Oak Ridge Today

Saturday morning flurries dump an inch or more of snow

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South Illinois Avenue Accident

A furniture truck and a sedan crashed Saturday morning on slippery, snow-covered South Illinois Avenue. There didn’t appear to be any injuries, but the northbound lanes were closed for more than an hour.

The last time it snowed in Oak Ridge, some residents were disappointed that it didn’t stick.

This time was different. Saturday morning flurries quickly dumped an inch of snow or more on Oak Ridge, covering roadways and making driving treacherous.

There appeared to be at least several minor accidents, including on Oak Ridge Turnpike, Lafayette Drive, and South Illinois Avenue.

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Smoking apparently caused fatal fire Monday

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Decatur Road House Fire

Smoking appears to have caused the fatal house fire that killed one person and a dog on Decatur Road on Monday afternoon, authorities said. (Photos by Tom Scott)

Smoking appears to have caused the Monday afternoon fire that killed one person and a dog, fire officials said Tuesday.

“We’re not positive yet, but (the cause of the fire) could be smoking in the living room,” Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said.

Kerley said the victim’s body was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for an autopsy and identification. The victim appeared to be a man, he said.

Oak Ridge Assistant Fire Chief Josh Waldo said Tuesday afternoon that the victim died in the fire.

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Copper stolen from Oak Ridge Central Services Complex

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Someone stole $1,500 worth of copper from the Oak Ridge Central Services Complex this past weekend, according to an Oak Ridge Police Department report.

The theft from the Oak Ridge Public Works Department on Woodbury Lane was reported at about 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

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One person dies in Decatur Road house fire

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Decatur Road House Fire

One person died in a Monday afternoon fire at a home at the corner of Decatur Road and Delaware Avenue. (Photo by Tom Scott)

One person died in a Monday afternoon house fire on Decatur Road, Oak Ridge Assistant Fire Chief Josh Waldo said.

Authorities aren’t releasing the name or age of the person, pending notification of relatives. Authorities also wouldn’t say where the person was in the house during the fire.

The Oak Ridge police and fire departments are investigating the cause of the fire, which was concentrated around the home’s back porch and living room and sent thick gray and black smoke billowing skyward.

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Fire flares on Decatur Road back porch

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Decatur Road Fire

Oak Ridge firefighters quickly extinguished a fire at a Decatur Road home on Monday afternoon.

Oak Ridge firefighters quickly extinguished a fire that briefly raged at a Decatur Road home on Monday afternoon, including on the back porch.

Neighbors reported smoke at the home at about 2:45 p.m. Monday.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department appeared to bring the fire under control within a few minutes and later entered the home, which is at the intersection with Delaware Avenue. Firefighters remained on the scene more than 90 minutes afterward.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Two industry fires reported in Clinton

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ORFD Tower Truck

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responded with a tower truck and personnel to a Thursday evening fire at Rexnord Link Belt Plant on J.D. Yarnell Industrial Parkway in Clinton. (Photos by Tom Scott)

Two fires were reported Thursday night and early Friday morning at businesses in Clinton.

The first fire broke out Thursday night at Rexnord, and the second one occurred early Friday at Eagle Bend Manufacturing, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton. In both fires, no injuries were reported, and they are not believed to be suspicious in nature.

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Woman accused of pulling knife on man, trying to run him over

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An Oak Ridge woman charged with two counts of aggravated assault is accused of hitting a man in the head, pulling a knife on him, and then trying to run over him early Thursday morning, court records said.

Karol Ann Allred, 40, allegedly hit the man in the left side of the head during an argument on Lancaster Road at about 3:10 a.m. Thursday, according to affidavits filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court. Allred also allegedly pulled a knife on the man and got into her vehicle and tried to run over him as he left the home, the records said.

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Woman has possible injuries after Lansing Road rollover crash

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Latimer Road Crash

An Oak Ridge woman was injured in a rollover accident on South Lansing Road on Sunday night. (Photo by Tom Scott)

An Oak Ridge woman suffered possible injuries in a rollover accident on South Lansing Road on Sunday night.

Terry Beth Matthews, 48, was using her shoulder and lap belt and was not ejected, but she was taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center after her 2004 Toyota Camry rolled near Latimer Road at about 8:55 p.m. Sunday, an Oak Ridge Police Department crash report said.

Matthews was outside the vehicle, which was on its roof, when police and fire units arrived. Her passenger, Richard L. Sweeden, 48, of Kingston, was not injured, but he had left the scene.

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Family withdraws lawsuit over fatal 2010 Oak Ridge police shooting

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Note: This story was last updated at 9:15 a.m. Jan. 17.

The family of a man fatally shot by Oak Ridge police after he allegedly threatened officers with a knife and stabbed a police dog has withdrawn a lawsuit against the city, municipal officials, and four police officers.

The voluntary withdrawal of the lawsuit, a stipulation of dismissal, was filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Nov. 16.

The plaintiffs—the estate of Rodney Eugene Harris, 48, and his wife, Patricia Harris—have one year to refile the civil lawsuit, which sought an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages.

A Feb. 4 trial had been scheduled before Senior U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell.

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Vehicle rolls, injuries reported in Oak Ridge Turnpike crash

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Oak Ridge Turnpike Crash

Four people were injured, three ejected or partially ejected, and two extricated after a two-vehicle collision on Oak Ridge Turnpike on Sunday afternoon. (Photos by Tom Scott)

Four people were injured, three were ejected or partially ejected, and firefighters had to extricate two after two vehicles collided on Oak Ridge Turnpike on Sunday afternoon.

The crash occurred east of Laboratory Road near the entrance to Home Depot at about 3:08 p.m. Sunday.

An Oak Ridge Police Department crash report said the two drivers and two passengers—Charles E. Brooks, 83; Derick S. Coapman, 22; Faith M. Goncalves, 22; and Daniel W. Coapman, 27—were reported in stable condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville at the time of the report.

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Report: Oak Ridge police officer assaulted by high school student

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An Oak Ridge High School student allegedly threatened a teacher and punched a police officer trying to escort him out of the cafeteria on Thursday, authorities said.

The student, Christopher Lee Arwood, 18, had allegedly “become disorderly in the school cafeteria and threatened a teacher with violence” at about 11:05 a.m. Thursday, court records said.

Oak Ridge Police Officer Sherrill Selby, who is the school resource officer, tried to intervene and escort Arwood from the cafeteria, which was full of students, an affidavit said.

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Four ORPD sergeants ask court to order salary increase

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Four veteran Oak Ridge Police Department sergeants, including one who has retired, have asked an Anderson County court to order that their pay be increased to $61,000 per year so they will earn as much as two less-experienced sergeants.

The four sergeants have requested that the pay increase be effective starting Jan. 8, 2012, when they filed a grievance.

They also want the court to overturn or modify a Sept. 7 order from the Oak Ridge Personnel Advisory Board that dismissed their grievance and found no violation of the city’s personnel ordinance.

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