Oak Ridge Today

Police arrest driver who resisted officer, hit steel post at Rocky Top

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Rocky Top Steel Pole Damage

Police have arrested the Knoxville man who resisted an officer at a Rocky Top convenience store early Tuesday morning before hitting this steel pole in the gas station’s parking lot.

 

Knox County and Oak Ridge officers have arrested the Knoxville man who resisted an officer before he accelerated toward a Rocky Top store and hit a steel pole in the gas station’s parking lot early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Sherrius Smith, 20, was arrested at an apartment on West Vista Ridge Way in Knoxville at about 11:10 a.m. Tuesday by members of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Division and Oak Ridge Police Department Special Projects Unit, the ORPD said in a press release. He was transferred to the ORPD, which is taking him to the Anderson County Detention Center in Clinton, where he will face the following charges, a press release said:

  • two counts of aggravated assault,
  • possession of schedule VI controlled substances for resale, [Read more…]

Police: Man flees after driving toward store, hitting steel post in parking lot

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Oak Ridge Police Department Logo

A Knoxville man fled after resisting an officer, driving toward Rocky Top Convenience Store on Oak Ridge Turnpike, and hitting a steel post in the gas station’s parking lot early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department is still searching for the man, identified as Sherrius Smith, 20, of Viking Road in Knoxville. Officers are also searching for a 17-year-old female who was in the car with Smith.

Two ORPD officers responded to Rocky Top at about 1:40 a.m. Tuesday to investigate a suspicious black sedan in the parking lot, occupied by Smith and the juvenile, a press release said. Smith and the juvenile were reportedly intoxicated and had been involved in a verbal disturbance earlier after exiting the store, the ORPD said in the release. [Read more…]

Clinton Police investigate gas station break-in

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Clinton Police Department responded to a break-in at the Shell gas station at 2180 North Charles Seivers Boulevard early Sunday morning.

The incident report indicated that a Clinton police officer responded to the gas station at around 5:45 a.m. Sunday on a report of a burglary. Investigators determined that someone used a lever of some sort to pry open the dead bolt lock on one of the doors to gain entry and that the thief or thieves had also disabled the store’s security system before damaging the alarm box itself. Several phone lines and other cables were cut during the heist.

The culprits pried open and emptied an ATM machine inside the store as well as the two cash registers and made off with as much as $1,100 in cash.  The case has been turned over to detectives for follow-up and as of press time, there were no suspects.

Bicyclist reports man yells obscenities before running over his bike in Solway

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A 32-year-old man reported that a suspect leaving the Raceway gas station in Solway on Sunday afternoon first yelled obscenities toward him and then ran over his bicycle, authorities said.

The victim was examined by Rural Metro, but he said he was not injured in the incident, which occurred at 2:23 p.m. Sunday, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Office report.

The suspect, who was reported to be driving a black Chevrolet Blazer, left before officers arrived.

Weigel’s has ribbon-cutting Tuesday

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Weigel's on South Illinois Avenue

The Weigel’s on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge has a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday.

The new Weigel’s store on South Illinois Avenue will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesday.

The new Weigel’s convenience store and gas station is at 417 S. Illinois Ave. in Oak Ridge.

It’s one in a series of relatively new businesses recently completed or under construction in or near the Woodland neighborhood along South Illinois Avenue. Others include an Aldi grocery, Panera Bread and Aubrey’s restaurant, and a Bojangle’s restaurant.

Weigel’s open now, Aldi has grand opening Thursday

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Weigel's on South Illinois Avenue

The Weigel’s on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge is now open.

A Weigel’s gas station and store is now open on South Illinois Avenue, and a nearby Aldi grocery has a grand opening celebration on Thursday.

The Weigel’s is on 1.5 acres south of TNBank, and the 4,000-square-foot store includes 16 gas pumps.

Construction started this spring. It’s now the second Weigel’s store in Oak Ridge and the only gas station on South Illinois Avenue between Tulsa Road in central Oak Ridge and Solway in Knox County.

Weigel’s Farm Stores Inc. is a chain headquartered in Powell that operates 57 local dairy and convenience stores. [Read more…]

Council approves Weigel’s store in two 6-0 votes

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Weigels Rezoning

The Oak Ridge City Council has approved a rezoning and two driveways for a Weigel’s on South Illinois Avenue.

With almost no discussion, the Oak Ridge City Council on Monday voted 6-0 to approve a rezoning and two driveways off South Illinois Avenue for a new Weigel’s gas station and convenience store.

In previous meetings, city officials had been concerned about potential traffic problems at the new 16-pump gas station, particularly with more vehicles turning left to get on and off busy, seven-lane South Illinois Avenue.

But a traffic study completed by Knoxville engineering firm Cannon and Cannon in September appears to have alleviated those concerns. Prepared for Weigel’s, that study said the new store would have a minimal impact on traffic.

“Much to my surprise, this is a good idea,” Oak Ridge City Council member Ellen Smith said before Monday night’s vote.

[Read more…]