PONDERAY — The Ponderay Police Department officially has a new chief.

Jimmy Cornelius, a 21-year veteran of the department, was appointed as interim chief after former Chief Mike Hutter's retirement from the department in May.

The position was affirmed Monday evening during a swearing-in ceremony at Ponderay City Hall.

The ceremony was held during the city's regular council meeting after a regulation 90-day probation period for Cornelius.

"Chief Hutter did a great job while he was here," Cornelius said, adding that he worked with Hutter throughout the former chief’s 19 years in the position.

Cornelius began working for the department in June 1995, after moving to Idaho from Texas where he had been in law enforcement since 1989.

He said getting to a nicer area, change of climate and terrain, brought him to North Idaho — and have kept him in the community.

Cornelius said Hutter already had the department in a good position and his goal is to keep the department on that track, especially with the "trying times" for law enforcement throughout the nation.

"I'm just hoping to be able to continue to work with the community and have a positive effect, and to have good community relations to serve them the way we have in the past," Cornelius said.