These residents are burning blue lights to show that this blue life matters

The blue light special taking place Thursday night in a West Milton neighborhood wasn’t to signal a store bargain but to call attention to an invaluable member of the community retired Miami County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Lockhart.

>>PHOTOS: Blue lights to honor retired Miami County Sheriff’s Deputy

Residents installed blue light bulbs and burned them bright to show Lockhart that they were thinking of him and his contributions to the community and to law enforcement.

“The blue lights are just incredible to see,” April Horn said to News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis.

Horn moved to this block about a decade ago.

“Instantly he was friendly, coming over, introducing himself saying hi and letting us know if there was anything he could do for us,” she said. “And ever since then a friendship has just bonded.”

The light show has been going all week to honor the man neighbors say is battling a life-threatening illness.

“This was my mom’s idea,” Heather Ressler said. “Frank is such a caring person. He cares for all of us. And she wanted to go out and basically just show that our neighborhood cares for him too”

Lockhart’s career in law enforcement began with the West Milton Police Department.

The sheriff’s office hired him in the 1980s. His career included a stint with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation in the early 2000s until he returned to the sheriff’s office part-time as a court services deputy.

“Great guy, great law enforcement officer,” Sheriff Dave Duchak said in a statement to News Center 7. “He and his family are in all of our prayers.”