For the Tribune

The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office will be selling T-shirts at the Freeborn County Fair under the grandstand throughout fair week. Their booth will be located behind the fairgrounds sheriff’s office in the south end of the grandstand vendor area.

The T-shirts will sell for $15 each with proceeds applied to the weapons debt.

The Freeborn County Sheriff’s office initiated a weapons fundraiser early this year to replace outdated weapons and supplement deputies with rifles. The cost of new weapons for 21 deputies totalled $42,500. Through fundraising, the sheriff’s office has reduced the debt to $9,300.

In the past two months the sheriff’s office has received private donations which has allowed the debt to go down to $7,300. The T-shirts will be used as the final phase to pay off the debt.

On the front of the T-shirt is a SURVIVOR emblem, the back of the T-shirt has an inmate looking through the bars from a jail window with the caption reading: &uot;Freeborn County Bed and Breakfast.&uot; The T-shirts were originally designed for volunteers at a disaster drill scenario on July 17.

T-shirts are also available by calling the sheriff’s office at 377-5205 and asking for Debbie Mortensen. After the fair, any remaining T-shirts will be available at the sheriff’s office.