An unexplained power outage temporarily hit five government and commercial meters in central Cortez about 7:30 a.m., according to Empire Electric Association.
By 11:39 a.m., all power had been restored to the meters, said Andy Carter, member engagement manager for Empire.
Power went out at the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center, Opsrey Packs Inc. and The Bridge Emergency Shelter, Carter said.
Generators automatically kicked on to restore power to the detention center, said Sheriff Steve Nowlin. He said jail operations ran normally during the outage.
The Sheriff’s Office was temporarily closed to the public because of the outage, but staff stayed on their shifts. Law enforcement services continued, and dispatch was not affected, Nowlin said.
Sally ports shut down from the outage, and incoming inmates were brought in from another entrance.
Carter said the cause of the outage is not known and is being investigated. A conductor for the circuit is underground and crews are working to determine if it was the cause.
Crews were able to restore power to four of the meters by 11 a.m. and the Sheriff’s office and detention center came back on shortly later.
The outage at the courthouse delayed jury selection for the Gerardo Federico trial, which starts today, said District Attorney Matt Margeson.
Federico faces charges for allegedly shooting a woman Sept. 15, 2021, at a home near Kemper Elementary on Montezuma Avenue.
Federico has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful weapon possession by a previous offender and violation of protection order agreements.
No residential areas were impacted by the outage, Carter said.
