Oak Ridge Today

Guest column: Holiday crime prevention, shopping tips

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By Sheriff Paul White

During the busy holiday season, many people can become victims of burglary, theft, and other crime. Protecting yourself and your home from crime is the easiest way to have a safe and happy holiday season.

In an effort to ensure everyone has safe and fun holidays, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department would like to offer the following tips for holiday crime prevention.

Shopping:

  • Park in lighted areas at night.
  • Always lock your car. Don’t try to cover items on your seats. Put shopping bags in your trunk or take your packages straight home after shopping and then go back out. [Read more…]

ORPD receives about $70,000 seized in drug trafficking investigation

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The Oak Ridge Police Department was one of 19 local and state law enforcement agencies that received part of $4.1 million in cash seized during a 2011 investigation of a Mexican drug trafficking organization.

The ORPD received $69,814, said U.S. Attorney William C. Killian of the Eastern District of Tennessee in Knoxville. Other law enforcement agencies in California, North Carolina, and Tennessee received amounts ranging from about $35,000 to close to $420,000. [Read more…]

Feds divvy up drug money

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Information from WYSH Radio

Ten Tennessee state and local law enforcement agencies are among 19 dividing up $4 million seized during an investigation into a Mexican drug trafficking ring.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, information gained through wiretaps helped them identify and stop a semi driven by Armando Guzman Villegas and Javier Cruz-Ramirez as it headed along I-40 through East Tennessee. Searching the tractor-trailer, they found several pallets of shrink-wrapped bottled water. One of the shrink wrapped pallets, though, held more than $4 million in cash in about 200 duct-taped bundles. [Read more…]

Council to consider utility rate increases, sewer tanks, new fire trucks

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Emory Valley Road Sewer System Holding Tank

A draft image of what a sewer system holding tank could look like on Emory Valley Road east of the former Daniel Arthur Rehabilitation Center. The proposal could change based upon input from Oak Ridge City Council members. (Images courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge officials are considering utility rate increases that could cost many residents another $6.87 per month, and they have also proposed building three large sewer system holding tanks, including two near busy roadways, in response to a federal order requiring the city to stop all sewer system overflows by September 2015.

Council could consider those proposals, as well as a request to buy three new fire trucks, during its Sept. 9 meeting. [Read more…]

Sheriff: Eight pounds of marijuana found, $23K cash seized, five arrested

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Investigators allegedly found about eight pounds of marijuana, seized roughly $23,000 in cash and three vehicles, and arrested five Knoxville men after traffic stops in Anderson County on Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The five men were arrested after the three vehicles were intercepted on Clinton Highway bringing marijuana into the county, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department said in a Wednesday afternoon press release.

“These arrests are the result of surveillance and investigation into this drug activity, which includes receiving, transporting, and distributing marijuana on several occasions in the Claxton community of Anderson County,” the press release said. [Read more…]