Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Christmas Parade is Saturday, Dec. 12

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Christmas Parade Train

A float at the Oak Ridge Christmas Parade is pictured above in December 2014. (Photo by D. Ray Smith)

 

The annual Christmas Parade organized by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is Saturday, December 12. This year’s theme is “Winter Wonderland,” and it promises to provide spectators with plenty of music, lights, and beautiful floats, a press release said.

Almost 80 businesses and community organizations have already registered their entries for the parade. Sponsor of this year’s parade is The Cowperwood Company. There is no cost to participate.

The parade will start at 6 p.m. December 12, and it will begin at Corporate Center, on the corner of Lafayette and Laboratory Road. From there, the parade will travel down Lafayette to the Oak Ridge Turnpike. It will continue west on the Turnpike to Oak Ridge High School. The judge’s stand will be located in front of the Chamber. [Read more…]

California Ave. temporarily closed, power out after SUV hits utility pole

Posted at
By 2 Comments

California-Avenue-Utility-Pole-Crash-Nov-17-2015

A mother and her son were taken to the hospital with injuries reported as non-life threatening after a small sport utility vehicle hit a utility pole on California Avenue, flipped, and landed on its top Tuesday morning, authorities said.

 

Note: This story was updated at 12:46 a.m.

A mother and her son were taken to the hospital with injuries reported to be non-life threatening after a small sport utility vehicle hit a utility pole on California Avenue, flipped, and landed on its top Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The single-vehicle crash was reported at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. The SUV was reportedly driving north on California Avenue when it crashed.

Authorities temporarily closed a short section of California Avenue at West Arrowwood Road as utility workers repaired the pole.

In a text alert at 10:08 a.m. Tuesday, the Oak Ridge Police Department said there was a power outage in east Oak Ridge from California Avenue east, and it could affect traffic signals. The signal at Melton Lake Drive and Oak Ridge Turnpike was reported to be out.

At about 11 a.m., the Oak Ridge Electric Department said there was damage to a substation as well.

“As a result, power is expected to be off east of Florida Avenue on both sides of the Turnpike, including residents and businesses along East Emory Valley Road, for the next few hours in order to make the necessary repairs,” the Electric Department said.

The ORED reported at about 12:30 p.m. that power had been restored on the east end of Oak Ridge.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

UT, Y-12 chemical sensing technology wins national R&D100 award

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Michael-Sepaniak

Michael Sepaniak

A low-cost chemical sensor invented by a University of Tennessee chemistry professor in partnership with the Y-12 National Security Complex has been recognized by R&D Magazine as a top technology product in the marketplace, a press release said.

The invention, the product of UT Chemistry Professor Michael Sepaniak and collaborators at Y-12, was selected this weekend for the 2015 R&D100 Award—known in the field as the “Oscars of innovation.” The award recognizes the top 100 technology projects of the year and honors the inventors.

ChIMES (Chemical Identification by Magneto-Elastic Sensing) is a new low-cost passive chemical sensing technology. The sensors are based on a set of target response materials that expand in the presence of a target. The expanding volume puts stress on materials, changing their magnetic properties so they can be detected wirelessly. [Read more…]

ORNL wins six R&D 100 awards

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

BAAM-RD100-ORNL-2015

The Big Area Additive Manufacturing-CI system, developed by ORNL and Cincinnati Incorporated, was among ORNL’s six 2015 R&D 100 award winners. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have received six R&D 100 awards, increasing the lab’s total to 193 since the award’s inception in 1963.

The competition, sponsored by R&D Magazine, recognizes advances in the nation’s most impactful technologies and the scientists and engineers who led the effort. This year, ORNL researchers earned awards for the following innovations:

The Big Area Additive Manufacturing-CI system was developed by ORNL researchers and Cincinnati Incorporated. BAAM-CI also received an Editor’s Choice award from R&D Magazine. [Read more…]

Today: Council to consider Secret City Festival agreement, comments on DOE landfill

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider an agreement worth up to $150,000 for the 2016 Secret City Festival and will also consider comments on the federal proposal to build a new landfill west of the Y-12 National Security Complex.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Monday, November 16, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue.

See the City Council agenda here. The Secret City Festival agreement is on Page 18 under Resolutions.

See the proposed comments on the U.S. Department of Energy landfill starting on Page 2 of the additions to the agenda. [Read more…]

AC man flown to burn unit in Chattanooga after setting himself on fire Sunday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

An Anderson County man was flown to a burn unit in Chattanooga after reportedly setting himself on fire with gasoline in Claxton on Sunday, authorities said.

The 36-year-old man poured gasoline on his head and set himself on fire Sunday morning, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department said in a report. He was apparently having medical and other issues, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.

The self-immolation was reported on Palm Lane near Claxton Elementary School at about 9:20 a.m. Sunday.

Lucas said the man was transported to the football field at Claxton Elementary School by Anderson County Emergency Medical Services, where a Lifestar medical helicopter picked him up and flew him to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. The man was transferred from UT to a burn unit at Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga by Lifestar.

Lucas said he didn’t know the man’s condition at that time.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOE director’s presentation to include discussion of proposed landfill near Y-12

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Laura Wilkerson

Laura Wilkerson

A Tuesday presentation by federal official Laura Wilkerson will include information on the proposed new Environmental Management Disposal Facility, a landfill that would be on the west side of the Y-12 National Security Complex.

Laura Wilkerson is a portfolio federal project director for the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. She will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League at noon Tuesday, November 17, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Her presentation will focus on environmental management and waste management in Oak Ridge.

Lunch with the League is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. In a press release, the League said it has a position on waste disposal that addresses full disclosure of intent and public participation in the decision-making process.

“The League position is to protect the health of the community and environment,” the press release said. [Read more…]

INCITE grants awarded to 56 research projects at ORNL, Argonne

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sign

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science has announced 56 projects aimed at accelerating discovery and innovation to address some of the world’s most challenging scientific questions. The projects will share 5.8 billion core hours on America’s two most powerful supercomputers dedicated to open science at Oak Ridge and Argonne national laboratories.

The diverse projects will advance knowledge in critical areas ranging from sustainable energy technologies to next-generation materials, a press release said.

Researchers from academia, government research facilities, and industry received computing time through the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment, or INCITE, program. The program was created as the primary means of accessing the DOE Leadership Computing Facilities at Argonne and Oak Ridge national laboratories.

“The INCITE program drives some of the world’s most ambitious and groundbreaking computational research in science and engineering,” said James Hack, director of the National Center for Computational Sciences, home to the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, a DOE Office of Science User Facility. “The program has a very strong and diverse collection of projects in 2016, and we look forward to working with investigators to ensure they succeed with their challenging objectives.” [Read more…]

No hazardous, radioactive materials released in small fire at Manufacturing Sciences

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Manufacturing-Sciences-Fire-Nov-16-2015

There were no injuries, and no hazardous or radioactive material was released in a small fire in a dust collection system at Manufacturing Sciences Corp. on South Illinois Avenue on Monday, Nov. 16, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 11:33 a.m.

There were no injuries, and no hazardous or radioactive material was released in a small fire at Manufacturing Sciences Corporation on South Illinois Avenue on Monday morning, officials said.

The was reported in a dust collection system of an oxide processing area at Manufacturing Sciences at about 9:30 a.m. Monday.

“All non-essential personnel were evacuated from the building, and the fire was quickly contained,” said Jeff Jansen, Manufacturing Sciences vice president and general manager. “During this time, the facility maintained negative ventilation, and no hazardous or radioactive material was released to the public.”

About 40 people were evacuated, said Tim Waddell, Manufacturing Sciences business and facilities operations manager. [Read more…]

ORNL’s Titan still No. 2 as China triples Top500 supercomputers

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

 

Titan Supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was once ranked as the world’s most powerful supercomputer, but it has since been ranked number two. (Photo courtesy of ORNL)

 

The Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory remained at number two on a list of the world’s top 500 supercomputers released Monday. China tripled the number of its systems on the semiannual Top500 list, while the number of systems in the United States fell to the lowest point since the list was created in 1993.

The Tianhe-2 supercomputer in China again maintained the number one spot on the list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers. It’s the sixth consecutive time Tianhe-2 has been the top supercomputer. The system was developed by China’s National University of Defense Technology.

Titan was once the most powerful supercomputer.

The 46th edition of the twice-yearly TOP500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers was released Monday. [Read more…]

Today: Celebrate veterans with Community Band concert

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak-Ridge-Community-Band-Summer-Concert-July-4-2014

The Oak Ridge Community Band performs in a summer concert on July 4, 2014. (Photo by Larry Perry)

 

The Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble will hold a Veterans Concert on Sunday, November 15, at 3:30 p.m., at the Grove Theater Performing Arts Center.

Everyone is invited, but area veterans are particularly encouraged to attend this event which is being held in their honor, a press release said. The program will include patriotic selections, swing era music, and a special ceremony to recognize veterans who have served both in peacetime and during war time.

Directed by band leader Dale Pendley and assistant conductor Lisa Michaels, the Community Band will perform Irving Berlin’s “Songs for America” featuring “This is the Army, Mister Jones,” “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor,” “This is a Great Country,” and “God Bless America.” Other patriotic selections will include John Philip Sousa’s “Liberty Bell,” James Hosay’s “Pride of the Fleet,” and Bob Lowden’s arrangement of “Armed Forces Salute” with “Semper Paratus,” “The U.S. Air Force,” “Anchors Aweigh,” “The Caisson Song,” and “Marines Hymn.” [Read more…]

Today: 12th Annual ‘Say No to Drugs’ Balloon Release

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

12th-Annual-Say-No-To-Drugs-Balloon-Release-Flyer-2015

Submitted

Have you or someone you love ever suffered from drug abuse? Have you ever given thanks that the negative effects of drug abuse haven’t entered into your life?

If so, you are invited to join the family and friends of Clayton Smith along with the Roane County Anti-Drug Coalition for a special prayer and balloon release at 1 p.m. Sunday, November 15, at Oak Ridge Memorial Park.

The event is being held to honor the recovery efforts of anyone who has suffered from drug addiction and to remember the lives of loved ones lost due to drug abuse. [Read more…]