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WYSH Local News
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UPDATE: Two Adults Arrested In Multi-State Theft Ring
Following up on a story first reported here on WYSH, two adults have been arrested in connection with the theft of over $1000 worth of DVDs from the Clinton Wal-Mart on Tuesday (6/30). That arrest, which was prompted after the Wal-Mart loss prevention officer spotted three teens and two adults placing DVDs into a car seat box Tuesday afternoon, led investigators to the discovery of somewhere between $15,000 to $20,000 worth of DVDs believed to have been stolen from Wal-Marts up and down the eastern seaboard. The teens paid for the car seat and tried to leave the store but the security officer tried to stop them and they fled to the Hardee’s parking lot on Seivers Boulevard, where Officer Jason Lawson pulled them over in a pickup truck. At first the adults claimed to have no knowledge of the teens’ activities but after an investigation, 39-year-old Shaun Washington and 34-year-old Jennifer Washington—both of Liverpool, New York—were arrested at Anderson County Juvenile Court Wednesday afternoon (7/1) and charged with felony theft. As of this morning, they were each being held at the County Jail on $20,000 bonds. The Washingtons are the parents of one of the juvenile offenders, all three of whom are in custody at the Knox County Juvenile Detention Facility. Investigators believe that the theft ring targeted Wal-Mart stores as far north as Pennsylvania and as far south as Georgia. A Loss Prevention Team from Wal-Mart’s headquarters in Arkansas is en route to the area to try and determine which of their stores the over 450 DVDs and boxed sets may have come from. Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough said in a press release issued Wednesday that since the Wal-Mart opened near the interstate last year, the CPD has seen a 400% increase in the number of calls from that area, mostly for theft and shoplifting complaints at the Wal-Mart. We will have more on that for you next week.
Controversy Swirls Around OR Road Project
The next phase of the ongoing project to widen the Oak Ridge Turnpike from Westover Drive to Highway 58 is the topic of several meetings in Oak Ridge. The current plan has become controversial in recent weeks as nearby residents living on Sweet Gum and Southwood Lanes on the west end of the city have expressed concern that the design will bring the road too close to their homes, increasing noise and pollution in the area. TDOT has given the city three options to consider as they try and move forward with the project and have given the city a deadline of July 15th to decide in order to keep the project on schedule. The three options that have been offered to the city include redesigning the roadway completely and shifting it away from homes, which is the solution preferred by residents but is also the least preferable to some officials because it could cause an indefinite delay in the project. Another solution is to replace the currently planned 48-foot grass median with a 12-foot paved lane that would move the roadway further from the nearby homes and the third solution would be to make changes such as lowering the speed limit through that area, steepening roadway slopes and adding guardrails and shrubbery to cut down on noise. The Oak Ridger reports that Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce President Parker Hardy is opposed to the realignment option because the widening project is considered a vital piece of future development on the west end of town and the News-Sentinel reported this morning that late Wednesday (7/1), the Chamber sent an e-mail to its members asking them to urge the City Council to reject the realignment plan. Two so-called review sessions have been held each of the past two days to discuss the plans and the City Council will meet in a work session Monday night (7/6) at 6:30 at the Civic Center to continue those discussions. The Council is expected to vote on the options on July 13th in a special called meeting. We will continue to follow this story for you on WYSH.
Kingston Council OKs Budget
Tuesday night (6/30) the Kingston City Council voted 4-1 to adopt a $5.1 million budget for the new fiscal year, which began on Wednesday. The budget contains no raises for city workers but does not raise property taxes.
Former Kingston Police Chief, City Manager Passes
Former Kingston Police Chief and City Manager Gary Humphreys passed away on Tuesday (6/30). He served as police chief from 1981 to 2000, when he became the Kingston City Manager, a position he held until 2003. Gary Humphreys was 56 years old.
State Names Four Test Sites For Coal Ash Disposal
Four landfills in East Tennessee—including the Chestnut Ridge landfill on the Anderson/Knox County line—have been approved to receive small amounts of the coal ash from last December’s spill at the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant. The state Department of Environment and Conservation announced Wednesday that it has approved limited test runs to the four landfills starting on July 15th. The state stressed that just because the sites have been approved for the test runs it does not necessarily mean that TVA will dispose the ash at any of those sites. If it does, TVA will be required to provide advance notice. The state says that the four landfills were chosen because they are equipped with the appropriate liners, collection systems and monitoring wells and that TVA will only be allowed to send 5 to 10 truckloads of the fly ash to each site. The other sites include the Meadow Branch Landfill in McMinn County, the Matlock Bend Landfill in Loudon County and the Volunteer Regional Landfill in Scott County.
Bechtel Jacobs Chief Retiring
The president of Oak Ridge environmental cleanup contractor Bechtel Jacobs will retire effective July 17th and be replaced by the company’s first president. Paul Divjak is leaving the post and will be succeeded by longtime Bechtel executive Joe Nemec, who held the post when Bechtel Jacobs was initially tabbed as the DOE’s cleanup contractor in 1998.
Courthouse, City Hall Closed For 4th
The Anderson County Courthouse will be closed Thursday and Friday (7/1 & 7/2) for the Independence Day holiday. Clinton City Hall will be closed on Friday for the holiday and both buildings will reopen on Monday.
TDOT To Suspend Work For Holiday
TDOT will suspend all highway construction work requiring lane closures at midnight Thursday (7/1) through Monday morning at 6 am. Keep in mind that even though the lane closures will not be in effect, workers will still be at many of the sites so be sure to obey posted speed limits and keep an eye out for highway workers.
THP Traffic Safety Enforcement
The Tennessee Highway Patrol announced on Wednesday (7/1) that state troopers will be out in full force this holiday weekend cracking down on drunk drivers with an aggressive “Drink Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest” enforcement blitz. To ensure that drivers are obeying the law, the THP will conduct sobriety and drivers’ license checkpoints across the state throughout the weekend. During the July 4th holiday weekend in 2008, 11 people were killed on Tennessee roadways, which works out to a fatality rate of one death every seven hours and six minutes. Six of the seven people killed in car crashes last year were not wearing their seatbelts while four motorcyclists were also killed over the holiday weekend. Of those eleven fatalities, three occurred in alcohol-related crashes. The 2009 4th of July traffic enforcement period begins at 6 pm Thursday and will extend through 11:59 pm Sunday. Be careful, don’t drink and drive and be sure to wear your seatbelts not only this weekend but every day of the year.
Report: Constable Attorney Seeks Dismissal Of Charges
According to the News-Sentinel, the attorney for embattled Roane County Constable Mark Patton has filed a motion seeking the dismissal of indictments on charges of reckless endangerment and official misconduct due to the fact that he was forced to testify about the charges during this week’s ouster lawsuit against him. Attorney Chris Cawood cited state law concerning self-incrimination in the motion according to the paper. The charges stem from allegations that Patton tried to run family members of two Roane County law enforcement officials off the road last year in separate incidents. The ouster suit wrapped up on Tuesday (6/30) and a judge is set to issue his ruling in the matter sometime soon. The suit was filed by Roane County Attorney Tom McFarland and District Attorney Russell Johnson, who accuse Patton of waging a one-man campaign of harassment and intimidation against elected officials and law enforcement officers. Patton claims he is trying to root out corruption in the county government and that he has also been the victim of harassment and intimidation.
Clinton Wreck Injures One Slightly
A one-car accident Wednesday evening (7/1) in Clinton slightly injured an 18-year-old girl. Clinton Police report that Britney Heatherly of Friendsville had been headed east on Yarnell Road at around 6:30 Wednesday night when she lost control while crossing the railroad tracks, left the road and hit a telephone pole. Heatherly and another passenger were not injured but 18-year-old Alyssa Werner was taken to Methodist Medical Center for treatment of her injuries, which are described as minor in the accident report. No charges were filed.
4th Festivities In AC
Saturday (7/4) is Independence Day and there are several activities planned around Anderson County. In Clinton, the Optimist Club will host a day full of fun for kids and adults at Lakefront Park from 4 to 9:45 pm, followed at 10 pm by the city’s annual fireworks display. In Lake City, their annual day of fun begins at 10 am at the ballfield with softball games, an auction, music, food and inflatables for the kids, all leading up to the 10 pm fireworks display. Norris Day—which coincides each year with the 4th of July—begins at 9:30 am with activities such as a children’s dog show, a one mile fun run, a Big Wheel race, a bike parade and water games in the afternoon. From 11 am to 2:30 pm the Norris Lions Club will serve barbecue lunches and at 6:30 the evening program will be held at the Pavilion, during which one local citizen will be honored for their community service. At 7 pm in Norris, there will be a free concert and the fireworks display will follow. In Oak Ridge, the Community Band will perform its annual 4th of July show at AK Bissell Park at 7:30 pm and the city’s fireworks display will begin at around 10 pm with the best viewing along Melton Lake Drive.
Lake City Birthday Party This Week
The "Coal Creek to Lake City" 100th Birthday Celebration, recognizing the city’s incorporation in 1909, will be held July 1-3 with some great events each day. Thursday July 2, there will be a 100th birthday banquet at Main Street Fellowship Hall at 7 pm featuring speakers Shelly Sexton-Collier and Congressman Zach Wamp. There will also be storytelling with Carl Dew and Charles "Boomer" Winfrey. Tickets are available for $20 per person and can be purchased at Lake City City Hall, at participating businesses (Mark's Pharmacy and Coal Creek Candle Company) or from committee members. Friday July 3rd, there will be a 100th Birthday Bash at the Ballfield from 6:30 to 11 pm featuring live music from Shain Vowell (AKA "Homegrown Elvis"), Crossfield and Slow Joe Crow. The entertainment and food are free. Call City Hall at 865-426-2838 for more information or e-mail Sharon Disney at skdisney@gmail.com. Lake City was known as Coal Creek until 1939, when it was renamed for the newly-created, nearby Norris Lake.
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Deal's Small Engine Call 865-457-0070 Clinton Man Killed In Tuesday Accident
A Clinton man was killed in a one-vehicle accident Tuesday morning (6/30) on Highway 61. The Tennessee Highway Patrol identified the victim as 40-year-old Robert Monroe. According to the report filed by Trooper Jonathan Scott, Monroe had been headed east in a 2001 Dodge Caravan on 61 near the Laurel Road intersection at around 6:51 am when the van left the side of the road and struck an embankment. The vehicle flipped over and Monroe, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was ejected. The report says that drugs and alcohol were not involved in the wreck and that Monroe was the only occupant of the van.
Multi-State Juvenile Theft Ring Broken Up
Clinton Police arrested a trio of juveniles Tuesday (6/30) after they allegedly stole over $1000 worth of Blu-Ray DVDs from Wal-Mart and this is apparently not an isolated incident. Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough says that the incident started at around 4:20 pm Tuesday when officers were sent to the store after the loss prevention officer reported seeing a girl and two boys take a car safety seat out of its box and replace it with what turned out to be 43 DVDs. The trio all made individual purchases, including the girl who paid for what was supposed to be the car seat and began to leave the store when the security alarms went off and they fled. It appears that the scheme was supposed to work this way: the three would all make purchases and walk through the security area at the same time. When the alarm sounded, the two boys would act as if they had forgotten to have an item scanned and go back to have it scanned while the girl walked out with the stolen goods. In this case, the loss prevention officer saw what was going on and the trio fled. The loss prevention officer watched the teens head to a nearby fast food restaurant parking lot, where Clinton Police confronted them. Upon searching the car seat box, they found 43 DVDs and inside their pickup truck officers located anywhere between $15,000 to $20,000 worth of additional DVDs in two plastic storage containers. The investigation determined that the group was acting in an organized fashion, stealing from Wal-Marts in several states. A loss prevention team from Wal-Mart’s headquarters in Arkansas is on its way to the area to try and determine which individual stores the DVDs had come from, as investigators believe that the group has been hitting stores as far north as Pennsylvania and as far south as Georgia. In the meantime, the three juveniles—a 15-year-old girl and two 17-year-old boys—all of whom are from upstate New York, are in custody at the Juvenile Detention Facility in Knoxville, charged with felony theft. We will have more on this story for you as developments warrant.
Kingston PD Investigating Shooting
According to our partners at BBB-TV 12, Kingston Police are investigating a shooting that occurred Tuesday night (6/30) at around 9 pm. Reports indicate that a black male walked into a house on the 500 block of Third Street, went to a back bedroom and shot a 17-year-old boy in the chest and the abdomen. The boy was airlifted to UT Medical Center and while his condition has not been released, Police Chief Jim Washam told BBB that his injuries did not appear to be critical. The boy’s mother witnessed the suspect walk into the house and heard the two gunshots. She says she saw the man get into a dark-colored, possibly brown, Chevy Blazer with two white females and drive away. If you have any information call Kingston Police at 865-376-2081.
ORAU Worker Had Swine Flu
An employee at Oak Ridge Associated Universities had a confirmed case of the H1N1 flu earlier this month but has since recovered and returned to work, no worse for wear. According to ORAU, the worker began to feel ill on June 15th and left work the next day to go to the doctor, where he was first diagnosed with the flu. Tests came back positive for the so-called swine flu a week later. ORAU officials checked out the workplace and traced the sick worker’s whereabouts each of the two days he was ill and met with other employees to determine if they had been exposed to the virus. None of his co-workers or other people he came into contact with came down with the flu and the employee—an unidentified Knox County resident—is back at work.
Report: 15 Dogs Seized From OR Home
According to the Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge Police and Animal Control officers removed 15 dogs from a home on Outer Drive Friday (6/26) after finding them without food or fresh water. Officials conducted a welfare check on the dogs at the request of neighbors and found four dogs inside the house and 11 others outside. Officials told the paper that some of the dogs may have had some health issues, although the extent of those issues was not clear. They also said that most of the animals had collars but that it was unclear how up to date their vaccination or registration information was. The homeowner has reportedly been in and out of town in recent weeks and an investigation is ongoing.
Report: Judge To Decide Constable's Future
Testimony wrapped up Tuesday (6/30) in the ouster suit against Roane County Constable Mark Patton and now it is up to a judge to decide if he will remain in office or be ousted. The suit was filed by Roane County Attorney Tom McFarland and District Attorney General Russell Johnson, who accuse Patton of conducting what they have called a vendetta against Roane County law enforcement officers and elected officials. Patton is accused of threatening officers, officials and even their families. He claims he is trying to root out what he calls corruption in Roane County. According to the News-Sentinel, Sheriff Jack Stockton’s daughter and Kingston Police Chief Jim Washam’s mother-in-law testified that Patton had run them off the road in separate incidents last year and Stockton testified that he had actually drawn his gun but not pointed it at Patton when the constable approached him outside the Courthouse carrying the large stick he favored that has been compared to the one carried by the late Buford Pusser. Patton claimed on the stand that he had been harassed by police, including incidents where his tires were slashed and the sounds of gunfire were broadcast by police on the PA systems in their patrol cars outside his home. The News-Sentinel reports that Judge Russell E. Simmons Jr. will issue his ruling on the case sometime in the near future.
July 1st = New State Laws
Several new state laws take effect in Tennessee today (7/1), including the much-discussed ban on texting while driving. That new law makes it a crime to write text messages while driving and is punishable by a $50 fine. Other laws include allowing Tennessee citizens to have wine shipped directly to their homes, ending a requirement that firearms dealers in the state take the thumbprints of individuals buying guns, creating a criminal offense for falsely wearing military decorations and allowing local school districts to sell color advertising on their buses.
Clinton Tax Rate Increased By Five Cents
The city of Clinton’s property tax rate was increased for the first time in 15 years on Monday (6/29) as the City Council voted 5-2 to raise it from 73 cents per $100 of assessed value to 78 cents. The Council had voted down the same increase in May. City Manager Steve Jones explained this morning the motivation behind the five-cent tax hike as simply wanting to have more of a cushion in the city’s fund balance as state auditors and comptrollers will be looking more closely at local budgets and lending restrictions will be tighter. With the budget that was passed, the city will have about $42,000 in its fund balance, often referred to as the rainy-day fund, and with the tax increase, that number should grow to somewhere around $167,000 by the end of the fiscal year next July. Jones indicated that the city will try and refinance some of its outstanding debt within the next few months, which will also help out the fund balance. Jones said that the city will enter the new fiscal year, which begins Wednesday, with about a million and a half dollar deficit but that should be erased by this time next year thanks in part to the measures taken Monday by the Council and some spending cuts that began last October. Jones did leave open the possibility that if the economy turns around and sales tax revenue picks up as expected, the Council could lower property tax rates back to last year’s levels next year. Jones added that, so far, most of the comments from citizens have been positive as they appreciate the quality of the services provided by the city and some have even said they wished the tax increase had come sooner. Even with the increase, Clinton’s tax rate remains one of the lowest of any Tennessee city. In the new budget, city employees will not receive pay raises but no city jobs were cut.
Report: Morgan Man Charged With Murder
According to WBIR-TV, a Morgan County man has been arrested in connection with the murder of his brother-in-law in March. 65-year-old Ronnie Lynn Kennedy was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the death of 53-year-old Stewart Davidson, who was found dead inside his home. Authorities say that Kennedy had been described as a person of interest in the case since March but no arrest could be made until the TBI finished its evidence analysis.
AC Unemployment Rate Tops 10%
The unemployment rate in Anderson County climbed to 10.3% in May, up .7 from April and almost twice the rate in May of 2008, which was 5.4%. The state jobless rate rose to 10.7% last month, up from 9.9% in April. Nationally, unemployment stands at 9.4%.
Testimony Begins In Roane Ouster Suit
Testimony began Monday (6/30) in the ouster lawsuit against Roane County Constable Mark Patton. The suit was filed by Roane County Attorney Tom McFarland and District Attorney General Russell Johnson, who allege that Patton has abused his power as he wages what they call a “vendetta” against elected officials and Roane County law enforcement officers. Patton says that he is trying to root out what he calls “corruption” in the government and in Roane County law enforcement. Monday, elected officials and law enforcement officers testified that they have been harassed and intimidated by Patton, including allegations that he sprayed three young men with pepper spray last fall, threatened a one-time constable opponent to the point where he dropped out of the election and that he has made several threats against police and elected officials, many times giving them the middle finger and cursing. Patton’s attorney claims that his client has never drawn a gun on anyone or used a large stick he carries while on duty and that giving the middle finger is his First Amendment right, according to the News-Sentinel.
Burglars Rob Ill Woman's House
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a burglary from a home on Greendale Lane in Powell that occurred sometime over the weekend. Harold Doughty called deputies to his mother’s house on Monday (6/29) and told them that she has been in the hospital for some time and that he and other family members had been checking on the house in her absence. He said no one had been there since Saturday but when he arrived to check things out on Monday night, he noticed some lights on inside and immediately called police. Investigators determined that someone had broken out the sliding glass door on his mother’s house and ransacked the interior, stealing jewelry, prescription medication, a box of checks, an electric can opener and a .38 revolver. A neighbor provided deputies with a description of a suspicious man she had seen in the neighborhood and investigators are following up on that lead.
Report: Shooting Heard On 911 Tape
New details were released over the weekend concerning a shooting death in the small Morgan County city of Sunbright that occurred Thursday morning (6/25). 60-year-old Memford Lynn Hamby was found dead inside his home by officers responding to a 911 call during which Hamby is said to have identified his shooter as his neighbor, 32-year-old Heather Young. The News-Sentinel reports that the 911 call that came in at around 9 am Thursday lasted for about ten minutes and that Hamby first told a dispatcher that he had been shot by Young but had managed to hit her on the head with her own gun, adding that she had gone to get another weapon. Another gunshot was heard and Hamby told the dispatcher that he had been hit again, followed by two more shots and then silence. Young was arrested leaving Hamby’s home with towels and a .22-caliber pistol. She reportedly admitted to investigators that she had shot Hamby and the DA theorized that business deal gone wrong may have led to the shooting. Young faces a charge of first-degree murder.
ACSD Looks Into Thefts
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating burglaries that occurred over the weekend. On Saturday morning (6/27), a man called deputies to his home on Circle Drive and told them that he had been away from the house for about half an hour and when he returned at around 8:30 am, found a kitchen window broken and the door standing open. Jeremy Murray searched the house and found that the only item missing was his father’s laptop computer, valued at just under $700. He called his father, who told him he didn’t have it with him, and then called 911. The case is under investigation. Saturday night (6/27), a man called deputies to his Lake City Highway home and reported that sometime that afternoon someone had stolen a pistol from its hiding spot in his bedroom. Investigators found broken glass in a basement window and their investigation is continuing, although Roy Chapman was unable to provide them with the make or model number of the gun or its serial number.
Deputies, Dog Nab Suspect
Friday (6/26), Anderson County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man on a pair of felony warrants. Deputies went to a home on Smith Road looking for William Marlowe to serve a pair of arrest warrants on him when they spotted the suspect’s car in front of a storage building and head loud noise coming from the building. Deputies loudly announced that they were part of a K-9 unit and that if the suspect did not come out and surrender to them they would release a police dog to find you, adding “He will bite you,” according to the report. Canine Belu was sent into the building but found nothing until they looked into a crawl space underneath. Deputies did not see anything at first but sent Belu in anyway, who began to struggle with something or someone the human officers could not see. The dog was brought out and then sent back in at which point Marlowe surrendered to deputies. Marlowe refused transport to the hospital and the wounds on his hands from the dog bites were treated at the Jail by the nursing staff. In addition to the warrants, Marlowe was also charged with resisting arrest.
CPD Investigating Car Theft
Clinton Police are investigating the theft of a woman’s car from the parking lot of the CVS Pharmacy on Seivers Boulevard. Saturday afternoon (6/27), police were called to the pharmacy by Kristin Caserta, who told them that she had parked her car outside the store and gone in. When she left the store ten minutes later, though, her red 2001 Saturn SC1 was gone. She told officers that the car had been unlocked with the keys in the ignition. She was able to provide the Vehicle Identification Number to officers, who entered it into the NCIC. An investigation is underway.
Lock Box Stolen From Store
Clinton Police are investigating the theft of a lock box containing cash and change from the Git N Go at 2254 North Seivers Boulevard. Shortly after 1 am this morning (6/29), police were called to the store and told that someone had stolen a lockbox from behind the counter that contained $250 in dimes and over $3200 in cash. Employees were unable to think of any possible suspects and the CPD’s Detective Division is handling the investigation.
Toddler Struck By Golf Cart Recovering
A toddler was struck by a golf cart Thursday afternoon ( 6/25) at the Fox Inn Campground in Clinton. Shortly after 5:30 Thursday, Clinton Police and Fire units were sent to the campground along with the Anderson County EMS in response to the accident. According to police reports, Margaret McKamey and her 13-month-old daughter Alison were at the patio area near the pool and main office when campground staff member Richard Dewey unplugged the electric golf cart and began to leave the patio area. Ms. McKamey spotted her daughter standing in front of the cart and shouted at Dewey to stop, but he was not able to in time. Dewey told police that he had heard the scream but not seen the child until it was too late. When he realized that he had hit something he stopped and when he realized it was a child, began lifting the cart off of the girl while her mother pulled her to safety. Alison suffered cuts and bruises on her face and head but thankfully is said to be doing well at Children’s Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. No charges will be filed.
County Seeks Payment Of Legal Fees
Thursday (6/25), a motion was filed in Anderson County Circuit Court seeking reimbursement of the county’s legal expenses connected to a lawsuit dismissed earlier this week. Anne Phillips, the former director of the now-defunct, federally-funded Ladder of Hope probation program focusing on women with drug convictions, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the county and Mayor Rex Lynch alleging that she had been fired for writing a letter detailing allegations about the misuse of grant funds and abuses of power on the part of then-Probation Director Alan Beauchamp. The suit asked for a half-million dollars in damages but was dismissed Wednesday after a specially appointed judge ruled that she had not proven that she was fired for trying to blow the whistle on the alleged improprieties. In the motion filed Thursday, the county claims that the suit was filed for an “improper purpose,” namely to continue raising questions about Beauchamp and his alleged conduct with female probationers. The court filing includes a letter from then-DA Jim Ramsey that closed a TBI investigation into those allegations that simply reads “this case can be closed without prosecution since no evidence exists against…Alan Beauchamp.” The motion also states that no complaints have been lodged against Beauchamp by female staffers. Based on those factors and the county’s opinion that Phillips and her attorney filed the suit knowing that they could not prove the allegations, the county is asking that Phillips pick up the tab for the county’s legal fees and other expenses. The Ladder of Hope grant for Anderson County was pulled in June of 2004 after the state questioned some $50,000 in expense claims and in the court documents, Mayor Lynch said that decision was mutual and done in the “best interest of Anderson County.” We will have more on this story for you as we are expecting to be joined by Mayor Lynch on Ask Your Neighbor sometime next week.
TBI, Morgan County SD Investigating Shooting Death
The TBI and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the shooting death of a 60-year-old Sunbright man that occurred Thursday morning (6/25). Police say that 60-year-old Memford Lynn Hamby was able to call 911 and tell dispatchers that he had been shot and that he had been able to get the gun away from his alleged assailant but that she had gone to find another weapon. When deputies arrived at around 9 am, however, they found him dead inside his Summerhill Road home. Investigators say that Hamby was shot multiple times and that they had recovered evidence that more than one gun may have been involved. 32-year-old Heather Young, a neighbor, has been charged with first-degree murder. Investigators have not revealed a possible motive.
2 Counties, 2 Hotel Robberies, 1 Suspect?
Police in Lake City and in Knox County are investigating a pair of hotel robberies that may have been committed by the same man. At around 5:15 Thursday morning (6/25), a lone white male entered the Country Inn and Suites in Powell brandishing a tire iron, jumped the counter and briefly struggled with the female clerk before making off with about $200 in cash. A few hours later, just before 10:30 am, a white male carrying a tire iron walked into the Days Inn hotel in Lake City, jumped the counter and grabbed the female clerk by the hair before making off with an undisclosed amount of cash. Neither clerk was injured but both were shaken up. The suspect is described as a white male around five feet eleven inches tall, weighing around 180 pounds, in his early 30s with blonde curly hair. In at least one of the robberies he was said to be barefooted. He fled in a teal-colored car. If you have information, call the Lake City Police Department or the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
Morgan Woman Indicted On Fed Meth Charges
A Morgan County woman has been indicted on charges that she ran a so-called methamphetamine smurfing operation. 53-year-old Deborah Phillips is charged in a 33-count indictment with being the ringleader of a conspiracy involving at least 13 accomplices. According to the indictment, Phillips would send the others out to buy various ingredients used in cooking meth in small quantities so that they did not attract the attention of law enforcement. This is called “smurfing,” after the small, blue cartoon characters from the 1980s. In exchange for the supplies, Phillips allegedly paid them in cash, with meth or with pain pills. On Thursday (6/25), Phillips waived her right to a detention hearing and will remain in jail pending trial. The 13 accomplices are also named in the federal indictment.
Morgan Man Guilty Of Attacking, Robbing Elderly Woman
Thursday (6/25), a Morgan County jury took just 20 minutes to return a guilty verdict against a man charged with raping a 90-year-old woman on Easter Sunday 2007. 49-year-old Harold Morris of Deer Lodge was convicted on charges of aggravated rape, aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery and will be sentenced to at least 15 years behind bars next month. Morris forced his way into the woman’s home in Lancing, assaulted her and stole jewelry off of her fingers and wrists. The woman suffered a broken rib and injuries to her hands which are still healing. Morris was caught by authorities a few hours after the attack in Crossville following what was described as a slow speed chase that ended when officers used spike strips to shred his vehicle’s tires. Morris is currently being held at the Blount County Jail.
Report: Nursing Home Refunds Haircut Costs
According to the News-Sentinel, a Clinton nursing home is sending refund checks to 44 current and past residents who were erroneously charged for haircuts. A state audit showed that between January of 2004 and June of 2007, residents were mistakenly charged for haircuts at the Golden Living Center-Windwood on Longmire Road. Those services are supposed to be covered by Medicaid, according to the audit. The nursing home responded by issuing about $2600 in refund checks to the residents who were charged for the haircuts and changing information about their beauty and barber services in their brochures.
State Budget Signed
Thursday (6/25), Governor Phil Bredesen signed the state’s $29.4 billion budget into law. The new budget year begins on Wednesday. The governor says that the budget passed by the General Assembly largely reflects his original budget proposal. The state share of the spending plan comes in at around $12.1 billion, which is about 10 percent lower than last year’s. The budget also includes $2.2 billion in federal stimulus money, which the governor says will help prevent deeper spending cuts. Bredesen also signed into law a stimulus funded measure to extend unemployment benefits as well as a law creating a procedure whereby anyone who has an order of protection taken out against them in a domestic violence case can turn any guns they have over to someone who is not prohibited from carrying a weapon within 48 hours.
Engineering Firm Lays Out Cause Of Spill
A geo-technical engineering firm hired by TVA to determine the cause of last year’s ash spill at the utility’s Kingston Fossil Plant presented its findings on Thursday (6/25). A combination of four conditions came together to create what engineers say was a perfect storm that led to the failure of a fly ash retention pond that spilled its contents all over the surrounding community. Those factors were that the ash storage pond was built on top of an unusually weak foundation made up primarily of water, ash and sediment; TVA had increased the amount of ash it was storing in the pond; the loose, wet ash did not drain properly and that there were design problems related to the height and slope of the retaining walls of the pond. Engineers from AECOM said Thursday that their analysis showed that the layer of so-called slime the pond was built on was entirely too weak to support the pond and had been since its creation. They said that the dike had likely been on the verge of failing for some time but none of the warning signs were found by TVA inspectors. Eventually these factors came together when the force pushing against the retaining wall exceeded the force necessary to keep it in and the wall collapsed just before 1 am on December 22nd, 2008, inundating nearby homes and depositing some of the sludge into the Emory River. The findings will be reviewed by a panel of state and federal engineers while the cleanup continues.
Judge Dismisses Termination Suit
On Wednesday (6/24), a specially appointed senior judge dismissed a half-million dollar lawsuit filed against the Anderson County government and Mayor Rex Lynch, ruling that a former employee had not proven that she was wrongfully terminated in 2004. Anne Phillips, the former director the federally-funded Ladder of Hope program, which focused on women with drug convictions, filed the suit after she said that she was terminated for writing a letter detailing problems and alleged improprieties in the program. The Ladder of Hope was shut down after about one year amid allegations of misused grant money, abuse of power and sexual harassment on the part of then-Probation Director Alan Beauchamp. A TBI probe into those allegations was called off after then-DA Jim Ramsey determined there was not enough evidence to continue the investigation. The News Sentinel reports that Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood ruled that Phillips had not proven that she was fired for her attempted whistle-blowing, saying that the testimony indicated that she had been let go when the state stepped in and closed the program down, in large part due to $50,000 in expense claims. Phillips had testified that she was fired by Lynch on May of 2004 but then-Budget Director Gail Cook testified that she remembers that meeting, which occurred in her office, and said that Phillips had actually resigned. Phillips was escorted out of the Courthouse later that day by two county employees. The judge’s ruling was handed down before the jury had a chance to deliberate the facts in the case.
Claxton Fire Investigated; No Injuries
The Claxton Volunteer Fire Department is investigating the cause of an early-morning fire on Fraker Lane that destroyed a house. Firefighters were dispatched to the home shortly before 3:30 this morning (6/25) and when they arrived, found the house fully engulfed by flames. Fire crews had the main fire put out within about 20 minutes but remained on the scene dousing hot spots until around 6:30 am. Deputy Fire Chief Jim Kolopus says that the house is believed to have been unoccupied as the homeowner recently passed away. The house itself is described as a total loss with only the brick walls still standing. One firefighter was treated by paramedics for heat exhaustion but aside from that no other injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Harriman Struck By Pickup, Killed
A 61-year-old Harriman man was killed Wednesday night (6/24) when he was struck by a pickup truck while walking on Burrville Road in Morgan County. The Tennessee Highway Patrol says that Larry S. Sexton died after being struck by a pickup truck at around 9:45 last night. The THP says that Sexton had been walking in the eastbound lanes of Burrville Road when he was hit by a Ford F350 driven by 48-year-old Jackie W. Brown of Sunbright. Brown was cited for not having proof of insurance and for not having the correct address on his drivers’ license but no criminal charges were filed. It is not known if alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash but blood tests for both Brown and Sexton were ordered as is standard procedure in a fatal traffic accident. Brown and a passenger in his pickup were not injured.
Y-12 Surplus Will Become Back-Up Nuclear Fuel
The government has ordered 12 tons of bomb-grade uranium converted into commercial reactor fuel as backup in case another source of fuel from weapon ingredients is delayed, according to the Associated Press. The surplus uranium will be taken from the storage vaults at Y-12 in Oak Ridge and converted into about 220 tons of low-enriched uranium used in commercial reactors at the Nuclear Fuel Services Plant in Erwin, Tennessee. The material will then be sent to a facility in South Carolina and held in reserve for utilities contracting for reactor fuel from a plutonium mixed-oxide processing plant currently being constructed at the DOE’s Savannah River site. The almost $5 billion facility is expected to open in 2016 and will eventually fabricate the low-enriched uranium for its participating utilities. The material from Y-12 will only be used if there are delays in the plant’s production of the nuclear fuel.
Car Stolen From Side Of I-75
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the theft of a woman’s car from the side of Interstate 75. Breanna Marlow met deputies at the Shoe Show Store in Clinton on Wednesday morning (6/24) and told them that she had parked her 1997 Chevy Camaro on I-75 North after she experienced mechanical difficulties at around 12:30 pm on Tuesday (6/23). When she returned to get the car Thursday morning she found it had been taken. Dispatchers contacted the Tennessee Highway Patrol, who said they had not towed the car. The car’s information has been entered into the NCIC and an investigation is underway.
OR Focus Of Upcoming PBS Program
Last December, members of the PBS program “History Detectives” were in Oak Ridge visiting museums, interviewing historians and taking tours of the historic X-10 Graphite Reactor and Y-12 as they tried to uncover clues behind a mystery. The program takes a look at the past, uncovers clues and tried to piece together what really happened years ago. The June 29th episode will take place in Oak Ridge and tell the story of Michael Kudravetz, the son of an Oak Ridger who found a patent that his father filed in October of 1945 titled “Isotope Separating Apparatus.” Kudravetz wanted to know if his father’s patent helped win World War II and that will be the mystery the “History Detectives” will try and solve this coming Monday. The show premieres on Monday June 29th at 8 pm on our local PBS station.
Coin Show Coming To OR
The Secret City Coin Show will debut on Saturday July 4th from 09 am to 2 pm at the historic Wildcat Den, located inside the Midtown Community Center on Robertsville Road. Collectors will find coins and supplies as well as tokens, watches, jewelry, knives, paper money and even sports memorabilia. The event is open to the public and refreshments will be available. The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau says that future coin shows will be held on the first Saturday of each month in the same location and hail the coin show as a great place for collectors of all kinds to buy, sell and trade their collectible items under one roof. For table space or to get more information, call 755-0153.
AC Schools Train Subs
Substitute teachers in the Anderson County schools worked together on classroom management techniques and strategies during training workshops held on Tuesday and Wednesday (6/23 & 24), the first such sessions held since a pilot program was launched in February. Anderson County High School teacher Lori Price, Human Resources Director Larry Pierce and HR assistant Mary Winchester led nearly 80 elementary, middle and high school substitutes through the half-day sessions held at the Central Office in Clinton. The material covered included teaching scenarios and behavior management strategies as well as “what-do-you-do-if…”type questions, safety techniques and other aspects of being a substitute teacher. Pierce said, “We want prepared, professional substitutes. Statistics tell us that students will spend approximately a year of their public school careers with substitute teachers. We want that time to be well-spent and productive for our students.” The school system requires background checks for all substitutes who are paid between $55 and $60 per day. For more information visit www.acs.ac. Testimony Continues In Wrongful Termination Suit
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