Columbus, Ga. Sheriff's Office Celebrates Adoption of Alternative Fuels with Vehicle and Facility Tour

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office is hosting a media event to celebrate its transition to clean alternative fueling. The tour will feature the county's new propane Autogas vehicles and newly implemented propane Autogas fueling station. The Sheriff's Office will give a propane Autogas fueling demonstration, offer visitors the opportunity to look under the hood of a propane Autogas vehicle, and provide information about the impact this alternative fuel will have on the community.

Muscogee County is converting 20 sheriff's vehicles from gasoline to propane Autogas as part of the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program, an ARRA-funded alternative fuel project that will upfit a total of about 1,200 vehicles from Washington, DC to Louisiana. Currently, the county has 16 vehicles running on propane Autogas. The Sheriff's Office also plans to convert additional vehicles to Autogas beyond those funded through the grant Program as part of their alternative fuel initiative.

"We had been exploring alternatives to gasoline, and the opportunity to participate in this Program came at the perfect time and allowed us to jumpstart our clean fuel program," says Muscogee County Sheriff John Darr. "Using propane Autogas in our Sheriff's vehicles is beneficial for our community – it reduces harmful emissions, it's domestically produced, and it's going to save our county money on fuel costs."

The vehicle and facility tour will be held today, October 22 at 12:30 p.m. at 1011 Cusseta Road, Columbus, Ga. The event is open press, and local environmental, automotive and economic development organizations are encouraged to attend. Please contact Lt. Gifford Anthony at the Sheriff's Office at (706) 653-4225 if you would like to attend or learn more about the event.

Propane Autogas is the third most widely used fuel in the world, behind only gasoline and diesel. Yet with more than 14.6 million propane Autogas vehicles in the world, the United States drives less than 2 percent of them. "Alternative fuels are an undeniable part of the nation's future, and at Muscogee County we are excited to be a part of that evolution now," Sheriff Darr adds.

Force 911, a full-service law enforcement vehicle outfitter and a certified conversion center for the Program, is performing the vehicle conversions for Muscogee County. Alliance AutoGas – with founding partners Blossman Gas (the largest independent propane supply company in the nation) and American Alternative Fuel (alternative fuel vehicle systems specialists) – is training technicians to perform the vehicle conversions for the Program, installing the refueling stations and supplying the propane Autogas fuel.

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Man Arrested on Charges of Conspiracy to Assault Federal Officers and Employees

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta; and Federal Protective Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announces the arrest today of Michael Eugene Hale, age 38. Hale was arrested on Friday, August 7, 2009, at his place of employment, 5427 Veterans Parkway, Columbus, Georgia, by FBI Special Agents and FPS Agents, without incident. Hale was charged with a violation of Title 18, Section 115(b), Conspiracy to Assault Federal Officers/Employees.

On Friday, August 7th, 2009, Special Agents and Officers of the FBI, FPS, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Columbus Homeland Security Office and Investigators of the Harris County, Georgia Sheriffs Office executed a federal search warrant at 1285 Central Church Road, Midland, Georgia in connection with this investigation.

Hale is currently lodged in the Muscogee County Jail and will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Columbus, Georgia on August 11, 2009, for his initial appearance.

This investigation was conducted jointly by the above noted agencies and stems from an alleged threat to the Social Security Office at Columbus, Georgia.

The public is reminded that all persons are to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Muscogee County Marshals Take Top National Honors in IACP Law Enforcement Awards

The Muscogee County Marshal’s Office has taken Second Place among the nation’s top law enforcement agencies in the prestigious National Law Enforcement Challenge judged by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). In an official ceremony conducted in Columbus by the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety, Director Bob Dallas presented the National IACP Award to Muscogee County Marshal Gregory Countryman on Wednesday, October 29th, at 10AM.

There were 560 entries from 30 states and Canada entered in the National IACP Law Enforcement Challenge. GOHS Director Bob Dallas said, “This means the Annual IACP Challenge has recognized the Muscogee County Marshal’s Office as a national winner among all competing law enforcement agencies from across the country. We’re honored to see the Muscogee County Marshal’s Office receive this Award in the IACP’s National Law Enforcement Challenge.”

Georgia’s Highway Safety Director will present the Muscogee County Marshal’s Office with an IACP National Second Place Award for the Special Law Enforcement Agency category in recognition of overall highway safety officer training, public information and education initiatives, innovative public safety programs, and highway safety enforcement efforts.

The actual IACP award will be presented to the Muscogee County Marshal’s Office at the National Highway Safety Awards Banquet on November 11th in San Diego, California.

“We’re delighted that Muscogee County will be one of eighteen Georgia law enforcement agencies recognized at the upcoming IACP Highway Safety Awards in San Diego,” said GOHS Director Bob Dallas. “Together, these fine law enforcement agencies from Georgia will receive a total of 20 National Law Enforcement Challenge Awards.” The Annual IACP National Law Enforcement Challenge is designed to recognize the efforts of law enforcement agencies that save lives on our highways by increasing safety belt usage, slowing down speeders and reducing impaired and aggressive driving.

“The Muscogee County’s Marshal’s Office was awarded for their local enforcement efforts in the Columbus area,” said GOHS Director Dallas. “I am truly proud of everything Muscogee County does to save lives in their community and on Georgia’s roadways. It’s gratifying to see this department recognized for their pro-active measures and excellence on the job.”

The Muscogee County Marshal’s Office is an active member of the GOHS West Central Traffic Enforcement Network called WCTEN. The WCTEN network covers Talbot, Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Marion, Schley, Stewart, Webster, Sumpter, Quitman, Randolph, Terrell, Clay, Taylor and Calhoun County traffic enforcement agencies.

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