COAL GROVE — No longer will the Village of Coal Grove need to get assistance from Ironton or anyone else when they need to change a bulb in a traffic light, put up Christmas decorations or anything else that requires village workers to take care of business above the ground.

After years of deliberation, the village is finally getting its own bucket truck at a cost of $7,500.

“We’ve talked about buying one for the last couple of years,” Coal Grove Mayor Larry McDaniel said. “Money has always been an issue, but we happened to come across this one in Ashland and it was too good to pass up.”

The diesel-powered 1993 Ford F-600 truck provides the village the capability to quickly handle problems in which a bucket truck is needed without having to wait for one to be available from Ironton or American Electric Power.

McDaniel said this is very important, especially in regards to traffic lights, because it helps keep the citizens of Coal Grove safe.

“If we needed something today in the past, they might not be able to get here until tomorrow,” McDaniel said. “Now we can do this for ourselves. This will definitely be a benefit to the village.”

Juelda Collins, Coal Grove councilwoman, agreed with McDaniel, saying the truck was needed for the safety and the well-being of Coal Grove residents.

She said the truck was a good buy, and while it will have limited usage, it will serve the village for many years.

McDaniel, said with the purchased approved, he hopes the truck will be bought by the end of the week.