Livingston Enterprise

Posted February 15, 2012 at 7:49 pm

Overton County schools delayed classes until 10:30 a.m. a week ago Thursday after a bomb threat was discovered in a school bathroom that detailed a day and time of the threat. According to Director of Schools Matt Eldridge, the threat was discovered around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

“We had a soft lockdown, we had a lockdown and swept the building and local law enforcement came in and did a great job. We let school out and sent them home. They brought in a canine unit and swept the building again and found no signs,” Eldridge told a local television station.

The building was checked again on Thursday morning by the Tennessee Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit before classes began at 10:30 a.m.

Students and backpacks were screened before entering the building, and backpacks were laid out in the parking lot where bomb sniffing dogs were led around the bags.

Livingston Police Chief Greg Etheredge said authorities also searched backpacks Thursday morning to make sure student’s didn’t have anything on them. After the searches of the school and the students, nothing was found. School officials said they plan to have an increased police presence at the school for the next few days.

The student responsible for the posting of the threat will be suspended under the county’s zero tolerance law when caught.

************************

The police “knock and talk” method led to a meth lab being discovered recently.

On January 24, detectives with the Overton County Sheriff’s Department went to do a “knock and talk” at 367 Joe May Speck Road in Monroe. Upon arriving at the residence, the detectives reportedly smelled something that reminded them of the smell of a meth lab. The house was then searched and a search warrant was obtained.

After entering the house they found a “one-pot method” for manufacturing methamphetamine active in the back bedroom. The house was then quarantined. The residence belonged to Tommy Crabtree, 40, and Tosha Hayes, 31. Both were charged with manufacturing methamphetamine.

On Monday, Hayes was arrested for entering the quarantined house and charged with criminal trespass and was lodged in Overton County Jail. Crabtree’s case will be presented to the grand jury.