LAFAYETTE, La. — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana recognized Alexandria Police Department Chief of Police Chad Gremillion with the Freedom 250 Hometown Hero Award, citing his long record of public safety and community service. According to the official May 27 release, the award was presented on May 20, 2026, as part of the Justice Department’s Freedom 250 celebration. The release said the award recognizes public officials who have shown steadfast commitment to service and who embody the spirit on which the nation was founded. “Freedom 250 is an opportunity to recognize and reflect upon the values that define our Nation: service, sacrifice, and community,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller said in the release. Keller said Gremillion exemplifies those values through his dedication to public safety and service to Alexandria. Decades of Louisiana law-enforcement service The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Gremillion began his law-enforcement career with the Alexandria Police Department in 1995, working as a patrol officer and in the traffic division. In 1999, the release said, Gremillion graduated from the Louisiana State Police Training Academy and began … [Read more...] about Alexandria Police Chief Chad Gremillion Honored as Freedom 250 Hometown Hero
Hometown Hero Award
Chaffee County Deputy Honored for Mountain Rescues and Hometown Hero Service
CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. — A Chaffee County sheriff’s deputy known for high-mountain rescue work and tactical medical service has received the inaugural Hometown Hero Award from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Deputy Donnie Smith of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office was recognized May 12 by U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly and Sheriff Andy Rohrich. The office said the award was created as part of the Department of Justice’s recognition of law enforcement service around America’s 250th birthday. According to the federal release, Smith has worked in law enforcement since 2021 and was honored for service that includes two difficult mountain rescues as well as broader public-safety work. Rescues on Mount Yale and La Plata Peak The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Smith helped rescue a woman in November 2022 after she fell roughly 500 feet down a large ice field on Mount Yale. The release said Smith was flown to the apex above the woman, tended to her injuries and stayed with her until daylight, when she could be airlifted to a hospital. Officials credited Smith’s actions with saving the woman’s life and helping save her … [Read more...] about Chaffee County Deputy Honored for Mountain Rescues and Hometown Hero Service