MOUNT VERNON – The Mount Vernon Police Department will take local teens to Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s soccer stadium on Thursday for a game of kickball.
Mayor Matt Starr said the game is the first event in the PAK United (Police and Kids) program developed by the police department for activities throughout the rest of the summer and, most likely, the year.
“This whole idea started with our school resource officer. Jeremiah Armstrong is really pretty close to the kids during the school year,” he said.
Armstrong got the idea that kids should have some activities between school years like kickball, bicycling, fishing and art projects.
More information will be made available at the City Council meeting on July 26. But the police department also can be called at 740-393-9530. And information will be posted on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MVPDOH/).
The department will need to fill a vacancy in its detective division with the departure of Detective JT DeChant, who took a job as the deputy director for Knox County Emergency Management/Homeland Security.
“He served over 20 years with the police department. And we wish them well. We know that Knox County is going to be in good hands,” Starr said.
Traffic Detours
The city has been working on the traffic issues residents have experienced with the Route 13 construction project by Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) contractors. Starr said the city has reached out to ODOT, which had its safety team travel the entire construction project along North Sandusky Street to review where the warning signs and electronic detour signs are positioned. Any reasonable person would follow the instructions, he said.
The southbound lane remains closed with a detour. Work between Franklin and James streets starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m.
The police department has tried to pull trucks over before they get to the construction and then forced into residential areas.
Citations have been issued. Starr said motorists need to stop at stop signs in residential areas and follow the speed limits or they will be cited. This neighborhood has not had a lot of traffic going through it, he said.
“I've spoken with Donna Hochstetler, who is a Clinton Township trustee, to keep her up to date. We have loaned them a few ‘No through truck’ signs for their township roads, and some other signage, which has helped them out,” Starr said.
He said the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office have helped when they could pull some staff over to the area.
Aside from commercial traffic, motorists have the right to travel on city streets and township roads, Starr said. The city can’t tell them not to travel on those roads just because there are more of them.
“It's a nuisance to that neighborhood, I understand, because we're not used to that increased amount of traffic and. But what we can do is just make sure that it remains safe,” he said.
Engineering
The city held an event with the Knox County Chamber of Commerce on July 15 at the CA&C Depot on South Main Street to announce the Columbus Road intersection safety project approved by the City Council earlier this year. A traffic signal will be provided for motorists frequenting the retail area on the east side of the intersection, Starr said. Sidewalk crossings also will be installed.
Elected officials and Chamber members also cut the ribbon on the bike path underpass. Tours were offered of the Kokosing River Restoration Project.
Grant and loan applications are being prepared for upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant. City engineer Brian Ball recently met with the Ohio Rail Development Commission, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Clinton Township, the Knox County engineer and Ohio Central Railroad.
“This was a kickoff meeting to discuss the replacement of the railroad crossings at Tilden Avenue. We’re hoping that this will be a project that will be 100% state and federally funded,” Starr said.
The actual project is a couple of years away, he said.
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