child abuse Archives - Oak Ridge Today

DA receives $240,000 federal grant for Family Justice Center

Posted at 2:24 pm July 18, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Family Justice Center Site Coordinator Melissa Miller and Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark are pictured above at the signing of the grant contract for the Anderson County Family Justice Center in July 2019. (Submitted photo)

The district attorney general in Anderson County has received a $240,000 federal grant to set up a family justice center.

The Anderson County Family Justice Center will help combat child abuse, domestic abuse, and elder abuse, Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark said in press release on Tuesday. It will be organized and formed during the first year or two of the grant contract, Clark said.

“Upon opening the actual center, there will be a location where (Anderson County residents) with abuse issues can go to get services from a variety of providers who will all have a representative located in the Family Justice Center,” Clark said. “In addition, referrals may be made by the Family Justice Center to other organizations that can provide help.”

Melissa Miller has been hired as the site coordinator of the Family Justice Center.

[Read more…]

DA: Granddaughter in murder case was malnourished, smothered

Posted at 10:24 am May 14, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The young granddaughter who died in Oak Ridge in 2011 was malnourished and had been smothered, District Attorney General Dave Clark said Friday, after the child’s grandmother pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last Tuesday.

Emergency workers and law enforcement officers responded to a 911 call at Teller Village Apartments around 1:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, 2011. The grandmother, Valerie Stenson, now 54, was trying to revive her granddaughter, Manhattan Inman, using cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, Clark said in a press release Friday.

“An autopsy reveled that the child was malnourished, and the cause of death was smothering,” said Clark, who is DA in the Seventh Judicial District (Anderson County).

Manhattan was two years and nine months old when she died, Clark said.

[Read more…]

Rocky Top man charged with child abuse after infant found unresponsive

Posted at 4:14 pm October 7, 2018
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Cameron Tommy Beard

A Rocky Top man has been charged with aggravated child abuse and child abuse after an infant who was reported to have a brain injury was found unresponsive on Old Lake City Highway in Anderson County in March, authorities said.

Cameron Tommy Beard, 19, was arrested by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department after he was indicted by the Anderson County Grand Jury in Clinton, District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a press release Friday. The indictment of Beard charged him with aggravated child abuse and neglect of a child less than eight years old, and two counts of child abuse of a child less than eight, Clark said. [Read more…]

In child abuse case, police allegedly find drugs, knives; dog urine, feces; roaches, dirty dishes

Posted at 7:02 pm August 3, 2016
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Jordan Tyler Etheridge and Honey Lee Hook July 2016

Jordan Tyler Etheridge, left, and Honey Lee Hook are pictured above. (Photos by Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

An Oak Ridge man and woman were charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect after police conducting a welfare check on North Hollywood Circle on Saturday allegedly found drugs, paraphernalia, and several knives lying where a small child could reach them; dog urine and feces in several spots on the floor; roaches and dirty dishes with mold and bugs throughout the home; no running water that an officer could find; and a large bucket of dirty water in the middle of the floor, court records said.

The bathroom toilet was full of human waste, and there was a “foul odor throughout the residence,” according to arrest warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.

There were several small individual wrapped plastic baggies lying in plain sight on the living room floor, and some had a green leafy substance inside that looked and smelled like marijuana and several had a white powdery substance inside them, packaged for resale, Oak Ridge Police Department Officer Sherrill Selby said in the warrants. There were two spoons with a white powder substance on them lying on a television stand, Selby said.

The home is within 1,000 feet of the playground of the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, making it a drug-free school zone, the warrants said. [Read more…]

CASA seeks volunteer advocates in Anderson County

Posted at 1:01 pm August 14, 2015
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By CASA of the Tennessee Heartland

Kids Count Data 2015 has just been released. This data revealed that there were 160 confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect in Anderson County alone. As a result, 277 Anderson County children were in DCS custody last year.

Because of the growing problem of abuse and neglect in our community, CASA of the Tennessee Heartland is seeking volunteer advocates for its Anderson County program. CASA of the Tennessee Heartland recruits, trains, and empowers volunteers to advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children in juvenile court.

Our Court Appointed Special Advocates gather information, recommend services, and advocate for each child to be placed in a safe and permanent home as quickly as possible. A CASA volunteer may be the only consistent, adult presence in a child’s life. Because a CASA focuses on one family at a time, a child with a CASA volunteer is more likely to find a safe, permanent home, more likely to be adopted, and less likely to be bounced from home to home. [Read more…]

Guest column: Tips for managing family stress during the holidays

Posted at 9:38 am December 24, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Guest Columns Leave a Comment

Submitted by Susan Moore

Around this time of year, we start hearing phrases like “Give thanks” and “get into the Christmas spirit” everywhere we go. Just about every advertisement reminds us that the holidays are right around the corner. It is a festive time of year with plenty to do. There are parades, Black Friday sales, family get-togethers, good food, and gifts to buy.

But as the joy and excitement of the season spreads, stress and anxiety also increase. During the holiday season, we actually see an increase in child abuse attributed to the additional stresses on families.

At first this sounds surprising, but everyone, especially parents, can relate to the stress of setting aside money to purchase gifts for Christmas and food for Thanksgiving. With extra expenses and additional events piling up, parents are vulnerable to losing control of themselves in an attempt to release their stress. Instead of finding a healthy outlet for stress release, many parents take out their frustration on their children and use abusive discipline.

“Typically around this time of year we see the parent with a full plate losing it a little bit and hurting their children,” says Kristen Rector of Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee. “It’s not the out-of-control raging parent who usually abuses a child but the parent stressed out by the holiday expenses.” [Read more…]

Ragan runs on record; Nolan questions his representation

Posted at 6:48 pm August 6, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

John Ragan

He’s running for his third term in the Tennessee House, touting his record on state energy policy and trimming government. His challenger questions his record on representing the children and residents of the district, rather than special interests.

The two Republican candidates for the House seat in District 33, which includes most of Anderson County, are the incumbent, Representative John Ragan, and his GOP challenger, Caitlin Nolan. They will face off in the state Republican primary on Thursday.

It’s not clear who the winner will face in November. Misty Neergaard, the only candidate listed on the ballot in the state Democratic primary, has dropped out of the race, although she withdrew too late for her name to be taken off the ballot. There is a write-in candidate on the Democratic ticket, Leslie Agron of Oak Ridge.

During an interview last week, Ragan said legislators have eliminated 14 government organizations in the past two years, and a dozen legislative committees have been cut.

He said he’s helped to make state energy policy a top priority.

Asked about the challenge posed by Nolan, Ragan said: “It’s a race. My opponent is making me work hard, which is good for the voters even if it’s a strain on the candidates.” [Read more…]

Guest column: April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Posted at 2:47 pm April 23, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Guest Columns Leave a Comment

Join CASA of the Tennessee Heartland’s commitment to helping victims of child abuse and neglect heal, and making sure all children feel safe and loved

Anytime a child is abused or neglected, it’s a tragedy—one that all too often scars victims for a lifetime. The latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are sobering:

Child Protective Services agencies across the United States received some 3.4 million referrals of abuse or neglect involving 6.3 million children in 2012.
An estimated 1,640 children died from child abuse or neglect in 2012, and nearly three-quarters of them were younger than age 3.
In Anderson County, 592 child abuse cases were reported in 2012, and 121 children were brought into custody, with an additional 167 remaining in custody from previous years.

Studies have shown that children who have suffered abuse or neglect are more likely to struggle in school, have run-ins with law enforcement, experience homelessness, or abuse drugs or alcohol. Research also shows that abused children are more apt to grow up to abuse their own kids. [Read more…]

Guest column: We all have a role to play in ending child abuse

Posted at 12:20 am April 5, 2014
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By Naomi Asher

By the time you finish reading this article, more than 30 cases of child abuse will have been reported to authorities nationwide. By the end of today, that number will swell past 9,000. And four of those children will die at the hands of their abuser. All in a single day.

When we take stock of these sobering statistics during April—National Child Abuse Prevention Month—it’s easy to be overwhelmed and to ask yourself, “What can I possibly do to make a difference?”

The answer is, you can do a lot. Everybody can play a role in preventing child abuse and neglect by becoming advocates for children.

For some of us, that advocacy comes in a formal role. Teachers, child care workers, health care providers and others who come into daily contact with children can be vigilant for signs of abuse and neglect. Their actions to report suspected abuse or to offer extra time and attention to fragile children can do more than make a difference. It can save lives. [Read more…]

Church Women United to host speaker from Healthy Start

Posted at 10:05 pm March 28, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Susan Moore

Susan Moore, program supervisor for Healthy Start of Anderson County, will discuss the program’s role in preventing child abuse during an April 4 presentation in Oak Ridge.

The program is part of the celebration of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, and it’s hosted by Church Women United, a press release said.

Healthy Start of Anderson County has been deemed an elite “model program,” ensuring the medical well-being of mothers and infants and preventing child abuse. Healthy Start programs enhance child development by helping children meet physical and mental milestones that affect their readiness for school. Healthy Start also supports parents and extended families in creating a positive environment for the child within the family, the press release said. [Read more…]

Letter: Healthy Start to kick off fall campaign, seeks donations

Posted at 11:53 pm November 26, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Letters Leave a Comment

To the Editor:

After 15 years, with its continued mission of preventing child abuse and neglect in Anderson County, Healthy Start continues to support our families and is regarded as a model program. Healthy Start of Anderson County is funded solely through contributions from within Anderson County.

As part of its mission to prevent child abuse and neglect in Anderson County, Healthy Start seeks to support new parents toward a positive future, as well as enhancing their child’s development. Evidence shows that 98 percent of Healthy Start babies are at their age-appropriate developmental level, and 100 percent have well-baby checks and age appropriate immunizations.

Currently, however, the demand for Healthy Start services outpaces the ability to provide them because of funding limitations. [Read more…]

Letter: Thank you for helping child abuse victims through Youth Showcase

Posted at 6:56 pm November 17, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Letters Leave a Comment

Dear Oak Ridge:

The board and staff of the Child Advocacy Center wish to thank many of the community who helped create a wonderful event on Nov. 2: The Youth Showcase and Auction. The event raised approximately $4,500 to further our mission of combating severe physical and sexual abuse and the resulting trauma by coordinating and providing services to young victims in a child friendly, safe, and nurturing environment.

Many donated their time to our cause. The evening’s master of ceremonies, Matt Shafer Powell of NPR, amused the audience between acts. David Fall, of Stephenson’s auction, prompted audience members to keep bidding and raised $2,200 on the live auction alone. Volunteers Glen Zahn on sound, Adam Bell as stage manager, and Zachary Picketton on lights provided flawless technical support. Terry Silver-Alford, music director of the Clarence Brown Theater, provided musical skills as an accompanist for several of the performers. Not least, the kind folks of High Places Community Church allowed us to use their wonderfully preserved Historic Grove Theater for the performance. [Read more…]