Oak Ridge Today

No injuries, minor damage in Florida Avenue porch fire

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Florida Avenue Porch Fire

No one was injured and the damage was minor in a Thursday evening porch fire on Florida Avenue. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

No one was injured and the damage was minor in a Thursday evening porch fire on Florida Avenue.

The fire at 718 Florida Avenue was reported at about 5:35 p.m. Thursday.

Authorities said it was confined to a screened porch. Firefighters used a fire extinguisher to put it out. The cause is under investigation.

The house is an Emory Valley Center home, authorities said.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Woman facing charges after bringing loaded handgun to evening class at ACHS, report says

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Anderson County Sheriff Patch

A Lafollette woman reported to be suicidal is facing charges after she brought a loaded handgun to an evening class at Anderson County Career and Tech Center at Anderson County High School on Monday, authorities said.

The 36-year-old woman reportedly came to class aggravated and told the teacher of a certified nursing assistant class that “she would be better off dead,” according to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department report.

The teacher said the woman told her she had everything in place “so she could die,” the report said. The teacher asked the woman if she had a gun in her bag, and the woman said “Yes, she had had it every night,” the report said.

A student in the class told Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Robert J. Collins that the woman said she had a gun in her bag if she needed it, and the woman had a journal stating that she wanted to die. [Read more…]

Man arrested after women’s clothing, property set on fire, neighbor assaulted

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Oak Ridge Police Department Logo

A man was arrested Thursday morning after women’s clothing and property were set on fire in a domestic dispute on Waddell Circle, and a neighbor was assaulted, authorities said.

Oak Ridge Police Department patrol officers and investigators responded to the call at 171 Waddell Circle at 7:58 a.m. Thursday, a press release said. They determined that it was a continuation of an earlier domestic call involving a male subject identified as Christopher Crandall.

“Officers discovered a large pile of personal belongings and women’s clothing belonging to the victim burning in the yard, which was extinguished by members of the Oak Ridge Fire Department,” the press release said. “Officers were unable to locate Crandall after a search of the area, as he had apparently fled the area on foot prior to police arrival.”

Two hours later, at 9:58 a.m., police officers were again summoned to the area for an assault that had taken place involving Crandall, the release said. [Read more…]

Highway should be renamed Oak Ridge Corridor, Alexander says

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

The highway that runs from Oak Ridge to the Knoxville airport should be renamed the Oak Ridge Corridor, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander said Thursday.

The highway starts in Oak Ridge as South Illinois Avenue, and it turns into Pellissippi Parkway.

Alexander, a former Tennessee governor, said he wants to give the area a signature like Research Triangle in North Carolina or Silicon Valley in California.

“I can think of no better calling card for a job recruiter than to be able to go anywhere in the world and say, ‘I’m from the Oak Ridge Corridor,'” the Tennessee Republican said in a press release after speaking to Rotary members at the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge. “In Anderson, Roane, and Knox counties, more than 40,000 people have graduate or professional degrees. This includes 1,600 scientists and engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, more than 1,000 PhDs at the University of Tennessee, and hundreds of engineers at Tennessee Valley Authority and at Y-12 National Security Complex. We are in the middle of one of our country’s most formidable concentrations of brainpower.” [Read more…]

Woman reports falling asleep with cigarette in hand before Tuesday fire

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Smith Road Mattress Fire

A woman who escaped a Tuesday morning fire with her son and dog told authorities she fell asleep with a cigarette in her hand. (Photo by Tom Scott)

 

Information from WYSH Radio/Oak Ridge Today/Tom Scott

A woman who escaped a Tuesday morning fire with her son and dog told authorities she fell asleep with a cigarette in her hand.

The fire was reported at about 6:45 a.m. Tuesday on Smith Road in Anderson County, east of Oliver Springs in Marlow.

The 77-year-old woman who lives at the home woke up to her hand being burned, said the incident commander, Captain Jordan Alcorn of the Oliver Springs Fire Department.

She activated a Life Alert emergency alarm and fled the home with her son and small dog, said Alcorn, who is also an Oak Ridge firefighter. [Read more…]

FBI describes vehicle spotted near SmartBank kidnapping, extortion

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Early 2000s Ford Taurus

An early 2000s Ford Taurus is pictured above. (Image provided by FBI)

 

Authorities have released a description of the vehicle associated with the person of interest sought in the July kidnapping and extortion at SmartBank in Knoxville, an incident that is believed to be connected to a similar one at Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge in April.

The vehicle is described as an early 2000s, powder blue/grey, Ford Taurus, with damage on the front passenger side bumper, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a Wednesday morning press release.

The person of interest was observed in the front passenger seat of this vehicle on July 1 in the vicinity of Swathmore Court and Dunwoody Drive in Knoxville.

The vehicle pictured in the photo above is of a similar make, model, and color of the vehicle that was observed, the FBI said. [Read more…]

Five Wildcats score goals in 7-1 win over Central

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Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats Zoe Van Hook and Central Bobcats

Oak Ridge sophomore Zoe Van Hook (17) just before scoring her second goal against Central in Knoxville on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015, giving the Wildcats a 7-1 lead with about 28:30 remaining in the game. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2:10 p.m. Sept. 2.

KNOXVILLE—Five Lady Wildcats scored goals in a 7-1 win over Central in Knoxville on Tuesday.

Oak Ridge dominated with 28 shots on goal, compared to three for the Lady Bobcats, and the Lady Wildcats kept the ball in the Central end of the field most of the game.

Sophomore Zoe Van Hook and freshman Kate Hausladen scored two goals each, and seniors Alex Allen and Macy Barclay each scored one and so did sophomore Chloe Nussbaum.

Van Hook, a midfielder, scored first for the Lady Wildcats (5-0), but forward Emily Wise quickly answered for Central (2-7), making the score 1-1 early in the game. The one goal for the Lady Bobcats ended a four-game shutout streak for Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Two arrested after alleged dirt bike theft, police car hit, authorities say

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Charles Ray Eller

Charles Ray Eller

Two men who admitted stealing a trailer and dirt bikes early Monday morning have been charged with theft and evading arrest, and the driver of the fleeing pickup truck has been charged with aggravated assault after trying to strike one Oak Ridge Police Department vehicle and backing up and hitting another, authorities said.

Police officers received the report of the trailer and dirt bike theft at about 2:45 a.m. Monday, August 31, at 208 South Illinois Avenue, an area near two hotels. The trailer and dirt bike were estimated to have a value of at least $10,000.

In arrest warrants, ORPD Officer Kyle Scott said he saw Charles R. Eller, 27, who is listed as a transient, and Joshua R. Hannifin, 29, of Oak Ridge, at that location, near a trailer that matched the given description. The trailer was attached to a black Ford F150 pickup truck, Scott said.

When Eller and Hannifin saw him, the officer said, they quickly got into the truck and fled. Scott said he chased them with his lights and sirens on. [Read more…]

CNS research teams named 2015 R&D 100 Award finalists

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LISe Thermal Neutron Imager Sensor Board

The LISe Thermal Neutron Imager sensor board bears the Y‑12 and UT logos. At the center is the lithium crystal that creates the images. The imager is nominated for a 2015 R&D 100 Award. (Photo by Y-12 National Security Complex)

 

CNS partners with universities on significant technology advances

Two teams of Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC researchers at the Y-12 National Security Complex are finalists in the 2015 R&D 100 Awards program.

The LISe Thermal Neutron Imager, or LTNI, and a sensor named ChIMES, which is short for Chemical Identification by Magneto-Elastic Sensing, were selected as finalists by a panel of 70 independent judges. The winners will be announced November 13 at the conference in Las Vegas.

LTNI (pronounced litany) was developed through a collaboration with three Tennessee universities—the University of Tennessee, Fisk University, and Vanderbilt University. The imager builds upon a lithium crystal that won an R&D 100 Award in 2013. Applications for the imager include research, diagnostics/medical imaging, law enforcement, and national security. [Read more…]

Albert Turner, a former Clinton Council member, police officer, dies at 68

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Albert Oscar Turner

Albert Oscar Turner

Albert Turner, a former Clinton City Councilman and longtime member of the Clinton Police Department, died at his home on Sunday. He was 68.

Turner served two terms on the Clinton City Council, and he served as a Clinton police officer for 26 years.

His family will receive friends next Wednesday, September 9, from noon to 2 p.m. at Jones Mortuary in Clinton. His funeral service will follow in the chapel of Jones Mortuary with Rev. Bill Caldwell officiating. His interment will follow his services at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church Cemetery in Clinton.

Jones Mortuary in Clinton is in charge of all arrangements. Condolences can be made to the family at www.jonesmortuaryllc.com.

Read the full obituary here.

Oak Ridge No. 1 in latest football polls

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Oak Ridge Wildcats Logo

Information from WYSH Radio

The latest high school football polls were released Monday, and Oak Ridge has found its way to the top of the Class 5A poll. After beating Dobyns-Bennett in Kingsport on Friday, the Wildcats jumped to Number 1 in the 5A poll.

Sevier County is ranked Number 4, with Rhea County Number 6, Knox West Number 7, and Morristown West Number 8.

In Class 6A, Maryville remains in the Number 1 spot after handling Fulton on Saturday, and Dobyns-Bennett fell to Number 10 after their loss to Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Dragons rally, hold off Hurricanes in 45-42 classic

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Clinton Dragons Football Logo

Information from WYSH Radio

After a disastrous start that included two interceptions, one of which was returned for a score, and falling behind 21-0 after the first quarter, the Clinton Dragons staged a comeback that will be talked about for years to come as they rallied for a heart-pounding 45-42 triumph over the visiting Morristown East Hurricanes on Friday.

The Hurricanes dominated the first quarter, taking the first possession of the game the length of the field in a drive that lasted 5:05 and scoring on a one-yard Bryson Stephens plunge.

The next drive resulted in a rare mistake by senior quarterback Tyler Thackerson that resulted in an interception.

One play later, the Hurricanes’ Frank Rogers galloped 71 yards to give Morristown East a 14-0 lead. [Read more…]