SENECA — Troop 3, Post B of the South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP), the unit covering Oconee and Pickens counties, recently handed out its first Trooper of the Year award — and it went to a Seneca native.

Tony Pitts, a 21-year-veteran of the SCHP, said he was doubly satisfied with the honor.

“I’m from Seneca, and I finally made it back home,” he said of his seven years in Lexington County and five in Pickens. “And then to get this award, it’s an honor. It feels good that the supervisors felt I was doing a good job and they depend on me, and it’s just quite an honor to receive. It feels great to know they thought that much of me.”

First sergeant Robert Gambrell said the supervisors of the troop got together and voted on who was more deserving of the award. While it is Post B’s first time giving the award, it is not Pitts’ first time receiving one. In 1994 he accepted Lexington County’s Trooper of the Year award.

“Tony’s been on the job many years. He does his job,” Gambrell said. “He never complains. He’s always willing to help everyone, and he’s just an all-around great guy.”

Gambrell said the supervisors also determined the winner of Post B’s first ever DUI Enforcement Officer of the year, which goes to the trooper who made the most DUI (driving under the influence) arrests in the calendar year.

Josh Black, a 10-year veteran and Seneca native, was given the honor. Black said he was grateful for the award and emphasized the importance of DUI vigilance.

“It means a lot to me because it’s a very important thing to do,” he said. “It’s one of the leading causes of road fatalities in our state; this is something I really enjoy focusing on.”