Former LPD Chief recalls daily visits to WLAF

Former La Follette Chief of Police Earl Carroll shared a fun WLAF story with us last week. 

In the 1950s, when WLAF was a brand new radio station, a young Earl Carroll delivered the Knoxville Journal to the station each morning long before sun- up.

Every morning the routine was the same.  Carroll would slip in the control room at the Fleet Building and hand off the paper to the morning man, Denny Walker.  Walker would give him a nod or a wink, and Carroll would be on his way.

One particular morning, Earl walked in, and there was a big man all dressed up wearing a big white cowboy hat sitting in the control room chair.  He said, “I’m Tex Ritter.  You are coming to my show tonight at the Cherokee Theater?Aren’t you, young cowboy?”  Earl was quick to say yes.  And he did go to the show.

Ritter said that his horse was sick and wasn’t with him.  But the next time he came to town, Ritter told him while the other kids only got to pet his horse, he’d let him ride it.

Some 38-years later, the Chief was in Nashville for a chiefs meeting at the Nashville Police Headquarters.   And here comes Tex Ritter down the hall.  Carroll didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was still waiting for that horse ride.(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 07/09/2018-6AM)