I enjoy the Fourth of July for several reasons. For one thing, I love the experience of being outdoors on a beautiful summer day with my family, cooking out, eating watermelon, swimming, watching fireworks, etc ... there’s just nothing better.

I also enjoy the Fourth of July because it is the birthday of our Republic, which is the greatest nation on earth. Happy 232nd birthday, America.

When I was with the Secret Service, I had occasion to travel to many foreign countries. It was an experience I treasure, but I can still remember the anticipation I felt upon returning stateside. Every time I caught a glimpse of the stars and stripes and knew that we were landing on American soil, I was glad to be “home.”

During my career, I have also had the opportunity to visit almost every state in the U.S. That is another experience I treasure. But again, whenever I returned to Bradley County I felt that same warm sense of “being home.” Whether returning stateside from foreign travel, or returning to Bradley County from stateside travel, it always felt right getting back to where I belong ... back to my home.

I always enjoy an opportunity to brag about Bradley County. Maybe we struggle with growing pains and sometimes get sidetracked by politics, but we never seem to lose sight of the fact that this is one of the most friendly and geographically beautiful places on earth. We have mountains, lakes, rivers, streams and forests that people who live elsewhere travel hundreds of miles to see. There is no sight more splendid than when the vivid colors of changing leaves in autumn spread across the countryside and surrounding mountains ... the simple pleasures of a picturesque land, available to all us all at any time and at no cost.

Let’s not take our home ~ our county and our country ~ for granted. This community is one of the greatest little corners of the globe you’ll ever find. It’s like Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home.” I hope we will all keep that foremost in our thoughts, never take it for granted and never fail to give thanks for the natural beauty and freedoms we enjoy.

In other news, I am glad to report that we have completed successful contract negotiations with Securus Technologies, which provides telephone service for inmates here at the Bradley County jail. Not only does the new contract provide a better rate of return for the county, but we were able to negotiate a $50,000 signing bonus as well.

The way it works is, inmates place collect calls from their cellblock and a portion of the revenue  Securus receives from the phone system is returned to the county as a revenue item. We will apply the signing bonus to purchase two new patrol vehicles. That means we can replace two more of the older, high-mileage BCSO vehicles with new, more fuel efficient models at absolutely no expense to the taxpayer. These new patrol cars, combined with our fuel-savings program will help the BCSO reduce overall gasoline consumption and maintenance costs, and translates as a huge savings to Bradley County taxpayers.

The county recently sold 15 old BCSO vehicles at auction. Bear in mind, these vehicles were actually in service during this past year, most being used as patrol cars. The extraordinary thing is, the cars only sold for an average of three- to four-hundred dollars. That means we had BCSO deputies patrolling this community in automobiles that had such high mileage and were in such poor condition they could only fetch three- to four-hundred dollars in the marketplace. And we still have almost 20 cars just like them that are still in service. This situation is beyond unacceptable, should never have been allowed to develop and should be corrected as soon as possible. Bradley County has been listed as the 14th wealthiest county in Tennessee (out of 95 counties). There is no excuse that a community as blessed as ours should settle for so little when it comes to a reliable emergency response and our deputies’ well-being. The men and women of the BCSO face danger daily to ensure our safety and protection. The least we can do is show them that same regard, and having decent vehicles to drive is not too much to ask.

Finally, I want to give a big Thank You to Debbie Williams, Peggy Myer, Kay Shamblin and all the Bradley County Republican Women for donating books to the Bradley County jail. I also want to thank Ted Gee for his donation of books. Ted actually donated 3,400 books. That is a terrific gift and greatly appreciated. Books serve as a positive and helpful influence for inmates and are always welcome. Reading strengthens the mind and for many men and women incarcerated in the Bradley County jail, these donated books are their only exposure to the great works of literature.

If you would like to donate reading material, call us at (423) 728-7300. I do ask that your donations be positive in nature. We don’t allow explicit, lurid or violent reading material in the jail. We do encourage the classics, Readers Digest condensed books, some modern writers, inspirational and self-help books. This type of reading material will be appreciated.

You can send us your thoughts or comments by writing to: 2290 Blythe Ave., SE, Cleveland TN 37311. You can also email me directly at: comments@bradleysheriff.com.