Oak Ridge Today

DOE’s Oak Ridge Office names safety, technical services manager

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Mildred López-Ferré

Mildred López-Ferré (DOE photo/Lynn Freeny)

Mildred López-Ferré has been named deputy assistant manager for safety and technical services at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office.

In this position, López-Ferré will be responsible for leading the development and execution of the requirements and guidelines for environment safety and health and quality assurance for ORO and for multiple DOE site offices nationwide under the purview of the department’s Office of Science Integrated Support Center.

López-Ferré will assist ORO in all aspects of the Integrated Safety Management System, or ISMS, to ensure that DOE operations provide adequate protection to employees, the general public, the environment, and DOE property, effectively and efficiently, a press release said.

López-Ferré began her career at the DOE-ORO in 1991 as a program manager in the former Environmental Restoration Division. Since that time, she has held several leadership positions at ORO, including team leader for Y-12 National Security Complex projects, and ORO federal project director responsible for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 environmental management operations. She has also served as special projects manager in the ORO Manager’s Office, and most recently special projects assistant for the assistant manager for safety and technical services within the DOE Oak Ridge Office. [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from June 19-25

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge from Thursday, June 19, and continuing through June 25.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

No change in Anderson County property tax rate, officials say

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Anderson County Commission in June 2014

The Anderson County Commission is pictured above during its Monday night meeting. (Photo by Sara Wise)

CLINTON—The property tax rate will remain unchanged in Anderson County in the fiscal year that begins July 1, officials said.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and the Budget Committee had both presented a no-tax-increase budget, and on Monday, the Anderson County Commission set the property tax rate for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

The tax rates for the new fiscal year will stay the same as the rates for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. Property owners within the city of Clinton will pay $2.50 per $100 of assessed value on their property, Oak Ridge property owners will see a tax rate of $2.347 per $100, and property owners in Lake City, Oliver Springs, Norris and unincorporated areas of Anderson County will pay $2.529 per $100 of assessed value.

While Anderson County Commission voted to approve the tax rate resolution, the legislative body has not yet approved an operating budget for the new fiscal year, the Anderson County Mayor’s Office said in a press release. [Read more…]

Guest column: Emory Valley Center ‘Dances the Night Away’ at Prom

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2014 EVC Couples Dancing

Emory Valley Center couples dancing at the May 31 prom at the Elks Lodge. (Submitted photos)

The Elks Lodge in Oak Ridge hosted a prom for more than 100 Emory Valley Center clients and their staff on Saturday evening, May 31. The theme for the prom was “Dance the Night Away,” with the Elks Lodge transformed into a disco decorated in silver, black, and white for the evening.

The Oak Ridge Boat Club donated to secure Viki Ward as the DJ for the evening. Ward and her dancers kept the music going and added to the fun of the evening. Those attending also had a wide variety of food and drinks available donated by volunteers with the Elks, Food City, Food Lion, Kroger, and Walmart in Oak Ridge. The Arc of Anderson County also made a donation in support of the prom.

The ladies attending each received a wrist corsage and the men a special lapel pin, and everyone had a bag of “goodies” to take home with them. Photos were taken of attendees and put into special prom frames for everyone to have a memento of their special evening. One of the highlights of the evening was when the Prom Prince and Princess and Prom King and Queen were crowned. After they were crowned, they were spotlighted in a special dance and then invited the rest of the crowd to join them. [Read more…]

Phillips named ORHS orchestra director

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Doug Phillips

Doug Phillips has been named orchestra director at Oak Ridge High School. He replaces Jennifer Van Tol, who has retired. (Submitted photo)

James “Doug” Phillips has been named orchestra director at Oak Ridge High School, Principal David Bryant said Wednesday. Phillips will replace Jennifer Van Tol, who retired at the end of the school year.

Bryant said Phillips has 12 years of experience in music instruction, with the last 11 being in a public school setting. His most recent assignment was with Shelby County Schools in Memphis, where he directed an award-winning strings music program.

Phillips earned his bachelor’s degree in music at Mississippi Valley State University and his master’s degree in music education at Jackson State University, and he is currently working on his doctorate in musical education through Boston University.

ORNL awarded $2.75 million for fuel cell research

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sign

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sign

DOE’s ARPA-E announces 13 new projects at New York Energy Week

New York, N.Y.—ARPA-E Acting Director Cheryl Martin has announced $33 million in funding for 13 new projects aimed at developing transformational fuel cell technologies for low-cost distributed power generation.

The funding was announced Thursday at New York Energy Week. ARPA-E is Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy.

The projects, which are funded through ARPA-E’s new Reliable Electricity Based on Electrochemical Systems, or REBELS, program, are focused on improving grid stability, balancing intermittent renewable technologies, and reducing CO2 emissions using electrochemical distributed power generation systems, a press release said.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory received $2.75 million for a project titled “Nanocomposite Electrodes for a Solid Acid Fuel Cell Stack.” [Read more…]

Energy policy professor, former ORNL manager to discuss sustainable energy

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Marilyn Brown

Marilyn Brown

The 17th Annual Dick Smyser Community Lecture Series opens on Thursday, June 26, featuring Professor Marilyn Brown, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Lab in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The title of her June 26 lecture is “Technologies and Policies for a Sustainable Energy Future.” It’s sponsored by Friends of ORNL. The event is free of charge and will be held at the American Museum of Science and Energy at 300 S. Tulane Ave. in Oak Ridge.

Before moving to Georgia Tech in 2006, Brown managed the Efficiency, Renewables, and Electric Grid Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She is also a board member of the Tennessee Valley Authority. [Read more…]

NNSA dedicates nation’s largest federal wind farm

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Pantex Wind Farm

The National Nuclear Security Administration dedicated the nation’s largest federally owned wind farm on Tuesday at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas. The NNSA also oversees work at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. (Photos courtesy NNSA)

 

Pantex wind farm complete

Retired Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz, the new administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration, dedicated the nation’s largest federally owned wind farm Tuesday at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

Klotz, who is also the U.S. Department of Energy’s under secretary for nuclear security, was joined at the ceremony by Kevin Knobloch, DOE’s chief of staff; NNSA Production Office (NPO) Manager Steven Erhart; Siemens Government Technologies President and Chief Executive Officer Judy Marksl and Texas Tech University Associate Vice Chancellor Russell Thomasson.

The mission of the NPO is to ensure the safe, secure, and cost-effective operation of the Pantex Plant and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

The NNSA said Pantex will now be powered largely by the Pantex Renewable Energy Project, or PREP, an 11.5-megawatt, five-turbine wind farm that has been under construction since August on 1,500 acres of DOE-owned land adjacent to the Pantex Plant. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge: Pets, hot cars are a killer combination

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Oak Ridge Police Department Logo

Every year, the Oak Ridge Police Department receives numerous calls about pets left in parked cars during hot weather.

People may believe that a quick stop will not harm their pet. However, in those few minutes, the temperature in the car can reach 115 degrees on an 85 degree day, even with the windows cracked.

Dogs and cats cool themselves by panting and by releasing heat through their paws. On summer days, the air and upholstery in a vehicle can heat up to high temperatures that make it impossible for pets to cool themselves. [Read more…]

Guest column: D.A.R.E. graduates 395 students

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DARE Logo

By Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Mark Whaley

The 2013/2014 Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program finished its instruction at the end of the school year. A total of 395 students successfully completed the curriculum. Each student earned a certificate of completion and was awarded a special D.A.R.E. T-shirt as an award.

For the first time, we were asked to start D.A.R.E. classes at the Clinch River Community School, where we introduced the program to the fifth and sixth grade students. The primary focus of this year’s D.A.R.E. classes was peer pressure and how important it is to make good choices. [Read more…]

White House Maker Faire: High school team with ET ties competes with cutting-edge 3D

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White House Maker Faire 3D Exhibitor

Photo courtesy WhiteHouse.gov

From WhiteHouse.gov

A high school team with East Tennessee ties, including in Oak Ridge, was among the exhibitors and honored “makers” at the White House Maker Faire on Wednesday.

The team includes Fletcher Blue, 17, of Hardin Valley Academy FIRST RoHAWKtics Team 3823 in Knoxville; Joshua St. John, 33, a teacher in New York, N.Y.; and Scott Turner, 48, 3D Systems of Venice, Calif., and Knoxville. They received mentoring help from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Here is more information about the team’s project: [Read more…]

Learn more about first-ever White House Maker Faire

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Tom Beehan

Tom Beehan

Madeline Rogero

Madeline Rogero

UT, Oak Ridge, Knoxville participating

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Mayors from the Manufacturing Alliance of Communities, including MAC Chair Dayne Walling, mayor of Flint, Mich.; founding MAC Chair Virg Bernero, mayor of Lansing, Mich.; and Mayor Kevin Smith of Anderson, Ind., will participate today with President Barack Obama in the first-ever Maker Faire to be held at the White House.

MAC mayors, who have been enthusiastic supporters of the Maker Movement to democratize access to high-tech tools for all innovators and makers in their communities, will join Obama and scores of entrepreneurs and industry leaders to highlight a “nationwide day of making” across the country. This event at the White House is intended to increase awareness of the great potential for boosting innovation and entrepreneurship in manufacturing, in the same way that the Internet and cloud computing lowered the barriers to entry for digital startups, creating the foundation for new products and processes that can help to revitalize American manufacturing.

Oak Ridge, Knoxville, and the University of Tennessee are participating. Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero have both been designated Maker Mayors. [Read more…]