As our community stands down from two recent high-visibility trials, I commend the support we received from various sources.

In particular, I sincerely appreciate Sheriff Mark Lusk, of Lycoming County, and Lycoming County’s Board of Commissioners, which endorsed Lusk’s unilateral offer of support during that challenging period.

In my 21-year tenure as sheriff of Centre County, I have never encountered a situation in which the county’s law enforcement resources were taxed as heavily as what we experienced last month. It was clear from the beginning that competing demands on limited manpower resources would challenge our goal of providing truly safe professional security at both venues.

Lusk’s offer of support provided the necessary boost in manpower required to ensure that both dynamic venues were covered, while simultaneously managing other standing responsibilities within the Sheriff’s Office.

It is times like this that I see our commonwealth truly pulling together. While the situation had the potential to become quite fluid, chaos was held in check.

My appreciation extends to all who supported this challenging period, but I especially commend Lusk and the Lycoming commissioners for their contribution to the cause.

Denny Nau Centre County sheriff