Oak Ridge Today

Students from UT Pride Center to give update at PFLAG meeting today (Nov. 7)

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Students from the Pride Center at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville will share what’s happening (or no longer happening) on the UT campus at the Monday, November 7, PFLAG meeting. The community is invited, a press release said.

The meeting will be held at Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge, which is located at 101 West Madison Lane. Social time will start at 6:45 p.m. The meeting will be from 7-8 p.m. There will be time to talk with the Pride students following the meeting, the press release said. [Read more…]

ORHS Masquers present a comedy, ‘Dearly Beloved,’ this week

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Dearly Beloved

Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s drama program, will present Jones, Hope, and Wooten’s Texas-sized comedy “Dearly Beloved” for three performances in November. Pictured above are the Futrelle Sisters, from left to right, Twink (Sarah Hepler), Frankie (Mary Kemp), and Honey Raye (Arianna Walker). (Submitted photo)

 

By Ben Fowler

Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s drama program, will present Jones, Hope, and Wooten’s Texas-sized comedy “Dearly Beloved” for three performances in November.

The performances are scheduled for Thursday, November 10, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, November 12 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, November 13, at 2 p.m., at the Oak Ridge Performing Arts Center, or ORPAC, at Oak Ridge High School.

“Dearly Beloved” is the story of the Frankie, Honey Rae, and Twink as they prepare to throw a wedding for Frankie’s daughter. The Futrelle Sisters try to stay ahead of the Fayro, Texas, rumor mill, but with Frankie’s repeated conversations with her dead mother, Honey Rae’s many trips to the marriage chapel, and Twink’s desperate attempts to get her long-time boyfriend down the aisle for the first time, the odds are against them. Add in their personal tensions of who broke up the Futrelle Sisters’ gospel group, The Sermonettes, and laughter ensues. This southern comedy, filled with crazy family, odd ball love interests, and a nosy neighbor or two, is sure to delight. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra performs All-Mozart Concert on Saturday

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Gabe Lefkowitz

Gabe Lefkowitz (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra and Oak Ridge Chorus will perform an All-Mozart Concert on Saturday.

The concert is presented by the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association, and it will be led by Maestro Dan Allcott.

It’s scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 5, at the First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge.

The concert will feature the Oak Ridge Chorus performing Mozart’s “Coronation” Mass with the Oak Ridge Symphony, and Mozart’s “Divertimento in F major.”  The concert will also feature guest artist, Gabriel Lefkowitz, currently in his final season as concertmaster of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, in a performance of Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No. 5.” [Read more…]

Celebrate Veterans Day with Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble on Sunday

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Pictured above is the Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble in a previous concert at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center. (Submitted photo)

Pictured above is the Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble in a previous concert at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center. (Submitted photo)

 

Area residents and in particular area veterans are invited to attend the Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble “Music for Our Military” concert on Sunday afternoon in Oak Ridge. The concert is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, November 6, in Combs Hall of Central Baptist Church, which is at 130 Providence Road.

The program will be a tribute to all veterans for their service to the country with music and a recognition of veterans in attendance at Sunday’s concert, a press release said. The program announcer will be Chuck Languth.

Veterans will be asked at the ticket table for their name, branch of service, and when they served, whether in peacetime or in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf conflict, Afghanistan, or in Iraq. During the concert program, there will be a recognition of these veterans and a heart-felt thank you for their service, the press release said. [Read more…]

Roane State course will teach emergency responders how to fly drones

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Roane State has partnered with and Avion Unmanned Solutions Inc. to offer a course for emergency responders on how to fly drones. Sign up by visiting www.roanestate.edu/che or call (865) 539-6904. (Submitted photo)

Roane State has partnered with Avion Unmanned Solutions Inc. to offer a course for emergency responders on how to fly drones. Sign up by visiting www.roanestate.edu/che or calling (865) 539-6904. (Submitted photo)

 

Drones will be buzzing the skies near Roane State Community College’s Roane County campus in early December as students learn how to safely use remotely piloted aircraft, formally called Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

The five-day class, intended for emergency responders—from law enforcement to fire departments and rescue squads—is a partnership between the college and Avion Unmanned Solutions Inc., which is based in Huntsville, Alabama.

Drones have shown their worth in search and rescue operations, storm damage assessment, wildfire support, hostage situations, aerial reconnaissance, and natural disaster support, officials said.

Certified instructors will teach the class, which will be eight hours a day from December 5-9. About $250,000 worth of several different types of drones and the technology to use with them will be deployed, an Avion representative said. There’s a $2,245 tuition fee. [Read more…]

Sound Company presents ‘Songs that Inspire Us’ on Friday, Saturday

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Sound Company Children's Choir of Oak Ridge

Sound Company Children’s Choir of Oak Ridge

 

Sound Company Children’s Choir of Oak Ridge will present “Songs that Insire Us” on Friday and Saturday.

The shows are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, November 4, and 3 p.m. Saturday, November 5. Both performances are at The Grove Theater in Oak Ridge.

The selection of music, which is chosen to inspire, will include “Corner of the Sky,” “Black or White,” “Imagine,” and “Sing” (Pentatonix). [Read more…]

Diggs family home in Oliver Springs receives 2016 East Tennessee Preservation Award

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diggs-cox-home

The Diggs family home in Oliver Springs is one of 10 recipients of the 2016 East Tennessee Preservation Awards given out by East Tennessee Preservation Alliance, which covers 16 counties in middle East Tennessee. (Photo by East Tennessee Preservation Alliance)

 

The Diggs family home in Oliver Springs is one of 10 recipients of the 2016 East Tennessee Preservation Awards given out by East Tennessee Preservation Alliance, which covers 16 counties in middle East Tennessee.

The awards will be presented during a special reception at historic Arrow Hill in Talbott near Morristown, a press release said. The 10 award winners will be celebrated for their contributions to historic preservation.

“East Tennessee is a beautiful region that is rich with history and interesting places,” the press release said. “Each year, the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance recognizes outstanding persons, projects, and organizations working to preserve our heritage for future generations.

The release said the Diggs family home in Oliver Springs has seen some changes. Built in 1905 by Alfred H. and Scotland Diggs, the house had to be moved away from the path of a new four-lane highway. It remains in the family, and Bettina Diggs Cox recently embarked on a full renovation. The once missing porch was rebuilt, and rooms throughout have been beautifully renovated, the release said. A unique feature of the home are the four fireplace mantels salvaged from the once popular Oliver Springs Hotel. [Read more…]

Camera Club has Reception, Gallery Walk for Photographic Salon on Friday

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Pictured above is the Best of Show digital projected image of the 2016 Salon of the Camera Club of Oak Ridge. The photo, "High Road to Town," is by Pat Postma, and it is used here for publicity purposes only. (Submitted photo)

Pictured above is the Best of Show digital projected image of the 2016 Salon of the Camera Club of Oak Ridge. The photo, “High Road to Town,” is by Pat Postma, and it is used here for publicity purposes only. (Submitted photo)

 

The Camera Club of Oak Ridge has a Reception and Gallery Walk for its 68th Photographic Salon on Friday.

One of the biggest photographic shows in East Tennessee, the Salon will be on display at the New Hope Center at Y-12 National Security Complex from October 31 to November 10, Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Reception and Gallery Walk will be held on Friday, November 4, from 7-9 p.m.

The camera club has exhibited its best images since 1948 under names that have included Oak Ridge Camera Club, Carbide Camera Club, Lockheed Martin Camera Club, and now CCOR. [Read more…]

Tree workshop dedicated to Pat Imperato to be held at UT Arboretum

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University of Tennessee Arboretum fall scene (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

University of Tennessee Arboretum fall scene (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

Pat Imperato

Pat Imperato

A tree workshop at the University of Tennessee Arboretum on Saturday, November 12, will be dedicated to Pat Imperato, a tireless champion of environmental issues, a press release said. Her advocacy was evident in her long history of contributions to the Oak Ridge Environmental Quality Advisory Board and Keep Anderson County Beautiful, the release said.

The workshop will be presented by the Oak Ridge Environmental Quality Advisory Board in partnership with the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center. It’s scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, November 12, at the UT Arboretum Auditorium, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Imperato, 69, died in October, but she spent the last several years spearheading work on a “Tree Plan” for Oak Ridge. Imperato was also an outspoken proponent for proper stewardship of city and private lands, and she was interested in community education and outreach, the press release said. [Read more…]

Man convicted in Corwin’s death in California, LA Times reports

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Erin Corwin with Horse

Erin Corwin, who was from Oak Ridge, was an animal lover who volunteered at a horse rescue near Twentynine Palms, California.

 

A man was convicted Thursday of killing Erin Corwin, 19, a former Oak Ridger, and dumping her body down a 140-foot mine shaft, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The conviction came just days after Christopher Brandon Lee, 27, confessed to the slaying on the witness stand, the newspaper said.

A San Bernardino County jury in California found Lee guilty of murder. Jurors also found true a special sentencing enhancement that Lee was lying in wait for Corwin, his married lover, in June 2014, the Los Angeles Times said, citing the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office.

Lee’s sentencing was set for November 29. He faces life without the possibility of parole.

See the LA Times story here. [Read more…]

Photos: National Merit Semi-finalists, Commended Scholars at ORHS

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Sitting: Abigail Greenhalgh, daughter of Dyrk and Heidi Greenhalgh; Lara Blokland, daughter of Willem and Suzanne Blokland. Standing: Logan Rumbaugh, son of David and Rebecca Bowman (Submitted photo)

National Merit Semi-finalists—Sitting: Abigail Greenhalgh, daughter of Dyrk and Heidi Greenhalgh; Lara Blokland, daughter of Willem and Suzanne Blokland. Standing: Logan Rumbaugh, son of David and Rebecca Bowman (Submitted photo)

 

Here are photos of National Merit Semi-finalists and Commended Scholars at Oak Ridge High School.

Semi-finalists scored in the top 1 percent in the state, while the Commended Scholars scored in the top 2-3 percent in their state on the PSAT test in their junior year. The PSAT is the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. [Read more…]

Atomic City Computers has ribbon-cutting at new location Friday

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atomic-city-computers

Atomic City Computers will host a public ribbon-cutting event on Friday, November 4, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in conjunction with the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce. The ribbon-cutting will celebrate the store’s recent relocation to 1968 Oak Ridge Highway. (Submitted photo)

 

Atomic City Computers will host a public ribbon-cutting event on Friday, November 4, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in conjunction with the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce. The ribbon-cutting will celebrate the store’s recent relocation.

There will be free hot dogs and prize giveaways for those who drop in a business card, a press release said.

The press release said Atomic City Computers has been in business since 2010 providing computer repair for residential and business customers, as well as mobile device repair, custom built desktop systems for gaming, office, and scientific needs, and onsite repair services for businesses. [Read more…]