Oak Ridge Today

ORPD participates in Drug Take Back Day

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The Oak Ridge Police Department and ASAP of Anderson will participate in the national DEA Drug Take Back Day next Saturday.

The Drug Take Back Day is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27. Anyone in the community can drop off their expired or unused medication to a police officer at the ORPD at 200 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge, a press release said.

According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the most common method of obtaining pills is through family and friends.

“Prescription drugs could be easily stolen at home when they are left in unlocked cabinets and drawers,” the press release said.

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Freezing rain affects roads

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Rutgers Avenue is pictured above near Walmart early Friday morning, Jan. 19, 2024. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Freezing rain Thursday night affected roads in the region, and crashes, road closures, and icy roads were reported.

The Oak Ridge Police Department said the rain had turned most roads to ice.

“We advise that you do not travel as conditions may worsen throughout the night,” the ORPD said about 10 p.m. Thursday.

Friday morning, the department said police officers had responded to several weather-related crashes.

“The roads have had minor improvements,” the ORPD said. “However, there are still a large amount of troubled areas.”

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Windrock wildfire controlled

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The Windrock fire north of Oak Ridge in Anderson County is pictured above from a hilltop on South Illinois Avenue on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Division of Forestry said Tuesday that the Windrock Mountain fire that began Thursday is controlled.

On Tuesday afternoon, the size of the affected area was 328 acres with a containment percentage of 95 percent.

Representatives from state forestry were still at the fire site to monitor it, officials said.

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State: Rocky Top wildfire 100 percent contained

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The wildfire on a ridge above Rocky Top is pictured above from City Hall on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Rocky Top wildfire that started last week and emitted smoke visible for miles had burned 397 acres and was 100 percent contained by mid-morning Thursday, according to the Tennessee Division of Forestry.

In a press release, Anderson County officials said forestry crews remained at the site to continue clearing lines of leaves that have fallen to the ground. Falling leaves that could cross fire lines was one of the main concerns of state officials.

The fire was reported off Scott Brogan Lane at about 6 p.m. Saturday. That road is across Lake City Highway from Lake City Middle School, south of downtown Rocky Top. Forestry crews estimated that they cut roughly 5.1 miles of fire line around the fire since it was reported.

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Rocky Top fire grows to 210 acres, 75 percent contained

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The wildfire on a ridge above Rocky Top is pictured above from Interstate 75 on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The wildfire burning near Rocky Top has grown to an estimated 210 acres and is still 75 percent contained, officials with the Tennessee Department of Forestry said Tuesday.

“Forestry is back on scene this morning,” Anderson County Emergency Management Agency Director Brice Kidwell said Tuesday morning. “They are working to reinforce and clean up the lines they’ve dug over the last few days.”

Kidwell said the Division of Forestry had indicated they planned to do more “back burning” Tuesday to try to fully contain the wildfire that was first reported just after 6 p.m. Saturday. Because of the planned back burning, residents could see more smoke and hazy skies later Tuesday, he said.

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AC man charged with murder

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Calvin Humphrey

A 32-year-old Anderson County man has been charged with second-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault that seriously injured two people, including the person who died, according to indictments filed in October.

Calvin Brandon Humphrey, of Hickory Valley Road, in Heiskell, east of Norris, killed Jasper Baysinger on January 25, the four-count indictment alleged.

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County sees increase in infant deaths due to unsafe sleeping practices

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Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan (center), chief medical examiner for Knox and Anderson Counties, speaks about a concerning increase in infant mortality rates in Anderson County on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, as (from left) County Mayor Terry Frank, Regional Forensic Center Chief Administrative Officer Chris Thomas, Anderson County EMS Deputy Director of Education Bobbi Jo Henderson, and EMS Director Nathan Sweet look on. (Photo courtesy Anderson County government)

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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Officers searching for suspect in fatal shooting

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Officers are searching in Virginia for a suspect in a fatal shooting in Anderson County on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023.

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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Democratic Women’s Club to hear from AC Emergency Rescue Squad

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Representatives of the Anderson County Emergency Rescue Squad will be guest speakers when the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club meets at 6 p.m. Monday, January 23, at Shoney’s Restaurant, 204 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Chief Terry Allen and Paula Daniel from the Rescue Squad will speak about the nonprofit, volunteer-run emergency response organization that serves Anderson County, a press release said. The Rescue Squad responds to a wide variety of emergency situations, including missing children, traffic accidents, water rescues, and high school training events. [Read more…]

CTF: Drugs for sale, cash, gun found in home with young children

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More than 100 pills and about 100 grams of marijuana along with $9,000 in cash and a Glock 26 9 mm pistol were found in a home with three children younger than eight this month, law enforcement officers said.

The Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force searched the home on Utica Circle with a narcotics warrant on January 10.

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Fentanyl, meth allegedly found during narcotics search

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Fentanyl, methamphetamine, other suspected drugs, and a gun were found during a narcotics search of an Oak Ridge home this month, according to law enforcement officers.

The Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County searched the home on Jasper Lane on Monday, January 9.

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Packard accused of filing false tax returns

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Russell Barker, who is now Anderson County sheriff, and the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force executes search warrants at McGuire Used Books on Thursday afternoon, May 24, 2018. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Already charged with money laundering and retail crime, an Oak Ridge business manager has been accused by the state of filing false tax returns and not paying sales taxes.

John McGuire Packard, 38, was indicted on nine counts by the Anderson County Grand Jury in June. The indictment charged him with one count of evade/defeat use tax for each month from September 2017 to May 2018. Those are Class E felonies.

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