Commissioners to name new district court judge

District Court Judge William Faubion is retiring in August after serving 38 years as the only District Court judge in Wahkiakum County.

Next Tuesday, the Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners will appoint a temporary replacement for him. The appointee will serve the remainder of Faubion's term through 2018.

The position will be on the ballot next year for a complete four-year term.

The District Court office forwarded to the commission the names of two possible candidates to fill the office, local attorneys Heidi Heywood and Tim Hanigan. Both have long practices in the county, and both have served as court commissioners and presided over cases. County commissioners attended sessions of court in which each presided.

"They made their interest known, and we saw them in action," county Commissioner Dan Cothren said Tuesday.

"The public has already been calling, saying we have it picked," he added. "No."

Commissioners may hold an executive session to discussion qualifications of the candidates; if so, they'd need to reconvene in open session to make their selection.

Next Tuesday's commission meeting will be busy, Clerk Beth Johnson said, so the matter will likely be late on the agenda.