California IN BRIEF : VISALIA : Senior Sheriff in State Will Retire

Tulare County Sheriff Bob Wiley, the state’s senior sheriff, plans to retire at the end of the year. Wiley, 53, announced he will leave office Dec. 31 when his sixth term expires. He said although he has a problem with high blood pressure, health did not play a part in his decision. “There comes a time in every elected official’s career when he should know it’s time to step down,” Wiley said. “This is my time.” He said the department is operating at maximum efficiency. “This is the best time for both my family and myself,” Wiley said. Wiley was elected in 1966, taking over a department with 130 employees and a jail that housed 85 inmates. The department now has 485 employees and a jail that houses 1,400 inmates.