A 21-year-old Maryville man died in a shooting on Andover Circle early Monday.
The man has been identified as Gavin West. He had a gunshot wound when officers arrived just after midnight Monday, and he died from his injuries, a press release said.
Detectives with the Oak Ridge Police Department responded and began investigating the homicide. West’s body was taken to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center for an autopsy, the press release said.
[Read more…]Oak Ridge’s citywide household trash pickup program�began�Monday, October 2.
During the annual pickup, household garbage, old appliances, and minor remodeling materials will be picked up. City collection efforts will follow the accompanying schedule as closely as possible, a press release said.
“Residents have always been very cooperative, and we ask for their continued cooperation this year by following a� few guidelines,” the press release said. “Residents should place all materials near, but not beyond, the curb. Keep materials off sidewalks and out of parking areas and gutters.� Please bag as many items as possible to prevent items from being scattered in prohibited areas.
“There is a limit of one truckload of material per residence. A truckload is defined as one pickup truck or approximately 3 feet high by 4 feet wide by 8 feet long, approximately 100 cubic feet maximum.”
[Read more…]The Oak Ridge Police Department is investigating a fatal crash on South Illinois Avenue that happened shortly before midnight Friday.
In a press release, the City of Oak Ridge said a vehicle traveling south on South Illinois at Scarboro Road left the road at about 11:22 p.m., hit two utility poles and a tree, and then rolled down an embankment south of the intersection.
The vehicle’s driver, Luis Enrique Gomez Trinidad, 36 of Clinton, died in the crash, the city said. No one else was in the vehicle.
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The Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory—already the world’s most powerful accelerator-based neutron source—will be on a planned hiatus through June 2024 as crews work to upgrade the facility.
Much of the work—part of the facility’s Proton Power Upgrade project—will involve building a connector between the accelerator and the planned Second Target Station at SNS, a press release said. When complete, the PPU project will bring the accelerator up to 2.8 megawatts from its current record-breaking 1.7 megawatts of beam power.
Workers will add about 3,000 square feet of concrete tunnel, the “stub,” which will integrate with an existing tunnel. Construction tasks include associated structures, roofing, geomembrane liner, tunnel waterproofing, electrical, fire alarm, ventilation systems, and controls.
“The construction crews have performed all of the excavation work and are transitioning to tunnel base and wall construction,” said ORNL’s Mark Champion, PPU project manager.
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Anderson County Emergency Medical Services, County Mayor Terry Frank, and the chief medical examiner for both Knox and Anderson Counties are all urging the community—particularly parents and grandparents of children younger than 12 months old—to practice proper “safe sleeping.”
The caution from local officials comes as a result of a rising trend of infant mortality rates in Anderson County, a press release said. The Knox County Regional Forensic Center tracks information related to deaths in 21 counties.
“Since 2019, we have done 185 autopsies on infants under one year (of age). One hundred of those infants died as a result of unsafe sleep environments,” said Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan, chief medical examiner, during a press conference held Wednesday morning at Anderson County EMS headquarters in Clinton.
In Anderson County, data shows that 14 infant deaths have been recorded since 2019 with 10 of those deaths having been attributed to unsafe sleep practices.
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ASAP of Anderson hired Shayla Wilson as executive director this summer. The organization’s mission is to prevent and reduce substance misuse among youth and adults in Anderson County.
Wilson is a Clinton native and a graduate of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a major in kinesiology, a press release said. She continued her education at Lincoln Memorial University obtaining both a master’s degree in education and an educational specialist degree in educational leadership. She comes from a career in coordinated school health at both the district and state level and statewide non-profit work, the press release said. Some people may formerly know her as Shayla Sanderson.
“Anderson County holds a special place in my heart,” Wilson said. “This county truly helped shape me into the person I am today. I can without a doubt say that the many individuals I grew up with, went to church with, and served in volunteerism alongside poured into me from a very young age. I was able to serve the county in my teens through the Fairest of the Fair and got involved in organizations that set me up for success. My favorite thing would have to be the people, the community, and the rich history that is held here. It is special to be able to step away, allow myself to grow, and walk back into a small town feeling just as welcomed as when I was 17.”
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The Briceville Volunteer Fire Department celebrated its new fire station with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday. The ceremony included local residents and federal, state, and county officials, a press release said.
The path to building the new fire station started years ago, the press release said. In 2019, officials with the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced a grant to the Briceville VFD for $80,700 and a loan of $74,200, along with a county match of $30,000 to “make the dream of a new station a reality.”
But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the project hit a number of snags, the press release said. Market disruptions affected bidders; supply chain issues created cost increases and forced reworking of the project; and there was a need to close a funding gap as prices increased.
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Officers are searching in Virginia for a suspect in a fatal shooting in Anderson County on Tuesday.
The shooting was reported on Moores Gap Road in Heiskell, east of Clinton near Interstate 75, according to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
Later, a police chase was reported at about 3 p.m. Tuesday in Claiborne County, and it ended in Ewing, Virginia, when the alleged suspect ran into the woods, law enforcement officers said.
“The Lee County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office continues to aid the Anderson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office; Claiborne County, Tennessee (authorities), and the U.S. Marshals Service in attempting to locate and apprehend fugitive Jason Dockery, a suspect in an Anderson County, Tennessee, homicide and wanted for violations of probation for aggravated assault in Tennessee,” Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons said in an update provided by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
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On Thursday, Oak Ridge will host a movie premiere of “Oppenheimer,” a movie about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team of scientists who helped build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II. Oak Ridge was part of the top-secret project to build those bombs.
The movie will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20, at Cinemark Theater.
“Explore Oak Ridge is thrilled to present the premiere of ‘Oppenheimer, a movie that not only entertains but also pays tribute to the remarkable history of our city and the Manhattan Project,” said Katy Watt, president of Explore Oak Ridge. “This event celebrates Oak Ridge’s contributions to science and innovation, and we are honored to showcase our community’s heritage on the silver screen. Everyone is invited to an evening filled with drinks, popcorn, and a deep sense of pride as we honor the enduring spirit of our remarkable community and the remarkable history that defines us.”
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Oak Ridge Schools will host a free, community-centered red carpet event Wednesday featuring a 90-minute panel discussion and a screening of the documentary film “Oppenheimer After Trinity.”
The panel—made up of local scientists, historians, filmmakers, and Oak Ridge students—will re-examine the conversations held over 80 years ago surrounding the splitting of the atom and discuss the development and deployment of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and their potential impact on future generations, a press release said.
The event will be held at the Oak Ridge High School Auditorium on Wednesday, July 19, from 6-8:30 p.m. and it will include free popcorn and soda for attendees. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for guests to mingle, enjoy the red carpet, and take photos, the press release said.
“As a nod to the birth of Oak Ridge, 1940s era attire is encouraged, though not required,” the release said
[Read more…]Anderson County government offices will be closed Monday and Tuesday, July 3-4, to observe Independence Day.
The offices will re-open at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, July 5, a press release said.
The Anderson County Commission sets the schedule for observed county holidays each year. A full list of the 2023 county holidays can be found online at https://andersoncountytn.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/County-Holidays-2023.pdf.
The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform in Alvin K. Bissell Park on Tuesday, July 4 (Independence Day), before the city’s annual fireworks show.
The band is scheduled to play patriotic melodies starting at 7:30 p.m., a press release said.
“The music will stir your soul, bringing us closer as we honor our nation’s heritage,” the press release said. “As the final notes fade, prepare for a breathtaking fireworks display.”
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