Roanoke Rapids City Council Tuesday honored two employees who announced their retirements earlier — Wes Hux of the fire department and Linwood Bowser of the public works department.

Hux

Chief Jason Patrick said Hux had a long career with the fire service. “He and I actually started with the city of Roanoke Rapids the same day so we’ve come up through the ranks together.”

He began his career on April 1, 1997 and on that day Hux and Patrick were called immediately into service — helping to find two lost children on the Roanoke Canal Trail, the chief said. “From that point on he was definitely hooked on it. We had a structure fire the very next day, we had a fire at the cotton mill the day after that. It was kind of like we brought a black cloud in but thank goodness things kind of settled down.”

In August of 1999 Hux was promoted to driver-operator and 14 years later he decided he wanted to move to the office, becoming the department’s deputy fire marshal. “He has done a great job with that,” Patrick said. “He’s been working with our new deputy fire marshal Kenneth Hollowell in training him.”

In 2019 Hux became deputy fire chief, the position from which he retired in April.

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“We’re surely going to miss him,” Patrick said. “He brings a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge to the department.”

Hux was a general contractor before he came to work with the fire department. “The city used him a lot for other projects.”

Hux was the leader in the construction of the gazebo at Centennial Park. Hux, along with other members of the department, took apart the former Hale Plumbing workshop after the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District bought the property. “We took that apart and brought it back here and he oversaw us putting that back together so we would have somewhere to store our lawn equipment and different things like that. He’s been a big asset to the city not only from the fire service standpoint but also with his construction work.”

Patrick presented Hux a plaque and then requested that the council allow him to present Hux his helmet and badge.

“I appreciate the opportunity that (former) Chief (Ken) Carawan gave me,” Hux said, also acknowledging Patrick. “It’s been a great career.”

Hux is working part-time helping Hollowell. “I just look forward to serving the citizens and I have really enjoyed it. It’s been great. I’ve worked with some great guys. We’ve got a great bunch of guys here and I’ve really enjoyed working with them.”

In closing Hux said of the firefighters, “They deserve everything they get. We’ve got some good equipment here lately. They really deserve everything they get and I hope y’all will approve the budget tonight and give them that raise and I can tell you that’s not enough. 

“They’re not doing it for the money but you’ve got to have money to put gas in your car and buy your groceries too. A lot of them are doing it for free at volunteer departments.”

Bowser

Public Works Director Larry Chalker said Bowser retired after 20 years of service to the citizens of Roanoke Rapids.

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“It’s hard to work with a large group of people and not develop at least some favorites,” Chalker said. “But I can tell you, this fellow right here, he was one of my favorites. He always on the worst day had a laugh for me, a smile and it just meant so much.”

Bowser started with the city on September 23, 2002 as a sanitation worker I. He applied for and was awarded a position in the street department in 2004 as a street worker I and in 2006 was promoted to street worker II, the position he retired from at the end of December.

Chalker presented Bowser with a plaque.