Retiring Sheriff Cheryl Liedle will be missed by many in Lewis and Clark County, not least by this newspaper.

That’s because Liedle ran an open department, and was quick to contact the press at all hours with important news. That kind of transparency and openness with the public has been appreciated.

She said Monday the stress of her job finally reached a point at which she felt she had to leave. Her resignation will be effective Sept. 1.

We certainly can understand the stress, from round-the-clock duty during the many dangerous wildfires that raged during her watch to the human tragedies constantly coming her way. A recent letter of complaint from the Lewis and Clark Sheriff’s Employees Association added to the stress, she said. “That was a brick in the wall in the stress that builds up with any job like this.”

Liedle was elected sheriff in a heated election in 2002, but for four years before that she served as undersheriff in an administration that delegated heavy responsibilities to her — effectively meaning that half of her 20 years in law enforcement have been in leadership positions.

Voters generally expect that the public officials they elect will serve out their terms … unless there is good reason not to. That’s obviously the case here, especially for a sheriff who took her job so seriously that she seldom saw her family.

We respect the dedication Liedle has devoted to her work and the residents she has served, and we wish her well in the future.