Oak Ridge Today

Anderson: Barker elected sheriff; incumbents win in Oak Ridge

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Russell Barker

Russell Barker

Note: This story was last updated at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 3.

Russell Barker, a Republican, won the race for Anderson County sheriff on Thursday, beating Mark Lucas, a Democrat, in a race decided by about 2,000 votes, according to unofficial results.

Meanwhile, four incumbents were re-elected in two Anderson County Commission districts where there was a challenger in Oak Ridge.

Barker is a detective sergeant with the Clinton Police Department who has served as director of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County. Lucas is chief deputy of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

Barker had 7,684 votes (57.79 percent), compared to 5,613 votes (42.21 percent) for Lucas, according to the unofficial results posted after all 27 precincts had been counted Thursday night.

Anderson County Sheriff Paul White is retiring at the end of his third four-year term, and he did not seek re-election.

In another contested race, Regina Copeland, the Republican director of the 911 center, defeated Ebony Capshaw, a Democrat, by a 69.74 percent to 30.26 percent margin (8,981 votes to 3,987). The last elected trustee, Rodney Archer, is now executive director of the County Officials Association of Tennessee, and Myron Iwanski, a former county commissioner and commission chair appointed to the trustee job through this August election, did not seek the job in the election. [Read more…]

Barker leads in early, absentee voting for sheriff

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Russell Barker

Russell Barker

Note: This story was last updated at 8:50 p.m.

Russell Barker, who has served as director of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County, leads in early and absentee voting for Anderson County sheriff, with a roughly 56-44 percent margin over Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas, according to unofficial results released Thursday evening after polls closed and before any precincts had been counted.

Barker, a Republican, had 4,182 early and absentee votes (55.72 percent), compared to 3,323 (44.28 percent) for Lucas, a Democrat.

It’s not clear if Barker’s lead will hold after all 27 precincts in Anderson County are counted. Early voting leads often or usually predict the eventual winner, but in prior elections, the lead has sometimes narrowed or even reversed. [Read more…]

Voter’s guide: Notes from a candidate forum

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Note: This story was last updated at 10:35 a.m.

Today, August 2, is Election Day in Anderson County. The election includes the Anderson County general election and state and federal primary elections.

It’s the second of three elections this year. The first was the county primary election on May 1, and the last is the municipal election and state and federal elections on November 6.

Here are notes about Anderson County candidates in today’s county general election from a forum at Oak Ridge High School in July. The county general election includes selections for mayor, sheriff, county commission, trustee, circuit court clerk, county clerk, register of deeds, road superintendent, and school board, among other positions. Some of the candidates have no opposition.

Anderson County Sheriff [Read more…]

Barker endorsed by Ridenour, Whaley

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Pictured above from left are Mark "Hollywood" Whaley, Russell Barker, and Lewis Ridenour. (Submitted photo)

Pictured above from left are Mark “Hollywood” Whaley, Russell Barker, and Lewis Ridenour. (Submitted photo)

 

Russell Barker, the Republican nominee for Anderson County sheriff, has been endorsed by his competitors in the Republican primary in May, Lewis Ridenour and Mark “Hollywood” Whaley, for the county general election on Thursday, August 2, a press release said.

In the release, Barker expressed his excitement to have the support of his primary challengers.

“Lewis and Hollywood are great men who truly want to make a difference in Anderson County,” Barker said. “Having their support is truly an honor.” [Read more…]

Anderson County Democrats have candidate forum Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Democratic Party will have a candidate forum at Oak Valley Baptist Church in Oak Ridge from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Submitted photo)

The Anderson County Democratic Party will have a candidate forum at Oak Valley Baptist Church in Oak Ridge from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Submitted photo)

 

The Anderson County Democratic Party has a candidate forum in Oak Ridge on Thursday.

The forum is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Oak Valley Baptist Church.

Candidates expected to attend include Ebony Capshaw, Richard Dawson, Mark Lucas, Alden Souza, and Nathaniel Varner, an event notice said.

Capshaw and Lucas are both running unopposed in the May 1 primary for Anderson County Democrats. Capshaw is running for Anderson County trustee, and Lucas is running for Anderson County sheriff. After the May 1 elections, they will face the winners of the Republican Party primaries, which are also on May 1, in the August 2 county general election for trustee and sheriff. [Read more…]

Twenty-nine qualify to run for 16 seats on Anderson County Commission

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Twenty-nine candidates have qualified to run for 16 seats on the Anderson County Commission in the county general election in August.

There are also three people running for the Tennessee House of Representatives in District 33, a new appointed Oak Ridge school board member running in a special election in August, and a Democratic challenger to Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge resident who is also lieutenant governor.

The deadline to qualify to run in the August 2 election, which will also feature contested elections for Anderson County sheriff and trustee, was noon Thursday.

Anderson County has eight County Commission districts, and there are two commissioners per district. The offices are non-partisan, meaning that, unlike some other county offices, they are not part of the Democratic and Republican primary elections on May 1. [Read more…]

Anderson County Chamber hosts county election candidate forum

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce will host a forum in Clinton this month for candidates in the Anderson County primary election in May.

The candidate forum will be moderated by Gene Patterson, community relations lead for Consolidated Nuclear Security, which manages and operates the Y-12 National Security Complex.

The candidate forum will be hosted by the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce Government/Community Relations Committee. It is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, at The Ritz Theater at 119 North Main Street in downtown Clinton. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the concession stand will be open, a press release said. [Read more…]

Barker, Crime Task Force director, running for Anderson County sheriff

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Russell Barker, director of Anderson County’s Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force and a candidate for sheriff, is pictured above with supporters during his campaign announcement on April 27, 2017. (Submitted photo)

Russell Barker, director of Anderson County’s Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force and a candidate for sheriff, is pictured above with supporters during his campaign announcement on April 27, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

Russell Barker, director of Anderson County’s Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force, is running for Anderson County sheriff in the 2018 election.

Barker, who is running as a Republican, announced his candidacy during a campaign event at the Holiday Inn Express in Clinton in April. He was joined at the announcement by his wife Crystal, daughter Ansley, and a standing-room-only crowd, a press release said.

Barker explained why he is running.

“My mother was a nurse at the health department, and I watched her work day and night,” Barker said in the press release. “I saw the impact she made in her community.” At the age of seven, after his father’s passing, Barker said it was Anderson County residents who stepped up and bridged the gap. “It is my turn to give back to a community that has given so much to me,” he said.

Barker said he is a lifelong Anderson County resident who has exemplified a strong commitment of service to his country and community throughout his professional career. [Read more…]

Chief Deputy Lucas running for Anderson County sheriff

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Mark Lucas

Mark Lucas

 

Anderson County Chief Deputy Mark Lucas announced Tuesday that he is running for sheriff in the 2018 election.

Anderson County Sheriff Paul White is retiring at the end of his third term, which ends in August 2018, a press release said.

The press release said Lucas is a veteran law enforcement officer with 39 years of experience. He began his career as a reserve deputy with Knox County in 1978. He joined the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department a year later and worked as a dispatcher and a jailer before being assigned to patrol in 1980. Lucas was promoted to patrol supervisor in 1986 and held that position until 1990. From 1990 until 1994, he worked for the Clinton Police Department, where he also served as patrol supervisor.

In 1994, Lucas was appointed chief deputy with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, and he has held that position for more than 22 years. He has the unique distinction of serving as chief deputy under three different sheriffs, the press release said.

The release said Lucas has received extensive training in many areas of law enforcement throughout his career including command-level management and supervision.

“From community policing to criminal investigations, jail management, and court security, as well as communications, incident command, and emergency management, Mark has a vast knowledge of public safety operations,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Sheriff candidates spar over jail food

Posted at
By 2 Comments

Anderson County Jail Sandwich Lunch

A hand-picked crew of nine inmates prepares peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches on white bread for lunch at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton on Wednesday. Oak Ridge Today was allowed to take pictures of the kitchen, food storage area, and coolers and freezers, but not the inmates.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1 a.m. July 25.

Sheriff: Despite campaign claims, jail menu conservative, with average meal $1.10

Challenger stands by his pie, ice cream claims

CLINTON—The menu at the Anderson County jail at lunchtime Wednesday was simple and spartan: A peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk.

It doesn’t appear to be an unusual meal at the jail, at least not this week. In fact, the menu this week includes three similar lunches with 1/4 cup of peanut butter and jelly mix, two slices of bread, and 8 oz. of milk or chocolate milk.

Anthony Lay

Anthony Lay

Other meals on the menu—the jail can serve up to 8,000 per week—also call for small portions of meat and bread, fruits and vegetables, and beans and milk.

But Anthony Lay, a Republican candidate for Anderson County sheriff, has raised questions about what inmates are eating. He has suggested they’re eating luxuriously, enjoying pies, cobblers, cookies, and cake. Lay has said the jail appears to be operating a bakery, and taxpayers are footing the bill.

“Fresh baked (double chunk) cookies; cherry, blackberry, and blueberry cobbler; pumpkin and apple pie with Cool Whip—these are all delicious,” Lay said in a June 26 press release. “But at the end of the day, taxpayers foot the bill, and they don’t expect us to offer luxuries to folks who, let’s face it, are in jail for a reason.”

Paul White

Paul White

Sheriff Paul White, a Democrat seeking his third term in the August 7 election, has dismissed Lay’s claims as inaccurate and misleading.

“The jail does not operate a bakery,” White said in a July 1 statement.

He said the jail menus are quite conservative. They include a cold sandwich for lunch. The average meal costs $1.10, White said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber has Q&A with mayor, sheriff candidates Thursday morning

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is pictured above.

Learn more about the three candidates for Anderson County mayor and two candidates for Anderson County sheriff on Thursday morning at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

The first “Election Selection” event is 7:30 a.m. Thursday, July 10, in the Joyce Conference Room at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. It’s open to the public.

All five candidates for mayor and sheriff have confirmed their plans to attend, the Chamber said. Here are the candidates: [Read more…]

Sheriff: Investigators arrest three, find four pounds of pot, seize two vehicles

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Sheriff Paul White and Wells Road Drug Raid

Anderson County Sheriff Paul White says investigators found about four pounds of marijuana, hash, and suspected prescription narcotics during a drug raid in Claxton on Thursday. Two vehicles and electronic items were seized, and three people were arrested. (Submitted photo)

Investigators found about four pounds of marijuana, hashish, and suspected prescription narcotics during a drug raid in Claxton on Thursday, authorities said. Three people were arrested, and two vehicles were seized.

Investigators also found drug paraphernalia at the home at 105 Wells Road, and they seized electronic items along with items used to process marijuana for resale, Anderson County Sheriff Paul White said in a press release.

Investigators with the Sheriff’s Special Operations Unit obtained the search warrant for the home after an investigation into illegal drug activity. [Read more…]