Elected sworn in at Shoshone County Courthouse

WALLACE – Five elected officials were sworn in on Monday morning during an intimate ceremony inside the foyer of the Shoshone County Courthouse. 

Prosecutor Benjamin Allen, Commissioner Jeff Zimmerman, Sheriff Holly Lindsey, Clerk Lori Osterberg, and Commissioner Melissa Cowles were elected in November and will all be serving four-year terms for Shoshone County.  

The ceremony was unique because it signaled a changing of the guard, so to speak, within Shoshone County. Both Zimmerman and Allen came in as incumbents but for Lindsey, Osterberg, and Cowles, this was their first time navigating the election process. 

However, Cowles is the only newly elected who hasn’t been a consistent fixture at the courthouse for the past few months. Lindsey was appointed to her position as sheriff in December of 2022, and Osterberg had been serving under interim clerk Peggy White since winning her primary in May.  

Even in her limited familiarity, Cowles didn’t hesitate to jump right in as a commissioner, accepting several positions on Shoshone County’s many different boards and groups.  

Cowles is excited about her role as District 1 Commissioner and plans to utilize an “observe and absorb” approach to how she handles the early months of her term.  

Lindsey, who won Shoshone County’s closest and most contentious election, was honored to have the opportunity to stand inside the courthouse and take her oath of office with her fellow elected.  

“It was awesome,” Lindsey said. “I was nervous, but I love watching and being a part of how government unfolds. All five of us over there were chosen by the people of the community to lead it - That’s a pretty cool thing. I think we should feel honored that the residents of this wonderful county trust us with that responsibility.”  

Zimmerman, who was elected for his second term as District 3 Commissioner, was chosen by his fellow board members to assume the role of board chairman, a responsibility that Commissioner Dave Dose had taken on during the first two years of his term.  

    Commissioner Melissa Cowles is sworn in by Commissioner Dave Dose on Monday.