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Serving the communities in Jo Daviess County

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VOL. 83 • NO. 25

June is National Dairy Month, and Citizens State Bank is proud to support the hard work of our local dairy farmers.

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of our Ag Lending Team, Kimberly Durward!

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016

Stockton bids farewell to its retiring police chief By Tony Carton It was standing room only Tuesday night in the Stockton Village Hall board room as friends, family and community members witnessed the passing of the village police department leadership torch from retiring Chief LaDon Trost to incoming Chief Tom Sheehan. Trost’s official retirement date is June 17 which coincidentally is 46 years to the day since he knocked on the door of then Apple River Mayor Lyle Lathlean in response to a classified ad calling for a village marshal. “Lyle came to the door with shaving cream all over his face because he was getting ready to go to a village board meeting,” Trost said. “I introduced myself because I had never met the guy in my life and said, ‘I understand you are looking for a village marshal and I would like to apply for the job.’” Lathlean invited him in, wiped the shaving cream off his face and they as they sat down at the kitchen table to talk Lathlean went into the other room and came back with a badge to tell Trost he was the new Village of Apple River Marshal. “There was no training or police academy in those times, but I was in my early 20s, married and looking for a little direction in life and village marshal suited me just fine,” Trost said. He held the marshal’s position for about a year and a half before joining the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Department. “I started with the Sheriff’s office as a dispatcher,” said Trost. “I had worked there about a week when the sheriff sent me to Stockton on an errand and while on the way there a dispatch came out about a guy who was wanted for a serious felony. There was a description of the guy and his vehicle and while I was in Stockton on Route 20 I spotted that vehicle. I stopped and arrested him and took him to jail and the next thing I knew, I was on the road regularly.” Over time Trost had the distinction of becoming the first officer from Jo

Daviess Sheriff’s Department to be certified by the Police Training Institute in Chicago. He was with the Sheriff’s office for about 20 years and eventually because the department’s Chief Investigator. “We had a lot of interesting cases back in the day,” he said. “I could remember when I first started in law enforcement. I worked the road and I could not wait to go to work. It was neat to have a job that I really liked. There were ups and downs, but I loved my work.” As with any law enforcement officer there are cases that stand out in his memory. “I was working in Menomonie and heard a dispatch from the Warren Police Department,” Trost said. “The Warren chief and one of his officers were patrolling that night and had gone back behind the Foodland grocery to find a van pulling out of the alley. They acknowledged the guys in the van and kept going, but started wondering why that van was coming out from behind the grocery.” Upon further inspection, the Warren officers discovered the grocery had been burglarized. They did a quick run-through in the town, but could not find the van, so they put a call on the wire. Trost heard the call and turned his squad toward Warren where he encountered the van just as he was entering the town. “Just as I hit the city limits on Stage Coach Trail that van blew a yield sign right in front of me,” Trost said. “I spun around and pulled them down. I radioed for backup, but radios weren’t what they are today and no one heard me. All at once the driver got out of the vehicle. I dropped my microphone and got out so I wouldn’t be caught inside the TONY CARTON PHOTO The Scoop Today squad. I went to the back of the van, looked inside and could see grocer- Stockton Police Chief LaDon Trost will retire this week after serving with Jo Daviess County law enforceies everywhere. I knew I had the ment organizations for 46 years. right people.” While Trost and the driver were LAW OFFICES OF talking the guy put his hand in his • Car Accidents • Personal Injury jacket pocket. “As hard as I could I pushed him

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