Oak Ridge Today

Reminder: Children’s Halloween Party is Friday

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Halloween Party 2017 Star Wars Family Costume (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Halloween Party 2017 Star Wars Family Costume (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

A reminder: The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department will host the 2018 Children’s Halloween Party on Friday, October 26, from 6 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. This annual event is now in its 36th year and will be attended by hundreds of local children and their families, a press release said.

Here is more information from a press release published earlier:

Activities will be planned for every room in the Oak Ridge Civic Center and a hay ride will be offered in Bissell Park, weather permitting. There is no admission fee for the event, but participation in most activities requires one or more tickets. Tickets can be purchased at the Civic Center. The cost is 25 cents per ticket or $5 for a pack of 20. [Read more…]

ASAP partners with Oak Ridge, Clinton police for Drug Take Back Day

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Naloxone training offered at Drug Take Back Day, which is this Saturday

Anderson County is participating in a Drug Take Back Day on Saturday.

It’s the 15th Annual DEA Rx Drug Take Back Day on October 27. The DEA is the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Community members can bring their expired or unused medicines to one of the Anderson County ‘take back’ locations anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, a press release said. Collection sites will be located at the police departments listed below. Each department will be set up outside in their respective parking lots to receive the expired or unused medicines, the release said. [Read more…]

Julio Sanchez hired as head coach of Atomic Rowing

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Julio Sanchez

Julio Sanchez

 

Coach Julio Sanchez has been hired by the Oak Ridge Rowing Association as head coach of Atomic Rowing.

Sanchez is experienced as both a rower and a coach, a press release said. He has rowed on elite national teams for Argentina and Spain, and he continues to compete at the national level as a master sculler, the release said.

Sanchez recently came back from Sarasota, Florida, after competing at the FISA Masters Worlds Regatta. He also had much success as the coach of the Spanish Junior National team, as well as U.S. teams such as Miami, Sarasota Scullers, and Westerville, the press release said.

“With Oak Ridge Rowing Association having the best rowing venue in the country, I am incredibly excited to get started and work with this team,” the press release said. “The club is filled with amazing and hardworking rowers that have welcomed me with open arms.” [Read more…]

Robin Smith named Oak Ridge police chief

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Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

Robin Smith, who had been deputy chief, has been promoted to police chief, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said Tuesday.

Smith has served as acting chief for the Oak Ridge Police Department since August. Former Police Chief James T. Akagi has retired.

“The Oak Ridge Police Department is an effective team built with good people who care about our community,” Smith said. “We want Oak Ridge to be a safe place for people to live, work and visit. I’m proud to be a member of the team.” [Read more…]

Power of Synergy Space Symposium at New Hope Center this week

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John Rather and Dean Hartley examine same-scale globes of the Earth, Moon, and Mars. (Submitted photo)

John Rather and Dean Hartley examine same-scale globes of the Earth, Moon, and Mars. (Submitted photo)

 

A Power of Synergy Space Symposium will be at New Hope Center in Oak Ridge this week.

The symposium will include leaders from NASA, U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex, industry, and academia, a press release said.

The Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop will be hosting the unique symposium in order to promote safe, fast, and affordable human development of the solar system, the press release said. The speakers will discuss and advocate breakthrough technologies to enable routine transportation to permanent colonies on the moon and the first human trips to Mars within a decade.

More information about the symposium can be found on the website at https://tviw.us/tviw-symposium-on-the-power-of-synergy/. Registration is also available on the website; the fee includes breaks, lunches, and receptions, the press release said.

Here is more information from the press release: [Read more…]

ORNL demonstrates 120-kilowatt wireless charging for vehicles

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Researchers demonstrated a 120-kilowatt wireless power transfer at the National Transportation Research Center, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. From left to right above are ORNL’s Saeed Anwar, Burak Ozpineci, Gui-Jia Su, and David Smith; DOE Vehicle Technology Program’s Lee Slezak; and ORNL’s Veda Galigekere, Omer Onar, and Jason Pries. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

Researchers demonstrated a 120-kilowatt wireless power transfer at the National Transportation Research Center, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. From left to right above are ORNL’s Saeed Anwar, Burak Ozpineci, Gui-Jia Su, and David Smith; DOE Vehicle Technology Program’s Lee Slezak; and ORNL’s Veda Galigekere, Omer Onar, and Jason Pries. (Photo courtesy ORNL)

 

By Stephanie Seay/ORNL

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a 120-kilowatt wireless charging system for vehicles—providing six times the power of previous ORNL technology and a big step toward charging times that rival the speed and convenience of a gas station fill-up.

The wireless system transfers 120 kilowatts of power with 97 percent efficiency, which is comparable to conventional, wired high-power fast chargers. In the laboratory demonstration, power was transferred across a six-inch air gap between two magnetic coils and charged a battery pack.

ORNL researchers created and demonstrated the world’s first 20-kilowatt wireless charging system, which is being modified for applications such as commercial delivery trucks.

“It was important to maintain the same or smaller footprint as the previous demonstration to encourage commercial adoption,” said project lead Veda Galigekere of ORNL’s Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Group. [Read more…]

Updated: After trailing Powell in first half, Wildcats take lead in second

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Oak Ridge trailed Powell in the first half on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, but took the lead and a 28-21 win in the second half.

Oak Ridge trailed Powell in the first half on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, but took the lead and a 28-21 win in the second half.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:45 a.m. Oct. 20.

Oak Ridge trailed Powell in the first half on Blankenship Field on Friday but took the lead and a 28-21 win in the second half.

It was the second week in a row that Oak Ridge (8-1, 5-0 Region 3-5A) struggled in the first half but played better in the second. Last week, Oak Ridge led Clinton 24-21 at halftime but then scored 30 points in the second half to beat the Dragons 54-28.

The Wildcats will meet the only other undefeated team in the region, Fulton (also 8-1, 5-0), at 7 p.m. Thursday in Oak Ridge for the region championship. It’s the last regular-season game.

Powell (1-8, 1-5 after forfeiting six wins due to an ineligible player) had a 21-7 lead over Oak Ridge halfway through the second quarter on Friday. But the Wildcats narrowed the lead to 21-14 on a two-yard run by senior Jordan Graham with 1:20 remaining before halftime. The Wildcats then scored two more touchdowns in the second half while holding the Panthers scoreless. [Read more…]

2018 ORHS Homecoming Court

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The Oak Ridge High School Homecoming Court for 2018 is pictured above. Top left, Kaitlin Valenzuela, Abigail Gerlock, Hailee Ladd, Makiya Garrett, and Kaylynn Eastridge; and top right, Thomas Peplow, Dillon Nowatchik, Javonte’ Thomas, Quentin Viau, and Alex Baker. (Photo courtesy Diana Homan)

The Oak Ridge High School Homecoming Court for 2018 is pictured above. Top left, Kaitlin Valenzuela, Abigail Gerlock, Hailee Ladd, Makiya Garrett, and Kaylynn Eastridge; and top right, Thomas Peplow, Dillon Nowatchik, Javonte’ Thomas, Quentin Viau, and Alex Baker. (Photo courtesy Diana Homan)

 

The 2018 Homecoming Court has been selected for Oak Ridge High School, and Homecoming is today (Friday, October 19).

The Homecoming football game starts at 7:30 p.m. at Jack Armstrong Stadium. The Oak Ridge Wildcats (7-1, 4-0 Region 3-5A) will play the Powell Panthers. Powell is 1-7 overall and 1-4 in the region but had to forfeit six wins due to an ineligible player.

Here is information on the members of the Homecoming Court, provided by Diana Homan, ORHS math teacher.

[Read more…]

Magnet Mills site in Clinton to be sold

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Magnet Mills

File photos of the Magnet Mills in Clinton. Part of the property has already been demolished, and the site looks different now than it does in the photos above. (Image courtesy East Tennessee Preservation Alliance)

 

Clinton Mayor Scott Burton announced in a special report on Thursday that a Knoxville developer has entered into an agreement to purchase the former Magnet Knitting Mills site in downtown Clinton.

The property is along Charles G. Seivers Boulevard. It has been a contentious topic of conversation and debate in the Clinton area for several years, according to a press release from Burton, the mayor. He described the Knoxville developer as community-conscious.

“While the current owner has obtained a permit for the demolition of the existing two-story brick building, the potential new owner has another multi-use vision for the site,” the press release said. “Upon completion of the sale and the transfer of the property to the new owner, the City of Clinton will work with the Knoxville owner/developer to rehabilitate the site for future live-work, retail, and commercial use. This rehabilitation would include the renovation of the existing building and preservation of Clinton’s downtown.” [Read more…]

Oliver Springs High School rebranding as STEAM academy

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Kaylen Benbenek at Oliver Springs High School (Photo courtesy Oliver Springs High School)

Kaylen Benbenek at Oliver Springs High School (Photo courtesy Oliver Springs High School)

 

Efforts are under way to rebrand Oliver Springs High School as Oliver Springs STEAM Academy, the Oliver Springs Alumni Education Foundation announced Tuesday.

STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) has become increasingly popular as an educational approach in school systems across the nation, a press release said.

“Using these subjects as an access point allows students to view real-world problems in a more critical yet broader scope,” the press release said.

“Oliver Springs High School has been ahead of the curve in state academics quite often,” said Oliver Springs High School Principal Justin Nivens. “We had the first robotics team in Tennessee and won a national championship in 2001. Innovation has been a common thread in an Oliver Springs High School education, and we’re just taking it to the next level.” [Read more…]

New conductor starts Community Band/Wind Ensemble season with Sunday concert

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Shaun Salem

Shaun Salem

 

New conductor Shaun Salem will begin the Oak Ridge Community Band/Wind Ensemble’s 2018-2019 subscription season with the Fall Concert on Sunday.

The concert is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, October 14, at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

“The Community Band/Wind Ensemble is extending an invitation to Oak Ridgers and area residents to attend the October 14 performance and give a resounding welcome to Shaun Salem as he ushers in the ‘Prelude to a New Era’ season with indoor concerts from October through April,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Forum for Oak Ridge City Council, Board of Education candidates is Tuesday

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The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will sponsor a candidate forum on Tuesday, October 16, at 7 p.m. in the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater. Candidates running for Oak Ridge City Council and Oak Ridge Board of Education have been invited to participate, a press release said.

The five candidates for a four-year term on City Council are Kelly Callison, R.G. “Rick” Chinn Jr., Warren Gooch, Ellen D. Smith, and Timothy L. Stallings. Four council members will be elected. Derrick M. Hammond is the only candidate running to fill the unexpired two-year term left by Council member Hans Vogel when he resigned earlier this year.

The three candidates for a four-year term on the Oak Ridge Board of Education are Laura McLean, Benjamin J. Stephens, and Erin S. Webb. Three board members will be elected. [Read more…]