MARSHALL – Local law-enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations gathered to meet with community members at a “Heroes Hangout” event organized by the Marshall Police Department Oct. 24.
The event was held at Marshall’s Blannahassett Island, which can be considered a kind of floating cornerstone for both Madison County and the town of Marshall. The roughly 10-acre tract in the middle of the French Broad River was part of the first 50-acre piece of land parceled from Buncombe to Madison, creating a seat for the new county in 1853.
Marshall Mayor Aaron Haynie said he was happy to be on hand for the Heroes Hangout event.
“It’s a good way to get the community together and show support for these different agencies from all over the county,” Haynie said. “I hope we can have it continue to grow in the future.”
Along with Marshall Police Department, the other participating local agencies included Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Marshall Fire Department, Walnut Community Fire Department, Mars Hill Fire Department, Mars Hill Police Department, Madison Substance Awareness Coalition, RHA Health Services and Madison County Public Library.
Marshall Police Chief Kenny Brown organized the event. Brown told The News-Record he hopes to offer the event twice a year.
“What I noticed is at a lot of town events, we’re always a part of the events, as security, but the police department never does anything for the community,” Brown said. “So, in doing some minor researching to see what other police departments across the country were doing for their towns and communities, a lot of them do events like this.”
Brown said the events help to bring more visibility to local agencies and facilitate more interaction between first responders and community members. Earlier in 2025, Brown held similar meet-and-greet sessions at Zuma Coffee, called “Coffee With a Cop,” offering a chance for residents to speak with Marshall police officers.
“It’s just the idea of bringing community together, I think it’s important,” Brown said. “Most of the people see these guys, these professionals, in a professional setting, because they see them when they’re at work doing clinical stuff. They see them when they’re making a vehicle stop or on the way to a call, or helping somebody – putting out fires. But this provides an environment where you can come and ask questions or bring your complaints.”
Heather Sharp is director of Madison Substance Awareness Coalition, and Drug-Free Communities. Madison Mental Health and Substance Awareness Coalition was formed in the 2014 under the North Carolina Coalition Initiative grant to focus on the substance issues facing Madison County, and is composed of members from numerous organizations throughout the county, including the sheriff’s office and health department.
Madison Patriots Prevention Partnership’s Paige Rizzuto, left, and Heather Sharp, director of Madison Mental Health and Substance Awareness Coalition and Drug-Free Communities pose Oct. 24 at the Heroes Hangout event on Blannahassett Island.
According to Sharp, Madison Substance Awareness Coalition used the Heroes Hangout gathering to host a drug takeback event. Madison Substance Awareness Coalition also has drug drop-off boxes at the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Mars Hill Police Department.
Sharp said the coalition hopes to continue to partner with local law enforcement agencies and community organizations to hold events throughout the county, including a Mars Hill event in April 2027.
“We just want to keep partnering with our three municipalities and continue to raise awareness,” Sharp said of the coalition, which meets virtually each first Wednesday of the month.
Marshall Police Chief Kenny Brown organized the Oct. 24 Heroes Hangout event on Blannahassett Island in Marshall.
According to Brown, the Marshall Police Department met Oct. 23 with the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery, along with Cyndy Caravelis, Western Carolina University’s director of criminal justice. Brown and the Marshall Police Department hope to work with the governor’s office and WCU to potentially bring on additional resources, including a social worker.
“That way, we can take them with us on these calls to help de-escalate the situations and put a professional in that field, so we’re not having to risk liability to the officer, to the patient or to the town,” Brown said.
Brown said he hopes the events will help to open up lines of communication between first responders and local agencies and residents without community members needing to appear once a month at town board meetings.
“That’s why I put my phone number on my business card. People need to be able to reach me if they’ve got a question,” he said. “I don’t want you to have to talk to secretaries and then never call you back at all. We want to answer the questions and be here for our community.”
Children enjoy a temporary tattoo station Oct. 24 at the Heroes Hangout event on Blannahassett Island in Marshall.
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Johnny Casey is the Madison County communities reporter for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Heroes Hangout helps community meet Madison County first responders
