Oak Ridge Today

Willow Brook starts school year on Thursday

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Willow Brook Elementary

Willow Brook Elementary School is pictured above in May 2012. (File photo)

Willow Brook Elementary will start its 2014‐15 school year on Thursday, July 17.

School hours on Thursday, July 17, and Friday, July 18 will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The regular school schedule will begin on Monday, July 21, for students in grades 1‐4.

Kindergarten students will remain on an early dismissal schedule for Monday, July 21, and Tuesday, July 22. There will be no school for kindergarten students on Wednesday, July 23, but they will begin a regular school schedule on Thursday, July 24.

Food and transportation services will begin on Thursday, July 17.

Bus stops and routes are set according to enrollment as of July 4, 2014. New bus routes have been established due to an increase in the walk zone. Please review these routes when making transportation plans for your student(s) as bus transportation will not be available to students living within the 1.5-mile walk zone. [Read more…]

Honors: Hemrick of ORNL receives ASM International Silver Medal Award

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James Hemrick

James Hemrick

James Hemrick of Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the co-recipient of the 2014 ASM International Silver Medal Award. The award recognizes two mid-career researchers each year—one from academia and one from industry—who have filled leadership roles in the society and made significant contributions in materials science and engineering.

Hemrick’s research focuses on advanced refractory ceramic and insulation materials, mechanical properties of ceramics. and other high temperature materials and mechanical evaluation of nuclear fuel clad materials.

Hemrick, who works in the Materials Science and Technology Division, received his doctorate in ceramic engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He lives in Knoxville.

Tuesday morning forum features Anderson County Commission candidates

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

A Tuesday morning election forum at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will feature candidates for Anderson County Commission in the three Oak Ridge districts.

A Tuesday morning election forum will feature candidates for Anderson County Commission in the three Oak Ridge districts.

The Election Selection forum at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will start at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. It will feature candidates for Anderson County Commission in Districts 6, 7, and 8 in Oak Ridge. It’s open to the public, all the candidates in those three districts have been invited to participate, a press release said.

“There will be time to meet the candidates during unstructured social time followed by a structured question and answer session,” the release said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to talk with candidates and learn first-hand their thoughts and positions on key issues facing our community.”

For additional information, contact Greta Ownby.

Roane Chamber has candidate forum Tuesday evening

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Roane State Community College Harriman Campus

The Roane County Chamber has a candidate forum on Tuesday evening at Roane State Community College in Harriman, pictured above.

The Roane County Chamber has a candidate forum on Tuesday evening. It will feature candidates for Roane County executive, sheriff, Roane County Commission in District 4 (Oliver Springs), and Democratic and Republican candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives.

The forum will also feature candidates for County Commission, School Board, and City Council in Harriman, Kingston, and Rockwood.

The forum starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Roane State Community College’s O’Brien Theatre at 276 Patton Lane in Harriman. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the forum is expected to last until about 8:30 p.m. [Read more…]

Volkswagen to expand auto plant in Chattanooga, build new SUV

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Volkswagen will expand its automotive plant in Chattanooga, the company’s only U.S. manufacturing facility, and build a new midsize SUV for the American market.

Volkswagen’s total global investment for the expansion will be $900 million, and $600 million of that will be invested in Tennessee. The company expects to create 2,000 jobs in Hamilton County.

The announcement was made by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Volkswagen Group of America officials in a Monday morning press release. [Read more…]

Pilot Flying J to pay $92 million for diesel fuel discount deception, cooperate with feds

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Federal authorities announced Monday that Pilot Flying J will pay a $92 million penalty and fully cooperate with an ongoing investigation to resolve the company’s criminal liability for fraudulent conduct by employees in deceptively withholding diesel fuel price discounts from hundreds of customers.

Also known as Pilot Travel Centers LLC, Pilot has accepted legal responsibility for the criminal conduct of its employees, which caused more than $56 million in loss to its customers, and agreed to pay full restitution to every victim of the fraud, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said in a Monday afternoon press release.

Pilot further acknowledged the gravity of its employees’ criminal wrongdoing by agreeing to pay the United States the $92 million monetary penalty—an amount within the fine range recommended by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, the press release said.

“The agreement also expressly states that it provides no protection from prosecution to any individual, and moreover, imposes a continuing obligation on Pilot to provide complete cooperation with the ongoing federal investigation of current and former Pilot employees relating to fraudulent conduct involving the sale of diesel fuel,” the release said.

Pilot must also periodically report to the United States what it has done to ensure that a system of internal accounting controls and other compliance procedures have been established to prevent fraudulent conduct from occurring again in the sale of diesel fuel. In the event Pilot materially breaches its obligations under the Criminal Enforcement Agreement, Pilot has agreed that the United States may file the criminal information, attached to the agreement, and will not contest the allegations in that charging document. [Read more…]

League forum to feature Anderson County candidates on Tuesday

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Oak Ridge High School

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will have a Tuesday evening forum for candidates in Anderson County. The forum will be at Oak Ridge High School, pictured above.

The League of Women Voters will have a Tuesday evening election forum in Oak Ridge that will feature candidates from seven contested races in Anderson County—and give voters a chance to meet candidates in the uncontested races.

The forum stars at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater at 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Candidates in the contested races are running for Anderson County mayor, sheriff, register of deeds, circuit court clerk, general sessions judges (Division 1 and 2), and juvenile court judge. They have been invited to speak and answer questions, a press release said.

Candidates who are unopposed for county clerk, trustee, road superintendent, chancellor, criminal and circuit court judge, district attorney general, and public defender will be introduced. [Read more…]

Beat the heat with cool summer eats, help ADFAC

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ADFAC Dine and Donate at Riverview Grill

With an expansive view of the Clinch River, Riverview Grill features a variety of family-friendly menu items such as barbeque, burgers, seafood, and much more, a press release said. (Submitted photo)

 

Submitted

With daily temperatures averaging around 90, we could all use some relief from the heat. Why not treat yourself to a feel-good meal?

On Monday, July 14, five local restaurants will donate a portion of their sales to support Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

Officially launched last October, “Dine and Donate” is a year-long event, with different restaurants participating on the second Monday of each month. Monday’s participating restaurants are:

  • Hoskins in Clinton,
  • Papa Murphy’s in Oak Ridge (please use the register marked for ADFAC),
  • Razzleberry’s in Oak Ridge,
  • Riverview Grill in Clinton, and
  • Subway in Clinton (both), Lake City, Oak Ridge (Four Oaks Center), and Oliver Springs.

[Read more…]

ORNL wins eight R&D 100s

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Jun Qu ORNL R&D 100 Award

Jun Qu displays a flask of the ionic liquid anti-wear additives for fuel-efficient engine lubricants, one of ORNL’s eight 2104 R&D 100 Award winners. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have received eight R&D 100 awards, presented by R&D Magazine in recognition of the year’s top technological innovations.

“These awards recognize the tremendous value of our national labs,” said Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. “Research and development at the national labs continues to help our nation address its energy challenges and pursue the scientific and technological innovations necessary to remain globally competitive.”

The eight awards bring ORNL’s total of R&D 100 awards to 187 since their inception in 1963. This year, ORNL scientists and engineers received awards for the following technologies: [Read more…]

Fleischmann, Wamp at Q&A session at Chamber on Monday

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U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann and his Republican challenger Weston Wamp will take part in a question-and-answer session at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce on Monday morning.

The event starts at 7:30 a.m. Monday.

Fleischmann is running for his third term as a congressman in Tennessee’s Third District, which includes Oak Ridge. Wamp is challenging him for the second time.

The two are running in the Aug. 7 federal Republican primary. [Read more…]

Free computer classes for seniors at Senior Center

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The Oak Ridge Senior Center is offering free computer classes on Thursdays from 1:30–3:30 p.m. The classes will cover basic computer skills such as creating and using an email account and using the Internet safely and successfully.

The Oak Ridge Senior Center is open to anyone who is 50 years of age or older.

To register for the class, call the Senior Center at (865) 425-3999. “Space is very limited so reserve your spot soon!” a press release said.

For more information about this and other programs and activities at the Oak Ridge Senior Center, call the Center at (865) 425-3999 or visit our website at orrecparks.org.

Roane State honor society members take part in national conference at Disney World

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Roane State Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Conference

Roane State Phi Theta Kappa members, from left, Miranda Chase, Shawn Van Horn, and Georgette Boozer take a break from all the fun at the honor society’s national conference at Walt Disney World this spring. (Submitted photo)

 

Representatives of Roane State Community College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society unleashed their inner nerd at the society’s national conference, “NerdNation 2014,” at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges.

Roane State PTK chapter president Georgette Boozer said attending the national conference offered “a chance to explore leadership potential with college peers and a way to have fun with people from all over the country.”

Boozer and fellow PTK members Miranda Chase and Shawn Van Horn attended education sessions, networked with fellow students, and heard renowned speakers such as polar explorer Alison Levine and oceanographer Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic in 1985.

The conference was titled “NerdNation” to celebrate the idea that it’s cool to be smart. Pop culture, through shows such as “The Big Bang Theory,” and fashion—bow ties are in, and horn-rimmed glasses are back—celebrate nerd style, or “geek chic.” [Read more…]