Trending
Mid Ohio Valley law enforcement agencies from both sides of the Ohio River will be participating Friday in the Operation Blue Sky procession that will help wind up National Police Week.
The procession will begin in Marietta at Washington State Community College at approximately 8:30 p.m. and disperse on the West Virginia side after a route through Marietta, Belpre, Parkersburg, Vienna and Williamstown.
The event has been conducted the past four or five years, filling the night sky with blue law enforcement lights as another way of honoring all men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving and protecting their communities, according to Major Brian P. Rhodes, Civil Division Executive Officer with the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
The agencies that have confirmed their participation in this year's event are Washington County Sheriff's Office, Marietta Police Department, Marietta College Police Department, Belpre Police Department, Beverly Police Department, New Matamoras Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Vienna Police Department, Parkersburg Police Department, Williamstown Police Department and West Virginia State Police.
After starting at WSCC, the Ohio side of the route continues to Colegate Drive to Greene Street to Acme Street to Pike Street to Third Street to Putnam Street. The procession will then cross the Putnam Bridge and turn onto Franklin Street to Virginia Street to southbound Ohio 7. Ohio 7 continues to Farson Street to Washington Street and crosses the Parkersburg/Belpre Bridge. In West Virginia, the route is then Fourth Street to Green Street to Fifth Street to Division Street to Camden Avenue to East Street Bridge to Seventh Street to Eighth Street to Murdoch Avenue to Grand Central Avenue to West Virginia 14 into Williamstown. The procession will turn right onto Highland Avenue and disperse upon reaching I-77.
The event will be held rain or shine.