Shoshone County Sheriff, Prosecutor

A fight against a rising rural methamphetamine problem is the top priority for candidates running for sheriff and prosecutor in Shoshone County.

Sheriff

Chuck Reynalds, a 60-year-old part-time deputy and Osburn police officer, is taking on two-term incumbent Dan Schierman in Tuesday’s primary. The winner will face independent candidate Tim Castle in November.

While Schierman boasts his seniority, Reynalds says he will bring change to the department.

Reynalds said he wants to hire a full-time drug officer to work exclusively on methamphetamine cases.

“It’s just growing and growing. It seems like an avalanche,” Reynalds said.

Reynalds said he will seek state grant money that’s available to pay for the position.

He said the Shoshone County Drug Task Force’s job is to raid meth labs, and officers are not dedicated full-time to the work.

Schierman said that’s a nice idea, but the county has limited funding.

“It’s not really feasible,” Schierman said.

Reynalds said he was asked by police officers on the force to run against Schierman to increase morale.

“I just feel like I have a different leadership style,” Reynalds said.

Reynalds said he has lived in the Silver Valley for 30 years after serving in the Navy. He retired from the Idaho Department of Labor after working 10 years as an investigator. For the past two years he’s worked part-time for the sheriff’s department and the Osburn police department.

Schierman grew up in the Silver Valley and graduated from Kellogg High School. He worked as a patrol officer for the Kellogg Police Department in the 1970s. He was hired as a Shoshone sheriff’s deputy in 1977.

Schierman was an FBI informant in a notorious 1991 gambling raid against his former boss, Sheriff Frank Crnkovich.

Crnkovich was indicted on gambling and racketeering charges, but was never convicted.

The two faced off in a 1992 election and Schierman was elected.

“I would hope the citizens of Shoshone County feel I have done an adequate job in my two terms,” Schierman said.

But Reynalds said the sheriff’s office needs to get out in the community more.

He said he wants officers to stop into businesses and perhaps get officers into schools.

“We can always make improvements,” Reynalds said.

Prosecutor

Henry “Hank” Madsen, a 39-year-old Kootenai County deputy prosecutor, is challenging two-term incumbent John Cossel.

The two will face each other in the May 23 primary. The winner will run against Kellogg independent candidate and local attorney Val Siegel. “There’s a need for some change over there,” Madsen said. “A law is going to apply equally to everybody.”

Madsen, who handles juvenile and child protection cases for Kootenai County, said he wants to start a drug court in Shoshone County that’s patterned after Kootenai County’s.

Madsen, originally from Shoshone County, moved back to Pinehurst in February.

Drug court puts non-violent, first-time offenders in mandatory treatment programs before they are sentenced. During the process, offenders are monitored by prosecutors and probation officers and must check in with the judge monthly.

Madsen said he also wants to start a juvenile drug and truancy court in Shoshone County and work with sheriff’s officials to get officers in schools “to make sure our kids aren’t getting methamphetamine.”

He said he’ll request tough sentences for those who are making the drug.

“If you’re in my county and you manufacture drugs, I’m going to make it so it’s not worth it,” he said.

Democratic incumbent John Cossel said he plans to continue working with the Shoshone County Drug Task Force.

He said in the past two years, Shoshone County prosecutors have sent nine people to prison for manufacturing, trafficking or delivering methamphetamine.

Cossel said he, too, would like to see education in the schools for children.

“We have to somehow educate these kids on how dangerous this drug is,” Cossel said.

Cossel said his office handles 185 felony cases a year and only has one deputy prosecutor.

He would like to hire an additional deputy prosecutor to handle the case load, but said he doesn’t believe the county’s budget can handle it.

Cossel said he wants to work with keeping funding for victim’s rights programs and continue working with other agencies on child protective issues.