Oak Ridge Today

Photos: Building demolition near Magic Wok

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Magic Wok Building Demolition

The demolition of the commercial building next to the Magic Wok restaurant is pictured above on Sunday, March 29. The area to the left most recently housed the Tienda Nony grocery and Appalachian Frame Shop (both stores have relocated in Oak Ridge), and the area to the right housed the Classic Cleaners. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The demolition of the commercial building next to the Magic Wok restaurant started earlier this month.

Pictured above to the left of the Magic Wok is the demolished portion of the building that once housed the Tienda Nony grocery and Appalachian Frame Shop. (Both stores have relocated to new locations in Oak Ridge; Tienda Nony is in a shopping center off Bus Terminal Road, and Appalachian Frame Shop is at Grove Center.) The area to the right of Magic Wok once housed the Classic Cleaners.

In November, a city board ordered the building demolished within 30 days. The demolition order, which was issued earlier this month, does not apply to the Magic Wok, which is in a separate diner on the western side of the building. [Read more…]

Spring Jamboree at Windrock to include ATVs, side-by-sides, music

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Windrock Spring Jam Mud Bog

The mud bog at a Spring Jamboree at Windrock Park. (Submitted photos)

 

This year’s Spring Jamboree at Windrock Park north of Oliver Springs will include rides and competitions for ATVs and side-by-sides, and concerts, including one featuring Janelle Arthur, a top five performer on American Idol’s Season 12.

The Spring Jamboree is scheduled from April 16 through 18.

“The Spring Jamboree is a weekend full of adrenaline-pumping fun for everyone,” said Kira Smith-Ludwig, marketing manager for Windrock Park. “The jamboree’s numerous competitive events and guided rides are geared toward ATV and side-by-side riders, but anyone can come and watch the competitions and check out the shooting range and the concert.”

The competitive events include the ATV Rodeo; Windrock Wide Open, which is a three-lap race; drag races; the Windrock Challenge, which is an obstacle course race; a mud drag; a poker run; and a dash for cash just for the ladies. The competitive event rules can be found at www.windrockpark.com under events. [Read more…]

Substance abuse the topic of Tuesday health lecture

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Melody Morris

Melody Morris

Substance abuse comes in many forms. It can be the abuse of legal substances, such as alcohol or prescription drugs, or it can be illegal, such as the abuse of marijuana, cocaine, or methamphetamine. And it affects more than just the person using the drugs. Substance abuse can break apart families, ruin personal relationships, and make it difficult to keep a job.

Learn more about substance abuse when Methodist Medical Center partners with Ridgeview Behavioral Health to discuss this important topic during Health Night on the Town on Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center, located at 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Staff from Ridgeview will discuss substance abuse and its co-occurring mental health issues as well as an innovative treatment for expectant mother’s who have used or are at risk of using drugs. [Read more…]

ORNL-led team demonstrates desalination with graphene membrane

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Nature Nanotech Pores

Researchers created nanopores in graphene (red, and enlarged in the circle to highlight its honeycomb structure) that are stabilized with silicon atoms (yellow) and showed their porous membrane could desalinate seawater. Orange represents a non-graphene residual polymer. (Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy)

 

By Dawn Levy

Less than 1 percent of Earth’s water is drinkable. Removing salt and other minerals from our biggest available source of water—seawater—may help satisfy a growing global population thirsty for fresh water for drinking, farming, transportation, heating, cooling, and industry. But desalination is an energy-intensive process, which concerns those wanting to expand its application.

Now, a team of experimentalists led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has demonstrated an energy-efficient desalination technology that uses a porous membrane made of strong, slim graphene—a carbon honeycomb one atom thick. The results are published in the March 23 advance online issue of Nature Nanotechnology.

“Our work is a proof of principle that demonstrates how you can desalinate saltwater using free-standing, porous graphene,” said Shannon Mark Mahurin of ORNL’s Chemical Sciences Division, who co-led the study with Ivan Vlassiouk in ORNL’s Energy and Transportation Science Division.

“It’s a huge advance,” said Vlassiouk, pointing out a wealth of water travels through the porous graphene membrane. “The flux through the current graphene membranes was at least an order of magnitude higher than (that through) state-of-the-art reverse osmosis polymeric membranes.” [Read more…]

Roane County Budget Committee meets Monday

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The Roane County Budget Committee will at 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 6, in the first floor conference room at the Roane County Courthouse in Kingston.

The meetings are open to the public.

The Budget Committee includes Ron Woody, Steve Kelley, Bobby Collier, Randy Ellis, and Ron Berry.

Easter services at Grace Evangelical Lutheran include Sunrise Service, Breakfast

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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church will provide four services on Easter Sunday, including a 7 a.m. Sunrise service, in addition to its regular services at 8:30, 9:30, and 11:15 a.m. The men of the church will provide breakfast following the first three services, a press release said.

Also, there will be a Good Friday service at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 3.

“Everyone is welcome,” the release said.

Easter is Sunday, April 5.

The church is located at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue in Oak Ridge. Call (865) 483-3787 for more information.

Charges upgraded in Roane shooting

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Jeremy Alexander Gambrell

Jeremy Alexander Gambrell

Information from WYSH Radio

The former police officer accused of shooting his ex-wife Saturday, March 21, has had the charges against him upgraded from aggravated assault to attempted second-degree murder, according to Roane County District Attorney General Russell Johnson’s office.

Jeremy Alexander Gambrell, who goes by “Alex,” will still face an aggravated assault charge in connection to him allegedly firing a gun at a second person at his ex-wife Jenny Gambrell’s home. That person was not struck by the gunfire, but Jenny Gambrell was hit several times and, as of last week, was recovering in the hospital.

Alex Gambrell—a 41-year-old former Lenoir City and Tennessee Valley Authority police officer—remains in custody on a $50,000 bond, but that amount is expected to increase following his arraignment on the upgraded charge.

School board to consider balanced calendar, budget timeline

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider a balanced calendar for the 2016-2017 school year during a regular meeting tonight. The school board will also consider an updated budget timeline for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

The Board of Education could consider salary proposals from the Oak Ridge Education Association and principals during the meeting tonight (Monday, March 30). It starts at 6 p.m. at the Robert J. Smallridge School Administration Building at 304 New York Avenue.

The school board approved a balanced calendar for the 2015-2016 school year in a meeting in April 2014. This fall will be the first time that Oak Ridge has had a balanced calendar. [Read more…]

ORFD: Sign up for CodeRed Severe Weather Alert System

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Oak Ridge Fire Department

The Oak Ridge Fire Department is encouraging home and business owners to commit to being a leader for weather readiness by signing up on the CodeRed Severe Weather Alert System.

The system is designed to help spread the word about severe weather and make employees and members of the community better prepared, a press release said.

“Know the risks, take action, and be an example by signing up,” a press release said. [Read more…]

20th Anniversary Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit at ETSU May 27-28

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Tennessee Valley Corridor Logo

Submitted

The Tennessee Valley Corridor will hold its 20th Annual TVC National Summit in Johnson City at East Tennessee State University on May 27-28.

The Summit will be hosted by ETSU President Brian Noland, in cooperation with Congressman Phil Roe, with the theme “Education Fuels the TVC Economy.”

“From our region’s community colleges to our outstanding four-year universities, the Corridor has a strong foundation to prepare the next generation of the workforce,” Roe said. “As co-chairman of the Tennessee Valley Corridor Caucus, I look forward to sharing some of the work that is ongoing in Congress. The Summit will look at education from the business and industry perspective and discuss how to ensure the workforce has the skills they need to find quality jobs at home, and how our educational institutions can partner with businesses and organizations for better success, which is critical for us all to learn about.” [Read more…]

See Main Street Oak Ridge plans here

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Main Street Oak Ridge Master Plan March 26, 2015

Here is the master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. See a larger version of the plan in the first link below.

 

Several readers have asked for higher resolution versions of the plans for Main Street Oak Ridge, the development that could replace the former Oak Ridge Mall with a mix of retailers, restaurants, residential units, and possibly a hotel.

Here are copies of the plans provided by Oak Ridge Community Development. One is the master plan, and the other is a pedestrian connectivity and conceptual landscape plan. [Read more…]

CNS donates $25K to Boys, Girls Clubs; others match the gift

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CNS Donation to Boys and Girls Club

Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley founder and Executive Director Emeritus Lawrence Hahn, center, discusses the history of the organization with CNS President and CEO Jim Haynes, left, and the club’s Chief Volunteer Officer Gerald Boyd. (Photo courtesy CNS)

 

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC has donated $25,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley, and that gift has been matched—for a total of $50,000. The money will be used for a new roof at the Oak Ridge facility.

CNS President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Haynes presented a symbolic $25,000 check to the Oak Ridge unit during a ceremony on Thursday. Representatives of some of the 16 organizations that matched the CNS donation were also present.

“On behalf of our 5,000 employees at Y-12, we are extremely pleased to contribute to an Oak Ridge organization that makes such a difference in young peoples’ lives,” Haynes said. “Y-12 employees have a long history of serving this community, and we are honored to continue that tradition. The Oak Ridge Boys and Girls Club has served the community for decades, and we are proud to contribute so that it can continue to serve for decades to come.” [Read more…]