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A new, yet possibly familiar face can be seen around Marion County now that the Sheriff’s office has hired their new deputy. Jake Smith, a Melcher-Dallas High School graduate, had his first day on the force last week and says things have been busy but everything is going well thus far. Sheriff Ron Goemaat says Smith was chosen from a pool of approximately 30 candidates who applied for the position to fill a vacancy left when Lieutenant Tim Cox retired in December. Smith says it means a lot to him to be able to serve the people of Marion County and it’s nice to be able to give back to the community he grew up in.