An Arizona woman who recently graduated from the state’s Department of Public Safety academy cited her husband’s death as motivation for joining.

Tracy Murphy graduated from the Arizona Department of Public Safety academy as part of Class 39, becoming a state trooper months after burying her husband of 19 years.

Murphy’s husband, Justin, was killed in March 2024 by a drunk driver while riding his motorcycle. She said his death is her reason for joining the Department of Public Safety.

Her husband was a Marine who had signed his retirement paperwork just two days before he was killed.

The two were high school sweethearts and were together for 21 years.

Murphy described the night she learned of his death.

“I got a phone call just after midnight. It was a friend of my husband’s,” Murphy said. “He was 10 houses from our driveway, so they told me, ‘You need to get ready. Justin was just in an accident.’”

Murphy completed 255 days of training and graduated as part of the Department of Public Safety Class 39.

“So when those difficult days come, remember your why. Remember why you raised your hand. Remember why you put on that uniform,” Murphy said in an address to her graduating class.

Murphy said she believes her husband would be proud of her decision.

“Oh, he’d be super proud of me,” Murphy said. “I mean, I’m sure he’s shaking his fist up there a few times at me, but I’m sure he’d be super proud.”

Murphy will patrol overnight in Tucson, one of the areas affected by Department of Public Safety staffing shortages. The agency is short hundreds of troopers, and some highways are not covered by patrols overnight.

“I’m here because if I can get one drunk off the road, then I’m saving one family, if not multiple, from what my family is going through,” Murphy said. “And to me, if I can save one family, then I know that my entire career was successful.”

Murphy said she carries her husband’s memory into her new role.

Sept. 17, 2026

The Wyoming Department of Transportation announced Sept. 17 that Wyoming Highway Patrol Major KC Ramsey has been selected to run the department. The now-colonel brings 27 years of law enforcement experience — including 25 in the patrol — to the job.

WYDOT leadership said that the process of finding a new head of the WHP was an exhaustive five-month effort. The previous WHP Colonel, Tim Cameron, retired in March. Conversations about the decision included Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon’s office, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Transportation Commission and executive WYDOT staff. Ramsey was ultimately deemed the right choice for the job.

“KC has demonstrated a strong work ethic and high level of character over the years,” WYDOT Director Darin Westby said. “His understanding of our agency and best practices in law enforcement is impressive. I’m confident he’ll excel as Colonel.”

Ramsey, who is originally from Wheatland, can trace his law enforcement background as far back as 1999, when he joined the Albany County Sheriff’s Office after graduating from the University of Wyoming with a degree in justice administration.

He stayed in Albany County only briefly; he accepted a job with the Capitol Police the same year. At that time, the force was still under DCI, but transitioned to being a part of the WHP in 2001.

He’s been with the department ever since. He moved up the ranks to become a lieutenant in various branches of the department, including in support services, where he eventually became major in late 2024. As major of the division, Ramsey “oversaw staff within WHP’s Commercial Carrier Section, Communications Center, Equipment and Technology Program, Training Division, Evidence Team, Special Operations, Executive Protection and Chaplain Program,” WYDOT said.

He also participated in the department’s budgetary and organizational talks over the last few years.

The new colonel boasts specialized training in leadership development, project management, successful communication and front-line supervision.

“He has studied with the FBI Intermountain Executive Command College, the Wyoming Highway Patrol Leadership Academy and WYDOT University,” WYDOT said.

Now as colonel, Ramsey said he will prioritize retention and recruitment efforts, fulfilling statutory responsibilities and “upholding a rigorous stewardship of WHP’s budget.”

“Being chosen to serve as Colonel is a profound honor, and I accept this duty with deep humility and dedication,” Ramsey said. “As I transition into this role, I am excited to work with every member to guide the Wyoming Highway Patrol into the future.”

9/14/26

The video the California Highway Patrol released this week shows a helicopter hovering tight against a granite wall while a rescuer dangles on a cable beside an injured climber. That was Friday afternoon on Power Dome, the 700-foot face above Courtright Reservoir in the Sierra National Forest northeast of Shaver Lake.

The climber fell from the steep rock face around 12:45 p.m. on Sept. 11 and needed urgent extraction and medical care. CHP Central Division asked the Coastal Division Air Operations unit for help. Helicopter 70 launched from Paso Robles with a two-person crew, flew into Fresno County to pick up a Fresno County Sheriff’s Office helicopter rescue technician, and continued up to the dome.

Ground crews from Cal Fire, the Shaver Lake Volunteer Fire Department and the Forest Service staged below. The Shaver Lake Fire Department noted the crew chose a hoist straight off the wall rather than a 500-foot rope rappel, which would have taken far longer and put more people on the rock. The technician was lowered to the climber, secured him, and both were winched into the aircraft before the helicopter dropped him at a waiting ambulance.

Power Dome sits near 8,000 feet in the Courtright Reservoir area, a granite playground about 60 miles northeast of Fresno that draws climbers for multi-pitch routes with far smaller crowds than Yosemite. It is also remote, with spotty cell coverage and a long approach, which is why a helicopter was the fastest way down. On a wall that size, self-rescue is rarely an option.

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From placing himself in harm's way to prevent a head-on collision to saving a distressed individual on the roadside, South Carolina Highway Patrol's Lance Corporal Richard Lee understands what it means to serve with purpose.

This is the story of South Carolina's first state trooper honored as the National Trooper of the Year for the American Association of State Troopers (AAST).

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