Commissioners rebuff Lincoln County sheriff's request for new Justice Center metal detector

Sheriff Steve Swenson warns that aging courthouse security device can't be fixed if it fails

Lincoln County commissioners voted Tuesday to move ahead with equipment purchases for the new Justice Center, but they left a new security metal detector out of the package.

The decision means the county plans, for now, to rely on an aging courthouse detector that Sheriff Steve Swenson lobbied Tuesday to replace.

The 4-0 vote came with Commissioner Betty Otten absent and with two reluctant yes votes from commissioners Jim Schmidt and Tiffani Landeen. They said the county should buy the security device now while the project remains under budget.