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K-25 overlook to re-open in October

Posted at 2:29 pm September 7, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Visitor's Overlook, part of the Happy Valley property purchased in November, is pictured above across from East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Visitor’s Overlook, part of the Happy Valley property purchased in November 2016, is pictured above across from East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

K-25 Overlook will be ‘bigger and better,’ provide Manhattan Project and recreational information

The K-25 Overlook next to State Route 58 in west Oak Ridge will soon be re-opening as a much larger and nicer visitor center that will also have a new purpose, a press release said.

Owner John McCormick, vice president of Bionomics, purchased the 160-acre property known as Happy Valley through an auction at the end of 2016. The overlook on SR 58 across from the East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site, was part of the purchase.

But the overlook needed building repairs and updates to the historical information inside, the press release said. In 2017, McCormick partnered with Pam May, vice president of the Roane Alliance, who reached out to local historians, the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, and Explore Oak Ridge to discuss the future of the overlook.

“The idea to expand the overlook into a visitor center and recreational hub came from the National Park Service in one of the early meetings,” May said. “That aligned perfectly with what John had envisioned—to create trails and open spaces that people could enjoy while also learning Happy Valley’s history through its landmarks still evident on the property.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, East Tennessee Technology Park, Front Page News, History, Roane County, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Bionomics, Designsensory, East Tennessee Technology Park, Explore Oak Ridge, Happy Valley, John McCormick, K-25, K-25 History Center, K-25 Overlook, K-25 site, Manhattan Project, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, National Park Service, Pam May, Roane Alliance, U.S. Department of Energy, World War II

Creswell leaving Roane Allliance

Posted at 11:10 am August 30, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

pat-postma-and-wade-creswell-young-professional-award-dec-9-2016-scaled

Pat Postma, left, presents the Postma Young Professional Medal to Wade Creswell, chief executive officer of Roane Alliance, during an East Tennessee Economic Council meeting on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. (DOE photo courtesy Lynn Freeny)

Note: This story was updated at 2:25 p.m.

Wade Creswell, president and chief executive officer of Roane Alliance, is leaving his position to begin work with an area business. His last day at the Alliance will be September 21.

The departure was announced Wednesday by Chris Whaley, chair of the Roane Alliance Board of Directors.

Pam May, Roane Alliance vice president, will serve as interim president and CEO until the board decides on the long-term future of the position, a press release said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the great work that Wade has done in his four and a half years leading the Roane Alliance,” Whaley said in a statement sent to the Board of Directors for the Roane Alliance, Chamber of Commerce, and Industrial Development Board. “His passion, vision, and love for Roane County have fueled his tireless work for this county and region, and I sincerely appreciate all he has done.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Government, Roane County, Roane County, Top Stories Tagged With: Chris Whaley, Jim Palmer, Marilyn Calfee, Pam May, Roane Alliance, Roane County, Wade Creswell

Once like a small city, Happy Valley has been sold

Posted at 5:42 pm October 20, 2017
By John Huotari 2 Comments

An early aerial photo of Happy Valley, a construction camp that was like a small city and used to help build the former K-25 in west Oak Ridge. This picture was taken May, 22, 1944, by Ed Westcott, the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during World War II. (Photo courtesy Ed Westcott/Emily Hunnicutt)

An early aerial photo of Happy Valley, a construction camp that was like a small city and used to help build the former K-25 site in west Oak Ridge. This picture was taken May, 22, 1944, by Ed Westcott, the official government photographer in Oak Ridge during World War II. (Photo courtesy Ed Westcott/Emily Hunnicutt)

 

It was once home to a large construction camp that was like a small city and housed workers building K-25 during World War II.

Now the 160-acre parcel known as Happy Valley has been sold.

Happy Valley was in west Oak Ridge, across State Route 58 from the K-25 site. One of three major sites in Oak Ridge, K-25 was built to enrich uranium for atomic weapons as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project during World War II.

Today, Happy Valley appears to be mostly a rolling tree-covered landscape between Oak Ridge and Kingston along SR 58. To the public, there is little or no obvious evidence of what was once there—homes, a grocery store, schools, a post office, recreation halls, a gas station, and a bowling alley.

But those who have walked the property have seen evidence of the small city that was once there. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, East Tennessee Technology Park, Federal, Front Page News, Government, K-25, Oak Ridge, Roane County, Slider, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: atomic weapons, Bionomics, City of Oak Ridge, David Bradshaw, DOE, East Tennessee Technology Park, Ed Westcott, General Services Administration, GSA, Happy Valley, History Channel, John McCormick, K-25, K-25 site, Lost Worlds, Manhattan Project, Oak Ridge, Parcel ED-3, Parcel ED-3 Western Expansion Area, Ray Smith, Roane Alliance, Roane County Register of Deeds, Roane County Sheriff's Department, Ron Woody, Secret Cities of the A-Bomb, Steve Goodpasture, U.S. Department of Energy, Wade Creswell, World War II

Roane Alliance contributes $10,000 to International Friendship Bell Fund

Posted at 6:59 am October 18, 2016
By Kay Brookshire Leave a Comment

roane-alliance-check-presentation-3

Steve Kelley, left, Pam May and Wade Creswell present a $10,000 check from the Roane Alliance to Pat Postma, second from right, for the new Peace Pavilion to house the International Friendship Bell. (Submitted photo)

 

The Roane Alliance recently contributed $10,000 to the fund supporting a new Peace Pavilion to house the International Friendship Bell in Oak Ridge’s Bissell Park.

Wade Creswell, president of the Roane Alliance; Pam May, Roane Alliance vice president; and Roane County Commissioner Steve Kelley presented the contribution to Pat Postma, co-chair of the International Friendship Bell Citizens Advisory Committee.

Kelley, who represents Roane County Commission District 4 in Oak Ridge, said county officials consider this a tourism contribution that will bring economic benefit to the county.

“The Tourism Committee of Roane County Commission had been looking for ways to help the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park become an economic engine for Roane County,” said Kelley, who chairs the committee. “I suggested a donation through the Roane Alliance to the bell project, to support the Bell and Peace Pavilion as an attraction for national park visitors. We believe it will help increase traffic to the national park and surrounding attractions.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Roane County, Top Stories Tagged With: Bissell Park, International Friendship Bell, Japan, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, National Park Service, Pam May, Pat Postma, Peace Pavilion, Roane Alliance, Roane County Visitors Bureau, Steve Kelley, United States, Wade Creswell, World War II, Ziad Demian

LeMond Composites to make carbon fiber, composite bicycles—invest $125 million, create 242 jobs

Posted at 8:32 pm October 13, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

lemond-composites-greg-lemond-2-oct-12-2016-web

Greg LeMond, three-time Tour de France champion, celebrated the opening of LeMond Composites, a new company he co-founded, during a ceremony on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 12, 2016, at Heritage Center in west Oak Ridge. The company is expected to make composite bicycles and carbon fiber, and invest $125 million and create 242 new jobs. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A new company co-founded by Greg LeMond, a three-time Tour de France champion, will make composite bicycles and carbon fiber for other products in Oak Ridge, and the business, called LeMond Composites, will invest $125 million and create 242 new jobs, officials said during a Wednesday afternoon ceremony.

Among the officials celebrating the opening on Wednesday were LeMond, and Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd.

Carbon fiber has advantageous properties, but cost has been a barrier to using it, said Connie Jackson, chief executive officer of LeMond Composites. She said the manufacturing process has been changed to reduce production cost.

“We have overcome a significant part of the cost barrier,” Jackson said.

Carbon fiber is light, stiff, and strong, making it the perfect material for advanced composites in a variety of applications. It can be used to improve efficiency, save energy, and build or repair vehicles and planes, wind turbines and containers, and bridges and tunnels. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Recreation, Roane County, Roane County, Slider, Sports, State, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: advanced manufacturing, Bill Haslam, carbon fiber, Carbon Fiber Technology Facility, Connie Jackson, Greg LeMond, Heritage Center, John Bradley, LeMond Companies, LeMond Composites, Nicolas Wegener, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Electric Department, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, Randy Boyd, Roane Alliance, Roane County, Roane State Community College, Tennessee Economic and Community Development, Tennessee Valley Authority, Thomas Zacharia, Tour de France, TVA, U.S. Department of Energy, vehicle technologies

Report: Medical isotope company plans to build manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge

Posted at 9:51 pm October 9, 2016
By John Huotari 3 Comments

heritage-center

A building at the entrance of Heritage Center is pictured above. (Photo by CROET)

Note: This story was updated at 8:45 a.m. Oct. 10.

A Florida newspaper reported on Wednesday that a medical isotope company will build a manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge, rather than relocating to a city in north Florida.

Coquí RadioPharmaceutical had planned to build a $250 million manufacturing facility in Alachua, which is near Gainesville, with 164 jobs paying an average of $75,000, the Gainesville Sun reported.

But the company announced Wednesday that it will instead build its facility in Oak Ridge, lured by a gift of 170 acres from the U.S. Department of Energy and the opportunity to work with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a DOE lab, the newspaper said.

On Saturday, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said he is aware of the company, and it is working with the state of Tennessee. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, East Tennessee Technology Park, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Alachua Countu, Alchua, Carmen Bigles, City of Oak Ridge, Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee, Coqui RadioPharmaceutical, East Tennessee Technology Park, Florida, Gainesville Sun, Gresham Smith and Partners, Heritage Center, Kevin Tillbury, Mark Watson, medical diagnostic and therapeutic radioisotopes, medical isotope, medical radioisotopes, Mo-99, molybdenum-99, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, radioisotopes, Roane Alliance, Tennessee, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Department of Energy, University of Florida Foundation, Warren Gooch

Roane Alliance expands Chamber program, hires two, adds member benefits

Posted at 12:17 pm August 16, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Paulette Ray

Paulette Ray

The Roane County Chamber of Commerce now has two full-time employees, bringing more attention to members and adding member benefits through additional products and programs, a press release said.

Paulette Ray, director of Chamber operations, has returned to the Alliance to work “hand-in-hand with businesses to help them grow and succeed,” the press release said. Ray previously worked as the Chamber membership coordinator from 2007 to 2009 and has continued to work with the Alliance as a volunteer while running her own business, South Eastern Clogging Company, a dance and exercise studio in Kingston, which she owned for 28 years. A graduate of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Executives, she has also completed her first year of Institute for Organizational Management, and is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Roane County.

Ray is a longtime resident of Roane County, a 1990 graduate of Roane County High School, and she attended Roane State Community College. In her spare time, she continues to teach, judge, and choreograph clogging and is also a ZUMBA fitness instructor in the county. She resides in Kingston with her husband, Daniel, along with four of their five children. Ray also has a married daughter living in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, with her husband who is currently serving in the Army. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Roane County, Top Stories Tagged With: Chambermaster, Lindsey Stevens, member benefits, member services, operations, Paulette Ray, Roane Alliance, Roane County Chamber of Commerce, South Eastern Clogging Company

Roane County Chamber has new board chair, members

Posted at 9:22 am August 13, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Gail Lyke

Gail Lyke

The Roane County Chamber of Commerce board of directors has a new chair and members.

The board chair for the 2014-2015 year is Gail Lyke, vice president and branch manager at First Bank of Tennessee in Rockwood. Lyke officially took over July 17 from outgoing board chair Chris Ahler of Visionary Horizons Wealth Management at the Chamber’s first board meeting of the new fiscal year. Lyke previously served as the Chamber’s treasurer for the past two years and has served on the board since 2008.

Lyke was named the 2013 Chamber Woman of the Year. She is a graduate of Leadership Roane County and serves on the Leadership Roane County Alumni Association Board, as well as the Roane County Association of Women Executives, where she previously served as past president, and as a member of the Rockwood Civitan Club. Lyke also served on the Rockwood Planning Commission.

Lyke said her focus for the year will be to work with the board of directors and the president to “help facilitate the transition and changes that have been put in place to move the Chamber into a new value-added membership structure, encouraging both membership growth and retention.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Roane County, Top Stories Tagged With: board of directors, chair, Chamber Woman of the Year, Chris Marsalis, Chris Whaley, David Bolling, First Bank of Tennessee, Gail Lyke, Kingston, Roane Alliance, Roane County Chamber of Commerce, Roane State Community College, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, Wade Creswell

Perma-Fix awards 2014 Career Day scholarships

Posted at 12:10 pm June 6, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Kaylee Burton

Kaylee Burton (Photos courtesy Roane County Schools/The Roane County News)

Submitted by The Roane Alliance

KINGSTON—The fourth annual Perma-Fix Career Day Scholarships have been awarded to a graduate from each of the five Roane County high schools. The students receiving the $250 scholarships applied for them during their junior year while participating in the Roane County Chamber’s High School Career Day.

The five graduating seniors awarded this year’s Perma-Fix Scholarships are Matt Snow, Harriman High; Ryan Hamby, Rockwood High; Austin Strange, Roane County High; Kaylee Burton, Midway High; and Amber Eddy, Oliver Springs High.

Each of these seniors are seeking postsecondary education by attending college, a technical center, or taking workforce training courses, a press release said.

“We want to encourage and help students continue their education after high school,” said Kenyon Mee, facility manager for Diversified Scientific Services Inc., a subsidiary of Perma-Fix Environmental Services in Kingston. “This is our fourth year of sponsoring scholarships for graduates of Roane County high schools. Next year, we will announce five more scholarships for the Class of 2015.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, K-12, Top Stories Tagged With: Allen Lutz, Amber Eddy, Austin Strange, Diversified Scientific Services Inc., Education Matters, Harriman High, High School Career Day, high schools, Kaylee Burton, Kenyon Mee, Matt Snow, Midway High, Oliver Springs High, Perma-Fix, Perma-Fix Career Day Scholarships, Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Roane Alliance, Roane County, Roane County Chamber, Roane County High, Rockwood High, Ryan Hamby, scholarships

Roane Chamber has human resources legal seminar on May 13

Posted at 10:51 am May 7, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Submitted

The Roane Chamber of Commerce is providing a special half-day seminar, “Stay out of court: Human Resource Legal Matters Update,” on Tuesday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Roane State Community College.

This is the third year the chamber has teamed with the attorneys at the Wimberly-Lawson law firm to provide this critical human resource learning opportunity for Roane County area businesses.

The seminar will include lunch and provide 4.0 Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) credits to qualified attendees towards PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification. The seminar will also earn Continuing Education Units (CEU) from Roane State Community College. CEUs are important to many individuals to keep their membership or certification current within their profession. Additionally, for someone wanting to earn a degree or certificate, a review of their CEU’s can be evaluated by Roane State Community College to determine if the CEU’s meet the criteria for Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Roane County Tagged With: Allen Lutz, human resources, legal seminar, Roane Alliance, Roane Chamber of Commerce, Roane County, Roane State Community College, Wimberly-Lawson

2013 record-breaking year for Roane County and Roane Alliance

Posted at 9:43 pm March 30, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Leslie Henderson

Leslie Henderson

Submitted by Roane Alliance

$150 million worth of new development opened

KINGSTON—To The Roane Alliance—and to many across Roane County—2013 will be remembered as one of the busiest years ever, with record-setting activity in major grand openings, business expansions, and in state-wide, national, and international recognition and awards.

“Most impressive were grand openings of more than $150 million worth of new development projects,” said Leslie Henderson, president and chief executive officer of The Roane Alliance, “including the new $76 million hospital in Midtown, the $35 million carbon fiber manufacturing research facility in Oak Ridge, and the $40 million Volkswagen 460,000-square-foot distribution facility along I-40 in east Roane.”

Henderson said in the report that in 2013 Roane County also saw records set in numbers of announced expansions of existing industry and also in a record number of recognitions and awards for Alliance programs’ accomplishments. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Roane County, Top Stories Tagged With: business expansions, carbon fiber manufacturing research facility, development, distribution facility, Education Matters, grand openings, hospital, income, Leslie Henderson, Roane Alliance, Roane County Chamber of Commerce, Roane County Industrial Development Board, Roane County Visitors Bureau, Select Tennessee Certified Program, unemployment rate, Volkswagen

Roane Chamber seeks nominations for April 25 awards banquet

Posted at 7:48 pm March 20, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Chris Ahler Roane Chamber Award

Roane Chamber Board Chair Chris Ahler won the 2011 Paul Goldberg Young Professional Award. (Submitted photo)

Submitted

KINGSTON—The 68th annual Roane Chamber Awards Banquet—the spring social event of the year—will be held on Friday, April 25, to present this year’s coveted business awards: the Distinguished Service, Business of the Year, Woman of the Year, and Young Professional awards.

The awards have been an integral part of the Chamber for decades, with the Distinguished Service Award dating back to 1970. Some of the previous award-winners include such renown community names as Jim Henry, Ken Yager, David Webb, Rocky Top General Store, Patterson’s Home Appliances, Junior’s Restaurant, Dr. Sherry Hill, Live and Let Live Drug Store, Harriman Mayor Chris Mason, and Dr. Paul Goldberg, who was also additionally honored in 2010 with becoming the namesake of the Chamber’s newest award, the Paul E. Goldberg Young Professional Award. For a list of all the past winners visit www.RoaneChamber.com/Awards. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Roane County Tagged With: awards, Business of the Year, Chris Ahler, Distinguished Service, Paul E. Goldberg Young Professional Award, Paul Goldberg, Roane Alliance, Roane Chamber, Roane Chamber Awards Banquet, Roane Chamber of Commerce, Roane County, Roane State Community Foundation, Whitestone County Inn, Woman of the Year, Young Professional

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Classifieds

Public Notice: Comment period extended for Draft EA for Lithium Processing Facility at Y-12

EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING … [Read More...]

Public Notice: Draft Environmental Assessment Available for Lithium Production Facility at Y-12

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Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment for the Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC) (DOE/EA-2144), Finding of No Significant Impact, and Wetland Statement of Findings

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