Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck said in a news release Friday he is delegating "additional day to day operations" to Chief Deputy Richie Conner effective Saturday so Cradduck can help his wife with medical issues.
Full news release:
I wanted to inform both the Quorum Court and general public that I am delegating additional day to day operations to Chief Conner effective 10-25-14. This change is necessary so I can assist my wife as she continues to suffer through some very serious medical issues. I will not be taking a leave of absence; however, I plan on attending any and all Doctor’s visits with her and support her through this difficult time as we continue to focus on her health.
My family would like to thank all of those who have prayed for and continue to support us during this time. I feel that this information is private in nature, however, I felt compelled to let the facts be known to the public as to why I had missed a number of quorum court meetings after reading today’s Morning News Editorial, which contained several erroneous and callous comments.
Again, I want to thank everyone for their support.
Sheriff Kelley Cradduck
The editorial questioned why Cradduck had been absent from some county meetings and had not been available for comment on a leadership change in the sheriff's office.