Recognized as “Deputy of the Year” at the annual Freestone county sheriff’s office Christmas dinner Friday night was Sgt. Ameca Gibson.

The dinner was held at Fairfield Civic Center and featured barbecue prepared by sheriff’s office employees.

“We’ve had a very safe and good year,” Sheriff Ralph Billings says. “The employees of the sheriff’s office have done an excellent job and I’m proud to be associated with this group of people.”

The sheriff’s office employs 40 people as deputies, jailers, dispatchers and clerks.

Ms. Gibson is a jailer and has been employed at the department for four and one-half years. She also is secretary/treasurer of the reserve deputies organization.

She started to work at the department as a dispatcher, then switched over to jailer duties where she has been promoted to the rank of sergeant.

The honoree is a 1996 graduate of Fairfield high school and is the mother of two children, 4-year-old Camille Eldridge and 6-year-old Myron Hackett.

Invocation and benediction for the dinner was offered by Robert Shipley and the sheriff acted as master of ceremonies.

Introduced as special guests were justices of the peace Beth Ireland, Theresa Farris and Debra Hamilton, County Attorney Chris Martin, County Commissioner Luke Ward, Sr., and Constable Lynn Clary.

Door prizes, many of them donated by area businesses, were given out during the evening.