The public's right to know superseded the Mower County Third Judicial District's ban on cameras in the courtroom Monday.

Video cameras whirred and still cameras clicked, during swearing-in ceremonies for 10 Mower County officials.

One of the officials made history Monday morning.

Terese Amazi is the first woman to be elected county sheriff in Minnesota. Others have been appointed to the position. Only Amazi was elected by the people.

District Judge Fred W. Wellmann officiated at the swearing-in ceremonies.

The only other recent occasion cameras were allowed in the courtroom was the last Liberty Bell Award presentation by the Mower County Bar Association.

The courtroom was packed Monday morning with spectators, including the officials' family members and friends and other well-wishers.

Amazi's role attracted other law enforcement officers as well as her husband, Wayne, their children, her parents and other relatives, plus friends.

Mower County Auditor Woody Vereide organized the ceremonies.

Wellmann split the 10 officials into two groups for the honors.

The first group included: Mower County Commissioners David Hillier, 3rd District, Dick Lang, 4th District, and Garry Ellingson, 5th District, plus Mower County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors Stanley Bergan, of LeRoy, and William Lonergan Jr., Rose Creek.

The second group included five other officials: Patrick W. Flanagan, county attorney; Vereide, county auditor; Susan Davis, county recorder; Amazi, county sheriff; and Doug Groh, county treasurer.

Wellmann reminded the audience of the significance of Amazi's election saying, "We are witnessing history today."

Afterward, each official signed the "coveted" official certificate of election, which Vereide said he would place on file and share copies with officials.

The document is the official declaration that the holder needs to take office.

Wellmann himself was re-elected to another six-year term last November. However, judges are not sworn-in after their initial swearing-in ceremonies, he told the courtroom spectators.

Wellmann said swearing-in elected officials was "one of the more pleasant tasks I do in the courtroom." The judge added he enjoyed the "formality and tradition" of the official swearing-in ceremonies and thanked the officials for "taking on difficult duties and responsibilities" in service to others.

In addition to Amazi, Lang and Flanagan were elected to their first four-year terms in a new office.

Amazi defeated a challenger, while the other two ousted incumbents in the November 2002 general election.

Davis was re-elected without opposition to her second full term as county recorder and Vereide was re-elected -- also without opposition -- to his fourth four-year term as auditor.

Groh had opposition in winning his first term in office as treasurer, but not from the incumbent, who retired.

Since the retirement of Ruth Harris, county treasurer, Vereide becomes the senior Mower County official in terms of elected public service in the courthouse.

Hillier was re-elected to his third full-term as a county commissioner and Ellingson was elected to his first full term in office. The latter was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Gary Nemitz, when the incumbent resigned in March 2001.

Bergan took office in 1997 as an SWCD supervisor, but Lonergan is the "dean" of all county officials anywhere, when years in office are tabulated.

He has been an SWCD supervisor since 1973.

The SWCD supervisor terms were originally six years in length. Now, they are four years in length or the same as all other county elected officials.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com