(left to right) Sallisaw Mayor Ernie Martens, Sallisaw Police Capt. John Weber,
Officer Wesley McGuirt and Sallisaw Police Chief Terry Franklin
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 - The Medal of Valor can be defined as a prestigious honor awarded to an officer after the act of displaying extreme courage as well as facing imminent peril. On Monday, July 10, Capt. John Weber and officer Wesley McGuirt were each awarded the Medal of Valor for their heroic acts during Diamond Days in May when they used their police cruiser to stop a speeding vehicle heading towards pedestrians. Both officers received minor injuries during the crash.
This award was given out as the first order of business during Sallisaw's monthly City Commissioners Meeting.
Several updates were also provided regarding ongoing and upcoming projects.
Officials confirmed that Quiktrip and Big Lots will soon be coming to Sallisaw. Big Lots will be located next to Tractor Supply in the old Walmart building. No location was provided for the new Quiktrip.
Progress is continuing to be made on renovations to the Sallisaw Police Dept. as well as planning of the new city swimming pool and skate park.
The walking trail bathroom at the Sports Complex has been constructed and is awaiting power while the Mainstreet lighting project will begin later this month.
A new street is being constructed to run between Kerr Blvd. and No Name Street in front of Local Bank which currently has a temporary building and is awaiting construction of their new facility. The city approved naming the street Chapman Blvd. after the bank owners.
Possible changes could soon take affect at the city landfill. Commissioners discussed closing the landfill on Saturdays except for one per month. This is being considered in order to provide relief to the sanitation department which is currently understaffed. It will also help with wear and tear on equipment. A rise in non-contract customer costs was also broached and will be discussed in greater detail at next month's meeting.
Some of the items that were approved in this month's meeting include:
- purchase of Calix Equipment for telecommunications
- purchase of virtual machine (server) for City Hall
- re-up with Uptown Services of Work who provides consulting services
Kenneth Holzhammer, Staff Writer
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