Maryland State troopers rallied behind a student, whose dad died while in the line of duty, during her high school graduation on Thursday.

Madison Lippy graduated from Westminster High School nearly 18 years after her dad, Micky Lippy, a state trooper, died in a helicopter crash in Prince George’s County.

State troopers embraced Madison Lippy and her family back in 2008 and have shown their support ever since. Troopers said that attending her graduation is a way to remember and honor the sacrifice her father made.

“This is to make sure that they know we never forget,” said Lt. Jon Hill, with the Maryland State Police. 

Troopers added that it was an honor to be part of Madison’s life and see her accomplishments as she’s grown up.

Standing by the Lippy family after the trooper’s death

Madison Lippy was just an infant when her father, Maryland State Trooper Mickey Lippy, was killed in a helicopter crash in Prince George’s County in Sept. 2008.  

Mickey Lippy, along with a pilot and an EMT, was taking two critically injured teenagers to the hospital. That helicopter tried to land but struck trees and crashed, killing all but one person.

Troopers have stood by the Lippy family since that day, saying that it has been an honor to be part of Madison’s life and see her accomplishments as she’s grown up.

“We walk and stay with their families through their journey, way beyond, in the days and the weeks and months that follow tragedies, when we lose a first responder or a military person,” Lt. Hill said. “There is a lot of  tension around the families; unfortunately, that can fade as we move to years after, so it is important for us to be here and for them to know that we don’t forget their family members, we remember them.”  

MARYLAND (WBFF) — It’s that time of year again — spotted lanternflies have made a comeback across Maryland and most of the eastern U.S.

Spotted lanternflies typically hatch in late April and early May, meaning juveniles of the species are popping up around the state. The Maryland Department of Agriculture predicted in March that Baltimore City and central Maryland counties will be heavily infested with the pests.

The invasive insect has been present in nearly all of Maryland since 2018 and was previously thought to have caused ecosystem harm. But recent studies on the insect’s assimilation into its environment have shown that the lanternfly has caused no large-scale damage.

“This is mainly just a nuisance pest,” Emily Zobel, University of Maryland Extension’s agriculture and food systems agent for Dorchester County, said. “[The spotted lanternfly] is big, it’s kind flashy, it’s a little intimidating, but studies have shown that in residential gardens and landscapes, it doesn’t do any significant damage to otherwise healthy plants.”

Read the full story on the Baltimore Sun.