New troopers on duty

A pair of Flathead County residents have been commissioned as state troopers after graduating from the 56th Montana Highway Patrol Advanced Academy last month.

Laramie D. Stefanie of Whitefish was given an initial station assignment of Bigfork while Brian C. Thorne of Kalispell was given an initial station assignment in his hometown. The pair were part of a 12-member graduating class.

Attorney General Tim Fox called troopers “the most visible ambassadors of our department.”

“You embody the core values of ‘Service, Integrity and Respect’ as you drive more than 5.5 million miles each year, interacting with thousands of Montanans and visitors to our great state along the way,” Fox told the graduates.