Good morning, Hopkinton! Welcome to the daily update we call Hopkinton Today — a quick recap of yesterday’s news, highlights of what’s on tap, and a photo of the day.

HPD’s new K-9 unit funded through grant

HPD officer Nick Walker poses for a photo with Kobe, the department’s new K-9. PHOTO/HOPKINTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

After months of setup and training, the Hopkinton Police Department’s K-9 unit is up and running once again.

“It’s going well so far,” said HPD officer Nick Walker, who is in charge of 2-year-old Kobe. He has been training with Kobe since August to prepare him for service with the department. The dog received his first certification in December, and now is on the job with Walker.

“He’s been to a few calls,” he said. “There’s a lot of tasks he can do right now.” Kobe has been trained to perform article, building and area searches, along with tracking.

According to Walker, the dog came to the HPD through a K-9 academy in Boston. The training school sources dogs from trusted vendors and screens them before pairing them up with police officers, he explained.

“They match you up with a dog you think you can succeed with,” said Walker. He noted that his first few weeks with Kobe were focused on the two getting comfortable with each other and “learning [Kobe’s] likes and dislikes.”

Walker shared that Kobe will be undergo more training this summer at narcotics school to become a dual-purpose K-9. “He’ll be able to detect illicit drugs in the hopes of getting some of those deadly and dangerous drugs off the street,” Walker explained.

The officer helped bring a K-9 unit back to Hopkinton after seeing a need for Kobe as part of the department’s operations. After convincing the higher-ups, he applied for and received a $32,000 grant from the Stanton K-9 Foundation. The grant covered startup costs, cruiser conversion, training, kenneling and food for Kobe.

“[Everything’s] totally funded by the grant so far,” said Walker.

“Having an asset like this that’s no cost to the town, it’s a no-brainer,” he added.

— NICK SCHOFIELD

Latest News

The owners of JB Sawmill said the “complete loss” of the company’s mill in a fire last week will not stop other business operations as they start to evaluate next steps.

This week’s Baypath Adoptable Animal is 7-month-old Rex, a friendly and affectionate dog who enjoys staying active.

The Trails Club will hold its next monthly meeting on Wednesday at the Hopkinton Public Library.

Photo of the Day

Icicles hang from a home near downtown.

PHOTO/JERRY SPAR