Norwalk trooper of the year named

NORWALK — Trooper Jordan M. Cole has been selected as the 2025 Trooper of the Year at the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Norwalk Post, the Patrol announced Friday. The award recognizes Cole's overall performance throughout 2025 and the example he set for other troopers, according to a news release. According to the Patrol, fellow troopers at the post chose Cole, 31, based on several factors, including leadership ability, professional ethics, attitude, and how he works with supervisors, peers, and members of the public. By earning the top honor at the post level, Cole now moves on to consideration for the district and statewide Trooper of the Year awards, which will be announced later. Cole should already be familiar to many Reflector readers. Earlier this year, he appeared in a story after he rescued an injured owl along U.S. 250. While that incident caught public interest, Cole's colleagues say his daily work is what ultimately earned him this year's Trooper of the Year award. Cole joined the Highway Patrol in 2017 and has spent his entire career assigned to the Norwalk post. Over the years, he has earned several distinctions, including the Criminal Patrol Award, the Five Year Safe Driving Award, and the honor of being named the 2022 Norwalk Post Trooper of the Year. The patrol will announce the district and statewide Trooper of the Year selections at a later date. If chosen, Cole would move on to represent the Norwalk post at the statewide level.