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February 13, 2014 Elbert County, Colorado | Volume 119, Issue 3 A publication of
elbertcountynews.net
County elections manager dismissed Rhonda Braun hired as replacement for Sherry McNeil By George Lurie
glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com County elections manager Sherry McNeil has counted her last ballot for Elbert County. McNeil, who was hired in September 2013 and came on the job the same week Clerk and Recorder Dallas Schroeder took office, was dismissed by Schroeder in late January. Prior to coming to work for Elbert
County, McNeil worked at the state Capitol in the Secretary of State’s elections division. She was interviewed and hired by a committee of three county employees while the Clerk and Recorder position was vacant. Schroeder wasted no time in replacing McNeil, confirming on Feb. 5 that Kiowa resident Rhonda Braun has been hired as the county’s new elections manager. “Rhonda’s first day on the job will be Feb. 18,” Schroeder said. The new county elections manager will have her work cut out for her: party precinct caucuses are scheduled for March 4
and primary election day is June 24. Schroeder assumed office just a few months before the November 2013 election, appointed by the Board of County Commissioners to serve out the term of Diana Hartsough, who resigned in July 2013, citing “health issues.” BOCC chair Kurt Schlegel said Schroeder is scheduled to brief the BOCC this week on the changes in the elections office. “It’s my understanding that Dallas cut Sherry a check and let her go Thursday afternoon (Jan. 30),” Schlegel said. Schroeder said he was not able to share details regarding McNeil’s departure. “Because it’s a personnel issue, I really can’t
comment,” he said. Attempts to reach McNeil for comment were unsuccessful. Schroeder, who met with Braun on Feb. 5 to confirm the details of her employment, spoke highly of her experience. “Rhonda has served as an election judge in the county for several years and has a good working knowledge of the state election system,” he said. Braun received “good endorsements” from both county Republican chairman Scott Wills and Democratic vice-chair Tony Corrado, Schroeder added. Braun and Corrado served as the county’s canvas board for the November 2013 election.
Repeal effort shot down in committee Bill targeted law requiring background checks By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia. com
was shopping for a chair and talking on the phone to his wife. “I was using Facetime to show my wife some chairs and this woman I didn’t know came right up in my face,” said Rowland. “I was holding my phone out in front of me taking picRowland tures and said, ‘Excuse me ma’am. But I’m talking to my wife right now. I’d be happy to talk with you if you could wait a minute.’ But the woman kept right on talking and getting more and more aggressive.”
Another gun battle took center stage at the state Capitol on Feb. 3, as a Senate committee rejected a Republican effort to undo a key Democratbacked gun measure from last year. Testimony on a bill that sought Report to repeal a law that requires background checks on all gun sales and transfers in the state lasted more than six hours before the Senate’s State, Veteran’s and Military Affairs Committee killed the measure. The bill failed following a 3-2 party-line vote. Democrats and other supporters of universal background checks say they are working and that the law has made it more difficult for guns to get into the wrong hands. But Sen. George Rivera, RPueblo, the repeal bill’s sponsor, argued that the new law would have done nothing to prevent recent mass shootings, such as the ones that occurred in 2012 inside an Aurora theater and at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School. “If people intend on doing something evil, they’re going to do it,” Rivera said. “That’s just a fact.” Last year, Democrats succeeded in passing bills that expanded gun background checks, and put in place a requirement that high-capacity ammunition magazines be limited to 15 rounds. Republicans are also trying to repeal the latter measure. There was fallout as a result of those efforts as three Democratic senators either lost their seats or resigned as a result of gun vote-motivated recall elections. Rivera won his Senate seat last
Rowland continues on Page 9
Repeal continues on Page 8
OH, DEER, IT’S COLD! A pack of mule deer linger in a meadow just east of Main Street in Elizabeth on the morning of Feb. 5. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures dipped to 15 degrees below zero, forcing the closure of the school in the town of Elbert and late starts for schools in Elizabeth and Kiowa. Photo by George Lurie
POSTAL ADDRESS
No charges in incident involving Rowland Commissioner says investigation is complete, case closed By George Lurie
glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com
No charges will be filed relating to an incident that occurred Jan. 4 at the Parker Costco and involved Commissioner Robert Rowland. Rowland had filed a report with the Parker police claiming to have been verbally harassed and then physically assaulted by a woman who, he said, was critical of his performance as an Elbert County commissioner. The AM incident Jan. 4 when Rowland 6x1.75_BringAppetite_Layout 1 2/3/14 11:15 Page happened 1
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