Oak Ridge Today

Report: Heroin sold, two arrests made near Claxton Elementary

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Note: This story was last updated at 10:39 a.m. Feb. 5

Using a confidential source, authorities were able to buy heroin three times from a Powell home, and when they served a search warrant Thursday morning, they found about one ounce of the powerful drug inside the house, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department incident reports said.

The home is on Coconut Lane, about 1,000 feet from Claxton Elementary School.

The reports said the Sheriff’s Department, including Investigator Ryan T. Williams, were able to use the confidential source to make three separate purchases of heroin last week from Joe Fentress Butler, 28, of 156 Coconut Lane. Two of the purchases were for $25 worth of heroin and one was for $100, the reports said.

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B&W Y-12 historian assists in LMU display design

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Ray Smith and Pete DeBusk

B&W Y-12 historian Ray Smith, left, joins Lincoln Memorial University board of trustees chairman Pete DeBusk in front of the “Scientists Who Changed the World” exhibit in the university’s Math and Science Building. (Submitted photo)

Sharing information related to the early years of Oak Ridge is all in a day’s work for Y-12 National Security Complex historian Ray Smith.

Recently, Smith’s flair for historical detail was incorporated in a permanent display on the main campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. Located in LMU’s new Math and Science Building, the display pays tribute to nuclear energy research and the subsequent creation of what is now the U.S. Department of Energy.

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Gravel portion of Tuskegee Drive closed for repairs Wednesday-Friday

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The Oak Ridge Public Works Department plans to repair the gravel portion of Tuskegee Drive from Wednesday through Friday.

The work is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. and end at 3:30 pm. Detours will be clearly marked for residents, a press release said.

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More snow falls in Oak Ridge, Anderson County

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Anderson County Snowfall

Light snow continued to fall in East Tennessee on Sunday morning, and there was close to two inches on the ground in Oak Ridge and Anderson County. The picture above was taken on Oliver Springs Highway near Marlow Circle.

Light snow continued to fall in East Tennessee on Sunday morning, and there was close to two inches on the ground in Oak Ridge and Anderson County.

The temperature was above freezing and many roads were wet and slushy, but a few patches of snow remained, including on bridges.

It was the second day of snow in Oak Ridge, and the two days produced the first significant accumulation of snow in the Secret City this winter.

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‘Zoomable’ map of poplar proteins offers new view of bioenergy crop

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Poplar Proteins Molecular Map

An extensive molecular map of poplar tree proteins from Oak Ridge National Laboratory offers new insight into the plant’s biological processes. The study is featured on the cover of January’s Molecular and Cellular Proteomics. (Submitted photo)

Researchers seeking to improve production of ethanol from woody crops have a new resource in the form of an extensive molecular map of poplar tree proteins, published by a team from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Populus, a fast-growing perennial tree, holds potential as a bioenergy crop due to its ability to produce large amounts of biomass on non-agricultural land. Now, a study by ORNL scientists with DOE’s BioEnergy Science Center has provided the most comprehensive look to date at poplar’s proteome, the suite of proteins produced by a plant’s cells. The study is featured on the cover of January’s Molecular and Cellular Proteomics.

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IHOP benefit for Children’s Hospital on Tuesday

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Get a free short stack of delicious IHOP pancakes on Tuesday, Feb. 5, from 7 a.m. until 10p.m. and benefit Children’s Hospital.

In return for the free pancakes, guests will be asked to consider leaving a donation for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. All donations made at area IHOP restaurants will stay in your community, benefiting East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.

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Three injured in Thursday car crash

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Oak Ridge Turnpike and Rutgers Avenue Accident

Three people were injured when two vehicles crashed Thursday night at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Rutgers Avenue. (Photo by Tom Scott)

Three people were injured in a two-vehicle accident at Oak Ridge Turnpike and Rutgers Avenue on Thursday night, authorities said.

The first vehicle, a 2000 Ford Taurus, was driven by Joseph Elliott Scales, an 18-year-old Oak Ridge resident. Scales said he was trying to turn left onto westbound Oak Ridge Turnpike from the northbound lanes of South Rutgers Avenue and had a green arrow during the 7:50 p.m. crash, an Oak Ridge Police Department report said.

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Saturday morning flurries dump an inch or more of snow

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South Illinois Avenue Accident

A furniture truck and a sedan crashed Saturday morning on slippery, snow-covered South Illinois Avenue. There didn’t appear to be any injuries, but the northbound lanes were closed for more than an hour.

The last time it snowed in Oak Ridge, some residents were disappointed that it didn’t stick.

This time was different. Saturday morning flurries quickly dumped an inch of snow or more on Oak Ridge, covering roadways and making driving treacherous.

There appeared to be at least several minor accidents, including on Oak Ridge Turnpike, Lafayette Drive, and South Illinois Avenue.

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Anderson County child advocate named CASA Volunteer of the Year

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Dale Hedges CASA Volunteer of the Year

Dale Hedges, center, was named the 2013 CASA Volunteer of the Year for his work with work with CASA of the Tennessee Heartland. Also pictured from left are Kevin Balkwill, Katrina Atchley, Kathryn Hedges, Ashley Bryant-Cheney, and Naomi Asher. (Submitted photo)

Dale Hedges of Clinton has been named the 2013 CASA Volunteer of the Year by the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. The award recognizes Hedges’ 18 years of service as a volunteer for CASA of the Tennessee Heartland, which serves children in Anderson, Blount, and Scott counties.

Knoxville lawyer Katrina Atchley Arbogast, chair of the YLD Children’s Issues Committee, presented the award to Hedges at a dinner in Nashville on Jan. 18. A cash gift also was presented to Naomi Asher, executive director of CASA of the Tennessee Heartland, to benefit the agency’s work.

Hedges was selected as this year’s recipient for his longtime service, effective advocacy and consistent commitment. According to Asher, who submitted the nomination, Hedges is the agency’s longest serving volunteer and has represented 29 children in 19 cases during his tenure at CASA.

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Alexander, Corker vote against bill to increase debt limit

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

U.S. senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, both Tennessee Republicans, on Thursday voted against H.R. 325, the House-passed debt limit bill, and urged Congress to focus on reforming Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, a press release said.

“I voted against this bill because it raises the debt ceiling without taking steps to reduce the debt,” Alexander said. “Sen. Corker and I have introduced legislation that would reduce entitlement spending by nearly $1 trillion in exchange for the president’s expected request to increase the debt ceiling.”

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Man has possible life-threatening injury after Friday shooting

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A 28-year-old man was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with a potentially life-threatening wound after a Friday morning shooting on Johnson Gap Road in Anderson County, authorities said.

The condition of Jeffery Allen Lowe was not available, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said in a brief statement Friday afternoon.

The shooting occurred at about 10:42 a.m. Friday at 154 Johnson Gap Road, and Lowe was flown to the UT hospital by a Lifestar helicopter, Lucas said.

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Energy Secretary Chu will not serve a second term

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Steven Chu

Steven Chu

After serving one term, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced Friday morning that he will not serve a second four-year term in the Obama administration.

In an announcement posted on the U.S. Department of Energy website, Chu said he will continue to serve as secretary through the ARPA-E Summit at the end of February and may stay beyond that “so that I can leave the department in the hands of the new secretary.” ARPA-E stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy.

Chu said he would like to return to an academic life of teaching and research, and he informed President Barack Obama of his decision to return to California shortly after the Nov. 6 election.

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