Oak Ridge Today

UT-Battelle extends American Centrifuge agreement for uranium enrichment

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American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center

The American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center in south Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo courtesy USEC/Centrus Energy Corp.)

UT-Battelle, the contractor that operates Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has added another six months to an agreement being used to develop new uranium-enrichment technology through operations in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Piketon, Ohio.

The six-month extension was announced Friday by Centrus Energy Corporation, formerly known as USEC. UT-Battelle has exercised its option to extend the American Centrifuge Technology Demonstration and Operations Agreement, or ACTDO Agreement, by six months from March 31 to September 30, 2015, Centrus said.

ORNL had previously exercised an option to extend the agreement through March 31, 2015.

The six-month extension allows the continued demonstration and operation of the only uranium enrichment technology in the United States, Centrus said in a press release. [Read more…]

Sen. McNally reappointed chair of Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, has been reappointed chairman of the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.

Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey made the appointment during the General Assembly’s organizational session, which ended Saturday. McNally has led the committee as chairman since 2007.

“I am very pleased to be reappointed to this role in our Finance Committee” McNally said in a press release. “This will be another challenging year for our budget, and I look forward to working on solutions to the issues we face.” [Read more…]

Updated: KPD pursuit passes through Anderson, ends in Union

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Jeremy Shane Howard

Jeremy Shane Howard

The police chase that passed through Anderson County on Thursday night started at a Weigel’s store in Knoxville and ended with an arrest in Union County.

The Knoxville Police Department said officers observed a suspicious man at Weigel’s on Callahan and Central Avenue Pike on Thursday night. The man was observed by officers on special assignment for recent robberies in north Knoxville.

The suspect, who was wearing surgical gloves, had been in the store for an extended period of time acting suspiciously before leaving without purchasing any items, the KPD said. [Read more…]

ORNL model explores location of future U.S. population growth

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ORNL Population Map

This 3-D visualization represents projected changes in U.S. population between 2010 and 2050 as predicted by a new Oak Ridge National Laboratory model. Areas seen in red indicate higher levels of population growth, whereas the vertical spikes signify population growth with new land development. (Image courtesy ORNL)

 

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a population distribution model that provides unprecedented county-level predictions of where people will live in the United States in the coming decades.

Initially developed to assist in the siting of new energy infrastructure, the team’s model has a broad range of implications from urban planning to climate change adaptation. The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“We do a census every 10 years because those data help us do long-term socioeconomic planning,” said Budhendra Bhaduri, who leads ORNL’s Geographic Information Science and Technology group. “Population projection numbers are important, but many pressing societal needs also require an understanding of where people are going to be. This has always been a challenge; we’ve never had a good method to make future projections spatially explicit.” [Read more…]

Seven emergency workers honored for baby deliveries, fire rescue

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Stork Pin Billy Sharp, Chris Bice, Stephanie Fox, and Gage Whitman

From left wearing blue shirts are Critical Care Paramedic or CCEMTP Billy Sharp, Paramedic Student Chris Bice, AEMT Stephanie Fox, and Paramedic Gage Whitman. They were awarded the Stork pin when the Anderson County Commission met on Tuesday morning. The Stork pin is traditionally given to a field provider for helping to deliver a baby. Also pictured at far left is Nathan Sweet, director of Anderson County Emergency Medical Services. (Photos courtesy Anderson County Emergency Medical Services)

 

Four emergency medical workers in Anderson County were honored Tuesday for helping with baby deliveries, and three rescuers were recognized for their courage in pulling a woman from a burning home in November.

Those who helped deliver the babies received a Stork pin, said Nathan Sweet, director of Anderson County Emergency Medical Services. The four were honored during a Tuesday meeting of the Anderson County Commission. They are Critical Care Paramedic or CCEMTP Billy Sharp, Paramedic Student Chris Bice, AEMT Stephanie Fox, and Paramedic Gage Whitman.

They helped with baby deliveries in October, November, and December. [Read more…]

Officials decline comment on federal agent, police presence at Oak Ridge business

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Federal Agents at Berthold Technologies

Federal agents and police declined to comment on why they were at Berthold Technologies on Midway Road in Oak Ridge on Thursday morning.

 

Federal officials would not comment and company executives were not immediately available to comment Thursday morning on why there appeared to be roughly a dozen agents and police at the Berthold Technologies building on Midway Road in south Oak Ridge.

It wasn’t clear exactly which agencies were at the business. Some wore black jackets with lettering on the back that said Federal Agent and at least had one with lettering that said Police. The agents were seen entering and leaving Berthold Technologies through a few doors in the single-story building, and also going in and out of a large warehouse or garage area at the rear of the building.

It wasn’t clear if any employees were at the building. Oak Ridge Today was not able to reach anyone by phone at Berthold Technologies or to immediately reach the general manager listed on the company’s website by email. [Read more…]

Reports: Man drags constable while fleeing, crashes into deputy’s cruiser

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Larry Eugene Ward

Larry Eugene Ward

An Anderson County man suspected of fleeing a crash on Clinton Highway last week was found slumped over with blood on his face in a damaged car that reeked inside of alcohol, authorities said. The suspect, Larry Eugene Ward, fled from officers, and he dragged three emergency responders with him and almost ran over a constable’s legs before crashing into three other vehicles on Bull Run Road, including a deputy’s patrol car, authorities said.

The constable, Jennings F. Foust, 64, was dragged almost 50 feet before Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Robert J. Collins was able to pull him from the vehicle, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.

While trying to flee, Ward crashed into three more vehicles, including Collins’ patrol car and Foust’s car, and hit or nearly hit an ambulance, authorities said.

Ward, 34, of Clinton, remained jailed Wednesday at the Anderson County Detention Facility on a slew of charges including aggravated assault, evading arrest, reckless driving, public intoxication, and driving under the influence. [Read more…]

Hike for Your Heart at Haw Ridge on Feb. 7

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Haw Ridge Park Parking Lot

Part of the Melton Lake Greenway is pictured above at the Haw Ridge Park parking lot.

 

Oak Ridge city and school officials will kick off Heart Health Month with a walk and hike at Haw Ridge Park on February 7.

Hike for Your Heart is a 4.2-mile walk with optional trail hiking included. It starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, February 7, and the public is invited. The walk and hike has been organized by the City of Oak Ridge Wellness Committee and Oak Ridge Coordinated School Health.

The walking path has varied elevations, a press release said. Walkers will leave the Haw Ridge parking area on Edgemoor Road promptly at 9 a.m. February 7. [Read more…]

A few tickets left for Saturday fundraiser for Roane State scholarships

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High Tea Roane State Fundraiser

From left, Sally Peterka with Roane State’s Roane County site support team and Roane State Foundation board member Dana Peterka prepare items for a silent auction that will be part of the Foundation’s Jan. 24 Upstairs/Downstairs High Tea. (Submitted photo)

 

A few tickets remain for Roane State Foundation’s Upstairs/Downstairs High Tea on Saturday. Proceeds will be used for student scholarships.

The fundraiser is inspired by the hit show “Downton Abbey.” It starts at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 24, at the Whitestone Country Inn in Kingston.

In the picture above, Sally Peterka, left, with Roane State’s Roane County site support team and Roane State Foundation board member Dana Peterka prepare items for a silent auction that will be part of the Upstairs/Downstairs High Tea. Roane State Foundation board member Mary Ann Reeves helped collect the auction items, and the Foundation invites you to enjoy a traditional tea and bid on your favorite goodies.

A limited number of tickets ($50 for individuals, $75 for couples) remain. To order tickets, contact the Roane State Foundation at (865) 882-4507 or foundationdept@roanestate.edu.

Technology Town Hall at Glenwood Elementary on Tuesday

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Glenwood Elementary School

Glenwood Elementary School in east Oak Ridge is pictured above.

Glenwood Elementary will host the next Oak Ridge Schools Technology Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, January 27, at 6 p.m. in the library.

“Come learn why computer skills are important in our schools,” a press release said. “Learn about Hour of Code and how Glenwood has started to incorporate coding into the school day. Community members will be invited to the computer lab to try your hands at coding skills.”

Tuskegee Road to be closed temporarily for repairs

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City of Oak Ridge Seal

Parts of Tuskegee Road in central Oak Ridge will be closed temporarily for repairs to the gravel section of the road. The closure is scheduled to start Monday, January 26, and end Friday, January 30, weather permitting.

The repairs will be done by the Oak Ridge Public Works Department. The work will require sections of the road to be closed during the day starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m., a city press release said.

There will be no through traffic during the closures, although provisions will be made for residents to access their properties.

For additional information about the Public Works Department, call (865) 425-1875 or visit www.OakRidgeTN.gov.

Company licenses ORNL cyber security technology that recognizes malicious software

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R&K Cyber Solutions Joseph Carter and Thom Mason of ORNL

R&K Cyber Solutions LLC has licensed Hyperion, a cyber security technology from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory that can quickly recognize malicious software even if the specific program has not been previously identified as a threat. Pictured above are ORNL Director Thom Mason, left, and R&K Cyber Solutions CEO Joseph Carter. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

A company based in Washington, D.C., has licensed a cyber security technology from Oak Ridge National Laboratory that can quickly recognize malicious software—even if the specific program has not been previously identified as a threat.

Named Hyperion, the cyber security technology has been licensed by R&K Cyber Solutions LLC, or R&K.

The ORNL technology can look inside an executable program to determine the software’s behavior without using its source code or running the program, according to one of its inventors, Stacy Prowell of ORNL’s Cyber Warfare Research team. Hyperion computes and analyzes program behaviors associated with harmful intent, a press release said.

“These behaviors can be automatically checked for known malicious operations as well as domain-specific problems,” Prowell said. “This technology helps detect vulnerabilities and can uncover malicious content before it has a chance to execute.” [Read more…]