Sheriff's

Public intoxication arrests
Richard C. Gradeless, 54, of 3007 Gossamer Road, in Cosby, was arrested Wednesday, May 27, and charged with public intoxication, according to a report by Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Jason Oury. Upon arrival, Oury allegedly noted that Gradeless was in the middle of Gossamer Road and "highly agitated and aggressive" and "threatened observers." Oury wrote that Gradeless was "very unsteady on his feet, slurred significantly and he smelled strongly of an alcoholic beverage." Oury added in his report that "due to his visible impairment and agitated behavior," Gradeless was determined to be "a clear threat to himself and others," and was arrested. Laura Mellor, 46, also of 3007 Gossamer Road, in Cosby, was arrested by Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Hollis Emmons and charged with public intoxication, as well.

Arrest for failure to appear
Kelly Ann Middleton, 51, of Knoxville, was arrested Friday, May 29, at a residence off Askew Road in Parrottsville and charged with failure to appear on a warrant from Cocke County General Sessions Court, according to a report from Cocke County Deputy Sheriff David Crowder.

Vehicle allegedly hits cow wandering in the road
Tonya M. Williamson, 29, of 1188 Arrowhead Drive, in Newport, was driving a 1997 Honda Accord on Friday, May 29, at about 6 a.m., headed south on Wilton Springs Road near Dark Hollow Road when she allegedly struck a cow that had wandered onto the road. The cow belonged to Robbie Hicks, of 388 Wilton Springs Road, according to a report by Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Brian Holt.

Gas drive-off reported at Keller's Corner in Parrottsville
Melissa Hunt, owner of Keller's Corner in Parrottsville, said that at about 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 29, a white male approximately 22 to 26 years old drove off without paying for all of his gas. The male, driver of a purple car, allegedly prepaid for $1.20 of gas, but pumped $10.49 of gas. An employee of the convenience store and restaurant allegedly ran the man down at a stoplight. He allegedly said his friend got distracted pumping the gas and overran the amount, and that he was on his way to get the rest of the money due Keller's Corner for the gas.

Break-in, theft on Epley Road
Tim Layman, 46, of Epley Road, in Newport, told Sgt. David Crum of the Cocke County Sheriff's Department that someone broke into his home either Saturday, May 23, or the next day, as well as into his shed, and stole several items.

Assault alleged
Rebecca Ledbetter, 47, of Wonder Way, told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Steve Johnson that on Friday, May 29, around 8 p.m., two individuals came into her home and struck her. Ledbetter's son, Justin Bledsoe, 20, allegedly got the two individuals to leave Ledbetter's home.

Vandalism and theft alleged
Jamie Ellison, 31, of 219 Action St., in Newport, told Lt. Rick Laws of the Cocke County Sheriff's Department that on the night of Wednesday, May 27, someone knocked the passenger side window out of her vehicle that was parked in her driveway. The thief or thieves allegedly stole her medication, damaged, scratched, and dented the passenger side back door of her vehicle, and stole two concrete statues from the yard near her home. The medication is valued at $48, the passenger side window at $300, other damage to the vehicle at $1,500, and the two statues at $500.

Theft of medication alleged in home
Rebecca Ledbetter, 47, of Wonder Road, in Newport, told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Brian Holt that on Friday, May 29, someone allegedly stole medication from a pill bottle in her purse. She valued the medication at $30. She said the theft occurred while she was taking a shower and that an individual who spent the night at her residence was the only other person awake during the time of the theft. That person reportedly denied taking the pills.

Break-in and theft alleged
Eula Webb, 78, of Bridges Chapel Road, told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Tony Bailey that sometime between 10 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, and Wednesday, May 27, at 5 a.m., while she and her family were asleep, someone allegedly entered through a front window, took a TV, and left out the back door. No forced entry was made. The stolen Sanyo 26-inch TV was valued at $380.

Break-in and theft in Cosby
Tyneal Hensley, 33, of Hooper Highway, told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Tony Bailey that while she and her family were gone camping, from Friday, May 22, to Monday, May 25, someone found a hidden key to her home and took 30 pairs of ladies underwear worth $150 and an I-Pod worth $250. A broken window was valued at $100.

Theft by visitor alleged
Olivia Keller, 27, of Action Street, alleged that on Wednesday, May 27, after an individual she knows came by her residence at 3 a.m. to visit, she found missing a cordless remote PlayStation worth $70 and a "rock band" guitar worth $60, according to a report by Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Tony Bailey.

Vehicle reported stolen
Ricky McGaha, 21, of Ground Hog Road, told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Randall Hartsell that on Thursday, May 28, around 4:15 a.m., he heard someone knock on his door and leave his property in his 1989 Chevrolet Blazer. McGaha said he had left the doors to his vehicle unlocked.

Theft on Bogard Road
Tessie Poe Wilson, 52, of Bogard Road, told Sgt. Tony Whitten of the Cocke County Sheriff's Department that on Thursday, May 28, when she returned home, she discovered someone had entered through a bedroom window and stolen several items. Those items were a Yamaha music synthesizer and Peavey amplifier worth $1,900, an Emerson DVD/VCR player worth $150, a .22-caliber pistol valued at $250, two cases of jewelry and other items worth $250, a Canon video camera worth $600, a laptop computer worth $1,000, and a Canon digital camera worth $300.

Cell phone allegedly stolen at school
Angel Nicole Jones, 15, of 300 McCamis Hollow Road, in Newport, told Cocke County Deputy Sheriff Randy Cutshaw that on Tuesday, May 26, when she returned to her classroom at Cocke County High School after lunch, she noticed someone had stolen her cell phone from her pocketbook. The value of the black and silver Tilt-AT&T phone was estimated at $400.



Police

Hit-and-run alleged on Mims Avenue
John B. Payne, 86, of 324 4th St., in Newport, told Patrolman Billy Woody that on Friday, May 29, around 1:40 p.m., he was sitting in his 2004 Buick in traffic on Mims Avenue at Highway 25/70 waiting for a traffic light to change when a newer model white van backed from a side street parking spot and into the northbound lane of traffic on Mims Avenue. It allegedly struck the driver's side front fender of Payne's vehicle, and then drove off without stopping.

Collision with parked vehicle
Wade E. Strange, 67, of 106 Belton Ave., in Newport, told Patrolman David R. Smith that on Friday, May 29, around 3:30 p.m., at the Rural Medical Center on Murray Drive, in Newport, he was backing out of a parking space in his 1985 Nissan Frontier. He allegedly struck the left rear side of a parked and unoccupied vehicle with his bumper, causing minor damage to both vehicles, according to Smith's report. Randall and Cynthia Freeman of 129 Rebels Road, in Newport, own the parked vehicle, a 2004 Toyota Corolla, the report stated.

Accident in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store parking lot
Wilma Kelley Seay, 64, of Knoxville, told Patrolman William Garber that on Friday, May 29, at 2:35 p.m., she had an accident involving her 2005 Mercury Marquis in the parking lot of the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store at 1021 Cosby Highway, in Newport. Seay allegedly told Garber that as she pulled into a parking spot, her vehicle made contact with the driver side of a 2006 Chrysler Touring with the front passenger side of her Mercury Marquis. The driver of the Chrysler, Betty White Hill, 82, of Troy, was allegedly in the Cracker Barrel at the time the accident occurred.

Theft over $1,000 alleged
Ralph Dwayne Haskey, 39, of 804 Glory Lane, in Newport, told Patrolman William Garber that on Wednesday, May 20, between 1:30 and 6:30 a.m., someone took a utility trailer from his home that he valued at $1,600.

Theft under $500 from outbuilding alleged
Patrick Wills, 56, of Woodlawn Avenue, in Newport, alleged that a theft from his family's outbuilding occurred on Friday, May 29. Wills said missing from the storage building were a weed trimmer worth $89 and a box of tools worth $100. Wills' son, who lives on Upper Rhinehart Road, allegedly told his dad that later an individual came to his home and tried to sell him his dad's weed trimmer.

Man turns himself in
Chad J. Shelton, 34, of 246 Zacks Way, in Newport, walked into the Newport Police Department on Friday, May 29, and allegedly turned himself in on an instanter capias. He was charged with four counts of gambling promotion. The capias was handed down July 10, 2007. He was transported to the Cocke County jail annex, according to a report by David R. Smith of the Newport Police Department.

Theft of money from auto alleged
Deborah Grace Walker, 50, of 659 Musterfield Road, in Newport, allegedly went to the Newport Police Department to report $25 missing from her purse that she said she left in her car while visiting a friend on 8th Street, according to a report by Capt. Brad Ball.


Two-car accident on Cosby Highway
On Thursday, May 28, a 2004 Dodge Durango driven by Jefferson N. Ball, 48, of 1300 Golf Course Road, in Newport, allegedly turned onto the Cosby Highway into the outside lane headed north, according to a report by Sgt. Donna Hopkins of the Newport Police Department. At the same time, a 1998 Ford Escort driven by Grayhart C. Goddard, 64, of Rich Mountain Way, in Sevierville, was also traveling north in the inside lane of Cosby Highway. Goddard allegedly merged his vehicle into the outside lane and struck the rear of the Dodge.

Accident near Newport Post Office
Joyce S. Norton, 43, of 248 Rocky Flats, in Cosby, was allegedly traveling southbound on the Cosby Highway in a 2004 Nissan on Thursday, May 28, around 1 p.m. Catrina A. Woods, 42, of 243 Jaybird Road, in Newport was traveling south on the Cosby Highway in a 2002 Honda Accord. When Norton stopped her car to allow a car in front of her to turn into the Newport Post Office, Woods allegedly failed to stop her vehicle in time and hit the Nissan.

Hit-and-run alleged in Lowe's parking lot
O.G. McCoy, of 1256 Pratt Road, in Talbott, told Patrolman Justin Vinson that on Thursday, May 28, he parked his 2002 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in the parking lot of Lowe's, went inside the store, and when he returned, he noticed damage to the rear bumper and tailgate of his truck.

Hit-and-run on North Street alleged
Timothy L. Strom, 54, of 1030 Flat Top Way, in Del Rio, told Patrolman Donald Coakley that he had stopped his International vehicle on Thursday, May 28, around 10:50 a.m. for the traffic light on North Street at East Main when another vehicle hit Strom's vehicle in the rear. The driver than allegedly drove off, leaving the scene of the accident.

Accident on West Main Street
A 1996 Honda Accord driven by Cindy L. Jenkins, 27, of 3305 Salem Road, in Parrottsville, was on Thursday, May 28, around 4:45 p.m., stopped on West Main Street for traffic and facing east. Jonathan P. Birdwell, 28, of 1200 South Allens Bridge Road, in Greeneville, was traveling east in a 2004 Ford F-250 pickup truck behind Jenkins in her Honda Accord. Birdwell allegedly failed to stop her vehicle and struck the rear side of the Honda Accord.

Two-car accident on Cosby Highway
A 1999 Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by Amy C. Love, 42, of 390 Greasy Cove Road, in Cosby, had allegedly stopped for traffic going south on the Cosby Highway on Thursday, May 28, around 12:45 a.m. Glenna S. Hayworth, 48, of 239 Jasmine Drive, in Newport, said she could not stop the 2000 Cadillac Seville she was driving in time, and hit the rear side of the pickup truck.

Accident in Walmart parking lot
Santos Edubijes SiFontes, 36, of 261 Filbert St., in Newport, said that on Thursday, May 28, around 6:30 p.m., when he was driving in Walmart's parking lot, the steering column of the 1986 Mazda truck he was driving broke and SiFontes lost control of the vehicle. That caused it to strike a stop sign post near the front entrance of Walmart, according to Patrolman Matthew Elliott.

Accident on Cosby Highway near Burke Street
Stuart E. Moore, 42, of Dandridge, was traveling southbound on Cosby Highway in a 2006 Saab Aero on Thursday, May 28, when Phyllis C. Blazer, 57, also of Dandridge, was in the turning lane to turn onto Burke Street in a 2007 Toyota Highlander. Blazer allegedly turned into traffic to cross to Burke Street and struck the Saab in the driver's side.