Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger's first day on the job began with swearing in his staff Monday. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)

Ben Wolfinger took the oath as Kootenai County’s new top cop Monday, but he shared the spotlight with Boston Wolfinger, his 5-week-old grandson whose tiny outfit declared, “New sheriff in town.” The first grandchild for Wolfinger and his wife, Mary, marked a peak in a rollercoaster year for the 30-year veteran of the sheriff’s department. Emerging from the spring primary as the Republican nominee, Wolfinger was swept into office last November with 72 percent of the vote. But four days before the victory, his mother, Alice, died from congestive heart failure. “She was one of my best campaigners,” Wolfinger said.

Question: Who was the better sheriff over the last 25 years -- Rocky Watson or Pierce Clegg?