Oak Ridge Today

Lunch with League: Global warming at a local level

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Melissa Allen-Dumas

A research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Tuesday will discuss the expected impacts of climate change on extreme weather and cities.

Melissa Allen-Dumas is a research scientist in the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Her talk at Lunch with the League is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Those who attend can bring a lunch or purchase a boxed lunch. Coffee and tea will be served. The presentation will begin at noon, a press release said.

[Read more…]

Secret City Improv Festival entertains this weekend

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Twenty-three professional comedy groups and three local high schools will perform at the Secret City Improv Festival in Oak Ridge this weekend.

The festival is scheduled Friday, October 6, and Saturday, October 7, at the Historic Grove Theater.

It’s the third year in a row that the festival has been in Oak Ridge.

The festival consists of eight unique performances featuring 23 professional improv comedy troupes, three local high schools, and workshops and masterclasses with experienced improvisers from across America, a press release said. The Secret City Improv Festival will feature comedy improv troupes from 15 cities representing 10 states this year.

[Read more…]

Man killed in Andover Circle shooting

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

A 21-year-old Maryville man died in a shooting on Andover Circle early Monday.

The man has been identified as Gavin West. He had a gunshot wound when officers arrived just after midnight Monday, and he died from his injuries, a press release said.

Detectives with the Oak Ridge Police Department responded and began investigating the homicide. West’s body was taken to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center for an autopsy, the press release said.

[Read more…]

County sees increase in infant deaths due to unsafe sleeping practices

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan (center), chief medical examiner for Knox and Anderson Counties, speaks about a concerning increase in infant mortality rates in Anderson County on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, as (from left) County Mayor Terry Frank, Regional Forensic Center Chief Administrative Officer Chris Thomas, Anderson County EMS Deputy Director of Education Bobbi Jo Henderson, and EMS Director Nathan Sweet look on. (Photo courtesy Anderson County government)

Anderson County Emergency Medical Services, County Mayor Terry Frank, and the chief medical examiner for both Knox and Anderson Counties are all urging the community—particularly parents and grandparents of children younger than 12 months old—to practice proper “safe sleeping.”

The caution from local officials comes as a result of a rising trend of infant mortality rates in Anderson County, a press release said. The Knox County Regional Forensic Center tracks information related to deaths in 21 counties.

“Since 2019, we have done 185 autopsies on infants under one year (of age). One hundred of those infants died as a result of unsafe sleep environments,” said Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan, chief medical examiner, during a press conference held Wednesday morning at Anderson County EMS headquarters in Clinton.

In Anderson County, data shows that 14 infant deaths have been recorded since 2019 with 10 of those deaths having been attributed to unsafe sleep practices.

[Read more…]

Briceville Fire Department celebrates new station

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Briceville residents turned out Tuesday evening, Sept. 19, 2023, at Briceville Volunteer Fire Department’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new fire station, located at 1916 Briceville Highway. (Photo credit: Christopher Brewster Photography)

The Briceville Volunteer Fire Department celebrated its new fire station with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday. The ceremony included local residents and federal, state, and county officials, a press release said.

The path to building the new fire station started years ago, the press release said. In 2019, officials with the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced a grant to the Briceville VFD for $80,700 and a loan of $74,200, along with a county match of $30,000 to “make the dream of a new station a reality.”

But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the project hit a number of snags, the press release said. Market disruptions affected bidders; supply chain issues created cost increases and forced reworking of the project; and there was a need to close a funding gap as prices increased.

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools to host panel discussion, documentary screening for ‘Oppenheimer’

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Schools will host a free, community-centered red carpet event Wednesday featuring a 90-minute panel discussion and a screening of the documentary film “Oppenheimer After Trinity.”

The panel—made up of local scientists, historians, filmmakers, and Oak Ridge students—will re-examine the conversations held over 80 years ago surrounding the splitting of the atom and discuss the development and deployment of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and their potential impact on future generations, a press release said.

The event will be held at the Oak Ridge High School Auditorium on Wednesday, July 19, from 6-8:30 p.m. and it will include free popcorn and soda for attendees. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for guests to mingle, enjoy the red carpet, and take photos, the press release said.

“As a nod to the birth of Oak Ridge, 1940s era attire is encouraged, though not required,” the release said

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge Community Band performs on Independence Day

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Community Band performs in Alvin K. Bissell Park during a July 4 celebration. (Photo courtesy Explore Oak Ridge/Piper Communications)

The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform in Alvin K. Bissell Park on Tuesday, July 4 (Independence Day), before the city’s annual fireworks show.

The band is scheduled to play patriotic melodies starting at 7:30 p.m., a press release said.

“The music will stir your soul, bringing us closer as we honor our nation’s heritage,” the press release said. “As the final notes fade, prepare for a breathtaking fireworks display.”

[Read more…]

Library announces check-out changes

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The new outdoor book drop is pictured above at the Oak Ridge Public Library. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

Ten days after celebrating renovations, the Oak Ridge Public Library has announced changes to its check-out procedures and policies that take effect on Saturday, July 1. Among the changes:

  • The library will no longer charge overdue fees for materials that are returned late (interlibrary loans are an exception).
  • The library will automatically renew eligible items that have not been returned if the item does not have a hold. However, there is a limit to the renewals, and library patrons will still be charged for lost or damaged items.

The City of Oak Ridge described the new check-out procedures in a press release.

[Read more…]

USA Cycling Time Trial National Championships on Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Traffic Impacts

Oak Ridge will host its fifth annual USA Cycling Individual Time Trial National Championships on Thursday, June 22. Elite cyclists nationwide will converge on the city, showcasing their skill and determination as they compete for the championship title, a press release said.

“Partnering with Visit Knoxville, the City of Oak Ridge and Explore Oak Ridge are proud to welcome back this prestigious championship,” the press release said. “The closed-loop course along Melton Lake Drive promises heart-pounding action and an unforgettable experience for spectators and media alike.”

“The nation’s top cyclists (will) go head-to-head, pushing their limits to claim victory,” the press release said.

The races, which are scheduled between 9:30 a.m. and about 5 p.m., will affect traffic in parts of east Oak Ridge near the Clinch River starting at 7 a.m. Thursday.

[Read more…]

Read Lavender Festival schedule, details

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival (Submitted photo)

The Lavender Festival has expanded. Here is a schedule of musicians and presentations, and information about additional events.

The free festival, the 23rd Jackson Square Lavender Festival, is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17, in Jackson Square. Since 1999, the Lavender Festival has been held the third week of June, which is when the lavender is in bloom in Tennessee. In addition to several local lavender farms, the festival features 150 artisan and food vendors, live music, informative presentations, and free children’s activities.

For information about vendors, parking, road closures, children’s activities, and more, visit  www.JacksonSquareLavenderFestival.org. The festival is “rain or shine,” a press release said.

Here is what is new this year:

[Read more…]

Sholl named interim executive director of UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

David Sholl will serve as interim executive director of the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute. (Photo credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Department of Energy)

David Sholl, director of the Transformational Decarbonization Initiative at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been appointed interim executive director of the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute. His appointment was effective Monday, June 12.

“Sholl’s background, passion, and expertise will ensure continued progress as the institute recruits exemplary joint research faculty, builds its research portfolio, develops students and prepares them to become leaders, and contributes to workforce development in areas important to Tennessee,” a press release said.

“The work UT faculty and students are doing in partnership with ORNL researchers is advancing the frontiers of knowledge and strengthening Tennessee’s leadership role in areas like clean energy, future mobility, advanced materials, and next-generation manufacturing,” said UT Chancellor Donde Plowman. “We look forward to working with David and to leveraging our strategic partnership with ORNL to advance discoveries, learning, and innovations that make life and lives better here in Tennessee and around the world.”

[Read more…]

Lavender Festival is June 17

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival (Submitted photo)

The 23rd Jackson Square Lavender Festival returns to Jackson Square this month. The Main Event is free to the public on Saturday, June 17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lavender Festival was named Best Festival last year by the Middle East Tennessee Tourism Council, a press release said. It is presented this year by the City of Oak Ridge, which will have a booth for information about living, working, and playing in Oak Ridge.

Since 1999, Lavender Festival has been held the third week of June, which is when the lavender is in bloom in Tennessee. In addition to several local lavender farms, the festival features 150 artisan and food vendors, live music, informative presentations, and free children’s activities.

[Read more…]