The American Legion Department of West Virginia recently named two Eastern Panhandle residents as their top honorees. The Legion held its mid-winter conference on Feb. 5 and 6 at the Lakeview Resort in Morgantown where retired Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Thomas Hansen was named Police Office of the Year and Blaine Lytle received the top Firefighter of the Year recognition.

Lyttle volunteers at Blue Ridge Fire Company and previously in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Hansen retired from the Sheriff’s Department and is currently seeking tho office of Sheriff.The candidates names were selected by Charles Town American Legion Post 71 last May, then submitted to the state’s department. They selected from others submitted at the department convention in July. Posts from all over the state submitted police officers and firefighters for possible selection