THUNDER RATTLED every window in Kathy’s car. Lightning streaked across the blackening clouds above the back roads of Lincoln County. She gripped her steering wheel and leaned closer to the windshield, squinting. The wipers whacked back and forth. Where were the lines on the road? It was difficult for her to drive through a storm during the daytime, but the darkness of night was almost unbearable.
A strange sound pierced the silence before another flash of lightning curled in the sky. When the sound rang out again, Kathy’s check engine light blinked before every light on her dashboard ignited. She coasted to what she hoped was the side of the road and shifted the car into park. Thick puffs of steam burbled up from the edges of her hood. Tears spilled over Kathy’s cheeks. Her husband’s night vision was worse than hers, but with no choice, she must call him for help. Right after she pressed the button to end the call, blue lights flashed in Kathy’s rearview mirror and an officer with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department knocked on her window.
It was Sgt. Jonathan Allen. As a child, Allen wanted to be a firefighter, and he even served as a volunteer for a time, but the call to protect and serve echoed the loudest. Allen began his journey into law enforcement as a reserve officer with the city of Fayetteville, and it wasn’t long before he was confident that he’d now dedicate his life to three things: his wife, Pamela; their six children; and every citizen he comes in contact with.
“Within months, the city of Fayetteville offered to send me to the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy,” said Allen. “I then worked with the city for about two years before I was offered a job with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department in November 2018 as a road deputy, where I am currently employed. I recently got promoted to road sergeant in November 2023.”
As a native of Lincoln County, Allen graduated with honors from Lincoln County High School in 2008 and pursued other trades before settling in at Walmart Distribution Center (Walmart D.C.) in Shelbyville for 10 years. While there, his lifelong friend, Justin Gault, kept nudging him toward a career in law enforcement.
“Justin and I went to school together, worked at Walmart D.C. together, then he began his career in law enforcement. As we spoke often, I wanted more and more to get into this profession. I remember as we were in school, we would talk about being officers now and then. Little did I know this would be the career we both love. Justin now serves as an investigator after being a road and K-9 deputy.”
Allen graduated from SWAT school in 2020 and enjoys mentoring the younger officers. Since November 2018, his duties have also included school resource officer, a deputy at the courthouse, and road deputy before his promotion to sergeant several months ago.
“I am absolutely working in the field that I am strong, passionate, and destined to be a part of. Watching the new recruits grow and thrive really gives me a sense of purpose. I like to know that, as a team, we are learning and working together to offer protection, public order, law enforcement, and preventing crime and civil disorder in our community. Being part of the SWAT team, we hold each other accountable to higher standards, as far as physical fitness and tactics, so that we can execute high-risk search warrants and emergency callouts.”
Lt. Jon MacDonald and Sgt. Tull Malone have mentored Allen from the beginning.
“I knew I wanted to follow their lead as I was learning this new career. They continue to be models for the department as they uphold respect for people and the law, demonstrate adherence to high morals and ethical principles. They also push the department to possess high ethical expectations of self and others.”
The night Kathy’s car broke down on the side of the highway, Allen and other deputies lingered long after her husband arrived. Even though rain drizzled the entire time, Allen held a flashlight and didn’t leave until he knew the pair would make it home safely.
“I want to thank Mrs. Kathy for contacting the Good News Magazine,” said Allen. “It was a pleasure to serve her in a time of need. Everyone at the sheriff’s office takes part in the overall success and happiness of the community that we serve.” GN
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THE FAYETTEVILLE-LINCOLN County Arts Center hosted multiple summer art enrichment camps this year, peaking with a mixed medium art camp July 11-15 for children ages 6 to 13, with arts instructor...
FITZGERALD HOPKINS desired to take Fayetteville City Schools’ (FCS) basketball to the next level. So he asked FCS director, Bill Hopkins, — no relation — to create a new position. In July, FCS named...
TENNESSEE GOV. Bill Lee and the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), Bob Rolfe, announced earlier this year that Ariens Company (AriensCo) will...
THE LINCOLN County High School (LCHS) cheerleaders attended the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) camp in Cookeville, Tennessee, June 21-24, bringing home three major awards. UCA — an...
It’s finally here! Although the outside temperature argues for summer, your school spirit knows it’s fall. Tonight you’ve chosen shorts and flip-flops, but soon it will be flannel shirts, pants, and...
ACHIEVING ANY goal takes determination, self-discipline, and a certain level of grit. Short-term goals require a high level of mental acuity. Long-term goals require much more than a centered and...
IT WAS the beginning of school football season, and the boys of fall were anxious to rough the field between the two goal posts. New faces filled the coaching staff of Fayetteville High School’s...
JUST THREE miles North of Fayetteville, right off of U.S. 231, lies a family farm referred to as Shadow Valley. The picturesque farmland was purchased in 1993 by Carlton Brady. His vision was to...
THE CLASSROOM is like railroad tracks. Hard workers spent years, decades—centuries even—laying the groundwork for the trains to run smoothly from coast to coast. They’re strong. And they last for...
IT MIGHT be one of the most exciting yet stressful times of the year, rivaling that of Christmas. It requires preparation, planning, logistics, time, and money. I’m almost sure there are military...
WITH THE first cup of steaming coffee in my hand and the stiffness still in my joints, I gently ease into my spot on the couch. A fresh, new day offers a blank page, although the to-do list in my...
THE WORDS “back to school” can stir up many different emotions. Some young parents hear “school” and are instantly filled with dread and anxiety. Leaving their wide eyed babes for the first time can...
Have you ever felt so hungry you could eat a horse? The growling and gurgling of your stomach begs you to fill it with something substantial. You’re angry and irritable because you know a mere...
DEFINING THE meaning of teacher requires more than Merriam-Webster; it takes a deeper look and a second glance. More than a job with a summer-long vacation, teachers are motivated by their love for...
SURROUNDED BY a sea of classmates, a student filled with potential may feel invisible or wish he could disappear. Another student’s highest aim might be to coast through school until graduation. One...
IT ALL began with the murder of about 250 men, women, and children. Their deaths at Fort Mims in Alabama, came at the hands of Creek Indians who had acquired weapons from Great Britain during the...
THE CARE for students in special education should always be a priority for the education system, but this care may be more important now, than ever before, with the current shortages of teachers....
NEXTERA ENERGY Resources, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and Meta announced in May the commissioning of the Elora Solar Energy Center: Tennessee’s newest large-scale solar energy project. Based...
THE LINCOLN County Lady Falcons softball team experienced some injuries during the season, but it ended with a feat never accomplished in school history: qualifying for the state tournament. “When...
ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO! The buzzer sounded and runners of all ages took off. Feet hit the blacktop in repetition as they spent the next 3.1 or 10.2 miles running in the muggy, summer-morning heat...
IF YOU took a snapshot of any 10 years in our country’s history, there is a hurt we were trying to heal. The same is true today. It’s our independence that lets us correct that, to heal, and to...
Here are fun facts to challenge your players: DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: John Hancock’s was the first and only one on July Fourth. The remaining signatures were added over time,...
WHEN VIKTOR Makela arrived in America from Finland, the Statue of Liberty welcomed him. He brought more than a few material possessions with him; he arrived with a heart filled with dreams. Makela...
WE WELCOME a summer celebration more than ever, and Independence Day is the perfect time to gather for food, fun, fireworks, and flag-waving. There’s an event near you, so there’s no excuse for...
HMMM AAAHH. It smells like the weekend. Those grilled pineapple burgers will be lip-smacking, mouthwatering, and juicy down to the last bite. However, what lies on the grill is much more than your...
WHEN I was a young buck, I decided if there was a rule, I was going to break it. There have been many distinct times in my life when I have felt suffocated by others’ control, expectations, or...
FAYETTEVILLE MAYOR Michael Whisenant and the city alderman updated the city’s garbage and cart replacement policy to better clean the city. The city will make available a 96-gallon cart to all...
NONPROFITS PLAY important roles in everyone’s communities, offering services from caring for animals and supplying food to the hungry, to fighting human trafficking and providing education. The...
LINCOLN COUNTY High School (LCHS) partnered with JCF Housements through Work-Based Learning (WBL), to help provide students with manufacturing, technical, intellectual, and social skills needed in...
THE FAYETTEVILLE-LINCOLN County Industrial Development Board (FLCIDB) continues to seek ways to bring positive changes to Lincoln County communities by partnering organizations and building...
FAYETTEVILLE HIGH School (FHS) hired Daniel Johnson as the new head coach of the Tigers football team for the 2022 season. The new head coach seeks to take his team to the state championship to...
LONG STRINGY brown hair peeks out from underneath a fuzzy blanket. Below, a precious child holds tight to her well-loved teddy bear. Her little body rustles around in bed. You can almost smell the...
TENNESSEE MAY not have sandy shores. We may not have Buckingham Palace sitting in our backyard. Vacation spots all around the world, from Big Ben to the Eiffel Tower, attract tourists from far and...
Whether it’s relaxation or adventure you’re seeking, you don’t have to look far to find it. Middle Tennessee’s waterways will refresh and restore you. A lazy float with nature’s soundtrack of...
According to nature.org, the Duck River is one of the state’s most scenic waterways and North America’s most biologically diverse freshwater river. It is located entirely within the state of...
Tims Ford Reservoir is 10,600 acres in South Central Tennessee, a major portion of which is located in Franklin County. The lake is considered one of the most picturesque in Tennessee. It’s regarded...
Located below Tims Ford Dam, the Elk River is popular for panfish and trout fishing. The tailwaters below the dam are about 50 feet wide with gravel bars and intermittent deep pools. For...
It’s hard to want to eat a large meal after a long day working or playing out in the blistering heat. You know you need something substantial to sustain you, yet you’re so worn out. Those hearty...
HAVE YOU ever given something away and later felt regret settle in? Last summer, I was push-mowing our grass. I thoroughly enjoy breaking a sweat and getting a little exercise while doing yard work....
FAYETTEVILLE WELCOMED a new individual who is seeking to bring positive changes to the city: new City Administrator Kevin Owens. Mayor Michael Whisenant said the position of city admin- istrator...
THE LINCOLN County Commission approved a $1 million incentive for the county’s five broadband providers earlier this spring, seeking to provide better internet connections to Lincoln County...
LINCOLN COUNTY Schools (LCS) received awards this past school year in recognition of its successful programs and contributions to student success. The Tennessee Department of Education named LCS an...
PEOPLE EXPERIENCE and witness the same problems resurface without end: COVID-19, economic hardships such as increased gas prices, natural disasters, racial injustice, political tension, death, and...
FAYETTEVILLE HIGH School (FHS) was established 11 years ago. Along with the school came a new Tigers basketball program, a lot of uncertainty, and a head boys basketball coach faced withthe...
Right in our own backyard, we have access to one of the most di- verse ecosystems in the world. Henry Horton State Park (HHSP) neighbors the peaceful Duck River and is waiting to be explored. The...
STORES’ OPEN doors and pop- up canopies dotting the square welcomed visitors and hometown residents back to their festival. The hum of food truck generators was sweeter than the Daytona 500 lineup...
THE MERRIAM-WEBSTER dictionary defines the word selfless as “someone who has no concern for self, or unselfish.” As the world keeps turning, it may feel like selfless people are few and far between....
WEBSTER MAY define selflessness as having no concern for self, but givers in our community give the world and our lives deeper meaning. They take to heart the well-being and care of others and place...
TUCKED INTO central southern Middle Tennessee and enveloped in rolling hills and hollows, Lincoln County and its communities are rich in history and hospitality. The natural beauty will draw you in;...
CANCER SUCKS. Literally, it sucks the life out of seemingly healthy individuals and wreaks havoc in the most stable and secure homes. And it is not biased. Cancer will act as a leach to every...
Easter parades may have passed on by, but its many other traditions are alive and well. Even though the internet has changed how we watch movies, families still watch “The Ten Commandments” every...
AS MORNING’S first light nudged the last of the darkness, Mary Magdalene walked with heavy heart and feet along the dirt road. The garden’s birdsong and fragrant blossoms, usually welcomed,...
MEMBERS OF the Friends of the Library (FOL) hosted the “Last Gala” event at the Fayetteville- Lincoln County Public Library (FLCPL) on Feb. 26, to pay off the debt on the facility. FOL, a...
SOMETIMES PEOPLE’S great acts of service are not recognized enough today. Therefore, it was about time for Dr. Farris Beasley to be honored for serving Lincoln County all his life. Beasley was...
MANY EDUCATORS work hard to serve the students in their school districts with little recognition, so it’s good whenever we find ways to recognize the ones who invest in America’s children. Such...
THE FAYETTEVILLE Lincoln County Industrial Development Board (FLCIDB) is looking to bring growth to the community as it seeks to attract business to the area. The Tennessee Department of Economic...
LINCOLN COUNTY High School (LCHS) hired Eddie Cunningham as the new head coach of the Falcon football team for the 2022 season. The new head coach plans to help his team return to good football. ...
FEW PATHS to positive personal growth are more noble than resolving to help others through increased acts of generosity and kindness. According to Psychology Today, doing good for others—no matter...
LONG BEFORE the sun rises over the horizon, Mama is up putting dishes in the oven and ironing everyone’s Sunday best. Then, it’s a hurried push out the door and into the car. Pulling into the church...
