Nevada County employees head back to work at the HEW Building in Nevada City Tuesday morning. (Photo by John Hart)

Coffee cups in hand and coats buttoned to the morning chill, employees walked from their cars and returned to work in the Nevada County Health Education and Welfare Complex on Tuesday.

The building in Nevada City was closed after a gunman shot and killed two people and wounded a third on Jan. 10.

Buildings and Grounds, Community Health and the Elections Office opened on Tuesday, said Pat Ward, analyst for the Board of Supervisors.

The Housing and Community Services department was temporarily relocated to the Rood Administrative Center, Ward said. A few Housing and Community Services employees also returned to the HEW location, said Jim Carney, director of housing and community services.

Some day-treatment services were offered on the first floor of the Behavioral Health building but more work is necessary on the second floor, where the attack occurred, Ward said.

Most employees contacted Tuesday did not wish to give their names or talk about their return to work. Those that did speak did so quietly and calmly.

"We're a little uneasy, but we are OK," said Jess Montoya, community health director. "We'll know soon how things go."

Montoya expected his full staff would return to work when he spoke at about 8 a.m. Contacted about 4 p.m. he said as far as he knew, everyone had. All six employees of the Elections Office showed up for work, said Judy Bromley, an assistant to the county clerk-recorder.

Walking with his bag lunch in hand, Daniel Happs, a computer technician, said he had returned to help out on Friday. He was angry about the shootings, he said.

"I know the guy in his state of mind didn't know what he was doing," Happs said and shook his head. "But ... ."

Judy Pisani's eyes became tearful when she talked.

"I'm trying to hold myself together for my daughter," Pisani said.

A pair of Behavioral Health clients walked up a sidewalk to the building. It wasn't their regular meeting day but their counselor said they should come in for a Mentally Ill Chemically Addicted group meeting on Tuesday.

Two female HEW workers had their arms around each other's shoulders as they walked slowly from the parking lot in the bright morning sun to their offices.

- Kevin Wiser contributed to this story

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