NEWPORT, Tenn. (WATE) — Hurricane Helene left many businesses in Cocke County closed for extended periods of time and led to a spike in the area’s unemployment rate. One place looking to help lessen that number, is the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office as the department is encouraging people to apply.
We are six months removed from some of the worst flooding seen in East Tennessee that left towns in ruin and businesses closed. As businesses continue to reopen and more money begins to flow back the county, the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office is looking for new employees to help fill vacant spots in their corrections facilities.
Cocke County still striving for a return to normal six months after Helene flooding
“Corrections is a tough job. You’re dealing with anywhere between 100-200 inmates throughout the day and a lot of that stuff can become stressful and you have to deal with that a lot,” Cocke County Sheriff C.J. Ball said. “It’s a tough job. I worked there for four years and I know exactly what it’s like to work in corrections. Obviously, as years have gone by, I’m sure it’s gotten worse. Put in an application, we’ll review it. If we’ve got opening, we’ll start calling people in the application process and then we’ll go from there.”
Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis said the county’s unemployment rate is currently around 7%…