BOISE, Idaho (KLIX) The Idaho governor has named a trooper with connections to the Magic Valley as the new head of Idaho State Police as the current director is set to retire.

The Office of Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter announced the retirement of Colonel Ralph Powell, effective July 2, with Lieutenant Colonel Kedrick Wills set to fill his shoes. Lt. Col. Wills served in the Magic Valley as a trooper, city councilman, and a member of an area chamber of commerce. Wills began his career as an ISP trooper in 1996 in Burley. In 2002 he was promoted to lieutenant and moved to Lewiston, eventually becoming headquarters lieutenant in 2004.

Eventually Wills rose to rank of lieutenant colonel and deputy ISP director in 2013. Wills studied at the College of Southern Idaho and Idaho State University. Also, Wills was a member of the Kimberly City Council and the Jerome chamber of Commerce. Former Idaho Representative and ISP specialist, Rich Wills, is Kedrick Wills father.

Rick Ohnsman
Rick Ohnsman
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It is an honor to be asked by Governor Otter to follow Colonel Powell’s footsteps and lead the dedicated and professional men and women of one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the nation,” Wills said. “I will do my best to continue to uphold the high standards that have been set by those giants who went before us and whose shoulders all of us at ISP are standing on today.”

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