Corbin Police voted winners of chili cook off

Despite being better equipped to handle the heat and having a full-size kitchen, the Corbin Fire Department was escorted out of the kitchen as the Corbin Police Department took home the win at the chili cook off on Feb. 10.

The friendly competition between the departments yielded $2,500 in donations for the Carnegie Center’s renovations in Corbin.

“We lost, but everybody won,” said Corbin Fire Department Battalion Chief James Smith. “We raised some money for the Carnegie Center, so everybody is a winner.”

The departments went head to head in a chili cook off competition where community members were able to blind test four chilis – two were made by police officers and two were made by firefighters – and then vote for their favorite.

“At the Carnegie Center, we are in need of as many dollars as we can possibly have donated because that building is very old and it is in a rapidly decaying stage,” said Carnegie Center Board member Ann Hacker. “We don’t want to see it crumble.”

Hacker explained that, like the First Baptist Church building across the street from the Carnegie Center, it was built in the early 1900s.

“The building itself, it was just a fun place when I was growing up … it was a beautiful old building,” said Hacker.

While the money will be used for renovations, the focus at the cook off was on the chili itself. Community leaders attended to cast their votes to determine the winner.

Anthony Powers, president of Baptist Health Corbin, said he judges chili based on its heat and flavor.

Looking for the right amount of spices, he said he tops his chili with cheese and crackers.

In a like manner, Corbin Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Chadwell said that he also judges chili based on how flavorful it is, but he is willing to partner his chili with a peanut butter sandwich.

The flavor of Corbin Police Department Officer Robbie Hodges’s chili reigned supreme and lead the police department to victory.

“It is ironic though, when a department beats the other department who has a kitchen – a full sized, fully staffed kitchen – in their department,” said Corbin Police Chief Rusty Hedrick.

Hedrick emphasized that he was proud of his officers and their culinary abilities.

After the results were announced, Smith said, “If we have to lose, I guess it is okay to lose to them.”

He commended the police department saying, “We are fortunate to have a very good working relationship with the guys in one of the best police departments around.”

Looking forward to the next friendly competition, however, Smith said, “Next year we are going to pick an event that we know we have an advantage at. We don’t know what that is yet, but we will come up with something because now we are tied in these charity things so we have to at least have a tie breaker.”