Former mayor and council member honored

COAL GROVE — A longtime public servant was honored on Thursday by the village he long worked for.

A ceremony took place at Coal Grove Village Hall on Thursday, dedicating the building to former mayor and council member Tom McKnight.

A plaque was hung on the wall of council chambers by current Mayor Andy Holmes, who said similar signage will also be posted on the building’s exterior.

McKnight was on hand, along with his wife, Linda, and several family members.

“That’s beautiful,” he said, upon seeing it.

Holmes, who was a council member before he became mayor, said McKnight was serving on the body when he began his political career.

He described him “a true servant of the people” and said the village wanted to show its gratitude.

“His legacy lives on in the lives he touched and the kindness he showed,” Holmes said.

Holmes said, as a council member, McKnight always looked for ways to better the village.

He pointed to an ordinance he drafted, which required residents to return their dumpsters from the street a set time after trash pickup.

“It’s little things like that,” he said.

Holmes and the room also discussed McKnight’s achievement in his two stints as mayor, such as drawing Wendy’s to Marion Pike, just of the Coal Grove exit of U.S. 52, as well as dealing with the aftermath of a fire, which took place before he took office, that destroyed the Coal Grove Townhouse.

McKnight oversaw the construction of the current Village Hall which replaced it, Holmes said.

Linda McKnight said, through all the decades her husband was in public service, he has “only one scar.”

She said it was from frostbit, on his stomach, which came about after he worked in freezing weather to restore a frozen and busted water line for a resident.

McKnight thanked the room and told several stories from his time in office.

He also had high praise for the village’s present day leadership.

“Congratulations on the job you’re doing,” he said of Holmes. “You’ve got a lot of the stuff going on that you quoted about me. I think you’re going to make it, Andy.”

He also spoke of the leadership of the police department, under Chief Bill Murphy.

“They are well trained and guided and it’s appreciated,” he said.

McKnight served as Coal Grove’s mayor from 1976-19991 and 2000-2004.