Park Superintendent One of Nearly 20 Knox Residents Who Reported Spray Painting Last Weekend

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Park Superintendent George Byer told members about a recent string of spray-painting related vandalism that has been reported in various places around the city, including Wythogan Park.

Byer said he spotted a blue can of spray paint on a picnic table while doing a run through of the park on Saturday.

However, due to the high waters, he didn’t get a chance to investigate the scene until Sunday morning. Though the graffiti he found was reportedly small and easily fixed, he said while discussing the incident with police he learned the park wasn’t the only place that was hit. Continue reading →

Knox City Council Meets New Officer, Approves Use of Community Center

Posted on Author WKVI
Eric Vanderhoff
Eric Vanderhoff

The new officer at the Knox City Police Department introduced himself to the Knox City Council members Tuesday night. Eric Vanderhoff said he will be headed to the police academy on March 31 for 15 weeks of training. He’s been on the road for six months and getting to know the area. He will return to the Knox City Police Department when his training is complete. Vanderhoff was hired last spring.

The city council also approved the use of the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center on April 25 for an event hosted by Women Anchored in Hope. The council approved the use of half of the great room, but if there are more people than anticipated then they could use the entire room.

A contract was approved to have Anne Mannix complete all of the paperwork with the Blight Elimination Program grant. The contract is for $50 an hour, not to exceed $10,000. The city attorney will review the contract.

The city council members also recognized that George Byer was reappointed as the park superintendent. That action was completed this month.

Improvements Coming to Wythogan Park in Knox

Posted on Author WKVI
The park crew was out yesterday morning preparing for the new equipment.

Wythogan Park in Knox is closed for the season, but repairs and improvements are still ongoing. Park Superintendent George Byer told the city council this week that they are currently waiting for the delivery of 30 trees to be planted in the park, and crews are also working on installing a new piece of playground equipment.

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Wythogan Park Still Undergoing Repairs

Posted on Author WKVI

Though the park is open, work is still being done to restore Wythogan Park in Knox to its former glory. Park Superintendent George Byer said the majority of stumps and trees have been removed, but approximately 50 stumps that were uprooted by the storms still need to be taken out.

Byer said these stumps will be split between the street department and a contractor, with each taking 25 stumps from the park. The park board is still waiting on bids to come in for the stump removal, and Byer said once they’ve received all the bids and chosen the best contractor for the job, the first 25 stumps will be removed by the contractor. The remaining stumps will then be handled by the street department as quickly as time allows.

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Wythogan Park Still Too Dangerous For Visitors

Posted on Author WKVI
Many branches like this one are dangling dangerously above, presenting a serious hazard to visitors.

Uprooted trees, downed power lines, fences torn asunder – this is just some of the damage at Wythogan Park in the wake of the July 24 storms.

The park has been closed as a result of the devastation, and Park Superintendent George Byer urges residents to stay away. He says the risk of injury is too great to enter the park, because there are a lot of branches dangling by a thread that could fall at any moment.

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