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Burglar steals cash from Shop Rite in Rocky Top

Posted at 1:14 pm September 10, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

WYSH Radio has received several calls over the past two days about why the Shop Rite grocery store in Rocky Top (Lake City) was closed most of the day Tuesday. Rocky Top Police confirmed to WYSH Tuesday that the store was indeed targeted in a burglary sometime late Monday or early Tuesday.

The culprits disabled the store’s security cameras and alarms, which also disrupted the store’s computer system, and stole an undisclosed but significant amount of money from the safe. Rocky Top Police were called to the store Tuesday morning, and according to the store manager, had identified a suspect within just a few hours and gotten a confession a short time later.

Store officials say that the burglary was an “inside job.” The delay in reopening the store was due to rebooting and reinforcing security on the store’s computer system.

The Shop Rite in Rocky Top reopened to shoppers at around 5 p.m. Tuesday. No one was inside the store at the time of the burglary, and no one was injured. Police say the case will likely be presented to a grand jury and, as of the time this report was filed, the identity of the suspect or suspects has not been released.

Information in this story brought to you through an agreement between Oak Ridge Today and WYSH. See more local news headlines on the WYSH website at http://www.wyshradio.com/local_news.html.

Filed Under: Lake City, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: burglary, grocery store, Rocky Top, Shop Rite, WYSH

Teen struck by vehicle, treated for minor head injuries

Posted at 11:18 am September 9, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

A 14-year-old was hit by a vehicle at the intersection of Lafayette Drive and Laboratory Road on Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The crash occurred at about 7:47 a.m. Tuesday, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

The boy was crossing Lafayette Drive on foot when he was struck by a northbound vehicle, the ORPD said in a statement. The teen was transported to Methodist Medical Center for treatment of minor head injuries.

The driver of the vehicle was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: car, child, crash, failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, Laboratory Road, Lafayette Drive, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD

Updated: Andy Allen, missing ORHS senior, had been lost in woods

Posted at 8:55 am September 2, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Andy Allen

Andy Allen

Note: This story was updated at 11:20 a.m.

Andy Allen, the 17-year-old Oak Ridge High School senior who had been missing since Saturday night, has been found safe after getting lost in the woods, authorities said Tuesday morning.

Allen told deputies that he was unable to find his way out of the woods, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said.

Allen had been missing since early Sunday morning after leaving his father’s home in west Knox County on foot. He was reunited with his parents on Tuesday morning.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office said a witness saw Allen walk out of the woods on Hart Road in Knox County around 8 a.m. He then walked to the Weigel’s on Northshore Drive off Pellissippi Parkway.

“A second person identified him and called 911,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “When Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived, he had been taken to a back room at the store. Rural Metro examined him and then he was sent home with his parents.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, K-12, Knox County, Police and Fire, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Andy Allen, Barb Allen, Betsy Coleman, Concord Park, Hart Road, KCSO, Kevin Allen, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, missing person, Northshore Drive, Oak Ridge High School, ORHS, Pellissippi Parkway

Knox County Sheriff helps hunt for missing ORHS senior

Posted at 12:52 pm September 1, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Andy Allen Search Party

Volunteers meet Monday morning at Concord Park to help search for Andy Allen, an Oak Ridge High School senior who was last seen at his father’s home in west Knox County on Saturday night. (Photos by Kathryn Howe)

 

Andy Allen Missing Poster

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is helping to hunt for Andy Allen, a 17-year-old senior at Oak Ridge High School.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is helping in the hunt for a west Knox County teenager and Oak Ridge High School senior who has been missing since early Sunday morning, authorities said.

Andy Allen, 17, left his home at Westland and Northshore on foot around 1 a.m. Sunday, and he was last spotted in the Northshore/Pellissippi area around 3 a.m. Sunday, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Airwatch is assisting in the search.

Allen is a white male, 5’9”, and 165 pounds, and he attends ORHS, where he is a senior.

Anyone with information is asked to call the KCSO at (865) 215-2243.

Volunteers are also helping in the search effort. Family friend Betsy Coleman and ORHS teacher Deni Sobek have coordinated that effort.

See previous story here.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Filed Under: Education, K-12, Knox County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Andy Allen, KCSO, Knox County, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, missing, Oak Ridge High School, ORHS

Searchers hunt for missing ORHS student

Posted at 9:31 am September 1, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Andy Allen

Andy Allen

Note: This story was last updated at 10:10 a.m. September 2.

Friends and family are searching for a 17-year-old Oak Ridge High School student who hasn’t been seen since he left his father’s house in west Knox County on foot at midnight Saturday, a family friend said.

Searchers are meeting at 9:30 a.m. today (Monday) at Concord Park on Northshore Drive to hunt for Andy Allen, an ORHS senior, family friend Betsy Coleman said.

Allen is 5’9″ and has blue eyes, dark hair, and a shaved head, Coleman said.

Allen’s father, Kevin Allen, is an assistant district attorney general for Knox County who lives in the Northshore Drive and Westland Drive area, Coleman said.

She said the last ping from Andy’s cell phone came at about 3 a.m. between Northshore Elementary School and George Williams Road, near Concord Park. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Knox County, Police and Fire, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Andy Allen, Barb Allen, Betsy Coleman, Concord Park, Kevin Allen, Knox County, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Northshore Drive, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORHS, Westland Drive

Grandfather dies, granddaughter injured in ATV crash on Windrock Mountain

Posted at 10:28 pm August 30, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A Georgia grandfather died and his granddaughter was injured when an all-terrain vehicle went over a 60-foot embankment on Windrock Mountain on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

Lindon Joald Lightsey, 68, of Baxley, Georgia, was fatally injured in the ATV crash north of Oliver Springs, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department said. His 12-year-old granddaughter was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said deputies and emergency personnel were called to the crash at about 2 p.m. Saturday. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Sheriff's Department, ATV, crash, embankment, Lindon Joald Lightsey, Mark Lucas, Windrock Mountain

Traffic backed up for miles on I-75 after shutdown for fiery crash

Posted at 6:47 pm August 27, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Lifestar on I-75 Vasper Bridge

This picture by Charlotte Underwood is looking straight at the Vasper Bridge on I-75, near the 132 mile marker. The crash site is a bit north of the bridge on the southbound side of I-75, which is a couple of miles south of Caryville’s exit 134. (Photo and information courtesy Charlotte Underwood/1450 WLAF Radio and WLAF-TV 12)

 

A fiery fatal crash that shut down Interstate 75 in Campbell County on Wednesday afternoon has led to miles of backups heading north out of Knoxville and south from Kentucky.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation reports that traffic coming out of Knoxville on northbound Interstate 75 is backed up more than 7.5 miles from exit 129 at Lake City in Anderson County. Information on detours is available by calling 5-1-1.

Meanwhile, southbound traffic on I-75 coming out of Kentucky is backed up more than five miles from exit 134 at Caryville in Campbell County, TDOT said.

TDOT estimated the highway could be clear by 9 p.m. See TDOT’s Twitter feed here. You can also visit TDOT’s Smartmap for more information. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, backups, Campbell County, Caryville, Charlotte Underwood, crash, Exit 129, Exit 134, fatal crash, Highway 116, Highway 25W, I-75, interstate, Interstate 75, Kentucky, Knoxville, Lake City, mile marker 133, TDOT, Tennessee Department of Transportation, tractor trailers, WLAF News, WLAF Radio, WLAF-TV

Police ID driver, passenger in fatal pond crash

Posted at 3:12 pm August 27, 2014
By John Huotari 5 Comments

England Road Pond

The Oliver Springs Police Department has identified the driver who died and the passenger who escaped after a Mazda MX3 coupe crashed into this pond on England Drive on Tuesday night.

Note: This story was last updated at 5:30 p.m.

The Oliver Springs Police Department has identified the woman who died and the passenger who escaped after a car crashed into a pond on England Drive on Tuesday night.

Driver Amy Hall, 23, of Oliver Springs, ran off the road into the private pond sometime before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, when the OSPD was notified of the accident.

“Members of the Oliver Springs police and fire departments responded and learned that a vehicle was submerged in the pond and one person, Donna McMillian, age 54, was able to get out of the vehicle and make it out of the water—and reported that another person was still in the vehicle,” Oliver Springs Police Chief Kenneth Morgan said in a Wednesday press release. “Members of the Fire Department entered the water but were unable to locate the vehicle.”

Morgan said the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Dive Team was called for assistance. Sheriff Paul White, Oliver Springs Fireman Adam Daugherty, and Marlow Fireman T.J. Giles entered the water and were able to locate Hall and the red two-door Mazda MX3 coupe at about 10 p.m. and help remove them with the help of two tow trucks about an hour later. White said divers, who emerged from the water covered in dark silt, could only see a few inches in front of their goggles under water. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Adam Daugherty, Amy Hall, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Donna McMillin, England Drive, Kenneth Morgan, Marlow Fire Department, Oliver Springs, Oliver Springs Police Department, OSPD, Paul White, pond, T.J. Giles

Driver dies, passenger escapes when car crashes into pond

Posted at 2:22 am August 27, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

England Road Fatal Pond Crash

Rescuers call in a tow truck to pull a car out of a pond on England Road on Tuesday night. The driver of the car died in the crash, but the passenger escaped.

OLIVER SRINGS—A female driver died and a passenger escaped Tuesday night when a small car crashed into a private pond on England Road in Oliver Springs.

Oliver Springs Police Chief Kenneth Morgan said the driver and female passenger won’t be identified until relatives have been notified.

The crash occurred sometime before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Property owner Marcia Pemberton said she came out of her house around then and heard screaming. At first, she thought it was family members playing at the dam at the pond. But then she realized these were different screams—screams for help, Pemberton said.

“Then I took off running,” she said.

The passenger was in a corner of the 18-foot-deep pond, hanging onto a tree and unable to get out because of the steep banks. There’s a car in the water, the woman told Pemberton. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Rescue Squad, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, car crash, England Road, Kenny Morgan, Marcia Pemberton, Mark Bolton, Marlow, Oliver Springs, Oliver Springs Fire Department, Oliver Springs Police Department, Paul White, pond, Scott Lucas, T.J. Giles

Officers cracking down on drunk, impaired drivers on Labor Day weekend

Posted at 6:57 pm August 26, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Drive Sober

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be out in force this Labor Day holiday as part of the “Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over” crackdown on drunk driving, a press release said.

“This effective nationwide campaign will include high-visibility enforcement throughout Anderson County,” Sheriff Paul White said in a press release. “The ‘Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over’ campaign will focus on drunk and impaired drivers with increased enforcement.”

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will take part in this campaign by saturation patrols during the Labor Day holiday period, which runs through September 1. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting a Drunk Driving Prevention Campaign on Friday, August 29, in cooperation with the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Sheriff’s deputies and state troopers will take aim at impaired or drunk drivers throughout Anderson County in an effort to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities, White said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Police and Fire, Tennessee, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, deputies, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, drunk driving, Drunk Driving Prevention Campaign, Governor’s Highway Safety Office, impaired drivers, Labor Day, Mark Lucas, Paul White, saturation patrols, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, traffic safety, troopers

Beer Board has show cause hearings for Lincoln’s, Moose Lodge

Posted at 10:09 am August 26, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lincoln's Sports Grille

Lincoln’s Sports Grille on South Illinois Avenue is pictured above. (File photo)

A city board on Thursday could consider revoking or suspending beer permits, or levying fines, on a restaurant and local organization that have previously had their permits suspended and sold beer or alcohol to a minor during a state sting in June, officials said.

The two businesses, Lincoln’s Sports Grille and Oak Ridge Moose Lodge #1316, are among five that sold beer or alcohol to a minor during a compliance check by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission in June, officials said. The Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board plans to have show cause hearings for all five.

Thursday’s special meeting will be the fifth show cause hearing for Lincoln’s and the second for Moose Lodge, according to the Beer Board agenda.

Lincoln’s sold beer, a 16-ounce Bud Light, to a 19-year-old on June 9 after checking the person’s identification, according to the TABC records. It’s the second violation at Lincoln’s for sale to a minor by the TABC, the Beer Board agenda said, and the case is still pending.

Meanwhile, the Moose Lodge sold alcohol, a mixed drink vodka cranberry, to a 19-year-old on June 26 after checking ID, the state records said. It’s also the second violation at Moose Lodge for sale to a minor by the TABC, the Beer Board agenda said. Moose Lodge paid a $2,000 civil penalty for the violation and agreed to a 15-day suspension of their liquor-by-the-drink license. That suspension was in effect from July 13-27.

The Beer Board can revoke or suspend a beer permit during a show cause hearing. The board can also accept a civil penalty in lieu of a suspension. The maximum civil penalty is $2,500 per violation for selling beer to a minor, and $1,000 for all other offenses. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: alcohol, beer, beer board, beer permit, beer permit suspension, civil penalty, compliance check, Derrick Dalton, fight, Lincoln's Sports Grille, Lincoln’s, liquor by the drink, Moose Lodge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board, Oak Ridge Moose Lodge #1316, public intoxication, sale to a minor, show cause hearing, TABC, Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission

DA: State seeks death penalty against pair accused of murder

Posted at 12:14 pm August 25, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Norman Lee Follis Jr.

Norman Lee Follis Jr.

Note: This story was last updated at 12:50 p.m.

State officials will seek the death penalty against a pair accused in the murder of a 79-year-old man whose body was found hidden underneath an apartment staircase on Patt Lane in Claxton two years ago, authorities said.

Norman Lee Follis Jr., 50, and Tammy Sue Chapman, 46, are accused of killing Sammie J. Adams sometime between December 5, 2011, and January 24, 2012, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a Monday announcement. Adams’ body was found under a stairwell in his home after friends and neighbors reported that they hadn’t seen him in a while, Clark said.

Adams’ age—he was over 70—was an aggravating factor leading to the death penalty request, Clark said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County District Attorney General, Claxton, Dave Clark, death penalty, Manhattan Inman, murder, Norman Lee Follis Jr., Patt Lane, Sammie J. Adams, Tammy Sue Chapman, Teller Village Lane, Valerie Becham

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