Roads, schools, and businesses closed as snow fell for hours in Oak Ridge. The snow began about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, and snow continued to fall at about 6 p.m. Monday.
Oak Ridge Today measured almost seven inches of snow at about 5 p.m. Monday. The National Weather Service in Morristown had forecast between four to six and six to eight inches of snow in the Oak Ridge and Clinton areas.
“Very cold air is moving in across the region with sub-freezing temperatures continuing through Thursday,” the National Weather Service said. “Temperatures Tuesday night will be around zero!”
Roads, even main streets like Oak Ridge Turnpike, had a thick layer of snow on them, with a wet, slippery surface underneath. Traffic was light when normally it would be heavy, and most drivers drove slowly and cautiously, with some turning on their hazard lights.
“With significant snow accumulations across much of the area and very cold temperatures, hazardous travel conditions may develop,” the NWS said. “Avoid travel, but if you must, use caution.”
Officers are searching in Virginia for a suspect in a fatal shooting in Anderson County on Tuesday.
The shooting was reported on Moores Gap Road in Heiskell, east of Clinton near Interstate 75, according to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
Later, a police chase was reported at about 3 p.m. Tuesday in Claiborne County, and it ended in Ewing, Virginia, when the alleged suspect ran into the woods, law enforcement officers said.
“The Lee County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office continues to aid the Anderson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office; Claiborne County, Tennessee (authorities), and the U.S. Marshals Service in attempting to locate and apprehend fugitive Jason Dockery, a suspect in an Anderson County, Tennessee, homicide and wanted for violations of probation for aggravated assault in Tennessee,” Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons said in an update provided by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
An Oak Ridge man has been charged with three store robberies in December and January. Two of the stores that were robbed were in Oak Ridge, and one was in Claxton. More than $3,000 was reported stolen, and a license plate reader tied the suspect to the Claxton robbery, according to court records. He was arrested after a foot chase after the third alleged robbery.
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An Oak Ridge man has been charged with three convenience store robberies in December and January. Two of the stores that were allegedly robbed were in Oak Ridge, and one was in Claxton. More than $3,000 was reported stolen, and a license plate reader tied the suspect to the Claxton robbery, according to court records. He was arrested after a foot chase after the third alleged robbery.
An Oak Ridge man has been charged with three store robberies in December and January. Two of the stores that were robbed were in Oak Ridge, and one was in Claxton. More than $3,000 was reported stolen, and a license plate reader tied the suspect to the Claxton robbery, according to court records. He was arrested after a foot chase after the third alleged robbery.
The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.
The U.S. Marshals Service has caught a fugitive who was being pursued when an Anderson County Sheriff’s Office deputy was hit by a vehicle on Saturday night, sending the deputy to the hospital, the ACSO said.
The fugitive, Jesse Duncan, 38, was captured Tuesday night near Harriman Highway by the U.S. Marshals Service, the ACSO said.
The deputy, Stephen Carroll, has been released from the hospital, and he is “recovering nicely,” the ACSO said.
“He is grateful for all of the thoughts and prayers from everyone,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Duncan had been pursued this weekend by Carroll and others on Tri County Boulevard in Oliver Springs when Carroll was hit by a vehicle, the ACSO said. His leg was broken, and it was repaired during surgery this week.
A man who was wanted by law enforcement officers in Ohio fled and hid in an Oak Ridge church after a traffic stop Sunday morning, but an Anderson County K-9 unit found him hiding in a bathroom closet after a two-hour search, authorities said.
The pursuit began after the Oak Ridge Police Department stopped a vehicle on South Tulane Avenue at Wilson Street for a window tint violation at about 10:37 a.m. Sunday, April 11, the City of Oak Ridge said Monday.
After the initial contact with the driver, the driver fled from his vehicle on foot toward the First United Methodist Church at 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, the city said.
A police officer chased the suspect on foot and saw him enter the church, the city said.
A man pursued by police ran into First United Methodist Church between services in Oak Ridge on Sunday morning, canceling services, according to witnesses and the church. The man was later caught, and no one was injured, the church reported.
There were reports of a large police presence at the church, including Oak Ridge Police Department and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, and the building was reportedly evacuated.
The man ran in as churchgoers were leaving the 10 a.m. service. The 11 a.m. service and Worship on the Lawn at 1 p.m. were both canceled as the building was still being searched and cleared, the church said.
A seven-year-old girl was hit by a vehicle on Edgemoor Road in front of the Breadbox gas station and convenience store in Claxton, and the child was taken by ambulance to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, law enforcement officers said.
The crash was reported at about 6:56 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, which is investigating the collision.
The investigation continues, and no additional information is available at this time.
Nine men, including at least five who met with undercover agents posing as juveniles, were arrested on trafficking, sex, and prostitution charges in Oak Ridge on Thursday during a two-day undercover operation targeted at human trafficking in East Tennessee.
As part of the operation, law enforcement officers said they placed several decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex cases.
“The focus of the operation was to identify individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors,†the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a press release.
The covert operation included the Oak Ridge Police Department, special agents from the TBI Human Trafficking Unit, the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force (CTF), the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seventh Judicial District Attorney General’s Office.
In a press release, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark said the operation was conceived by ORPD in response to recent cases where men from other areas have solicited sex from juveniles and traveled to Oak Ridge to meet the girls. The ORPD led the covert operation on Wednesday and Thursday with technical and manpower help from the TBI, CTF, the Sheriff’s Office, and the DA’s Office, Clark said.
“Arrests were made when men came to an Oak Ridge location to pay to have sex with minors,†the DA said.
The operation also focused on identifying potential victims of trafficking. Two adult women were identified and offered services such as housing and counseling through Grow Free Tennessee, a program of the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, the TBI said.
The covert human trafficking operation was conducted in Oak Ridge. Officers were focused on investigating people who buy sex as well as people engaged in sex trafficking, according to arrest warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.
Here are the allegations against the defendants charged in cases involving undercover agents posing as juveniles, according to the arrest warrants. The offenses occurred within 1,000 feet of a daycare facility.
The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.
If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to:
Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831
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Nine men, including at least five who met with undercover agents posing as juveniles, were arrested on trafficking, sex, and prostitution charges in Oak Ridge on Thursday during a two-day covert operation targeted at human trafficking in East Tennessee.
As part of the operation, law enforcement officers said they placed several decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex cases.
Nine men, including at least five who met with undercover agents posing as juveniles, were arrested on trafficking, sex, and prostitution charges in Oak Ridge on Thursday during a two-day undercover operation targeted at human trafficking in East Tennessee.
As part of the operation, law enforcement officers said they placed several decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex cases.
“The focus of the operation was to identify individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors,†the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a press release.
The covert operation included the Oak Ridge Police Department, special agents from the TBI Human Trafficking Unit, the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force (CTF), the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seventh Judicial District Attorney General’s Office.
In a press release, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark said the operation was conceived by ORPD in response to recent cases where men from other areas have solicited sex from juveniles and traveled to Oak Ridge to meet the girls. The ORPD led the covert operation on Wednesday and Thursday with technical and manpower help from the TBI, CTF, the Sheriff’s Office, and the DA’s Office, Clark said.
“Arrests were made when men came to an Oak Ridge location to pay to have sex with minors,†the DA said.
The operation also focused on identifying potential victims of trafficking. Two adult women were identified and offered services such as housing and counseling through Grow Free Tennessee, a program of the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, the TBI said.
The covert human trafficking operation was conducted in Oak Ridge. Officers were focused on investigating people who buy sex as well as people engaged in sex trafficking, according to arrest warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.
Here are the allegations against the defendants charged in cases involving undercover agents posing as juveniles, according to the arrest warrants. The offenses occurred within 1,000 feet of a daycare facility.
The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.
An Anderson County man with two homicide convictions and a 28-year prison sentence for federal drug and gun convictions has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, among other charges, after he allegedly tried to shoot a deputy in April 2019.
Charles Edward Mason, 53, was indicted on the one count of attempted first-degree murder, five counts of aggravated assault, and other charges in November. The other charges are two counts of interfering with a 911 call and one count of resisting arrest. Mason pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in Anderson County Circuit Court in Clinton on Thursday.
The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.
If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to:
Oak Ridge Today P.O. Box 6064 Oak Ridge, TN 37831
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We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription.
Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!
Note: This story was last updated at 12:25 p.m. Feb. 2.
An Anderson County man with two homicide convictions and a 28-year prison sentence for federal drug and gun convictions has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, among other charges, after he allegedly tried to shoot a deputy in April 2019.
An Anderson County man with two homicide convictions and a 28-year prison sentence for federal drug and gun convictions has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, among other charges, after he allegedly tried to shoot a deputy in April 2019.
Charles Edward Mason, 53, was indicted on the one count of attempted first-degree murder, five counts of aggravated assault, and other charges in November. The other charges are two counts of interfering with a 911 call and one count of resisting arrest. Mason pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in Anderson County Circuit Court in Clinton on Thursday.
The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.
An Oak Ridge man has been charged with a second robbery, this one of a gas station in Claxton.
Partridge, 43, had already been charged by the Oak Ridge Police Department this month with the robbery of J&C Market on East Tennessee Avenue in Oak Ridge.
Now, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office has charged him with aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, and theft in the December 29 robbery of the Marathon gas station on Edgemoor Road in Claxton, a press release said. The felony warrants were obtained by Sheriff’s Office detective Josh Cardwell. Partridge reportedly brandished a firearm and demanded the Marathon employee empty the cash register, the press release said. He fled the scene with cash before deputies arrived, the release said. The Marathon employee was able to provide a physical description and a video recording showing the incident, according to the Sheriff’s Office.