Oak Ridge Today

Arrest made in Louisiana in gang-related attempted murder

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Crystal Lynnette McGuire

Crystal Lynnette McGuire

Crystal Lynnette McGuire, who was wanted in connection with a gang-related attempted murder in Claxton in December, was arrested without incident in Louisiana on Wednesday by the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Department, authorities said.

“Our investigators were in contact with Louisiana authorities throughout the day after learning McGuire may have been in that area,” Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said. “She was located and arrested earlier this afternoon by sheriff’s deputies in Sabine County.”

The Sheriff’s Department said it does not have information about McGuire’s extradition or when she may be brought back to Anderson County.

“It may be several days before all the paperwork will be completed for this to occur,” Lucas said. [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from June 13-18

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge from Friday, June 13, and continuing through June 18.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

Oak Ridge: 4,000 lose power, 70 homes damaged

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Wadsworth Circle Home Tree

One of two trees that fell on a home on West Wadsworth Circle. The second tree, visible on the ground in the background, punched a hole in the roof and displaced a mother, grandmother, and two children.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2:40 p.m.

Roughly 4,000 customers lost power in the Tuesday evening storm, and about 70 damaged homes will require repairs by an electrician before power can be restored, an Oak Ridge official said Wednesday morning.

Oak Ridge Electric Director Jack Suggs said he doesn’t recall ever having 70 homes damaged in one storm, although the Electric Department has experienced worse storms when many utility poles were broken. But the brief, fierce Tuesday storm, which brought severe winds and driving rain, was significant in terms of its damage to homes and its far-reaching nature, from Blair Road on the west end of town to east Oak Ridge and beyond—into Clinton and Anderson County, Suggs said.

“It was pretty widespread,” Suggs said.

Janet Bowker on Plymouth Circle and Storm Debris

Janet Bowker, left, walks through debris on Plymouth Circle in front of her home, where a tree fell into her bedroom during the Tuesday evening storm. Her home is at right but not visible in this picture. There were no injuries, but Bowker does not have power now.

 

The storm, which ripped through Oak Ridge at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, left a trail of debris: scattered branches and limbs, broken trees, fallen power lines, and damaged buildings and homes. It also triggered a flood of calls to the city’s 911 call dispatch center.

About 500 customers remained without power around noon Wednesday, including the 70 damaged homes. [Read more…]

IIa wins major U.S. Patent and Trademark Office contract

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Information International Associates

Pictured above is the headquarters of Information International Associates on Union Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

Five-year contract could be worth $135 million

Information International Associates, or IIa, has been awarded a major 100-person, multi-year contract with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to provide a wide range of information technology support, a press release said.

The USPTO is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and it is an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its mission is “to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writing and discoveries” and to support the federal registration of trademarks.

“IIa continues to grow and to be recognized as a leader in IT services,” said IIa owner and Chief Executive Officer Bonnie C. Carroll. “In the past year alone, we have been awarded multiple new IT contracts in addition to our ongoing support to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information operations in Oak Ridge and at DOE Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and our contracts for IT infrastructure at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Maryland.”

In September 2013, II was awarded a U.S. Department of Defense contract to operate the DoD Homeland Defense and Security Information Analysis Center. In January 2014, IIa won a major, basic ordering agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to provide a wide range of IT support to the laboratory during the next five years. [Read more…]

Sheriff: Members of Aryan Nations gang charged with attempted murder in beating

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Jacob Eli Campbell

Jacob Eli Campbell

Five members of the Aryan Nations gang have been charged with attempted first-degree murder for the severe beating of a 31-year-old Briceville man in Claxton in December, authorities said.

Three of those charged were arrested Tuesday after indictments were returned in the gang-related attempted murder and conspiracy case, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department said.

David Lee Dozard

David Lee Dozard

Leonard Lionel Kilgore, 36, of Knoxville, and Jacob Eli Campbell, 33, and Michael James O’Conner Jr., 32, both of Sevierville, were taken into custody Tuesday morning, Sheriff Paul White said.

A fourth person, David Lee Dozard II, 32, of Mountain City in upper East Tennessee, is now in state prison on unrelated charges and the indictments will be served on him later. [Read more…]

Another 12 hours or so to restore power, Electric Department says

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Willow Run Fallen Tree

A giant tree fell at Willow Run Apartments in Clinton and wrecked the fence at the basketball and tennis courts. (Photo courtesy Jim Harris)

 

It could take another 12-13 hours to restore power across Oak Ridge after the severe Tuesday evening storms, the Oak Ridge Electric Department said on Twitter at roughly 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

That would presumably mean that some customers might not have electricity restored until sometime Wednesday morning.

The Electric Department said the storms knocked down many trees and limbs. Crews have responded to fallen trees, power outages, dangling utility lines, and other problems across town since the short, fierce storm ripped through Oak Ridge and Anderson County at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Electric Department warned residents to stay away from power lines on the ground.

At about 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oak Ridge workers were out cutting up trees and restoring power on Jefferson Avenue.  A few miles away off Pennsylvania Avenue, Plymouth Circle was blocked to traffic, and it appeared that there was a utility line on the road blocked by orange traffic cones. [Read more…]

Storm damages buildings, knocks down trees, knocks out power

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Passtime Garage Storm Damage

Passtime Garage on South Main Street in Clinton was damaged by a fast-moving storm and severe winds early Tuesday evening. (Photo courtesy WYSH Radio/WGAP Radio)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:15 a.m. June 11.

There are reports of trees and power lines down throughout Anderson County, and some roads are still blocked after a fast-moving storm ripped through East Tennessee, authorities said early Tuesday evening.

There have been reports of trees that have fallen on homes, but so far no injuries have been reported.

Tractor Trailer Blown Over near Lake City

A tractor-trailer was reported to have been blown over on Lake City Highway. (Photo courtesy WYSH Radio/WGAP Radio)

The short, fierce storm whipped through Oak Ridge and Anderson County with severe winds and driving rain at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. It left a path of debris: scattered branches and limbs, broken trees, fallen power lines, and damaged buildings and homes. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department said there was a semi truck and trailer that apparently was blown over by high winds on Lake City Highway at Old Lake City Highway.

“It has now been removed and the roadway is open,” the Sheriff’s Department said early Tuesday night. The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

At about 8:30 p.m., the Clinton Utilities Board reported that 6,173 customers had been affected by the storm, and 4,068 were still without power. [Read more…]

Half-price adoptions on all black cats through June 30

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Half-price Adoptions on Cats

 

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The Oak Ridge Animal Shelter will have half-price adoptions on all black cats starting Tuesday, June 10, and ending Monday, June 30. Adoption price for black cats will be $55 instead of the normal price of $110. It is first-come, first-serve.

The Oak Ridge Animal Shelter is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The shelter is located at 395 Belgrade Road. The shelter can be contacted by phone at (865) 425-3423 or by e-mail at animalshelter@oakridgetn.gov.

For more information, visit animalshelter.oakridgetn.gov or call (865) 425-3423.

Oak Ridge concludes Green Power Community Challenge with day of service

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The City of Oak Ridge is wrapping up its two-month long Green Power Community Challenge with a day of service on Saturday, June 21, at the University of Tennessee Arboretum, which is located at 901 S. Illinois Ave. in Oak Ridge.

The Green Power Community Challenge encouraged local residents and businesses to buy green power and help Oak Ridge become an EPA-designated Green Power Community. The effort has been a tremendous success—more than 300 new customers enrolled in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Green Power Switch program, more than triple the original goal, a city press release said.

Twenty volunteers are needed for the day of service. The volunteer work will be focused on a half-day project at the Arboretum in Oak Ridge. Specifically, volunteers will conduct a creek walk to clean up trash and debris, and construct benches for their new creek access area near the Arboretum entrance road. [Read more…]

Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on June 21

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Lavender Festival

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The 16th Annual Lavender Festival will be held on Saturday, June 21, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Oak Ridge’s Historic Jackson Square. This herb fair is a perennial favorite of folks from all around and focuses on all that is fresh, healthy, and good for the body and soul.

The Lavender Festival transforms Jackson Square into a hub of activity, information, fun, and of course, lavender. More than 100 vendors, exhibits, and demonstrations will offer products and information related to gardening, cooking, health, aromatherapy, and all things herbal.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” said Betsy Prine of Knoxville, who has attended the festival for about five years. “I love gardening. I love to see so many vendors together, and I love that it’s all natural.”

The Lavender Festival doesn’t just celebrate lavender. It also features the International Herb Association’s “Herb of the Year,” which this year is Artemisia. Artemesia isn’t just one herb, but a species which includes Tarragon, Mugwort, Wormwood, and Sweet Annie. Gardeners, cooks, and nature enthusiasts can be sure to find useful information about how to use Artemesia in healthy and beautiful ways. Visit the booth in front of the Jackson Square fountain to learn more about Artemesia this year. [Read more…]

Spotlight: Local Girl Scouts excel in community service

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Girls Scouts Reforestation

Cadette Troop 20737 planted trees to reforest a managed forest land on a private farm in Andersonville. From left to right are Savannah McNair, Megan McEahern, Hannah Tobler, Kasey Smith, landowner, and Brittany Wensell. (Photos courtesy Jerry Luckmann)

 

By Jerry Luckmann

Girl Scouts in Oak Ridge contributed more than 1,860 hours of community service during the past school year. Twenty-two troops, representing all ages and levels of Girl Scouting, tackled projects benefiting kids, local service organizations, veterans, senior citizens, and the environment.

The founder of Girl Scouts in the United States, Juliette Low, believed that community service offered Girl Scouts a unique opportunity to address community needs and develop leadership in every girl. The Girl Scouts in Oak Ridge have embraced this belief and worked to make it a vital part of every member’s experience.

Girls Scouts Food 4 Kids Project

Courtney Thomas, left, Daisy Girl Scout from Troop 20438, and Christina Thomas, Cadette Girl Scout from Troop 20148, sort and pack bags at the Food 4 Kids project.

Sixty girls and family members from nine troops participated in the Food 4 Kids project, packing monthly the nearly 2,000 bags of food that are given to children in Oak Ridge schools who need food at home on the weekends. More than 80 girls, representing eight troops, participated in the Dolls for Daisy project, to clean and refurbish hundreds of dolls for Christmas distribution at the Holiday Bureau. Girl Scouts donated health and beauty “goody bags” and Christmas decorations to the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. Environmental projects included recycling “Capri Sun” bags in a local school and planting trees to reforest land in Anderson County. [Read more…]

Two taken to hospital after stabbing reported on Monday night

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Two Oak Ridge men were taken by ambulance to a hospital after a stabbing was reported on Monday night, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department responded to a reported disturbance in the Scarboro neighborhood at about 11:30 p.m. Monday. Roughly 20 people were reported to be in the street on South Benedict Avenue near the intersection with South Dillard Avenue, and some were allegedly intoxicated, the ORPD said in a press release.

When officers arrived, they found Kevin Steen, 48, of Oak Ridge, lying in the street with multiple contusions to the head and face, the press release said.

A second subject reportedly had been stabbed and left the scene. [Read more…]