POTD: On behalf of a grateful city

Metro Wire Staff

On-duty officers and office personnel at the Stevens Point Police Department pause for a moment to salute the American flag on Aug. 4.

The department raised a special flag over the department, 933 Michigan Ave., for 24 hours as an honorarium to Dr. Clark D. Pagel, 65, who died July 31. Pagel was a sworn officer at SPPD for a decade before moving into the education sector.

The flag will come down during a similar brief ceremony on the afternoon of Aug. 5, and the department’s regular American flag will be returned to the skies.

Chief Robert Kussow said he plans to present the flag to Pagel’s widow, Donnell, at next week’s funeral service.

Most police and fire departments in Portage Co. also raise a flag for 24 hours to present to sworn personnel upon retirement.