Oak Ridge Today

Jury duty scammer uses name of ACSO deputy

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The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a jury duty scammer that is using the name of a deputy currently employed with the Sheriff’s Office.

The scammer called a Clinton woman on Monday claiming to be Sheriff’s Office employee Kenny Sharp, a press release said. The scammer told her she missed jury duty and would be arrested if she did not pay $729.00.

The Clinton resident went to her credit union, and after she explained what had happened, they advised her to go to the Sheriff’s Office because they believed she had been scammed, the press release said. [Read more…]

Man apprehended after barricading himself, falling through ceiling

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A man who barricaded himself in a house in Anderson County on Wednesday was apprehended after he fell through a ceiling as officers tried to remove him, authorities said.

The incident started just after 5 p.m. Wednesday. An Anderson County Sheriff’s Department officer who was patrolling the area spotted the subject, William Sharp, in the yard at 388 Boyer Road in Andersonville, according to a statement from Tyler Mayes, director of administrative services for the Sheriff’s Department.

The officer knew that Sharp had an active violation of probation warrant in Union County, the statement said.

“When the officer pulled into the residence to make contact with the subject, he ran into the home and barricaded himself inside the attic,” the statement said. “Mr. Sharp was the only subject barricaded in the home.” [Read more…]

ACSD: Juvenile suspect confesses to making bomb threat at Claxton Elementary

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A juvenile suspect has confessed to making the bomb threat that forced the evacuation of Claxton Elementary School on Tuesday, authorities said.

The bomb threat to the elementary school was reported to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department just before noon on Tuesday.

The school was immediately evacuated, and students and staff were placed off property at Zion Baptist Church. Students were not able to return to school and were dismissed from the church, according to a press release from Tyler Mayes, director of administrative services for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department. [Read more…]

Rocky Top man charged with child abuse after infant found unresponsive

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Cameron Tommy Beard

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…]

Warrants: Clinton man arrested after AC man shot in leg, stomach

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Alexander William Carter

Alexander William Carter

 

A Clinton man has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment after an Anderson County man was allegedly shot in the stomach and left leg after an argument early Monday morning, court records said.

The shooting was reported at about 3:30 a.m. Monday on Leach Lane in Anderson County, north of Clinton and west of Highway 25.

The injuries to the male victim, Nathan Robert Gifford, appeared to be non-life threatening, according to a Monday press release from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department. Gifford was alert and taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, where he had to have a surgery to treat his injuries, the press release said.

Warrants filed in the case said the alleged shooter, Alexander William Carter, 20, had been arguing with Gifford, who lives in the Leach Lane home, when Gifford told Carter to leave.

Carter left but returned less than five minutes later and started shooting, said the warrants, which cited Gifford. One bullet struck Gifford in the stomach, and another round hit him in the left leg, the warrants said. [Read more…]

WYSH: Wandell elected Commission chair, Creasey vice chair

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Anderson County Commissioners are pictured above after being sworn in at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. At center front (third from left) is Tracy Wandell, who was elected chair by the other commissioners, and at right front is Jerry Creasey, who was elected vice chair. (Photo courtesy Shannon Wandell)

Anderson County Commissioners are pictured above after being sworn in at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. At center front (third from left) is Tracy Wandell, who was elected chair by the other commissioners, and at right front is Jerry Creasey, who was elected vice chair. (Photo courtesy Shannon Wandell)

 

Information from WYSH Radio

Newly elected and re-elected Anderson County commissioners were sworn in Tuesday morning at the Courthouse in Clinton.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, commissioners held a brief meeting during which they elected Tracy Wandell to serve as the next chair of the Commission, succeeding Tim Isbel.

Longtime Commissioner Jerry Creasey was elected vice chair. [Read more…]

Byrne named director of Crime Task Force

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Simon Byrne

Simon Byrne

 

The Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force has named a new director after the former director was elected Anderson County sheriff.

Russell Barker had previously been the director, but he was elected sheriff on August 2.

On Tuesday, Anderson County’s law enforcement leaders, acting as the Board of Directors of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force, named Simon Byrne as director, District Attorney General Dave Clark said. [Read more…]

Barker names chief deputy, jail administrator

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Brian Galloway

Brian Galloway

Russell Barker, who will be sworn in as Anderson County sheriff on September 1, has named his chief deputy and jail administrator.

Brian Galloway will serve as chief deputy, and Richard Parker will serve as jail administrator.

Galloway will replace Mark Lucas, who is retiring August 31 after losing to Barker in the race for sheriff in the August 2 general election in Anderson County.

Parker will replace the current jail administrator, Avery Johnson. [Read more…]

Anderson: Barker elected sheriff; incumbents win in Oak Ridge

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Russell Barker

Russell Barker

Note: This story was last updated at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 3.

Russell Barker, a Republican, won the race for Anderson County sheriff on Thursday, beating Mark Lucas, a Democrat, in a race decided by about 2,000 votes, according to unofficial results.

Meanwhile, four incumbents were re-elected in two Anderson County Commission districts where there was a challenger in Oak Ridge.

Barker is a detective sergeant with the Clinton Police Department who has served as director of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County. Lucas is chief deputy of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.

Barker had 7,684 votes (57.79 percent), compared to 5,613 votes (42.21 percent) for Lucas, according to the unofficial results posted after all 27 precincts had been counted Thursday night.

Anderson County Sheriff Paul White is retiring at the end of his third four-year term, and he did not seek re-election.

In another contested race, Regina Copeland, the Republican director of the 911 center, defeated Ebony Capshaw, a Democrat, by a 69.74 percent to 30.26 percent margin (8,981 votes to 3,987). The last elected trustee, Rodney Archer, is now executive director of the County Officials Association of Tennessee, and Myron Iwanski, a former county commissioner and commission chair appointed to the trustee job through this August election, did not seek the job in the election. [Read more…]

Barker leads in early, absentee voting for sheriff

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Russell Barker

Russell Barker

Note: This story was last updated at 8:50 p.m.

Russell Barker, who has served as director of the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force in Anderson County, leads in early and absentee voting for Anderson County sheriff, with a roughly 56-44 percent margin over Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas, according to unofficial results released Thursday evening after polls closed and before any precincts had been counted.

Barker, a Republican, had 4,182 early and absentee votes (55.72 percent), compared to 3,323 (44.28 percent) for Lucas, a Democrat.

It’s not clear if Barker’s lead will hold after all 27 precincts in Anderson County are counted. Early voting leads often or usually predict the eventual winner, but in prior elections, the lead has sometimes narrowed or even reversed. [Read more…]

Voter’s guide: Notes from a candidate forum

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Note: This story was last updated at 10:35 a.m.

Today, August 2, is Election Day in Anderson County. The election includes the Anderson County general election and state and federal primary elections.

It’s the second of three elections this year. The first was the county primary election on May 1, and the last is the municipal election and state and federal elections on November 6.

Here are notes about Anderson County candidates in today’s county general election from a forum at Oak Ridge High School in July. The county general election includes selections for mayor, sheriff, county commission, trustee, circuit court clerk, county clerk, register of deeds, road superintendent, and school board, among other positions. Some of the candidates have no opposition.

Anderson County Sheriff [Read more…]

Barker endorsed by Ridenour, Whaley

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Pictured above from left are Mark "Hollywood" Whaley, Russell Barker, and Lewis Ridenour. (Submitted photo)

Pictured above from left are Mark “Hollywood” Whaley, Russell Barker, and Lewis Ridenour. (Submitted photo)

 

Russell Barker, the Republican nominee for Anderson County sheriff, has been endorsed by his competitors in the Republican primary in May, Lewis Ridenour and Mark “Hollywood” Whaley, for the county general election on Thursday, August 2, a press release said.

In the release, Barker expressed his excitement to have the support of his primary challengers.

“Lewis and Hollywood are great men who truly want to make a difference in Anderson County,” Barker said. “Having their support is truly an honor.” [Read more…]