Two new Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputies were introduced to the Board of Supervisors at this week’s meeting.

Sheriff Marty Arganbright introduced Shane Jones and Taylor Wheatley, who are filling positions that were vacant for almost a year after the Stuart shooting incident last October. Jones shared that he is originally from the Van Meter area. After attending Kirkwood Community College he worked at the Stuart Veterinary Clinic for six years and then moved to law enforcement, where he worked for about five years at the Jefferson Police Department, rising to the rank of sergeant.

Wheatley graduated from Adair-Casey High School and received his Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Midland University in Nebraska. He was then hired by the Panora Police Department in 2016.

Arganbright reminded the Supervisors that the two new hires are through a 28E agreement with the City of Guthrie Center. Jones and Wheatley will work 60% of their time for the City and the other 40% for the County, which Arganbright said is a win-win. He shared his excitement to have his staff at full strength again, “We have a lot going on. It’s not getting better, I tell you that all the time. Our jail’s full, I’m glad we’re on our way to break ground. I appreciate all of your work you’ve done to get that to happen. I feel good about that, we all do.”

Prior to meeting the deputies, the Board approved awarding the contracts for the approximate $9.46 million law enforcement center courthouse addition project, which is expected to break ground later this month.