The day after a historic visit from President George W. Bush, things got back to normal in Statesboro, but everyone was still talking about the event.
Bush gave a rousing speech in Hanner Fieldhouse in support of Congressional candidate Max Burns,who opposes incumbent John Barrow Tuesday.
Local law enforcement officials who had an inside track to the days' events were thrilled over the experience and photos of the president they snapped with their own cameras.
And the fact that the day went without a hitch – with the exception of about a thousand ticket-holders turned away after the fire marshal ordered Hanner Fieldhouse closed – was a source of pride for all.
"We always try to do a good job," said Georgia Southern University Maj. Mike Russell. "It helps when Secret Service compliments you on what you do."
Russell said the event could not have been as successful without the help of other local law enforcement agencies, including the Georgia State Patrol, Statesboro Police Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Statesboro Fire Department and more.
Russell was proud that the president's visit was uneventful in regards to negative incidents. There were no arrests by his department, he said. And the seamless cooperation between all public safety agencies involved "shows how well we work together," he said. "Everything went well in all aspects."
Statesboro Police Maj. J. R. Holloway said he is proud that his department and others involved could provide a safe environment for the president.
The fact that Secret Service approved of the security measures "says something for the department itself," he said. "There were no incidents, no arrests, and it all went very well. It made me feel good to be part of this organization."
Bulloch County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Gene McDaniel said no one was booked into the Bulloch County Jail by any law enforcement agency regarding the president's visit.
Protesters expressed their opinions by voice, by signs, by banners, but all did so in an orderly fashion. People lined the streets along South Main Street and Fair Road, some with pro-Republican messages and others with John Barrow's campaign signs or hand-lettered poster boards protesting Bush's administration.
Law enforcement officers were scattered all over the Statesboro area. Bush arrived at Paulson Stadium about 10:45 a.m. on Marine One helicopter, then was whisked away to Hanner Fieldhouse in a limousine, followed by a motorcade of Secret Service agents, national media, a Savannah cameraman and three local journalists.
Every intersection along the way was guarded by Georgia State Patrol troopers or other officers. Officers also blocked driveways to local businesses along the roads and were stationed at intervals along the path.
After the rally, Bush and his entourage were taken to the Statesboro Inn, where he interviewed with FOX News and rested after lunch.
School buses provided by the Bulloch County Board of Education formed a barrier in a hotel parking lot across from Statesboro Inn, but a small crowd of folks gathered anyway after realizing the president was inside. Law enforcement and Secret Service agents swarmed around the South Main Street spot while the president was there, and stood by while Bush visited the crowd briefly before being taken back to the stadium to board the helicopter that took him back to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah.
Statesboro Inn co-owner Denman DuBose said Bush was very friendly and "really nice, an average Joe." He said he and the others who own the inn, Tony and Michele Garges, knew last week that the president would visit.
"They called us early last week," he said. "Then the Secret Service came and installed extra phone lines.
Secret Service agents were in Statesboro for almost two weeks before the president's visit, checking out the area and discussing security with local law enforcement leaders.
Bush gave a rousing speech in Hanner Fieldhouse in support of Congressional candidate Max Burns,who opposes incumbent John Barrow Tuesday.
Local law enforcement officials who had an inside track to the days' events were thrilled over the experience and photos of the president they snapped with their own cameras.
And the fact that the day went without a hitch – with the exception of about a thousand ticket-holders turned away after the fire marshal ordered Hanner Fieldhouse closed – was a source of pride for all.
"We always try to do a good job," said Georgia Southern University Maj. Mike Russell. "It helps when Secret Service compliments you on what you do."
Russell said the event could not have been as successful without the help of other local law enforcement agencies, including the Georgia State Patrol, Statesboro Police Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Statesboro Fire Department and more.
Russell was proud that the president's visit was uneventful in regards to negative incidents. There were no arrests by his department, he said. And the seamless cooperation between all public safety agencies involved "shows how well we work together," he said. "Everything went well in all aspects."
Statesboro Police Maj. J. R. Holloway said he is proud that his department and others involved could provide a safe environment for the president.
The fact that Secret Service approved of the security measures "says something for the department itself," he said. "There were no incidents, no arrests, and it all went very well. It made me feel good to be part of this organization."
Bulloch County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Gene McDaniel said no one was booked into the Bulloch County Jail by any law enforcement agency regarding the president's visit.
Protesters expressed their opinions by voice, by signs, by banners, but all did so in an orderly fashion. People lined the streets along South Main Street and Fair Road, some with pro-Republican messages and others with John Barrow's campaign signs or hand-lettered poster boards protesting Bush's administration.
Law enforcement officers were scattered all over the Statesboro area. Bush arrived at Paulson Stadium about 10:45 a.m. on Marine One helicopter, then was whisked away to Hanner Fieldhouse in a limousine, followed by a motorcade of Secret Service agents, national media, a Savannah cameraman and three local journalists.
Every intersection along the way was guarded by Georgia State Patrol troopers or other officers. Officers also blocked driveways to local businesses along the roads and were stationed at intervals along the path.
After the rally, Bush and his entourage were taken to the Statesboro Inn, where he interviewed with FOX News and rested after lunch.
School buses provided by the Bulloch County Board of Education formed a barrier in a hotel parking lot across from Statesboro Inn, but a small crowd of folks gathered anyway after realizing the president was inside. Law enforcement and Secret Service agents swarmed around the South Main Street spot while the president was there, and stood by while Bush visited the crowd briefly before being taken back to the stadium to board the helicopter that took him back to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah.
Statesboro Inn co-owner Denman DuBose said Bush was very friendly and "really nice, an average Joe." He said he and the others who own the inn, Tony and Michele Garges, knew last week that the president would visit.
"They called us early last week," he said. "Then the Secret Service came and installed extra phone lines.
Secret Service agents were in Statesboro for almost two weeks before the president's visit, checking out the area and discussing security with local law enforcement leaders.