Top stories of 2014: NRA President visits county

June 2014

RED BAY – State Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow hosted a meet-and-greet with Jim Porter, president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), this past Friday at Cypress Cove Farm in Red Bay.

Porter was in Franklin County during the weekend to serve as grand marshal for the Rock Bridge Canyon Rodeo in Hodges.

“It is awesome to have the president of a national organization here in our area,” Morrow said.

The event was open to the public and despite a passing thunderstorm, there were several dozen people who attended the event.

Porter posed for photographs with members of the community and signed autographs for community members.

“There are 100,000 (NRA) members in this state and it is always good to meet the folks who have belief systems that are in line with us,” Porter said.

Porter said it was his first time to be a grand marshal for a rodeo.

“I am looking forward to doing this and I’m glad I could be a part of the event down in Hodges,” Porter said. “But it ain’t my first rodeo.”

Morrow said he approached Porter with the invitation to come to Cypress Cove Farm while Porter was in Montgomery.

“He is from Alabama and I knew the rodeo in Hodges was coming up and they were looking for someone to be the grand marshal,” Morrow said. “So I just asked him if he’d be interested and he said he’d be honored.”

Morrow said having Porter come to the area was great for the community.

“The values and ideas that Porter and the NRA represent are so important to the people of this area,” Morrow said.

“I’m happy he was able to come and be a part of everything.”