Clark County Commissioner Rick Lohnes considered Monday to be “a happy day” as three new deputies were sworn-in to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, and several current deputies were awarded for their exceptional performance.

Leah Farris, Kevin Good, and Paige Rector were all sworn-in as the department’s newest deputies the afternoon of Monday, April 25, helping the sheriff’s office boast the highest number of full-time sworn deputies in the history of the county.

Sheriff Gene Kelly said he prides himself on hiring deputies who have ties to Clark County because they “have ownership” of the communities in which they serve.

“These are three young people who have roots in our community,” Kelly said. “And community policing starts with those roots. They live here, and they take leadership in this community.”

Leah Farris is a 2006 graduate of Tecumseh High School who earned her Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from Wright State University, and Masters from Tiffin. She attended Clark State’s Police Academy and graduated in 2015. Farris selected her father Chuck to pin her new badge over her heart, which Kelly said acted as “a symbol of public faith,” asking the deputies to “accept it as public trust.”

Kelly announced at the swearing-in ceremony that he would be adding a third educational resource officer to serve in the county’s school districts for the 2016-2017 school year. He added that he would be making his selection for the third officer this week, adding that he just learned that Ohio leads the nation in the number of school threats.

Nearly a dozen deputies and jail employees were given the Exceptional Service Award for their exemplary service in their field. Deputies Vaughn Apel, Andy Miller, Ryan Weaver, Ben Barrett, Morgan Eckler, Jesse Ward, Austin Bowers, Amy Oliver, Rachel Allender, and Nurse Kim Mason were awarded for their exceptional service based on their actions in preventing the suicides of three different inmates.

“Their diligent and quick response to the inmates trying to hang themselves resulted in saving the lives of three inmates who were attempting to take their own lives by hanging,” the Sheriff said. “These incidents occurred on May 9, June 6, and August 10 of 2015.”

Kelly also presented New Carlisle deputy Mieko Lyons the Exceptional Service Award “for her keen sense and quick response to an attempted escape from the female pods at the Clark County Jail.

Sergeant Ronnie Lemen was awarded the Homicide Apprehension Award for his role in the conviction of a heroin dealer who sold a bad batch of the drug to someone who took it and died two years ago.

“Then, we were just starting to see an increase in heroin overdose deaths...last year we set a record, and we may set another record this year,” said Kelly.

Lemen investigated the overdose death in Springfield Township’s Garden Acres and realized “there was more to it,” said Kelly. Lemen was tenacious in his investigation and found that the victim had been on electronic monitoring, so he tracked the victim to a Walmart parking lot on the east side of the county. The store’s surveillance shows the victim meeting the dealer, Lucas Fowler, in a car, where he purchased the dope that took his life.

Fowler was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 14 years in jail for selling the drugs to the victim. Kelly said “this was a test case--one of the first in Ohio and one of the firsts in the nation.”

After taking the oath to serve the citizens of Clark County, the new deputies were encouraged by the Sheriff to show “courage” and “calm” in the execution of their duties.

“II hope that you will honor us by being the next recipients of the Exceptional Service Awards,” Kelly told his new hires.


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