Award presented on the 50-yard-line during last week’s football game By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott was one of five first-responder leaders recognized by Benedict College for “Outstanding Service to the College and the Community” in appreciation of first responders on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. TheContinue Reading
Sheriff Leon Lott discusses winning, leadership, and life beyond football By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott addressed the coaches and players of Benedict College’s football team during an all-hands team meeting at the Benedict Football offices, Saturday, July 29. Lott was joined by former standout BenedictContinue Reading
Lott urges audience to mentor kids and lead with care By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott discussed the finer points of his personal leadership tenets with a sterling group of 40-45 LEADERSHIP SOUTH CAROLINA (LSC) candidates nearing the completion of their eight-month program, Thursday, March 30.Continue Reading
By W. Thomas Smith Jr. RICHLAND COUNTY SHERIFF LEON LOTT HAS ISSUED A STATEMENT in response to the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols at the hands of five police officers during a Jan. 7 traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee. According to Lott: “I watched the video and found it toContinue Reading
The Citizens Advisory Council has been meeting quarterly for a quarter century By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Soon after Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott was sworn into office in January 1997, one of the first focused efforts of his administration was the creation of a broad-based citizens group comprised ofContinue Reading
Cultural sea change necessary to thwart gun violence By Sheriff Leon Lott Let me begin with the bottom line: We are losing a generation of 14-to-28-year-olds to gun violence. In 2021, gun violence was the number one killer of youth in America. This is not some distant statistic, unrelated toContinue Reading
Richland County Sheriff honored by the University of South Carolina By W. Thomas Smith Jr. The University of South Carolina presented Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott the honorary degree, Doctor of Public Service, during commencement ceremonies at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, Dec. 13, 2021. Lott was one of threeContinue Reading
By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Sheriff Leon Lott and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department presented 12 ‘Beanie Babies,’ one each to eight little angels and four teenage ballerina angels who performed in Northeast Presbyterian Church’s (NEPC) Christmas cantata, ‘Agnus Dei,’ Sunday, Dec. 12. “These are small tokens of our appreciationContinue Reading
By W. Thomas Smith, Jr. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott was honored by the South Carolina Military Support Foundation (SCMSF), Thurs., May 20, for being named the National Sheriff’s Association (NSA) Sheriff of the Year for 2021. The recognition, a plaque commending Lott, was presented by Col. (Ret.) Steve Vitali,Continue Reading
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott (pictured) was honored by the Town of Blythewood at the 11th annual Blythewood Rodeo, Sat., Apr. 24. The Sheriff received a Town Resolution congratulating him for his having been named 2021 SHERIFF OF THE YEAR by the Alexandria, VA-based National Sheriff’s Association (NSA). The resolutionContinue Reading