Oak Ridge Today

Sponsored: Seniors Helping Seniors assists elderly residents

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Lois Engel

Lois Engel

A nurse for more than four decades, Lois Engel still works with seniors, but now she gets to spend more time with them.

She and her husband Ed own a Seniors Helping Seniors franchise in Clinton. They and their care providers help seniors with services ranging from light housekeeping and cooking to gardening and transportation. They can help elderly residents stay in their homes five to eight years longer than they might otherwise.

“It’s a gift to us to be able to assist other people,” Lois Engel said. [Read more…]

Alexander calls for resignation of U.S. Health Secretary Sibelius

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

Kathleen Sebelius

Kathleen Sebelius

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius should be asked to resign because of the “disastrous rollout of Obamacare,” Sen. Lamar Alexander said Tuesday.

“No private sector chief executive officer would escape accountability after such a poor performance,” said Alexander, a Tennessee Republican.

The Affordable Care Act of 2010, commonly known as “Obamacare,” set up health care exchanges, and the new HealthCare.gov website that rolled out Oct. 1 was designed to allow people to sign up for them. But the site has been plagued by technical problems, although officials have said they would be fixed by the end of November.

Alexander expressed skepticism that the problems would be resolved that quickly. [Read more…]

Tennessee state parks offer special discounts to veterans

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Frozen Head State Park

Frozen Head State Park in Wartburg is pictured above. (Photo by Tennessee State Parks)

Veterans Day designated a Free State Park Day for Tennessee veterans

NASHVILLE – Tennessee State Parks announced Tuesday it will have its annual free state parks day for all Tennessee veterans, offering one free night of camping and/or a complimentary round of golf with appropriate identification. Veterans Day is Monday, Nov. 11.

“On Veterans Day, we honor the many brave men and women who have served our country,” Deputy Commissioner Brock Hill said in a press release. “The state parks family invites all of Tennessee’s veterans to visit us on Nov. 11 and enjoy a day in one of our beautiful parks.”

A few of the parks closest to Oak Ridge include Frozen Head State Park in Wartburg, Cove Lake State Park in Caryville, and Big Ridge State Park in Maynardville. (See the Tennessee State Parks website for information on all the parks.) [Read more…]

Five confirmed bullying cases in Oak Ridge last year, state report says

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Oak Ridge Schools School Administration Building

Oak Ridge Schools reported five confirmed cases of bullying in the 2012-2013 school year. The Oak Ridge Schools’ School Administration Building is pictured above.

There were five confirmed cases of bullying in Oak Ridge Schools last year, a number that is much lower than in many other school districts across the state and in some other nearby districts.

The numbers were reported in a new, first-of-its kind report that said there were 7,555 reported cases of bullying in Tennessee schools last year. Nearly 73 percent of them—or 5,478 cases—were confirmed after investigation.

The report said Oak Ridge Schools had 14 bullying cases reported in the 2012-2013 school year, but only five were confirmed after investigation. All five of those were related to sex or gender discrimination, the report said. [Read more…]

Anderson County Sheriff releases Halloween safety tips

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Halloween will soon be upon us and our neighborhoods will be scattered with trick or treaters. To be sure this will be a fun and safe Halloween, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is offering these safety tips.

  • Parents, please remember when choosing your children’s costumes, face paint is preferable to a mask. Trick or treaters should wear reflective clothing, carry a bright orange bag, and carry a flashlight or glowstick to make it easier for passing cars to spot them. Always walk on the left side of the road facing traffic. Parents and children alike should watch for cars at all times. [Read more…]

Neutrons, electrons, and theory reveal secrets of natural gas reserves

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Scanning Electronic Microscope Image of Unconventional Gas Reservoir

A scanning electron microscope image illustrating mineralogy and texture of an unconventional gas reservoir. Note that nanoporosity is not resolvable with this image. SANS and USANS analysis is required to quantify pore size distribution and interconnectivity. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Gas and oil deposits in shale have no place to hide from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory technique that provides an inside look at pores and reveals structural information potentially vital to the nation’s energy needs.

The research by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy laboratory could clear the path to the more efficient extraction of gas and oil from shale, environmentally benign and efficient energy production from coal, and perhaps viable carbon dioxide sequestration technologies, according to Yuri Melnichenko, an instrument scientist at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor. [Read more…]

Nobel Laureate launches Wigner Distinguished Lecture Series at ORNL

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Albert Fert

Albert Fert

Three more Nobel winners, former Intel chairman among nine confirmed speakers

Four Nobel Laureates are among nine lecturers who will be participating in the new Eugene P. Wigner Distinguished Lecture Series in Science, Technology, and Policy at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Albert Fert, recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics, opens the series on Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. in the Iran Thomas Auditorium at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source.

“The Wigner lectures aim to invigorate scientific discovery and technological innovation and to initiate productive scientific policy debate,” said Thom Mason, laboratory director. [Read more…]

TVA’s Green Power Switch generates one million megawatt-hours of electricity

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TVA Ed Stephens and Buffalo Mountain Wind Farm

Ed Stephens, program manager for the Renewable Energy Program at the Tennessee Valley Authority, explains the 18 wind turbines at the Buffalo Mountain Wind Farm north of Oliver Springs.

WINDROCK MOUNTAIN—A Tennessee Valley Authority program that allows customers to buy electricity produced by renewable energy sources has generated about one million megawatt-hours—enough to power 68,000 homes, officials said Monday.

TVA considers the innovative Green Power Switch program, the first of its kind in the Southeast when it started 13 years ago, a success story. TVA said the program has helped prevent more than 700,000 tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere. That’s equal to keeping about 135,000 cars off the road for a year.

And it’s grown from 2,000 customers in 2000 to roughly 12,000 today. That could be because customers today are more aware of environmental concerns and have a greater understanding of their power sources, said Patty West, director of TVA’s Renewable Energy Program. [Read more…]

Trick or treating is on Halloween in Oak Ridge, Clinton, AC, OS, officials say

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Trick or treating is on Halloween in Oak Ridge, Anderson County, Clinton, and Oliver Springs, officials said Monday.

Some parents and Oak Ridge Today readers have asked whether there is an official trick or treating date and time. There is not. The Oak Ridge City Manager’s Office said trick or treating is always on Halloween, and the city doesn’t specify times, leaving it up to the parents’ discretion.

Government representatives in Anderson County, Clinton, and Oliver Springs confirmed that there aren’t officials dates and times there either. [Read more…]

United Way Golf Tournament raises close to $19,000

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United Way Golf Tournament First Place 2013

The first place team in this year’s United Way Golf Tournament included Shane Peters, Rick Cornell, Jason Hembree, and Alan Grigsby. (Submitted photos)

An annual golf tournament for the United Way of Anderson County raised close to $19,000 this month, officials said Monday.

The tournament was Sunday, Oct. 20, at the Oak Ridge Country Club.

“We are so pleased to have raised nearly $19,000 through this year’s tournament,” said David Wilson, tournament chairman. “We had 16 teams come out and enjoy great weather and great golf!” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Today adds front page News section

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Oak Ridge Today has added a News section on the front page. It’s below the Top Stories section.

This new section gives us extra flexibility to post more stories about community news, upcoming events, meeting announcements, and other general interest news. We hope this will help you keep up with all the latest local news.

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments, and thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today.

Altrusa’s annual spaghetti dinner, auction on Wednesday

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Altrusa will have its fundraising Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Auction on Wednesday evening at the DoubleTree Hotel on South Illinois Avenue.

“Enjoy dinner, wine, and entertainment, a press release said. [Read more…]