Rep. McNally Effort to Designate Police Chief Ronnie Ricketts, Sr. Memorial Highway Sent to Governor's Desk

  COLUMBUS – State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) today announced the Ohio House of Representatives’ concurrence vote of House Bill (HB) 81, legislation amended to compile several state highway road namings including HB 456’s designation of the only mile portion of State Route (SR) 170 within the village limits of New Middletown in Ohio’s 59th district as the “Police Chief Ronnie Ricketts, Sr. Memorial Highway.”

“Considering Governor DeWine’s respect and admiration for veterans and service members around the state, I’m extremely confident that we are days away from this well-deserved tribute becoming a reality for New Middletown,” said Rep. McNally. “I feel extremely privileged that Chief Ricketts surviving brother Larry entrusted me to take on this work and I look forward to sharing the news with their family and neighbors when the ink is finally dry.”

A Navy and 25-year police force veteran with the New Middletown Police Department, Chief Ricketts died on Wednesday, April 2, 1997, in a vehicular accident while on duty delivering court papers. He was 55-years old and had been serving as the Interim Police Chief for five months. The road naming was brought to the office of Rep. McNally by his surviving brother, Larry, and has a resolution of support from the Mayor and Council Members of the Village of New Middletown.

HB 81 now heads to the governor’s desk where he has 10 days, Sundays excepted, to sign it into law. If the governor takes no action within 10 days of receiving the act, it becomes law without his signature. Either after the signature date or 10 days of nonaction, HB 81 would become law after 90 days and the Ohio Department of Transportation will provide markers, subsequently maintained by New Middletown, noting the designation on SR 170 near mile marker 5 as the “Police Chief Ronnie Ricketts, Sr. Memorial Highway.”