Coroners inquest to be held May 20
A Coroner’s inquest into the Feb. 4 death of Terry M. York near Conrad will be conducted on May 20 at 1 p.m. in the Pondera County Courthouse.
Fergus County Coroner Dick Brown will conduct the inquest.
York, age 59, apparently shot himself after authorities allowed him to retrieve medication and tend to his livestock at his home at 527 Furlough Road.
He had been taken into custody of the PCSO earlier on Feb. 4 for violating conditions of his release on a felony charge of intimidation.
The sheriff’s office agreed to let York go back into his home and transported him there.
At this time, authorities have not released further details surrounding his death, including how he got a gun.
State law requires a Coroner’s inquest anytime a person dies in law enforcement custody or whenever an officer is involved in a fatality.
The hearing’s purpose is for a jury to determine if criminal charges are merited.
The Coroner, county attorney and jury are all allowed to ask questions of witnesses and investigators.
Fergus County Coroner Dick Brown will conduct the inquest.
York, age 59, apparently shot himself after authorities allowed him to retrieve medication and tend to his livestock at his home at 527 Furlough Road.
He had been taken into custody of the PCSO earlier on Feb. 4 for violating conditions of his release on a felony charge of intimidation.
The sheriff’s office agreed to let York go back into his home and transported him there.
At this time, authorities have not released further details surrounding his death, including how he got a gun.
State law requires a Coroner’s inquest anytime a person dies in law enforcement custody or whenever an officer is involved in a fatality.
The hearing’s purpose is for a jury to determine if criminal charges are merited.
The Coroner, county attorney and jury are all allowed to ask questions of witnesses and investigators.
Filing date has opened for city positions
Elections will be held this fall in the City of Conrad to elect a Mayor for a four-year term.
The current Mayor of Conrad is John Shevlin. Two alderman (council members) will also be elected, each for a four-year term. The alderman seats to be filled are currently held by Gary Brown in Ward 1, and, in Ward 2, Wendy Judisch.
Ward 1 consists of Precinct 24 and Ward 2 is Precinct 27.
The alderman positions not up for election this year are held by incumbents Wally McHenry from Ward 1 and L. Sandy Syvertson from Ward 2.
Mayor Shevlin has indicated to the I-O he will not seek re-election to a second term of office.
Judisch told the newspaper on Friday that while she hasn’t filed for re-election yet, she is planning to run for a second term in office. Readers will recall Judisch was the first woman in Conrad to be elected to a council position.
Brown said he is undecided and still thinking about a second term at the present. Asked if he might consider running for the mayor’s position, he said, he would not be a candidate for the mayoral office.
The I-O also wanted to know if McHenry might toss his hat into the ring for the mayor’s seat. Councilman McHenry chuckled and said he was comfortable being an alderman and would stay in his present position.
Syvertson, who is chairman of the city council, told the newspaper on Monday that he is not a candidate for the mayor’s position, “I’m comfortable in the alderman position.”
In order to file for any one of the elected positions, a candidate must be 18 years of age, a resident of Montana for two years and a resident of the ward for at least 60 days prior to the date of the election. In all cases, the individual must be a registered voter.
Interested persons can file for the positions on the ballot that opened on May 4. Filing closes on July 2 at 5 p.m.
Candidates need to file at the office of the Clerk and Recorder in the courthouse and pay the filing fee.
Filing fees are based on the salary of the elected official. In Conrad, the Mayor’s annual salary is $11,524.88 and the filing fee is one percent of the annual salary or $115.24.
An Alderman’s annual salary is $3,732.12 and the filing fee is one percent of the annual salary or $37.32.
Municipal elections in Pondera County are non-partisan and no party affiliation needs to be declared.
If a primary election is necessary, it will be held Sept. 15. Since the election is nonpartisan, a primary may not be necessary, depending on how many candidates file for the positions. The General election will be held Nov. 3.
If you have questions or need more information, please contact the Clerk and Recorder’s office, located on the main floor of the courthouse, or call 271-4000.
Torch run through Conrad
RUNNING WITH THE TORCH Chris Zeberst carries the torch during the Conrad leg of the Special Olympics Torch Run. He is accompanied by Border Patrol Officer and Regional Coordinator, Cheree Miller and Sivel, the drug-sniffing canine. These participants began at the Port of Piegan and made it all the way to Great Falls before they passed the torch off. I-O Photo by Adam Jerome
Many law officers, including local, state, and federal law enforcement throughout the area got together to help run the torch through the community on its way to Bozeman.
There were over 30 participants and they ran the leg from the Port of Piegan through Browning, Cut Bank, and Shelby. From there they came through Conrad and were on to Great Falls.
Highway Patrolman, Noel Duram commented, “We are looking forward to a great ride. We could not have done this without the overwhelming support from the Border Patrol and Customs agents, who were out in full force.
Town Pump was a gracious sponsor in Conrad as they provided free coffee and hot chocolate to the participants.”
Once the torch reaches Bozeman the games will begin on May 13.