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Reports: Man drags constable while fleeing, crashes into deputy’s cruiser

Posted at 4:01 am January 22, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Larry Eugene Ward

Larry Eugene Ward

An Anderson County man suspected of fleeing a crash on Clinton Highway last week was found slumped over with blood on his face in a damaged car that reeked inside of alcohol, authorities said. The suspect, Larry Eugene Ward, fled from officers, and he dragged three emergency responders with him and almost ran over a constable’s legs before crashing into three other vehicles on Bull Run Road, including a deputy’s patrol car, authorities said.

The constable, Jennings F. Foust, 64, was dragged almost 50 feet before Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Robert J. Collins was able to pull him from the vehicle, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.

While trying to flee, Ward crashed into three more vehicles, including Collins’ patrol car and Foust’s car, and hit or nearly hit an ambulance, authorities said.

Ward, 34, of Clinton, remained jailed Wednesday at the Anderson County Detention Facility on a slew of charges including aggravated assault, evading arrest, reckless driving, public intoxication, and driving under the influence. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Police and Fire, Tennessee, Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, Anderson County, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Bull Run Road, Claxton Volunteer Fire Department, Clinton Highway, disorderly conduct, Donnie Shipley, driving under the influence, driving uninsured, evading arrest, hit-and-run, Jennings F. Foust, Larry Eugene Ward, leaving the scene of an accident, public intoxication, reckless driving, reckless endangerment, resisting stop frisk halt and arrest, Robert J. Collins, Tennessee Highway Patrol, THP, Victoria H. Thomas

Lincoln’s Sports Grille requests court hearing after beer permit revoked

Posted at 5:56 pm September 11, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lincoln's Sports Grille

Lincoln’s Sports Grille on South Illinois Avenue is pictured above. (File photo)

A few days after its beer permit was revoked late last month, Lincoln’s Sports Grille requested a hearing in Anderson County Chancery Court and asked that the revocation be put on hold while the legal case is pending.

Lincoln’s, which had its beer permit revoked by a city board on August 28, said it has been hit with a “more substantial penalty than similar establishments have faced with similar conduct.”

The beer permit of the popular restaurant and bar, which opened about 4.5 years ago, was revoked for one year after its fifth show cause hearing before the Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board, and the second called after Lincoln’s sold beer to a minor.

In a petition filed September 2, Lincoln’s asked the Anderson County Chancery Court for a hearing to determine whether the business “violated any rules of conduct pertaining to the sale of beer and the appropriate punishment.”

The litigation could be protracted, the petition said. Lincoln’s is represented by Oak Ridge attorney Kevin C. Angel.

“Failure of this court to issue a stay of the Beer Board’s decision will result in irreparable loss to the petitioner (Lincoln’s) because it severely impacts petitioner’s ability to do business while the matter is pending,” Lincoln’s said. “On the other hand, if this court grants a stay and ultimately upholds the decision of the Beer Board, the petitioner can still be suspended for a year after this court’s decision. Thus, a stay of the Beer Board’s decision is in the interest of justice.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Business, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County Chancery Court, Aubrey's, Back to Brewski's, beer board, beer permit, compliance check, drinking, DUI, Ian's Market, Kevin C. Angel, Lincoln's Sports Grille, Lincoln’s, New China Palace, Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board, Oak Ridge Moose Lodge #1316, Oak Ridge Police Department, Outback Steakhouse, public intoxication, revocation, Riverside Grille, show cause hearing, TABC, Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, writ of certiorari

Beer Board has show cause hearings for Lincoln’s, Moose Lodge

Posted at 10:09 am August 26, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lincoln's Sports Grille

Lincoln’s Sports Grille on South Illinois Avenue is pictured above. (File photo)

A city board on Thursday could consider revoking or suspending beer permits, or levying fines, on a restaurant and local organization that have previously had their permits suspended and sold beer or alcohol to a minor during a state sting in June, officials said.

The two businesses, Lincoln’s Sports Grille and Oak Ridge Moose Lodge #1316, are among five that sold beer or alcohol to a minor during a compliance check by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission in June, officials said. The Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board plans to have show cause hearings for all five.

Thursday’s special meeting will be the fifth show cause hearing for Lincoln’s and the second for Moose Lodge, according to the Beer Board agenda.

Lincoln’s sold beer, a 16-ounce Bud Light, to a 19-year-old on June 9 after checking the person’s identification, according to the TABC records. It’s the second violation at Lincoln’s for sale to a minor by the TABC, the Beer Board agenda said, and the case is still pending.

Meanwhile, the Moose Lodge sold alcohol, a mixed drink vodka cranberry, to a 19-year-old on June 26 after checking ID, the state records said. It’s also the second violation at Moose Lodge for sale to a minor by the TABC, the Beer Board agenda said. Moose Lodge paid a $2,000 civil penalty for the violation and agreed to a 15-day suspension of their liquor-by-the-drink license. That suspension was in effect from July 13-27.

The Beer Board can revoke or suspend a beer permit during a show cause hearing. The board can also accept a civil penalty in lieu of a suspension. The maximum civil penalty is $2,500 per violation for selling beer to a minor, and $1,000 for all other offenses. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: alcohol, beer, beer board, beer permit, beer permit suspension, civil penalty, compliance check, Derrick Dalton, fight, Lincoln's Sports Grille, Lincoln’s, liquor by the drink, Moose Lodge, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board, Oak Ridge Moose Lodge #1316, public intoxication, sale to a minor, show cause hearing, TABC, Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission

ORPD: Intoxicated man poses as ORHS student

Posted at 12:50 am August 21, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

William Edward Lay

William Edward Lay

A 25-year-old Sunbright man who was intoxicated tried to “pass himself off” as an Oak Ridge High School student in at least two classrooms last week, the first week of school, before being stopped in a second floor hallway during a class change, authorities said.

William Edward Lay had obtained a student’s classroom schedule, but he had no identification and continuously gave School Resource Officer Sherrill Selby the wrong birth date, Social Security number, and other identifying information, according to arrest warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court.

Selby, an Oak Ridge Police Department officer, said Lay was unsteady on his feet and fell into the wall several times. She had been called to investigate a report of a suspicious male walking around and into classrooms at ORHS.

“Defendant’s eyes were red and glassy looking,” Selby said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County General Sessions Court, criminal impersonation, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORHS, ORPD, public intoxication, Sherrill Selby, student, William Edward Lay, William Lay

Oak Ridge man dies in Anderson County jail

Posted at 11:41 am July 8, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

An Oak Ridge man died Friday while in custody at the Anderson County Jail, and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death is under way.

According to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department incident report, 34-year-old Christopher Sullivan was found unresponsive in a holding cell at around 3:30 p.m. Friday, July 4. He been arrested by Oak Ridge police about three hours earlier on charges of public intoxication, two counts of possessing a Schedule II narcotic, and on an outstanding warrant for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

According to the report, the jail’s detox log indicates that jailers had checked on Sullivan “several times at regular intervals” before he was found unconscious in his cell. Jailers immediately began CPR, which was continued for about 15 more minutes when Anderson County EMS paramedics responded to the jail. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County EMS, Anderson County jail, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Christopher Sullivan, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possessing a Schedule II narcotic, public intoxication, Regional Forensic Center

Intoxicated, wearing only a shirt, woman tries to bite officer, police say

Posted at 12:09 am July 18, 2013
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Crystal Jane Wombles

Crystal Jane Wombles

She was extremely intoxicated and was outside on her porch wearing only a shirt when Oliver Springs police arrived, and neighbors said she had been completely naked a few minutes earlier, authorities said.

Crystal J. Wombles, 35, of Crystal Lane in Oliver Springs, was not wearing “bottoms or underwear…showing her bottom private parts to children and the neighbors,” Oliver Springs Police Department Patrolman Nathaniel W. Nelson said in an incident report. The neighbors had instructed their kids to go inside, the patrolman said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, Anderson County Detention Facility, Crystal J. Wombles, Crystal Lane, escape, indecent exposure, Nathaniel W. Nelson, Oliver Springs, Oliver Springs Police Department, possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, public intoxication, resisting arrest

Man allegedly starts fight, gets knife, threatens to ‘kill them all’

Posted at 5:54 pm July 16, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Richard Carl Johnson Jr.

Richard Carl Johnson Jr.

An Oliver Springs man allegedly shoved a 13-year-old boy into a vehicle and tried to assault him Monday evening before being forced off the family’s property, but Richard Carl Johnson Jr., 48, later walked up and down a road near the family’s home while carrying a large knife, screaming, and threatening to “kill them all,” authorities said.

The boy’s father and older son had tried to stop the assault at Green Acres Trailer Park, but Johnson allegedly started swinging at them. A brief fight ensued, authorities said. Johnson was hit around his head and face “numerous times” and forced off the property and back across the street, Oliver Springs Police Department Sgt. Charles Graham said in arrest warrants. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oliver Springs, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, aggravated child abuse and neglect, Anderson County Detention Facility, Charles Graham, fight, Green Acres Trailer Park, knife, Oliver Springs Police Department, public intoxication, reckless endangerment, Richard Carl Johnson Jr., unlawfully carrying or possessing a weapon

Three arrested, crowd pepper-sprayed during arrests at fireworks show

Posted at 2:58 pm July 2, 2013
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Information from WYSH Radio

Three people were arrested Saturday night during the “Fire on the Water” fireworks show at Sequoyah Marina on Norris Lake after a disturbance that ended with an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputy deploying pepper spray on an allegedly angry crowd of onlookers.

The incident began at around 9:30 p.m. Saturday when a homeowner on Sequoyah Drive approached three deputies assigned to a special detail to monitor the festivities and told them that he was having a private engagement party on his property. He told the deputies that two men and a woman had come onto the property from the public area roped off for fireworks viewing, taken beer, threatened party guests, and refused to leave. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Aaron Rodriguez-McCleary, Alyssa Bryant, Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Bradley Nimitz, disorderly conduct, disturbance, Fire on the Water, fireworks, Norris Lake, party, pepper spray, public intoxication, resisting arrest, Sequoyah Drive, Sequoyah Marina, Shawn Bannach, William Lucas

After large disturbance, ORPD warns restaurant to avoid over-serving alcohol

Posted at 2:48 pm March 16, 2013
By John Huotari 2 Comments

One month after a large reported disturbance, the city’s deputy police chief told the owners of a popular restaurant and bar in central Oak Ridge that they need to monitor customers who are drinking and not serve people who have consumed too much alcohol.

The warning to the owners of Lincoln’s Sports Grille came during a Monday meeting of the Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board.

That board had called a show cause hearing for Lincoln’s, which is on South Illinois Avenue, after a Feb. 10 fight that reportedly started as an argument between two men over a woman and escalated into a large disturbance that required an entire shift of police officers to respond.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Alan Massengill, alcohol, argument, beer permit, Brad Jenkins, disturbance, drinking, fight, intoxication, Lincoln's Sports Grille, Mike Lincoln, Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, public intoxication, Scott Green, show cause hearing, South Illinois Avenue

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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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