Oak Ridge Today

2018 Anderson County Ally of the Year announced

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

2018 Anderson County Ally of the Year Pastor Wayne Phillips (Submitted photo)

2018 Anderson County Ally of the Year Pastor Wayne Phillips (Submitted photo)

Pastor Wayne Phillips and Main Street Baptist Church have been named 2018 Anderson County Ally of the Year by ASAP of Anderson County.

The Anderson County Ally of the Year Campaign has two goals. One is to increase awareness of the prevention efforts of ASAP of Anderson County, and the second is to raise funds to continue those efforts. In 2018, both goals were accomplished, a press release said.

Candidates Harold Edwards, Leslie England, Stanton Martin, Pastor Wayne Phillips, and Chief James Shetterly were nominated by community members to run for the title, the press release said. Each candidate conducted their own campaign, but they were united by the same goals. In the end, Phillips and Main Street Baptist Church took home the title.

Phillips and his wife have been involved throughout the year through activities such as hosting a participating in listening sessions around Anderson County with Mayor Terry Frank to discuss the current problems of drug misuse in the county and solutions to decrease these problems, the press release said. [Read more…]

Presentation on opioid drug epidemic Wednesday evening at RMS

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Chasing the Dragon Flyer Nov 29 2017

There will be a presentation on the opioid drug epidemic this evening at Robertsville Middle School.

The presentation is hosted by the offices of Safe Schools and Coordinated School Health. They are inviting the Oak Ridge community and friends of Oak Ridge Schools to the presentation, which is this evening (Wednesday, November 29) in the Robertsville Middle School Auditorium.

The evening will include a screening of the film “Chasing the Dragon,” a press release said. Following the film, the group will engage in a panel discussion with former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Neil Morgenstern as well as representatives from Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Fire Department, Ridgeview Behavioral Health, and ASAP of Anderson County.

The doors will open at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday to provide those who attend an opportunity to visit with area mental health, drug prevention, treatment, and recovery agencies. The program will start promptly at 6 p.m. [Read more…]

More than 55 runners compete in Oak Ridge Schools Stomp Out Tobacco 5k

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

More than 55 runners from Oak Ridge and Morgan, Roane, Anderson, and Knox counties competed in the Third Annual Oak Ridge Schools STOMP OUT Tobacco 5k on Saturday, May 20, 2017. (Submitted photo)

More than 55 runners from Oak Ridge and Morgan, Roane, Anderson, and Knox counties competed in the Third Annual Oak Ridge Schools STOMP OUT Tobacco 5k on Saturday, May 20, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

More than 55 runners from Oak Ridge and Morgan, Roane, Anderson, and Knox counties competed in the Third Annual Oak Ridge Schools STOMP OUT Tobacco 5k on Saturday, May 20. The focus of the event was to encourage physical activity throughout the community while raising awareness to the dangers of tobacco use, a press release said.

Jacob Price of Oak Ridge was the first place male overall winner with a time of 21:24.9. The female overall winner was Amanda Seal of Knoxville with a time of 25:09.9.

The 5k took place on the Grove Center Course that started at Randolph Road. ASAP of Anderson County and Premiere Martial Arts set up at the registration site to provide information regarding their agencies. Breakfast items and water were provided by Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated School Health partnership with Anderson County Health Department. Chick-Fil-A was also on site to provide fruit cups to the first 50 participants to cross the finish line. [Read more…]

Underage drinking town hall meeting held at Ritz Theatre

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ASAP Logo

CLINTON—At the Ritz Theatre in Clinton on Wednesday night, the Anderson County Underage Drinking Task Force held a well-attended Town Hall meeting to discuss underage drinking. A panel of experts was assembled to discuss the issue and answer questions raised by members of the audience.

Panelists included Russell Barker, director of the Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force; Kim Guinn, director of Project AWARE; Gary Terry, assistant principal, athletic director, and mentor at Anderson County High School; and Jack and Mary Lou Winkler, parents in partnership with MADD.

“Underage drinking is not a minor problem; it’s a major one,” Barker said. “Almost every case I’ve ever investigated as a police officer has had alcohol or drugs involved.” [Read more…]

Anderson County Underage Drinking Task Force to present Town Hall, free movie on Nov. 30

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ASAP Logo

The Anderson County Underage Drinking Task Force will be presenting a Town Hall meeting on November 30 at the Ritz Theater in Clinton. The Town Hall is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., a press release said.

It will be an open discussion of underage drinking, and it will be open to all adults in the community as well as middle and high school students who must be accompanied by their parents, guardians, and other adults, the press release said.

There will be a panel discussion formed around underage drinking in Anderson County including information on what resources are available for parents, what support is available for students, and a discussion of AWARE Anderson County, the press release said. [Read more…]

Rocky Top donates to Family Drug Treatment Court of Anderson County

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

rocky-top-donates-to-family-drug-treatment-court

Pictured left to right are Rocky Top Police Chief Jim Shetterly, Mayor Michael Lovely, Stephanie Strutner of ASAP, and City Manager Michael Foster. Rocky Top City officials presented a $500 check to ASAP of Anderson County to support the Family Drug Treatment Court. (Submitted photo)

 

At the Rocky Top City Council meeting last week, Mayor Michael Lovely, Police Chief Jim Shetterly, and City Manager Michael Foster presented a check for $500 to Stephanie Strutner, executive director of Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County Inc., to support the Family Drug Treatment Court of Anderson County.

“The Family Drug Treatment Court has been under development for a number of years based on best practices from effective programs from across the country,” Strutner said. The program is geared toward rehabilitating not only adolescents through the Juvenile Court system, but their family unit as well, a press release said.

“This program offers the possibility to break the generational cycle of substance abuse many of our juvenile offenders experience,” Juvenile Court Judge Brian Hunt said. “It also offers hope—hope that these adolescents can stay out of jail as adults and become contributing members of their community.” [Read more…]

Anderson County adopts local zoning regulations for pain clinics

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Terry-Frank-Pain-Clinic-Zoning-Resolution

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank signs the resolution adopted by County Commission that regulates zoning for local pain clinics. (Submitted photo)

 

CLINTON—Following months of work that began in March 2015, two public hearings, and two separate reviews by County Commission, Anderson County has adopted new local zoning regulations for pain clinics in an effort to prevent or reduce prescription drug abuse in the county, a press release said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses now account for more deaths in the U.S. nationally than motor vehicle accidents, with 52 percent of those deaths attributed to prescription medication.

In Tennessee, drug overdose deaths increased 7.7 percent from 2013 to 2014 (1,187 deaths in 2013 to 1,269 deaths in 2014). This is higher than the statistically significant national average change of +6.5 percent, according to the CDC.  The Tennessee drug overdose deaths in 2014 are almost equivalent to two full Tennessee Greyhound bus crashes per month without survivors, the press release said. [Read more…]

Students, state, nonprofit ask students, staff to not text while driving

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ASAP Youth Coalition Oak Ridge Chapter

The ASAP Youth Coalition Oak Ridge chapter encourages students to pledge not to text and drive. (Photo by ASAP) 

 

Oak Ridge High School has teamed up with ASAP of Anderson County and the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office to host a campaign that asks students, teachers, and staff to pledge to not text and drive.

The campaign is called One Text or Call Could Wreck It All.

April is designated as national Distracted Driving Awareness Month by the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office. In recognition of that, Oak Ridge High School is taking a stand against texting and driving, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge High School ASAP Youth Coalition hosted the campaign this week along with ASAP of Anderson County, Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated School Health, and the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office. [Read more…]

ASAP coalition wins award for work to reduce underage drinking

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ASAP Logo

Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County (ASAP) has won a GOT OUTCOMES! Coalition of Excellence award by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, or CADCA. ASAP won in the “Milestones Award” category for their efforts to reduce underage drinking rates in the community, a press release said.

Sponsored by CADCA’s National Coalition Institute, the GOT OUTCOMES! Awards give national recognition to coalitions that make a strong case for their contribution to population-level substance outcomes by using an inclusive, data-driven, and comprehensive community problem-solving process. Coalitions complete a competitive and rigorous two-phase application process and are judged by a panel of experts at the federal, state and local levels.

The Milestone category provides newer coalitions—or those with more recently implemented strategies—the opportunity to highlight their contributions toward achieving community-level reductions in one or more substance abuse or substance abuse-related issues, the press release said. [Read more…]

Nominations being accepted for Anderson County Ally of the Year

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ASAP Logo

Do you know someone who lives, works, does business, or worships in Anderson County who cares for its citizens and is passionate about creating a healthy and productive Anderson County? Then consider nominating them for Anderson County Ally of the Year!

ASAP’s Anderson County Ally of the Year campaign is a fundraising competition during January, coinciding with the Red Ribbon Rivalry among a select group of individuals in the community. While each candidate conducts their own campaign, all candidates are united by one goal: to use their leadership, influence, and communication skills to raise funds to help prevent and reduce substance abuse in Anderson County.

ASAP of Anderson County has made significant reductions in the number of Anderson County students who have used alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, including a 43 percent reduction during the past two years in the number of students who drink alcohol. However, ASAP relies on the generosity of individuals and business to continue these efforts. [Read more…]