Sheriff’s Office brings helicopter, hot dogs to Halls

Jake MabeHalls

Object lesson in being pushed out the door.

Another morning, another day, still I’m feelin’ the same old way, says the song.

But Shannon Carey sent me a text.

Knox County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Goran gets off-duty pettings from Brian Cole. Goran’s handler is Nathan Stachey, not pictured.

“Hey, if you’re feeling OK today, want to go with me to the Sheriff’s shindig?”

No, I wasn’t feeling well, no I wasn’t working, but, yes, I grabbed my rose-colored glasses and went. Yes, I had a ball.

So, I gotta tell ya about it.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office’s North Precinct held an open house last Saturday (May 20) in front of its office in Crossroads Centre near Rural King.

Up came an excited fella to see the helicopter, soon followed by Evan Workman, Judge Dale and Linda’s grandson. He and others asked questions.

Lt. Kurt Mack told the kids the only time anybody really worries, if they do, is during takeoffs and landings. No, they don’t have weapons. No, the bad guys don’t sit in the back.

Chris, Brooklyn and Ashlyn Stewart get hands-on robotics training from Lake Lowry of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office as Evan Workman looks on.

“That would be too much fun. They sit in the back of a car.”

Robots were rolling, hot dogs were cooking, people were hugging and shaking hands. That’s what happens in Halls.

In 20 minutes, I saw Bud Ford, both Sue Walkers, Bob Crye, Dusty Phillips, former Halls Elementary teacher and longtime KCSO education coordinator Katy Davis, Sheriff JJ Jones, Register of Deeds Sherry Witt, and the man himself, Jerry Cheung, super-lookin’ in all his sartorial splendor.

Jerry said he was glad I wasn’t dead.

Then: “Give us a little,” and he shook his leg. I knew. It will follow me until I die.

“You ain’t never caught a rabbit, and you ain’t no friend of mine…”

Harold Cox, Jerry Cheung and Keith Ament hang out in the air conditioning during the North Precinct Open House.

They were all nice enough to applaud. I think it was because I didn’t trip. To quote Lewis Grizzard, “Elvis is dead, and I don’t feel so good myself.”

As I was walking like Goober Pyle’s bad limp mimic of “Gunsmoke” guy Chester Goode to Shannon’s car, I heard, “Hey!”

And darned if it wasn’t Aaron Yarnell.

He’s a KCSO guy, cyber theft and tech specialist, North Knox native, the late and great Rev. Shields Dalton’s grandson.

I told him that I listen to aging cassettes of Shields’ sermons from Clear Springs Baptist Church. He said his family is doing well, and that he’s praying for my health, as did Dusty Phillips.

Writer Jake Mabe gets a smile and a hug from Katy Davis at the North Precinct Open House.

Magic medicine, all of it.

See what happens when you get out even when the gauge reads empty? It’s fuller than you think.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *