Oak Ridge Today

Grace Lutheran has Reach Out Music Festival on Sunday

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Ridge City Ramblers

Members of the Ridge City Ramblers, who will play at the Reach Out Music Festival at Grace Lutheran Church on Sunday, are, from left, Gary Coleman, Mary Tuskan, Scott Linn, Abbie Hoerner, Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan and Steve Reddick. (File photo/submitted)

Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge has its 8th annual Reach Out Music Festival on Sunday.

The community is invited to enjoy the 3 p.m. concert at the church, which is located at 131 West Gettysburg Ave., a press release said. The festival will feature local bluegrass and Americana group, the Ridge City Ramblers, who have been picking together since 2010.

Two choirs will also be performing: Grace Lutheran under the direction of Paula Smith, and Church of the Resurrection under the direction of Ruben Weaver. Audience participation is encouraged, but not required, the release said. [Read more…]

Reminder: Change clocks, smoke alarm batteries this weekend

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With daylight savings time coming to an end this weekend and everyone setting their clocks back on Saturday night, the Oak Ridge Fire Department wants to remind everyone that it is time to change their smoke alarm batteries.

Smoke alarms should be checked at least once a month for proper operation and the batteries should be changed every six months. [Read more…]

Stargaze at Roane State Observatory on Saturday, Sunday

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Roane State Community College’s Tamke-Allan Observatory will have its first public stargaze of the winter season at 7:30 p.m. today.

Highlights will include a general astronomy presentation at 8 p.m., followed by a guest lecture on “Buying Your Christmas Telescope.” Following the lectures, there will be full evening of telescopic viewing. The TAOAS student astronomy club will be assisting amateur astronomers.

The Sunday sunrise at the observatory near Rockwood will occur at about 7:02 a.m., and the moon will rise two minutes later. [Read more…]

Sponsored: Downtown Hardware has 58th anniversary celebration today

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Downtown Hardware is having a 58th anniversary celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today (Saturday).

The celebration will include a Holland Grill demo, samples, and door prizes. Register to win a Holland Companion grill.

Downtown Hardware is located at 298 S. Illinois Ave. in Oak Ridge. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Call (865) 483-4339 for more information.

Willow Brook Elementary gets $1,000 for Top 10 recycling program

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Willow Brook Elementary Recycling Reward Grant

Bob Kesling, left, University of Tennessee broadcasting director and lead play-by-play voice of the Vol Network, and Teresa Shaffer, right, with Eastman Chemical Co. present Willow Brook Elementary School with its award as one of the top environmental programs in Tennessee schools. (Submitted photo)

Students at Willow Brook Elementary School in Oak Ridge were rewarded for their environmental efforts with $1,000 for having one of the top 10 school recycling programs in the state of Tennessee through the Good Sports Always Recycle, or GSAR, program.

Peter Blair and Christian Goethert from Willow Brook were recognized during an on-field presentation at the University of Tennessee vs. South Carolina football game, a press release said.

“We were so excited to learn that we were selected as one of the Good Sports Always Recycle school challenge winners,” Principal Lisa Light said. “We are proud to do our part in our community and are committed to teaching our students the importance of recycling. We are honored by this recognition and look forward to using this monetary award to strengthen our program.” [Read more…]

Depending on protests, transition to new Y-12, Pantex contractor could start in November

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Y-12 National Security Complex Sign

The transition to a new contractor at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, could start later this month—after the period for protests is over, federal officials said Friday afternoon.

The transition to a new contractor at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, could start later this month—after the period for protests is over, federal officials said Friday afternoon.

The protest period ends around Nov. 25, the National Nuclear Security Administration said. The transition could start the day after the protest period ends and last four months, but the NNSA will ask the new contractor, Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC of Reston, Va., to complete the transition quicker if possible.

It’s not clear yet if the two teams that submitted unsuccessful bids will lodge new protests. There have already been two rounds of protests over the contract, which could be worth up to $22.8 billion during a 10-year period, and they have delayed the transition. The NNSA said it will not speculate on the possibility of any new protests. [Read more…]

NNSA reaffirms decision to have CNS manage, operate Y-12, Pantex

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Y-12 National Security Complex Aerial View


The National Nuclear Security Administration on Friday reaffirmed its January decision to pick Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC to manage and operate the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

The National Nuclear Security Administration on Friday reaffirmed its January decision to pick Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC  to manage and operate the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas.

That earlier decision, announced almost 10 months ago, had been challenged in two rounds of bid protests. Those protests delayed the transition to a new contractor, and it wasn’t clear Friday if the NNSA’s new decision might also be challenged.

The five-year extendable contract, which could be worth up to $22.8 billion over 10 years, includes project management of the Uranium Processing Facility at Y-12 and an unexercised option for Savannah River Tritium Operations at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C.

“Our nuclear production capabilities are critical to our national security, and CNS represents the best value to the government as evidenced by its superior technical and management approach and its lower evaluated cost,” NNSA Acting Administrator Bruce Held said. “Additionally, this award puts NNSA in a position to improve mission delivery by focusing on improving the way we operate, saving taxpayer dollars, and aligning ourselves for the future.” [Read more…]

Girls Inc. has fundraising pancake breakfast on Saturday

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Girls Inc. will have a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday at Applebee’s.

Tickets ($5 ) may be purchased at Girls Inc. or at the door.

Funds raised will assist in providing programs that will help girls be strong, smart, and bold, a press release said. Applebee’s is at 1213 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Intel funding for UT will develop codes, open computing center at joint UT-ORNL institute

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Joint Institute for Computational Sciences

The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is pictured above. (Photo courtesy of ORNL)

KNOXVILLE—Imagine going to the doctor and the doctor peering into your genetic code to determine the best medicine to treat what ails you.

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville has received funding from computer chip maker Intel to develop computer codes to make personalized medicine like this and other transformative scientific discoveries possible.

The funding will open an Intel Parallel Computing Center at the Joint Institute for Computational Sciences, or JICS, at UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Parallel computing, used in supercomputers, is a form of computation in which many calculations are carried out simultaneously. The focus of the center will be to take supercomputing to the next level to meet scientific computing demands. Today’s research faces limitations due to the amount of data, time, and energy it takes to run calculations. [Read more…]

More than 20,000 loads of debris hauled away from K-25 demolition

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K-25 Building Demolition Progress November 2013

Demolition of the K-25 Building’s remaining section continues as the contractor performing the work hit a waste disposal milestone last month. (Photos courtesy DOE Oak Ridge Office/Public Involvement News)

Demolition of the K-25 Building’s remaining section continues as the contractor performing the work hit a waste disposal milestone last month, officials said.

UCOR, a partnership between URS and CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, has safely shipped more than 20,000 loads of demolition debris from the K-25 project, according to the November 2013 issue of Public Involvement News, published by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office.

Most of the debris is being disposed at the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility near the Y-12 National Security Complex.

“Demolition continues at a steady pace, with the project expected to be completed next year,” the monthly newsletter said. [Read more…]

Anderson County government: Let’s knock out breast cancer!

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Anderson County Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Pictured, back row, from left are Shaynne Thompson, Purchasing Agent Pamela Cotham, Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, Toni Romero, and Deputy Purchasing Agent Karen Whaley. Pictured front row, from left, are Cathy Toney, Lisa Champion, Joyce McCulley, and Terri Ferry. (Photo courtesy of Anderson County Government)

The Anderson County purchasing and school departments, along with the county mayor, have joined the fight to raise awareness for breast cancer, a press release said.

“Purchasing supports our own survivors, and we encourage and empower women to do monthly self-exams and get a yearly mammogram,” Purchasing Agent Pamela Cotham said.

As those battling cancer “box and fight” their way through, they are surrounded by many people—known and unknown—who stand in their corner during their fight.  [Read more…]

On Senate floor, Alexander honors nuclear workers, Bill Wilcox, Calutron Girls

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

Sen. Lamar Alexander spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday in honor of nuclear weapons program workers. Among those he honored were Bill Wilcox and the Calutron Girls.

Wilcox was a Manhattan Project veteran, former technical director at the K-25 site and Y-12 National Security Complex, and Oak Ridge city historian.

Wednesday was the fifth annual National Day of Remembrance for nuclear weapons program workers. It had been recognized under a resolution that Alexander cosponsored earlier this year.

Here are the senator’s full remarks: [Read more…]