CHADRON, Neb. -- A new judge will be joining the bench in the Panhandle next year following an appointment earlier this week.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has appointed Sheridan County Attorney Aaron Conn of Rushville to succeed retired 12th Judicial District County Judge Russ Harford of Chadron.

Conn will be based in Chadron and handle cases from Banner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Garden, Grant, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, and Sioux counties.

Conn graduated from the Creighton University School of Law in 2011 and practiced in Omaha for a year and a half before moving to the Panhandle as an associate at the Smith and King law firm in Gordon.

Conn served as a deputy Sheridan County Attorney under Smith King partner Jamian Simmons from his arrival until being elected to the office himself in 2020, handling both felony and misdemeanor cases.

He doubled as a Deputy Box Butte County Attorney from June 2017 until January 2019, prosecuting all misdemeanors.

He will take the bench next year.