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The state is honoring 13 of Florida’s finest. Law enforcement officers from different agencies and jurisdictions received awards for their outstanding achievement.

Florida’s Attorney General’s office sponsored the ceremony and selected an Officer of the Year. This year Lieutenant Michael Howell of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office won. In October, Howell arrested two men after he found three million dollars worth of cocaine in their vehicle.

“All of us have family members that have been affected by drugs. To take that amount of narcotics off the street, that may fall into the hands of loved ones or children or whoever, it just a fabulous feeling,” said Howell.

Apart from the drug bust, Howell also made 48 other arrests last year.