Oak Ridge Today

UCOR: Highest-risk components safely removed from K-27

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NaF Trap Removed at K-27

Ernie Gunter, left, and Michael Shirks watch as a NaF trip is lifted through the roof of K-27. (Submitted photos)

UCOR has removed the highest-risk components remaining in the K-27 building at East Tennessee Technology Park, a press release said.

Six components known as NaF, or sodium fluoride, traps have been removed by crane, the press release said.

The K-27 building is a “sister” to the mile-long K-25 gaseous diffusion process building, which is now nearly demolished, the release said. Both are Manhattan Project buildings built to produce materials for nuclear weapons. As work is completed at K-25, crews are shifting to K-27.

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Summit High School wins 2013 DOE Tennessee Science Bowl

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On Saturday, Feb. 23, students from throughout the state of Tennessee descended upon Pellissippi State College’s Blount County Campus to compete in this year’s U.S. Department of Energy’s annual Tennessee Science Bowl competition.

Fifty-five high school teams representing 25 Tennessee counties answered competition questions covering broad disciplines including chemistry, biology, earth and space science, mathematics, physics, and energy. However, in the end, Summit High School from Spring Hill, Tenn. edged out their competitors to win first place.

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Y-12 officers detain bike rider on North Patrol Road

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Y-12 National Security Complex

Y-12 National Security Complex (Submitted photo)

Security officers at the Y-12 National Security Complex detained an Oak Ridge man riding a bicycle on the North Patrol Road Saturday afternoon.

The bike rider, Brent Lee, 39, of Normandy Road, was spotted by members of a Y-12 canine team performing a routine random patrol of the area, authorities said.

He was detained at 2:07 p.m. Saturday and turned over to the Oak Ridge Police Department on Scarboro Road, authorities said.

ORPD Lt. Robin Smith said Lee was charged with criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor. He was cited and released.

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Guest column: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts collect food pantry donations

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Scouts Sort Food at Grace Lutheran

Scouts, leaders, and family members from Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts troops sort food donations in Grace Lutheran’s Fellowship Hall. (Submitted photos)

Submitted by Scoutmaster Mike McEahern

The need is greater than ever.

As families continue to struggle across the country, local organizations like the Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America are striving to make a difference close to home.

On Feb. 9, Boy Scouts from Troop 224 from Grace Lutheran Church; Troop 328 from Kern United Methodist Church; and Cub Scouts from Pack 328 and Girl Scouts from Troop 20737, both from First United Methodist Church, teamed up to collect donations in the annual Scouting for Food drive. Donations were collected from neighborhoods throughout Oak Ridge and delivered to the Grace Lutheran Food Pantry. Additionally, Pack 328 led collection efforts at First United Methodist and Woodland Elementary—rewarding the leading classroom at Woodland with a pizza party.

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ORAU, ORNL announce winners of high-performance computing grant competition

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Oak Ridge Associated Universities and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have partnered again to award two new grants in the ORAU/ORNL High-Performance Computing Grant Program for 2013.

ORAU provides up to $75,000 over three years to researchers and their teams. In addition to the monetary award, ORNL provides faculty and student teams with valuable access to the laboratory’s computing resources and staff.

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ORNL starts new six-year californium-252 production contract

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The Oak Ridge National Laboratory—home of one of only two reactor facilities in the world capable of producing californium-252 (Cf-252)—has begun implementing a new six-year contract between the U.S. Department of Energy Isotope Program and industry to make this unique and versatile radioisotope.

The new contract follows the successful completion of a four-year Cf-252 program under an agreement with a consortium of industries that use the neutron-emitting radioisotope for a number of applications that focus mostly on analysis, detection, and nuclear energy.

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Gospel concert in Oliver Springs helps infant with serious health problems

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Ava Rose Brown

Ava Rose Brown

A concert in Oliver Springs tonight will help a family with an infant with serious health problems.

The gospel benefit concert for Ava Rose Brown is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. today at Beech Park Baptist Church on East Tri County Boulevard in Oliver Springs.

It will help Ava Rose’s parents, Tiffany and Eddie Brown, purchase a van and remodel their home, concert organizer and family friend Kevin Craft said. He said Eddie and Tiffany Brown, who also have two other children, are now living with a relative in Oak Ridge, and their home is partially remodeled.

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Guest column: Electronic signs a reality, responsible use should be allowed

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Note: This is a copy of a Jan. 28 letter from the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce that was received by the Municipal Planning Commission during a recent public hearing on electronic signs.

On Aug. 23, 2012, the City’s Community Development Director sent a letter to the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce requesting Development Forum help in clarifying and updating the city’s electronic reader board (moving copy) sign regulations. The Forum first discussed this issue with Community Development staff on Sept. 6 and provided broad feedback associated with issues such as light intensity and the need to incorporate new sign technologies into the city’s regulations. The Chamber remained in contact with city staff, but proposed language was not provided until December.

Since then, the Development Forum and representatives of the Oak Ridge Business Coalition have collaborated in discussions associated with proposed revisions to the city sign ordinance pertaining to reader board signs (moving copy signs). It is our shared opinion that:

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Vowing to reorganize, Habitat board replaces husband-wife director duo

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Jennifer Sheehan

Jennifer Sheehan

Charlotte Bowers

Charlotte Bowers

Vowing to reorganize, the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County has replaced a husband-wife duo that had served as longtime executive director and operated its home store in Grove Center.

Board members said they agreed last week to replace Susan Burgess-Parrish, who had been executive director for about 12 years, and Rodney Parrish, Habitat Home Store manager for about seven years.

The Parrish couple was told of the decision on Tuesday.

The 11-member board sent out a press release the same day announcing that Jennifer Sheehan, who had been Habitat’s resource development director since October, is now interim executive director. Charlotte Bowers, who had been community development coordinator for two years, is interim manager of the home store.

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Alexander: President failed to lead on spending cuts; ORNL, UPF should be shielded

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander on Thursday said the automatic federal spending cuts going into effect today demonstrate a failure of presidential leadership.

The senator also said he would like to minimize the impact of the cuts on important government institutions such as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, student loans, and the proposed Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 Security Complex.

Congress and the White House approved the automatic, across-the-board cuts in discretionary and defense spending— known as sequestration—about 18 months ago in the Budget Control Act of 2011. Considered unpalatable by many, the cuts were meant to encourage Democrats and Republicans to compromise on deficit reduction efforts.

That hasn’t worked.

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ORHS Masquers present ‘The Sound of Music’ this weekend

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Oak Ridge will come alive with “The Sound of Music,” which will be presented at the Performing Arts Center at Oak Ridge High School this weekend, starting this evening.

The Masquers, Oak Ridge High School’s drama club, will perform the musical, which is based on the story of the von Trapp family, who fled Austria to escape the Nazi regime in 1939. The Masquers promise to offer the audience a fresh look at the beloved story, which was first made famous by the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and world famous by the 1965 film adaptation, a press release said.

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Worker hours could be cut at Y-12 in response to sequestration

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Chuck Spencer

Chuck Spencer

Note: This story was updated at 8:05 p.m.

The work week at the Y-12 National Security Complex could occasionally be reduced to 30 hours for many employees between April and October as part of a budget-cutting plan announced Thursday.

Under the proposal, nonessential personnel could work three 10-hour days rather than four 10-hour days every third week. The plan has been proposed in response to the automatic federal spending cuts scheduled to start taking effect at midnight.

B&W Y-12 General Manager Chuck Spencer said the cuts would require furloughs, or temporary layoffs, for most employees.

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