Four Rutherford County Sheriff’s deputies earned awards for removing intoxicated and impaired drivers off the roadways in 2023. Mothers Against Drunk Driving presented the awards to Middle Tennessee law enforcement officers during their annual awards recognition ceremony Friday. Cpl. Zack Williams, Deputy Michael Bennett, Deputy Steve Hill and Deputy Tyler Marks received the awards from…
Jennie Griffin learned about Hurricane Helene devastation on East Tennessee residents from her son, Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Tyler Griffin who is helping with recovery efforts. Jennie Griffin, who is an instructional coach at Rockvale Elementary School, felt compelled to act. “I felt our community and school could do something to partner with THP to…
Two Rutherford County Sheriff’s Adult Detention Center deputies earned top honors at the annual Tennessee Corrections Institute conference last week. Sgt. Adam Sowden received the State Corrections Officer of the Year award and Field Training Officer John Elliott received the Middle Tennessee Correction Officer of the Year award. The awards were presented during TCI’s Jail…
“Unsung heroes” worked inside the burning Pentagon building to maintain critical communications after the 9-11 terrorists’ attacks Sept. 11, 2001, said USAF Ret. Col. Thomas Hickerson. “This is the story of the front line of the first battle of the war on terrorism,” Hickerson said during the keynote address Wednesday at the Rutherford County Sheriff’s…
Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office captured the “Sheriff’s Office of the Year” award at the annual Tennessee Highway Safety Officer’s Lifesavers Conference Friday in Franklin. The Sheriff’s Office also earned first place honors in the Law Enforcement Challenge in the 201-500 officers’ category. Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said he was proud of the outstanding work of the…
Two Rutherford County Sheriff’s deputies earned Life Saving Awards for providing emergency care to a father and daughter severely injured during a boating crash June 8 on Percy Priest Lake. Deputies Chris Beach and Brandon Lorden received the awards. Patrol Capt. Chris Kauffman reported several bystanders applied a tow rope as a temporary tourniquet to…
Rutherford County was ranked No. 1 for speeding-related crashes from 2019 to 2023 in Tennessee, based on the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s crash data, said Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh. Speeding was listed as the contributing factor in one traffic death and 282 crashes this year in the county, the sheriff said. Five people died in speeding-related crashes…
“It’s Ok to be sober.” “I’ve learned there’s hope.” “It’s crazy living in your own prison.” “It’s Ok to set boundaries and stick to those boundaries.” These were some of the impactful comments by Rutherford County Adult Detention Center inmates graduating Monday from a Re-Entry class taught by Rutherford County Recovery Court employees. Re-Entry case…
One person died in a traffic crash where speeding was the contributing factor this year with five people dying from traffic crashes involving speeding last year in Rutherford County, said Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh. Speeding contributed to 282 crashes this year in the county. Speeding was the main factor in 667 crashes last year in the…
Seventeen new deputies completed eight weeks of intensive internal training to launch their careers at the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Chief Steve Spence congratulated the new deputies and presented them with their badges during a ceremony attended by their families and friends Wednesday. Training Sgt. Sean Vinson thanked the families and friends for supporting…