A young bald eagle is back in the wild after a Kentucky State Police trooper helped rescue the injured bird of prey in Laurel County.

The eagle, fittingly named “Trooper” in honor of his rescuer, was released Friday at Laurel Lake near Holly Bay Beach, surrounded by the state troopers and wildlife rehabilitators who saved his life.

The rescue began on June 30, when KSP Post 11 in London received a call about a distressed juvenile bald eagle that was unable to fly near Collins Lane in Corbin, Kentucky.

Trooper Trey Lovins responded to the scene, located the young eagle, and successfully captured the bird without further injury.

Following the capture, Post 11 troopers contacted the Liberty Nature Center’s Lake Cumberland Wildlife Refuge in Somerset, Kentucky, a facility specializing in the rehabilitation of raptors and other birds of prey. Trooper Lovins personally transported the eagle to the nature center, releasing him into the care of wildlife professionals.

After a month of rehabilitation and care, the refuge cleared the eagle for release.

On July 31, representatives from both KSP and the Lake Cumberland Wildlife Refuge gathered to watch “Trooper” soar back into the Kentucky skies.

On July 28, 1936, the Louisiana State Police was officially established, beginning a legacy of service that has endured for nine decades.

From 102 officers serving across 11 districts to generations of Troopers who have answered the call since, LSP has evolved alongside the state and the people we proudly serve. Through changing times, new challenges, and countless milestones, one thing has remained constant: a commitment to protecting Louisiana with professionalism, pride, and purpose.

Today, we honor those who came before us, recognize the women and men carrying that legacy forward, and look to the future with the same dedication that has defined Louisiana State Police since 1936.

For 90 years, the principles at the heart of Louisiana State Police have stood the test of time and continue to guide every generation of Louisiana State Troopers:

Courtesy. Loyalty. Service.

 As drivers travel along a portion of Rt. 119 in Logan County, they will see a new sign honoring Sgt. Cory Maynard.

“I thought it was very poignant that the state of West Virginia State Police are never going to forget Cory Maynard,” Sgt. Maynard’s Uncle, David Maynard said. “And that’s, you know, it’s symbolized by putting up a sign.”

Family, troopers, and friends gathered at the West Virginia State Police detachment in Logan County for a highway dedication honoring West Virginia State Police Sergeant Cory Maynard on Wednesday.

Troopers say Sgt. Maynard was killed in the line of duty in Mingo County in June of 2023.

For David Maynard, he says the sign is more than metal and letters: it’s a promise. He says it’s a promise that his nephew’s name and his service will never be forgotten.

“I always remember Corey as just being a kid that runs around a hundred miles an hour helping people always had an answer for a good answer for many things,” Maynard said.

Senior Trooper J. P. Ziegler says the sign now marks a portion of U. S. 119 in Logan County from Old Logan Road to Fountain Place. He says it’s a place Maynard loved.

“Cory loved coming to the top of Crawley Dip because you can see out and see pretty far on either side whenever you come through the dip,” Ziegler said. “And he just loved looking out and seeing, you know, the mountains and just seeing the scenery. So that was a spot of road that he really enjoyed.”

Troopers say this dedication will stand as a permanent reminder of his sacrifice and his unwavering dedication to keeping West Virginians safe.

“Cory could make you smile,” Ziegler said. “He could make you laugh. He made your day better. Just his presence made your day better. He just, he was just so full of life and just such a loving person. He loved everybody.

Although he is gone, troopers say his legacy will live on for generations to come.

The Utah Highway Patrol went above and beyond the call of duty by answering a very important plea from a mother driving eastbound on 1-80. The call? To retrieve a Spider-Man shoe that was thrown out the window by her toddler son.

"Recently we received a message on our UHP Facebook from a mother whose little guy decided to test if his Spider-Man shoe could fly by tossing it out the window onto the freeway," Utah Highway Patrol wrote in a Facebook post made Thursday afternoon.

In the message to UHP, the mother said, "I can't believe I'm even going to ask this," and then proceeded to explain the situation, adding that she had located where the shoe had fallen.

"(I was) wondering if retrieving shoes was something an officer might help with?" she said. "I told myself I should forget about the shoe, but now that I've seen it, it's bothering me."

To the mother and toddler's absolute elation, the UHP responded with some good news —they had the shoe.

The shoe and toddler were reunited, and the heroic officer was rewarded with a "Thank you," some Spider-Man stickers, and of course, some donuts.