Oak Ridge Today

Divas for a Cure on March 4, a fundraiser for American Cancer Society

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Divas for a Cure 2017
There is no better way to spend a Saturday than by enjoying the company of other women (and men) in food/drink, entertainment, and pampering by professionals. There will also be music by a local band, Hazel.

The event will be held on Saturday, March 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the High Places Community Church in Grove Center in Oak Ridge. Admission is $30 at the door or early bird, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society Relay For Life Anderson County event. Admission includes a lunch buffet, mimosa bar (two per diva), a fashion show put on by local merchants, and four pampering tickets to be used at the pampering stations of your choice. This will include hand/foot massages, nails, hair, makeup, mini-facials, henna, and much more, a press release said. The popular “Purse Pull” will also take place during the event, which gives you the opportunity to go home with a very nice purse. [Read more…]

Help identify photos in Oak Ridge Library’s Ruth Carey collection

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From the Oak Ridge Public Library Ruth Carey photo collection (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

From the Oak Ridge Public Library Ruth Carey photo collection (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Public Library needs your help. The library is privileged to house the photography collection of Ruth Carey, an original Oak Ridge resident and longtime photographer for The Oak Ridger from the 1960s to the mid-1990s. Her photo collection is vast and varied, including pictures of key political and cultural figures, community events, and weddings. Figures such as Alex Haley and Guilford Glazer, for instance, appear in several photos. Unfortunately, many of the photographs do not include notes about who is in the photo or when or where it was taken.

With the help of volunteers, Oak Ridge Public Library staff members Teresa Fortney and Jordan Reed have begun digitizing the collection. Some of the photographs that have been digitized are available for public viewing online at www.orpl.org. However, Carey’s collection was so comprehensive, only a portion of the total number of photographs have been digitized. As the library continues its digitization efforts, it is important that the people and places are identified so as not to lose this important part of our history. [Read more…]

School board could vote on preschool site on Monday

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Scarboro Community Center Preschool Conceptual Site Plan Jan 2017 Large

The Oak Ridge Board of Education could vote on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, on where to build a new preschool. Among the possible sites are the Scarboro Community Center on Carver Avenue in central Oak Ridge, pictured in the conceptual site plan above, and Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy Studio Four Design/City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Board of Education could vote on Monday on where to build a new preschool.

Several sites have been considered. At one time, Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge was the preferred site. But there has been recent discussion of building the preschool at or near the Scarboro Community Center.

The school board will discuss the preschool sites during a non-voting work session at 8 a.m. Friday, February 24, in the conference room of the Robert J. Smallridge School Administration Building at 304 New York Avenue.

The board could then vote on a site during its regular meeting on Monday. [Read more…]

Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday

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McNally-Ragan-Calfee-at-Breakfast-with-Legislators-April-25-2016

Pictured above at a Breakfast with the Legislators on Monday, April 25, 2016, are, from left, Tennessee Sen. Randy McNally, Rep. John Ragan, and Rep. Kent Calfee. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday. It’s scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, February 27, in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, which is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Breakfast with the Legislators is organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. A light continental breakfast is provided at no charge, and the public is encouraged to attend.

Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to bring everyone up to date on what’s happening in the Tennessee Legislature, a press release said. Members of the audience may ask questions and give opinions. [Read more…]

Driskill named Roane State executive director for Oak Ridge campus, community relations

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Owen Driskill

Owen Driskill

 

Owen Driskill has been named Roane State Community College’s executive director for the Oak Ridge Campus and Community Relations.

Driskill joined Roane State’s staff in 2007 after a 10-year career in journalism as a reporter and editor. He served as Roane State’s news coordinator until 2011, when he became the college’s director of marketing and public relations.

Driskill serves on the boards of Explore Oak Ridge, First Steps Child Development Center in Oak Ridge, and the Oak Ridge Center for Leadership and Community Development. In addition, he is a member of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy Committee. He has been a volunteer mentor for tnAchieves, the nonprofit that coordinates mentors for Tennessee Promise students, since 2008. [Read more…]

UT, NOAA to collaborate on atmospheric sciences research

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Taylor Eighmy, UT vice chancellor for research and engagement, left, and Bruce Baker, director of NOAA’s Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, headquartered in Oak Ridge, right, sign a memorandum of agreement in Oak Ridge on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Photo courtesy University of Tennessee)

Taylor Eighmy, left, UT vice chancellor for research and engagement, and Bruce Baker, right, director of NOAA’s Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, which has headquarters in Oak Ridge, sign a memorandum of agreement in Oak Ridge on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Photo courtesy University of Tennessee)

 

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, or ATDD, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Air Resources Laboratory to advance collaborative research in atmospheric sciences. ATDD has headquarters in Oak Ridge.

The agreement was signed Wednesday, February 15, at ATDD headquarters in Oak Ridge, and it will help with joint efforts to advance understanding of air pollution, atmospheric transport processes, and weather on a regional and national level, a press release said. It also will create educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to collect scientific data, develop models and simulations, and transition research to applications and commercial use.

“The mission of the collaboration will be to train the next generation of scientists and engineers and provide the best available atmospheric data and scientific analysis to the global scientific community, to local and national decision makers, and to the general public,” said Bruce Baker, director of the ATDD. [Read more…]

Photos: Construction work on eighth rowing lane

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Rail work on the eighth rowing lane on the Oak Ridge rowing course is pictured above on Monday, Feb. 20, 2017. (Photo by Laurel Patrick/First Place Finish)

Rail work on the eighth lane of the Oak Ridge rowing course is pictured above on Monday, Feb. 20, 2017. (Photo by Laurel Patrick/First Place Finish)

 

Construction work continues on the eighth lane of the Oak Ridge rowing course.

Here are three recent photos by Laurel Patrick of First Place Finish, the contractor. The work includes a precast concrete block retaining wall and associated dredging and site work.

The construction of the eighth rowing lane is funded by a combination of state appropriations, City Capital Improvement funds, and a state tourism grant awarded to the Anderson County Tourism Council specifically for the eighth lane project. The Oak Ridge Rowing Association (ORRA), Explore Oak Ridge (the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau), and Visit Knoxville also contributed. [Read more…]

Photos: Panda Express, retail shops construction

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Construction work is pictured above on Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in the area that will house a Panda Express restaurant and retail shops where Ruby Tuesday used to be on South Illinois Avenue. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Construction work is pictured above on Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in the area that will house a Panda Express restaurant and retail shops where Ruby Tuesday used to be on South Illinois Avenue. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Construction work is under way in the small shopping center that will house a Panda Express restaurant and retail shops where Ruby Tuesday used to be on South Illinois Avenue.

Here are three photos of the work on Friday, February 10.

The former Ruby Tuesday restaurant was demolished in October.

A site plan for the Panda Express restaurant and retail development has been reviewed by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission. [Read more…]

Photos: Main Street Oak Ridge construction

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Construction work continues for new stores at Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. This work on Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, is in the area that will house Dick's Sporting Goods and T.J. Maxx, roughly in the area of the former Sears department store. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Construction work continues for new stores at Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. This work on Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, is in the area that will house Dick’s Sporting Goods and T.J. Maxx, roughly in the area of the former Sears department store between Walmart and the U.S. Post Office. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Construction work continues for eight new stores at Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

Here are photos from the 58-acre project on Friday, February 10.

With the exception of Belk and JCPenney, the former mall has been demolished, and there has been significant progress on the sites where the new stores are being built.

RealtyLink, the development company, has previously said the eight new stores at Main Street Oak Ridge could be ready by late spring or summer. [Read more…]

Bicyclist who died in SUV-bike crash on Sunday has been identified

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The bicyclist who died in the Sunday afternoon crash between a bicycle and a small sport utility vehicle has been identified as Verne Gilbert, 85, of Oak Ridge, authorities said.

The crash was reported at about 1:50 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike, or Highway 58, and Blair Road, or State Route 327, in west Oak Ridge. That’s just east of East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site.

Gilbert’s identity was not included in a City of Oak Ridge news release Sunday evening at the request of the family, a Monday afternoon press release said. [Read more…]

JMS robotics team to represent school, Tennessee at FIRST LEGO World Championships

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The Jefferson Middle School Master Builders finished a robot challenge game with a high score of 204 and won the first place overall Champion's Award in the FIRST Lego League East Tennessee State Championship at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. The team received the Global Innovation Award. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

The Jefferson Middle School Master Builders finished a robot challenge game with a high score of 204 and won the first place overall Champion’s Award in the FIRST Lego League East Tennessee State Championship at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. The team received the Global Innovation Award. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Content written by team coaches—edited and submitted by Holly Cross

Three robotics teams from Jefferson Middle School competed in the FIRST Lego League East Tennessee State Championship at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville on February 11. One team will represent Jefferson Middle School and Tennessee at the FIRST LEGO World Championships in Houston in April.

To compete in the state championship, teams must first qualify at either the Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga, or Johnson City competitions. The Atomic Eagles, JMS Master Builders, and Radioactive Brix all qualified in Knoxville on December 3 at Hardin Valley Academy.

The Radioactive Brix (team # 3131) finished the robot challenge game with a high score of 90 and won second place in mechanical design. Members are: Johnny Clark, Grace Godfrey, Christopher Gorsuch, Ethan Holland, Colby Lawson, Josh Shubert, and Chrystalleni White. The team coach is Norma Franco. The team mentor is Justin Holland.

The Atomic Eagles (team #336) finished the robot challenge game with a high score of 110 and won the third place overall Champions Award. Members are: Ben Dallas, Lindsey Fiscor, Bethany Marshall, Amelie Nagle, Levi Parish, Brian Qu, and Alex Shanafield. The team coaches are Janie Shanafield and David Hundermark. The team mentor is Harold Shanafield. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge High School Cyber Patriot Team places third in state

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Submitted photo

Submitted photo

The Air Force Association’s General Bruce K. Holloway Chapter 367 extended congratulations to the Oak Ridge High School Cyber Patriot Team and mentor Keith Jackson for placing third in the state in the Silver Division and qualifying for the regional round.

The 2016-2017 school year marks the first year Oak Ridge High School has participated as a team in the CyberPatriot program competition. Jackson, Oak Ridge High School computer science instructor, is the mentor. This year, the high schools has a two-person team of Jacob Larose and Noah Hylton.

“We are already recruiting and training for next year,” Jackson said.

CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program, which has a mission to spark the interest of the nation’s youth in the area of cybersecurity and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and career paths.

This press release was submitted by Holly Cross.