By Erica Kearns
Clay County has a new sheriff again as Garrett Samples Jr. of Elkhurst was sworn into office Monday, officially taking the role of lead law enforcement at midnight on October 1.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Garrett after his first week in office for a one on one interview. The soft spoken Sheriff said he was fitting into his new role well, crediting much of his comfort to the help and advice of his co-workers and deputies. “Everyone here has been great,” said Samples. “I really appreciate the backing of everyone and the confidence they’ve put in me.”
When asked if there have been any major changes in his first week at the helm Samples said no, stating that he didn’t see any need to do things differently. The Sheriff did express interest in completing a few unfinished projects that Miles Slack was unable to, such as continuing the development of home confinement and the day reporting center. With only four deputies and one of those presently enrolled at the police academy, Samples has continued most of the home confinement officer duties himself. “Spare time is a thing of the past” Samples joked.
The shyly confident Sheriff Samples stressed his appreciation for being chosen to fill the position. “I appreciate the support of the public. I want to thank everyone for their help and good wishes. I want to serve Clay County to the best of my ability and I invite anyone who thinks I am not doing something right to let me know. I am very happy to be the Sheriff of Clay County.”
Garrett Samples will serve as the Sheriff of Clay County until the election of 2014, at which time he is eligible to run for office and may be re-elected.