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WYSH Local News
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Priced under appraisal to sell fast. Ready to develop infrastructure in place. The best deal in East TN. GREAT INVESTMENT! Water Front property NEVER GOES DOWN IN VALUE!! Call
865-607-9580 or 865-607-9580 For more information on these and other stories tune into AM 1380 WYSH or visit this site often. If you see news happen, call us at 865-457-1380 or e-mail wysh@wyshradio.com. Did you know you can WATCH Trading Time each day on Comcast Cable Ch 12 on BBB TV. If you are in Anderson or Roane County turn on your TV and watch Trading Time and Ask Your Neighbor. Plus call WYSH for advertising specials on TV
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22 Waterfront acres for sale. Inside City limits, Priced under appraisal to sell fast. Ready to develop infrastructure in place. The best deal in East TN. GREAT INVESTMENT! Water Front property NEVER GOES DOWN IN VALUE!! Call 865-607-9580...865-607-9580 Jazz Concert Tickets Available
Tickets are now on sale for the benefit concert set to raise money for the Green McAdoo Cultural Organization on Monday May 26th at the Ritz Theater in Clinton. The concert, which is also part of the Green McAdoo presentation of New Harmonies—a Smithsonian traveling exhibition on display through June 15th, will feature Clinton native and member of the Clinton 12 Joann Allen Boyce, now a professional jazz singer in California and Clinton High graduate Doug Davis, himself a jazz musician and educator in California. Tickets for the concert are $10 and tickets for the concert and a pre-show reception will be $25. Tickets can be purchased at the Green McAdoo Cultural Center in Clinton and at Clinton City Hall. Call 865-463-6500 or visit www.greenmcadoo.org for more information.
OR School Board Approves Bus Service
Monday night, the Oak Ridge School Board voted to contract out its bus service for the upcoming school year. The contract was awarded to Cincinnati-based First Student and will provide bus service to all of the city’s students. Currently, bus service is offered only to those students who live more than a mile away from their school. The new deal will also cut down on the distance students will have to walk to get to their bus stop while keeping pickup and dropoff times the same. Efforts have been underway to expand Oak Ridge’s bus service since the death of 12-year-old Ashley Paine last year while she walked home from school. If contract negotiations go well, officials say that the service will be ready for use at the start of the upcoming school year.
Harriman PD Investigates Break-In
Police in Harriman are investigating a break-in at the Roane Medical Plaza that occurred late Sunday night or early Monday morning. A worker called police at around 6:30 am Monday after finding evidence of the break-in. Police say that four office suites were burglarized and the thieves stole approximately $1800 in cash as well as an undetermined amount of the painkiller Demerol. If you have any information, call Harriman Police at 865-882-3383.
Clinton Woman Facing Tenncare Fraud Charges
A Clinton woman is facing charges of Tenncare fraud after she allegedly used her Tenncare benefits to pay for a fraudulent prescription for hydrocodone. The state office of the Inspector General says that 30-year-old Stephanie Stringer posed as a nurse practitioner when she called in a fake prescription for the powerful painkiller. TennCare fraud is a Class E felony punishable by up to two years in prison.
Follow-Up: Tractor Supply Theft
Following up on a story we brought you Monday, we can now tell you the names of the five people arrested in connection with an early morning theft from the Tractor Supply Company store in Oak Ridge. As we told you, a passing motorist called Oak Ridge Police shortly before 1 am after seeing two pickup trucks leaving the closed business with items in their beds. Oak Ridge Police put out a Be On The Lookout (BOLO) Alert for the two vehicles and Sheriff deputies and a state trooper spotted the trucks on Laurel Road near Clinton. The vehicles were stopped on Hillcrest Street after a brief pursuit and Oak Ridge Police, along with Tractor Supply employees arrived on the scene and identified several items in both trucks as having been stolen. Five people—all of Andersonville--were jailed on felony theft charges. They are identified as 30-year-old James Ruba Hill Jr., 21-year-old Samantha June Hill, 19-year-old Brandy Marie Pyle, 23-year-old Russell Dwayne Wallace and 25-year-old Tabitha Marie Wallace. James Hill is also being held on a warrant out of Morgan County. Sheriff Paul White and Oak Ridge Police Chief David beams each praised the cooperation between their agencies, which resulted in the suspects being arrested within 15 minutes of the crime.
CMS To Conduct Emergency Drill
Clinton Middle School will conduct a disaster drill this Thursday May 15th. The drill will include everyone at the school plus EMS personnel and will be conducted in the afternoon, so don’t be alarmed when you see emergency vehicles at the school. Students will be dismissed at their regular time and traffic around the school and the nearby community center will only be slightly affected.
AC School Meal Prices Increased
Last week, the Anderson County Board of Education voted to raise the price of breakfast and lunch at the county schools. The price for breakfast will go from 75 cents for all students to $1 for elementary students and $1.25 for middle and high school students. Lunch for elementary school students will increase from $1.25 to $1.75 while middle school lunches will rise from $1.50 to $2. Lunch for high school students will go from $1.70 to $2.25. The increases will go into effect next school year.
Police Memorial Scheduled
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is joining with law enforcement agencies across the nation to celebrate National Police Week, which runs through this Saturday. May 15th is National Peace Officers Memorial Day and a memorial service will be held that day here in Clinton. The event will be sponsored by Oak Ridge Police Chief David Beams, Clinton Police Chief Rick Scarbrough and Anderson County Sheriff Paul White and will be held at 3:00 this Thursday on the plaza in front of the Courthouse in Clinton. Local, state and federal agencies from the Anderson County area will be represented and US Senator Bob Corker will present a proclamation honoring our fallen officers. The public is invited.
98 Accept Y-12 Buyout
B&W Technical Services announced on Monday that 98 hourly workers have accepted buy-out packages to help the company tighten its belt in advance of projected budget cuts. While short the 120 workers they had wanted to take part, company officials say that no involuntary layoffs are planned as budget estimates indicate less money headed to Y-12 in 2009 and 2010. Earlier this year, 220 salaried workers accepted voluntary separation packages, which was also short of the goal. Officials said Monday that none of the remaining salaried employees are facing layoffs at this time, either.
OR Businesses Lose Beer Licenses
Two Oak Ridge businesses had their beer licenses revoked Monday after they did not show up for hearings in front of the city’s Beer Board. The News-Sentinel reports that the original Time Out Deli had not paid its privilege taxes and Playa Azul Mexican Market had been cited for several violations, including selling beer to underage individuals. Both businesses are located in the Grove Center area and will have to prominently display the revocation notices in their stores. In addition, neither business will be able to reapply for a beer license for at least one year.
OR Man Indicted In Shooting
An Oak Ridge man was indicted earlier this month on a charge of attempted first-degree murder stemming from an incident last December. 28-year-old Harold Otis Williams is charged in the shooting of 19-year-old Trian Booker, who was shot in the chest on December 28th outside a home on Irene Lane. He will be arraigned on the charge on May 23rd.
OR Sex Offender Indicted
An Oak Ridge man already registered a sex offender was indicted earlier this month on a sexual battery charge stemming from an incident last November. 54-year-old Michael Skorski is charged with hitting a female teenage co-worker on the rear end with a rolled-up poster on November 20th after allegedly making sexually-charged comments to the teen earlier. He was convicted in 1999 on charges of sexual battery by an authority figure and solicitation of a minor.
Gas Thieves Hit Worthington, Damage Vehicles
Clinton Police are investigating the theft of gasoline from several vehicles parked at a car dealership that resulted in damage to each vehicle’s fuel receptacle. David Worthington called police to Worthington Motors on South Seivers Boulevard Sunday morning and reported that someone had come on to the lot and stolen gasoline from two Ford Rangers, a Toyota Tacoma and a Lincoln Navigator, damaging each of their fuel tanks in the process. He was not sure of how much gasoline was stolen or exactly how much it would cost to repair the damage at the time of the report, but the CPD is looking into it.
Governor Outlines Budget Cuts
Monday Governor Phil Bredesen unveiled his revised budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. In an address to a joint session of the General Assembly, the governor outlined his plan to trim about $468 million from the budget he originally proposed in January. State revenue collections have deteriorated significantly in recent months due to the national economic recession, leading to the half-billion-dollar shortfall. Speaking last night, Bredesen said, “Taxpayers expect us to live within our means. As a state, we have to do the same thing that families and private-sector companies do in tough times and tighten our belts.” Despite the reductions, the proposed budget does protect public education by fully funding the state’s Basic Education Program and providing new money to cover inflationary growth. However, no new Pre-K classrooms will be added during the upcoming year. Bredesen said that three principles guided him as he made the proposed cuts; namely asking for no new taxes, matching recurring revenues with recurring expenditures to ensure long-term stability and preserving the state’s $750 million rainy-day fund. The governor has repeatedly stated that he will not use one-time money for recurring expenses, pointing out that the fund balance was almost depleted when he took office. Last week, Bredesen announced a voluntary buy-out plan to reduce the number of state workers by 2000 people—or 5%. Details of the package will be announced later this month but the governor believes that the state can put together an attractive enough package that will appeal to enough people to achieve the targeted reductions on a voluntary basis.
Deal's Small Engine Call 865-457-0070
Deal's Small Engine Call 865-457-0070
Oil Well Burn Victim Sues
The man who was severely burned in March when an Oliver Springs oil well erupted into flames has sued the oil well drilling company for $4.5 million. Jonathan Vann of Roane County alleges that Dan Potts and his company Walden Resources were negligent in several areas that led to the fireball that, according to the suit, left Vann with horribly painful burns and permanent injuries. Vann had been driving by the leaking oil well early on the morning of March 19th when it exploded into a fireball that consumed his truck and left him with severe burns that were treated at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. In the suit, Vann contends that the company violated several state oil well guidelines, including drilling too deeply into the ground and too close to homes and roadways. In addition, the suit claims that the company also violated guidelines dealing with blowout prevention and equipment requirements. The state cited Potts for these same violations and fined him several thousands of dollars the week after the eruption, which burned for over a week, damaging nearby homes and displacing residents of Cove Road outside Oliver Springs.
Former CHS Standout Sentenced
Called by some the best high school running back they had ever seen, the sad story of former Clinton High School football standout Scotty Whitt continued last week when he pleaded guilty to five drug-related charges stemming from an undercover narcotics investigation conducted last year in Clinton. The 32-year-old Whitt received multiple eight-year sentences in exchange for his plea and will serve them concurrently. As a repeat offender, it will be roughly three years before he is eligible for parole, according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel, which interviewed him on Friday. Following a high school career that saw him lead the Dragons to the state title game in 1992, drug addiction soon turned into drug dealing and several stints behind bars. Whitt told the paper that he now has a 2-year-old son and wants to change his life so that he can be there for him as he grows up but acknowledges that it will be a challenge.
Y-12 Gate Rammer Pleads
Friday in Anderson County court, a 23-year-old Clinton man pleaded guilty to vandalism charges filed last year after he rammed a security gate outside Y-12. Jeffrey Alan Lowe was sentenced to three years in prison, to be suspended upon completion of six months in the county jail, for causing over $48,000 worth of damage to the gate. Prosecutors said that Lowe was apparently lost last July 30th when he was met by security guards and Bear Creek Road and he panicked because he had no valid drivers license and drove forward. The gate deployed and he rammed it, causing significant damage, the cost of which B&W Technical Services will likely have to pursue in civil court.
Lasting Tribute To Fallen Solider
Friday, friends and family of the late James David “Tiger” Connell Jr. gathered outside Anderson County High School to pay lasting tribute to the fallen soldier. Connell, who graduated from ACHS in 1984, was killed in an ambush last year by Sunni insurgents while on patrol in Iraq. Fellow classmates as well as current students, members of the school ROTC program and even his own son gathered to plant a tree on the campus that will be forever marked by a plaque reminding future students and others of the sacrifice that Sgt. First Class Connell made in defense of his country.
ORPD Closes Shooting Investigation
Friday the Oak Ridge Police Department that it has closed its investigation into the shooting death of eight-year-old Taila Kneiser last July. The child died from an apparently self-inflicted accidental gunshot wound to the head, according to police, who turned over their findings including autopsy results to the DA’s office. No charges will be filed in the case.
New Website Helps Housing Seekers, Providers
The Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) has created a free website for owners and managers of rental properties to list their housing opportunities. The site—www.TNHousingSearch.org—will be promoted as a resource for people looking for housing in Tennessee. The THDA has contacted management companies, all of the state’s Public Housing Authorities and developers with the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and Multifamily Bond Authority programs. Listings are not targeted to any specific rent levels but owners and managers will be able to list features such as the numbers of bedrooms, bathrooms and levels as well as accessibility and utility history. In addition, other resources including Chambers of Commerce, school districts, community services and a rent affordability calculator will be available to users online. www.TNHousingSearch.org.
OR Planners To Consider Retail Development
The Oak Ridge Planning Commission will reportedly consider plans for a new retail center being proposed near the city’s Woodland neighborhood. The so-called Illinois Station project would consist of five buildings on a four-acre tract of land off Illinois Avenue, close to the site of a hotel that nearby residents fought against last year over concerns about noise and safety. The city gave its approval to that project last year but construction has not yet begun. Opposition to Illinois Station is expected to be minimal, according to city officials, as the project was designed in accordance with the findings of a special study by the city of how best to develop along the South Illinois Avenue corridor without disrupting nearby residents. Plans call for the nationally-recognized shops and restaurants being targeted by the developers to face into the neighborhoods with a parking lot in between their property and the residences so that people living nearby don’t have to look at the back of the businesses. The plans call for Quincy Avenue to be relocated and city officials say that could be paid for using tax-increment financing.
Report: Audit Findings Due In June
The Courier News reports that the findings of a local audit of the Clinton city school system’s finances will likely be presented to the School Board next month. Results of the audit have been delayed since officials discovered evidence of accounting fraud earlier this year. Officials found over $10,000 missing in January but the paper reports that some of the money was actually not missing, but rather erroneously reported and that $6000-$7000 is missing due to possible fraud. The system suspects a former bookkeeper of diverting funds from several system accounts into a personal account over a period of roughly two years. The TBI and the state comptroller’s office are each looking into it and the Anderson County DA’s office will decide if criminal charges are warranted. The state audit should be released this summer.
Five Arrested After Weekend Theft
Officers from the Oak Ridge Police Department and deputies from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department worked together to arrest five people suspected of stealing items from the Tractor Supply Company store on Oak Ridge Turnpike. A passing driver called 911 early Sunday morning after watching two vehicles leave the closed store’s parking lot. Police called in deputies and together, they tracked down five suspects in two separate vehicles within about half an hour. The suspects were reportedly caught with motorcycles, a wood chipper and other equipment and, in all five people were arrested and charged. As soon as we learn more about this story we will pass it along to you on WYSH.
Morgan Co. Wreck Kills One, Injures Two, Charges Pending
A Sunday morning traffic accident in Morgan County Sunday killed one teenager and left two others injured. The Tennessee Highway Patrol says that 19-year-old Joshua Bell and two other 19-year-olds had been in Bell’s pickup on Highway 27 when Bell lost control, the truck left the road, struck a fence and then slammed into a brick building. Bell and one passenger, Jacob Good, were injured, but the second passenger, Sean Griffith of Sunbright died in the accident. None of the three had been wearing seatbelts and the THP report indicates that Bell refused to submit to drug and alcohol tests at the scene. Charges are pending, according to the THP.
Roane Industrial Park Fire
Fire officials in Roane County are investigating to determine what caused a zinc-recycling facility in Rockwood to go up in flames Sunday afternoon. No one was hurt in the fire at Horsehead Corporation, reported at around 4 pm, and most of the damage was described as internal. Crews from just about every fire department in Roane County responded to fight the fire, which took about two hours to extinguish. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
ACSD To Crack Down During Prom, Grad Season
Anderson County Sheriff Paul White said Monday (4/28) that his department will be out in force during the upcoming prom and graduation season trying to keep young people alive. In a press release issued Monday, the Sheriff says that deputies will be out during proms and graduations looking for drunk drivers, illegal drugs and underage drinkers. In addition to those efforts, the department will also be conducting an information campaign with beer permit holders to remind them of the importance of asking for photo IDs from anyone trying to buy beer. Spot checks of beer sellers will also be conducted and according to the Sheriff not only will clerks who sell to an underage person be cited, but so will the purchaser. Play it safe during this special time and stay away from drugs and alcohol as you celebrate prom and graduation.
GMCC Closer To Park Status
Efforts to have the Green McAdoo Cultural Center and Museum in Clinton added to the National Park System cleared one hurdle on Wednesday as a Senate committee added the so-called Green McAdoo Historic Site Study Act to a package of some 50 public lands bills that will be considered by the full Senate this year. Being added to the Park System would make the museum eligible for federal funding to defray operating costs. The act that will be considered would direct the Interior Secretary to conduct a feasibility study about the possibility of adding the formerly all-black school and its grounds to the Park System. Of course, the museum that tells the story of the desegregation of Clinton High School in 1956 opened two years ago and is currently hosting a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution called New Harmonies that explores the roots of uniquely American music. We will find out much more about the exhibit, the museum and the effort to have it added to the National Park System Friday morning at 10 on Ask Your Neighbor when we will be joined by Marilyn Hayden and Susie McCray from Green McAdoo live in studio.
Bredesen: Budget Cuts Will Mean Layoffs
Governor Phil Bredesen said Wednesday that in order to make up a projected half-billion dollar shortfall in the state’s $28 billion proposed budget, he will have to make several cuts, including laying off as many as 2011 state employees. Bredesen said yesterday that those workers representing about 5% of the state workforce will likely be offered voluntary separation packages but did not detail how those packages might work or how much the separation package might be. He did say that the cuts will be targeted primarily at administrative positions while avoiding cuts to those workers who provide direct services to the public. The layoffs are projected to save the state about $64 million. Other possible cuts include no new state money for the BEP outside of any new money dictated by an increase in student population as well as no new money to start more Pre-K classes across the state. Higher education could see $55 million cut from its budget and proposed pay raises for state workers not laid off have been stricken from the budget. Plans to make Tenncare available to more people will be scaled back as well. The governor will outline more of his proposed budget cuts on Monday when he addresses the State Legislature in Nashville.
ACSD Investigates Suspicious Fire
The Anderson County Sheriff’s department is working to discover who set a man’s SUV on fire early Wednesday morning just hours after someone called and threatened his family. James Daugherty told a deputy that he had heard an explosion outside his home on Cane Creek Cemetery Road and looked outside to see his SUV in flames. Deputies reported that two windows had been broken out before the fire was set and Daugherty’s wife said that someone had called late Tuesday and threatened “payback” against her and her family. An investigation is underway.
IRS Scam Warning
The IRS is warning area taxpayers to beware of a new e-mail scam that has surfaced in connection with the government’s economic stimulus payments. E-mails bearing both the IRS and Treasury Department logos as well as the IRS web address are being sent to people telling them that the best way to receive their economic stimulus check is by direct deposit. The e-mail then directs the reader to fill out a form that looks similar to an actual IRS form asking for information such as their social security number, tax filing status, e-mail address, address, phone number, credit card number, ATM PIN Number and the name of their bank. The IRS says that these are definitely scam e-mails and warn people not to click on the link provided in it because it may download malicious software on to their computer. IRS officials remind everyone that they have all the information they need to send the stimulus checks as they are being sent to people who filed a return this year and also that they will never, under any circumstances, send you an e-mail about your taxes. If you receive the e-mail, you are asked to forward it to www.irs.gov/privacy/article/0,,id=179820,00.html so that the agency can track them.
LC Man Faces Drug Charges
A Lake City man was arrested and charged with several drug offenses last week following a raid on his apartment by members of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department’s Drug Task Force. 51-year-old Gregory Burkett of Lake City was arrested after deputies served a search warrant at his Main Street apartment last Thursday. During the raid, deputies allegedly found what is believed to be meth in a plastic baggie as well as over 100 prescription pain and anxiety pills in addition to $1857 in cash believed to be proceeds from illegal drug sales. Burkett remains in jail and will appear in court on Thursday.
Report: Budget Fight To Be Long, Sewer Lines Need Upgrading
According to published reports, Anderson County Mayor Rex Lynch told a League of Women Voters lunchtime crowd Tuesday that he expects a tough budget fight this year with many tough decisions to make. The News-Sentinel indicates that Lynch will again propose a no-tax-increase budget but that it may not include pay raises for county workers. During his appearance on Tuesday, Lynch also said that limitations on sewer capacity on the eastern edge of Anderson County may prevent further development if they cannot be expanded. That part of the county is growing quickly and Lynch said Tuesday that in order to solve the sewer problem, the county will likely have to spend a significant amount of money. He told the audience that increasing sewer capacity near the I-75/Highway 61 interchange east toward the city of Norris could cost anywhere from $1 to $3 million. He said that options include creating a major new line to the Clinton wastewater treatment plant or a county-assisted expansion of the Norris sewer facility, according to the paper. Options are currently being studied.
Fmr. ACHS Baseball Player Killed In Weekend Wreck
Anderson County and Pigeon Forge High Schools are each mourning the loss of 20-year-old Jeremy Chesney, who was killed Sunday in a Sevier County traffic accident. Chesney graduated from Anderson County two years ago after a standout baseball career and most recently had been serving as a volunteer assistant coach with the Pigeon Forge baseball team under his former coach at AC, Mike Guinn. Chesney died after a Sunday afternoon accident in Sevierville in which the Jeep he had been a passenger in left the roadway near Hummingbird Lane and Kingfisher Avenue, ejecting both him and the driver, fellow Pigeon Forge assistant 20-year-old Wesley Teaster. Teaster at last report was being treated at UT Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries. Jeremy’s family will receive friends from 5 to 8 pm Thursday at the Powell Church at 323 Emory Road in Powell with the funeral service following in the chapel. Graveside services will be conducted Friday morning at 11 am at Campbell Memorial Gardens in Jacksboro. His family has requested that any memorials be made to either the Pigeon Forge High School baseball team or the Anderson County High School Baseball Booster Club.
OR Council Approves Budget
The Oak Ridge City Council voted 5-2 on Monday to adopt the new budget on first reading. The new budget, which is being prepared for the beginning of the new fiscal year on July 1st, calls for a 13-cent increase in the property tax rate while providing 2% pay raises for city workers and an increase of about 4% in the expenditures of the city and the school system. If approved on second and final reading, the budget and the new tax rate will go into effect on July 1st. Mayor Tom Beehan, Vice Mayor Jane Miller and Council members Willie Golden, Charlie Hensley and Ellen Smith voted for the budget while Council members Tom Hayes and David Mosby cast the dissenting votes. The budget will have its second and final reading on May 19th.
Judge Denies Dismissal Request
On Monday, a judge denied motions to dismiss the election challenge lawsuit filed by Joseph Lee. Judge Jon Blackwood said that he would have been within his rights to throw out the suit on a technicality, namely that he had not asked for a trial date in a timely manner, but added that the case is more complex for that. Lee lost to John Shuey by one vote in the August 2006 election in District 7 of the Anderson County Commission and filed suit shortly thereafter, on much the same grounds as a suit filed by David Start challenging the results of his 119-vote loss to incumbent General Sessions Judge Don Layton. Both men contend that voters took too long at the polls in violation of state law and that paper ballots were improperly distributed at the Highland View voting precinct in Oak Ridge. Last year, Blackwood dismissed both suits but the state court of appeals overturned those rulings and sent the case back to the local courts. A trial date in the Lee lawsuit has been set for July 21st, according to the News-Sentinel.
Briceville Church Grant
The Tennessee Historical Commission and the National Park Service will award the Coal Creek Watershed Foundation at $20,000 Acquisition and Development Grant for phase two of the restoration of the historic Briceville Church, according to the Foundation. The funds will require a 40% match from the CCWF, which will use the money to rewire branch circuits in the basement, install new plumbing in the basement for the kitchen and the restroom and the removal of carpet and ceiling tiles in the sanctuary. The church and its cemetery were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. It was built in 1888 by immigrant Welsh coal miners to serve the coal mining community. If you would like to be part of the restoration and preservation of the Briceville Church, contact Carol Moore at 865-584-0344 or e-mail her at clmoore@geoe.com.
Drivers License Fees Can Be Paid By Credit Card
The Tennessee Department of Safety has announced that customers conducting business and drivers license centers across the state can now use their credit cards. Drivers wishing to renew or obtain a Tennessee Driver’s License, reinstate a license or submit an application for a state handgun carry permit may now pay for that transaction with a Visa, Mastercard or Discover Card. Keep in mind, though, that debit transactions requiring a PIN number cannot be accepted. TDOS has said that they have taken steps to make sure that no credit card number will be printed on reports to ensure privacy. Drivers can also conduct business and pay fees 24 hours a day by visiting the TDOS website at www.tennesseeanytime.org/tndlr or www.tennessee.gov.
OR Man Dies In Sevier Wreck
A 51-year-old Oak Ridge man was killed Friday (5/2) while riding his motorcycle in Sevier County. According to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, Paul Lee Harrison had been headed north on South Rogers Road at around 6:45 Friday night when he lost control of his 2003 Honda motorcycle while cresting a blind hill. Police say that Harrison’s motorcycle left the roadway, hit a ditch, crossed over Graves Delozier Road and Traveled down a 15-foot embankment before striking a dirt wall at the bottom. Harrison was wearing his helmet, according to authorities, who said that speed and unfamiliarity with the road likely contributed to the accident.
Copper Stripped From House
Clinton Police are investigating the theft of most of the copper wiring and pipes from a home in Clinton. Michael Clement called police to the home on Breezewood last week and told them that he had come to the home and discovered evidence of a break-in. Clement reported that the back door knob had been broken, a screen cut and a window opened sometime over the previous week. Once inside, the culprits ripped most of the copper wires and plumbing pipes out of the walls. Clement estimated the value of the metal at approximately $5200 and the CPD is investigating.
Two Arrested For Tree Theft
Last week, Anderson County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two men in connection with the theft of ornamental trees from Willows Ridge Nursery. Deputies stopped a car matching the description of one seen leaving the nursery after two men loaded items into it after hours. The car was stopped at the McDonald’s on South Seivers Boulevard in Clinton and deputies spotted two Boulevard Cypress Pom Pom trees valued altogether at $600 with their root balls wrapped in burlap in the back of the car. The driver gave police what turned out to be a fake name and a Clinton K-9 alerted on to the car for the presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle turned up a methadone wafer and marijuana residue. The driver, identified as Gregg Lestingi, was charged with felony theft, driving on a suspended license, simple possession and using a fake ID. The passenger, Jason Whitaker, was charged with theft. Further charges may be pending as the report indicates that a large number of drivers licenses were found in the car, pointing to the possibility that one or more of the men may have been producing false IDs.
New Harmonies Opens at Green McAdoo
Over the weekend, the Green McAdoo Cultural Center and Museum welcomed a Smithsonian traveling exhibition to Clinton. The exhibit, part of the Smithsonian’s Museums on Main Street program, traces the origins of American roots music like jazz, blues, bluegrass and gospel and places them within their historical context. The exhibit uses recordings, photographs, vintage instruments, lyrics and artist profiles to demonstrate how each of these musical styles is uniquely American. Some of the other musical genres that are examined include Native American, klezmer, tejano and zydeco. The exhibit will run through June 15th and the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Throughout the run of the exhibit, Green McAdoo will be hosting a series of free concerts with this Saturday’s beginning at 5 pm on the museum lawn featuring two local blues bands, Slow Blind Hill and the Crossroads Blues Band. For more information, call 865-463-6500 or visit www.greenmcadoo.org.
Roane Burglar Captured
Thursday, a Roane County burglary suspect was captured by police after he eluded the Kingston homeowners who reported him. Roane County deputies and Kingston Police responded to a home on High Point Orchard Road Thursday night after the woman living there said that she had seen the suspect leave her garage and place something in the truck of his car. Her husband tried to prevent him from leaving the scene, but the suspect was able to get away. However, Kingston police caught up with him a short time later on I-40 and arrested him on theft charges after recovering a 30-foot copper lead taken off of a welder in the victims’ garage. The suspect was identified as 30-year-old Scott Cooper of Rockwood.
State Senate Approves Expansion Of Long-Term Care
Thursday, the state’s plan to expand access to home and community based services unanimously passed the state senate. The Long Term Care Community Choices Act of 2008 will provide new options for home and community based services, according to the governor’s office, and will allow a greater number of people to actually stay at home for their long-term care needs. In his State of the State Address earlier this year, Governor Phil Bredesen pledged that this year would be the one in which he delivered on his promise to expand alternatives to nursing homes for elderly and physically disabled r |
