MOUNT VERNON – The Mount Vernon Police Department held one of its first PAK United (Police and Kids) events on Thursday at Mount Vernon City Schools' Energy Fieldhouse, Chief Robert Morgan said.
The dodgeball event had approximately 30 kids participate. Mount Vernon University and other sponsors have been supporting the program. Check the Police Department’s social media sites for updates on future events throughout the summer.
The Mount Vernon Nazarene University Cougars donated $500 to PAK United from its #PAW3palooza golf outing, Morgan said.
Leadership training
Police Capt. Scott McKnight was one of 30 graduates of the Public Safety Leadership Academy on June 10.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol and the John Glenn College at Ohio State University sponsor the program.
“It's an 11-week intensive program for law enforcement leaders all over the state of Ohio,” Safety Services Director Rick Dzik told the Mount Vernon News. “We're obviously very proud of his achievement here and looking forward to the skills and ideas he can bring back to the department.”
The training was held at the Patrol’s Training Academy. It was offered at no cost to agencies through casino tax revenue distributed to the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services to support law enforcement training efforts, an Ohio State Highway Patrol spokesperson said in a release.
The curriculum focused on leadership, community engagement, public administration and contemporary issues in policing.
ISO rating may lower insurance premiums
The city received a new score in its ISO insurance rating, Dzik said.
“We did see an improvement in our score, which should positively impact all of our residents’ insurance rates,” he said.
The score is in the top 15% of the nation, he said.
Defendants surrender to court
Court Clerk Lisa Mazza said Mount Vernon’s municipal court held a safe surrender program on Thursday.
“It looks like they were able to resolve 14 warrants with 10 different defendants through that program. And they are looking to hold another safe surrender session in December,” Dzik said.
People with active warrants for non-violent offenses were able to meet with the court without being arrested to bring a resolution to their cases.
Farmers can start collecting free lime
Farmers can begin contacting the city this week to get free lime, Dzik said.
“The city finally received its EPA permit to distribute the lime sludge to local farmers,” he said.
They can call Maureen Hall in the Safety Service director's office at 740-393-9520 for more information on getting free lime for farm fields.
City treats 18 million gallons of water
More than 18 million gallons of water were treated at the water treatment plant last week, Dzik said.
Mount Vernon’s water is among the tastiest in the nation and the world, he said. The city participated in a taste test with some of the best water systems, and its water scored in the top 10% of all contestants.
Public Utilities Director Tom Marshall is working on upgrades that are necessary at the water plants, he said. Old recarbonation panels will be replaced with new, more efficient equipment. City Council was scheduled to vote on the acquisition of the panels on Monday at its meeting.
Fire Department seeks fan donations
The Mount Vernon Fire Department has begun its fan drive program, which will run from now until Aug. 31.
“This is a program where people can donate fans and people in need can receive fans during the summer,” Dzik said.
The Fire Department said every year many residents suffer in small, stuffy apartments and houses with no retreat from the heat.
New fans will be accepted at the Fire Department at 200 W Gambier St. and will be distributed by Interchurch. State law requires fans must be new.
Dye tests and railroad signals
Dye tests continue for the sanitary system projects in the Clintonville neighborhood, Dzik said. The Engineering Department is making sure all connections to the sanitary system were completed correctly.
“They are about one-third of the way through all the homes that are on their list. And they're still waiting to hear back for a few residents to schedule those dye tests,” he said.
Lights and gates were being installed by the railroad at the entrance to the Buckeye addition for safety, Dzik said.
