MONDAY, November 9, 2026|
Photo – Leah Ketner receives Employee of Third Quarter – Courtesy City of Rawlins
Members of the Rawlins Police Department have been recognized for their service.
Four times a year, the Rawlins City Council recognizes a city employee who has gone above and beyond their regular duties. During the November 3rd Rawlins City Council meeting, Police Chief Mike Ward announced that Animal Control Officer, Leah Ketner, had been selected as the Employee of the Third Quarter. Chief Ward described an incident earlier this year in which Officer Ketner responded to a house fire after learning that animals were involved. Upon arriving at the scene, she treated two dogs injured in the blaze. The police chief credited Ketner’s actions with saving the life of one of those dogs.
Chief Ward said Officer Ketner arranged for veterinarian Dr. Katherine Hones to respond to the scene and continue treating the injured animal. He said the family later thanked Officer Ketner for her actions, adding that she also arranged grooming services for the dog.
Chief Ward said Animal Control Officer Leah Ketner’s actions during that incident made her a clear choice for the Employee of the Third Quarter award.
Officer Ketner is not the only member of the Rawlins Police Department to receive recognition for her work. Last week, the police department’s social media account announced that Christine Makinen had been nominated for the Wyoming Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials and National Emergency Number Association’s Dispatcher of the Year. Makinen was nominated alongside University of Wyoming Police Dispatcher John Nelson. The Carbon County Unified Dispatch Center was also nominated for the Team of the Year award. The Wyoming chapter of the APCO and NENA held its annual awards meeting in Casper earlier this month where the Buffalo Police Department won Team of the Year and Alison Stephens from the City of Newcastle, Town of Upton, and Weston County Combined Dispatch Center was named the individual Dispatcher of the Year.
