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- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 29 Sep 2006.
Local THP Trooper promoted
2006 NPT PHOTO by GARY BUTLER Tennessee Highway Patrol Sgt. Jarrett "Willie" Ramsey was recently promoted from trooper, and will soon be relocating to Rogersville and working in Sullivan County.
By: GARY BUTLER
Source: The Newport Plain Talk
09-29-2006
NEWPORT-Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Jarrett "Willie" Ramsey has found himself on the horns of a dilemma-albeit one he says he is willing to confront-in that he has been promoted to Sergeant, but, as such, must relocate to Rogersville. Ramsey said he has worked for the THP as a trooper since 1995 out of the Fall Branch District, and has been in Cocke County since 1997, living currently in Parrottsville. THP regulations, however, require that a trooper must live no further away than a county contiguous with the county in which he or she is stationed. Ramsey has been assigned to Sullivan County, so he said he decided to relocate to Rogersville, thus keeping him within easy driving distance of Cocke County, where his wife, Christie, and the couple's children, Jarrett, 13; and Abbie, 9, still reside. Ramsey took some time off from the THP in November 2004 to participate in the war in Iraq, serving with the Tennessee Army National Guard 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Troop E until October 2005. In his capacity as a trooper, Ramsey has functioned as a traffic accident reconstructionist and a K-9 officer, in addition to his traditional duties. He said some of the notable incidents that spring to mind from his experiences in Cocke and surrounding counties include serving in the riot control unit during events such as the Ku Klux Klan rallies and other such rallies held in recent years, and the confiscation of 800 pounds of marijuana following a traffic stop in Greene County. Ramsey's current THP supervisor, Sgt. Danny Talley, had high praise for Ramsey, pointing out the difficulty in achieving promotions within the THP, including intensive written testing and interviews. "The whole process has become very transparent in recent times," said Talley. "Anyone, including the media, can go online and view the test results, who is being considered for promotion, and who receives promotions." Ramsey said his new posting in Sullivan County would be a change from Cocke County in more ways than one. "Sullivan County has 10 troopers and two sergeants, for one thing," he said. "And I'm sure I will be involved in working at the Bristol races. "But I have really enjoyed working with the troopers here, and I hope to be able to return here someday," said Ramsey. "For now, though, I'm looking forward to my new assignment," he said.
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