Sheriff | The Silver World Newspaper

County Commissioners Ponder Topics Ranging From Pass Access, Mt. Morris Lode Sale, All Hazards Team

by Jodi Linsey Hinsdale County Commissioners met for their third regular meeting of the month on Wednesday, October 29. Following are highlights on a wide-ranging topics during the open discussion portion of the workshop touching on subjects ranging from conditions on Cinnamon and Engineer Passes to PILT funding.Commissioner Robert Hurd led a discussion about two recent incidents involving out of state visitors getting stuck on top of Engineer Pass in a couple of feet of snow. Both of theses parties accessed the pass from the Animas Forks side. According to County Administrator Sandy Hines, the county has received calls and comments suggesting that the gates located on the pass roads that are closed and locked during winter months be locked now, although Hines pointed out that there are still hunters and recreationalists as well as property owners accessing the high country beyond the gates.Commissioner Kristie Borchers had multiple items to report, including upcoming sampling at the Ute-Ulay Mine complex that is owned by the county. She stated that during some routine clean-up, antique transformers were discovered in an overgrown area and that the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will conduct testing to determine if they pose an environmental danger.Borchers reported Hinsdale County Marketing Committee has received six proposals in response to its Request for Proposals (RFPs) for a one-year contract for a Marketing Consultant. Of those six proposals, there were two local people or companies, one with close local ties, one from Salida, Colorado, and two larger marketing companies. The RFP follows the declination of Kate Hopson to renew her contract with the Marketing Committee after her five-year tenure in that position.Catching up on housing news, Borchers spoke about the county’s commitment to the ongoing Affordable Housing Project by working to obtain a grant to pay for the hiring and two years’ salary of a Housing Coordinator. She will also pursue other funding sources to reduce the county’s costs for the project while obtaining buy-in from other local institutions.There was further discussion on topics from the potential loss of SNAP benefits for the 27 local families currently relying on them, to AlpineLoop.org, to the loss of highway cameras in Powderhorn and on Spring Creek Pass.The regular workshop agenda began with recent flooding in the Upper Piedra area in the South End of Hinsdale County, with County Emergency Manager Phil Graham reporting on the possibility of residents receiving State and Federal Emergency Funds. In the following regular meeting, the Commissioners ratified the Emergency Declaration that was verbally declared by the County Administrator on Monday, October 20.Next on the agenda was discussion about Emergency Medical Services Director Katherine Heidt’s employment contract, with some minor changes in language approved by county attorney Michael O’Laughlin and yearly compensation of $75,600. In the following meeting they unanimously approved the contract.Brad Jones has been nominated by Sheriff Denim Starnes to be Hinsdale County’s official alternate to sit on the Gunnison Hinsdale Combined Emergency Telephone Service Authority (GHCETSA), which is the authority regulating the 911 system in the local jurisdiction. The Commissioners readily approved Jones for this position in the following meeting.The Commissioners next took up the matter of the finalization of the sale of Lot 2 of the Mt. Morris Lode Subdivision to Josh Gray following a prolonged process including a title search to determine the surrender of the property for unpaid taxes in the 1920s. The Commissioners decided to then create a subdivision in order to protect a corner of the property that contains a short length of the popular walking trail along Henson Creek. The requirement for a Special Use Permit also complicated the timeline as the buyer, Josh Gray, first inquired about the property and is still planning on building a campground of yurts.Phil Graham was back in front of the Commissioners to discuss the Natural Disaster Mitigation Enterprise Grant contract, which is a small grant that helps fund the Hinsdale County wood chipping program, an integral part of the local wildfire mitigation program. This was easily approved in the following meeting.There followed a lively discussion about the possibility of expanding the number of participants that the county can manage from the current cap of 60 to 80 employees in the All Hazard Team Program. Following delayed state reimbursed for salary and benefit costs of the employees, the county came close to dropping the program altogether but have since worked with the state to remedy the situation. The Commissioners agreed to the increased employment ceiling during their regular meeting.The final workshop agenda item discussed by the Commissioners was an opportunity for a JAG grant to pay for integral security infrastructure for the Sheriff’s Dept in the new County Administration Building. This agenda item was approved in the following meeting.Following a break in the action between the workshop and the regular meeting, the Commissioners opened bids for the 2026 propane service contract. Out of the three bids received, the one receiving the winning vote was submitted by JC Propane, with a price of $1.59 per gallon for 10,000 gallons for Hinsdale County and an added benefit of $1.99 per gallon for Hinsdale County employees.Other than the business that was introduced in the workshop and subsequently dealt with in the regular meeting, Commissioners reconvened at 1 p.m. to discuss the concessionaire fees at Deer Lakes Day Use Area. Betsy Bair of Senator Jeff Hurd’s office explained that both the county and the Senator’s offices have received complaints concerning the implementation of user fees at Deer Lakes. Following critical repairs that were paid for by U.S. Forest Service, management of the area was given to concessionaire, Recreation Resource Management, which also manages Williams Creek Campground above Lake San Cristobal. The management company has imposed new fees including a camping fee, a day use fee, and a new impact fee.There will be another meeting in January with Senator Hurd’s office which, in the interim, will attempt to negotiate changes in the fee schedule to allow for moose viewing and fishing without extra fees.

November 7, 2025 No Comments

Navy Reserve Veteran Strausbaugh Cites Resilience, Determination as New Deputy

As a student in law-enforcement academy, Strausbaugh described himself as “active”.
“I was challenging things, asking clarifying questions. There were quite a few times when things weren’t, in my opinion, clearly articulated and I’m thinking, ‘that’s pretty freaking important’, because that lack of clarity leads to the miscommunication leads to someone’s Fourth Amendment rights being trampled on.”

July 18, 2025 No Comments

Dear Grant,

In my opinion, The Silver World has made a mistake by publishing the email from the former Undersheriff Jim Hunsicker without first talking with our current Sheriff or researching any of the allegations brought against him. The email is nothing more than a smear against the current Elected Sheriff, Denim Starnes.This published email and the “Restoring the office of Sheriff” paper, written and circulated by the former Undersheriff are nothing more than the delusional ravings of, to use his own words, a “distressed and distraught” and “personally, emotionally and mentally distressed” employee.After reading the “Restoring the Office of Sheriff” and the email published in the paper I went to Sheriff Starnes to see if he had been approached by the newspaper about the article. He told me that he had not. He also told me he would not make a public reply to these outrageous accusations. The sheriff’s office has more important, real police work to do.In his writings, Mr. Hunsicker makes a flippant mention of the distress and expense of relocating and how his “life is ruined.” Mr. Hunsicker has apparently been to Lake City before, having owned a business called Alpine Loop Technological Consulting. The fact that he laid blame on the current Sheriff for his moving distress is laughable as he was hired by the former interim Sheriff Bruce. Seems that any anguish or discomfort he may have endured is of his own making.Mr. Hunsicker states that Sheriff Starnes has character traits that make him unsuitable to serve as sheriff. This is a typical case of the pot calling the kettle black. Mr. Hunsicker has shown such poor character and lack of devotion to the job during his 107 days of “mental distress,” and in his recent scribblings, the irony is overwhelming.Every leader has their own form of leadership and Mr. Hunsicker, having served at least 20 years in the USMC and USMCR, should know this. He could have found a way to communicate and get the mission accomplished. However, he instead chose not to comply, he chose to leave his post. To quit, when he was needed the most. As if that is not bad enough, he has also decided to disparage his former employer and spread erroneous allegations of wrongdoing, for which he has not provided any proof. He claims to have a “long and detailed list of times and dates’’ that our Sheriff has not upheld his oath of office. Perhaps he should have spent that list making time doing the work of a Deputy. This leads me to believe that he may have come here with the full intention of creating havoc. Listing things he did not agree with, and rather than expressing his concern or trying to solve these supposed issues with his sheriff, he created a spectacle and started his own Coup d’état to remove our elected Sheriff and replace Starnes with himself. This is further implicated by his mention that Sheriff Starnes could be subject of a recall in July, and his recent Facebook page denouncing Sheriff Starnes and projecting his own vanity as well as his desire to be Sheriff.Mr. Hunsicker mentions a “disastrous experience working in another county.” Perhaps this is a common occurrence for Mr. Hunsicker; how many other employers did he have disastrous relationships with? Perhaps some investigation is in order before we take the word of a man who seems to be perfectly comfortable with lamenting his assumed grievances, in public, against his previous employer.This whole tale is nothing more than a case of Aesop’s “sour grapes.” It is not an attempt to improve the system. It is a disgraceful undertaking to bring further disruption into a Sheriff’s department that finally has a Sheriff with grit enough to call out the wrong doers and abide by the rule of law with integrity and courage. Using his discretion as an experienced lawman and not favoritism, as we have seen so many times before.Sheriff Starnes rates as one of the most honest people I have ever known. He is dedicated to his elected position as Sheriff and wants nothing more than to serve this community as his position requires. I fully support Sheriff Starnes as do the majority of Hinsdale County voters that elected him. Sheriff Starnes has done nothing illegal or worthy of dishonor.It seems now that some individuals, who see themselves as relatively important in the community, have turned on Sheriff Starnes. Could it be that he has poked the bear? Has he stirred some water that was meant to be left undisturbed? Time will tell. We can only hope that in the end true justice will prevail. It is never easy to “stand alone and guard against the night.”I stand by these words and support of Sheriff Starnes. Citizen, Patriot, Believer in truth and justice,William S. Bowling

May 15, 2025 No Comments

Snow Showers, Elevated Spirits at Long-Awaited Groundbreaking…

After decades of discussion and faltered plans, Hinsdale County Commissioners, staff, and Sheriff’s Office personnel have broken ground on the 6,000-square foot Operations Building which is being built directly south of Hinsdale County Courthouse at the corner of 4th and Henson Street.Ground breaking in advance of this week’s start of work by contractor Buildings-by-Design and excavation subcontractor — additional photos, page 5— took place last Tuesday afternoon, May 7, with commemorative hardhats and diminutive gold-painted shovels in the midst of a spring snow shower.Pictured left to right are County Finance Officer Lynn McNitt, Administrative Assistant Davee Menzies, County Administrator Sandy Hines, Building Official Gabe McNeese, Dana Hlavac on behalf of Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Hinsdale Commissioners Robert Hurd, Greg Levine and Kristie Borchers, Hinsdale Sheriff’s Department Administrative Assistant Bobbi Vickers McDonald, and Hinsdale County Sheriff Denim Starnes. Cole Zwesler, a travel tech working with Montrose-based Alpine Archaeology — standing, far left — is monitoring subsurface excavations at the site of the new County Operations Building on Henson Street.Zwesler is keeping an eye out for remnants of the old county jail building which burned in 1946 — pictured below left at the site location from a 1902 Sanborn Insurance Map — together with another now vanished frame building at the site, identified below as an assay office, which was originally occupied as a library started by Rev. George Darley in 1877, and later briefly used as a hospital.

May 15, 2025 No Comments

Homecoming April 26 for Local Man Critically Injured in Hit-and-Run Accident

Saturday, April 26 will be a joyous day in Lake City, as Shad Barlow returns to town after a lengthy stint in a Craig, Colorado, rehabilitation center.52-year-old Barlow was struck by a vehicle January 24 on Gunnison Avenue and suffered fractures to his ribs, vertebrae and left arm, and was left unconscious in sub-zero temperatures, leaving him with severe frostbite.Barlow was thus rendered paralyzed and will need to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life, and it was uncertain whether he would be able to return to Lake City to live with his mother, Phyllis Bairrington. But Lake City being the amazing community that it is, local contractors volunteered their time, skills and materials to make renovations to Bairrington’s home so that it is now wheelchair-accessible.The community will be celebrating Barlow’s return to town on Saturday – time still to be determined, but expected to be late afternoon – with a welcome home celebration. Sheriff Starnes will be waiting outside of town for the approach of the vehicle and will lead the cavalcade into Lake City. Those wishing to attend the event are encouraged to follow updates regarding the time on Facebook’s Lake City Locals and Friends page.There will a multitude of ballons and yellow ribbons tied around trees, WORLD has been informed by Barlow’s former landlord, Tammy Nekoba. Residents are also encouraged to make welcome home posters, and a poster-making party will be held today – Friday, April 25 at the Arts Center from noon until 5:00 p.m. Folks are encouraged to bring their own materials, but the Arts Center does have some supplies as well.

April 24, 2025 No Comments

Town Passes OHV Ordinance for Hours of Operation, Spark Arrestors, Fines

Town of Lake City Board of Trustees and Mayor Dave Roberts met with Sheriff Denim Starnes and Deputy Jim Hunsicker during the March 19 regular workshop and meeting to discuss Town OHV regulations and the OHV year-end report. The annual report is generated through input collected from Hinsdale County Finance Director Lynn McNitt, Mayor Roberts, Sheriff Starnes, Captain James Saunders with Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Traffic and Safety Program Manager Zane Znamenacek and CDOT Regional Operator RE Hall.The report, which is required by CDOT’s Special Use Permit, is submitted at the end of each season to communicate concerns or issues that occurred.The report states: Following the end of the 2024 summer season, concerns were communicated to the County and Town that the new start date had adversely affected local business. The County Commissioners and Town Trustees discussed changing the start date for 2025, which would require a new request for an updated Special Use Permit from CDOT. Eventually it was determined to wait until the end of the current 2024-2025 permit. Both the Town and County boards will meet to discuss the possibility of requesting a new permit to continue the OHV Highway program in 2026 and beyond.Other than a few exceptions, each contributing participant named above had relatively the same sentiments to relate, summed up by Saunders as, “Everything else was usual. Nothing to report. That’s good news.”Sheriff Starnes stated that along with Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer Lucas Martin, reporting approximately 150 total contacts were made with OHV drivers on Highway 149. Of those 150 contacts, approximately seven percent resulted in citations.At the March 19 meeting, Mayor Roberts reiterated that in the end of year report, he had “nothing new to add following the 2024 season.” His biggest complaint, within the report, he said, was that the program timeline was shortened and that “a lot of businesses didn’t like that. A lot of people in town would like to see the program go back to the original start date (Memorial Day).”Trustee Bruce said, “So we haven’t had any incidents. Again.” Bruce referenced the data that Lucas Martin contributed to the report, saying, “so when he says 150 total contacts, with seven percent being issued citations – I would be curious to know what the contacts were for. Moving violations, equipment issue – or whatever – I think that could help us.”Mayor Roberts said, “as we all know, we have been working with the town in regards to the OHV program, to make it as palatable as we can for the town citizenry. The Commissioners discussed it this morning, we’ve discussed it a couple of times, we were working on that ordinance to see what we can do, and the three major factors that came up: the amount of the fines; the county wants to raise the helmet fine to $300 for 18 and under. Then, mufflers and spark arrestors – so, noise, and hours of operation.”Bruce said, “they (Hinsdale County) were going to follow us on the hours of operation and we were going to follow them on the fines.”Roberts, speaking to Starnes, said, “I requested that the Sheriff be here because he’s part of this and as we do what we do, I’m interested in your feedback.” Starnes replied, “happy to give it. What are the proposed hours of operation?”Roberts replied, “we’ve been discussing 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.”“What if someone comes off the loop at midnight, or if they have a flat tire?” asked Starnes.Trustee Bruce said, “well, you have discretion, and that would be an exception.”Town Manager Lex Mulhall stated that the other timeframe being considered was 6 a.m. until 11 p.m., and Starnes replied that he felt those times would be more reasonable.Trustee Bruce said she had spoken with some homeowners who lived along the highway, who were not necessarily in favor of OHVs, proposing a 6 a.m. start time until a 10 p.m. end time, and she reported that this idea was favorable, as it gives the noise an eight-hour break. Mayor Roberts agreed, saying, “[we know] not everyone is going to comply. What we’re doing is asking the citizens what they prefer, then we can publish that for all the visitors and guests, saying this is what the town wants. But also, let me back up a step – the newspaper kind of put me out of context – in one of our meetings, I made a comment and I was talking about the stereos [not mufflers, as reported] and how I heard them coming down Crooke’s Hill, and as I read our existing ordinance, that’s in there already. I don’t see you guys [Sheriff’s Office] chasing down every loud stereo.”Starnes interjected to say, “I’ve chased down a few.”Further, Starnes said he would like to share an example from last summer,..(continued) Missing the Whole Story? Click the button below to subscribe! You can receive the weekly publication of The Lake City Silver World to your inbox or front door!

March 28, 2025 No Comments

Deputy Sarah Poet Resigns Sheriff’s Post Effective March 5

Sheriff’s Deputy Sarah Poet, one of the prime investigators on the January 24 vehicular hit and run case, resigned her post effective March 5, 2025. Poet began the academy application process in the fall of 2022, beginning classes in January, 2023. Once her training was completed, she was sworn in to the Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Office June 11, 2023, hired on by former Sheriff Chris Kambish. WORLD spoke with Poet this week, inquiring into her future plans, and she said she plans to remain in Lake City and return to work at The Country Store.“I really miss the people I got to see everyday at the store,” she said. When asked what she liked most about working in law enforcement, she said, “it was an amazing opportunity and I learned a lot. The law enforcement community is the most supportive community of people I’ve ever experienced. No matter what position or rank someone is – Sargeant, Captain, Lieutenant, Sheriff – it doesn’t matter, everyone is so supportive and always has each other’s best interest and success in mind. That was amazing.” With the vacancy Poet’s departure will create, Sheriff Denim Starnes is on the lookout for suitable sheriff’s deputies and has recently been interviewing new recruits.

March 7, 2025 No Comments

2024, A Year in Review

At his death in January, 1874, pioneer Pueblo, Colorado, attorney, journalist, and past territorial lieutenant governor George Aaron Hinsdale, 1), had no intimation his memory would be revived in 2024 as Hinsdale County celebrated its sesquicentennial marking 150 years since its creation with neighboring LaPlata and Rio Grande Counties. As part of the ongoing celebration, Assessor Sherri Boyce and her deputy, Sarah Tubbs, 2), presided over refreshments in their courthouse office on August 1.In addition to the county’s formation, 2024 was also notable as 150th anniversary of Town Founder Enos Hotchkiss building Lake City’s first cabin, August 16, 1874, and — less savory — Alferd Packer consuming fellow prospectors in late winter/early spring 1874.On an upcoming note, notable anniversaries continue in 1875 with 150 since creation of Town of Lake City’s predecessor, the Lake City Town Company, and — on a journalistic note — 150 years since first issue of the original SILVER WORLD Newspaper, June 19, 1875.Also notable in 2025 is 50th anniversary of Phillip Virden’s Mountaineer Movie Theatre.Superlatives in Lake City Recreation Department’s February 3 Ice Climb were repeat wife-and-husband winning team from Golden, Colorado, Kristin Felix, 3), with rapid vertical ice ascent two minutes, 16.39 seconds in the Top Rope competition, and her husband, Todd Felix, 4), who was once again first among men in Lead Rope, inspiring 54.82-second ascent. Denver ice climber Jaren Summer, 5), was among the women contenders in this year’s event (photo by J.T. Stratton). Local climbers in the annual ice event were Sam Fyler and J.T. Stratton.Supervised by Rec. Dept, Leader Ben Hake, climbable ice on Henson Creek continues to expand, Hake with assistants including Danny File and Christian Hartman dousing an added section of challenging vertical cliff across from the Devil’s Kitchen cave with 1,350 additional feet of water pipe this fall for added ice climb challenge.Local girl Buffy Hurd Witt, 6), achieved notable success and was responsible for significant advances during her four-years as Hinsdale Emergency Medical Service Director starting December, 2019, and continuing through December, 2023, when she announced her intent to resign. Witt received a state-wide honor in December 2023, with Best EMS Director Award.Witt’s replacement as EMS Director effective March 25 was eight-year Lake City resident Katherine Heidt, 7) a familiar face among local emergency medical responders who was accredited as EMT in 2020 and worked closely with Witt as EMS Coordinator, Heidt was also certified as Wilderness EMT in 2023.Simultaneous with Heidt’s appointment as EMS Director, Amanda Hartman and Dan Humphreys were named EMS Captains charged with ambulance staffing, ensuring ambulance response is sufficiently staffed with responders on a 24/7, year-round basis, and overseeing ambulance supply restocking and vehicle maintenance. Also continuing as an immense asset to Hinsdale EMS was the return of Brad Jones on a part-time basis as Chief Paramedic.Seth Withrow once again headed up Hinsdale Search & Rescue’s February 19 Ice Fishing Derby at Lake San Cristobal, 8), this year’s lunkers plucked from beneath the ice 22-1/8” lake trout by John Warren, first place, second and third place honors respectively Nicole Schulties, 19-7/8”, and Sam Pankratz, 19-1/2”.Seven Lake City area students commenced an intense five-month Emergency Medical Technician class, 9), on January 9, four of the students — Kelly Elkins, Sarah DeCristino, Grant Loper, and Danny Oge’ — completed certification for an awards ceremony which was held on June 13.Lifesaver Awards signifying teamwork, professionalism, and excellence of care were bestowed by Hinsdale Commissioners to local emergency responders in March, recipients posed with Ann McCord, 10), including Amanda Hartman, Buffy Witt, Richard Williams, Jordan Kaminski, Kelly Elkins, Katherine Heidt, Melody Crump, and Rachel Moore.11), Greg Olson received his oath of office as newest board member of Lake Fork Health Services District from board chairman Lynn McNitt on February 16, joins fellow board members McNitt and Katie Elkins, together with Jordan Kaminski and Hector Gomez, the latter two resigning near year’s end creating two vacancies on the health board.Dr. Ann Treisman, 12), was named Medical Director at Lake City Area Medical Center on January 1, Treisman taking the place of Gunnison physician Dr. Bill Gattis who had served in that capacity — and who was credited as a “stabilizing force” during a significant period of change — since 2020.Dr. Treisman’s tenure at Lake City Area Medical Center dates back to summer, 2014, when she worked at the center when she was a medical student. She interned at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Denver, and was awarded her Doctorate of Medicine Degree from University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2017.Lake City’s Fourteeners middle school girls’ basketball team enjoyed a tremendous season, ending play after advancing to Consolation League Tournament in Alamosa, Colorado, in February where teammates, 13), Carson Shepherd, Aven Humphreys, Morgan Hardy, Brylee Elkins, Cora Kaminski, Nadya Kaminski, and Blake Tubbs walloped their Ortega Middle School counterparts in a down-to-the-wire nailbiter.In addition to a fine season by Lake City middle school girls, also ending successful seasons in February, 2024, were Fourteeners’ middle school boys’ team coached by Doug Eby and Kelly Elkins, 14), Brantley Votruba, Rhys Phillimore, Quan Lemon, Henry Shepherd, Dax Elkins, Daniel Hays, Elliott Hartman, and Joseph Tubbs; older high school basketball team, Mace Elkins, Dean Brown, Silas Hartman, Levi Hartman, Micah Humphreys, and Peter Loper, 15), and Fourteeners’ high school girls, Rowan McNeese, Lucy Hays, Kadance Simmons, Mackenzie Phillimore, Priya Hartman, Eva Wingard, Ingrid Piltinsgrud, and coach Sarah Eby, 16).HUB networking office sponsored by DIRT and Visionary Broadband upstairs in the bank building was enlivened in January with artwork by Lake City school alum Sophie Borchers and Nick Arbogast, 17).Hinsdale Ski Team coached by Henry Woods had a successful showing against counterpart downhill skiers from Pagosa Springs and Silverton, Colorado, during the annual Matt Milski Memorial Ski Race at Lake City Ski Hill on March 2, superlatives with hands raised in victory, 18), first and second place finishers Henry Shepherd, completing the slalom 35.21 seconds, and Elijah Wuest, 37.21 seconds; competing for Lake City on the hometown team and dressed for the

January 3, 2025 No Comments

Monday, November 18, marked a somber anniversary in Lake City as local residents quietly observed the 30th anniversary of the death of Hinsdale County Sheriff Roger Coursey.

Sheriff Coursey, 44, and his Undersheriff, Ray Blaum, were on Highway 149 near the Packer Massacre Site at the base of Slumgullion Pass early Friday morning, November 18, 1994, when they halted a pickup with a man and woman suspected in a series of burglaries which had occurred hours before in Creede. After stopping the pickup, Sheriff Coursey was standing beside the vehicle when he was fatally shot with a .44-caliber Regur pistol. The vehicle’s occupants, driver Mark Allen Vredenburg, and his companion, Ruth N. Slater, then fled the scene, Undersheriff Blaum firing several bullets through the tailgate of the pickup. An intense search for the suspects followed the Sheriff’s murder, although it wasn’t until several weeks later, December 17, 1994, that the bodies of Slater and Vredenburg — an apparent murder/suicide — were found beneath a tree overlooking Lake City Heights Subdivision. Among those with heartfelt memories of Sheriff Coursey’s death is Ray Blaum, now a resident of Norfolk, Virginia, who was in Lake City with his son, Tim Blaum, for Monday’s anniversary. Jerry Gray shares the above photo of father and son Blaum who are posed beside a memorial near where Sheriff Coursey died. In addition to flowers, attached to the white cross memorial is an enclosed sign-in sheet for those visiting the site, signers including law enforcement officers from throughout the U.S. who leave their names with badge numbers.

November 21, 2024 No Comments

Undersheriff Starnes, Commissioner Levine Elected Amid Heavy 88% Voter Turnout…

Hinsdale County voters in record droves maintained the status quo on Tuesday as they handily returned two incumbent County Commissioners to successive four-year terms, and affirmed Undersheriff Denim Starnes who was elected to a four-year term as Hinsdale County Sheriff, the 38th sheriff in the county’s 150-year history. Again, indicating voter satisfaction with the current slate of the county’s elected officers, Hinsdale County Coroner Lori Lawrence, running unopposed, received 479 votes, the highest vote tally of any candidate in this year’s General Election. Hinsdale County Clerk & Recorder Joan Roberts credited “smooth and efficient” work on the part of her staff, Deputy County Clerk Allison Athey and election judges, for a speedy turn around which allowed election results to be checked and double checked, with formal announcement of election results prior to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. At poll closing at 7 p.m. on a cold and snowing election evening Tuesday, the clerk’s office reported a tremendous 88 percent return of the 692 ballots which were mailed to registered voters last month. Of the 692 ballots sent to the county’s voters, 608 ballots were returned either by mail, hand delivery to the clerk’s office, or drop off in the county courthouse outside ballot box prior to Tuesday evening’s deadline. Election judges Alice Attaway, Karen McClatchie, Peggy Bales, Lorie Stewart, and Kathleen Whinnery Murphy smoothly processed this year’s ballots, reporting no provisional ballots which were left uncounted. In the county’s two tightest, contested election races, Unaffiliated incumbent District 1 Commissioner Greg Levine garnered a total of 343 votes county-wide compared to his Republican rival, Steve Ryals, who received 245 votes. Incumbent District 3 County Commissioner Robert Hurd, a Republican, was unopposed in his quest for re-election and received 443 votes, second highest vote tally among local candidates in Tuesday’s election. A second contested local election was for Hinsdale County Sheriff with an unprecedented three candidates who were vying to fill the vacancy resulting from last summer’s resignation of Chris Kambish. Since Kambish’s June, 2024, departure, the role of Hinsdale County Sheriff has been filled by former Sheriff Ron Bruce who was drafted to fill the position with the stated intent of once again retiring from office after the new sheriff is sworn into office on January 8 next year. Top vote recipient in the sheriff’s election was Unaffiliated candidate Denim Starnes, with 343 votes, who is currently Hinsdale County Undersheriff. Starnes was challenged by two candidates, Republican Jordan Kaminski, a former Hinsdale County Undersheriff, who received 186 votes, and a total of 42 votes were tallied for write-In candidate John Thomas Stratton. In other regional election results, traditionally GOP-leaning Hinsdale County awarded a near-identical number of votes to Gunnison County Democrat Kathleen Curry who was vying for the District 58 State Representative seat against Republican Larry Don Suckla. Within the county, Suckla was slightly ahead in Tuesday evening’s tally with 288 votes compared to Curry’s 262; district-wide and according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s cumulative tally Wednesday morning, Suckla was declared the winner with a 52.90 percent vote tally, 26,730, compared to 47.10 percent, 23,795, for Curry. Montrose Republican Marc Catlin was similarly triumphant in the district-wide vote tally for District 5 State Senator, Catlin receiving a total of 41,977 votes, 52.02 percent, compared to 38,718, 47.98 percent, for his Democratic challenger, Cole Buerger. In Hinsdale County in the District 5 State Senate race, Catlin received 336 votes, 216 votes going to Buerger. Predictably Republican leanings were also evident among Hinsdale County voters in the U.S. Presidential race, the Lake City tally after close of polls on Tuesday awarding 329 votes to Donald J. Trump and 252 votes Democratic challenger Kamala Harris. State-wide, as was heavily reported, Colorado voters on whole favored Democrat Harris, 51 percent with 1,374,175, compared to 1,084,812 votes — 43.1 percent — which were awarded to Trump. Other elections of interest include 7th Judicial District Attorney Seth Ryan, an incumbent, who was the sole candidate, receiving 342 Hinsdale County votes. The rub, however, is that Ryan resigned on September 24; state-wide, the 37,727 votes cast for Ryan now go to his replacement, Anna Cooling, who was named by the vacancy committee. The results for state ballot questions are as follows: Amendment G – “shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning the expansion of eligibility for the property tax exemption for veteran’s with a disability to include a veteran who does not have a service- connected disability rated as a one hundred percent permanent disability but does have individual employment status?” State-wide, this measure passed, with 72.45% of voters voting “yes” and 27.55% of voters voting “no.” In Hinsdale County the Amendment G vote was 396 yes, 163 no. Amendment H – shall there be an Amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning judicial discipline, and in connection therewith, establishing an Independent judicial discipline adjudicative board, setting standards for judicial review of a discipline case, and clarifying when discipline proceedings become public? This measure passed, with 72.74% of Colorado voters voting “yes” and 27.26% of voters voting “no.” Hinsdale County voters: 378 yes, 162 no. Amendment I – shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning creating an exception to the right to bail for cases of murder in the first degree when proof is evident or presumption is great? This measure passed, with 69.39% of voters voting “yes” and 30.61% of voters voting “no”. Hinsdale County: 384 yes, 173 no. Amendment J – shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution removing the ban on same-sex marriage? This measure passed, with 63.78% of voters voting “yes” and 36.22% of voters voting “no.” Hinsdale County: 300 yes, 269 no. Amendment K – shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning the modification of certain deadlines in connection with specified elections? This measure did not pass, with 55.31% of voters voting

November 7, 2024 No Comments

Tag: Sheriff