Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude spoke with WIZM News Director Kevin Millard as he looked back on his career in law enforcement.  

He announced earlier this year that he wouldn’t seek another term in office.  

During the conversation, Ganrude said he ran this term to see the completion of a big project for the county-the new jail.  

When asked, it was one of the things he wanted to be remembered for and is proud of its construction. He said he wanted to see it up and running and running smoothly before there was a new sheriff.  

“I’m very satisfied with the facility we have now. It will take us far into the future. It’s well designed and well-built and it’s very manageable for the staff. We didn’t add any staff which was huge for me and our jail administrator. We told the board we wouldn’t add any staff, which we didn’t.” 

They also added a new expanded dispatch center as well.  

He also talked about some of the cases that stand out. The one he spoke about was the Baby Angel case, which is still working its way through the court system. A Winona woman was arrested in 2025 after DNA evidence linked her to the body of an infant found in the Mississippi River in 2011. With the body were angel figurines.  

Ganrude also spoke about how technology has changed over the years. Today, deputies use computers and cell phones, where before, when he first started, all reports were handwritten.  

As far as the future goes, Ganrude said he’s going to enjoy spending time with his family, especially his eight grandchildren. There’s also plenty of time on the river fishing.  

Listen to the full interview below as Sheriff Ganrude shares more stories and memories of his career in law enforcement.