Oak Ridge Today

OSPD, THP have sobriety checkpoint, work to reduce traffic fatalities

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Tennessee Highway Patrol and Oliver Springs Police Department

Pictured above from left to right are THP Trooper Kevin Jones, OSPD Patrolman Shannon Runyan, THP Sgt. Dennis Smith, and OSPD Sgt. Rick Hamby. (Photo courtesy OSPD)

 

The Oliver Springs Police Department has recently partnered with the Tennessee Highway Patrol in an effort to reduce traffic fatalities on Tennessee roadways.

THP started its “Drive to Zero” campaign on April 3. The goal of the campaign is to reduce traffic fatalities by 15 percent during 2014. The campaign addresses hazardous moving violations, distracted drivers, seat belt use, and driving under the influence, a press release said.

In the announcement for that campaign, THP Sgt. Dennis Smith said each state trooper and police officer in attendance were asked one question: How many traffic fatalities is acceptable on your watch, in your neighborhood, involving someone you know?

The answer was zero by everyone present, the press release said. [Read more…]

Dispose of unused medicine safely at four locations Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ASAP Logo

Anderson County residents can get rid of their unused medicine on Saturday as the county participates in National Drug Take-Back Day sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Oak Ridge Police Department, Clinton Police Department, Norris Police Department, Lake City Police Department, and Oliver Springs Police Department, along with ASAP, will host the event as part of a continued effort to reduce drug abuse and practice stewardship toward our environment. Medication may be dropped off with officers between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Oak Ridge Police Department at 200 S. Tulane Ave. or dropped in the bin at the locations listed below. All packaging materials will be recycled.

  • Clinton Police Department—125 W. Broad St., Clinton
  • Lake City Police Department—104 Lawson St., Lake City
  • Norris Police Department—9 West Circle Road, Norris
  • Oliver Springs Police Department—701 Main St., Oliver Springs [Read more…]

OS Beer Board hands down penalties

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

The Oliver Springs City Council, acting as the city’s Beer Board, handed down penalties on Thursday to two businesses that sold beer to an underage person during a beer sales law compliance check.

Representatives of the Pizza Hut on South Tri-County Boulevard asked the Beer Board to revoke their beer license for six months rather than pay a $1,250 fine, and the Board obliged.

Lee’s Market on Tri-County Boulevard was fined $1,250 and had its beer license placed on probation for six months. It was the first offense for both businesses.

Six clerks cited for selling beer to minor

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Six clerks in Anderson County were cited to court after businesses in Lake City and Oliver Springs sold beer to a minor during a compliance check in February, authorities said.

The sting was conducted on Feb. 20 and 21 by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, with help from the Lake City Police Department, Oliver Springs Police Department, and Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, or ASAP.

Investigators with the Sheriff’s Special Operations Unit visited 24 businesses to try to buy beer. Six sold beer to the underage person, the department said in a press release. Two of the six businesses did not check identification showing the person to be under 21, and four checked but sold the beer anyway. One on-premise business served the underage person, but the server realized the age before the sale was completed. [Read more…]

Two plead guilty to money laundering…literally

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio 

Two men pleaded guilty this week to charges that they literally laundered money stolen in a Knox County bank robbery.

Danny Ray Idles, 36, of Clinton and Christopher Coward, 31, of Powell, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Anderson County Criminal Court to four counts each of money laundering and were sentenced to serve four 12-year jail sentences to run concurrently. [Read more…]

OSPD investigating possible animal cruelty

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

Oliver Springs police said they found two horses—one dead, the other alive but in poor condition—last week.

Few details have been released, but investigators said they are waiting on test results to see if any charges will be filed.

In the meantime, the owner has surrendered the surviving horse to Horse Haven of Tennessee.

Jeep pulling ATV knocks down railroad signal in Oliver Springs

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Tri-County Boulevard and ATV Railroad Crossing Crash

A Jeep pulling an ATV on Tri-County Boulevard on Monday evening went off the road and knocked down a railroad signal. (Photos by Tom Scott)

Information from photographer Tom Scott

A Jeep pulling a trailer hauling an ATV eastbound on Tri-County Boulevard on Monday went off the road near Edmonds Drive and knocked down a railroad crossing signal.

The ATV flipped and landed next to the vehicle after the crash, which occurred at about 5:50 p.m. Monday.

No injuries were reported. The Oliver Springs police and fire departments responded as did the Anderson County Emergency Medical Services. [Read more…]

Windrock Road fire burns unoccupied home on Sunday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Windrock Road Cabin Fire

A Windrock Road fire on Sunday night burned an unoccupied home. (Photos by Tom Scott)

A Windrock Road fire on Sunday night burned an unoccupied home. The fire was reported at 7:55 p.m. Sunday at 805 Windrock Road.

There were no injuries, and the cause has not been determined, said Stephanie Fox, Marlow Volunteer Fire Department assistant fire chief.

The first firefighters to arrive on Sunday night reported that the house was completely in flames, fire photographer Tom Scott said. Fire engines weren’t able to drive up the home’s long, narrow dirt driveway, so firefighters had to drag a fire hose more than 700 feet by hand through brush and trees to get water on the house. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs man dies in Pellissippi Parkway crash

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

A 73-year-old Oliver Springs man died in a Sunday morning crash on Pellissippi Parkway, authorities said.

The collision that killed Eddy Palmer involved three vehicles and two separate crashes between Topside Road and Alcoa Highway in the eastbound lanes of Pellissippi Parkway, the Alcoa Police Department said.

The first two-vehicle crash occurred at about 8:12 a.m. Sunday when James Green, 28, of Knoxville, was momentarily blinded by the sun, causing the eastbound 1992 Honda Accord he was driving to rear-end a 2006 Ford Ranger pickup truck driven by Palmer, who lived on Joel Road in Oliver Springs, the police department said. There were no injuries in the initial crash. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs man charged with aggravated kidnapping, assault

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

An Oliver Springs man was jailed on aggravated domestic assault and aggravated kidnapping charges early Wednesday morning after he allegedly locked a woman in a room on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge, hit her in the face, and choked her.

Reginald D. Holland, 46, of Wilson Lane, remained jailed Saturday morning. The alleged assault and kidnapping occurred just after midnight on Jan. 1.

The victim, who also lives in Oliver Springs, had “deep red marks on both cheeks and long red marks around her neck, consistent with someone striking (her) in the face and holding them down by the neck,” Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Christopher Bayless wrote in arrest warrants. [Read more…]

Residents evacuated, but home heavily damaged in Oliver Springs fire

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Circle Oliver Springs Fire

Residents were safely evacuated, but a home and car were heavily damaged during a Saturday night fire on Oak Circle in Oliver Springs. (Photos by Tom Scott)

Residents were safely evacuated, but a home and car were heavily damaged during a Saturday evening fire in Oliver Springs.

The fire was reported at about 7:35 p.m. Saturday at 446 Oak Circle. A Nissan Sentra parked near the house suffered major damage, photographer Tom Scott said.

The home is on a hill. An Oliver Springs Volunteer Fire Department engine was positioned at the bottom of the driveway during the fire, and fire hoses were pulled up the hill, Scott said. [Read more…]

Fire destroys home on Hoskins Gap Road

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Jordan Alcorn at Hoskins Gap Road Fire

Oliver Springs Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Jordan Alcorn battles a fire that destroyed a home on Hoskins Gap Road near Winrock Road at about 7 a.m. Friday. (Photo by Tom Scott)

A fire destroyed a home on Hoskins Gap Road at about 7 a.m. Friday, but no injuries were reported.

The home was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, photographer Tom Scott said.

The home is near Windrock Road and in the Marlow Volunteer Fire Department area, but firefighters from Oliver Springs also responded, as did Anderson County Emergency Medical Services and the Sheriff’s Department.

Two people were reported to have escaped the fire, which was apparently started by a wood-burning stove. [Read more…]