More than 90 fifth-graders from Rocky Hill Elementary School learned first hand about local government this week during a visit to the City County Building. The students came prepared with a long list of questions after studying how Knox County government works. Mayor Mike Ragsdale, Superintendent Jim McIntyre, Commissioner Tony Norman, Deputy Law Director Joe Jarret, School Board Representative Dan Murphy and Greg Mackay, Administrator of Elections all spent time with the students and attempted to address those questions.
To determine which of the students would be able to sit in the 22 seats around the County Commission table, the students wrote competitive essays on various topics about County government. The students also researched the proposed amendments to the County Charter that are currently on the ballot. That prompted a number of questions during their time with Mayor Ragsdale and Commissioner Norman. Their half-day visit included a session with Deputy Law Director that sparked a long series of questions about crimes and associated punishments.
In addition to time with government officials, the students were treated to magic tricks from the School system’s Marty Iroff and Sheriff’s deputies gave a demonstration with the “drug dogs.”
