The crowd spilled out into the hallway Monday morning as two new Canyon County officials took their oaths of office in the courthouse public meeting room: Sheriff Kieran Donahue and District 3 Commissioner Craig Hanson.
Hanson, a 53-year-old sheriff’s office captain and the CCSO's chief crisis negotiator, defeated incumbent Commission Chairman David Ferdinand in the May Republican primary and was unopposed in the November general election.
Donahue, who was promoted from detective corporal to chief deputy in the past year, beat two GOP rivals in the primary and an independent in the general election to take over from retiring Sheriff Chris Smith. Donahue, 50, also won Smith’s endorsement.
To recognize Hanson's 15 years of service with the sheriff's office, Smith awarded him his badge and service revolver. And new Sheriff Donahue presented Smith his service revolver to honor 40 years in law enforcement that were capped by two terms as sheriff.
"We're going to miss him drastically here," Donahue said.
Also sworn in Monday morning were two re-elected Canyon County officials: District 1 Commissioner Steve Rule and Prosecutor Bryan Taylor.
The lightest moment of the ceremony came from Rule, who predicted Hanson will make a quicker than normal transition to the commission post because he is well already well acquainted with courthouse people and issues. However, he said, it may still be an adjustment getting used to the number of people who direct complaints to commissioners.
Rule presented Hanson with a pair of boxer shorts with a large target emblazoned on the back.
krodine@idahostatesman.com
