Oak Ridge Today

Lunch with League: Success of middle college at Roane State, area high schools

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Diane Ward

Diane Ward

An official from Roane State Community College will provide an overview of the college’s Middle College during a Tuesday meeting.

Diane Ward, vice president for student learning at Roane State Community College, will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, February 7. The program will be held at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The public is invited.

“Middle College is a program where rising high school juniors carry a full college schedule in the morning and a high school schedule in the afternoon,” Ward said in a press release. “The goal is for these students to obtain a high school diploma and an associate’s degree at the same time. Currently, Roane State is in partnership with three different school systems to offer this program on three of our campuses.” [Read more…]

Benefit spaghetti supper to help ORPD officer

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

David Ridenour Benefit 2017

Information from WYSH Radio

A benefit, all-day spaghetti dinner will be held on Saturday, February 11, at Main Street Baptist Church in Rocky Top for Oak Ridge Police Department Officer David Ridenour.

Last year, Ridenour, while building his new home, had an accident with a nail gun that caused a serious injury to his eye.

Despite numerous surgeries and other treatments to try and save the eye, it had to be removed on January 24. [Read more…]

Man, dog injured after shots fired at home

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

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…]

ORHS Fusion Orchestra will perform on ‘Blue Plate Special’ on WDVX on Friday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

 

oak-ridge-high-school-orchestra

The Oak Ridge High School Fusion Orchestra will perform on the “Blue Plate Special” on WDVX FM 89.9 on Friday.

The show is scheduled from 12-1 p.m. Friday, February 3, at the Grove Theater at 123 Randolph Road in Oak Ridge. It’s free.

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. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge students advance to state chess championship

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

More than 100 students from 35 schools and home school groups in East Tennessee competed in the Tennessee Chess Association regional tournament at Oak Ridge High School on January 28.

Forty-two of the 115 participants represented schools in Oak Ridge: Jefferson Middle School, Linden Elementary School, Oak Ridge High School, Robertsville Middle School, St. Mary’s, Willow Brook Elementary School, and Woodland Elementary School. Those who qualified for the state tournament to be held February 18 at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville are: [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Civic Music Association has new choral director

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jaclyn Johnson

Jaclyn Johnson

 

The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association has a new choral director, Jaclyn Johnson.

A press release said Johnson has made it her life goal to share her passion for music with ensembles and audiences around the world. Before completing her doctoral degree in choral conducting at the University of Michigan, Johnson had a thriving career as a high school choral educator and church musician, the press release said.

Ensembles under her direction have received numerous honors and awards, including performances at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference (2011), Western Division Conference (2010), and Central Division Conference (2014), the press release said. In 2014, Johnson represented the United States as an international exchange conductor to China. She is currently the associate director of choral activities at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

“I am honored to be the new choral director for ORCMA and to work with such brilliant individuals,” Johnson said in the press release. “Oak Ridge has a rich and unique musical history, and I aspire to further this excellence with inspiring and exciting programs. We welcome any new members who have a passion for singing!” [Read more…]

Two Oak Ridge residents part of Knoxville tennis team that wins national title

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Pictured above are, from left to right in front, Melanie Dodson (Knoxville), Barbara Miller (Knoxville), Kim Lee (Oak Ridge), and Cindi Mooney (Knoxville); and left to right in back, Bill Padgett (Alcoa), Trips Dawson (Loudon), Tony Lee (Oak Ridge), and Jay Huffman (Knoxville). (Photo credit: Juan O’Campo)

Pictured above are, from left to right in front, Melanie Dodson (Knoxville), Barbara Miller (Knoxville), Kim Lee (Oak Ridge), and Cindi Mooney (Knoxville); and left to right in back, Bill Padgett (Alcoa), Trips Dawson (Loudon), Tony Lee (Oak Ridge), and Jay Huffman (Knoxville). (Photo credit: Juan O’Campo)

 

Knoxville team crowned national champions at USTA League Mixed 40 and Over 6.0 National Championships

SURPRISE, ARIZ.—A tennis team from Knoxville, representing the USTA Southern Section, captured the national title at the USTA League Mixed 40 and Over 6.0 National Championships held at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex in Surprise, Arizona.

The Knoxville team defeated a team from Arcadia, California, 2-1 in the Championship match. Earlier in the day, the Knoxville team defeated a team from Concord, California, 3-0 in the semifinals. They advanced that far by winning their round-robin flight contested during a weekend in the fall.

The team is captained by Jay Huffman and features Barbara Miller, Melanie Dodson, Cindi Mooney, Tony Lee, Kim Lee, Trips Dawson, Katherine Evans, Timmy Cuesta, Bill Padgett, and Justin Chaniott, and plays at the Cedar Bluff Racquet Club. The Lees live in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Schools give Year Two progress report on Access Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

These charts depict the increase in use of the Canvas learning management system, or LMS, since its adoption in 2015 in Oak Ridge Schools. Dips in usage occurred in June and July of 2016 when school was not in session. (Image by Oak Ridge Schools)

These charts depict the increase in use of the Canvas learning management system, or LMS, since its adoption in 2015 in Oak Ridge Schools. Dips in usage occurred in June and July of 2016 when school was not in session. (Image by Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Submitted

During the past two years, the Oak Ridge school district has been making new strides in our Access Oak Ridge digital learning initiative by putting Lenovo Yoga laptop computers into the hands of every student in grades 5-10.

Our vision in this initiative is “to empower all Oak Ridge students with equitable access to digital learning opportunities, and to innovate, design, collaborate, and ultimately succeed in local and global communities of the future.” Within this vision, we believe that learning should be student-centered, with technology that enables exploration of content with greater depth and breadth.

Our aim is to continue to grow Access Oak Ridge to provide opportunities that lead to substantial benefits for both students and staff. Fostering innovative thinking expands the classroom beyond the school walls for our students.

Prior to embarking on the Access Oak Ridge initiative, dedicated information technology (IT) staff and instructional technology coaches had been preparing our students and teachers with digital tools and software for more than a decade. In 2014-15, our instructional technology coaches worked with a team of teachers to research and select a learning management system, or LMS, to securely house all of our online content for courses such as soft copies of textbooks, course readings, designated internet content links, software, and videos, as well as student and family progress monitoring (course grading). The LMS the teacher team selected is Canvas by Instructure. [Read more…]

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

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

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…]

Forty-nine Atomic City Aquatic Club swimmers compete in Knoxville

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Atomic City Aquatic Club coaches pose with young swimmers. (Submitted photo)

Atomic City Aquatic Club coaches pose with young swimmers. (Submitted photo)

 

Forty-nine Atomic City Aquatic Club, or ACAC, swimmers competed in the Tennessee Aquatics January Classic Invitational this past weekend in Knoxville.

ACAC trains year-round for a series of meets where they can test their achievement and developments. This past meet was meant to measure improvements from holiday training plans, and see how the swimmers have handled their increased training load.

Abigail King, 12, headlined the event for ACAC with an outstanding meet that included four team records: 400 IM, 50 Fly, 200 Fly, and 100 Back. She made Southeasterns in all five races for which she could qualify, and also swam age group qualifying times in the 200 Fly and 400 IM.

In total, 40 of the 49 ACAC athletes entered achieved best times, and nine swimmers acquired Southeastern Time Standards throughout the weekend: [Read more…]

Anderson County Schools closed Monday, Tuesday due to illness

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Anderson County Schools will be closed Monday, January 30, and Tuesday, January 31, because there is a large number of students and staff out due to illness, officials said Friday.

Custodians at each school will spend Monday and Tuesday disinfecting classrooms and schools, Anderson County Schools said.

The central office staff will report at its usual time.

Photos: Work on eighth rowing lane

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Eighth Rowing Lane Jan 18 2017

The view from the water of the new wall installed for the eighth lane of the Oak Ridge rowing course. Calhoun’s restaurant is in the background at center right. (Photo by Laurel Patrick)

 

Laurel Patrick of First Place Finish Inc. in Oak Ridge has been posting pictures on Twitter showing the progress on work on the eighth lane of the Oak Ridge rowing course.

Here are pictures by Patrick starting November 16, used here with her permission. We have posted them below in chronological order.

First Place Finish Inc. received a $548,350 contract to add the eighth lane during a special Oak Ridge City Council meeting in September. The work includes a precast concrete block retaining wall and associated dredging and site work.

Oak Ridge officials announced in late October that the speed limit on a section of Melton Lake Drive would be temporarily reduced for at least three months starting Monday, October 31, while the eighth rowing lane is built, and part of the Melton Lake Greenway will be closed as necessary. [Read more…]