Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge police chief to discuss crime, traffic safety

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Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

The next Lunch with the League program will be held on Tuesday, February 19.  The speaker will be Oak Ridge Police Department Chief Robin Smith.  His topic will be titled “Data Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety.”

The meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Smith has served with the Oak Ridge Police Department since 2012. He served as a lieutenant for two years before being promoted to captain and then deputy chief. He was appointed ORPD Chief in October 2018. [Read more…]

Thanksgiving Traffic Safety: Buckle up every time, authorities say

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buckle-up-every-trip-every-time

Submitted

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and more people on the road increases the likelihood of a crash and, perhaps, a fatality. These deaths represent needless tragedies for families all across America. But even more tragic is that many of these fatalities could have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt.

Before you hit the road this Thanksgiving: “Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time.”

The national “Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time.” seat belt awareness campaign helps remind Thanksgiving travelers and all drivers about the importance of buckling up—every trip—every time.

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is joining in a national effort to send Thanksgiving travelers an important lifesaving reminder to “Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time.” Sheriff’s deputies will be out this Thanksgiving holiday to keep the roads and highways safe. [Read more…]

Sheriff warns against drunk driving this holiday weekend

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4th of July GHSO

By Anderson County Sheriff’s Department

Every year, Americans head out on the nation’s highways to celebrate the Fourth of July at picnics, parties, parades, and more. Unfortunately, for many, the celebrating includes drinking alcohol, which too often leads to drunk driving on one of the most heavily traveled holidays of the year.

To crack down on drunk driving this Independence Day weekend, Anderson County law enforcement will be out in full force, aggressively targeting those who put lives in danger.

Sheriff’s deputies will be out working to make the roadways safe.

“Don’t even think about drinking and driving this Fourth of July, or you will be arrested,” said Sheriff Paul White. “The ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign means zero tolerance for drunk driving…no excuses.” [Read more…]

City receives $433K grant for traffic signal, pedestrian improvements at two intersections

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Oak-Ridge-Turnpike-South-Tulane-Dec-10-2015

A $433,000 grant awarded to the City of Oak Ridge would be used to make traffic signal and pedestrian improvements at two intersections on Oak Ridge Turnpike, including at South Tulane Avenue. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge has received a $433,000 grant for improvements at two intersections on Oak Ridge Turnpike, one at South Tulane Avenue and the other at East Division Road/Tennyson Road. The improvements, which require a 20 percent local match of roughly $108,000, will include marked crosswalks, ramps, and upgrades to help pedestrians.

The project will include traffic signal and pedestrian feature upgrades at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Tulane Avenue, between the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and Oak Ridge Municipal Building. The upgrades will include the addition of handicap ramps, crosswalks, countdown pedestrian signals with push buttons, and radar vehicle detection, Oak Ridge Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin said in a December 1 memo to City Manager Mark Watson. A traffic signal pole will be relocated to avoid conflicts with overhead utilities.

Improvements at East Division Road/Tennyson Road, near Methodist Medical Center, will include the addition of handicap ramps, crosswalks, and countdown pedestrian signals with push buttons and radar vehicle detection. Sidewalks could be added where there are gaps or where new handicap ramps are disconnected from existing sidewalks, Baldwin said. [Read more…]

Thanksgiving traffic safety: Sheriff’s Department, law enforcement enforcing seat belt use

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Click It or Ticket Day and Night

Submitted by Anderson County Sheriff Paul White

Every year, the Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel times. Millions of Americans hit the roads to spend time with family and friends. Unfortunately, more vehicles means the potential for more dangerous roads, and it’s as important as ever that everyone is buckled up.

To make sure the message reaches all Anderson County drivers and passengers, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be joining other state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration high-visibility seat belt enforcement campaign: Click It or Ticket. The no-excuses, zero-tolerance crackdown combines powerful messages about seat belt safety, with increased patrols day and night, targeting all unbuckled motorists—those who still aren’t getting the point. [Read more…]

Officers cracking down on drunk, impaired drivers on Labor Day weekend

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Drive Sober

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be out in force this Labor Day holiday as part of the “Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over” crackdown on drunk driving, a press release said.

“This effective nationwide campaign will include high-visibility enforcement throughout Anderson County,” Sheriff Paul White said in a press release. “The ‘Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over’ campaign will focus on drunk and impaired drivers with increased enforcement.”

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will take part in this campaign by saturation patrols during the Labor Day holiday period, which runs through September 1. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting a Drunk Driving Prevention Campaign on Friday, August 29, in cooperation with the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Sheriff’s deputies and state troopers will take aim at impaired or drunk drivers throughout Anderson County in an effort to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities, White said. [Read more…]

Sheriff offers back-to-school traffic safety tips

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Anderson County Sheriff's Department Motor Squad

Another school year begins on Monday, August 4, for Anderson County high school students, and the first day of school for all students is Wednesday, August 6.

In a press release, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department offered tips to make school zones safer and improve traffic safety.

“With school in session, there will be significantly more traffic,” Sheriff Paul White said in a press release. “Pedestrians, buses, and parents all contribute to school zone congestion. Many schools in Anderson County are faced with traffic issues, especially during the first few days.”

White said motorists should have a heightened awareness in and around a school zone. [Read more…]

Commercial, nuclear facilities the focus of safety forum on Wednesday

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The Oak Ridge Business Safety Partnership will hold its last community safety forum of 2013 on Wednesday at the American Museum of Science and Energy.

The program is titled “Safety in Commercial and Nuclear Facilities: Programs that Work.” It’s scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Speakers include Shane Strickland, Alcoa safety manager;  Paul Wasilko, safety culture program manager at the Y-12 National Security Complex; Chris Patton, safety services division director at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and Doug Giles, plant protection safety area manager at Eastman. Each will make a 15-minute presentation about the safety program at his facility, followed by a panel discussion at the end with audience questions and answers. [Read more…]

Guest column: Thanksgiving traffic safety

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By Sheriff Paul White

The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and to help save lives on our roadways, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be teaming with other state and local law enforcement officers to crack down on seat belt violations.

During the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday period, 249 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide. Fifty percent of those killed were not wearing seat belts.

Sheriff’s deputies will be out in force during the long weekend. The goal is simple: to enforce the law in order to save more lives. Whether you’re traveling across the country or just across town, one of the best ways to ensure a safe arrival is to always buckle up. It’s a simple step that each of us can take to protect ourselves and our loved ones. [Read more…]

In split vote, Council rejects pedestrian safety projects on Turnpike

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Jackson Square Pedestrian Improvements

A pedestrian safety improvement project at Jackson Square is almost complete, but on Monday, the City Council balked at a second project to improve intersections on the nearby Oak Ridge Turnpike.

They had already authorized the spending, but on Monday, the Oak Ridge City Council balked at awarding a $365,000 construction contract that would use red light camera money for pedestrian safety projects.

The contract would have been awarded to Ronald Franks Construction Co. LLC of Savannah, Tenn. The project would have made traffic safety and pedestrian crosswalk improvements at eight Oak Ridge Turnpike intersections and three residential intersections.

The Oak Ridge Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan had said the intersections needed improvements, and the Council authorized the spending during a special meeting in August. [Read more…]

Sheriff’s Department receives Governor’s Highway Safety Grant for fifth year

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Sheriff Paul White announced Tuesday that the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department has been awarded a traffic safety grant for the fifth year.

The grant award of $40,000 from the Governor’s Highway Safety Office will support the traffic safety program “Reducing Fatalities In Anderson County,” a press release said. The grant will increase efforts to reduce fatalities through enforcement of laws governing driving under the influence and impaired driving, as well as seatbelt enforcement. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge students return to school, police enforce traffic safety; teachers, alumni welcomed

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Oak Ridge Superintendent Reception

Oak Ridge Schools had a reception last week for new Superintendent Bruce Borchers, center, and Assistant Superintendent Chris Marczak. Borchers started in Oak Ridge on June 18. Also pictured above are James Hundertmark, right, who became Robertsville Middle School principal on July 1, and Christopher Scott, vice principal of curriculum and instruction at Oak Ridge High School.

Most Oak Ridge students returned to school on Monday, and police officers started a back-to-school traffic safety campaign. It’s known as “Operation Safe Start” and will focus on drivers who illegally pass school buses, speed in school zones, don’t wear safety belts or fail to ensure that their children do—or commit other unsafe driving actions near the schools.

Students at Willow Brook Elementary School and the Oak Ridge Schools’ Preschool returned to school in July. Oak Ridge will use an alternative schedule during the first week of school. (See the Oak Ridge Schools’ website for more information.)

In Anderson County, students returned to school on Wednesday, Aug. 7.

The resumption of classes in Oak Ridge caps a week in which school officials welcomed back representatives of graduating classes from 1946 to 2013, held a reception for new Superintendent Bruce Borchers and Assistant Superintendent Chris Marczak, and together with the Oak Ridge Police Department, announced a new agreement governing school resource officers, or SROs. [Read more…]