Grundy County welcomes three new deputies

    Over the past six months, the Grundy County Sheriff’s Merit Commission has been working to administer written exams and give oral interviews to provide an eligibility list to hire from. The list became official on Sept. 7.
    Out of nearly 120 candidates, the top three all grew up in the area and were enrolled in the Grundy Area Vocational Center’s (GAVC) criminal justice program. Grundy County Sheriff Kevin Callahan said the success of these candidates demonstrates the impact the vocational center has on young adults.
    “Growing up in this community and attending GAVC nearly 40 years ago, I have firsthand knowledge of the impact that the vocational center schooling has on individuals. The GAVC criminal justice program continues to prove itself by producing some of the best candidates in the area for police positions and I couldn’t be happier to support them in any way possible,” the sheriff said.
    The sheriff announced in late September the top three candidates—Thomas Youskevtch, Tyler Post and Alicia Headrick—had all been offered employment with the sheriff’s office and accepted.
    Born and raised in Goose Lake, Youskevtch attended Unit 1 schools, graduating from Coal City High School. He obtained his bachelors degree in criminal justice from Western Illinois University and during his college career he completed an internship at the sheriff’s office.
     Headrick, a 2015 graduate of Wilmington High School, is a recent graduate of Lewis University where she earned a bachelors degree in criminal justice in just three years of study. She was also a long-time member of the Grundy County Sheriff’s Explorers program.
    Headrick and Youskevtch reported to the Macon County Law Enforcement Academy on Monday, Oct. 1 to complete their police training.
    Post joins the patrol division after one year as a Wisconsin State Police trooper.
    Raised in rural Morris, Post attended Nettle Creek Elementary School and Morris Community High School, and went on to attend Joliet Junior College. He was hired by the Wisconsin State Police in September 2017 and graduated number one in his class from the state’s police academy. He was also a Grundy County Sheriff’s Police Explorer.
    The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office has been a long-time supporter of the GAVC program.
    “My office has supported the vocational center by offering guest speakers, ride alongs, and surplus equipment that is used to train these students and will continue to do so as long as I am in office,” Callahan said.
    The sheriff further expressed his appreciation to the five members of the merit commission for the work they do.
    “We are extremely grateful for their time and commitment. They volunteer their time to provide us with quality candidates to choose from,” Callahan said.