Victor Grayson, a longtime resident of Emerson Valley, recently defeated the incumbent, Oliver Price, in the election for Sheriff of Emerson Valley. Sheriff Price had been involved in a number of scandals in recent years, contributing to the general feeling of distrust from the voting public.

“I just don’t buy a single word that comes out of his mouth,” said Kelly Deacon, owner and proprietor of the much-beloved market in downtown Emerson Valley called the Crofter’s Bounty. “As a taxpayer, it disturbs me to know he’s been using our money for such nefarious purposes. He’s supposed to be protecting us, not feeding us to the vultures.”

Many residents shared Mrs. Deacon’s sentiments, including John H. Thurston, Jr., who had this to say about Sheriff Price’s actions: “I didn’t believe the allegations at first, but the evidence is pretty overwhelming. It takes a really sick individual to do those things. I hope he rots in Hell for all eternity!”

Sheriff Grayson won’t take office until January, but he’s already been working to repair some of the damage done by his predecessor. The day after the election, he held a press conference to assure his constituents that he intended to follow through on his campaign promises.

“I know the Emerson Valley Sheriff’s Department has a lot of work to do to regain your confidence,” Grayson told a sizable gathering at his victory speech. “Sheriff Price did far more harm than good to our people, and I intend to make sure the corruption and abuse of power stops the moment I put on that badge. I will open a proper investigation for Maya Thomas and Daniel Green, and I will never allow something like that to happen again.”

Sheriff Price has held office for nearly twenty-eight years, and many had considered him a positive influence on the area. Children used to be able to play in their yards without fear, and residents didn’t have to worry about opening their doors if someone knocked on them in the middle of the night. Now, everything has changed. Sheriff Grayson has his work cut out for him if he hopes to return a sense of comfort and stability to Emerson Valley.

Fortunately for Sheriff Grayson, his long history in town has afforded him some genuine goodwill. As tenth grader Clay Gibbons remembers: “When I was about nine-years-old, I got lost in Blackwood Forest during a family picnic. It must’ve been for at least six or seven hours. I felt like I was wandering around forever, but nothing seemed to change. Just endless trees. Mr. Grayson spent a lot of time in those woods, and he found me curled up beside a rotting tree stump. I must’ve been crying, because my eyes were stinging really bad. But Mr. Grayson led me out of the forest and brought me home. My parents hadn’t even realized I was gone.”

The dark shadow cast over Emerson Valley by Sheriff Price’s actions is a stain on our community. Many weren’t surprised that he lost the election. Even Sheriff Price seemed to see the writing on the wall, as he failed to appear for a photo-op at the Silver Creek Shopping Center during his campaign’s big final push in the days before November 2nd. When asked about his absence, he said, “It’s over. There’s no point in going on. I’m finished.”

For anyone curious about our newly-elected sheriff, the Emerson Valley Gazette’s William Cooper will be writing an in-depth profile on Victor Grayson after he takes office. He will also conduct an interview with Sheriff Price next week, although many won’t want to hear what he has to say as they believe he spews nothing but lies. We would like to congratulate Sheriff Grayson on his victory, and hope to see good things from him when he takes office.

-Sarah Donovan, Editor & Local News, Emerson Valley Gazette