Roadways named after slain police officers

In Licking County, the section of Route 40 that runs through the village of Kirkersville has been renamed the “Kirkersville Chief Steven “Eric” DiSario Memorial Highway.”

The highway was dedicated Nov. 2 with DiSario’s widow, Aryn, and the couple’s six children, including his 1-year-old daughter who was born two days after his burial, in attendance.

DiSario was fatally shot by Thomas Hartless, 43, of Utica while responding to a report of a gunman with hostages behind the Pine Kirk Care Center in the village on May 12, 2017. Hartless then went inside the facility and killed his ex-girlfriend, nurse Marlina Medrano, 46, and her co-worker and nurse’s aide Cindy Jean Krantz, 48. Hartless, who had been out on probation only 20 days into a 90-day sentence for domestic violence against Medrano by Licking County Municipal Court Judge Michael Higgins, then killed himself.

The highway signs honoring the officers were installed last week and will be dedicated Nov. 13.

Replica signs were presented to members of the DiSario family on Nov. 2.

The Joering and Morelli families will receive replica signs at Tuesday’s Westerville city council meeting.

Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputies called an inmate’s bluff in order to get illegal drugs that had made their way into the jail.

According to court records, jail deputies were called to the fifth floor of the main jail Oct. 29 after the smell of burned marijuana was detected coming from the area.

During a search of a cell, one of the inmates used a finger to push a plastic bag with an unknown substance into his anal cavity.

When the inmate was confronted by deputies, he denied the action and refused to pull the bag out. The inmate refused to go through an X-ray scanner and told deputies they should get a search warrant.

Deputies did get a search warrant, according to court records.

When presented with the search warrant, the inmate was able to retrieve the bag without deputies executing the search warrant.