Oak Ridge Today

Andersonville man dies in head-on collision with tractor-trailer

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Edgemoor Road Fatal Crash Truck Cleanup

Workers clean up and the Tennessee Highway Patrol investigates after a fatal two-vehicle crash between a pickup truck and tractor-trailer rig, pictured above on Edgemoor Road in Claxton on Wednesday morning.

CLAXTON—A 39-year-old Andersonville man died on Wednesday morning when the westbound pickup truck he was driving collided head-on with an eastbound tractor-trailer rig on Edgemoor Road in Claxton.

Michael T. Utley was headed west in a 2001 Dodge Dakota pickup at about 6:11 a.m. Wednesday when he crossed the center line into the eastbound lane and hit a 2000 Freightliner semi pulling a trailer loaded with heavy steel coils, according to preliminary information from the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The driver of the semi, Edmund E. Wood, 57, of Madisonville, was not injured, the THP said. [Read more…]

Fatal crash on Edgemoor Road on Wednesday morning; motorists asked to avoid area

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Oak Ridge Today

Note: This story was updated at 11:15 a.m.

There was a fatal traffic crash involving a semi truck on Edgemoor Road at about 6 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

The crash closed a portion of Edgemoor Road between South Dogwood Road and Old Edgemoor Road near Clinton Highway. Traffic was rerouted in both directions down Old Edgemoor Road, said Mark Lucas, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy.

He said motorists are being asked to avoid the area.

The crash is being investigated by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Lucas said THP and Sheriff’s Department units remained on the scene throughout the morning, and it wasn’t clear how much longer they would be there. [Read more…]

After police standoff, woman charged with going armed while intoxicated

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Patsy Lee Oliver

Patsy Lee Oliver

Note: This story was updated at 1:40 p.m.

The 62-year-old woman arrested after a four-hour police standoff on Jellico Lane on Monday morning has been charged with possession of a handgun while intoxicated.

Patsy Lee Oliver, of 123 Jellico Lane, had allegedly approached a neighbor carrying a “small frame small caliber handgun” on Monday morning, according to an affidavit filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court. The victim and a witness who lives at the same address as the victim said Oliver appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicant.

Jellico Lane Standoff Police

The Oak Ridge Police Department responds to a Monday morning standoff on Jellico Lane that started after a report of a disturbance involving a gun.

The victim had a cell phone video of Oliver standing at the end of Jellico Lane concealing something behind her back that appeared to be a small black handgun, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer John Thomas said in the affidavit.

“Also in the video, defendant’s actions are as that of an intoxicated person,” Thomas said.

ORPD officers responded to the reported disturbance at about 6:48 a.m. Monday. They eventually made contact with Oliver on her porch and “observed that her speech was slurred and slow,” Thomas said in the affidavit. “Her demeanor was at times erratic, and she was slow and shuffling in her movements.” [Read more…]

Teen charged with attempted murder in alleged stabbing

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Dakota Michael Rogers

Dakota Michael Rogers

A Knoxville teenager has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault in an alleged stabbing after a fight ensued when he went to pick up a car on Mehaffey Road in eastern Anderson County on March 24, authorities said.

Dakota Michael Rogers, 19, allegedly went to the home at about 9 p.m. March 24 to pay for a car and repay a female resident who had loaned him money for it, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department investigator Mark Bolton said in affidavits filed in General Sessions Court in Clinton.

But Rogers, who was arrested Monday, allegedly got into a fight with a male resident. It started in the living room and then spilled out onto the porch, according to the affidavits. Bolton said the two men do not get along.

The victim said the two men were separated by a porch rail, and when he walked to it, Rogers stabbed him in the belly near his belly button. The victim said he he did not see the knife. [Read more…]

Lincoln’s to have beer permit suspended at least one week

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Lincoln's Sports Grille

Lincoln’s Sports Grille will have a one- or two-week beer permit suspension depending upon improvements made before a June 9 meeting. (File photo)

The Oak Ridge Beer Board voted on Monday to suspend the beer permit of Lincoln’s Sport Grille for one or two weeks, depending upon improvements made before the board’s June meeting.

Lincoln’s has met with the board four times within the past two years. Monday’s meeting was in response to an April altercation between two male patrons.

The motion to allow Lincoln’s the opportunity for a reduced suspension was passed in a 4-3 vote, with opposition from Theresa Scott, Barton Bailey, and Randy Tedford.

The vote requires that Lincoln’s provide proof that they have made efforts to improve their business before the beer board’s next meeting on June 9. If they can not meet the board’s requirements for improvement, they will face a two-week suspension.

Tedford, who is Beer Board chair, said Lincoln’s must provide “a more comprehensive plan” to fix problems involving over-service and the patio gate at the popular restaurant, and add eight surveillance cameras around the premises and at least two more staff members to make sure the patio is adequately monitored. [Read more…]

Late-night fire forces temporary evacuation of apartment building

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Tara Hills Apartment Fire Evacuation

Oak Ridge Fire Department Capt. Kerry Osborne carries a child from a building that had to be evacuated at the Tara Hills apartment complex on Sunday night. The boy was still in the building with his mother and brother when the fire department arrived. (Photos courtesy ORFD)

 

A fire in a downstairs apartment at the Tara Hills apartment complex on Elmhurst Drive late Sunday night forced the temporary evacuation of roughly 24 apartments, authorities said.

The fire was reported to the Oak Ridge Dispatch office just before midnight, and multiple units from the Oak Ridge Fire Department were dispatched, a press release said. Fire department units arrived to find heavy smoke coming from one of the apartment buildings with several people still inside the building, the release said.

“The fire was on the first floor of the building, but hallways on the second and third floors quickly filled with smoke,” ORFD Deputy Chief Josh Waldo said. [Read more…]

Police standoff that starts with report of gun, disturbance ends peacefully

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Jellico Lane Standoff Police

The Oak Ridge Police Department responds to a Monday morning standoff on Jellico Lane that started with a report of a disturbance and a gun.

 

Woman taken into custody after four hours

Note: This story was updated at 4:07 p.m.

A four-hour standoff between the Oak Ridge Police Department and a Jellico Lane resident that started with a report of a disturbance and a gun ended peacefully Monday morning.

The standoff started at about 6:48 a.m. at 123 Jellico Lane, the ORPD said. Initial reports said a firearm was displayed during the neighborhood dispute, according to ORPD Chief Jim Akagi and Lt. John Kelly. Many officers responded, including several from the department’s Crisis Intervention Team, and tactical personnel were called in to help secure the scene, Kelly said.

A CIT officer trained in crisis negotiation was able to talk to the resident, Patsy Oliver, 62, and she was taken into custody at about 10:41 a.m. Oliver was taken to Methodist Medical Center for treatment of an unrelated laceration on her hand and further evaluation, the ORPD said in a Monday afternoon press release.

“Charges against Ms. Oliver are forthcoming,” the press release said. “No further details will be released at this time.” [Read more…]

Student lights desk on fire; RMS bomb threat appears unfounded, ORPD says

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James T. Akagi

James T. Akagi

Note: This story was last updated at 3:58 p.m.

A 16-year-old student at the Alternative School used hand sanitizer and a lighter to ignite another student’s desktop on Wednesday, authorities said.

Students extinguished the fire, and the suspect was arrested at the Alternative School on Thursday. He was processed at the Oak Ridge Police Department on aggravated arson charges and taken to the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Facility in Knoxville, a press release said.

In a separate incident, authorities determined that a report of an alleged bomb threat at Robertsville Middle School on Monday was unfounded, and no criminal charges are expected.

The ORPD said the desk was set on fire just before dismissal at the Alternative School on Wednesday. The Alternative School is next to the Oak Ridge High School and on the same campus. Staff at the Alternative School notified School Resource Office Sherrill Selby about the incident via e-mail. [Read more…]

Meth lab seizures in Tennessee down from 2013

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Federal Meth Prosecution

Flanked by local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian, center, announces that 42 people, including many Anderson County residents, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine. (March 2013 file photo)

Information from WYSH Radio

The Tennessee Meth Task Force says that the number of meth labs seized in the state in the first quarter of 2014 is down 52 percent from this time last year. Between January and March of 2014, 290 meth labs were seized, compared to the first quarter of 2013, when 612 meth labs were seized.

Officials attributed the decrease to several factors, including increased enforcement, like the federal indictments handed down in Anderson County last year against more than 50 people on meth-making and related charges. Officials also cite local ordinances passed by 17 communities that now require a prescription to purchase pseudoephedrine, which is the key ingredient used to make meth. Last year, however, the state Attorney General opined that such laws violate the state constitution.

In 2013, Anderson County led the state in meth lab busts. First quarter numbers for 2014 show that Anderson and Roane County have had the second highest number of seizures, with 10 meth lab busts each, and that Monroe County ranked first with the highest number, 14 meth lab seizures.

Clinton man charged after teen pierces tongue

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Information from WYSH Radio

A Clinton man was arrested Wednesday morning on charges of aggravated child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in connection to an incident that allegedly happened last fall.

Jeremy Vandinter, 36, is accused of posing as a 13-year-old girl’s father and signing a parental consent form that allowed the girl to get her tongue pierced at an Oliver Springs tattoo parlor, against her actual father’s wishes. The teen had apparently babysat for Vandinter in the past and approached him to sign the form so she could have the procedure done at Uptown Ink in Oliver Springs.

The incident allegedly occurred on Sept. 28 of last year but the girl’s father did not discover the tongue-piercing until late last month, when he called police. Vandinter will appear in court in Roane County on June 6.

Local agencies prepare for Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Fair

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American Red Cross Logo

The Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Fair will be held Saturday, May 10, at the Clinton Community Center from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. This is an event for the entire family, and admission is free, a press release said.

Hosted by the City of Clinton, the Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Fair is presented by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, American Red Cross, The Clinton Baptist Association, and sponsored by Bechtel, ORAU, ORNL Federal Credit Union, and the Anderson County Mayor’s Office.  The objective is to bring together government and civic organizations, emergency management personnel, and volunteers to give families, businesses, and communities the opportunity to better prepare for all types of disasters and emergencies, the press release said. The fair will help attendees develop their family disaster plan, receive preparedness tips, and learn more about preparedness in the community. [Read more…]

Anderson County elects first female chancellor

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Anderson County Republican Party Candidates

Nicki Cantrell, second from right, who is running unopposed in the Aug. 7 general election after winning the Republican primary on Tuesday, will become Anderson County’s first female chancellor. Also pictured at right is Michael Farley, one of her two Republican opponents. The three GOP candidates for Juvenile Court judge are also pictured. From left they are Vickie Bannach, Lauren Biloski, and Brian Hunt, the winner of Tuesday’s Republican primary.

 

Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Note: This story was last updated at 4:10 p.m. May 7.

Primary Winners: Frank, Cantrell, Hunt, Lay, Clement

One is Anderson County’s first female mayor. The other will become the county’s first female chancellor.

The two candidates—Terry Frank and Nicki Cantrell—beat their opponents by significant margins in the Republican primary on Tuesday. Both said their victories were based in large part on running positive campaigns.

Cantrell’s victory over Clinton attorney and City Judge Michael Farley, who had the support of many other lawyers, appeared to be the big upset of the night in what had been the most heated race, with the two candidates clashing over their courtroom experience and trading accusations of false claims and “mudslinging.”

Zach Bates

Zach Bates

Both were running to replace the current chancellor, William Lantrip, who is retiring at the end of June after 25 years on the bench. The chancellor hears cases in Chancery Court ranging from divorces and adoptions to lawsuits and contract disputes, but can also sometimes hear Criminal Court cases, sit as the Circuit Court judge, and hear Juvenile Court appeals.

“Nobody believed we could do this,” Cantrell’s husband Dail Cantrell said Tuesday night. “We refused to run a negative campaign and got the support of the people.”

Nicki Cantrell won by about 900 votes, collecting 3,895 votes to Farley’s 2,979, according to unofficial results with all 27 precincts reporting. That’s roughly a 54 percent to 41 percent margin.

A third candidate, Republican Phil Harber, who did not appear to campaign as hard as either Farley or Cantrell, received 368 votes. [Read more…]