The stretch of M-60 from Fairway Drive to Emerson Road in Jackson County will be renamed Sergeant Matthew R. Soper Memorial Highway. The proposal came from State Rep. Julie Alexander, which was approved by the House Transportation committee.

Sgt. Soper, lovingly nicknamed “Big Slick,” died at age 25 while fighting in Iraq in 2007. He was called “the light of his family.” His obituary stated that “he was brave, he was strong, and lent to us for too short a time.”

“Our military heroes continually put their lives on the line to protect American freedoms and ideals,” Alexander said. “This tribute memorializes Sgt. Soper and recognizes the sacrifice he made for his fellow community members and his country. We are forever indebted to that sacrifice.”