Oak Ridge Today

Violent sex offender arrested after church reports theft, city says

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Gregory Scott Tyree

Gregory Scott Tyree

Oak Ridge police officers arrested a violent sex offender after a church alleged that he stole mail, officials said Friday.

The Oak Ridge Police Department was dispatched to the Heritage Fellowship Church on North Illinois Avenue at 8:50 a.m. Tuesday to respond to a report of mail theft, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

ORPD Sergeant Robert Pitts located the suspect, Gregory Scott Tyree, 48, of Oak Ridge fleeing westbound on Robertsville Road near Willow Brook Elementary School, the press release said. Pitts also recovered evidence along Robertsville Road across from Robertsville Middle School with the help of the pastor who witnessed the theft and followed the suspect, the release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools only need to make up two snow days

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Oak Ridge Schools used nine snow days this year but only needs to make up two, an official said Thursday.

“As we have gone through the process of examining our snow day allocation, we discovered that, in addition to the three extra student instructional days we had built into our calendar, we were also entitled to three stockpiled snow days because of our longer school days as compared to state minimum requirements,” said Chris Marczak, assistant superintendent of Oak Ridge Schools. “The state acknowledged on March 9 that these three stockpiled snow days were due to Oak Ridge Schools for this school year and for future school years. We therefore have six total possible snow days, rather than three.” [Read more…]

DOE re-opening Clark Center Park after cleanup

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Clark Center Park Water View

A view of Melton Hill Lake near a boat ramp and between two picnic areas at Clark Center Park in south Oak Ridge.

 

Federal officials have finished significant cleanup work at Clark Center Park after the winter weather a few weeks ago, and they are re-opening the park.

John Shewairy, assistant manager for administration in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office, said workers have roped off one area of the 80-acre park where a large tree fell. They won’t be able to clear that area until the ground dries up. [Read more…]

Federal, contractor officials celebrate UPF site readiness work on Friday

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Frank Klotz

Frank Klotz

Federal officials and contractors will celebrate the completion of site readiness work for the multi-billion dollar Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex on Friday morning.

The UPF site readiness work includes a Bear Creek Road extension and the creation of a haul road.

“Site readiness is the first major step for UPF, a project essential for supporting our nation’s uranium mission,” a media advisory said. “Completion of this stage of the field work to prepare for building UPF signifies a move forward toward the National Nuclear Security Administration’s commitment to complete UPF and move out of the aging 9212 facility.”

The Friday morning celebration starts at 10 a.m. The media has been invited to attend. [Read more…]

Gov. Haslam, state to make ‘significant’ economic announcement in OR Friday

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Bill Haslam during Presidential Visit at Pellissippi State

Governor Bill Haslam is pictured above during a visit by President Barack Obama at Pellissippi State Community College on Friday, January 9. (File photo by Rob Welton)

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and the state will make a significant economic development announcement in Oak Ridge on Friday afternoon, officials said.

The announcement—which will also include other federal, state, and local officials—is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, March 13, at the former Theragenics Building at Horizon Center.

Details of the announcement have not been released. [Read more…]

Former jailer indicted on charge of assaulting an inmate

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Dustin McCoig

Dustin McCoig

A former corrections corporal with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department has been indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury on an assault charge after allegedly hitting an inmate, authorities said Wednesday.

Joshua Bryant, a prisoner at the jail, alleged that he was struck by the former corporal, Dustin McCoig, on October 22, 2014, while he was an inmate and while McCoig was at work and on duty at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton, District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a press release.

Bryant and his family reported the incident, and an internal affairs investigation was launched, Clark said. The Sheriff’s Department presented the case to Clark, who in turn presented it to the Grand Jury on March 3. [Read more…]

Former nurse indicted on false report charge in prisoner death

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Billy Joe Brockman

Billy Joe Brockman

A former nurse at the Anderson County Detention Facility has been charged with filing a false report in the death of a prisoner in July 2014, authorities said.

An autopsy revealed that the prisoner, Christopher C. Sullivan, died accidentally from a combination of alcohol and morphine, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a press release.

An indictment against the former nurse, Billy Joe Brockman, 49, of Clinton, “indicates that he unlawfully reported to Anderson County Sheriff’s Department investigators that he had measured and recorded the vital signs of Christopher C. Sullivan while knowing that he had, in fact, not measured or recorded the information,” Clark said. [Read more…]

Sheriff: Two arrested on child sexual abuse offenses

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Gerald Wayne Condon

Gerald Wayne Condon

Two East Tennessee men have been arrested in separate, unrelated cases of child sexual abuse after indictments by the Anderson County Grand Jury, authorities said Wednesday.

Gerald Wayne Condon, 44, of Maryville, and Roger Dale Lindsay, 50, of Clinton, were charged after two investigations by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigations Unit.

Condon was indicted on 25 counts of child sexual abuse offenses on one underage victim that occurred during the last four years, Sheriff Paul White said in a press release. Condon was arrested on Tuesday, March 10, and has been released after posting $100,000 bond. [Read more…]

Volunteers needed to help clean up Norris Lake

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The Norris Lake Project Team is looking for volunteers to help with the fifth biannual Five County Norris Lake Cleanup on March 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Since 2011, volunteers from the counties surrounding Norris Lake have picked up over 15 tons of trash,” said Stephanie Wells, director of the Anderson County Tourism Council. “We continue to conduct two cleanups each year because Norris Lake is not only a recreational destination for residents and visitors, it is an economic driver for all five counties and we need to protect its shorelines.”

There will be several launch points in each of the five counties and numerous locations that volunteers can help by picking up and properly disposing of in trash. [Read more…]

Roane State offers healthcare training

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Roane State Community College is offering a variety of healthcare training courses at the Clinton Higher Education and Workforce Training Facility.

  • Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT), March 24-May 21, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-4 p.m. or 6:30-9:30 p.m.—$550
  • Certified ECG Technician (CET), March 23-May 13, Mondays and Wednesdays, 1-4 p.m. or 6:30-9:30 p.m.—$400

[Read more…]

Walk for Parkinson’s research on April 25

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The Parkinson’s Disease Support Group of East Tennessee (PK Hope Is Alive) will host its fourth annual walk to raise funds for Parkinson’s Disease research on Saturday, April 25.

The walk will be held at A.K. Bissell Park at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. Registration at the Pavilion will start at 9 a.m. The walk will take place between 10 a.m. and noon.

PK Hope Is Alive has raised an average of $20,000 in each of its three previous walks. [Read more…]

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