Oak Ridge Today

Countryside Tire and Auto gives car to Emory Valley Center at ribbon-cutting

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Business owners; city, county, and chamber of commerce officials; and others attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Countryside Tire and Auto Service on South Rutgers Avenue on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Countryside Tire and Auto Service gave a car to Emory Valley Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new shop on South Rutgers Avenue on Friday.

The car is a brown-and-black 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The gift includes 12 months of repair and maintenance.

Goodyear Tires donated tires for the vehicle, and Advance Auto Parts donated parts, said Jeff Cheek, who owns Countryside Tire and Auto Service with his wife Marilyn.

Chris Levesque, who has worked at Countryside Tire and Auto Service for about three years, is an Emory Valley Center client. [Read more…]

Photos: ORHS Fusion Orchestra on ‘Blue Plate Special’ radio show on WDVX

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The Oak Ridge High School Fusion Orchestra performs on the “Blue Plate Special” on WDVX 89.9 FM at the Grove Theater in Oak Ridge on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge High School Fusion Orchestra performed on the “Blue Plate Special” radio show on WDVX FM 89.9 on Friday. Here are photos from the show.

The groundbreaking fusion orchestra is now in its second year at ORHS, and it is the brainchild of ORHS Orchestra Director Doug Phillips, a press release said. According to Phillips, the class is a result of his doctoral studies during the past seven years at one of the top music universities in the world: Boston University.

“The class is a unique way to teach orchestra students for several reasons,” Phillips said. “First, in a traditional orchestra, all of the students are guided by notes on a paper that tell them exactly what to do and when to do it, how loud to play it, when to stop, etc., while the teacher acts as an overseer and dictates of all activities. [Read more…]

ORHS Orchestra has 17 students in All-East Tennessee Orchestra Clinic

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Oak Ridge High School Orchestra Feb 4 2017 600x422

Oak Ridge High School Orchestra students pictured from left above are Jade Dush, Hannah Constance, Lindsey Young, Olivia Mahathy, Mandy Pitz, Jamimie Clark, Meghan Campbell, HyeJi Bang, Aaron Beavin, Logan Roeling, Alek Wereszczak, Noah Constance, Kenny Moon, Eagle Yuan, Jared Anderson, Michael Ma, and Jay Casey. (Photo courtesy Doug Phillips)

 

Oak Ridge High School Orchestra placed 17 students in the All-East TN Orchestra Clinic. The clinic was held in Gatlinburg this weekend. The students are pictured above. They are: [Read more…]

City, schools could pick preschool site soon

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Elm Grove Park Preschool Conceptual Site Plan Jan 2017 Large

A conceptual site plan for a new preschool at Elm Grove Park on East Tennessee Avenue in east Oak Ridge. Officials said the plan would keep the park and the walking trail. (Image courtesy Studio Four Design/City of Oak Ridge)

 

Oak Ridge municipal and school officials could start selecting a site for the new preschool as early as this month. There are two options being considered: Elm Grove Park and Scarboro Community Center.

Financing for the project, which would include bonds, could be included in the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

In the meantime, a petition drive has been started to oppose building the preschool at Elm Grove Park.

The park had previously been announced as the preferred site for the new preschool, which has been on the city’s wish list for many years. Elm Grove Park is a city-owned parcel in east Oak Ridge off East Tennessee Avenue. It’s the site of a former school, it’s relatively flat, and it has city-owned utilities. Also, there aren’t many obstacles that would affect construction, and site borings have already been done, city officials said last week. [Read more…]

Man, dog injured after shots fired at home

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A man and dog were injured after shots were fired at a home on Wednesday night, authorities said.

The shooting was reported at 325 Louisiana Avenue at about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday.

The resident, 27-year-old Dylan Squires, told officers that he heard a knock on his front door. When he opened the door, Squires said, he observed a man, dressed in all black clothing and a ski mask, approaching his porch. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Senior Center opens in new location with chili cook-off

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Senior Center Chili Cook-Off

The Oak Ridge Senior Center welcomed guests to its new temporary location at the Civic Center with a free Chili Cook-Off on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Senior Center welcomed guests to its new temporary location at the Civic Center with a free Chili Cook-Off on Monday, January 30.

Around 70 people sampled chili and soup from area restaurants and assisted living facilities, a press release said. Participants providing food included Brookdale Senior Living, Greenfield Senior Living, Canterfield Assisted Living, Morning Pointe of Clinton, The Soup Kitchen, Pizza Inn, and Razzleberry Lab.

Lunch guests were able to check out the Senior Center’s new facility inside the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Oak Ridge Turnpike and register for door prizes before sampling and voting for their favorite dish, the press release said. The winner was chili from Greenfield Senior Living, represented by Leah Dailey and Mark Roseberry. [Read more…]

Pull For Our Veterans presents checks to Honor Air, Fisher House

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Dual Presentation1

Richard Stouder, center, president of Pull For Our Veterans, presents checks for $19308.50 to Megan Wynn of the Fisher House Foundation Inc, left, and to Eddie Mannis of Honor Air Knoxville. Pull For Our Veterans is an Oak Ridge-based 501(c)(3) dedicated to helping veterans and their families. (Submitted photo)

 

Pull For Our Veterans, an Oak Ridge-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans and their families, presented checks in the amount of $19,308.50 to both Honor Air Knoxville and the Fisher House Foundation Inc. in a ceremony at the Oak Ridge Sportsmen’s Association in Oak Ridge on November 29.

“Honor Air Knoxville and The Fisher House Foundation are two great organizations that do a lot, but they need help and we’re proud to support them,” said Richard Stouder, president of Pull For Our Veterans. “It’s gratifying to know that the money we raised in 2016 will be used by them to help support our veterans and their loved ones. We want to thank our corporate sponsors, Consolidated Nuclear Security, National Strategic Protective Services, Enrichment Federal Credit Union, and Clayton Homes as well as the many other sponsors, participants, and all of our wonderful volunteers who worked tirelessly to make these events happen. They are the ones that are making a difference in the lives of our veterans and their families.”

Honor Air Knoxville is a 501(c)(3) that is dedicated to honoring World War II, Korean, and Vietnam veterans from East Tennessee and the sacrifices they made to ensure our freedoms. Each Honor Air trip costs approximately $500 per veteran. Every dollar donated is applied directly to the cost of the trip. No donation dollars are applied to administrative expenses. [Read more…]

Haslam visits ORNL to highlight state’s role in discovering tennessine

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Bill Haslam at ORNL Tennessine Martin McDonald Thom Mason ORHS Students

Principal Martin McDonald, left, and students from Oak Ridge High School accepted the first new chart of the periodic table featuring element tennessine and signed by Governor Bill Haslam, right, and ORNL Director Thom Mason, second from left. To mark the discovery of tennessine, UT-Battelle is donating a new chart to all public middle and high schools in Tennessee. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam visited the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Friday to congratulate the ORNL team involved in the discovery of the element tennessine, named in recognition of the vital contributions of the state of Tennessee to the international search for new superheavy elements.

UT-Battelle, the managing contractor of ORNL, is marking the discovery by providing more than 1,000 public middle schools and high schools in Tennessee with new charts of the periodic table. Tennessine—the official name for element 117—completes the seventh row of the table and the column of elements classified as halogens.

The charts will include the signatures of Haslam and ORNL Director Thom Mason.

“We had two very significant announcements in Tennessee this fall as it relates to science,” Haslam said. “In October, the Nation’s Report Card announced that Tennessee students are the fastest improving in the nation in science, and in November, Tennessee became only the second state to be recognized in the periodic table of elements. Having an element named in our honor is further evidence of the scientific excellence that exists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, and other institutions throughout our state, and by UT-Battelle donating new periodic tables to every middle and high school in Tennessee, students can feel proud of our state’s important role in the scientific community and inspired to play a role in its future.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge receives Blankenship Field grant, primarily for synthetic turf

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Blankenship Field Overall Plan

An overall view of the proposed renovation of Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium. (File image from April 2015)

 

Oak Ridge has received a state grant of just under $500,000 that will be used primarily for synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. But it is also expected to help pay for track improvements, upgraded restrooms, fencing between the football field and track, and improvements to the Cedar Hill trailhead behind the visitors bleachers at Jack Armstrong Stadium, city officials said Thursday.

The Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant requires a 50 percent match. The match is supposed to be provided by the nonprofit Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation, and it can be a mix of cash and in-kind contributions, although the precise percentage of each—cash versus in-kind contributions—isn’t clear yet. The foundation has been chaired by Tennessee Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate Randy McNally.

Officials expect to know more after four of them—City Manager Mark Watson, City Council member Rick Chinn, Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick, and Allen Thacker of Oak Ridge Schools—attend mandatory grant training in Nashville in February.

After that, the Oak Ridge City Council could accept the grant, possibly as early as the February 13 meeting. [Read more…]

ORHS pantry provides food, clothing, toiletries, cleaning products to students in need

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A pantry started about a year ago at Oak Ridge High School provides food, clothing, toiletries, and cleaning products to students in need. The Oak Ridge Board of Education toured the pantry with ORHS administrators and teachers on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. From left to right are Laura McLean, Angi Agle, Allen Etheridge, Beth Estep, Leslie Shelton, Bruce Lay, Bob Eby, Bruce Borchers, and Keys Fillauer. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 1:25 p.m. Jan. 26.

A pantry started about a year ago at Oak Ridge High School provides food, clothing, toiletries, and cleaning products to students in need.

It’s known as the RISE Pantry. RISE stands for Raising Individual Students to Excellence.

The pantry started with a cabinet. It’s now housed in a former classroom on the third floor of the high school.

Items stored there include, among other essentials, backpacks and notebooks, pants and shirts, shoes and boots, and soup and beans.

“You can’t learn if your basic needs aren’t met,” said English teacher and coach Allen Etheridge, one of those who started the pantry. “(If) a kid asks, we will bring them down here.” [Read more…]

Wildcats top 100 points, Jones scores 32 in win over Halls

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Oak Ridge senior Tajion Jones (3) scored 32 points as the Wildcats topped 100 points during a 108-56 win over Halls at Wildcat Arena on Monday, Nov. 23, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

Oak Ridge topped 100 points and senior Tajion Jones scored 32 as the Wildcats beat Halls 108-56 at home on Monday. It was the fifth-highest point total for an Oak Ridge game in program history, according to broadcaster David Clary. The record of 137 was set in 1971.

It was an apparent career high for Jones. Eighteen of his points came from six three-point shots, and he had 24 points in the first half alone.

“He’s shooting well,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said.

Senior Tyshawn Young, who has had some high-scoring games in the past month, added 27 points, and senior Anthony Gibson had 17.

The seniors racked up all those points in the first three quarters, before reserves came in for Oak Ridge. Bench players added 21 points in the fourth quarter. That included three three-point shots by sophomore Joe Kesterson. [Read more…]

Groundbreaking ceremony held for first new Habitat home in 2017

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Habitat for Humanity Morgan Groundbreaking January 2017

Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County (HFHAC) has plans to build three new homes in Oak Ridge in 2017. Now, thanks to generous sponsors and construction volunteers, these plans are being realized, a press release said. The foundation has been dug for the first home, located at 214 North Illinois Avenue. (Submitted photo)

 

Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, or HFHAC, has plans to build three new homes in Oak Ridge in 2017.

“Now, thanks to all of the generous sponsors and construction volunteers, these plans are being realized!” a press release said.

The foundation has been dug for the first home, which is located at 214 North Illinois Avenue.

Representatives from UT-Battelle, the managing contractor of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, presented a $25,000 check to HFHAC during a January 5 groundbreaking ceremony. The donation will be used to purchase materials for the Morgan family home, the press release said. [Read more…]