Oak Ridge Today

Roane State course teaches emergency responders lessons learned from combat

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Roane State Combat Care Course

Roane State’s Kirk Harris (second from left, facing camera) reviews the main points from the college’s two-day combat casualty care/tactical emergency casualty care course. (Photo courtesy Roane State)

 

Roane State Community College’s Kirk Harris believes details save lives.

Harris, director of continuing healthcare and safety education, recently started offering a course on tactical combat casualty care/tactical emergency casualty care. The course applies lessons learned from the experiences of U.S. soldiers and the latest research on combat care in Iraq and Afghanistan to situations first responders could face.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing law enforcement incidents that are more like military combat, such as mass shootings at schools and industries,” Harris said. “We can learn a lot from the experiences of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. This course brings that knowledge together.” [Read more…]

Oliver Springs teen killed in motorcycle-car crash

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An Oliver Springs teenager riding a motorcycle was killed in a Monday morning crash with a car.

Aaron Gunter, 17, of Oliver Springs, was riding westbound on a 2005 Suzuki dirt bike on State Highway 62 near Coalfield when he was hit by a 2008 Kia Sportage at about 6:41 a.m. Monday, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said in a preliminary report.

The Kia was also traveling westbound and driven by Sharon Morton, 75, of Andersonville. [Read more…]

ORPD: Charges pending against hit-and-run suspect

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Oak Ridge Police Department Logo

A suspect in a Friday night hit-and-run in Oak Ridge is in custody in Morgan County, and more charges are pending in Oak Ridge, authorities said.

The hit-and-run involving a pedestrian was reported at about 8:34 p.m. Friday at West Outer Drive and North Illinois Avenue, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Fire Department wants to check your smoke alarms

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Josh Waldo

Josh Waldo

The Oak Ridge Fire Department wants to check your smoke alarms and has now made it even easier for them to do that, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department has provided a new link that people can use to schedule a time for firefighters to come and check their smoke alarms. Citizens can visit the Oak Ridge Fire Department website here and click on the smoke alarm program link on the right of the page or they can use the QR code provided below and then click on the smoke alarm picture. [Read more…]

Report: Man fires gun into ground during parking dispute

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Justin Kane Hornung

Justin Kane Hornung

An Oak Ridge man who allegedly fired a gun into the ground during a parking disturbance on Tucker Road on January 18 has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault.

Justin Kane Hornung, 37, told Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Christopher W. Wallace that he did not have space to park his vehicle on Tucker Road when he came home because guests of a neighbor had filled the on-street parking spaces, according to warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court.

A discussion between Hornung and his neighbor about the parking situation reportedly escalated into a disturbance, and the victim allegedly told Hornung he was going to “kick his (expletive)” and yelled other obscenities, according to the warrants. [Read more…]

Warrants: Man armed with knife tried to kidnap two children

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Justin Len Williams

Justin Len Williams

An Oak Ridge man allegedly broke into a home this month, assaulted the mother of his children, threw a five-inch kitchen knife at a man at the home, and tried to kidnap two kids, authorities said.

Justin L. Williams, 23, is accused of going upstairs at the Knoll Lane home armed with a five-inch kitchen knife and confronting the woman in the hall, shoving her against a door and to the floor, and assaulting her again outside while taking her car keys to get child seats, according to arrest warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court.

The woman, who had a laceration to her right big toe, reportedly called 911 on her cell phone during the assault at about 4:18 a.m. January 14, the warrants said. [Read more…]

Updated: KPD pursuit passes through Anderson, ends in Union

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Jeremy Shane Howard

Jeremy Shane Howard

The police chase that passed through Anderson County on Thursday night started at a Weigel’s store in Knoxville and ended with an arrest in Union County.

The Knoxville Police Department said officers observed a suspicious man at Weigel’s on Callahan and Central Avenue Pike on Thursday night. The man was observed by officers on special assignment for recent robberies in north Knoxville.

The suspect, who was wearing surgical gloves, had been in the store for an extended period of time acting suspiciously before leaving without purchasing any items, the KPD said. [Read more…]

Seven emergency workers honored for baby deliveries, fire rescue

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Stork Pin Billy Sharp, Chris Bice, Stephanie Fox, and Gage Whitman

From left wearing blue shirts are Critical Care Paramedic or CCEMTP Billy Sharp, Paramedic Student Chris Bice, AEMT Stephanie Fox, and Paramedic Gage Whitman. They were awarded the Stork pin when the Anderson County Commission met on Tuesday morning. The Stork pin is traditionally given to a field provider for helping to deliver a baby. Also pictured at far left is Nathan Sweet, director of Anderson County Emergency Medical Services. (Photos courtesy Anderson County Emergency Medical Services)

 

Four emergency medical workers in Anderson County were honored Tuesday for helping with baby deliveries, and three rescuers were recognized for their courage in pulling a woman from a burning home in November.

Those who helped deliver the babies received a Stork pin, said Nathan Sweet, director of Anderson County Emergency Medical Services. The four were honored during a Tuesday meeting of the Anderson County Commission. They are Critical Care Paramedic or CCEMTP Billy Sharp, Paramedic Student Chris Bice, AEMT Stephanie Fox, and Paramedic Gage Whitman.

They helped with baby deliveries in October, November, and December. [Read more…]

Officials decline comment on federal agent, police presence at Oak Ridge business

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Federal Agents at Berthold Technologies

Federal agents and police declined to comment on why they were at Berthold Technologies on Midway Road in Oak Ridge on Thursday morning.

 

Federal officials would not comment and company executives were not immediately available to comment Thursday morning on why there appeared to be roughly a dozen agents and police at the Berthold Technologies building on Midway Road in south Oak Ridge.

It wasn’t clear exactly which agencies were at the business. Some wore black jackets with lettering on the back that said Federal Agent and at least had one with lettering that said Police. The agents were seen entering and leaving Berthold Technologies through a few doors in the single-story building, and also going in and out of a large warehouse or garage area at the rear of the building.

It wasn’t clear if any employees were at the building. Oak Ridge Today was not able to reach anyone by phone at Berthold Technologies or to immediately reach the general manager listed on the company’s website by email. [Read more…]

Reports: Man drags constable while fleeing, crashes into deputy’s cruiser

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Larry Eugene Ward

Larry Eugene Ward

An Anderson County man suspected of fleeing a crash on Clinton Highway last week was found slumped over with blood on his face in a damaged car that reeked inside of alcohol, authorities said. The suspect, Larry Eugene Ward, fled from officers, and he dragged three emergency responders with him and almost ran over a constable’s legs before crashing into three other vehicles on Bull Run Road, including a deputy’s patrol car, authorities said.

The constable, Jennings F. Foust, 64, was dragged almost 50 feet before Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Robert J. Collins was able to pull him from the vehicle, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.

While trying to flee, Ward crashed into three more vehicles, including Collins’ patrol car and Foust’s car, and hit or nearly hit an ambulance, authorities said.

Ward, 34, of Clinton, remained jailed Wednesday at the Anderson County Detention Facility on a slew of charges including aggravated assault, evading arrest, reckless driving, public intoxication, and driving under the influence. [Read more…]

Updated: Attorney Tunnell charged with assault, Judge Miller recuses himself

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William Lawrence Tunnell

William Lawrence Tunnell

Note: This story was updated at 11:55 a.m. Jan. 21.

William Lawrence Tunnell, an alternate Oak Ridge city judge who is believed to be the oldest practicing attorney in Tennessee, was arrested January 13 for allegedly hitting a man with his car and knocking him to the ground in November.

Tunnell, 94, has been charged with one count of aggravated assault. He has a hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.

(Update: Anderson County General Sessions Court Judge Roger Miller has recused himself from hearing this case, and a special judge will be appointed. A new hearing date had not been set as of Wednesday morning.)

According to an arrest warrant, the incident occurred Friday evening, November 21, at the intersection of West Outer Drive and Waltham Lane. [Read more…]

THP: Man injured in December crash dies

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Note: This story was updated at 2:41 p.m. Jan. 18.

A man injured in a late December accident on Interstate 40 in Roane County died from his injuries, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The crash happened on I-40 near Gallaher Road in Kingston on Saturday, December 27.

Troopers said that Josephine Yeager, 18, of Dayton, was driving a 2004 Kia minivan in the far right eastbound lane near mile marker 356 and was trying to change lanes into the far left lane when she hit a 2014 Cadillac sedan driven by Norma L. Craig, 70, of Cookeville. The collision forced the Cadillac off the left side of roadway into the center median, THP Trooper Alexander Evans said in a report. [Read more…]