HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
FRIDAY’S GAMES: New Philadelphia 35 Mansfield Madison 21 FINAL / Dover 42 Wooster 14 FINAL / Indian Valley 40 Garaway 12 FINAL / Malvern 54 Buckeye Trail 22 FINAL / East Canton 14 Strasburg 3 FINAL / Claymont 41 Tusky Valley 0 FINAL / Ridgewood 48 Sandy Valley 7 FINAL / Newcomerstown 70 Tuscarawas Central Catholic 40 FINAL / Conotton Valley 54 Frontier 34 FINAL / Alliance 47 Carrollton 28 FINAL / Manchester 42 Fairless 13 FINAL / Indian Creek 41 Harrison Central 28 FINAL
menu Home
Local News

Patrol post announces year-end award recipients

| December 1, 2022

NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Dec. 1, 2022) – The local Highway Patrol Post is recognizing two employees for their outstanding service this past year.

Matthew Clapper is the New Philadelphia Post’s 2022 Trooper of the Year, and Willie Courtright is the Dispatcher of the Year. Post Commander Lt. Laura Taylor says both were chosen for the honor by their peers.

“Every year about this time we send ballots out to all the troopers at the post including the four-sergeant supervisory team and the dispatchers, and it’s not like anyone is nominated. They just write in their choice.” 

Clapper has been with the New Philadelphia Post since graduating from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy in March of 2017 and currently works on the night shift.  

“He’s got a very quiet demeanor, non-confrontational, just kind of calms the situation whatever it is and is very respectful to the public and his peers and everybody,” Taylor says. “He’s just kind of an all-around good guy.”

Courtright spent two years as a traveling dispatcher before accepting a permanent position at the post in 2014.

“He’s known to be just very competent, just very able and apt with everything that comes down the pike, whether it’s handling both CADs and the phone calls and just knows what to do in any situation.”

Taylor says both will get a certificate commemorating the achievement and will have their photos displayed in the post’s lobby for the next year. They’re also in the running for districtwide honors.

Written by