Oak Ridge Today

ORNL, UMaine to work on 3D printing with wood products

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On Thursday, officials announced a new research collaboration between the University of Maine and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory that they say will advance efforts to 3D print with wood products, creating a new market for Maine’s forest products industry. Pictured above among the officials are U.S. senators Susan Collins, center; Lamar Alexander, third from right; and Angus King, third from left; and Daniel Simmons, the assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy at DOE, as well as leaders from UMaine and ORNL. The officials were in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 2, 2019, to announce the launch of this large-scale bio-based additive manufacturing program. (Photo courtesy office of Sen. Susan Collins)

A partnership between the University of Maine and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will use ground-up trees and bioplastics to make “very strong plastics” that can be used in 3D printing, officials said Thursday.

The 3D printing, which will print items one layer at a time, could be used to make boat hull molds, shelters, building components, and tooling for composites and wind blades, among other possibilities.

The $20 million project will be funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office.

ORNL is considered the leading laboratory for the type of work known as additive manufacturing, said U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican who was among the officials at the announcement in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

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DOE: Secretary Perry to make major computing announcement in Oak Ridge

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Rick Perry

Note: This story was updated at 3:40 p.m.

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry will make a major computing announcement in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, the Department of Energy said Friday.

DOE did not provide any additional information about the nature of the announcement in a press release on Friday morning.

Perry will be at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Tuesday morning for a keynote speech at the InnovationXLab Advanced Manufacturing Summit. ORNL is a DOE lab.

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Perry, Lee among featured speakers at Advanced Manufacturing Summit next week

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Rick Perry

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee will be among the featured speakers at a manufacturing summit in Oak Ridge next week.

The InnovationXLab Advanced Manufacturing Summit will be at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Tuesday, May 7, and Wednesday, May 8. There will be optional laboratory tours and an optional reception on Monday, May 6.

Perry will give a keynote speech on Tuesday morning. ORNL is a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory.

Besides Perry and Lee, other featured speakers will be Jeff Lyash, president and chief executive officer of the Tennessee Valley Authority; Deborah Wince-Smith, president and CEO of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness; Lisa Su, president and CEO of AMD; and Doug Woods, president of The Association for Manufacturing Technology.

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Roane State graduation set for May 3-4

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David Bunch

Roane State Community College will hold commencement ceremonies on May 3-4.

The ceremonies, to be held in the gym on the Roane County campus in Harriman, will be equal in presentation.

Friday, May 3, 2019—2 p.m. [Read more…]

Borchers to discuss Oak Ridge Schools on Tuesday

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Bruce Borchers
Bruce Borchers

Bruce Borchers, superintendent of Oak Ridge Schools, will give an update that covers activities and programs in the school system during a lunchtime meeting on Tuesday.

Borchers will be the featured speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, May 7.

The 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.

The presentation will begin at noon. Lunches will be provided by the Soup Kitchen, and they will be available at 11:30 a.m. on a first-come basis for $8, or you may bring your own, a press release said. Coffee and tea will be provided.

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More than 550 pounds of medicines collected during Drug Take Back Days

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More than 550 pounds of unused and expired medications were collected during Drug Take Back Days in April, according to ASAP of Anderson.

ASAP of Anderson partnered with local businesses and police departments to collect unused and expired medications throughout the community, a press release said.

“A total of 582.2 pounds of medication was collected at six different Drug Take Back sites in April,” ASAP said in the press release. Collected medications are safely handled by police officers, turned over to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration representatives, and then incinerated to ensure they do not find their way back into the community.

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Police identify woman who died in two-vehicle crash

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The Oak Ridge Police Department has identified the woman who died in the two-vehicle crash on Oak Ridge Turnpike on Tuesday afternoon as Johnnie Gary, 77, of Oak Ridge.

The two-vehicle crash between a sedan and pickup truck was reported at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the westbound lanes of Oak Ridge Turnpike just east of Nebraska Avenue, at Newport Drive.

Gary was pronounced dead at the crash site, the ORPD said.

The other driver had non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge to be treated.

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Finance Committee accepts Erb resignation; full Commission to meet Monday

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Natalie Erb
Natalie Erb

Information from WYSH Radio

Meeting in a special-called session on Monday, the Anderson County Finance Committee voted to accept the resignation of Natalie Erb as the county’s finance director, effective May 23.

The Committee also voted to name Robby Holbrook, who is currently deputy finance director in charge of payroll, as the interim finance director upon Erb’s departure.

The third piece of business taken care of on Monday saw the Committee vote to authorize the Human Resources Department to begin the search for a new finance director by modifying the job description to incorporate the duties of the county purchasing agent.

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Updated: One person dies in crash in west Oak Ridge

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Note: This story was updated at 11 a.m. May 1.

A female driver died in a crash in west Oak Ridge on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The two-vehicle crash was reported at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the westbound lanes of Oak Ridge Turnpike just east of Nebraska Avenue, at Newport Drive. It involved a maroon sedan and a white pickup truck. The sedan had come to a stop heading south on Newport Drive onto Oak Ridge Turnpike, while the pickup truck was in the westbound lanes with its front end turned into the grassy center median.

The cause is not known yet. A specialist who can reconstruct the crash was investigating, Oak Ridge Police Department Lieutenant Matt Tedford said Tuesday afternoon.

The female’s body was taken for an autopsy by the Roane County medical examiner, Tedford said.

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RealtyLink has ‘immediate opportunity’ to develop self storage facility

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The developer of Main Street Oak Ridge on Thursday, April 25, 2019, said it has an “immediate opportunity” for a climate-controlled self storage facility at the 58-acre site. Examples of what these types of facilities can look like were presented to the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission by Brett Rogers, construction director for RealtyLink, the developer.

The developer of Main Street Oak Ridge on Thursday said it has an “immediate opportunity” for a climate-controlled self storage facility at the 58-acre site.

The self storage facility, which could be along Rutgers Avenue, could be three stories, with a maximum height of 35 feet. It could have about the same “footprint” as Dick’s Sporting Goods. It would have internal elevators and minimal parking, and it would be very attractive and have a minimal impact, said Brett Rogers, construction director for RealtyLink, the developer. There would be a sales office on the bottom floor. RealtyLink would self-develop the facility.

Rogers showed examples of two similar facilities in Knoxville and one each in Hardin Valley and Farragut during an Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission meeting on Thursday evening.

A market study showed high demand for this type of facility, Rogers said.

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RealtyLink negotiating leases with three national tenants

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RealtyLink, the company developing Main Street Oak Ridge, is negotiating leases with three national tenants, construction director Brett Rogers, left, told the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday evening, April 25, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

RealtyLink, the company developing Main Street Oak Ridge, is negotiating leases with three national tenants, an executive said Thursday.

Brett Rogers, RealtyLink construction director, was responding to a question from former Oak Ridge City Council member Anne B. Garcia during a Planning Commission meeting on Thursday. She wanted to know if RealtyLink has contracts to occupy the four new proposed stores, or if changes to the project plan were being proposed on speculation.

Responding to that question, Rogers said the three large national tenants are committed to be in Oak Ridge.

“We just have to get them across the finish line,” he said in a brief interview after the meeting.

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Tennis: Freshman is undefeated

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Oak Ridge High School freshman Andrew Lee is undefeated in his first season playing tennis as a Wildcat. Lee is pictured above kneeling in the front row with his teammates before their match with Central High School this month. Pictured in the back row from left to right are Ben Bussell, Blaise Ochs, Mikolai Zolnierczuk, Levi Parish, Justin Blanchard, Anhaar Ajaz, Stuart Dorman, and Andrew Brady. (Photo courtesy David Bowman)

Oak Ridge High School freshman Andrew Lee is undefeated in his first season playing tennis as a Wildcat.

Lee, who is playing at number one singles and doubles, has won won 18 singles and doubles matches against Maryville, Hardin Valley, and seven District 3 tennis teams, Coach David Bowman said.

“His sportsmanship and record has established him as a leader on the courts, plus he is humble and a great teammate off the courts,” Bowman said. “ORHS looks forward to having him represent the Wildcats in East Tennessee’s TSSAA tournaments starting the second week of May at Tyson Park.”

The Oak Ridge tennis teams have one home match left this season to play. It’s at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, against Powell High School.

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