Oak Ridge Today

Christmas Day heist: Thieves try to steal ATM safe with Bobcat

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Bobcat and ATM Safe from Y-12 Federal Credit Union

A Bobcat that appears to have been involved in a Christmas morning plot to steal money from an ATM in east Oak Ridge is tipped over on its side in a small ditch next to the safe, which had apparently not been opened.

A brazen attempt to steal money from an ATM in east Oak Ridge appears to have gone awry early Christmas morning and ended with a Bobcat tipped over on its side next to a safe that had apparently not been opened.

Many of the details are preliminary, and the Oak Ridge Police Department was investigating Wednesday morning.

The attempted theft caused extensive damage to a Y-12 Federal Credit Union automated teller machine at a small shopping center that includes the KARM Thrift Store and Tractor Supply Co. Crumpled ATM debris was scattered in a grassy field behind the drive-through credit union machine, and brown tracks led a few hundred feet away to the tipped-over Bobcat and the square safe, which appeared to have a chain wrapped around it. [Read more…]

ACSD investigates home invasion report

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a home invasion robbery reported to them Thursday at a home on Queen Street in Powell.

The incident occurred at around 4 a.m. The suspects were reported to be wearing ski masks, and they allegedly demanded pain medication and money at gunpoint. The victim said that one of the culprits fired a weapon inside her the home before the suspects left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

No one was hurt in the incident.

Man killed trying to cross busy road

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Information from WYSH Radio

A 52-year-old Knoxville man was killed Saturday night while trying to cross Clinton Highway on foot.

The Knoxville Police Department said that Ricky Atchley had been trying to cross the highway near Tremont Drive at around 7:30 p.m. Saturday when he stepped into the path of a motorcycle ridden by 63-year-old Robert Chastain of Clinton.

Atchley died at the scene, while Chastain was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for treatment of injuries described as non-life-threatening.

Parents receiving info on online safety in mail

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Information from WYSH Radio

As part of a joint effort between the Anderson County District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Department, and the three school systems within the county’s borders, parents of students in fifth through 10th grades are receiving information in the mail on how to keep their children safe online.

Letters have been sent to parents of students in the county school system as well as the city systems in Clinton and Oak Ridge over the past couple of weeks and more are also being sent. Included in the mailing is information for parents on how to talk to their kids about being safe online and avoiding sexual predators. [Read more…]

Four students found with drugs, hatchet, ski mask, ORPD says

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Oak Ridge High School

Oak Ridge High School is pictured above.

A 14-year-old male who refused to go to school on Wednesday possessed a tactical load bearing vest, and four students detained Thursday, including one adult student, were found near Oak Ridge High School in a car that contained drugs, a ski mask, and a hatchet, authorities said.

The news comes less than one day after the Oak Ridge Police Department announced it seized a stolen, loaded gun from the car of a student who had allegedly caused a disturbance at Oak Ridge High School and said a knife had been seized from a student during an altercation on a school bus.

In a Thursday morning press release, the ORPD said officers responded to a report of an unruly juvenile at a home on Baypath Drive at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

“When officers arrived, they met with the mother and older sibling of a 14 year-old juvenile male who had refused to go to school,” the press release said. “Officers interviewed the juvenile and noted he was in possession of a tactical load bearing vest. Officers ultimately assisted in transporting the juvenile to the Methodist Medical Center emergency room for an evaluation, as well as coordinating with Juvenile Court authorities and referring the incident to DCS for follow-up. No criminal charges were filed. However, the investigation remains ongoing, and no further details will be released at this time.” [Read more…]

Keep your holidays from going up in flames!

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State fire marshal offers tips for a safely decorated home

NASHVILLE—The winter holiday season should be a joyous time of year. However, certain types of fires and injuries associated with decorating are all too common and can put a damper on holiday celebrations.

“Nearly half of holiday decoration fires happen because decorations are placed too close to a heat source,” says State Fire Marshal and Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “To decrease your risk for a home fire, keep fire safety in mind as you deck the halls this season.”

Candles are widely used in homes throughout the holidays, and December is the peak month for home candle fires. The National Fire Protection Association’s statistics show that two of every five home decoration fires are started by candles.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office encourages Tennesseans to consider using flameless candles, which look and smell like real candles. However, if you do use traditional candles, keep them at least 12” away from anything that can burn, and remember to blow them out when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid using candles in the bedroom, where one-third of U.S. candle fires begin or other areas where people may fall asleep. [Read more…]

Family identifies woman who died after falling into Civic Center fountain

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Oak Ridge Civic Center Fountain

Family members have identified an Oak Ridge woman who fell into the fountain at the Civic Center in June and died in the hospital 13 days later.

Family members have identified an Oak Ridge woman who fell into the fountain at the Civic Center in June and died in the hospital 13 days later.

Sarah Christine McAdams, 26, was found floating face down in the murky brown water, which is about 14” inches deep, on June 3. Two people reported the incident to the Civic Center staff, while a third tried to pull McAdams out of the water, city officials said.

Rescuers tried to resuscitate her immediately, and McAdams, who lived on Manhattan Avenue in the Woodland neighborhood, was rushed to Methodist Medical Center, city officials said at the time, without identifying the woman.

She died June 16, according to records provided by her mother, Lori Holt, of Murrell’s Inlet, S.C., which is south of Myrtle Beach. [Read more…]

Clinton Police officer receives state DUI enforcement award

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Clinton Police Department Officer Dustin Hensley, left, and Chief Rick Scarbrough are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

Clinton Police Department Officer Dustin Hensley, left, and Chief Rick Scarbrough are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

Officer Dustin Hensley of the Clinton Police Department was recently recognized by the Governor’s Highway Safety Office for his persistence in keeping drunk drivers off the streets of Clinton, a press release said.

Hensley received a DUI/Impaired Driving Enforcement award for his work from Jan. 1 through Oct. 1, 2013, the release said. He was nominated by Lt. Larry Miller, who heads up CPD’s Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

The special award plaque was presented Dec. 9 during the GHSO joint network meeting at the Holiday Inn in Knoxville. [Read more…]

State trooper, former marshal running for Anderson County sheriff

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Anthony Lay

Anthony Lay

An Anderson County man who is a state highway patrolman and former federal deputy U.S. marshal has announced he is running for sheriff.

Anthony Lay is seeking the Republican nomination for Anderson County sheriff in May 2014.

Lay is an officer with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a press release said. He has served as Scott County sheriff, and when he was 33, was appointed as a federal U.S. marshal in Atlanta.

Lay returned to Anderson County to help his parents after his father suffered a health event, the release said.

“I am announcing my candidacy out of my love for public service and the people who live here,” Lay said in the press release. “Anderson County is a wonderful place to live and work, and the people of Anderson County deserve a safe community and leadership they can trust.” [Read more…]

Report: Child hit by car escapes with scrapes, bruises

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A child who was hit by a car on Johnson Road on Wednesday appeared to escape serious injury, according to a police report.

The accident happened at about 4 p.m. Wednesday at Jay Lane, an Oak Ridge Police Department crash report said.

The report said the 10-year-old darted out from behind a parked car and was hit by an eastbound Chevrolet Impala driven by a 63-year-old Oak Ridge woman, who was not injured.

The child was knocked to the ground and had scrapes and bruises, but the parents declined transport or treatment, according to the report by ORPD Officer Benjamin Haines. The report said the injuries were “non-incapacitating,” or non-disabling.

Feds, local law enforcement dismantle $17.5 million cocaine trafficking ring

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Federal officials on Thursday announced they had dismantled a Knoxville-based cocaine ring that is accused of trafficking $17.5 million worth of drugs and distributing more than five kilograms of cocaine and 280 grams of crack cocaine.

A federal grand jury returned a 58-count indictment on Dec. 3 against 21 Knoxville residents, charging them with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, money laundering, and gun charges, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said in a press release.

The 21 members of the alleged drug ring appeared in court before U.S. magistrate judges this week and entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in the indictment, Killian said. All of them have been ordered held without bond pending trial, which has been set for Feb. 11 in U.S. District Court in Knoxville.

Among the law enforcement agencies participating in the investigation were the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, Clinton Police Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, and Roane County Sheriff’s Department, Killian said. [Read more…]

Oliver Springs man dies in two-car crash on Schaad Road

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An Oliver Springs man died in a two-car crash on Schaad Road on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

James Shultz, 50, was driving west on Schaad Road in a 2005 Chevrolet Impala when he apparently crossed the center line and hit an eastbound 2004 Ford Escape driven by Kevyn Sterchi, 18, of Knoxville, the Knoxville Police Department said, citing the findings of a preliminary investigation.

Shultz was not wearing a seatbelt, the KPD said in a Thursday morning statement. He was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. [Read more…]