Oak Ridge Today

TBI: Knoxville man arrested after threatening former Rockwood mayor

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Thomas Pierce

Thomas Pierce

A Knoxville man was arrested Friday after he made threats against a former mayor of Rockwood and was found with several guns in his vehicle, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Saturday.

TBI special agents helped the Rockwood Police Department and the Ninth District Attorney General’s office investigate threats made by Thomas William Pierce, 59, against a former Rockwood mayor, a press release said.

Ninth District Attorney General Russell Johnson asked the TBI to help, the press release said.

Pierce is a former long-time Rockwood city employee, and he is set to go on trial in Roane County for theft of money from the City of Rockwood, the TBI said. [Read more…]

New Roane tax rate could mean another $95 for OR homeowner

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David Morgan

David Morgan (File photo/2012)

The new certified property tax rate and tax rate increase in Roane County could cost the owner of a $100,000 home in Oak Ridge another $95 per year, according to data provided by the Roane County property assessor.

That’s a 19.29 percent increase, according to the information from Property Assessor David Morgan. Here’s the breakdown of the increase: 4.37 percent was due to the increase in the state-certified rate—Tennessee officials call it a tax-neutral rate—and 19.29 percent was due to the 29-cent increase approved by the Roane County Commission on Monday and anticipated in a budget passed in July.

The tax-neutral rate in Roane County went up because the total overall property assessment went down 3.47 percent. The tax-neutral rate is the rate meant to bring in the same amount of revenues after a reappraisal as before. If the overall property assessment goes down, the tax-neutral rate goes up, and vice versa.

The additional $95 per year assumes the property assessment stayed the same, at $100,000, in the five-year reappraisals completed this year. [Read more…]

Weather: Oak Ridge-Anderson County football game canceled, rescheduled to Monday

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Joe Gaddis

Joe Gaddis, head coach of the Oak Ridge Wildcats football team

The Oak Ridge-Anderson County football game has been canceled tonight (Friday, September 11) due to weather and rescheduled for Monday, September 14. The rescheduled game will start at 7:30 p.m.

The Wildcats led 7-0 when the game was canceled with 1:28 left in the first quarter Friday.

There have been a few cancellations and other delays across East Tennessee due to weather. For example, the Kingston and Rockwood game kicked off a little before 9:30 p.m. Friday.

The Clinton and Rhea County game in Rhea County, set to resume at about 9:15 p.m., was under way again as of 9:40 p.m.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Haslam to announce grants in Norris, Rockwood, Knoxville on Friday

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Bill Haslam during Presidential Visit at Pellissippi State

Governor Bill Haslam is pictured above during a visit by President Barack Obama at Pellissippi State Community College on Friday, January 9. (File photo by Rob Welton)

 

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam will announce grants during stops in Norris, Rockwood, and Knoxville on Friday.

The first stop is in Rockwood at 9:15 a.m. Friday, June 19. The governor will announce a Tennessee Department of Transportation grant at 1360 Pumphouse Road in Rockwood.

The second stop is in Norris at 10:40 a.m. Friday. The governor will announce another TDOT grant at the Pavilion across the street from the Norris Museum, 1 Norris Square.

The last stop is at 1100 Liberty Street in Knoxville at 12:35 p.m. During that stop, Haslam will announce a grant at Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville.

Roane economic development group considers distribution of public image funds

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The Roane County Economic Development Foundation will meet in a special meeting at 9 a.m. Monday, September 8, at Kingston City Hall to consider the distribution of public image funds.

Participants will include Roane County Economic Development Foundation members, Tennessee Valley Authority Senior Vice President Bob Deacy, TVA Senior Vice President John Bradley, TVA Vice President Justin Maierhofer, TVA Senior Manager Leslie Nale, Roane County Executive Ron Woody, Kingston Mayor Troy Beets, Harriman Mayor Chris Mason, and Rockwood Mayor Jim Watts.

Kingston City Hall is at 900 Waterford Place in Kingston.

TVA said its support for economic development priorities in Roane County and its communities are an important part of TVA’s commitment to contribute to the area’s long-term development.

Suspect in officer assault nabbed in OR

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Information from WYSH Radio

In February, WYSH Radio reported that a Rockwood police officer’s foot was run over by a suspect trying to elude arrest and that the suspect had not been apprehended. That changed on Thursday night when 26-year-old James Poland of Rockwood was arrested in Oak Ridge on charges stemming from the late-February incident.

Poland faces charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, reckless endangerment, and evading arrest, and at last check was being held in Anderson County for Roane County authorities. He is also facing three probation violation charges and two charges for driving on a revoked license. [Read more…]

Follow-up: Roane shooting victim had been drinking, getting high

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Information from WYSH Radio

Following up on a story reported Monday, a 44-year-old Roane County man who accidentally shot himself in the chest with a .22-caliber rifle on Sunday was treated for his injuries and released from the University of Tennesseee Medical Center that same night.

Steve Brooks was flown to UTMC after the incident on Edwards Lane, just south of Rockwood. The Roane County Sheriff’s Office said that he told emergency personnel that he had been drinking before the incident and admitted to having smoked crack cocaine, an admission verified by his live-in girlfriend and her adult son. [Read more…]

Roane County man accidentally shoots self

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Information from WYSH Radio

A Roane County man was injured Sunday evening when a .22-caliber rifle went off accidentally and shot him in the chest.

The incident occurred at around 5 p.m. at a home on Edwards Lane outside Rockwood. The victim, whose name was not immediately available, was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center by Lifestar for treatment of his injuries.

Deputies said the shooting appears to have happened as the man was handling the rifle and that it was purely accidental in nature.

Stargaze at Roane State Observatory on Saturday, Sunday

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Submitted

Roane State Community College’s Tamke-Allan Observatory will have its first public stargaze of the winter season at 7:30 p.m. today.

Highlights will include a general astronomy presentation at 8 p.m., followed by a guest lecture on “Buying Your Christmas Telescope.” Following the lectures, there will be full evening of telescopic viewing. The TAOAS student astronomy club will be assisting amateur astronomers.

The Sunday sunrise at the observatory near Rockwood will occur at about 7:02 a.m., and the moon will rise two minutes later. [Read more…]