CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Col. Jess Oyler is retiring as head of the Wyoming Highway Patrol at the end of the year.

Oyler has been on the job since June 2010. He says ongoing health concerns contributed to his decision to retire and end his 32-year career with the agency.

John Cox is director of the Wyoming Department of Transportation, which oversees the Highway Patrol. Cox said Thursday that Oyler has done a fine job and said he's sorry to see him leave.

Cox hasn't announced when he will select Oyler's successor.

Oyler is the 11th person to lead the Highway Patrol since it began 1933. His father, W.O. "Fred" Oyler, led the Highway Patrol for three years in the mid-1980s.

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