Oak Ridge Today

Electrical fire damages mobile home in Marlow

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Information from WYSH Radio

A woman escaped injury when her mobile home caught fire Tuesday night.

The blaze was reported shortly after 10:15 p.m. Tuesday at a home on Center Valley Road in Marlow, and the occupant, Mildred Campbell, was able to make it out safely. She told investigators that she had smelled what she described as “waxy burn smell” and that her fire alarm then went off.

The property owner told Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputies that Campbell had recently replaced the bathroom floor, and firefighters from the Marlow Volunteer Fire Department determined that the fire was electrical and had started under that floor. The fire—which has been ruled accidental—caused damage to the floor of the mobile home, which is north of Oak Ridge.

Federal contractors, agencies consider shutdowns, furloughs as funding dispute drags on

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Joe L. Evins Federal Building

The U.S. Department of Energy will soon start shutting down nonessential operations, resulting in employee and contractor furloughs, unless Congress passes a spending bill. Pictured above is DOE’s Oak Ridge Office at the Joe L. Evins Federal Building.

Furloughs possible at DOE, UCOR, other federal contractors; some SAIC employees on leave

The government shutdown is now in its second week, and the U.S. Department of Energy could start shutting down nonessential operations soon—resulting in employee and contractor furloughs—unless Congress quickly approves a spending bill, officials said Tuesday.

Federal contractors with operations in Oak Ridge are also considering possible shutdowns and furloughs because congressional Democrats and Republicans have failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill to keep the government operating in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

In a Tuesday message to employees, UCOR President Leo Sain said the company, the government’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, has not been told to shut down yet. [Read more…]

ORHS has 11 seniors named National Merit semifinalists

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Oak Ridge High School National Merit Semifinalists

Eleven seniors at Oak Ridge High School have been named National Merit semifinalists. Ten are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

Eleven seniors from the Class of 2014 at Oak Ridge High School have been named National Merit semifinalists.

Semifinalists are students who score in the top 1 percent in their state on the PSAT, or preliminary SAT test. The students took the test as juniors to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, or NMSQT, a press release said.

The students are pictured at left. [Read more…]

ORHS students commended in 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program

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Oak Ridge High School Commended Students

Ten of the 11 Commended Students at Oak Ridge High School are pictured above. From left in the front row are ORHS Principal David Bryant and students Sydney Buckner, Maria Dazevedo, and Vicki Huang. In the second row are Natalie Cross, Jane Abernathy, and Andrew Skipper. In the top row are Warren LaForest, Ian Barclay, Riley Fitchpatrick, and Nicholas Goldstein. Not pictured is Dasha Morin.

Eleven Oak Ridge High School students have been named Commended Students in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program.

The students are Jane L. Abernathy, Ian A. Barclay, Sydney N. Buckner, Natalie R. Cross, Maria M. Dazevedo, Riley M. Fitchpatrick, Nicholas Goldstein, Dasha N. Gorin, Vicki Huang, Warren J. Laforest, and Andrew D Skipper.

ORHS Principal David Bryant will present a letter of commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which conducts the program, to these scholastically talented seniors, a press release said. [Read more…]

ADFAC’s Dine and Donate event begins Monday

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ADFAC Dine and Donate

Five area restaurants will donate a portion of their sales on Monday to support the charitable work of Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC.

The participating restaurants are:

  • Hoskins in Clinton
  • Mediterranean Delight in Oak Ridge
  • Razzleberry’s in Oak Ridge
  • Riverview Grill in Clinton, and
  • Subway locations in Clinton, Lake City, Oliver Springs, and Oak Ridge (Four Oaks Center). [Read more…]

Arrests made in aggravated burglary involving 11 guns

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John Edward Farmer

John Edward Farmer

Eric Keith Lane

Eric Keith Lane

Eleven rifles and shotguns were reported missing after an aggravated burglary in Roane County last month, and authorities investigating the case arrested two men on Monday, a press release said.

The alleged burglary occurred Sept. 19 on Collins Road, which is north of Oak Ridge near the intersection of Blair Road and Old Harriman Highway.

The press release said Roane County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Kate Bell and Sgt. Richie Stooksbury were searching for John Farmer in connection with the alleged burglary on Monday when Bell found the vehicle matching the description of the Collins Road incident, Sheriff Jack Stockton said in the release. [Read more…]

Grammy-winning Oak Ridge bassist Edgar Meyer plays Saturday

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Edgar Meyer

Edgar Meyer

Edgar Meyer, the world-renowned bassist and composer, will start this year’s ORCMA Chamber Music Season with a Saturday night performance.

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

Meyer grew up in Oak Ridge, where he learned to play the double bass when he was five. He was taught by his father, the late Edgar Meyer Sr., who directed the string orchestra program for the Oak Ridge Schools. Meyer later went on to Indiana University to study with Stuart Sankey.

“Meyer is noted for achieving virtuosity on an instrument of unusual technical difficulty, and has performed music originally composed for other instruments, such as Bach’s unaccompanied cello suites, which he recorded,” a press release said. “He has also composed a number of classical works, including two double bass concertos, a string quintet, a double concerto for bass and cello, and a violin concerto.” [Read more…]

Free Medical Clinic moving to larger location this weekend

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After nearly four years in its original location on Robertsville Road, the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge is moving. The clinic will be closed Friday and Monday for the move. When it reopens Tuesday, it will be at its new location at 116 East Division Road.

The new location is across the Oak Ridge Turnpike from Methodist Medical Center and behind Zaxby’s restaurant. The (865) 483-3904 phone number and (865) 481-0203 fax number will remain the same, a press release said.

The release said the larger space has more examination rooms, reception and waiting areas, and administrative office space, and it will help FMCOR better meet the needs of the increasing number of patients. [Read more…]

ORNL prepares for possible temporary shutdown, unpaid furloughs

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Central Campus

Officials at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, pictured above, are preparing for a possible temporary shutdown and unpaid furloughs in case Congress is unable to pass a federal spending bill. (Courtesy Oak Ridge National Laboratory/U.S. Dept. of Energy)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has enough funding to continue operating through this month and into November, but officials are preparing for a possible temporary shutdown and unpaid furloughs, Director Thom Mason told employees Monday.

The potential shutdown of ORNL would be triggered by Congress’ failure to pass a spending bill in the fiscal year that began Tuesday, Oct. 1. The federal government has already partially shut down, and the Y-12 National Security Complex started an “orderly shutdown” Monday.

Before the Sept. 30 end of the last fiscal year, the U.S. Department of Energy had told federal employees to continue reporting for work in the new fiscal year unless there is a lapse in appropriations and all available money is spent. And Mason told employees of UT-Battelle, which manages the lab, to report to work starting Oct. 1, even if the government shut down, because ORNL had enough funding to continue operating. [Read more…]

Y-12 starts shutdown as Congress fails to approve federal spending

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Y-12 National Security Complex Aerial View

With Congress unable to agree on a federal spending bill, the contractor at the Y-12 National Security Complex, pictured above, has been told to start an “orderly shutdown.” (Photo courtesy B&W Y-12)

With Congress unable to agree on a spending bill and the federal government shut down for a week, the Y-12 National Security Complex has been told to start its own “orderly shutdown.”

Chuck Spencer, general manager of B&W Y-12, which manages and operates the plant, said officials hope that furloughs can be avoided, or that they won’t last long.

The shutdown activities are supposed to put the nuclear weapons plant into a safe and secure status.

A spokesman at the National Nuclear Security Administration in Washington, D.C., wasn’t immediately available to answer such questions as how long the shutdown might take or whether some nuclear-related activities might continue at Y-12. In addition to its weapons work, Y-12 retrieves and stores nuclear materials, fuels the nation’s naval reactors, and performs complementary work for other government and private-sector entities. [Read more…]

Despite federal shutdown, Museum of Appalachia still open, Fall Homecoming happening

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Museum of Appalachia Wilson Barn Stage

Despite the federal shutdown, the Fall Homecoming is still happening this weekend at the Museum of Appalachia near Norris. (Submitted photo)

Despite the federal shutdown, the Museum of Appalachia near Norris is still open, and the 34th annual Tennessee Fall Homecoming is happening this weekend, officials said.

The Fall Homecoming is scheduled from Friday, Oct. 11, to Sunday, Oct. 13. It will feature more than 400 traditional musicians, singers, cloggers, and buck dancers, a press release said.

It said the three-day Homecoming is one of the nation’s largest, most authentic music and folk festivals.

“Each day, all day, musicians perform on five unique stages, filling the air with bluegrass, old-time, Southern gospel, and Americana music,” the release said. “Homecoming includes historic demonstrations of mountain skills, Revolutionary War and Civil War encampments, and a large arts and crafts fair featuring authentic Appalachian artisans. Pinto beans cooked over an open fire, home-made ice cream, Dutch oven cobbler, sassafras tea, and barbecue are some of the southern delicacies available for purchase.” [Read more…]

ORFD has fire demonstration Tuesday for Fire Prevention Month

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Oak Ridge Fire Department Burn Cell

A burn cell flashes over during a recent Oak Ridge Fire Department open house. (File photo)

The Oak Ridge Fire Department will have a fire demonstration Tuesday as part of Fire Prevention and Public Education Program month.

The demonstration is at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Fire Station No. 3, located at 333 Tuskegee Drive.

It’s the official kick off for remembering the Great Chicago Fire, which burned from Sunday, Oct. 8, to early Tuesday, Oct. 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying thousands of acres of property and buildings, a press release said. [Read more…]