New sheriff in town

As of May 24, Butte County will have a new sheriff.

Undersheriff Kory Honea was appointed to the post unanimously by the Butte County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 25, after the recommendation of current Sheriff Jerry Smith, who decided recently to retire early. (Smith had announced a few months ago that he would not be seeking re-election this year.)

Honea has served as undersherrif since July 2010 and has worked in law enforcement since 1991, beginning his career in Shasta County and then transferring to Butte County in 1993. Honea will complete Smith’s term, which would have concluded in January 2015.

He is running an uncontested race in June’s primary election, so the decision just puts him in the job a little earlier.