Kootenai County commissioners approved a request to add temporary law‑school intern positions to the Prosecuting Attorney's Office during a brief human resources meeting Dec. 4.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley Mortensen asked the board for one additional intern for the spring 2026 semester and three more interns for summer 2026, saying the office typically has three interns throughout the year and that the extra positions would help with workload while remaining budget neutral. "These are invaluable positions," Mortensen said, calling the students "worth their weight in gold."

Mortensen told commissioners the request could be covered by salary savings from current vacancies and estimated projected savings "in the neighborhood of $700,000" if vacancies remained unfilled, though he also said some hiring is planned (he expected to hire an attorney in January). He described the spring intern as a short‑term, semester‑specific addition and the summer interns as time‑limited for summer months only.

Commissioners pressed for a more comprehensive annual staffing approach to avoid repeated midyear adjustments but acknowledged the immediate staffing need. A motion to approve the new intern positions was put forward and carried with both commissioners voting "Aye."

The board did not vote on creating permanent new attorney positions; Mortensen characterized the approved interns as temporary and tied the request to current understaffing and short‑term workload demands. The office will proceed with hiring and implementing the interns under the county's personnel processes.