Memorial bench to be dedicated for Clark County Deputy Matthew Yates at fairgrounds

A memorial bench made of recycled materials will be dedicated to Clark County Deputy Matthew Yates during the opening ceremony of the Clark County Fair Saturday morning.

According to a release, the dedication of the bench, for which the Exchange Club of Springfield received donations of bottle caps and lids, will take place in the Arts and Crafts building at 9 a.m. Another bench will be dedicated in Yates’ honor at the Springview Government Center on Aug. 2 because the community donated so many bottle caps and lids.

“The Exchange Club of Springfield, Ohio, extends our warmest appreciation to all those who donated caps, financial assistance, and support, and to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office for their unqualified support in honoring Deputy Matthew Yates for his courage and sacrifice on July 24, 2022,” the release stated. “Our hearts are with the Yates family and law enforcement as the year mark approaches.”

Yates was shot and killed going into a trailer at the Harmony Estates to assist in a report of a shooting.

Investigators later determined that Cole White, 27, shot and killed his mother, Jodie Arbuckle, 47, and then ambushed Yates as deputies entered the trailer. Arbuckle went to the trailer to check on her son, who had mental health issues.