Rotary clubs honor nine Texarkana-area first responders as 2026 officers of the year

The Rotary Clubs of Texarkana named nine police officers, firefighters, state troopers and a LifeNet crew member as their 2026 Public Safety Officers of the Year on Thursday at the clubs’ 47th annual Public Safety Officer Appreciation Banquet.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin was the guest speaker at the lunch, held at First United Methodist Church’s Cabe Center. Texarkana, Arkansas, Mayor Allen Brown and Texarkana, Texas, Mayor Bob Bruggeman presented the awards, according to the event program. State Rep. Carol Dalby introduced Griffin.

The 2026 honorees are:

Texarkana Arkansas Fire Department: Capt. Shane Richardson
Texarkana Arkansas Police Department: Officer Daniel Rojas
Miller County Sheriff’s Office: Detective Jeremy Poole
Texarkana Texas Fire Department: Assistant Chief Chuck Weerts
Texarkana Texas Police Department: Officer Jacob Miramontes
Bowie County Sheriff’s Office: Deputy Brandon Grubbs
Texas Department of Public Safety: Trooper Colten Johnson
Arkansas State Police: Trooper Zane Butler
LifeNet: Desteni Gamble

Each honoree received a bronze eagle trophy inscribed from the Rotary Clubs of Texarkana and LifeNet, along with a gift basket.

In a Facebook post after the banquet, Griffin said he spoke to recognize “the men and women who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”

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“Because of their dedication and extraordinary work ethic, we can sleep peacefully at night knowing they are protecting us from dangers we may never see,” Griffin wrote. He said their work is also critical to “the larger fight against threats like China’s gray zone warfare, illicit massage parlors, and fentanyl on our streets.”

Texarkana, Texas, Mayor Bob Bruggeman shakes hands with police Officer Jacob Miramontes at the Rotary banquet. — Texarkana, Texas, Mayor Bob Bruggeman, left, congratulates police Officer Jacob Miramontes on his Public Safety Officer of the Year award on Thursday. (Courtesy photo)

About the honorees

Miramontes was named the Texarkana Texas Police Department’s Officer of the Year at the department’s quarterly awards ceremony on Oct. 20. He has been with the department a little under two years, after seven years with the Richardson, Texas, Police Department, and works as a patrol officer and field training officer. The department said that in 2026 he answered more than 1,500 calls for service, made more than 300 arrests and conducted close to 1,000 traffic stops.

“Our own Officer Jacob Miramontes was recognized today as our Officer of the Year at the Public Safety Officers Appreciation Banquet,” the department said Thursday. “We’re proud to have you on our team!”

Weerts was selected by Texarkana, Texas, firefighters as their Rotary Firefighter of the Year, according to the fire department. He has more than 30 years in the fire service and serves as assistant fire chief and fire marshal. He has also worked for the Texas A&M Forest Service for 26 years, serves as a reserve deputy with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and is the regional coordinator for the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System. He holds master certifications as a firefighter, arson investigator and fire inspector.

Texarkana, Texas, Assistant Fire Chief Chuck Weerts holds a bronze eagle trophy at the Rotary banquet. — Texarkana, Texas, Fire Department Assistant Chief Chuck Weerts holds his 2026 Public Safety Officer of the Year trophy on Thursday. (Courtesy photo)

Johnson was named KSLA’s Trooper of the Year in September for two incidents this year, according to DPS. In May, the agency said, his work during a traffic stop led to the identification and recovery of a juvenile victim of sexual assault. In June, while responding to a vehicle swept off a road by floodwaters in Cass County, he kept searching beyond the vehicle, found a victim in the rushing water and helped save the person’s life.

Texarkana, Arkansas, police Officer Daniel Rojas holds a bronze eagle trophy in front of the department seal. — Texarkana, Arkansas, police Officer Daniel Rojas, right, holds his 2026 Public Safety Officer of the Year trophy alongside Police Chief Ed Chattaway. (Photo courtesy Texarkana Arkansas Police Department)

Rojas was honored as the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department’s Officer of the Year for 2026, the department said. In its post, the department thanked the Rotary clubs, Dalby, Griffin and the attendees “who came to show their support for the Officers, Fire Fighters and EMS personnel that were honored.”

Richardson retired from the Texarkana Arkansas Fire Department on Sept. 30, working his final shift to close out a 28-year career. The department described him at the time as a great leader and “a fine example of what a firefighter should be.”

Poole‘s award “is a testament to his dedication, hard work, and commitment to serving and protecting our community,” the Miller County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

Miller County Sheriff's Office Detective Jeremy Poole holds a bronze eagle trophy outside the sheriff's office with two colleagues. — Miller County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jeremy Poole, center, holds his 2026 Public Safety Officer of the Year trophy. (Photo courtesy Miller County Sheriff’s Office)

Butler was recognized for Arkansas State Police Troop G.

The banquet was founded by Rotarian Cecil Phillips. The Oaklawn, Wilbur Smith, Sunrise and International Rotary clubs led the opening of the program, and Rotary District 5830 Governor Diane Kavanaugh closed it with special presentations and the Rotary Four-Way Test.