Oak Ridge Today

No intentional wrongdoing in Y-12 test question distribution, WSI Oak Ridge says

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Note: This story was updated at 9:58 a.m. Sept. 19.

WSI Oak Ridge workers did not intend to do anything wrong when test questions associated with a federal inspection were distributed to employees in August, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

The test questions and other information were allegedly found in a patrol vehicle on Aug. 29. They were part of a federal investigation after the July 28 security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex, and they were not supposed to be shared, a U.S. Department of Energy official said earlier this month.

In its statement Tuesday, WSI Oak Ridge said its investigation, which used independent legal counsel, found that the distribution of the papers was not meant to help employees that could have been tested.

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B&W Y-12 donates $15,000 to Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge

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B&W Y-12 recently donated $15,000 to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, a press release said.

The money will be used to turn the museum’s current space exhibit into a “Rocket Room,” taking children on an imaginary trip to Mars. An existing model rocket at the museum will be refurbished, and new interactive activities will bring outer space to preschoolers and other young children, the release said.

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ORAU awards more than $36,000 in grants to East Tennessee teachers

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ORAU Education Grants Ceremony

East Tennessee teachers accept more than $36,000 in education grants from Oak Ridge Associated Universities during a ceremony last week. (Photo submitted by ORAU)

Oak Ridge Associated Universities awarded more than $36,000 to about two dozen East Tennessee teachers during a grants ceremony last week.

The grants were used to buy educational materials and equipment such as interactive white boards, iPads, robotics kits, computers, and more. The equipment will help teachers “continue to meet rigorous, state-wide curriculum standards and enhance the learning experience of their students,” a press release said.

The grants were awarded to 23 teachers from 15 schools during the 11th annual ORAU Education Grants ceremony.

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Dean’s Restaurant serves inexpensive, made-from-scratch Southern food

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Dean's Restaurant and Bakery

Officials, volunteers, and business owners celebrate the opening of Dean’s Bakery and Restaurant in Jackson Square during a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The owners of a new restaurant in Jackson Square serve made-from-scratch Southern food, and their meals cost $10 or less.

“It’s good, inexpensive fresh food,” said head chef and co-owner Dean Russell.

Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery opened June 11. It serves such food as fried catfish, turkey and dressing, Big Barney turkey club sandwiches, chicken and dumplings, pot roasts, country-fried steak, fresh vegetables, and steaks on weekends.

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Guard, union president defend security officer performance during Y-12 breach

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The work of a few security guards has been heavily scrutinized and repeatedly criticized since the July 28 security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex.

Last week, the criticism came from members of the U.S. House of Representatives, who also directed their frustration at U.S. Department of Energy officials and the plant’s contractors, calling the security breach “appalling” and an “all-out failure.”

But in recent interviews, a guard and union representative defended the performance of the security police officers at Y-12.

“I did my job exactly the way I’ve been trained for 30 years,” said Kirk Garland, who was the first security guard to reach the three anti-nuclear weapons activists who sneaked into Y-12 before dawn on July 28 and vandalized a building where bomb-grade uranium is stored.

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TDOT offers $1 million in litter grants for special projects

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The Tennessee Department of Transportation is sponsoring a statewide competition for $1 million of grant funds for special litter projects that go beyond routine maintenance.

Local governments, community organizations, and nonprofits can apply, a press release said. Winning proposals may receive a total of $25,000 to $100,000, which will be used to reimburse expenses each quarter for up to three years.

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Wednesday program on government contracting at Oak Ridge Chamber

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A Wednesday morning program will introduce business owners and managers to the diversity of government purchasing, a press release said.

Presented by the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services, the program will feature Marketing Consultant Paul Middlebrooks. It runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

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Anderson zoning, public works changes cut jobs, save $100,000

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Three positions have been eliminated in the Anderson County Zoning and Public Works Department, and taxpayers can expect to save more than $100,000 each year, Mayor Terry Frank announced Monday.

It’s part of an office restructuring triggered by the economic downturn, Frank said.

A press release said a department planning position and geographic information system, or GIS, coordinator job have both been eliminated. The planning work will now be handled by the East Tennessee Development District, working under a contract with the county. The mayor’s office and property assessor’s office will share a GIS coordinator, “reinstating shared services that have existed in the past.”

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UT, Y-12 partner to recruit top students to MBA program

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Nine students pursuing master’s degrees in business administration at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville will work at the Y-12 National Security Complex while they complete their studies, thanks to a partnership between the two institutions called the Career Advantage Program, a press release said.

The program participants include six Class of 2013 MBA students: Lee Creviston of Brentwood, Bill Fortunato of Knoxville, Logan Howell of Mascot, Mike Koban of Nashville, Kelcee Ramsey of Oak Ridge, and Nick Tussing of Centennial, Colo.

In addition, three Class of 2012 students are continuing from last year: Chris Hurley of Delbarton, W.Va.; Aaron Jacques of Murfreesboro; and Melissa Tucker of Knoxville, the press release said.

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UT, ORNL lead national project to study nuclear fusion reactor materials

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A research team at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will receive $4.1 million during the next five years to study materials used in nuclear fusion reactors.

The funding is part of a larger $11.5 million U.S. Department of Energy project that includes seven other laboratories and universities across the country.

The goal is to help convert nuclear fusion, which promises an “almost limitless supply of clean and safe energy,” into a practical, commercial power source, a UT press release said.

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DOE public bus tour has 1,600 visitors this summer

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About 1,600 people toured the Oak Ridge Reservation during this summer’s public bus tour, the U.S. Department of Energy announced.

The annual tour of Oak Ridge facilities ended Aug. 31, and it attracted visitors from 40 states, a press release said.

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UCOR announces last shipment of unusual K-25 wastes

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Workers have finished shipping a stockpile of unusual classified, radioactive wastes from the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, federal cleanup contractor UCOR announced last week.

The waste was generated at the K-25 site more than a decade ago, and it was stored in Vault 1X at the K-25 Building, UCOR said. It required off-site disposal.

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