Carroll County, Tenn.–A new state wildlife refuge has been named for the late Sgt. Lee Russell, a Tennessee Highway Patrol pilot who tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash while on duty in August 2022.
At Friday’s meeting of the Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission, the panel voted to name the new Crooked Creek Refuge, a 570-acre area in Carroll County after Sgt. Russell.
Russell, of McKenzie, was a familiar face to many in our area, as he was a former Henry County deputy and flew many missions for local and area law enforcement agencies as a THP pilot. Russell was the son of retired THP Lt. Steve Russell of McKenzie, who also was a deputy for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office before working for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Russell assisted local law enforcement in the state with search and rescue, warrant execution, air cover and more.
At Friday’s meeting, two new areas were established as refuges. The other is Otey Mills Refuge, a management unit of North Cumberland WMA and which consists of 800 acres in Claiborne County.