Over this last week, the Ironton Police Department said good-bye and paid tribute to two men who, combined, had nearly seven decades of service to the county.

Last Wednesday, they honored Sgt. Jamie Pruitt, who retired after 11 years with the department and 24 years in Lawrence County law enforcement.

While, on Friday, Capt. Chris Bowman retired after three decades with the department and 45 years in law enforcement.

Pruitt, who had previously served as chief of the Proctorville Police Department, was half of the IPD detective bureau and served on the Special Response Team and Major Drugs Task Force.

While Bowman, who came from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, had received commendations for his work, which included apprehending a murder suspect, negotiating a hostage release and disarming a suspect in a domestic violence situation.

The two were both spoken of highly by their colleagues, who said their experience and expertise was invaluable.

Through their time on all of their jobs Bowman and Pruitt saved many lives and protected their community.

We commend them for the honors they have received, thank them for all they contributed to the department and the community and wish them both a happy retirement.