Neeper & Cataldo’s Collision Inc. Receive Awards
CLEARFIELD – Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan P. Sayers announced Thursday the recipients of the Officer of the Year Award and Civilian of the Year Award, and provided biographies for all of the nominees.
Officer of the Year
Awardee — Deputy Greg Neeper (Clearfield County Sheriff’s Department)
Deputy Greg Neeper has served the Clearfield community and the county for over 30 years. In July of 2022, he and his wife were on their way to their daughter’s wedding and noticed an accident in front of them.
Deputy Neeper immediately contacted 911 and got out of his vehicle, while in a suit and tie, to start providing aid until emergency medical services arrived.
Then, a few days later, Deputy Neeper was in the DuBois area serving a PFA when he came upon another accident with three older occupants who had all sustained serious injuries. He again contacted 911 and immediately began rendering aid on the scene to the injured persons.
Deputy Neeper is also involved in the community. He assists with the Central PA Outdoor & Sports Show, helps with the Men Who Cook charity competition, interacts with and fingerprints children at the Clearfield County Fair, is a member of the Clearfield VFW and Clearfield American Legion, and a lifetime member of the Curwensville Rescue Hose & Ladder and Clearfield Volunteer Fire Departments.
The individual that nominated Deputy Neeper said, “I have known Greg for many years and admire the love and passion he has for his career, it definitely shines through.
“He is the reason my daughter has chosen her career path. He has been a true mentor to her and many others.”
Sayers echoed these sentiments, “Deputy Neeper truly cares about the community and county that he has served for over three decades, and is deserving of this honor.”
Deputy Neeper was presented his award in a private courtroom ceremony in front of Judge Paul Cherry.
Nominee – Trooper Tyler Blaniar (PSP, DuBois)
Trooper Tyler Blaniar goes above and beyond the call of his duties as a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper. He is motivated and seeks justices with a positive and uplifting attitude whether he is in the company of his peers or the general public.
In 2022, Trooper Blaniar assisted 52 individuals stranded along the roadway, responded to 654 calls, conducted 295 traffic stops and took 36 drug- and alcohol-impaired drivers off of the roadways.
Trooper Blaniar’s results far exceed the state average for the Pennsylvania State Police and he takes great pride in his work to make the roadways safe for the public to travel.
Nominee – Trooper Raymond Green (PSP, Woodland)
Trooper Raymond Green is assigned to the criminal investigative unit at PSP Clearfield. As part of his duties in 2022, Trooper Green was assigned multiple Childline investigations that involved the same adult male.
During the investigation as to the Childline reports, additional crimes were discovered and Trooper Green was able to obtain a full confession from the defendant as to his soliciting child pornography.
This case is only one of many cases that Trooper Green handled in 2022, in which he thoroughly investigated the charges that led to a confession and/or conviction.
In addition to his work as a law enforcement officer, Trooper Green also devotes a lot of time to the local school districts and churches.
He routinely assists in programs that benefit the students and participants of the church. Trooper Green offers his assistance with building structures for local dances at the school and assists with church lunch programs.
Nominee – Officer David Hoover (Clearfield Regional Police Department)
Officer David Hoover is a patrolman with the Clearfield Regional Police Department where he dedicates himself to the safety of this community.
In addition to his duties as a police officer, Hoover has participated in a variety of community events, including Popsicles with the Police, has volunteered his time on Halloween to pass out candy to children and has participated in the Christmas parade with the local fire departments.
Officer Hoover has shown his dedication to law enforcement and the community by volunteering his time to engage with the citizens of this area.
Nominee – Sgt. Jonathan Walker (Clearfield Regional Police Department)
Sgt. Jonathan Walker is a supervisor with the Clearfield Regional Police Department. Sgt. Walker has worked to hone his skills and has become an accredited sniper.
He practices his skills both while on duty and off. Sgt. Walker has utilized his skills to keep the community and his fellow officers safe while engaged in dangerous situations.
Additionally, he routinely gives back to the community by committing anonymous acts of kindness to citizens in need.
Sgt. Walker has developed strong leadership skills within the department and is always available to his fellow officers and the community-at-large to assist however he is able.
Civilian of the Year
Awardee — Carney Cataldo (Cataldo’s Collision Inc.)
Carney Cataldo and his staff at Cataldo’s Collision Inc. in DuBois go above and beyond to keep the DuBois State Police fleet in great working order.
They recognize the importance of reliability regarding emergency vehicles and how crucial it is for first responders to be able to fulfill their duties without having to worry about vehicle failure.
No matter how busy they are, Cataldo’s will schedule the emergency vehicles in for maintenance and repair, even if it requires them to work after hours.
In addition to his support of the Thin Blue Line, Carney is also a volunteer firefighter and serves the people of this area in their times of need.
The nominator stated that, “Carney and his staff are huge supporters of the police and they are greatly appreciated by the Pennsylvania State Police for their quality work and dedication.”
Sayers added that, “it is incredibly important to know that there are people and businesses in our area that support these officers on a daily basis, and I greatly appreciate the hard work of Carney and his staff for their efforts to keep our officers safe.”
Nominee – Justin Butterworth (PCO as PSP Clearfield)
PCO Butterworth is a Police Communications Operator at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Woodland.
The nominator stated that, “PCO Butterworth is an exceptional PCO and continuously strives for a high achievement level. When taking calls, he handles challenging situations with confidence.”
PCO Butterworth handles calls from the general public on a daily basis and is able to display effective listening skills and compassion with the citizens in need of assistance.
In the community, PCO Butterworth is also very well recognized for his dedication to his local fire department by volunteering his time to help train and manage the Hope Fire Company in Philipsburg.
Nominee – Amy & Dave Duke (Ice Dreams – Ice Cream Truck)
Amy and Dave Duke of Clearfield operate a local ice cream truck called “Ice Dreams.”
Mr. and Mrs. Duke have participated in the program Popsicles with Police during the summer of 2022. They donated their time to be involved with this program and donated their own funds to purchase the popsicles used in this program.
Mr. and Mrs. Duke also participate in the annual Christmas parade and did “Reindeer Patrols” with local first responders during the Christmas season.
“Mr. and Mrs. Duke embrace the community and the first responders within the community,” stated one officer.