Oak Ridge Today

Man sentenced to 11 years for attempted rape with knife

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Michael C. Simonds

A 42-year-old man was sentenced to 11 years on Monday after being convicted of attempted aggravated rape in Anderson County during a jury trial in June.

It was the same sentence the prosecution had asked for, with the time to be served in prison.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.

Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.

Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here:

Basic

Pro

Temporary

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription.

Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!

Second man arrested after gas station robbery

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

James Hunter Oran

A second Oak Ridge man was arrested after a robbery was reported at a gas station on Lake City Highway on Monday.

James Hunter Oran, 21, has been charged with facilitation of a felony and accessory after the fact. He is alleged to have driven the 21-year-old man charged with the robbery, Carlos Hernandez, to and from the Rocky Top 76 gas station and waited for Hernandez while he was in the store, according to affidavits filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Clinton.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.

Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.

Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here:

Basic

Pro

Temporary

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription.

Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!

Oak Ridge man charged with gas station robbery

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Carlos Hernandez

A 21-year-old Oak Ridge man was arrested and charged with robbery, kidnapping, and theft after allegedly holding two gas station employees at gunpoint and taking money from a cash register at Rocky Top 76 on Lake City Highway on Monday.

Carlos Hernandez was charged with two counts of aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, theft of $1,000 to $2,500, and tampering with evidence.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.

Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.

Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here:

Basic

Pro

Temporary

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription.

Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!

Two die in Edgemoor Road crash

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Two people died in a crash between a pickup truck and a tractor-trailer truck on Edgemoor Road on Thursday.

The crash was reported at New Henderson Road in Claxton at about 6:22 p.m. Thursday.

A preliminary report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol said Jordan K. Scott, 29, of Knoxville, was driving a 1991 Ford F150 pickup truck north on New Henderson Road when he pulled out in front of a 2019 Peterbilt tractor-trailer truck driven by Rex A. Sparks, 56, of Cedar Bluff, Virginia. Sparks had been driving east on Edgemoor Road, toward Clinton Highway.

Scott’s two passengers in the pickup truck died in the collision. The THP identified them as Gregory L. Sweet, 57, of Oak Ridge, and Marion M. West, 54, of Clinton.

[Read more…]

Three Ohio residents die in two-vehicle crash

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Three Ohio residents died in a two-vehicle crash on Edgemoor Road at Old Emory Road in Claxton on Friday, July 22.

The three Ohio residents were all in the same vehicle, a 2018 Honda CRV, and they were all from Mansfield, Ohio, according to a preliminary report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The driver was Peter Webel, 75, and the two passengers were Linda Webel, 76, and Frieda Gottschling, 80.

The other vehicle, a 2004 GMC Sonoma, was driven by a juvenile male from Knoxville.

[Read more…]

Passenger dies after THP pursuit

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The passenger has died after a two-vehicle crash during a police pursuit in Anderson County on Sunday, January 30.

It’s the second death after the police chase and fatal crash near the intersection of Mountain Road and Highway 441 at about 2 p.m. that Sunday. The driver, Elijah Morley of Dandridge, died after the crash.

On Wednesday, Dave Clark, Seventh Judicial District attorney general, said Morley’s passenger, Dustin Dienst of Morristown, died Tuesday night. He had been hospitalized since the crash.

A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper, Austin Dean, was also injured in the crash. Clark said earlier that Dean was treated and released from a hospital.

[Read more…]

Driver identified in fatal AC crash

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The driver who died has been identified after a police pursuit and fatal crash in Anderson County on Sunday.

The identity of the driver and two other people injured in the two-vehicle crash were initially withheld after the crash at Mountain Road and Highway 441 at about 2 p.m. Sunday.

On Saturday, Dave Clark, district attorney general in the Seventh Judicial District in Anderson County, said the medical examiner had completed the identification of the driver who died and notified family members.

The driver has been identified as Elijah Morley of Dandridge and the passenger who was injured in that vehicle was identified as Dustin Dienst of Morristown, Clark said.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper who was injured in the crash was Austin Dean, Clark said.

[Read more…]

One dies, trooper injured after AC crash

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

A driver died and a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper was injured after a crash in Anderson County on Sunday.

The THP was pursuing a vehicle with two people inside at about 2 p.m. Sunday, according to Dave Clark, district attorney general in the Seventh Judicial District in Anderson County.

The pursuit continued along several roads before the vehicle being chased and the THP cruiser left the roadway and crashed near the intersection of Mountain Road and Highway 441, Clark said.

The driver of the vehicle being chased died, and a passenger in that vehicle was injured and was taken to a hospital, Clark said. The trooper was also injured and was treated and released from a hospital, Clark said.

[Read more…]

Barker seeking re-election as sheriff

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Russell Barker

Russell Barker is seeking a second term as sheriff of Anderson County in this year’s election.

Barker, a Republican, was first elected to a four-year term as sheriff in 2018 after serving as the director of the Seventh
Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County.

In a press release, Barker said he has fulfilled his 2018 campaign promises of increasing the number of school resource officers, dedicating personnel to keep seniors safe, and implementing intelligence-led policing.

“I am very proud of what we have accomplished this first term,” Barker said in the press release. “I attribute the success we’ve had to the brave men and women I serve with every day. Together, we are making a great impact in Anderson County.”

[Read more…]

Ohio woman dies in I-75 crash

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

An Ohio woman died after her vehicle ran off the roadway, went airborne, and crashed into the median on Interstate 75 in Anderson County on Friday morning.

The driver who died was Sherry Driggers, 67, of Hamilton, Ohio, according to a preliminary crash report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The one-vehicle fatal crash occurred at about 9:53 a.m. Friday at mile marker 126 north of the Norris exit.

[Read more…]

Man facing seven charges after three-vehicle crash on bridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

A 61-year-old Claxton man is facing seven charges, including vehicular assault and driving under the influence, after a crash involving three vehicles on the Edgemoor Road bridge in July, according to court records.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member. Already a member? Sign in here. Not a member? Subscribe here: Basic

Pro

Temporary

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!

A 61-year-old Claxton man is facing seven charges, including vehicular assault and driving under the influence, after a crash involving three vehicles on the Edgemoor Road bridge in July, according to court records.

The crash was reported July 10, according to affidavits filed by Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Ray Faircloth in Anderson County General Sessions Court.

A 61-year-old Claxton man is facing seven charges, including vehicular assault and driving under the influence, after a crash involving three vehicles on the Edgemoor Road bridge in July, according to court records.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member. Already a member? Sign in here. Not a member? Subscribe here: Basic

Pro

Temporary

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!

Teen allegedly killed mother after she took away phone

Posted at
By Leave a Comment


Shawn Willis

 

An Anderson County teenager allegedly shot and killed his mother while she was sleeping after she punished him by taking away his cell phone, according to court records.

Shawn Tyler Willis, 18, of Rocky Top, has been charged with first-degree murder.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member.

Already a member? Sign in here.

Not a member? Subscribe here:

Basic

Pro

Temporary

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!

Shawn Willis

An Anderson County teenager allegedly shot and killed his mother while she was sleeping after she punished him by taking away his cell phone, according to court records.

Shawn Tyler Willis, 18, of Rocky Top, has been charged with first-degree murder. He allegedly shot his mother, Sandy K. Willis, 38, in the left side of her head as she lay in bed asleep on Andy’s Ridge Road between Briceville and Rocky Top on Monday morning April 20, 2020.


Shawn Willis

 

An Anderson County teenager allegedly shot and killed his mother while she was sleeping after she punished him by taking away his cell phone, according to court records.

Shawn Tyler Willis, 18, of Rocky Top, has been charged with first-degree murder.

The rest of this story is available if you are a member.

Already a member? Sign in here.

Not a member? Subscribe here:

Basic

Pro

Temporary

If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here. We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!