The Tioga County Sheriff’s Office held their annual pin/award ceremony on May 12. Pictured are department members who received the Gallantry Star Award for apprehension and arrest of two dangerous criminals who were a major threat to the community. (Photos by JoAnn R. Walter)
The Tioga County Sheriff’s Office held their annual pin/award ceremony on May 12. Pictured are department members who received the Medal of Exceptional Service award. Quick thinking and teamwork resulted in helping a woman out of a hazardous and potentially life-threatening situation.
The Tioga County Sheriff’s office held their annual pin/award ceremony on May 12 at the Public Safety Building located at 103 Corporate Dr. in Owego, N.Y. The ceremony recognized employees for five, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service as well as honored individual employees with awards for other outstanding accomplishments. Additional awards were also given out by the recognition committee.
Tioga County Sheriff, Gary W. Howard, opened the ceremony by announcing that 2016 marked the thirteenth year of the Sheriff’s Department awards.
Receiving five year service ribbons were CO’s Bryan Marsh, Dennis Updyke and Margaret Hogan, and Deputy Thomas Gallagher.
Receiving 10 year service ribbons were Sergeants Adam Bessey and John Edwards, CO’s Kristine Budinger, Kenneth Forrest and Sean Shollenberger, Deputy John Delmage, and E911 Dispatchers Robert Ervay and Elizabeth Struble.
Receiving 15 year service ribbons were CO Judy Keil and E911 Dispatcher Judith Mallery.
Receiving 20 year service ribbons were Deputies Brian Henry and Robert Spallone and Investigator Shawn Nalepa.
Receiving 25 year service ribbons were Senior Investigator Wayne Moulton, Lt. Casey Rhodes and CO William Spangenburg.
Recognized with the Gallantry Star award by the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office were Sr. Investigator Wayne Moulton, Investigators Richard Hallett, Shawn Nalepa, Clifford Alexander and Timothy Schmidt, and Sergeant William White.
The Gallantry Star award was presented to the six Sheriff’s Office members in regard to their work encompassing a strong-arm robbery that took place at the Citgo Gas station located in the Village of Owego on Jan. 12, 2015. The members showed great skill and tenacity through multiple investigations, which linked suspects of the robbery to a previous robbery in 2014 that also occurred in the Village. The members were acknowledged for the apprehension and arrest of two dangerous criminals who were a major threat to the community.
Recognized with the Sheriff’s Commendation award was Corrections Officer Keith Spangenburg who recovered heroin on two separate occasions, July and September 2015, while booking inmates at the Tioga County Jail. The decisive actions of Officer Spangenburg resulted in the subjects being subsequently charged.
Recognized with the Sheriff’s Medal of Exceptional Service award were Deputies Brian Henry, Thomas Gallagher, David Schoonover, John Cornwell and Kaden Siang. Quick thinking and teamwork under hazardous conditions on Feb. 21, 2015, resulted in helping a female out of a potentially life-threatening situation. The woman, initially missing for a few hours, was found by members in a field on the edge of a creek, in minus six degree temperature with wind chills of approximately 25 degrees below zero, and in upwards of three feet of snow. The deputies were able to carry the woman through the snow and creek and delivered her to EMS services waiting to transport her to the hospital.
Recognized with the Sheriff’s Stork Award was E911 Dispatcher Robert Ervay for his outstanding performance in April 2015 under urgent and stressful conditions. Dispatcher Ervay utilized Emergency Medical Dispatch protocols and assisted a woman in labor until an emergency squad arrived on the scene.
Tioga County Legislator and Legislative Chair, Martha Sauerbrey, commented, “I’d like to thank everyone for their service. I spent a few years as chair of public safety so I got to experience a few things you do. I appreciate what you do and the responsibilities that you carry and the entire community thanks you as well.”
