Longtime Face of Potter County Sherriff's Office Set to Retire

I feel like the dream is to have a long and successful career. Maybe even working at one place for the longevity of your career. I mean that job security seems pretty nice.

Oh and that day that you get to hang it up and retire. I feel that would be the highlight. Getting to have a get-together with all of your well-wishers would be the ultimate.

That is the situation that Michael "Mickey" Blackmon gets to find himself in. You have probably seen Mickey somewhere around town. He is the face of Potter County's Sherriff's office. I got to have the pleasure of meeting him at my former job.

Potter County Sherriff's Office

He would email me like clockwork because there was another Citizen's Academy going on. If you ever took part in that then you know him. He would email me looking for a food donation for their final night of class. Of course, we would always help him out.

Then he would come by my office to drop off a thank you and we always spent time just chatting. You couldn't ask for a nicer man. He always tried to get me to sign up for the academy. It would be something I would be interested in when my schedule opens up a little bit.

If it does and I get to go I won't get to see Sgt Michael Blackmon's smiling face anymore. He has decided to retire. I mean maybe. Since this is the guy who likes to show up to work on his vacation. It may be tough to get him to stay away.

Well good for him. He has been in law enforcement for forty-eight years. Eighteen of those years have been with Potter County.

From the Potter County Sherriff's Office announcement on Facebook:

It is with sadness but with great joy for him that I announce he is retiring July 31. We will be having a gathering to honor him on July 29th at 11am at the LEC classroom. Those that wish to come by and tell him thanks, or good luck you are invited to come by. He is a little apprehensive of this because he still loves his job and will miss it so we will have tissues around the room.
Sgt Michael Mickey Blackmon, THANK YOU for your years of service, for your knowledge you have shared, for the caring you have given to the citizens of both Amarillo and Borger, Potter County and Hutchinson County. You are an inspiration to all law enforcement. God bless you my friend, and one last piece of advice to you as you ride off in the sunset, don’t do it on horseback!!!!

Sgt Blackmon will be a hard act to follow. We wish him great success in his retirement. We won't be too surprised if we still see him out and about around town anyway.

Thrilled to Be There: the Smiling Mugshots of Hutchinson County

Hutchinson County has plenty of people who have committed a criminal blunder (or two). And just like any other bigger city, jail is no fun. However, some of the residents of Borger and Stinnett are believers in keeping their spirits high in the face of adversity.

Not sure what we mean?

Well....let's just say that Randall County's cheerful inmates aren't the only ones who seem happy to be arrested....While there’s nothing funny about committing a crime, these offenders in Hutchinson County certainly do know how to light up a pod with their smile :-)

Pleased To Be Here: Happiest Mugshots of Randall County

My my my! These are some happy campers.

You'd think having your mugshot taken would be far from one of your finer moments.....but these inmates prove that you can always turn that frown upside down.