Oak Ridge Today

Clinton’s Fourth of July includes fireworks, family activities, food vendors, music

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Clinton Fourth of July Celebration 2016

Clinton’s annual Fourth of July event will include fireworks, family activities, food vendors, and music.

The event starts at 5 p.m. Monday, July 4, and it ends at 10 p.m., when fireworks start, a press release said. The activities are at Lakefront Park.

You can bring the whole family and enjoy these activities, a press release said:

Backyard Bouncers will have a bounce house, bungee run, home run baseball game, Spaceball 2000 human gyro, 68-foot army boot camp obstacle course, 22-foot two-lane tsunami water slide with slip-and-slide, race car combo with water slide, 75-foot Zorb Ball, and pirate bounce house. They are available for the public and free, the press release said. (Important notice: You must have a wrist band to ride.)

There is also laser tag for those kids up for the challenge, and it’s also free, the press release said. So are video games. These activities are sponsored by Faith Promise Church—Anderson Campus, the press release said. [Read more…]

Keppens takes over as head of UT-ORNL Joint Institute of Advanced Materials

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Veerle Keppens

The University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Joint Institute for Advanced Materials has named Veerle Keppens as its new director. (Photo courtesy UT)

 

The University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Joint Institute for Advanced Materials has named Veerle Keppens as its new director.

Keppens, current head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in UT’s College of Engineering, brings a knowledge of advanced materials—substances with properties that go beyond the norm in one or more aspects, such as electronically or chemically—that will allow her to transition to the new role without a learning curve, a press release said.

“Dr. Keppens carries a wealth of materials science knowledge to this position along with a well as a passion for broadening our understanding in these areas of research,” said UT Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. “She has worked well in research partnerships with ORNL and will be a strong leader of the institute.”

UT and ORNL established JIAM in 2005 as a way of bringing together researchers studying those materials, with the impact of that research being as varied as the materials themselves. [Read more…]

Candidate forum for Anderson County Commission District 8 to be held July 14

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

 

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy Committee will host a series of candidate forums during the election season this year, and the first forum, for three Anderson County Commission candidates, will be in July.

That first forum will be for candidates running in the special election for Anderson County Commission District 8. The forum will be held from 7:30-9 a.m. Thursday, July 14, in the Joyce Conference Room at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, which is at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

All three candidates for the office—Myra Mansfield, Angeleque McNutt, and Phil Yager—have indicated that they will be present for the forum, a press release said. All candidate forums are free and open to the public. [Read more…]

Scottish professor visits Children’s Museum for Weinberg research

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Sean Johnston and Alvin Weinberg Papers at Children's Museum

Professor Sean Johnston, a professor of science, technology, and social studies from the Dumfries Campus of the University of Glasgow in Scotland, searched through the papers of Alvin Weinberg, former director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, as part of a two-year project funded by the British Academy titled “Trusting the Technological Fix.” (Submitted photo)

 

The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is well known as a center of play and learning for the young and young at heart. The museum’s lesser-known collections of historic papers recently brought a senior academic historian from Scotland to Oak Ridge for several days of research.

Professor Sean Johnston, a professor of science, technology, and social studies from the Dumfries Campus of the University of Glasgow, searched through the papers of Alvin Weinberg, former director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, as part of a two-year project funded by the British Academy titled “Trusting the Technological Fix.”

His visit highlights the value of the collections the museum began gathering in the 1970s to tell the cultural and social history of the area for its Regional Appalachian Center.

“Not only was Weinberg the prominent head of the national laboratory (1955-73), and very much a member of the establishment, but he was somebody who was curious and worried about the wider social implications of nuclear technology,” Johnston said. [Read more…]

Elementary school success in Da Vinci Arts and Science Fair

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Lilly McDonald of Woodland Elementary School placed first in Life Science for her project, “Birds: Feed, Eat, Repeat” at the da Vinci Arts and Science Fair at New Hope Center in May. (Submitted photo)

Lilly McDonald of Woodland Elementary School placed first in Life Science for her project, “Birds: Feed, Eat, Repeat” at the Da Vinci Arts and Science Fair at New Hope Center in May. (Submitted photo)

On May 21-22, six students represented Woodland Elementary School with science fair projects at the Da Vinci Arts and Science Fair at New Hope Center in Oak Ridge.

Five third-grade students participated: Abi Beach, Isabella Liu, Lilly McDonald, William Shen, and Edie Weston.

One fourth-grader, Isaac Robinson, also competed.

Two students placed in the science competition. Edie Weston placed second in Life Science for her project titled, “How Long Until Sunscreen Blocks UV Light?” Lilly McDonald placed first in Life Science for her project, “Birds: Feed, Eat, Repeat.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge nonprofit receives $35,000 federal grant to help fight homelessness

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TORCH Logo

An Oak Ridge nonprofit organization has received a $35,000 federal grant to help fight homelessness, officials said Thursday.

The Emergency Solutions Grant was awarded to the Trinity Outreach Center of Hope, or TORCH, the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, or THDA, said in a press release. TORCH will use the grant to help fight homelessness among high-risk populations in Anderson County and surrounding areas.

The funds will be used to help with administrative services, street outreach, prevention, and rapid rehousing services that will help homeless people and families in the area covered by TORCH, the press release said. [Read more…]

Motorcyclist injured in truck-motorcycle crash

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Edgemoor-Road-Motorcycle-and-Truck-Crash-June-23-2016

The Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, and other authorities and emergency medical services respond to a crash between a motorcycle and a tractor-trailer on Edgemoor Road at Haw Ridge Park on Thursday, June 23, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 1:52 p.m.

A motorcyclist was injured in a crash between a tractor-trailer and a motorcycle on Edgemoor Road on Thursday morning, authorities said.

The crash between an 18-wheeler and a motorcycle was reported at about 8:28 a.m. Thursday at Haw Ridge Park.

The name and condition of the motorcyclist and the type of motorcycle weren’t available Thursday morning. The motorcyclist was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

Oak Ridge Police Department Chief Jim Akagi said the motorcyclist was driving east on Edgemoor Road, headed toward Clinton Highway, when the motorcyclist appears to have passed the truck on the right, apparently on the shoulder of the road, as the eastbound tractor-trailer turned right into the parking lot at Haw Ridge. The motorcycle appears to have hit the truck on its passenger side, Akagi said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge celebrates July 4 with fireworks at A.K. Bissell Park

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July 4, 2012 Fireworks

The Independence Day fireworks show in Oak Ridge has been scheduled for 10 p.m. Monday, July 4, at A.K. Bissell Park. (File photo by Charles Samuels)

 

Oak Ridge will celebrate July 4 with fireworks at Alvin K. Bissell Park. The fireworks display, which is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, will start at 10 p.m. Monday, July 4.

The fireworks will be accompanied by music played live at the park by Merle 96.7 FM. Radio host Jack Ryan will be transmitting live from the park beginning at 6 p.m. and will conclude the live broadcast with a patriotic medley as the fireworks are shot, a press release said. The countdown to the fireworks begins at 9:30 p.m. Listeners can tune their radios to 96.7 Merle FM and enjoy the show.

The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform its annual Fourth of July concert at the A.K. Bissell Park Pavilion beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The best view of the show will be from the east end of Bissell Park, the press release said.

Please note: [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Senior Center hosts Classic Car Cruise In on Saturday

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2016 Cruise-In

The Oak Ridge Senior Center, in partnership with the Fast and Classy Car Club, is hosting the first Classic Car Cruise In and Open House at the Oak Ridge Senior Center. The event will be held on Saturday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Please join us in admiring all the hard work that has been put into restoring these beautiful pieces of history,” a press release said.

Hot dogs and drinks will be available for $1 each while supplies last, the press release said. [Read more…]

DOE announces $16 million in funding to move energy technologies from labs to marketplace

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sign

Photo by ORNL

 

The U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday announced nearly $16 million in funding to help businesses move promising energy technologies from DOE’s national laboratories to the marketplace. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is among the labs receiving funding, and ORNL received funding for nine projects.

It’s the first department-wide round of funding through the Technology Commercialization Fund, or TCF, a press release said. It will support 54 projects at 12 national labs involving 52 private-sector partners.

The TCF is administered by DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions, or OTT, which works to expand the commercial impact of DOE’s portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment activities, the press release said. In February 2016, OTT announced the first solicitation to the DOE national laboratories for TCF funding proposals. It received 104 applications from across the laboratory system, for projects in two topic areas:

  • Topic Area 1: Projects for which the technology must become more mature to attract a private partner; and
  • Topic Area 2: Cooperative development projects between a lab and industry partner(s), designed to support the commercial application of a lab-developed technology.

All projects selected for the Technology Commercialization Fund will receive an equal amount of non-federal funds to match the federal investment, the press release said.

“Deploying new clean energy technologies is an essential part of our nation’s effort to lead in the 21st century economy and in the fight against climate change,” said Lynn Orr, DOE’s under secretary for science and energy. “The funds announced today will help to accelerate the commercialization of cutting-edge energy technologies developed in our national labs, making them more widely available to American consumers and businesses.” [Read more…]

Secret City Festival hosts Willow Run Rosies 

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Eight of the 13 Rosie the Riveters are shown here along with Heritage Exhibit participant Tom Walker, Oak Ridge Heritage Room organizer Bobbie Martin, and Interpretive National Park Ranger Veronica Greear. The Rosies are, from left to right, Bette Kenward, Barb Matthews, Vikki Toth, Chris Brown, Patsy Kemner, Kate Weise, Susie Sweeney, and Alison Beatty (down front). (Photo by M. McBride)

Eight of the 13 Rosie the Riveters are shown here along with Heritage Exhibit participant Tom Walker, Oak Ridge Heritage Room organizer Bobbie Martin, and Interpretive National Park Ranger Veronica Greear. The Rosies are, from left to right, Bette Kenward, Barb Matthews, Vikki Toth, Chris Brown, Patsy Kemner, Kate Weise, Susie Sweeney, and Alison Beatty (down front). (Photo by M. McBride)

 

This year’s Secret City Festival hosted 13 members of the “Willow Run Rosies” from the Historic Willow Run bomber plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Wearing Rosie-The-Riveter costumes, these ladies helped re-create the spirit of the many Rosies who powered the American war effort during World War II.

The Rosies were part of a 20-person group from Michigan.

The Willow Run Rosies chatted with festival visitors in the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Room on Saturday during the city’s two-day festival. Each year, the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association sponsors a heritage room during the festival, featuring exhibits on the history of the super-secret Manhattan Project and its “Secret City” of Oak Ridge.

Tens of thousands of “Rosies” came here during World War II, as part of President Roosevelt’s massive effort to build an atomic bomb in time to end the war. [Read more…]

Green McAdoo hosting monthly Jazz on the Hill in Clinton this summer

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Green-McAdoo-Cultural-Center

The Green McAdoo Cultural Organization in Clinton will be hosting a Jazz on the Hill concert series on the first Saturday of each month this summer. The monthly concert series starts Saturday, July 2.

The free event is open to the public, and you are welcome to bring your families, blankets, and lawn chairs, a press release said.

Performance times will be 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Here are the groups scheduled to perform: [Read more…]