November 2023 Newsletter (Volume 9, Issue 11)
November 2023 Newsletter (Volume 9, Issue 11)
Please click on the title below to view each of the different stories in the newsletter.
DARE Instructor School Graduation
Deputy Tristan Severson graduated from DARE instructor school earlier this month, with former Dover-Eyota School Resource Officer Todd Peterson in attendance. Deputy Severson was also voted class spokesperson by his peers. He is looking forward to his first year teaching DARE to Dover-Eyota 6th graders later this school year.
DARE is substance abuse prevention education and much more. This year, millions of schoolchildren around the world will benefit from DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), the program that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence.
DARE was founded in 1983 and has proven so successful that it has been implemented in thousands of schools throughout the United States and many other countries. DARE is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.
Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office has one other DARE Officer in service; Deputy Courtney Amos at Stewartville Schools.
Fall Awards Program
Captain Samantha Reps
On Thursday, October 5th, the Sheriff’s Office celebrated their bi-annual awards ceremony. During the ceremony several new employees and promoted staff publicly took their oath of office and had family members pin on their badges. There were also several Sheriff’s Office staff that received letters of recognition, life saving awards and a memorial presentation. In addition to the Sheriff’s Office staff there were Rochester Police Officers and several civilians who also received recognition.
We are excited for the opportunity to welcome new members of our office, recognize the good work of existing members and recognize others in our community who make doing our jobs easier by their courageous and selfless acts.
Certificates of Appointment
Corey Leighton - Deputy Sheriff - March 27, 2023
Casey Pahl - Deputy Sheriff - March 27, 2023
Tanner Long - Detention Deputy - June 5, 2023
Kasandra Sanders - Detention Deputy - June 5, 2023
Michael Diercks - Deputy Sheriff - August 14, 2023
Riley Sammon - Deputy Sheriff - August 14, 2023
Alex Olson - Training Center Tech - August 28, 2023
Certificates of Promotion
Ryan Mangan - Captain - April 10, 2023
Malinda Hanson - Lieutenant - April 10, 2023
Jens Dammen - Lieutenant - April 10, 2023
Heather Johns - Sergeant - April 10, 2023
Adam Rinn - Sergeant - April 10, 2023
Zach Wagner - Sergeant - April 10, 2023
Sean Cooper - Detective - April 10, 2023
Joel Johnson - Detective - April 10, 2023
Kevin Schmidt - Corporal - April 10, 2023
Nick Heimer - Corporal - April 24, 2023
Letters of Recognition
Courtney Amos
Mary Mauseth
Life Saving Awards
Richard Alexander
Jason Bade
Teri Dose
Crystal Ebert
Tsigereda Fecadu
Trevor Hanson
Nathan Heeren
Tyler Heiden
Rodney Moen
Jason Owen
Geoffrey Stevens
Steven Thompson
Dustin Wehrs
Jeffrey Zabel
Memorial Presentation
Nick Heimer
Linda Stevens to Retire
Sergeant Brady Wolhart
1993. The year of Jurassic Park’s movie release, the fall of Pablo Escobar, President Clinton being sworn into office, Sleepless in Seattle premiered, “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston topped the Billboard charts and our own Linda Stevens starting her career in Olmsted County as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff. As a Reserve Deputy, she patrolled the county, took calls, made arrests, and helped with Saturday morning warrant sweeps. One of her most memorable calls involved a drive by shooting in the Oronoco area where she was the primary Deputy handling the investigation and did her first ever interviews with victims and witnesses that night. She maintained friendships with many of her coworkers from that job and some are lifelong friends. Another experience she will never forget was the time she forgot her gun in a lockbox in the Ramsey County jail and needing to drive all the way back to get it. For those of you in law enforcement who are reading this, you all know that feeling!
Linda left Olmsted County in 2004 for the private sector, returning in 2010 as the Sheriff’s Office Transport Coordinator. Linda hit the ground running and made the position into what it is today: Coordinating DOC prison transports, interstate detainers, writs of habeas corpus for court appearances, warrant pickups, extraditions, ADC medical appointments, trips to and from jails across the State of Minnesota including surrounding states through the NW Shuttle program, and a variety of other things on a daily basis inside the Government Center. Over the years she has made friends and contacts in a multitude of law enforcement and corrections agencies and represented Olmsted County in a positive way.
In speaking with Linda about this article, I asked her about what she will miss most from her career. It should come as no surprise she responded with, the people she worked with. She had good working relationships with several Captains and Sergeants over the years and kept the Transport Division running smoothly as staff rotated in and out. Obviously, the next question was, what will she NOT miss? DRIVING A HALF HOUR TO WORK IN THE DARK WITH SNOW AND ICE was her answer. Her plans for retirement will include a heavy dose of golf, traveling to warm climates with beaches and cold beverages, and spending time with her family.
A huge thank you to you Linda from the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and from me personally for your years of hard work, dedication, and answering my multitude of questions. It’s truly not going to be the same around here and you had better keep inviting me to come play golf with you and Dave. Congratulations on your retirement. You earned it.
De-Escalation Training for Community Groups and Organizations
Chief Deputy James Schueller and Megan Schueller, LPCC, conducted CIT Training for The Landing, Warming Shelter, Dorothy Day staff and others. Because of the mix of organizations, there was great discussion amongst the group about the fact that while they represented different entities, their goals are the same and it allowed for networking and idea sharing that will only benefit all of them moving forward.
Chief Deputy Schueller noted that it was beneficial to him as well to hear things from their perspective and see how we all really do work together toward common goals. One of the attendees said it best; “We are a community of people working together to help those in need.”
Rudy Naul, Senior Shelter Program Manager noted that attendees truly appreciated the presentation and the opportunity to discuss crisis intervention and de-escalation. He also noted they’re hoping for additional training.
Toward Zero Deaths Recognition
Olmsted County Sheriff's Office members were awarded Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety
Challenge Coins for their outstanding leadership and commitment to the Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) mission at the October 3rd Board Meeting. Those receiving recognition included: Media Development Specialist Kyle Bradt, Deputy Chris Streed, Sheriff Kevin Torgerson and TZD Coordinator/Intelligence Analyst Michelle Ness.
Dates of Interest
November 1
Dover City Council Meeting
November 5
Pleasant Grove Township Meeting
Quincy Township Meeting
Rochester City Council Meeting
November 6
Elmira Township Meeting
High Forest Township Meeting
Oronoco Township Meeting
November 7
Olmsted County Board Meeting
Salem Township Meeting
November 8
Eyota City Council Meeting
Rochester Township Meeting
November 12
Cascade Township Meeting
Chatfield City Council Meeting
Orion Township Meeting
Rock Dell Township Meeting
November 13
Byron City Council Meeting
Marion Township Meeting
New Haven Township Meeting
Stewartville City Council Meeting
November 19
Eyota Township Meeting
Kalmar Township Meeting
Rochester City Council Meeting
November 20
Pine Island City Council Meeting
November 21
Farmington Township Meeting
Haverhill Township Meeting
Olmsted County Board Meeting
Oronoco City Council Meeting
November 22
Eyota City Council Meeting
Olmsted County Fire Meeting
Olmsted County Township Assoc Meeting
November 26
Chatfield City Council Meeting
Dover Township Meeting
Viola Township Meeting
November 27
Byron City Council Meeting
Stewartville City Council Meeting
Senior Administration
Sheriff Kevin Torgerson
Chief Deputy—LEC
Brian Howard
Captains
Jon Jacobson
Kelly Lee
Ryan Mangan
Tim Parkin
Chris Wallace
Executive Assistant
Laura Collins
Chief Deputy—ADC
James Schueller
Captains
David Adams
Samantha Reps
Macey Tesmer