Platte County Sheriff Tom Thomas announced Monday that he will retire at the end of this term, which will be Dec. 31, 1996. Thomas has held the office for seven terms and is currently the longest serving sheriff in the state of Missouri. Before Thomas took office Jan. 1, 1969, he had been a police officer for the Kansas City Police Department for 10 years, four of those as a detective. Thomas said it was great to win his first election, but it was even more of an accomplishment to be reelected each time. While in office, Thomas established the Platte County Sheriff’s Department tactical unit and the Platte County Investigative drug squad.
William Dick Fickle and Mrs. Jane T. Fickle, both of Parkville, announce the engagement of their daughter, Tara Elizabeth Fickle, to Captain Robert John Bennett, USA, son of Robert F. Bennett of Valparaiso, Indiana, and Mrs. Joseph W. Staggs of Broken Arrow, Okla. Miss Fickle graduated from Park Hill High School in 1990 and received her bachelor of arts from Westminster College and will receive her master of science from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in May. She was a 1992 Harvest Ball V.I.C.T.O.R.Y. honoree and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Capt. Bennett graduated from the United States Military Academy and will complete officer advanced course at Fort Still, Okla. on Dec. 14. He will join the 2-3 Field Artillery based in Kirch-Gons, Germany, facing probable deployment in Bosnia.
