Oak Ridge Today

ORPD: Man forces woman from wheelchair & vehicle in reported carjacking

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A woman was forced from her wheelchair and vehicle during a carjacking reported in Oak Ridge on Saturday, and the suspect crashed after a police chase into Knox County, authorities said.

The carjacking was reported in the parking lot of the Red Lobster restaurant on South Illinois Avenue at about 1:50 p.m. Saturday, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

“It was reported that a man forcibly took a vehicle that was occupied by an adult female passenger in a wheelchair,” the ORPD said. “After taking the vehicle, the suspect forced the passenger from her wheelchair and from the vehicle in the restaurant parking lot. The victim was not injured.” [Read more…]

First Water Safety Day will have demonstrations on life jackets, water rescues

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Oak Ridge Water Safety Day 2018

A first-ever Water Safety Day in Oak Ridge will feature demonstrations on boating and life jacket safety, open water rescues, lifeguard skills, and more, a press release said.

The Water Safety Day was announced by the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department. It’s scheduled from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at the Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool.

Water Safety Day is a partnership between the Recreation and Parks Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, and Oak Ridge Police Department, as well as the Anderson County Volunteer Rescue Squad and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the press release said. [Read more…]

Part of Melton Lake Drive to be closed Thursday for USA Cycling races

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Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

A large part of Melton Lake Drive will be closed Thursday for the USA Cycling Individual Time Trial National Championship, which is being held in Oak Ridge.

The planned road closure was announced by the City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Police Department.

The closure is necessary to provide a safe, closed-loop course for athletes, volunteers, and spectators, a press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge man charged with attempted murder

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McKinley Earl McGee

McKinley Earl McGee

 

An Oak Ridge man has ben charged with attempted murder after he allegedly stabbed a woman in the torso with a knife during a dispute over money in January, according to Anderson County court records.

McKinley Earl McGee, 49, was indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury in Clinton on May 1. His charges include attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault that resulted in serious bodily injury.

McGee has an arraignment scheduled for June 25 in Anderson County Criminal Court in Clinton.

The alleged stabbing occurred in an apartment on Utica Circle in Oak Ridge on January 12, according to affidavits filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court by Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Chris Wallace. [Read more…]

McGuire Books closing, while Packard’s store re-opened

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McGuire Books in Oak Ridge is closing. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the store, which also sells CDs, DVDs, games, and electronics, on Thursday, May 24, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

McGuire Books in Oak Ridge is closing. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the store, which also sells CDs, DVDs, games, and electronics, on Thursday, May 24, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

McGuire Books in Oak Ridge is closing, while Packard’s Games and Movies in Clinton has re-opened and Packard’s in Kingston is expected to re-open.

The McGuire Books store in Oak Ridge, which also sells compact discs, digital video discs, games, and electronics, said it was closing after it was searched and some items were seized by law enforcement starting at about noon Thursday, May 24. The store was open the next day, Friday of last week, with a skeleton crew of staff members, although there were, at that time, shelves that were conspicuously empty at the front of the store. Law enforcement officers were reported to have taken DVDs, games, and some other items.

The search last week, which continued into Thursday night and involved several large moving trucks, was led by the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force of Anderson County. The CTF was helped by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, the Eighth Judicial District Drug Task Force, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and Clinton Police Department. Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark and Assistant District Attorney General Ryan Spitzer were also at the store.

Officers were observed removing boxes of items from McGuire Books and packing them into the moving trucks last week. Crime scene tape blocked entry to the store, and a Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force crime scene truck was parked out front. The purpose of the search has not been announced. [Read more…]

Victim identified in fatal crash

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One person died in a two-vehicle crash on Melton Lake Drive near the rowing course finish line on Sunday, May 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

One person died in a two-vehicle crash on Melton Lake Drive near the rowing course finish line on Sunday, May 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Authorities have identified the female driver who died in a head-on two-vehicle crash on Melton Lake Drive on Sunday night as Jessica Hotchkiss, 37, of Clinton.

No other details had been released as of Tuesday, and the Oak Ridge Police Department said the investigation was ongoing.

The fatal crash was reported at about 11:23 p.m. Sunday just south of the tower at the Oak Ridge rowing course finish line. It involved a sport utility vehicle and a Comcast utility bucket truck.

The ORPD said then that it appeared the SUV had crossed the center line, striking the Comcast truck head-on. [Read more…]

One person dies in crash on Melton Lake Drive

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One person died in a two-vehicle crash on Melton Lake Drive near the rowing course finish line on Sunday, May 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

One person died in a two-vehicle crash on Melton Lake Drive near the rowing course finish line on Sunday night, May 27, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

One person died in a head-on collision on Melton Lake Drive on Sunday night, authorities said.

The two-vehicle crash was reported at about 11:23 p.m. Sunday just south of the tower at the Oak Ridge rowing course finish line. It involved a sport utility vehicle and a Comcast utility bucket truck.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, but it appears that the SUV crossed the center line, striking the Comcast truck head-on, according to Oak Ridge Police Department Sergeant Jeremy Huddleston.

Authorities reported that a female driver died in the crash. Huddleston said the other driver was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville and released. [Read more…]

Law enforcement search at McGuire could continue through Thursday night

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The law enforcement search at McGuire—a store that sells used books, compact discs, digital video discs, and electronics—is expected to last hours and continue throughout the night Thursday May 24, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The law enforcement search at McGuire—a store that sells used books, compact discs, digital video discs, and electronics—is expected to last hours and continue through the night Thursday, May 24, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:45 a.m. May 25.

The law enforcement search at McGuire—a store that sells used books, compact discs, digital video discs, and electronics—is expected to last hours and continue through the night (Thursday night).

The Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force of Anderson County executed search warrants at McGuire Used Books, CDs, DVDs, Games, and More starting at about noon Thursday. There were reported to be about a dozen employees in the store at the time the search began.

Authorities declined to say why they were searching the store on Thursday afternoon. But they had a stack of moving boxes ready to be folded and numerous boxes folded and ready to be used, and there were several moving trucks parked near the store, including one right in front of it.

Crime scene tape blocked entry to the store, and a Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force crime scene truck was parked out front.

At about 10 p.m. Thursday, it appeared that boxes with items inside were occasionally being brought out of the store and loaded into the moving truck parked in front of McGuire. [Read more…]

Local business closed for now as law enforcement investigates

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The law enforcement search at McGuire—a store that sells used books, compact discs, digital video discs, and electronics—is expected to last hours and continue throughout the night Thursday May 24, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The law enforcement search at McGuire—a store that sells used books, compact discs, digital video discs, and electronics—is expected to last hours and continue through the night Thursday, May 24, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:50 a.m. May 25.

A local store that sells used books, music, and electronics was closed Thursday afternoon, and law enforcement officers were at the business for reasons that haven’t been been disclosed yet.

A crime scene truck from the Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force was parked in front of McGuire Books, Music, Games, DVDs, Electronics at about 5 p.m. Thursday. So was a large moving truck. The entrance to the store was taped off with crime scene tape.

Russell Barker and other members of the Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force were at the store, which is off South Illinois Avenue near South Tulane Avenue, and so was Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark. [Read more…]

Charged with attempted murder, woman allegedly conspired to lock, erase cell phone

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Kali Annabelle Bailey

Kali Annabelle Bailey

 

The Heiskell woman who was charged with attempted murder after she allegedly shot into an occupied vehicle in Oak Ridge on May 6 is now accused of conspiring with her grandmother and one of the victims to lock or erase her cell phone, which is being held in evidence at the Oak Ridge Police Department.

After the shooting, Kali Annabelle Bailey, 20, was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment.

New charges related to the alleged attempt to lock or erase her cell phone were filed Monday. The charges are criminal conspiracy to tamper with evidence, attempted tampering with evidence, and solicitation of tampering with evidence. Like the original charges, they are all felony charges.

Bailey’s bond on the original charges had been set at $250,000. Bond on the new charges is $25,000.

Bailey’s alleged co-conspirators, Becky A. Bell of Heiskell and Seth M. Davis of Oak Ridge, have also been charged. Bell is Bailey’s grandmother, and Davis is a victim of the alleged shooting, according to court records. [Read more…]

Hearing set for Tuesday in attempted murder case

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Kali Annabelle Bailey

Kali Annabelle Bailey

 

A hearing date has been set for Tuesday for a woman charged with attempted murder after she allegedly shot into an occupied vehicle in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Oak Ridge on Sunday, May 6.

The hearing for Kali Annabelle Bailey, 20, of Powell, has been scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, in Oak Ridge. The hearing date was scheduled on the assumption that Bailey is not able to be released on a $250,000 bond.

But it’s not clear if the date might change if Bailey is able to be released on bail, or if any of the subpoenas that might be issued in the case are not served between now and Tuesday. Two subpoenas were issued to victims in court on Tuesday this week, according to Anderson County court records. There is one more subpoena that has been issued, but not served, and that’s to an Oak Ridge Police Department officer, the court records said.

Bailey had allegedly threatened to shoot one of the two people in the vehicle, a female passenger, several months before she allegedly shot into it on May 6, authorities said. Bailey had reportedly tried to argue with the female victim, Bailee D. Bolden of Oak Ridge, about her relationship with the male victim, Seth M. Davis of Oak Ridge, authorities said. [Read more…]

Peace Officers Memorial & Awards Ceremony in Oak Ridge on Tuesday

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The Oak Ridge Police Department Officers Memorial is pictured above in May 2017. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony is pictured above at the Oak Ridge Municipal Building in May 2017. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Police Department is celebrating National Police Week from May 13-19 with other law enforcement agencies across the nation, and the department plans to host two events on Tuesday, May 15. Everyone is invited, a press release said.

The first event is a Peace Officers Memorial Day Service to honor all law enforcement personnel. The ceremony will be held at the flagpole in front of the Oak Ridge Municipal Building at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. The keynote speaker will be Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark.

The second event is an awards ceremony, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. inside the Municipal Building Courtroom. Oak Ridge Police Department personnel will be recognized with various certificates, awards, and letters of commendation. [Read more…]