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Briceville zip code has highest case rate in Anderson County

Posted at 12:15 pm July 24, 2020
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The 21-day COVID-19 case rates for an East Tennessee region outside Knox County, the white area at center, through Wednesday, July 22, 2020. The main Oak Ridge zip code, on the lower northwest side of Knox County, is 37830. The main Clinton and Marlow zip code is 37716. Powell, Claxton, and Heiskell are 37849. The main Oliver Springs zip code is 37840. Rocky Top is 37769, Briceville is 37710, Norris is 37828, and Norris and Andersonville is 37705. Lenoir City and Oak Ridge is 37771. The 37748 zip code is Harriman, Blair, Coalfield, and Oak Ridge. The 37763 zip code includes Kingston and Midway,. (Image by Tennessee Department of Health)

Note: This story was last updated at 7:15 p.m.

The Briceville zip code had the highest rate of COVID-19 cases in Anderson County, calculated compared to population, according to maps posted by the Tennessee Department of Health on Wednesday. The Briceville zip code is 37710.

The Oak Ridge and Elza (37830), Clinton and Marlow (37716), and Rocky Top (37769) zip codes had lower case rates than the Briceville zip code.

Still lower were the Oliver Springs and Coalfield (37840), Powell and Claxton (37849), Heiskell (37754), Norris (37705), and Norris and Andersonville (37705) zip codes.

On July 7, Bill Christian, spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Health, said there wasn’t one large cluster of cases that explained the increase in cases in Anderson County. Oak Ridge Today asked about that after the number of new cases started to increase in the county starting around July 2.

“Like much of East Tennessee, Anderson County is experiencing an increase in community transmission,” Christian said at the time.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: COVID-19, Front Page News, Health Tagged With: Anderson County, Bill Christian, Briceville, COVID-19, Oak Ridge, Tennessee Department of Health

CTF search finds meth, heroin, pills in Briceville

Posted at 11:42 am February 20, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A search by law enforcement officers at a home in Briceville on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, found large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin and hundreds of prescription pills, and charges are pending, a press release said. (Photo courtesy Anderson County Sheriff's Department)

A search by law enforcement officers at a home in Briceville on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, found large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin, and hundreds of prescription pills, and charges are pending, a press release said. (Photo courtesy Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

 

A search by law enforcement officers at a home in Briceville last week found large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin, and hundreds of prescription pills, a press release said. Charges are pending, the release said.

The Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force in Anderson County, which had search warrants, searched the home on Wednesday, February 13, according to a press release from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

The search warrants led to the discovery of one pound and two ounces of methamphetamine, 21 grams of heroin, and hundreds of prescription pills, the press release said. The suspect and owner of the property where the search warrants were served was located and interviewed, the release said. The approximate street value of the narcotics was $53,000.

The suspect was not identified in the press release. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Front Page News, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Briceville, Dave Clark, heroin, methamphetamine, narcotics, prescription pills, Russell Barker, Seventh Judicial Crime Task Force

Three small brush fires reported in Briceville

Posted at 12:05 pm January 14, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department was called to a section of New River Highway in Briceville on Friday night after someone reported small brush fires along the side of the road.

A responding deputy located three small brush fires in the 6700 block of New River Highway, which he described as “moving uphill at a slow pace.” No structures, power poles, or any other property were threatened by the fires, which were extinguished by the Briceville Volunteer Fire Department. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Briceville, Front Page News, Police and Fire Tagged With: Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Briceville, brush fire, fire, New River Highway, Tyler Culver

Fire destroys Briceville house

Posted at 12:58 pm January 9, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A fire destroyed a home on Andy’s Ridge Road between Briceville and Rocky Top on Friday evening, authorities said.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to the call at about 6:51 p.m. Friday.

When Deputy Gregory Hoyt Stanley arrived, he found the house fully engulfed in flames, according to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department incident report. The Briceville Volunteer Fire Department was already there trying to extinguish the blaze.

The resident of the home told deputies that he had been across the street at his mother’s house for a few minutes when he realized that his house was on fire, according to the incident report. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Briceville, Police and Fire Tagged With: Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Andy's Ridge Road, Briceville, Briceville Volunteer Fire Department, fire, Gregory Hoyt Stanley, space heater

Commissioners plan tour with video, showing need for guardrails on New River Highway

Posted at 12:19 pm September 22, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Graves Gap Wildfire

A section of New River Highway, also known as Highway 116, is pictured above between Briceville and Rosedale in November 2012, when the Graves Gap wildfire was reported on a mountain east of the highway (to the right in the photo above). (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Two Anderson County commissioners have planned a mountain drive on Tuesday that they say will again show the need for guardrails along Highway 116, also known as New River Highway, in north Anderson County.

The commissioners, Tim Isbel and Shain Vowell, represent District Four in Anderson County. That district includes Briceville and Rosedale, among other parts of mountainous north Anderson County.

They have scheduled a meeting with a representative of the Tennessee Department of Transportation at about 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, September 26, at the Anderson County Career and Technical Center beside the Anderson County High School. The purpose is to explain the need for the guardrails, the commissioners said in an email forwarded to other county commissioners, county officials, and the media. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Education, Front Page News, Government, K-12, State, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Highway Committee, Briceville, Highway 116, New River Highway, Rosedale, Shain Vowell, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tim Isbel

Anderson, Roane schools closed Monday; Briceville Highway closed due to ‘slide issues’

Posted at 8:38 pm April 23, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

State Route 116 in Anderson County, also known as Briceville Highway, is closed at Hawkins Road due to “slide issues,” the Tennessee Department of Transportation said Sunday. Also Sunday, Anderson County Schools and Roane County Schools both announced they will be closed Monday.

TDOT said traffic on Briceville Highway is being diverted to county roads.

“Use caution in this area,” TDOT said.

Hawkins Road is southwest of Rocky Top (the former Lake City) and northeast of Briceville.

Briceville Highway had earlier been reported to be closed in Briceville due to sinking pavement on Sunday afternoon. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, State, Top Stories, Weather Tagged With: Anderson County Schools, Briceville, Briceville Highway, flooded roads, flooding, Hawkins Road, Knox County Schools, Morgan County Schools, National Weather Service, Norris Dam State Park, NWS, rain, Roane County schools, State Route 116, State Route 71, TDOT, Tennessee Department of Transportation

Letter: Please contribute to help firefighters, first responders

Posted at 2:17 pm December 4, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Letters Leave a Comment

To the Editor:

We’ve all been praying for rain, perhaps several times a day. This drought has been affecting our area for over four months now.

Because it’s been so dry, there’s been a ban on fires. You’ve heard the reports: No open fires. No fire pits or campfires. No grilling whether charcoal or gas. No throwing down a cigarette butt. No burning of brush or rubbish.

If you were going to ask, the answer would be a simple “NO!”

As a result, someone has, or did because they figured it was OK. Whether it was intentional or not. It happened. Fires popped up here and there. On the mountain side, at the campground, someone’s backyard, or even a spark from an engine. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Letters, Opinion, Police and Fire Tagged With: Anderson County Commission, Anderson County Fire Chief Association, Anderson County Fire Commission, Anderson County Rescue Squad, Andersonville, Briceville, Claxton, Clinton, drought, fire, firefighters, Marlow, Marlow Volunteer Fire Department, Medford, Norris, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, rain, Rocky Top, Stephanie Fox

No one injured, no homes damaged in brush fire on Foley Hill north of Clinton

Posted at 1:56 pm March 19, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Foley-Hill-Fire-Albert-Look-March-17-2016

No one was injured and no homes were damaged during a brush fire on Foley Hill north of Clinton on Thursday, March 17, 2016. Above, resident Albert Look, who lives on Jarnigan Chapel Road, fights the fire with a garden hose until the Medford Fire Department arrives. (Photo by Caren Look)

 

CLINTON—No one was injured and no homes were damaged during a brush fire on Foley Hill north of Clinton on Thursday.

The fire was 1.5 acres, and it was started by an “escaped debris fire,” the Tennessee Division of Forestry said. A warning was issued, officials said.

Residents who live off Jarnigan Chapel Road on the top of the hill said it started at the bottom of the hill, and the wind blew it up through the woods.

“It was horrifying,” said J.T. Taylor, who lives near the top of the hill. He said flames about 10 feet high came within 20 feet of his home. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Briceville, Clinton, Front Page News, Medford, Police and Fire, Tennessee Tagged With: Albert Look, Anderson County, Briceville, brush fire, Caren Look, Clinton, Dewayne Seiber, fire, Foley Hill, J.T. Taylor, James Taylor, Jarnigan Chapel Road, Madilyn Clarke, Medford, Medford Volunteer Fire Department, Tennessee Division of Forestry, Vowell Mountain Lane

Coal Creek Miners Museum has grand opening on March 11

Posted at 1:38 am March 3, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Coal-Creek-Miners-Museum

The Coal Creek Miners Museum in Rocky Top will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting on March 11.

The museum tells the story of the miners that lived, worked, and died in Coal Creek, Fraterville, and Briceville, and it also tells about the historically significant events that changed the mining industry, a press release said.

The grand opening is scheduled from 2-5 p.m. March 11 at the new museum, which is at 201 South Main Street in Rocky Top (formerly known as Lake City). The ribbon-cutting with the Rocky Top Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

Here is more information from a press release:

The story starts in the late 1800s when the “free” miners fought against the convict lease system, a struggle that ultimately ended the system in the southern states. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Front Page News, Meetings and Events, Rocky Top Tagged With: Briceville, Charles Winfrey, Coal Creek, Coal Creek Miners' Museum, Fraterville, grand opening, Lake City, miners, mining, ribbon-cutting, Rocky Top, Rocky Top Chamber of Commerce, Tim Isbel

Dryer fire injures none, Briceville fire under investigation

Posted at 9:44 am July 30, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Sulphur Springs Road Fire

A Sunday morning fire on Sulphur Springs Road in Anderson County injured no one but caused significant damage to the roof and laundry room of a home, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Information from WYSH Radio

ANDERSON COUNTY—A Sunday morning fire on Sulphur Springs Road injured no one but caused significant damage to the roof and laundry room of the home.

The house was fully engulfed in flames when Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived on the scene shortly after 10 a.m., and the blaze was extinguished by crews from the Marlow and Medford volunteer fire departments.

Homeowner Buster Phillips told authorities that he had heard a loud pop come from the laundry room. When he went to investigate, Phillips said, he saw a large fire behind the dryer. He and the other occupant of the house made it out safely.

It was apparently the home of Office on Aging Executive Director Cherie Phillips. WYSH reported on Wednesday that Cherie Phillips lost her home to a fire on Sunday morning, and a GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Briceville, Front Page News, Marlow, Medford, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Andy's Ridge Road, Briceville, Briceville Volunteer Fire Department, Buster Phillips, Carl Sharp Jr., Cherie Phillips, fire, Marlow, Medford Volunteer Fire Department, Office on Aging, Sulphur Springs Road

Dog killed in Briceville fire

Posted at 12:23 pm March 31, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

A dog was killed in a house fire on Friday afternoon in Briceville.

The fire at the home on Duncan Road was reported at around 3 p.m. Friday, and it was put out by crews from the Briceville Volunteer Fire Department.

The homeowner, Eric Harris, was the only human at home at the time of the fire, and he was able to get out safely. However, a dog was not able to make it out and died in the blaze.

Harris said that he had heard a loud sound outside his window and had looked out to find his front porch on fire. His wife told firefighters that they typically hung heat lamps on and underneath the porch for their outside dogs in cold weather, and firefighters, in turn, told deputies that the fire appeared to have started in that area.

Filed Under: Briceville, Front Page News, Police and Fire Tagged With: Briceville, Briceville Volunteer Fire Department, Duncan Road, Eric Harris, fire

Sheriff’s Department investigates fire that destroyed empty Briceville home

Posted at 2:20 pm November 24, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a Saturday night fire that destroyed an empty house in Briceville that had been the target of thieves, authorities said.

The fire at 230 Brown Flats Lane was reported at about 11:36 p.m. Saturday.

John L. Brown, the victim, who lives at a separate address on Brown Flats Lane, said the empty house was his parents’ old home, and there have recently been several thefts there, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Joshua A. Humphrey said in an incident report. In one of those thefts, someone stole all the copper, and there was no electricity at the home, Brown told Humphrey. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Sheriff's Department, arson, Briceville, Briceville Volunteer Fire Department, Brown Flats Lane, fire, James Wilson, John L. Brown, John Tyler Brown, Joshua A. Humphrey

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Classifieds

Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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