PALS nominated Sheriff Rainey for state PALS Governors Award

Published 10:25 am Thursday, October 13, 2011

PALS has nominated Sheriff Mike Rainy for the state PALS Governors Award. 

Since being elected sheriff of Cullman County November 2010, Sheriff Mike Rainey has brought a new spirit of community service to the office. The local PALS chapter asked him early on for help with community clean up and he responded by not only joining PALS but taking time from his busy 16-hour-a-day schedule and personally attending meetings. When he cannot be there because of other business one of his deputies is always present.

Unpaid county inmates have volunteered to help with the Sheriff/PALS partnership and through September 2011 they have picked up 80.3 miles of roads resulting in 13,110 pounds of trash removed. 

Sheriff Rainey’s community spirit goes beyond keeping Cullman County clean. He is in the process of implementing the “Yellow Dot” program. This program places a yellow dot on the rear of a citizen’s vehicle alerting first responders in emergency situations that there is an identifying document in the glove compartment with critical information needed during the “Golden Hour” after a crash or other emergency involving the occupant.

He is also concerned with the rehabilitation of jailed inmates and has implemented a GED  program in May of 2011 to help inmates acquire educational skills to obtain and hold a job after being released. Working with Kelly Jones from Wallace State Community College 15 inmates have taken the course resulting in 12 graduates.

* Have a community item? Email to Sallee Chandler in the newsroom at sallee@cullmantimes.com; include name and daytime phone number.