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Death of Thomas Thrasher still being investigated in homicide case

Posted at 9:52 am September 5, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Thomas Stephen "T.S." Thrasher
Thomas Stephen “T.S.” Thrasher

The investigation of the death of an Oak Ridge man in an apartment in December 2014 remains active and ongoing, a state law enforcement official said Wednesday.

The death of Thomas Steven Thrasher Jr. is being investigated as a homicide. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Tennesssee Bureau of Investigation at (800) TBI-FIND.

In response to questions, TBI spokesperson Leslie Earhart said she could not discuss any potential evidence in the case, including whether a suspect has been identified.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Tennessee, Top Stories Tagged With: Dave Clark, homicide, Leslie Earhart, Oak Ridge Police Department, TBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Thomas Steven Thrasher Jr., Thomas Thrasher

Regions Bank robbery still being investigated

Posted at 12:33 pm September 1, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Regions Bank in Oak Ridge was robbed on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, and the Oak Ridge Police Department is searching for a suspect.

Law enforcement officers are still investigating the robbery of Regions Bank in June, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Friday.

The robbery of the bank on Rutgers Avenue in central Oak Ridge was reported at about 1:34 p.m. Wednesday, June 19.

A white man handed a note to a teller stating it was a robbery, the Oak Ridge Police Department said in June. The man fled on foot toward Vermont Avenue, according to the ORPD.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories, U.S. Tagged With: FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kevin Craig, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Rige, ORPD, Regions Bank, robbery

Two charged with conspiracy after 45 grams of meth allegedly found in motel room

Posted at 11:00 am August 30, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

William Michael Renfro
William Michael Renfro

An Oak Ridge man and woman are facing drug and conspiracy charges after 45.1 grams of methamphetamine were allegedly found in a motel room on South Illinois Avenue in May, according to court records.

Charged in the case are William Michael Renfro, 18, and Carlie Alise Wisman, 22.

Carlie Alise Wisman
Carlie Alise Wisman

A black backpack with 45.1 grams of methamphetamine was found in a room at Days Inn on May 7, according to affidavits filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court by Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Adam Fairbanks.

Video from a surveillance camera showed Renfro entering the motel room with the black backpack, and another video showed him leaving the room without the backpack, Fairbanks wrote in the affidavits. Affidavits are narrative descriptions of alleged crimes that are attached to arrest warrants.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Adam Fairbanks, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Carlie Alise Wisman, criminal conspiracy, manufacturing selling delivering or possessing a Schedule II controlled substance, manufacturing selling delivering or possessing a Schedule IV controlled substance, meth, methamphetamine, Oak Ridge Police Department, William Michael Renfro

Oak Ridge man charged with murder in drug death

Posted at 2:38 pm August 27, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Ronald Nicholas Bunch
Ronald Nicholas Bunch

An Oak Ridge man has been charged with second-degree murder in the drug-related death of another Oak Ridge man in February.

It could be the first time that anyone has been charged with murder, rather than homicide, for a drug-related fatality in Anderson County. There has been a previous case where a man was charged with and convicted of homicide in a drug overdose death.

The man who died on February 6 was Steven Douglas Scruggs, 34.

Indicted in his death was Ronald Nicholas Bunch, 28, of West Wadsworth Circle in Oak Ridge. Bunch’s indictment for second-degree murder on June 4 said he unlawfully and knowingly killed Scruggs through the unlawful distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance, and the drug caused Scruggs’ death. Second-degree murder is a Class A felony in Tennessee.

The charge of second-degree murder, part of a three-count indictment, doesn’t specifically say what drug killed Scruggs. But the second count of the indictment charged Bunch with possessing fentanyl, a Schedule II medication, for resale.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Anderson County, Courts, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Criminal Court, drug death, drug-related death, drug-related fatality, fentanyl, heroin, Jeremy Phillips, Oak Ridge Police Department, Ronald Nicholas Bunch, Ryan M. Spitzer, second-degree murder, Seventh Judicial District, Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, Steven Douglas Scruggs, Timothy Buckner

Roane County man dies in SR 95 crash

Posted at 5:38 pm August 22, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Police Vehicles
A Roane County man died in a single-vehicle crash on State Route 95 Wednesday night, Aug. 22, 2019, police said. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Police Department)

A Roane County man died in a single-vehicle crash on State Route 95 Wednesday night, police said.

The fatal crash was reported at about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday about one-tenth of a mile south of Bethel Valley Road, west of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

Dylan Young, 28, was driving the sport utility vehicle that crashed, and he was driving north on SR 95, the ORPD said. The SUV left the roadway and hit a tree, police said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Bethel Valley Road, crash, Dylan Young, fatal crash, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, SR 95, State Route 95

Apartment kitchen fire stopped by suppressor system

Posted at 7:28 pm August 8, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

An automatic stovetop device stopped a kitchen fire from spreading in an Oak Ridge apartment Thursday morning, firefighters said. (Photo by ORFD)

An automatic stovetop device stopped a kitchen fire from spreading in an Oak Ridge apartment Thursday morning, firefighters said.

The fire was reported at about 10:52 a.m. Thursday in an apartment on Teller Village Lane. The first Oak Ridge Fire Department unit arrived within minutes and found smoke inside the apartment, a press release said.

No injuries were reported in the fire. The vent hood system, cabinets, and stovetop in the kitchen were damaged, but the fire was not able to spread because of the automatic stovetop fire suppressor device, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire Tagged With: fire, fire suppression, fire suppressor, kitchen fire, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Teller Village Lane

Tonight: ORPD has community social

Posted at 9:29 am August 1, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Police Department will host a community social at the Scarboro Community Center tonight (Thursday, August 1). It’s scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The event will be held inside the gymnasium at the Scarboro Community Center, which is located at 148 Carver Avenue in Oak Ridge.

“Everyone is invited to attend,” a press release said. “The goal of the event is to build and enhance community relationships.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire Tagged With: Clara Chambles, community social, Karen George, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, Scarboro Community Center

Suicide believed to be cause of death on Tuesday

Posted at 11:01 pm July 24, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Police Department found a person who had died when officers responded to a call Tuesday evening.

The cause of death is believed to be suicide, the ORPD said.

No more information will be released, the ORPD said

Oak Ridge Today had received a reader inquiry about a body found in the woods on Andover Circle on Tuesday.

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire Tagged With: Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, suicide

ORFD warns of fraudulent carbon monoxide safety campaign

Posted at 1:43 pm July 19, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Fire Department is warning residents about a potentially fraudulent safety campaign. Firefighters were made aware this week that an unknown person claiming to be with the fire department is going to door to door, attempting to speak with homeowners about carbon monoxide detectors, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department is not currently operating any door-to-door safety campaigns in our area, the press release said. ORFD personnel will also never try to sell items to residents.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire Tagged With: carbon monoxide detector, fraudulent safety campaign, Oak Ridge Fire Department, ORFD

For members: Man sentenced to 8 months after fight with officers

Posted at 9:58 pm July 18, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A man who fought with Oak Ridge police officers, injuring five of them, pleaded guilty last week to five counts of aggravated assault on an officer, and he was sentenced to serve eight months in the Anderson County jail, according to court records.

Thurman B. Bates

Thurman B. Bates, 40, pleaded guilty to the five counts in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge on Thursday, July 11. He was ordered to serve the eight-month sentence with his release eligibility set at 75 percent of his sentence and with credit for time served. Bates has been jailed at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton since January 6, or more than six months.

Oak Ridge Police Department Badge

A man who fought with Oak Ridge police officers, injuring five of them, pleaded guilty last week to five counts of aggravated assault on an officer, and he was sentenced to serve eight months in the Anderson County jail, according to court records. 

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If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to: Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 Note: Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. Some are considered premium content. This story is premium content. Premium content can include in-depth, investigative, and exclusive stories.

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Premium Content Tagged With: aggravated assault, aggravated assault on an officer, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Kevin Angel, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, Sarah Self, Sherrill Selby, Thurman B. Bates

Oak Ridge man convicted of attempted murder

Posted at 1:07 pm July 11, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

McKinley Earl McGee

An Oak Ridge man who had been accused of stabbing his girlfriend and trying to kill her last year was convicted of attempted murder this week.

McKinley Earl McGee, 50, was convicted after a jury trial that started Tuesday morning in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton. Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark announced the conviction in a press release on Wednesday. The 12-person jury deliberated about 58 minutes before returning with its verdict, Clark said.

McGee was convicted of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault with serious bodily injury, Clark said.

McGee was convicted of stabbing and trying to kill Machel Elaine Avery on Utica Circle in Oak Ridge on January 12, 2018, Clark said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Courts, Front Page News, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, Anderson County Criminal Court, Anderson County General Sessions Court, Anderson County grand jury, attempted murder, attempted second-degree murder, Chris Wallace, Curtis W. Isabell, Dave Clark, Donald Elledge, Machel Elaine Avery, McKinley Earl McGee, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, Seventh Judicial Distirct, stabbing, Tony Craighead

Drivers prohibited from holding wireless telecommunications device

Posted at 2:25 pm July 8, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Under a new state law that went into effect July 1, drivers in Tennessee are now prohibited from holding a wireless telecommunications device such as a cell phone, personal digital assistant, or computer while operating a vehicle.

To comply with the new law, the Oak Ridge city code has to be changed. The Oak Ridge City Council will consider the code change in the first of two readings during a meeting this evening (Monday, July 8).

The proposed city ordinance mirrors the new state law, the city’s legal staff said in a July 1 memo. Most first and second offenses of the new handheld law will be brought to Oak Ridge City Court. Other offenses will result in state charges, which can result in higher fines than those imposed in municipal courts. Those other offenses include third and higher offenses, as well as violations occurring in construction zones, marked school zones where flashers are operating, and offenses that result in a crash.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire Tagged With: cell phone, city code, city ordinance, drivers, Ken Krushenski, Oak Ridge City Council, Tammy Dunn, telecommunications device, Tennessee

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