Oak Ridge Today

Photos: Lavender Festival on Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival in Oak Ridge 2015

The Lavender Festival celebrates “all things herbal” in Jackson Square from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 20, 2015. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The Lavender Festival celebrates “all things herbal” in Jackson Square until 3 p.m. today (Saturday, June 20).

It’s the 17th annual festival, and there is no cost to attend. Here are photos by Julio Culiat.

The Lavender Festival focuses on herbs, health, gardening, and cooking, and it features more than 100 vendors, a dozen herb and health presentations, children’s activities, and many musicians. Vendors line the covered walkways of Jackson Square, the parking lot, and both sides of Broadway Avenue, which is closed to traffic.

See this previous story for more information.

[Read more…]

TWRA: Removing white-tailed fawns from wild does more harm than good

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

White-tailed Deer Fawn

Safe and sound. While many people might consider it abandoned, the mother is nearby nourishing herself while the fawn rests in a safe place in thick cover. (Photo credit: TWRA/Sterling Daniels)

 

MORRISTOWN—Calls reporting abandoned white-tailed fawns are pouring in, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is reminding people to think twice before removing them from the wild in an attempt to rescue them, even when it seems like they’ve been abandoned.

TWRA Wildlife Biologist Sterling Daniels offers this information to those who may be considering “rescuing” a fawn that in most cases, would have been better left alone: “White-tailed deer have a very effective survival strategy for their offspring that may be misinterpreted by many people and it is very rare for a doe to ever abandon a fawn. Fawns are typically born May through July, with June being the most common month. For the first weeks of a fawn’s life, the mother will keep her distance from the bedded newborn only returning for just a few hours each day for nursing. This survival strategy reduces the chance of leading predators to their location. If someone encounters a fawn, the best thing to do is leave it alone.” [Read more…]

Local church makes plans for same-sex weddings after expected Supreme Court decision

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church

The U.S. Supreme Court will soon rule on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, and Tennessee residents and state government officials are waiting to see how the Court’s decision will affect the state’s policy. In the midst of the wait, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church has begun making plans, a press release said.

“In keeping with our beliefs and to offer a sense of love and support to same-sex couples, ORUUC will offer free wedding services and a reception for same-sex couples as soon as the County Clerks’ offices are able to issue licenses,” ORUUC minister Reverend Jake Morrill said in the release. “Those who plan to marry should call the church office to request a time to speak with one of our ministers prior to the wedding day.”

“In the Book of Ruth, when Ruth tells Naomi, ‘Where you go, I will go; your people will be my people,’ people don’t get caught up with the gender,” said ORUUC Minister of Faith Formation Reverend Tandy Scheffler. “What they hear is love. What counts in this life is love. And at ORUUC, we are ready to bless public commitments of love between couples who’ve waited too long for the rights and honor denied to their families.” [Read more…]

Autism specialist to make presentation in Oak Ridge on Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Phil Axtell

Phil Axtell

Dr. Phil Axtell, a Knoxville psychologist specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorders, will discuss Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome diagnoses and interventions for both children and adults on Saturday, June 20, at Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge. The church is located at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue.

The presentation will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the church fellowship hall.  The event is free and open to the public, and child care will be provided.

Children are increasingly being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), including Asperger’s Syndrome according to recent research. In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network reported that 1 in 68 children were identified with ASD in their study covering 8-year-olds in 11 U.S communities over the years 2000-2010, a press release said. [Read more…]

State announces $347K grant to improve sidewalks in Norris

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

TDOT Norris Grant

Among those pictured above during a TDOT grant ceremony in Norris on Friday are, third from left, Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican; Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, fourth from left; Norris Mayor Chris Mitchell; Representative Dennis Powers, a Jacksboro Republican; and partially obscured, Representative John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican. (Photo courtesy TDOT via Facebook)

 

NORRIS—Tennessee officials announced Friday that they have awarded a $347,760 transportation alternative grant to the city of Norris for a project known as East Norris Sidewalk Improvements.

The grant was announced by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer during a Friday visit to East Tennessee that also includes stops in Rockwood and Knoxville.

The Norris project includes a six-foot-wide concrete trail starting at the intersection of East Norris Road and Dairy Pond Road extending approximately 2,000 feet to Andersonville Highway, a press release said. At the end of the trail, two crosswalks will be constructed to provide pedestrians with safe access to Sycamore Place and a nearby shopping center. The project will join existing sidewalks along East Norris Road, providing the final connection to area schools, recreational facilities, the local business district, and shopping. [Read more…]

Boys, Girls Club releases football, cheerleading sign-up info

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Boys and Girls Club of Oak Ridge

The Boys and Girls Club of Oak Ridge have released fall sports sign-up information for youth tackle football, youth cheerleading, and Oak Ridge High School Football Camp.

See this PDF for more information: Boys and Girls Club Fall Sports Sign Up 2015.

Physicians Forum: Overview of Tennessee Workers’ Compensation—2015

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Robert Snyder

Robert Snyder

A June 30 forum will focus on workers compensation reforms in Tennessee.

During the forum, Dr. Robert B. Snyder, medical director for the Division of Workers’ Compensation and Jeff Francis, assistant administrator in the Workers’ Compensation Division, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, will present a seminar titled “Overview of Tennessee Workers’ Compensation—2015.”

It’s been organized by the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce and scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Goff Medical Sciences Building, Goff 104, at Roane State Community College at 701 Briarcliff Avenue in Oak Ridge. The forum is sponsored by Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Firefighters, business owner to lead fire safety seminar for businesses

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Josh Waldo

Josh Waldo

A business owner and firefighters from Oak Ridge and Clinton will lead a fire safety seminar for businesses in Clinton on Tuesday.

The seminar is titled “Fire Safety and Prevention in Your Workplace and Business.” It will be led by Chip Dooley, owner of Life Safety Inspections in Oak Ridge; Josh Waldo, deputy fire chief for the Oak Ridge Fire Department; and Daniel Adams, firefighter for the Clinton Fire Department.

The seminar is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce in Clinton. It’s part of the Chamber’s summer business safety series, and it’s sponsored by Life Safety Inspections.

“The best way to practice fire safety is to make sure one doesn’t break out in the first place,” a press release said. “This means being aware of potential hazards in your business.” [Read more…]

Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club has summer picnic Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club will host a summer picnic Saturday, June 20, at Gibbs Ferry Park between Oak Ridge and Clinton.

All Democrats and families are invited to attend, a press release said. The picnic is a Democratic tradition, and it starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, the release said.

Hot dogs and accompaniments will be provided, and those attending are invited to bring a side dish or dessert to share. The press release said. there is no charge, but donations are welcome. Jenny the Donkey, who came to last year’s picnic, is expected to put in an appearance again. [Read more…]

Haslam to announce grants in Norris, Rockwood, Knoxville on Friday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Bill Haslam during Presidential Visit at Pellissippi State

Governor Bill Haslam is pictured above during a visit by President Barack Obama at Pellissippi State Community College on Friday, January 9. (File photo by Rob Welton)

 

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam will announce grants during stops in Norris, Rockwood, and Knoxville on Friday.

The first stop is in Rockwood at 9:15 a.m. Friday, June 19. The governor will announce a Tennessee Department of Transportation grant at 1360 Pumphouse Road in Rockwood.

The second stop is in Norris at 10:40 a.m. Friday. The governor will announce another TDOT grant at the Pavilion across the street from the Norris Museum, 1 Norris Square.

The last stop is at 1100 Liberty Street in Knoxville at 12:35 p.m. During that stop, Haslam will announce a grant at Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville.

ORNL: New tool on horizon for surgeons treating cancer patients

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Droplet-based Surface Sampling Probe

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s new droplet-based surface sampling probe speeds the process of analyzing a liver biopsy sample. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

Surgeons could know while their patients are still on the operating table if a tissue is cancerous, according to researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

In the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, a team led by ORNL’s Vilmos Kertesz describes an automated droplet-based surface sampling probe that accomplishes in about 10 minutes what now routinely takes 20 to 30 minutes. Kertesz expects that time to be cut to four to five minutes soon. For this proof-of-concept demonstration, researchers rapidly profiled two hormones from human pituitary tissue.

“Instead of having to cut and mount tissue and wait for a trained pathologist to review the sample under a microscope, a technician might soon perform an equally conclusive test in the operating environment,” Kertesz said.

The new mass spectrometry-based technology provides an attractive alternative to the traditional method called immunohistochemistry, or IHC, which looks for specific protein biomarkers to make a diagnosis. Although the IHC approach provides a high degree of spatial recognition, it is time-consuming and limited by the quality and specificity of the antibody used to detect the protein. [Read more…]

Sewer line inspections using sonar machine continue in Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Public Works Department continues to use state-of-the-art technology to perform inspections of the city’s sewer system, a press release said.

This technology employs a sonar machine that emits a repeating series of tones, similar to a musical scale. In open areas, it can be heard over long distances. While harmless, the tones emitted by the machine are low enough in frequency that residents nearby may be able to feel and, in some instances, hear them.

Testing is ongoing, but it will be concentrated to certain areas depending upon weather constraints and other factors during the week of June 22. This area includes Georgia Avenue to Delaware Avenue north of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Cumberland View area south of the Turnpike. Residents will notice signs posted on main roads stating “Acoustic Sewer Inspection in Area” while crews are working in their neighborhoods. [Read more…]