Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood, Director of Orange County Emergency Services Kirby Saunders, and Public Information Officer for the sheriff Alicia Stemper join 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell on Monday, August 19. In an extensive conversation, the group debriefs about their agencies’ roles in responding to last week’s manhunt for Ramone Alston, an escaped state inmate — including some of the procedural details often unknown to members of the public. Blackwood and Saunders also speak about keeping the community informed through the OC Alerts system and the community’s role in last week’s operations. Plus: Blackwood shares a story of a time he got surprised by a prisoner, honors the local family impacted by the murder which initially sent Alston to prison, and shares how the sheriff’s office tunes out the speculation on social media around such high-profile incidents.
On Air Today features conversations with the latest newsmakers in our community, including local elected leaders, educators, business owners, and anyone else with their finger on the pulse of the greater Chapel Hill community. Listen back to all the archives of On Air Today here.
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On Air Today: OC Sheriff Charles Blackwood, Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders, and PIO Alicia StemperCharles Blackwood, Kirby Saunders, and Alicia Stemper join 97.9 The Hill on Monday, August 19 to talk about last week's local manhunt.
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