Love receives Bobby Powell Memorial Award

The Swainsboro Exchange Club hosted its annual Public Service Appreciation Banquet Tuesday, May 27, 2025. The banquet honors twenty-six public service agencies in Emanuel County, and each agency is invited to include as many of their public servants as possible. Every year the club recognizes those public servants who died while in the performance of their duties, so it was fitting that this year’s event was held the day after Memorial Day. The club then asks each agency head to introduce all of their public servants present, and each agency is then honored with a round of applause for their service.

The event is highlighted with the presentation of the much-coveted Bobby Powell Memorial Award, recognizing the Public Servant of the Year. The award was named for Bobby Powell after he gave his life in the line of duty as Chief of the Swainsboro Police Department, trying to talk a suspect into surrendering, instead of being shot by him and his officers. There were three nominees this year, Colby Martin of the Swainsboro Fire Department, Randy Love of the Emanuel County EMS, and Clay Young of the Swainsboro Police Department. Each nominee was worthy of the award, but there can be only one winner. This year’s Bobby Powell Memorial Award went to Randy Love, whose dedication and commitment to the citizens of Emanuel County is exemplary. Though he now serves in an administrative role, he regularly volunteers to “ride the ambulance” when needed and provides many more services to his organization.

Emanuel County Law Officers and Fireman killed in the line of duty to date are as follows:

1)Deputy Sheriff Joe Flanders was killed in 1902 while attempting to apprehend a fugitive

2) three were killed fighting a fire at Swainsboro Grocery Co. in 1925 – Swainsboro Fireman Clifford T. Berry, off duty Swainsboro Police Officer G. B. Bailey who volunteered to assist the fire department, and Volunteer Fireman Cleve Cowart

3)GBI Agent Garland Fields, was shot down in a gun battle in 1948

4) Twin City Police Chief Charlie Earl Oglesby was shot to death by a fugitive mental patient in a swamp near Twin City in 1968

5) Interestingly, the seventh was a prison trustee, Wilton Edwards, serving a life sentence, who volunteered to serve as a temporary deputy who was directing bloodhounds that were trailing that same mental patient when he was shot and killed

6)Swainsboro Police Chief Bobby Powell was the youngest person to be Chief of Police of the Swainsboro Police Department who served only seven years before assuming command of the 15-man department and was only 33 when he was killed. He had an admirable record in his 13 months as chief

7)Deputy Sheriff Jerry Ford was killed in an auto accident while transporting a prisoner

8)Swainsboro Firefighter Ricky Thurman died as the result of injuries fighting a fire.