Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Sergeant chosen from three nominees on the county ballot
Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Gabe Gants, who has been with LCSO for 18 years, was named interim sheriff this week by the county commissioners, effective July 1.
DAVENPORT-It didn't take the Lincoln County Commissioners long to nominate Sergeant Gabe Gants to the position of interim Sheriff, effective July 1 following current Sheriff Wade Magers' retirement June 30.
Gants was chosen from three finalists given to the commissioners by the Lincoln County Republican Central Committee. The finalists, which included Gants, Andy Manke and Jeff Barden, are all running for sheriff in this year's election.
The committee interviewed six candidates Sunday, June 5. All five candidates running for sheriff in Gants, Manke, Jeff Barden, Brian Telford and Adam Johnson applied and interviewed for the interim job, as did Stan Reider, a retired member of the Sheriff's Office who spent 28 years with the department.
"We chose three Republicans who we felt could do the job well," Central Committee chair Mary Blechschmidt said.
The names were presented to the commissioners Monday, June 4. The commissioners then convened Tuesday morning, June 5 and selected Gants from the three choices.
"Being where we are right now with continuity in that office, Sergeant Gants brought that right now," commissioner Scott Hutsell said. "We talked about (continuity) and he brought it more than the other two candidates."
Gants, who has been endorsed by Magers for the four-year elected term, accepted the appointment Tuesday.
"I'm excited and humbled," Gants said. "I sort of anticipated another round of interviews, but I was happy to accept the position."
The commissioners opted to not interview the three finalists themeselves after they were presented by the Central Committee.
Gants said his first move as interim Sheriff will be to investigate how to streamline processes due to the short-staffed nature of the department. He said he likely won't immediately appoint an undersheriff, as Kelly Watkins, the current man in that position, is also retiring.
"We should stay status quo for the rest of the year," Gants said. "I'll probably not appoint an undersheriff while we're so short-staffed and keep to one sergeant (Jerad McLagan)."
Gants will be interim sheriff beginning July 1 through the rest of 2022. The county voters will decide whether he, Manke, Telford, Barden or Johnson will hold the post for a four-year term beginning in 2023 in this year's election.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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