Blount County
I am a lifelong citizen of Blount County. I pastor a church, I have seen both of my children graduate from Heritage High school, and I serve at the Blount County Sheriff’s Office as the Chaplain Coordinator as well as a Chaplain for the Alcoa Police Department and the United States Secret Service. My son played youth sports with Mayor Ed Mitchell's son. I knew our register of deeds, Phyllis Crisp, when she ran a cash register at Friendsville market and sold my then 2nd grader his chocolate milk after school. I have at least one representative from every law enforcement agency in our county that attends my church. I don't write to you as someone who sees police as only cars and badges and budgets and elections. I'm speaking as someone who has done 6 weddings and prayed over 13 newborn police babies. I don't write as someone who doesn't know about Blount County, my County, my home, because I have lived here for 46 years. Wait, what? 46? That's crazy.