Oak Ridge Today

Wildcats eliminate Maryville, move on to Region 2 championship

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Oak Ridge senior defender Blake Clowers (3), pictured here in front of Maryville senior Luke Orren (11), scores the winning goal on a header off a corner kick by senior forward Austin Vinyard in a 2-1 Region 2-AAA semifinal win for the Wildcats at home on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:35 a.m.

Oak Ridge eliminated Maryville 2-1 in a Region 2-AAA semifinal game at home on Tuesday, and the Wildcats advance to play at Bearden in the region championship on Thursday.

Oak Ridge scored the winning goal on a header by senior defender Blake Clowers off a corner kick by junior forward Austin Vinyard with 8:21 remaining in the playoff elimination game.

The Wildcats are guaranteed two more games: the Region 2-AAA championship and a state sectional. In the sectionals, the Region 1 champion plays the Region 2 runner-up, and the Region 2 champion plays the Region 1 runner-up.

The Region 2 championship game will start at 4 p.m. Thursday at Bearden High School in Knoxville. The sectionals are Saturday.

The Region 1 championship between Sevier County and Dobyns-Bennett starts at 6 p.m. Thursday in Sevierville.

[Read more…]

Backyard chickens, Centennial Golf Course among items for Council work session

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Oak Ridge City Council on July 27, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council is expected to discuss backyard chickens, Centennial Golf Course, and Anderson County General Sessions Court during a non-voting work session on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A change in city ordinances that would allow backyard chickens is on the agenda for an Oak Ridge City Council work session tonight (Tuesday, May 17). Also on the agenda during the non-voting work session are options for the city-owned Centennial Golf Course and an update on the relocation of Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II.

The work session starts at 6 p.m. in the Central Services Complex Multipurpose Room on Woodbury Lane, which is behind the Kmart shopping center.

The City Council approved the backyard chicken ordinance in the first of two readings on Monday, May 9. There could be amendments to the ordinance on second and final reading in June. [Read more…]

In rematch, Wildcats play Maryville in Region 2 semifinal today

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Oak Ridge senior defender Blake Clowers (3) scored the one goal for the Wildcats during a 4-1 loss to Maryville at home on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

They last played two weeks ago during the regular season, and Oak Ridge and Maryville will play again tonight (Tuesday, May 17) in a Region 2-AAA semifinal.

The game starts at 7 p.m. at Oak Ridge High School.

The Rebels beat the Wildcats 4-1 in a regular-season game on Tuesday, May 3.

But it was a tale of two halves, and Oak Ridge (13-7) won the second half, Wildcats Coach Jeff Trombly said. Maryville (13-5-2) picked up all its scoring, all four goals, in the first half. They were scoreless in the second, when the Wildcats scored one.

“The score was not as lopsided as it looks,” Maryville Coach Steve Feather said. [Read more…]

Warrants: Narcotic pain-reliever suspected in fatal crash

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The driver charged with vehicular homicide in a fatal three-vehicle crash in Oak Ridge on Friday, May 6, 2016, is suspected of using a narcotic pain-reliever, authorities said. The crash at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Jefferson Avenue killed Christy Duncan, a 37-year-old Harriman mother who was an employee of Roane County Schools and attended church in Oak Ridge. A Mother’s Day memorial was set up near the crash site on Sunday, May 8, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The driver charged with vehicular homicide in a fatal three-vehicle crash in Oak Ridge on May 6 is suspected of using a narcotic pain-reliever, authorities said.

Vicki G. Gilmore, 61, of Oak Ridge, had constricted pupils and droopy eyelids after the Friday night crash, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Derek A. Burchfield wrote in affidavits filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.

The crash was reported at about 9:47 p.m. Friday, May 6, at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Jefferson Avenue.

All witness statements said Gilmore was driving fast in the westbound lanes of Oak Ridge Turnpike, Burchfield said. A blue Nissan Altima was on the inside lane at the red light. Inside that car were Christy Duncan, 37, of Harriman, and her four-year-old daughter Janna.

In the outside lane was a silver Lexus occupied by Jason Watson, according to the affidavits, which are attached to arrest warrants.

“All statements say Gilmore failed to slow down or even hit the brakes, crashing into the rear of Duncan’s vehicle before sliding sideways into Watson’s vehicle,” the affidavits said. [Read more…]

City, county could move General Sessions Court to Emory Valley Road

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A few options have been considered, and Anderson County will now study whether to move the General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A few options have been considered, and Anderson County will now study whether to move the General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge to a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road.

Related to that proposal are plans to move the Oak Ridge Senior Center, which is now at the Emory Valley Road building, to the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Also up for a possible move is the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department. That department now occupies part of the Civic Center, where the Senior Center could move, but the department’s administrative offices could move to a vacant building on Badger Road that once housed Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.

The idea is that moving the administrative wing of Recreation and Parks to the Badger Road building could free up space for seniors at the Civic Center, which in turn would help create space at the county-owned building for the General Sessions Court. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge qualifies for state tournament in seven track, field events

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This photo is property of Allen Greene. Unauthorized use of this photo is not permitted without consent.

Oak Ridge freshman Kate Hausladen qualified for this month’s state track and field tournament by finishing first in the girls 300-meter hurdles and third in the 100-meter hurdles in the Section I Championship at Science Hill High School on Saturday, May 14, 2016. (Photo by Allen Greene Photography)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:30 p.m.

Eleven Oak Ridge athletes have qualified for this month’s state tournament in seven track and field events. Three athletes—freshman Kate Hausladen, sophomore Jose Villegas, and senior Tyler Boullie—will each compete in two events.

Hausladen finished first in the girls 300-meter hurdles at Science Hill High School on Saturday with a time of 47.47. She was third in the 100-meter hurdles at 16.86.

Boullie was second in the boys 800-meter run at 1:56.04. He was also on the boys 4×800-meter relay team that finished third at 8:05.88. The other members of that relay team are Villegas, senior Thomas Colburn, junior Jacob Etheridge, and alternate Reid Dukes, a junior.

Besides qualifying as a member of the relay team, Villegas also qualified for state by finishing fourth in the boys 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:57.14.

To qualify for state, an athlete or team must finish in the top four in an event. Saturday’s qualifying meet was the Section I Championship at Science Hill in upper East Tennessee.

Also qualifying for state were: [Read more…]

Soccer photos: Oak Ridge and Halls

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Oak Ridge freshman John Belbeck (22) tries to evade Halls players during a 10-2 district championship win at home on Friday, May 13, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge won the District 3-AAA championship with a 10-2 victory over Halls at home on Friday. Here are photos from the game.

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Oak Ridge sophomore forward Carson McGhee (15) dribbles the ball during a 10-2 district championship win over Halls at home on Friday, May 13, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

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Wildcats win district championship

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Oak Ridge freshman John Belbeck (22) tries to evade Halls players during a 10-2 district championship win at home on Friday, May 13, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 12:30 p.m. May 14.

Oak Ridge won the District 3-AAA championship with a 10-2 victory over Halls at home on Friday.

The Wildcats (13-7) advance to play the loser of Saturday’s District 4-AAA championship game between Bearden and Maryville. The District 4 runner-up will come to Oak Ridge to play in a Region 2-AAA semifinal game on Tuesday.

The Red Devils (10-7), the District 3 runner-up, advance to play the winner of the Bearden-Maryville District 4 championship game.

It was the second time Oak Ridge played Halls this year, and the win was more lopsided this time. The Wildcats, who finished the season undefeated in the district with a 7-0 record, won the first game against the Red Devils, a regular season game, 4-1 on April 7.

“I think we’re a different team now,” Oak Ridge Coach Jeff Trombly said.

Halls finished the regular season second in the district with a 6-2 record. [Read more…]

Vehicular homicide charge added to DUI charge after passenger dies

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Scott Allen Gray

Scott Allen Gray

 

A Knoxville man who admitted to drinking for two days straight and taking two Klonopins has now been charged with vehicular homicide, in addition to driving under the influence, after his 23-year-old passenger, Jessica Miner Taylor, of Heiskell, died about one week after a two-vehicle crash on Clinton Highway in Anderson County in April, authorities said.

Scott Allen Gray, 26, was initially charged with vehicular assault and DUI (second offense) after the two-vehicle crash injured three people at the intersection of Clinton Highway and Mehaffey Road on Thursday, April 28.

The vehicular homicide charge was added after Jessica Miner Taylor, who had been trapped in the car, died this month.

The THP said Gray was driving north on Clinton Highway in a 1993 Eagle Vision sedan on April 28 when he turned into the path of a southbound 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicle driven by Kimberly Williamson, 32, of Knoxville.

The SUV driven by Williamson hit the car driven by Gray. [Read more…]

Soccer: Wildcats play for district championship against Halls today

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Oak Ridge beat Campbell County 9-0 in a District 3-AAA semifinal game at home on Wednesday, May 11, 2016. The Wildcats attempt to score on a header here after a corner kick by Austin Vinyard. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Wildcats will play Halls for the district championship this evening.

The District 3-AAA championship game starts at 7 p.m. today (Friday, May 13) at Oak Ridge High School.

The Wildcats (12-7, 7-0 D3-AAA) beat the Red Devils 3-1 in a regular-season game on April 7.

Oak Ridge eliminated Campbell County (11-4-1, 4-2) in a 9-0 blowout during a semifinal district tournament game on Wednesday, May 11. Halls (10-6, 6-2) advanced to the district championship on a 1-0 victory over Gibbs on Wednesday.

Oak Ridge’s 9-0 win over Campbell County this week was the most lopsided victory for the Wildcats this season. Oak Ridge beat Campbell County 4-0 in the season opener on March 15. [Read more…]

Proposed schools budget would include raises, ask city for more money

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The budget proposed for Oak Ridge Schools for the fiscal year that starts July 1 includes 3 percent salary increases and a request for an additional $538,048 from the city. As proposed, the budget also includes the reduction of the full-time equivalent of four teachers and an increase in five technology positions.

The budget was presented to the Oak Ridge Board of Education on Tuesday. The board has a work session to discuss the Fiscal Year 2017 budget at 5:30 p.m. today (Thursday, May 12) and a work session to review the budget line by line at 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 16.

If implemented as proposed, the budget would ask the city for a 3.6 percent increase in funding. It would also include experience-based pay increases known as step increases for staff.

It would include money to fund a 6.2 percent increase in health insurance rates and another 10 percent for dental insurance. [Read more…]

Life without parole, not death, in first-degree murder case

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Norman Lee Follis Jr., 52, received life without parole on Thursday, May 12, 2016, after being convicted of first-degree murder in Anderson County Circuit and Criminal Court on Tuesday, May 10, for killing his uncle in Claxton more than four years ago. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 11:15 a.m.

CLINTON—An Anderson County man convicted of first-degree murder on Tuesday avoided the death penalty on Thursday, but he did receive a sentence of life without parole.

A jury of eight women and four men unanimously agreed on that decision after more than seven hours of deliberations on Wednesday and Thursday. Besides death and life without parole, they could have also returned a life sentence with the possibility of parole.

The jury said that prosecutors had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the killing of Samuel “Sammie” J. Adams, 79, sometime in mid-December 2011 was especially, heinous, atrocious, or cruel, and that Adams was 70 or older. Those were two of the four aggravating factors the jury could consider during the deliberations over whether to impose the death penalty against Norman Lee Follis Jr., 52.

Follis is Adams’ nephew, and he was convicted of first-degree murder for killing his uncle in Anderson County Circuit and Criminal Court on Tuesday.

Adams’ decomposing body was found buried under at least 10 blankets in a closet underneath a staircase at his apartment on Patt Lane in Claxton on January 24, 2012. A couch was shoved against the closet door. Adams had been reported missing. He died of strangulation. [Read more…]