Former police chief fills in

At the regular Chico City Council meeting on Tuesday (Dec. 2), City Manager Mark Orme announced that former Chico Police Chief Mike Dunbaugh has agreed to come out of retirement and serve as interim chief while the city does a nationwide search to find a replacement for retiring Chief Kirk Trostle. Dunbaugh was generally credited with modernizing the police department during his tenure as chief from 1992 to 1996, after which he left to become chief in Santa Rosa.

Late last month, Trostle unexpectedly sent a letter to Orme announcing his plan to retire on Dec. 30, after about 2 1/2 years on the job. The city will begin the national search for a full-time chief in January.