The Washington County Commission paused to remember the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene during the panel’s regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Sept. 22, at the George P. Jaynes Justice Center in Jonesborough.
The county’s governing body unanimously passed a special proclamation honoring the resilience of the citizens of Washington County during the storm, its ensuing aftermath and their recovery efforts in the year since.
“We will never forget the damage and loss caused by Hurricane Helene,” said Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy. “This proclamation is a small but important way for us to honor our community's strength in the face of such a disaster. We are a strong, united county and we will always be there for each other.”
Events remembering the Sept. 27, 2024, storm will be held throughout the region this week, including “A Day When Reflection Gives Way to Hope” on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Farm at Jackson Bridge Venue, 1090 Taylor Bridge Road in Jonesborough. Hosted by the Washington County Long Term Recovery Group, this event will begin at 4 p.m. and feature a dinner, service and memorial tribute.
The commission honored Michael Foster, a captain with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, for his bravery during the Hurricane Helene floods. Foster played a key role in rescuing eight fellow deputies who became trapped when floodwaters swept through the Highway 107 area. He stepped forward to lead the rescue mission, working alongside Johnson City Police Officer Sharrell Dykes, to safely bring the stranded officers back home.
“I don’t like being in the spotlight,” Foster told the commission. “I like to do my job and go home at the end of the day to my family. It was heartbreaking that day to think of officers who couldn’t do that. That’s why I volunteered, along with Sharrell Dykes — he deserves just as much credit as I do.
“There were more hands in this whole process than just the two of us. There were behind-the-scenes folks that were giving us directions on where to go, how best to get there when the bridges collapsed, and what turns we needed to take to get those guys back home. I know without a doubt that every single one of those guys would have done the exact same for me.”
Elections and Appointments
The commission unanimously re-elected Commissioner Greg Matherly as chair and Commissioner Jim Wheeler as vice chair for the next year.
Also appointed by the commission to serve on other county boards were:
- County Trustee Rick Storey, Washington County Regional Planning Commission member Pat Wolfe, and commissioners Matherly, Jerome Fitzgerald and Bryan Davenport to the County Ethics Committee;
- Commissioner Richard Tucker and General Ronald V. Hite as Washington County representatives to the BrightRidge Board, effective immediately; and
- Ethan Maxwell Glover as a judicial commissioner of the Washington County General Sessions Court.
In other business on Monday, the Washington County Commission:
- authorized the expenditure of up to $2 million requested by Washington County Schools associated with the design, engineering and construction of secure entrance upgrades to some of the county’s K-8 schools;
- approved a $550,000 increase to the county’s special appropriation to the Washington County/Johnson City EMS for operational support to the Limestone and Embreeville volunteer fire departments as part of the fire program expansion; and
- authorized the spending of $70,000 to purchase a new HVAC unit for the Washington County Archives building.
The next regular meeting of the Washington County Commission is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. in Courtroom 7 of the George P. Jaynes Justice Center, located at 108 W. Jackson Blvd. in Jonesborough.
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