The competitive scholarship is presented annually to a graduating student with a parent employed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory by UT-Battelle, ORNL’s managing contractor, a press release said.

The scholarship is renewable for up to four years and is worth a total of $20,000. Campbell is the daughter of ORNL staff member Amy C. Campbell, who works in the Business Services Directorate, and Michael A. Campbell.

Among numerous activities at Bearden, Campbell is president of Bearden’s National Honors Society chapter and a member of the Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honors society. In the summer of 2015, she was selected for the Governor’s School for Science and Engineering and the National Science Foundation’s Young Scholars Program. [Read more…]

Education Foundation awarded more than $90,000 in grants in April

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Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation board members who were present with a big check at an grant awards ceremony at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, April 26, 2017. (Photo courtesy ORPSEF)

Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation board members who were present with a big check at an grant awards ceremony at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, April 26, 2017. (Photo courtesy ORPSEF)

 

In the final year of its “Making the Critical Difference” campaign, the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation awarded more than $90,000 in grants to Oak Ridge teachers. The grants were awarded during a ceremony at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, April 26.

Shirley Raines, president emeritus of the University of Memphis, was the featured speaker. Her talk was titled “Dreamers, Thinkers, Doers.” During her talk, Raines exhibited great appreciation and provided inspiration for teachers, a press release said.

“She asked teachers to think of the person who moved them to pursue their dreams, to be innovative thinkers, and to share their success stories which result from their grant awards in order to encourage their peers,” the release said.

The April 26 ceremony was open to the public with demonstrations of some of the projects and technology funded by the Foundation on display.

The 2017 grant recipients were: [Read more…]

UCOR awards 25 mini-grants for local school projects

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URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) on Monday, May 15, 2017, announced 20 winners from five East Tennessee counties in the 2017 UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program, which recognizes and supports excellence in teaching. (Photo courtesy UCOR)

URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) on Monday, May 15, 2017, announced 20 winners from five East Tennessee counties in the 2017 UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program, which recognizes and supports excellence in teaching. (Photo courtesy UCOR)

 

URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) on Monday announced 20 winners from five East Tennessee counties in the 2017 UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program, which recognizes and supports excellence in teaching.

Awarded annually since 2012, grant funds assist classroom teachers in developing specific projects or curricula, focusing primarily on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), a press release said.

“One of UCOR’s primary objectives is to support and encourage education initiatives,” said Ken Rueter, UCOR president and project manager. “The UCOR Mini-Grant Program enables teachers to enhance their students’ educational experiences. Selected projects funded by our program give students a greater insight into the essential STEM subjects in fun and exciting ways.”

Applications were screened and awardees selected using a blind process that prevented members of the selection panel from knowing the names of the teachers or the schools. Schools in Roane, Anderson, Loudon, Knox, and Morgan counties were eligible to submit proposals. [Read more…]

Dick Smyser Lecture on Thursday features science educator discussing total solar eclipse

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Chap Percival (Submitted photo)

Chap Percival (Submitted photo)

The 20th Annual Dick Smyser Community Lecture Series opens on Thursday, May 18, and it will feature Chap Percival, a science educator from Sarasota, Florida.

Percival will talk about the total solar eclipse that will occur on August 21. The title of his presentation is “Go See the Eclipse.”

This event is co-sponsored by the Oak Ridge Isochronous Observation Network (ORION), the National Park Sevice (NPS), and Friends of ORNL (FORNL), a press release said.

It’s free of charge, and it will be held at the American Museum of Science and Energy, which is at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge. A reception will be held in the museum lobby starting at 5:30 p.m. (snacks will be served), and the lecture will start at 6 p.m. in the museum auditorium.

“This talk should be of interest to students and the general public,” the press release said.

Percival is a lifelong educator. He lives in Sarasota, Florida. He has a BA in mathematics and physics from Taylor University, an MAT in planetarium education from Michigan State University, and an MEd in instructional technology from the University of Virginia, the press release said. [Read more…]

Area care line seeks volunteers to make calls to seniors

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CNS Y-12 recently presented a check for launch of new program for Knox area senior citizens to Contact Care Line. Pictured from left are Alison Sides, secretary of the CNS-Y12 Advisory Committee; Helen Morton, vice president of the Board of Contact Care Line; Bruce Marshall, executive director of Contact Care Line; and Mike Fierley, chair of the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Fund Advisory Committee. (Submitted photo)

CNS Y-12 recently presented a check for launch of new program for Knox area senior citizens to Contact Care Line. Pictured from left are Alison Sides, secretary of the CNS Y-12 Advisory Committee; Helen Morton, vice president of the Board of Contact Care Line; Bruce Marshall, executive director of Contact Care Line; and Mike Fierley, chair of the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Fund Advisory Committee. (Submitted photo)

 

Reassurance Contact, an Oak Ridge-based service of local nonprofit Contact Care Line, is seeking caring individuals to volunteer a few hours each week to make calls to elderly Anderson and Knox County residents who live alone, a press release said.

“Volunteers donate a few hours one day a week to make social and safety calls to senior citizens who can use a cheerful moment in their day, a quick check that they are safe, and perhaps a reminder to take their medicine,” the press release said.

It said nearly 20 percent of the area’s population is 65 or older and 43 percent of those in this age group have a disability.

“Surveys reveal that seniors prefer to remain in their own homes as they age,” the press release said. “But safety concerns, coupled with social isolation, threaten the capacity of seniors to live on their own. Reassurance Contact addresses these issues, allowing senior residents to remain in the own residences as long as possible.”

The launch of this new program is helped by a $9,000 grant from the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Fund at East Tennessee Foundation, the press release said. [Read more…]

Roane State professor to lead May 25 cybersecurity seminar at Anderson County Chamber

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Roane State computer science professor George Meghabghab will lead a cybersecurity seminar on Thursday, May 25, at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, which is at 245 North Main Street in Clinton.

The Snack-and-Share session will last from 3-4:30 p.m. Register for the seminar at www.andersoncountychamber.org.

Meghabghab is the director of Roane State’s Computer Information Technology program, a press release said. The program includes a programming concentration and a new cyber defense concentration.

Roane State cyber defense students will learn how to recover data using digital forensics techniques, perform computer forensics analysis and validation, design and configure firewalls, and configure and implement intrusion detection systems, among other skills. [Read more…]