Oak Ridge Today

‘Pearls and Politics’ political forum scheduled for April 6

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Pearls and Politics Political Forum April 6 2017

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Oak Ridge Chapter, is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge and the NAACP of Anderson County to present “Pearls and Politics” on Thursday, April 6, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church.

The political forum starts at 6 p.m. April 6. The church is at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

This nonpartisan voter education event will feature city and county officials, school board members, and state legislators, a press release said. Heavy hors d’ouerves will be served. The event is free and open to the public.

See the event flyer here: Pearls and Politics.

Breakfast with Legislators is Monday

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McNally-Ragan-Calfee-at-Breakfast-with-Legislators-April-25-2016

The next Breakfast with the Legislators is at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Monday, March 27, 2017. Pictured above in a breakfast in 2016 are Sen. Randy McNally (now lieutenant governor), Rep. John Ragan, and Rep. Kent Calfee. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The next Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday morning at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. The breakfast is scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 27, in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The Civic Center is at 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike. A light continental breakfast will be provided at no charge. The public is encouraged to attend, a press release said.

Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally, who is now lieutenant governor, and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to bring everyone up to date on what’s happening in the Tennessee General Assembly, the press release said. Members of the audience may ask questions and give opinions. [Read more…]

Lunch with the League to feature the ‘alphabet soup’ of health care

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Matt Tillery

Matt Tillery

A guest speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday will help decipher the “alphabet soup” of health care, a press release said.

Guest speaker Matt Tillery, director of community services for Cherokee Health Systems, will give a brief history of the Affordable Care Act, Tennessee’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, and resources available to those who are eligible for these services, the press release said.

Tillery will speak specifically on community mental health clinics and federally qualified health care centers, and what these types of service locations mean to community members, the press release said. The program will start at noon Tuesday, March 21, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Alternatives to Incarceration director to speak at Lunch with the League on Tuesday

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The director of Alternatives to Incarceration in Anderson County will discuss the program—which is designed to save taxpayers money by reducing jail overcrowding while helping inmates—during a Tuesday afternoon lunch, a press release said.

The director is Mary Ann Young. She is the featured speaker at Lunch with the League at noon Tuesday, March 7, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. The church is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The press release said Alternatives to Incarceration provides a variety of work, vocational training, and counseling services.

The public is invited to the Tuesday lunch meeting. [Read more…]

Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday

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McNally-Ragan-Calfee-at-Breakfast-with-Legislators-April-25-2016

Pictured above at a Breakfast with the Legislators on Monday, April 25, 2016, are, from left, Tennessee Sen. Randy McNally, Rep. John Ragan, and Rep. Kent Calfee. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday. It’s scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, February 27, in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, which is located at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Breakfast with the Legislators is organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. A light continental breakfast is provided at no charge, and the public is encouraged to attend.

Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to bring everyone up to date on what’s happening in the Tennessee Legislature, a press release said. Members of the audience may ask questions and give opinions. [Read more…]

Woody to discuss State of Roane County at Lunch with League on Tuesday

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Ron Woody

Ron Woody

Roane County Executive Ron Woody will discuss Roane County issues during Lunch with the League on Tuesday, February 21. The program will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Woody said he will talk about such topics as Roane County economic development, education, the impact of legislation, the county jail, and the impending airport. There will be time for questions from the audience following his presentation, a press release said.

Woody was first elected in August 2010. Formerly a consultant with the University of Tennessee’s County Technical Advisory Service, he is a certified public accountant with years of experience in county fiscal management jobs, the press release said. [Read more…]

Lunch with League: Success of middle college at Roane State, area high schools

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Diane Ward

Diane Ward

An official from Roane State Community College will provide an overview of the college’s Middle College during a Tuesday meeting.

Diane Ward, vice president for student learning at Roane State Community College, will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, February 7. The program will be held at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The public is invited.

“Middle College is a program where rising high school juniors carry a full college schedule in the morning and a high school schedule in the afternoon,” Ward said in a press release. “The goal is for these students to obtain a high school diploma and an associate’s degree at the same time. Currently, Roane State is in partnership with three different school systems to offer this program on three of our campuses.” [Read more…]

City manager to discuss economic development at Lunch with League on Tuesday

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson will discuss what the city needs to do to stay competitive in today’s economic development market during a Tuesday lunch.

Watson will be at Lunch with the League from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, January 17, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Watson has been Oak Ridge city manager since August 2010. Before coming to Oak Ridge, he served as city manager of six cities in Texas, Montana, and Arizona. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas, where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration, a press release said. Watson has served in local government for more than 30 years. [Read more…]

Lunch with the League: Making Sense of the Election

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Jon Shefner

Jon Shefner

Submitted

Since the presidential election, a variety of explanations have emerged for the victory of President-elect Donald Trump, a win that surprised many political analysts and pollsters. These explanations have addressed demographic, cultural, and political shifts.

Jon Shefner, head of the Sociology Department at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville will examine these explanations, offer his own analysis, and think about the way forward in this new political landscape at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, January 3. The lunch is from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Proposed DOE waste disposal site to be discussed at Lunch with the League on Tuesday

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Ellen Smith

Ellen Smith

The U.S. Department of Energy’s proposal for a new disposal site for waste from ongoing cleanups, and some concerns that have been raised regarding the DOE proposal, will be the subject of Ellen Smith’s presentation at Lunch with the League on Tuesday.

Lunch with the League is scheduled to start at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, December 6, in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Smith is on the staff of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Environmental Sciences Division. She is a member of the Oak Ridge City Council, where she serves are mayor pro tem. [Read more…]

Borchers to give update on ‘State of Oak Ridge Schools’ at Tuesday lunch

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Bruce Borchers

Bruce Borchers

Bruce Borchers, Oak Ridge Schools superintendent, will give an update on the “State of Oak Ridge Schools” during a Tuesday lunch.

The update is expected to include information on Access Oak Ridge, a program that provides convertible laptops for students; successes; and new and upcoming programs and initiatives.

The update is scheduled from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, November 15, Lunch with the League at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

TBI agent to discuss human sex trafficking in Tennessee during Tuesday lunch

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Submitted

Human sex trafficking has been defined as modern day slavery, a travesty that is hidden in plain sight. It happens in every zip code and crosses all socioeconomic, educational, and racial lines. Tennessee is no exception.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent-in-Charge Margie Quinn will give her perspective on human sex trafficking in Tennessee at the next Lunch with the League on Tuesday, November 1. The program will be at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Quinn will discuss what’s being done to combat human sex trafficking in Tennessee, a press release said. [Read more…]