CLARENCE, N.Y. -- The State Police in Clarence have a new memorial in place to honor one of their own lost in the line of duty.

As part of national police week, the memorial was dedicated to Trooper Kevin Dobson, who was struck and killed by a passing driver on the 290 during a traffic stop two years ago.

New York State Captain Steven Nigrelli praised Trooper Dobson for his work on the 290, known to be a dangerous assignment.
"Kevin, knowing the risks, would still go out there and do his job, because in Kevin's mind, he would rather be put at risk than his fellow trooper," Nigrelli said.

The Dobson family attended the ceremony held Wednesday in Clarence. Dobson was a 14-year veteran of the State Police.

Eliza A. Hopkins, a senior at Buffalo Seminary, has been named a 2013 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winner. A member of both the National Honor Society and Cum Laude Society, Eliza has distinguished herself as a High Honors student throughout her tenure at Sem. With this most recent honor, she joins an elite group of nationwide high school scholars.

According to an official announcement from the National Merit Scholarship Corp., Eliza was chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding finalists in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. Finalists in each state were judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

(Welcome to our pet column, courtesy of Pet Connection Programs Inc. of Marilla. We post a new article each week, so be sure to check back on a regular basis!)

The next time you consider expanding your family to include a hamster, Guinea pig, bunny or other small pet, you won’t be alone. Some 16 million U.S. families currently cohabitate with small pets, according to the American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey.