WASHINGTON, D.C. (FOX19) – Service Academy nominees and their families were honored in Washington DC over the weekend by Senator Rob Portman.

This year’s Southwest Ohio nominees are from Clark, Clermont, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, and Warren Counties including August Uecker of Mason nominated to Naval Academy and Samuel Mahle of Lebanon nominated to West Point. 

“Our nominees are among the best and the brightest from Ohio, and I would be proud to have them serve our country in the military,” Portman said.  “The distinguished members of the Review Board have helped me and our office guarantee that young men and women like the ones we selected this year have a chance to get into one of the service academies, and I am grateful for their tireless and selfless dedication to continuing Ohio’s strong tradition of high acceptance rates.”

LEBANON, OH (FOX19) - Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper James D. Sparkman has been selected 2012 Trooper of the Year at the Lebanon Post.

The selection of Trooper Sparkman, 30, is in recognition of outstanding service during 2012 at the Lebanon Post.  Fellow officers stationed at the Lebanon Post chose Trooper Sparkman based on leadership abilities, professional ethics, courteous treatment of others, enthusiastic work attitude, and cooperation with supervisors, peers and the public.

LEBANON, OH (FOX19) - The Lebanon Police Department has hired two new officers to help keep residents safe.

Chief of Police Jeffrey Mitchell announced on Monday the hiring of two new police officers, Officers Dustin Kurilko and Gregory Stallard.  Officer Kurilko is a graduate of Little Miami High School and a graduate of University of Cincinnati Clermont Police Academy.  Officer Kurilko is currently a criminal justice major at the University of Cincinnati.  Officer Stallard is a graduate of Beavercreek High School, has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Sinclair Community College and is currently a criminal justice major at Wright State University.  Officer Stallard is a US Army veteran, having served on active duty at Ft. Stewart, GA, and deployed to Iraq in 2007.