Gastonia Police Chief Travis Brittain announced four new sergeants and eight recently hired officers during a virtual promotion and swearing-in ceremony on Dec. 17.
“This ceremony is different than how we’ve done it in the past due to the pandemic, and this is a proud moment for us as we formally recognize our new officers and sergeants,” Brittain said. “We look forward to the great work they will do with our department and our community.”
Promotions:
Sgt. Shane Johnson, promoted on Dec. 3, joined Gastonia Police Department in 1998 and has served in patrol, and as a community coordinator, field training officer, police training officer and shift tactical officer. Johnson served the N.C. Air National Guard for 23 years.
Karen Chávez
Asheville Citizen Times
Kevin Adams is so in love with waterfalls he has spent most of his life chasing them, crawling through thick forests and crossing creeks in heat, cold, ice and mud to photograph them, and even became ordained just to marry a couple at the base of a waterfall.
But itâs not the sensuous spray or the cascading beauty of waterfalls that most breaks his heart. Itâs finding broken bottles, tires and trash, even kitchen appliances dumped around waterfalls that gets Adamsâ blood boiling.
The increase in tourists causing soil erosion, disturbing the scenery and scattering trash led Adams, known as western North Carolinaâs waterfaller extraordinaire, to launch Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina, which he believes is the only nonprofit in the country dedicated solely to the protection of waterfalls.