Oak Ridge Today

Next City Blueprint meeting scheduled for Oct. 26

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Midtown Residential City Blueprint Oct 2017

The Oak Ridge Community Development Department is continuing the Oak Ridge City Blueprint effort with a discussion focused on the Midtown residential neighborhood. An open house will be held between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 26, at Robertsville Middle School.

Families living in this subarea are encouraged to attend and provide ideas and suggestions for possible neighborhood improvements, a press release said.

“Please note that no formal presentation is planned for this event,” the press release said. “Those attending can come and go anytime during the open house to meet, ask questions, and share thoughts with city staff and board representatives.” [Read more…]

U.S. Senate candidate Mackler will be in Oak Ridge on Thursday

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James Mackler

James Mackler

 

James Mackler, the first Tennessee Democrat to launch a 2018 U.S. Senate campaign, will be in Oak Ridge on Thursday.

Mackler, a Nashville attorney and Iraq War veteran, will be the keynote speaker at the Anderson County Democratic Party general meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 19, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, a press release said.

U.S. Senator Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, is not seeking re-election in 2018. U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn, also a Tennessee Republican, has announced she will run for Corker’s seat.

A press release said Mackler left his job six months ago as a prosecutor and defense attorney to run for Corker’s seat. [Read more…]

Woman pleads guilty in fatal car-pedestrian crash on Clinton Highway

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Destany Lynn Cotner

Destany Lynn Cotner

 

A Clinton woman has pleaded guilty in a fatal car-pedestrian hit-and-run crash on Clinton Highway in March.

Destany Lynn Cotner, 25, pleaded guilty in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton on Friday to two charges of leaving the scene of an accident involving death and driving under the influence (first offense).

As part of the plea agreement, two other charges were dismissed. Those charges were driving with a suspended or revoked license (first offense) and possession of contraband in a penal facility.

It was a plea by information, meaning Cotner had not yet been indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury.

Cotner initially told the Tennessee Highway Patrol that she was the driver the night of the crash, but she later changed her story to say her co-defendant Isaac Irwin, 26, also of Clinton, was the driver, according to a narrative filed in the case and attached to warrants.

Cotner received a two-year prison sentence on the conviction of leaving the scene of an accident involving death. As a standard offender, her release eligibility is 30 percent. Her sentence on this felony conviction was suspended, and she will be placed on supervised probation. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, Oct. 21

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The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s Fall Plant Sale will be held Saturday, October 21, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s Fall Plant Sale will be held Saturday, October 21, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy UT Arboretum Society)

 

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s Fall Plant Sale will be held Saturday, October 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge.

“Fall is the ideal time to add plants to your landscape,” a press release said. “Beaver Creek Nursery, East Fork Nursery, Riverdale Nursery, Sunlight Gardens, as well as the UT Arboretum Society’s members and friends, will be offering a variety of high quality plants at this sale.”

Cash, checks, and credit cards will be accepted for payment. [Read more…]

Out of service for decades, barge area at ETTP used again

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UniTech equipment transported from Michigan is unloaded at the barge access area at the East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge in 2017. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management)

UniTech equipment transported from Michigan is unloaded at the barge access area at the East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge in 2017. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management)

 

This story, which has been lightly edited here, was originally published in the EM Update on October 17 by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management.

Reindustrialization efforts at the East Tennessee Technology Park have brought new life to an old barge access area out of service for decades.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management is cleaning and converting the former uranium enrichment complex into a private sector industrial park, and companies are seeing significant signs of progress and potential.

In September, UniTech Services Group, a private business at ETTP, the former K-25 site, needed to transport large industrial equipment from Michigan and noted the site’s neglected barge area. The company worked with DOE and the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee to use this area, and successfully shipped the equipment to ETTP using the Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee navigable river systems. [Read more…]

Housing Authority dedicates administration building in honor of James A. Carson

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A resident of Oak Ridge, James A. Carson served the Oak Ridge Housing Authority as its executive director for 33 years. Carson retired from OHRA in December 2016. On Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, the ORHA Board of Commissioners honored his many years of service through the dedication of the Administration building. (Submitted photo)

A resident of Oak Ridge, James A. Carson served the Oak Ridge Housing Authority as its executive director for 33 years. Carson retired from OHRA in December 2016. On Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, the ORHA Board of Commissioners honored his many years of service through the dedication of the Administration building. (Submitted photo)

 

A resident of Oak Ridge, James A. Carson served the Oak Ridge Housing Authority as its executive director for 33 years.

“He consistently showed a great respect for diversity, and in all things pursued fair policies and actions,” a press release said. “He worked tirelessly to make ORHA sustainable, and faithfully served the low-income and economically disadvantaged in our community.”

Carson retired from OHRA in December 2016. [Read more…]

Teachers: What would you do with $25,000 in new technology?

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A photo of last year’s winner in the ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover contest, Kyle Roach, a seventh-grade teacher at Rutledge Middle School, with some of the school’s students. (Photo by ORAU)

A photo of last year’s winner in the ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover contest, Kyle Roach, a seventh-grade teacher at Rutledge Middle School, with some of the school’s students. (Photo by ORAU)

 

ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover celebrates 10 years of changing classrooms, lives

For nine years, ORAU’s Extreme Classroom Makeover has provided winning teachers throughout East Tennessee the opportunity to outfit their classrooms with $25,000 in new technology. From smart boards to laptops and just about everything in between, Extreme Classroom Makeover not only changes classrooms, it has changed the lives of students and teachers alike.

Kyle Roach, seventh-grade math teacher at Rutledge Middle School and winner of the 2017 Extreme Classroom Makeover, purchased Chromebooks, smart whiteboards, video editing software, and more for his classroom. He believes winning Extreme Classroom Makeover will not only impact his students but how he teaches as well, a press release said.

“The technology we purchased has allowed me to increase student interactivity,” Roach said. “Math is a visual subject. The students have taken abstract ideas like fractions and created visual representations. They are excited to share their creations and they are able to go back to what they have created, which has helped with retention of crucial skills. There have been many ‘aha’ moments—some from the kids and most from me, as I have learned new ways to introduce skills.” [Read more…]

Veterans Day Parade is in Clinton on Saturday, Nov. 11

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The 11th Annual Anderson County Veterans Day Parade will be held on Saturday, November 11, at 10 a.m. in downtown Clinton.

The parade has been announced by the Clinton American Legion Post #172 in partnership with The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #12051 and AMVETS Post #2.

This year’s theme is the “Appreciation for All Anderson County Veterans,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Lunch with the League features Marc DeRose of Explore Oak Ridge on Tuesday

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Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose of Explore Oak Ridge will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, October 17. His presentation will center on Explore Oak Ridge’s responsibility for maximizing the economic impact of visitors to Oak Ridge, a press release said.

Explore Oak Ridge was formerly known as the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Lunch with the League meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

DeRose, a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, has a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental science from Trent University, Peterborough, Canada, and a master’s degree in biology and quantitative genetics from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, the press release said. He spent more than 15 years as a professional rowing coach at the junior, NCAA, national, and international levels. [Read more…]

ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 for 10th year in a row

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Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

$1 million raised in past 10 years benefits United Way and Community Shares

For the 10th consecutive year, ORAU exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 in donations as part of its internal annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares, making total donations more than $1 million for the timeframe.

As part of the 2017 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign, a total of $117,604.41 was pledged. Employees donate via payroll deduction and could earmark their donation for United Way, Community Shares, or both nonprofit organizations, a press release said. [Read more…]

Dodson receives service, achievement award from Tennessee Arts Academy

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Jim Dodson, a 31-year art teacher at Jefferson Middle School, received a service and achievement award, the TAA Outstanding Service and Achievement award, from the Tennessee Arts Academy this summer. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

Jim Dodson, a 31-year art teacher at Jefferson Middle School, received a service and achievement award, the TAA Outstanding Service and Achievement award, from the Tennessee Arts Academy in the summer of 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

Jim Dodson, a 31-year art teacher at Jefferson Middle School, received a service and achievement award from the Tennessee Arts Academy this summer.

Dodson received the TAA Outstanding Service and Achievement award. He was presented the award for his service and achievement during his seven-year tenure as the Tennessee Arts Academy visual art director, a press release said. In this role, he initiated several new programs and exhibits to the Academy. He started the “Best of the Best” Student Art Show that brought together the 30 winners in each of the 10 art categories from the three statewide student shows held earlier in the year. He also added a statewide-juried show for art teachers to display their own creations. The title of the show is “Connections” because Dodson wanted to highlight the relationship between teacher creativity and student creativity, the press release said. Artists from both shows receive recognition at the annual opening reception held during the TAA each year. [Read more…]

‘Jeopardy!’ run ends for Oak Ridge woman

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Scarlett Sims, right, of Oak Ridge is pictured above with Alex Trebek, host of the television quiz show "Jeopardy!" (Photo courtesy Jeopardy Productions Inc.)

Scarlett Sims, right, of Oak Ridge is pictured above with Alex Trebek, host of the television quiz show “Jeopardy!” (Photo courtesy Jeopardy Productions Inc.)

 

The “Jeopardy!” run of Scarlett Sims of Oak Ridge ended on Friday.

Sims, a stay-at-home mom, ended the 12-game winning streak of New York City bartender Austin Rogers on Thursday, when she won $33,000, according to WBIR-TV of Knoxville, which broadcasts the show.

She missed the Final Jeopardy question Friday, ending the second night with $400, WBIR reported. [Read more…]