About 50-60 people, including a number of local deputies, Virginia State Police troopers and other officers, attended a ceremony this weekend in Hudgins to honor the memory of the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities in 2015.

The Law Enforcement Memorial Service was held in the Fellowship Hall of Mathews Baptist Church on Sunday afternoon, which is also observed nationwide as Peace Officers Memorial Day.

“As people in the community go about their daily routine and, hopefully sleeping soundly at night, the men and women of the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office are patrolling our roadways trying to keep them safe, looking for suspicious activity, violations of the law and checking our homes and businesses,” Mathews Sheriff L. Mark Barrick said.

“We work nights, holidays and weekends. We miss birthdays, anniversaries, school plays, church and ballgames,” he continued. “Many times our presence isn’t wanted;...