GILLETTE -- The new Campbell County Cemetery District groundskeeper/sexton said he isn't concerned about controversy surrounding the Campbell County Cemetery Board affecting his job performance or status.

"I was vaguely aware of it until the last few days," Edmonds said. "I'm not worried about it."

The board announced its hiring of Edmonds during a Monday morning media conference. He will oversee the daily operations of Gillette's Mount Pisgah Cemetery and satellite cemeteries in the county.

Edmonds replaced Doug Dinsmoore, who was fired Sept. 2 along with assistant supervisor Jay Francis and bookkeeper Faye Mackey. He is scheduled to start work Sept. 21.

The board met with Edmonds on Monday to discuss such matters as cemetery policy and procedures. Board member Christine Maycock offered Edmonds her copies of the cemetery's policy and procedures manual while board member Rita Mashak encouraged Edmonds to read through the minutes of the past year's board meetings. The official minutes remain in the possession of the Gillette Police Department as part of an ongoing investigation into various aspects of the board's operations, but an unofficial set of minutes was made available to Edmonds.

Chairwoman Dorothy Slattery said the board is satisfied with what Edmonds will bring to the cemetery.

"We're very pleased with this and want to move forward," Slattery said. "He was well versified."

Edmonds graduated from Campbell County High School and has lived in many states surrounding Wyoming. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho. He has owned and operated a landscaping and remodeling business the past several years. Edmonds and his family relocated to Gillette in February, and his wife is currently employed at Child Developmental Services.

Edmonds said he has been largely unaware of board's firing of five cemetery employees this summer, the resignations of two employees to weeks ago, and the ongoing investigation by County Attorney Jeani Stone. Stone is looking into the potential violation of state open meetings laws by the board as well as possible misuse of cemetery property.

After three cemetery employees were fired on Sept. 2, the Gillette Police Department seized financial and insurance records from Mount Pisgah.

In a Sept. 3 media release, Stone said she has made a ruling on the open meetings accusation but will wait until the entire investigation is complete before making any decisions public.

"Specially trained individuals are needed to examine these financial documents and those individuals have not been available," Stone said in the release. "...That examination and review may take some time as there are a number of documents that must be examined."

Edmonds said he has plenty of learning to do before tackling the daily operations of the cemetery. He plans to stay focused on meeting the needs of the community.

"This is going to be a big project," Edmonds said. "I think the first thing will be evaluating the operational aspects."

One of Edmonds' first tasks will be to replace the employees who were fired or resigned on Sept. 2. The board listed the hiring of an office receptionist as its first priority. The person will be responsible for answering phone calls and greeting the public five days a week, Slattery said.

Board member Shirley Schafer said there are several applicants for the other open positions. Until those positions are filled, Slattery and other board members have committed to helping out at the cemetery until the new employees are up to speed.

"I'll be up here until it's running smooth again," Slattery said.