Oak Ridge Today

Anderson County Veterans Day parade this evening

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The 6th annual Anderson County Veterans Day Parade starts at 6 p.m. today in downtown Clinton with the theme of “Showing Our Veterans We Care.”

More than 50 entries have signed up for the annual parade, which will begin on Market Street, wind its way up Main Street, and turn right after the Anderson County Courthouse before ending at the Clinton Community Center. The parade will be followed by a ceremony honoring veterans at the Ritz Theater on Main Street.

The parade will be held even if it is raining, “unless the skies open up or thunderstorms pop up in the area,” according to WYSH Radio in Clinton. If that happens, the parade will be called off and everyone will head to the Ritz for the Veterans Day ceremony, but so far it looks like organizers will be able to get the parade in.”

The public is invited and encouraged to line the streets of downtown Clinton and show their appreciation for the nation’s veterans, WYSH said.

This story brought to you through an agreement between Oak Ridge Today and WYSH. See more local news headlines on the WYSH website at http://www.wyshradio.com/local_news.html.

Titan at ORNL now world’s fastest supercomputer

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Titan

Image courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and NVIDIA Corp.

The new Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is now the world’s fastest, according to a Top 500 list released this morning.

A Cray XK7 system, Titan achieved 17.59 petaflops on a benchmark test, equal to more than 17,000 trillion calculations each second, a press release said.

Titan knocked Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Sequoia from the No. 1 spot and into second place. Sequoia is an IBM BlueGene/Q system, and it was No. 1 in June with 16.32 petaflops.

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Y-12 cleaning technology licensed by local engineering firm

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Y-12 SIMWyPES Cleaning Technology

MK Technologies CEO and founder Mike Carroll and director of strategic development and acquisition Chris Van Beke met Y-12 chemist and inventor Ron Simandl in his Y-12 laboratory to see the SIMWyPES production process along with a sampling of its numerous applications. From left, Simandl shows Van Beke and Carroll two of a variety of items enhanced with SIMWyPES technology. (Submitted photo)

A Knoxville engineering resources firm recently became the newest licensee of technology developed at the Y-12 National Security Complex, a press release said.

MK Technologies Corporation is now the exclusive commercial patent licensee of SIMWyPES, a method of enhancing cleaning items so they leave dry surfaces ultraclean.

The environmentally friendly method of removing contamination on a nanoscale level incorporates a highly effective nontoxic proprietary treatment that transfers no residue to cleaned surfaces. A variety of items including cloths, swabs, polishers, filters, and sponges can be treated. The company plans to start production in 2013.

Y-12 senior chemist Ron Simandl had the lead in inventing this technology, which was originally developed to remove residual amounts of unwanted particulates from dry, solid surfaces. Engineered to permeate the cleaning medium suited to the job at hand, it can be employed to remove submicron particles in a wide range of manufacturing industries in which surface cleanliness and air purification are critical.

The method also has a wide range of household applications, several of which are of particular interest to the licensee. Specific uses around the home include removing brake dust and dry road dirt from alloy wheels, preparing surfaces for painting, filtering air flow, dry-mopping floors, and dusting.

Simandl, a 35-year Y-12 employee, holds 11 U.S. patents. Two of his inventions have won R&D 100 awards, one of which was for this newly licensed technology.

The coveted R&D 100 awards, considered “Oscars of Invention,” are given annually to the world’s top 100 innovations as determined by R&D Magazine. SIMWyPES earned the award in 2008.

Regarding the method’s development, Simandl noted that “the trick was finding the right combination of ingredients.”

MK Technologies CEO and founder Mike Carroll said: “This technology is synergistic with our existing products that improve safety in industrial processes and safely remediate and handle toxic materials. We also plan to use it to create more effective filters for use in medical facilities to help prevent the spread of infection and in public spaces to help contain the spread of diseases or biological agents. We are especially excited about uses that benefit the everyday consumer. This technology will help make personal environments safer and will make cleaning activities more effective. Its versatility is impressive.”

Chamber president speaks to Kiwanis Tuesday

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce President Parker Hardy will discuss local business developments and organizations during a Tuesday talk to the Kiwanis Club, a press release said.

The talk starts shortly after noon Tuesday in the meeting room of the Super China Buffet, 330 South Illinois Ave.

The press release said topics could include commercial and business developments, available buildings, Chamber functions and staff, Leadership Oak Ridge, Young Professionals of Oak Ridge, and areas of interest and concern.

The meeting is open to the public, and it starts at noon. Hardy’s talk is scheduled to start at 12:10 p.m. An optional lunch buffet will be available at 11:40 a.m.

Additional information about the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is available at the organization’s website at http://www.orcc.org/.

Fillauer named to All Tennessee School Board

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Oak Ridge Board of Education Chairman Keys Fillauer has been recognized by the Tennessee School Board Association and named to the “All Tennessee School Board,” a press release said.

Members of the All Tennessee School Board were selected by a panel of judges from nominations throughout the state.

The nominee for the All Tennessee School Board who received the highest collective ranking by the panel of judges will be the recipient of the C. Hal Distinguished Service Award and serve as board chairman of the All Tennessee School Board, the press release said. That honor was scheduled to be announced by the Tennessee School Board Association at an annual conference held in Nashville on Monday, Nov. 5.

Qualifications for the All Tennessee School Board included achieving Level IV in the TSBA Boardsmanship program, quality of service, participation in board development activities, specific accomplishments of the local board of education during his term on the board, and leadership activities at the local, regional, or state level, the press release said.

During the past year, Fillauer has also received the “Service Above Self Award” from the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary, was inducted into the Anderson County Hall of Fame as the K-12 Educator of the Year, and received the Distinguished Service Award from the Technology Student Association.

Kentucky earthquake shakes homes in East Tennessee

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Kentucky Earthquake

A 4.3-magnitude earthquake west of Whitesburg, Ky., early Saturday afternoon rattled homes from Cincinnati to Atlanta. There were no initial reports of major injuries or damage. Whitesburg is northwest of Johnson City. (Image courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey)

An earthquake that measured 4.3 on the Richter Scale struck west of Whitesburg, Ky., at 12:08 p.m. Saturday, shaking homes from Cincinnati to Atlanta, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter was in southeastern Kentucky about 96 miles north-northeast of Knoxville, USGS Geophysicist Paul Caruso said. He wasn’t sure how long it lasted.

Caruso said a 4.3-magnitude earthquake could cause chandeliers to swing and books to fall off shelves near the epicenter, but he wouldn’t expect any major casualties or major damage. They generally occur in quakes with a magnitude of 5.5 or greater, Caruso said.

Caruso said the earthquake was at a shallow depth of about one mile underground.

People in and around Oak Ridge and Knoxville immediately began posting about the quake on social media early Saturday afternoon, but it’s not clear if it caused any damage in East Tennessee.

About an hour after the earthquake, Lt. Ken Sexton of the Whitesburg Fire Department said the department had had no reports of damages or injuries so far. But buildings shook, and people were scared, Sexton said.

The quake was about eight miles west of Whitesburg, which is northwest of Johnson City. It’s mountainous coal mining country, Sexton said.

Caruso said it’s not possible to predict if and when there might be aftershocks, but they are always smaller than the earthquakes themselves. The USGS reported one 2.5-magnitude aftershock at 1:37 p.m. about 10 miles southeast of Hazard, Ky.

The USGS says earthquakes do not occur frequently in most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains, but they are typically felt over a much larger region than they are in the West.

For more information and a map of the epicenter, see the U.S. Geological Survey’s earthquake page at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usc000dqhx#summary.

Note: This story was last updated at 7:48 p.m.

Clinton woman dies one week after three-car, head-on collision

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Three Car Collision on Oliver Springs Highway

Alberta Farrer, a 56-year-old Clinton resident and one of three drivers in a Nov. 1 head-on collision on Oliver Springs Highway, died Thursday morning at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. (Photo by Tom Scott)

A Clinton woman died early Thursday, one week after a head-on collision that involved three cars on Oliver Springs Highway, authorities said.

Alberta Farrer, 56, died at 4 a.m. Thursday at University of Tennessee Medical Center, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.

Charges and citations are pending against one of the drivers, 55-year-old Danny Bean of Clinton, the THP said.

Bean allegedly crossed the center line while driving southbound in a Toyota 4-Runner on Oliver Springs Highway at Thursday, Nov. 1, causing a head-on collision with a Hyundai Elantra driven by Farrer, the THP said.

A Chevrolet pickup driven by Travis Gallaher, 19, of Oliver Springs, was behind Farrer, headed toward Oliver Springs. Gallaher braked and swerved left to avoid the crash, but the collision between Bean’s SUV and Farrer’s car pushed the two vehicles toward Gallaher’s truck and the pickup hit Farrer’s Elantra on the driver’s side.

Farrer and a passenger, Pat Smith, a 62-year-old Clinton resident, were flown by medical helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, according to an accident report last week. Bean was taken by ambulance to the UT hospital, and Gallaher was taken to a local hospital by a personal vehicle.

The accident occurred at 5:53 p.m. Nov. 1 near Marlow Circle and Anderson Memorial Gardens on Oliver Springs Highway, which is also known as State Route 61.

Emergency responders from several local agencies responded. The accident is being investigated by THP Trooper Anthony Lay.

ORAU again donates more than $100,000 to United Way, Community Shares

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ORAU Annual Giving

John Huppmann, second from right, chair of the 2012 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign and co-chair Sarah Roberts, right, are pictured with ORAU President and CEO Andy Page, second from left, and East Tennessee Economic Council President and former United Way Chairman Jim Campbell during a ceremony announcing ORAU had raised about $140,000.

For the fifth year in a row, Oak Ridge Associated Universities has exceeded $100,000 in donations as part of its annual campaign to raise money for United Way and Community Shares, a press release said.

The total amount raised, about $140,000, includes roughly $100,000 for the United Way and close to $40,000 to Community Shares.

ORAU President and CEO Andy Page announced the total for the 2012 Annual Giving Campaign during a Nov. 7 ceremony at Pollard Auditorium, the press release said.

The ceremony was attended by Rick Morrow, executive director of United Way of Anderson County; Shelley Wascom, director of the Community Shares of Knoxville; and special guest Jim Campbell, president of the East Tennessee Economic Council and former United Way of Anderson County chairman.

ORAU is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 105 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Detectives will investigate mobile home fires on Oliver Springs Highway

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A Tuesday morning fire that damaged two mobile homes off Oliver Springs Highway has been ruled suspicious, and detectives from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will investigate, a report said.

The fire was reported at two mobile homes at the end of Joann Lane, just west of Anderson Memorial Gardens, at about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Anderson County Sgt. Mark C. Hobbs said one of the mobile homes was unoccupied and used to store parts, including doors, cabinets and paint. It is owned by Ben Graves of Ben’s Home Center and located next to a fenced-in storage area.

Graves estimated the home’s value at about $18,000. The value of the items stored inside was unknown, the Sheriff’s Department report said.

There was a second “very old” mobile home behind the first one, and it appeared to be the source of the fire, the report said.

Neither mobile home had power. The report estimated the total damage at about $21,000.

City allows ‘brown bagging’ of beer, wine in some restaurants

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A city ordinance change approved Monday allows diners to bring their own beer or wine into certain restaurants when they have the owner’s permission. The practice is known as “brown bagging.”

The new ordinance was unanimously approved by Oak Ridge City Council on Monday, and it takes effect Thursday.

It applies to restaurants that have a beer permit or managers with Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission server permits, a city press release said. The ordinance does not allow “brown bagging” in other public places.

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Reception for new Roane State president on Tuesday

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Chris Whaley

Chris Whaley

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will host a reception on Tuesday for Chris Whaley, the new president of Roane State Community College.

The hour-long reception starts at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Whaley is Roane State’s fifth president, a press release said. He succeeds Gary Goff, who retired Oct. 31 after leading the college for seven years.

Whaley is a Roane State graduate. After three years in private practice as an attorney, he returned to the college in 1997 as program director of the A.A.S. Paralegal Studies program, a position he held through 2002.

Since then, he has worked his way up through other administrative positions at the college, the release said. He was named dean of social science, business, and education in 2002, and in 2010, he was promoted to vice president of student learning/chief academic officer. Whaley has also taught as an assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor of legal studies, and he continues to teach.

Whaley earned his associate’s degree in social science from Roane State, a bachelor’s degree in political science from Middle Tennessee State University, and the doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Roane State is hosting receptions for Whaley at the college’s nine campuses. The first reception was held Nov. 1 at the main campus in Harriman, and more events are planned for the next few weeks.

Ranked the 27th best community college in the nation by StateUniversity.com, Roane State has campuses in Crossville, Harriman, Huntsville, Jamestown, Knoxville, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, and Wartburg.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

For more information about the receptions, call (865) 882-4507 or (865) 882-4501.

Magic Wok damaged by smoke, could be closed few days

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Oak Ridge Fire Department at Magic Wok

Oak Ridge firefighters check for “hot spots” on the roof after responding to a fire alarm at the Magic Wok restaurant on Tyler Road on Thursday night.

The Magic Wok restaurant could be closed a few days after food was left cooking on a stove unattended Thursday night, causing minor damage to the building, mostly smoke damage, Oak Ridge Assistant Fire Chief Josh Waldo said.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responded to a possible fire call at the popular restaurant on Tyler Road at 10:46 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters didn’t see any flames, but they found smoke and high temperatures.

They used water cannons—fire extinguishers filled with water—to cool the restaurant’s interior. They also checked the roof for hot spots, including by cutting a corner of the roof.

Firefighters stayed at the scene for about two hours and ensured the temperature of building materials dropped below 80 degrees and there was no more smoke, a fire report said.

Waldo said 15 firefighters responded, and no one was injured. Damage was estimated at about $7,000 to property and contents.

Waldo said the Magic Wok, which is owned by Betty and Jim Wong, will be closed for minor repairs and general cleanup, and the restaurant will have to be re-inspected by code enforcement officers and health department inspectors before it can re-open.