Area high school students learned about all the bells and whistles in county government Tuesday.

Literally.

"Honk!" blared a sheriff's deputy car as Jail Administrator Bob Roche pressed the horn. Students jumped, gasped and covered their ears. Nervous giggling soon followed.

Students from Grand Meadow, Southland and LeRoy-Ostrander high schools spent their school day in Austin during County Government Day. The annual event is sponsored by the Mower County chapter of the American Legion and is meant to show the students how their county works.

"Most (students), within a year, will have the ability to vote," said Jim Kellogg, Mower County commander of the American Legion. "They're directly affected by the actions of individuals elected and appointed."

The students started out the morning with a workshop at the Legion, with speakers from county departments. They then learned how recycling works in the county and returned to the Legion for lunch. The afternoon was spent at part of a county board of commissioners meeting and with the deputies in the Mower County Sheriff's office, including Tazer, the Belgian Malinois K-9.

Deputy Sheriff Barry Reburn and Roche shared with the students their everyday duties and the over-crowding problems within the jail. They stressed that the students be responsible for their actions. A speeding ticket, for example, will cost them at least $80 and raise their insurance rates.

"You shouldn't do it, can't do it," Reburn said. "If it's on you, it's your responsibility."

Then Tazer gave the students a demonstration. The dog has won national awards and is used for tracking and narcotics. When pursuing a suspect, Tazer goes for the arm. His handler, Deputy Jeff Ellis, said he can run up to 30 mph.

"When he hits the sleeve, there has not been a person that can stay on his feet yet," Ellis said.

With that said, Grand Meadow students watched as their social studies teacher Bill Simpkins agree to be attacked by the dog.

Wearing an arm brace covered with burlap, Simpkins allowed the dog to chew on the training arm until Ellis commanded Tazer to stop.

Simpkins laughed off the stunt and said overall, County Government Day had gone well.

"I think they really enjoyed themselves," said Simpkins who brought senior social studies students. "It's probably something they wouldn't do on their own."

Many of the students agreed the law enforcement part of the day was most interesting.

"The dog was the most exciting," said Dustin Voigt, a junior at Southland.

Alyssa O'Connell, another Southland junior, said she liked learning how Tazer was trained.

"I didn't know how they did that at all," she said.

Southland Junior Krystina Irvin learned more about the county's recycling process.

"To see how everything gets done out there, to see how they dispose of paint, I didn't know they did that," Irvin said.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at cari.quam@austindailyherald.com