UPDATE - APRIL 14:
After the loss of its longtime sheriff, Churchill County is now preparing for what comes next.
County commissioners will meet on Friday at 8:15 a.m. to appoint a new sheriff following the death of Sheriff Richard C. Hickox Jr.
The meeting will take place in chambers at 155 N. Taylor Street in Fallon and will be live-streamed online.
The person appointed will serve the remainder of the current term, which runs through the end of the 2026 calendar year.
The process to elect the next sheriff will follow state law. Under NRS 293.165, “…a person may become a candidate for the nonpartisan office at the general election if the person files a declaration of candidacy with the appropriate filing officer and pays the filing fee required by NRS 293.193 after 8 a.m. on the third Monday in June…and before 5 p.m. on the fourth Friday in July.”
Candidates for sheriff should file at the Churchill County Clerk/Treasurer’s office, located at 155 N. Taylor Street, Suite 110, during normal business hours.
Funeral services for Sheriff Richard C. Hickox Jr. are scheduled for Saturday. May 2nd, 2026, at 1:00 PM at the 3C Event Complex, 227 Sheckler Road in Fallon.
To honor the sheriff, the stadium lights at Churchill County High School will be turned blue from 7 p.m.-7 a.m. this week.
ORIGINAL STORY - APRIL 13:
The Churchill County Sheriff's Office has announced the passing of Sheriff Richard C. Hickox Jr. He died Saturday due to complications from cancer.
In a post on Facebook the sheriff's office said, "Sheriff Hickox served the people of Churchill County for over 28 years. He started as a Detention Deputy, working up the ranks to Patrol Deputy, Investigator, Patrol Sergeant, Investigative Sergeant, Captain, and ultimately as our Sheriff. He was hardworking and dedicated, not only in community organizations and his church, but also served as a board member of the Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association, where he recently completed his term as President of the organization. He will be missed not only by his immediate family but also by his brothers and sisters in blue, whom he has dedicated his life to serving for so many years."
Funeral arrangements will be released as they become available.
