By Melanie Davis
The Watauga County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving
isn’t just for mothers, or women for that matter.
Ronnie Isaacs stands
outside the Watauga County Courthouse, where he volunteers
a large amount of time to monitor driving while impaired
district court for MADD. Photo
by Mark Mitchell |
Ronnie Isaacs, a native of Watauga County, has had a troubled
past with alcohol. Sober now for 14 years, he was looking
for a way to help someone else in the same situation he
had been in.
Sobriety did not come easy for Isaacs. He began drinking
at a young age and even had disputes during high school
over drugs.
After his first driving while impaired charge, Isaacs obtained
a motorcycle. He drove to Table Rock in Burke County on
a day trip. He admits to drinking before leaving. He continued
to drink throughout the trip and later that day wrecked
the motorcycle.
Isaacs went 150 feet down an embankment through a laurel
thicket, leaving him with a limb through his knee, a broken
arm and three fractured vertebrae in his back.
He said, “While I was laid up, I was still finding
ways to get alcohol.”
Eventually, his probation was revoked, and Isaacs was sentenced
to 100 days in jail. It was during that time of no cigarettes
and alcohol that Isaacs became truly aware of his addiction.
“I have three best friends who repeatedly tried to
help me, but I didn’t see it at the time – Randy
Townsend, my probation officer, Mike Vannoy, my drug counselor,
and (former) Sheriff Red Lyons,” Isaacs said. “I
feel like they saved my life. I might have killed myself
or someone else. I thank God I didn’t kill anyone.”
When he first read about the local chapter of MADD forming,
Isaacs’ initial thought was that the organization would
not welcome in a person with a background of alcohol abuse
and drunk-driving charges. However, the organization stayed
on his mind.
Approximately five months ago, the local organization began
a court-monitoring program. The volunteer monitors attend
district court to hear the driving while impaired cases,
making notes and entering the local numbers into a national
MADD database. The statistics are used by the organization
to gather information to compare different areas of the
country. Locally, the Watauga chapter is compiling its own
local statistics based on continuances, convictions, sentencing
and appeals.
Isaacs attended to the next MADD meeting to volunteer as
a monitor.
“I felt guilty for not telling the people at MADD about
my past,” he said of the first meeting. “I wrote
a letter explaining everything and mailed to Candy (Winebarger),
and she accepted it without a doubt.”
Winebarger is a fellow MADD member and court monitor.
Since that acceptance, Isaacs has been active with the Watauga
MADD. He attends nearly every session of the Watauga County
driving while impaired district court. He prints the dockets
from the online source and notes the attorneys, times, judges,
assistance district attorneys and consequences. Isaacs has
also mastered entering the numbers into the national database.
“I will do anything I can to benefit MADD,” he
said.
He was recently asked to address a youth group on behalf
of the organization.
“I felt honored to be asked,” he said. “I
hope to keep people from driving drunk, or even if I could
help one.”
For more information on MADD or volunteering for the court
monitoring program, call Winebarger at (828) 264-8714.
The next meeting of the local chapter will be held on Feb.
12 at the Watauga Public Library in Boone at 5:30 p.m.
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