Ceremony Commemorates the Opening of Facility at Denton County Jail

The recipient of a bachelor's degree in public administration from the University of Mississippi, William B. Travis is the former sheriff of Denton County, TX. Elected sheriff in 2013, he served until 2016. During this period, William B. Travis helped to commemorate the opening of a new 364-bed facility at the Denton County Jail.

The new building opened on January 7, 2015 following a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included Travis, as well as Judge Mary Horn, various state representatives, and Denton County commissioners. Citizens in attendance were given tours of the facility following the ceremony in order to get an idea of how it will operate. 

The Sheriff's Office worked for a decade to see the project through to completion. It will directly benefit the Denton County Jail Facility, as it will supply an additional 192 beds. The other beds will be used by medical facilities and those who require special needs housing. Additional renovation projects were planned for older buildings. Speaking at the ceremony, Travis thanked everyone who contributed to the planning and construction of the new facility.

The Oklahoma City Bombing 20th-Anniversary Memorial

With a background spanning the US military and law enforcement, William B. Travis is the former sheriff of Denton County, TX. In 2015 Sheriff William B. Travis was present at memorial ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. 

A Drug Enforcement Administration agent at the time, Travis was among those who assisted in recovery efforts following a terrorist attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The bombing, initiated by Timothy McVeigh, an anti-government militant, killed 168 people and injured hundreds more. 

As Sheriff Travis described it, witnessing so much loss of innocent life, including children, was deeply impactful. Encountering a building that had been cratered, he and fellow rescue workers dug for nearly two days straight. They spent a week recovering every survivor and body possible, as they had promised victims’ families. After that, the planning for funerals commenced, itself a gut-wrenching ordeal.

The 20th-anniversary memorial included a reunion hosted by the Oklahoma Memorial and Museum, bringing together rescue workers, survivors, law enforcement, and the families of victims. At the 20th Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony, attendees held 168 seconds of silence in honor of each of the victims.