Sources |
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 25 Jul 2004.
Ruby G. Rollins obituary
- [S74] Atchley Funeral Home Records, Volume IV, 1987-1999, Larry D. Fox, (Smoky Mountain Historical Society), 25 Aug 1991.
Ray Carl Stoffle obituary
- [S4] Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee), 9 Jul 2000.
F. C. "Buddy" Seals obituary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 8 Mar 2007.
Tears, applause given to Seals during vote
By: DEREK HODGES, Staff Writer
March 08, 2007
The County Commission session in which Ron Seals was appointed interim sheriff was filled with emotion, as hundreds crowded into the meeting room and more waited in the halls.
The selection capped a process that began with the early-February death of Sheriff Bruce Montgomery. Both County Mayor Larry Waters and Seals referenced the late sheriff.
Waters opened the meeting with a moment of silence for Montgomery and later commented on the "big shoes" Montgomery left to be filled.
"This (process) is certainly something that I did not want to go through and I'm sure no one on the commission did," Waters said.
Seals, in addressing the public after his selection, paused to wipe away tears when talking about Montgomery, with whom he worked for more than 12 years. Seals called Montgomery "the best sheriff and one of the best friends I ever had."
Both Seals and his wife, Wanda, expressed humility.
"I have been nervous all day long, but I am really proud of him now," Wanda Seals said. "I know how emotional Ron gets about this because he was so close to Sheriff Montgomery. Plus, he's just been in law enforcement so long and I know what an honor this is for him."
There was support in the audience for Ron Seals and for Commissioners Phil King, Fred Atchley and Tony Proffitt, who are employees of the sheriff's department but saw no conflict in voting for their new boss.
"Everybody's got their own opinion on this," King said. "I have thought about this issue a lot. I have received more calls about this issue than any other thing I've ever voted on with this commission, but I have not had one tell me not to vote. I told my people I'd be a voice for them. Nobody else can come up here and vote for me."
"I've talked to a lot of people that want me to vote," Atchley said. "I'm going to vote tonight like I have the last 12 years."
"Not a single person has asked me to refrain from voting tonight," Proffitt said.
Their comments were met with cheers and applause.
That reaction, however, fell far short of the support shown Seals after his appointment became official. Three times Seals received cheers and a standing ovation, often led by the many Sheriff's Department representatives present.
Not everybody was happy. Both Kim Pierce and Bradley Lowe, who had applied for the interim sheriff post, expressed frustration at the process and what they see are problems in the department. Max Watson, the only commissioner who voted against Seals in a roll-call vote, also said he has some concerns about internal affairs at the department.
Seals assured the crowd any concerns will be dealt with swiftly under his watch.
Seals has said he will seek election next year to serve the remaining two years of Montgomery's term and will likely run again in 2010 for a full-four-year term.
During Monday's session, commissioners voted unanimously to secure a $25,000 bond for the new sheriff, a move required by state law to protect the county.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 11 Mar 2007.
Seals ready to lead department
By: JEFF FARRELL
Staff Writer
March 11, 2007
Ron Seals is still getting used to people calling him sheriff, but he's already got some ideas for what he wants to do with the department.
The County Commission appointed Seals interim sheriff on Monday. He will fill the seat of his mentor, the late Bruce Montgomery, until voters choose a person to complete the four-year term next year.
When the County Commission's steering committee interviewed applicants for sheriff, Seals said he planned to resubmit his proposal for a civil service plan. He developed that plan several years ago, and he said he wants to update it before bringing it to the County Commission.
"I will submit it in probably two or three months for their consideration," he said.
The change would give employees at the sheriff's department a new avenue of appeals in the event they feel they were wrongfully dismissed form the job. It would also change the hiring process for employees; they would have to pass a civil service exam to be employed.
"This will give them another place to go to, so they know they won't get run off," Seals said.
He said he is also aware of some behind-the-scenes jabs taken at the sheriff's office administration, and in particular at him and his family. Similar accusations arose during the last sheriff's election, he said, and he believes the results of that election showed what people thought of the attacks. Montgomery won a majority of the votes while running against three challengers.
"I think the people spoke on the administration in that election," he said.
A lifelong Sevier County resident and graduate of Sevier County High School, Seals has an associate's degree in criminal justice technology from Walters State Community College. He has served with the sheriff's department 32 years and logged another four years with the Pigeon Forge Police Department.
For the past 28 years, he has served as an administrative officer with the sheriff's office.
With that background, he already has some ideas on the programs on which he will focus.
Perhaps the biggest issue facing the department has been the jail, he said, and he oversaw operations there for years as part of his duties. Several lawsuits have been filed over the years centering around overcrowding and medical care at the jail, but all were dismissed before trial.
Seals and Montgomery petitioned the County Commission for several years to address the overcrowding problem, and commissioners voted last year to build a minimum security facility on Old Knoxville Highway next to the county fairgrounds.
"They will be breaking ground and doing the footers for that very shortly," Seals said. The facility will house nonviolent offenders who have already been sentenced.
Seals noted the jail already has more of a medical staff than many similar sized facilities and spends about $750,000 a year on medical care for inmates.
Traffic enforcement will be a major focus of his. The county just got more radar units with the help of some grant funding, and Seals plans to see to it they don't collect dust.
"We've got to slow down the traffic out there," he said. "There's going to be some radars out there and they're going to be writing some tickets."
The department will also be completing its work of installing display terminals in all its cruisers. The terminals will give deputies access to information including vehicle identification and warrants. It will also have a GPS locator, meaning that dispatchers have another method of locating an officer who gets in trouble.
All the agencies in the county are joining a new radio network that will let them communicate with each other more effectively and will better reach into the mountainous areas of the county, he said.
He also wants people to know that he will continue Montgomery's open-door policy. When he and Montgomery sat down to review designs for the new sheriff's department, they put the door to the sheriff's department beside the front entrance.
"I'm going to be accessible," he said. "If they need me, my door's going to be open."
* jfarrell@themountainpress.com
- [S51] The Seymour Herald, (www.smokymountainherald.com), 4 Jul 2007.
after 90 days as sheriff
sevier county's sheriff ron seals after 90 days
Seymour Herald/Joe Karl
published: July 04 2007 12:00 PM updated:: July 03 2007 08:39 AM
Ron Seals, the new Sevier County Sheriff spoke on his first 90 days in office.
First a little professional background.
Ronald L. Seals has given his life to law enforcement for the past 34 years. His first day in the line of duty was July 15, 1973. At that time the sheriff's department consisted of a staff of nine with an annual budget of approximately $250,000.
Seals has served under three sheriffs; Don Ogle; Carman Townsend and Bruce Montgomery.
For the past 30 years, Seals has been performing the administrative function of sheriff without the title.
Seals is known to make things happen. He has a hands-on management style.
Today there are 174 on the Sheriff's staff with next year's annual budget of $7.5 million, including the new security facility.
The Sheriff's department has booked approximately 5,000 individuals in the Sevier County Jail in the fiscal 2006-2007 year. The staff has responded to between 34,000 and 35,000 calls.
Number one common request Seals gets these days is to slow down traffic.
"With so many tourists learning our back roads, I get calls to send a deputy to patrol the roads and slow the people down," Seals stated to the Seymour Herald.
Seals says that he receives many calls from all over the county with vehicle speeding concerns.
"I get lots of calls of people wanting me to send a radar equipped cruiser to catch the speeders,"
The department recently received a $35,000 grant. It has been directed towards the purchase of radar guns.
"I know the rumors out there was that in the past the Sheriff's Department didn't give tickets because that would cost votes," stated Seals. "My concern is for safety. If I can save one life by slowing the people down, it's worth it to me."
Seals has always been able to accomplish the near impossible in a timely manner. He says it's because of his motile tasking ability.
At a typical lunch, he'll answer his continually ringing cell phone between bites of his food. He'll have enough time to jot down notes and then re-engage in a conversation without skipping a beat.
Seals is continuing to upgrade training, add radar to all vehicles, put GPSs in vehicles and made adjustments to the School Resource Officers to be DARE certified for those schools that have at least a fifth grade in them.
Seals belief is Active, Aggressive enforcement - "You have to stay after it," he says.
It's obvious that Seals loves what he is doing and certainly knows his job inside and out. His staff has complete confidence in him and the city chiefs appreciate working with him.
He certainly seems to be the right man for the job.
- [S51] The Seymour Herald, (www.smokymountainherald.com), 6 Jul 2007.
sheriff seals oversees destruction of gaming machines
By Staff Reports
published: July 05 2007 07:13 PM updated:: July 06 2007 08:35 AM
Thursday afternoon was a dirty day at work for Sherriff Ron Seals. Standing in the Sevier County landfill in his pressed blue shirt, Seals remarked that his department would pursue those operating illegal gaming machines and ensure that the machines meet the fate of those destroyed on Thursday.
The machines that Seals spoke of are those that were confiscated from the Speedway Diner earlier this year. After confiscating the machines, the owner of the diner, Sharon Tarwater, was charged with illegal possession of gambling devices, a class B misdemeanor.
Seals had said at the time of Tarwater's arrest, "...the mere possession of the video poker machines is illegal." As he shook the landfill dust from his shirt, Seals noted that he, and his department, would seek out gaming machines, and their operators, in an effort to keep this activity from taking hold in Sevier County.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 4 Feb 2008.
"I've worked as a jailer, I've worked as a patrol officer, I've worked as an investigator," Seals said.
Most of his time, though, has been spent in various administrative positions within the department. He's served under three different sheriffs.
That culminated with the County Commission's selection of Seals as interim sheriff a year ago after the death of Bruce Montgomery.
The department has grown considerably, especially over the last 13 or so years, he said, and he hopes to continue that if elected.
"I started when I was just a kid and I've seen it grow," he said. "I'll see it keeps growing in an orderly manner."
Seals has overseen everything from budgeting to the county jail, he said, and that experience gives him the strongest insight of any candidate into the operations of the department as well as its needs going forward.
He is proudest, he said, of helping oversee the growth of the department, especially over the last few years.
"I'm extremely proud to be part of the administrative team that made that progress happen," he said.
Since he took the lead, the department has started a chaplains program, reorganized the patrol division, increased the staff of the street crimes division and added an internet crimes investigator, he said.
The Sevier County native is married to Wanda Seals. He has two children, two stepchildren and five grandchildren.
- [S51] The Seymour Herald, (www.smokymountainherald.com), 6 Feb 2008.
The race for Sheriff started off with a bang and a number of concerns.
There were sign issues, date issues, legal issues, and voting machine issues.
Out of six candidates, there really were only a couple truly running for the office. The others had good intentions, but appeared to be in the race only to keep it interesting.
Sheriff Ron Seals had a plan and he worked it. Flanked by several nay-sawyers and one alleged politically motivated law-suit, the Sheriff stayed true to his belief, “Put it all out there and let the people decide,” Seals states.
Steve Layman thought that throwing money at the race would win it for him. He had the biggest billboards and signs around the county. Yet it didn’t help. Word is that his inexperience and the alleged skeletons in his closet kept him from wining, in the past, in the present and most likely in the future.
Brad Lowe, well liked and respected, came out with the most sensitive and concerned message of a crisis. He didn’t show well in the primary this time. Should he choose to run again, he will be a major contender, according to many.
However, the race is not over yet. Seals still has the general election to contend with. He will be facing two Independents and a Democrat.
- [S4] Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee), 20 Jul 2008.
Five have range of goals and experience in Sevier sheriff's race
Ron Seals, 56, took over the Sevier County Sheriff's Department on March 7, 2007, on the death of his boss. Seals has worked under three sheriffs in an administrative capacity for the past 34 years and is a lifelong resident of Sevierville.
Growth in the county, he said, brings with it "a lot of issues we will be confronted with. We are seeing huge problems with rental cabin burglaries."
Seals said he believes the burglary problem is being fueled by drug trafficking and abuse, and he said that ongoing investigations in that area will continue.
"We don't see a lot of major crimes - mostly petty thefts," Seals said. "But they use the money to buy drugs."
He said he came up through the ranks in the department, starting as a dispatcher. His approach to law enforcement is in line with what Bruce Montgomery tried to do.
"We basically had the same ideas," Seals said. "We looked at problems and assess them and see what needs to be done."
But, Seals added, whomever people prefer as their sheriff, he wants them to get out and vote.
"It's the thing our troops fight for, that opportunity."
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 2 Sep 2008.
Seals sworn in as sheriff to end long trail to office
By DEREK HODGES
dhodges@themountainpress.com
Sheriff Ron Seals, center, was joined Monday by wife Wanda as he took the oath of office administered by Judge Rex Henry Ogle.
SEVIERVILLE With one hand raised and the other on a Bible owned by his late father, Ron Seals took the oath of office Monday as the county's newly elected sheriff.
The Labor Day ceremony brought to a close a year-and-a-half saga that began with the death of Sheriff Bruce Montgomery. Seals, who worked with Montgomery for several years, was chosen by the County Commission to serve as interim sheriff, then battled through a bruising Republican Primary before soundly defeating four challengers to earn the chance to serve out the remaining two years of Montgomery's term.
"One of the proudest moments in my life came about when I was appointed as interim sheriff on March 5, 2007, by the Sevier County Commission," Seals said after Judge Rex Henry Ogle administered the oath of office. "I was very humbled that the commission had confidence in me that I could do the job that I would be faced with. Today, I stand before you even more proud and humbled by the overwhelming response that the voters of Sevier County gave me during the February Republican primary and then again during the general election in August."
Seals also thanked his wife Wanda and his supporters. The courtroom hosting the ceremony was packed with a standing-room-only crowd that included many who backed Seals during the campaign, as well as a host of folks who wear the department's uniform.
For those fellow law enforcement officers, Seals offered gratitude and encouragement, and outlined the tasks at hand.
"There are many challenges that we are facing today with the growth Sevier County is experiencing and the harsh realities of the current economy," Seals said. "We must be prepared to meet these challenges in an efficient and professional manner that provides for a safer Sevier County for all."
In performing the ceremony, Ogle joked about the days when he served on a school safety patrol captained by Seals.
"All he ever wanted to do is be in law enforcement and he's been doing that all his life now," Ogle said.
Both Ogle and County Mayor Larry Waters reflected on the importance of the day, heralding it as a sign of the best of American democracy.
"This is always a significant event in the life of the county as we swear in our local officials," Waters said. "We must commit to prayerfully support them as they face the challenges of leading Sevier County."
Following Seals' swearing-in, Waters administered the oath of office for Property Assessor Johnny King, who was re-elected to his post without a challenge.
"The people of Sevier County have been so good to me and I'm just honored to get to serve you for another four years," King said.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 15 Aug 2009.
Seals cleared
By JEFF FARRELL
jfarrell@themountainpress.com
SEVIERVILLE - A former deputy who accused Sheriff Ron Seals of obstructing a DUI arrest couldn't give state investigators a specific time the incident occurred, or identify the person who benefitted from the sheriff's action, District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn said Friday.
A four-month investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation turned up no evidence to back up the allegations, Dunn said.
The former deputy, who Dunn didn't name, first contacted TBI directly in April about the allegations. There was some delay between that first call and later conversations about the case, but in June Dunn told TBI to look into the deputy's claims that the sheriff illegally stopped the arrest and had a third party drive the subject home.
"We just couldn't corroborate it," Dunn said. "We are not going to guess anybody into the penitentiary and we aren't going to guess anybody out of a job."
The ex-deputy told investigators that he was making a DUI stop in a previous year when the sheriff stopped him from making an arrest and allowed the subject to leave the scene, Dunn said. He couldn't tell investigators a specific date or time that it occurred, and he couldn't identify the subject.
The deputy did name the wrecker service that allegedly towed the person's car, but that agency couldn't provide any additional information that corroborated the allegation, Dunn explained. TBI agents interviewed Seals and the former deputy's shift supervisor, and both denied any knowledge of the complaint.
"Agents also combed the records of the Sevier County Sheriff's Department and the Sevier County Highway Department, but were still unable to corroborate the allegations," Dunn said.
Seals said he believed the impetus from the charges came from the same group of disgruntled citizens who have brought several lawsuits against the county and recently convinced a Sevier County grand jury to request an investigation into allegations that County Mayor Larry Waters and his uncle, Solid Waste Department Director Jack Waters, misused the county garage to repair personal vehicles. A TBI investigation found no evidence to corroborate those allegations, either.
"They are, as Mayor Waters said, a cancer on our community," Seals said. "They have harassed all the officials in our county by trying to create issues where there are no issues."
Seals said the group has cost the county more than $200,000 in legal fees so far through lawsuits and investigations.
Their accusations, he said, may also create a false impression to outsiders that there is a problem in Sevier County.
The fact that their allegations have proved baseless should reinforce the integrity of the officials, he said, but they're costing money in terms of legal defense and in terms of the time officials spend defending themselves.
"I just want to continue doing the job I was elected to do," he said.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 2 Aug 2012.
Seals named state's Sheriff of the Year
by JEFF FARRELL
SEVIERVILLE — Sheriff Ron “Hoss” Seals said he was surprised and honored when he realized the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association was naming him the Sheriff of the Year.
Seals was in Nashville last week for the TSA’s annual conference, but said he had no idea that he’d won until he realized the accomplishments they started listing belonged to him.
“It was a complete surprise to me,” he said. “I never dreamt or never thought I’d be Sheriff of the Year.”
TSA Executive Director Terry Ashe, sheriff of Wilson County, said the award recognizes a lifetime spent with the Sheriff’s Office. Seals was among the longest serving chief deputies in the state, he said, and since becoming sheriff in 2007 he has been a regular at TSA meetings and training seminars.
While Seals has only been sheriff for five years, Ashe said his relationship with TSA goes back much longer, as he has worked wit them in his capacity as a chief deputy and has been involved many of the times the TSA met in Sevier County.
“Hoss got the SOY Award for a number of reasons,” Ashe said. “This past year, he’s taken an active role in our corrections committee (and) made numerous trips to Nashville to help rewrite he corrections standards for the state of Tennessee as far as jails are concerned. His contributions were enormous.”
Sheriffs supervise the county jails in all Tennessee counties, but the Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) sets the standards that county jails are required to meet and oversees annual inspections. The TSA was helping TCI in updating its standards.
Part of Seals’s duties during his long tenure as chief deputy included overseeing the jail. Most of the changes the committee recommended weren’t major modifications, he said, but just bringing the codes up to date.
The TSA gives sheriffs throughout the state the opportunity to address issues that face them all, he said, and in instances such as the corrections committee, it helps them see to if that state standards work for both rural and urban departments.
While the Sevier County Jail has been targeted in a number of lawsuits — including one recently filed by an inmate left paralyzed and another by the family of an inmate who died in the jail — Seals said he feels many of the issues that have beset the jail are typical for any such facility, and that he remains committed to making the Sevier County Jail as secure as possible.
He stressed the Sevier County Jail meets TCI standards although, like many jails, it has occasionally had issues with overcrowding.
Seals said he was proud of his long service to the county and winning the award was a high point in that long career.
“After being with the department almost four decades, this is a culmination of my career in law enforcement to receive this highest honor you can get as a sheriff in Tennessee,” he said.
|