Thayer nominated to U.S. marshal job

President Barack Obama has nominated Stevens County Sheriff Craig Thayer to serve as U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Washington, which encompasses most of the state east of the Cascade Mountains. The announcement came Thursday, along with the nomination of the Knoxville police chief for a similar post in Tennessee. “These law enforcement professionals have demonstrated a selfless dedication to public service through their careers,” Obama said in a news release. Thayer is currently serving his 16th year as Stevens County sheriff. He began working for that department in 1972 and he holds a law degree from the Gonzaga University School of Law. He also is past president of both the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and the Washington State Sheriffs’ Association.