Smiles and applause were in abundance amongst the large crowd at Monday's City Council meeting as Dunbar Mayor Terry Greenlee honored two of the city's police officers.
Family members snapped photos and beamed with pride as Patrolman Kerel C. Whitehead and Cpl. Adam W. Mason were promoted to corporal and sergeant, respectively.
Upon presenting Whitehead with his new badge, Greenlee stated he has been quite an asset to the force.
Whitehead addressed the crowd with a few words, saying, "It truly is a blessing to serve the citizens of Dunbar. To Chief (Jesse) Bailes: I really appreciate your leadership."
With similar sentiments, Mason thanked the city of Dunbar and the mayor for presenting him with the opportunity to fulfill the role of sergeant.
Following the recognition of his officers, police Chief Jesse Bailes stood to offer his thoughts and congratulations.
"Thank you to everyone for all of the kind words regarding our force," said Bailes. "I would be remiss if I didn't say we have great officers. Dunbar's government is one of the most harmonious I've seen in my career.
"With the mayor's leadership and the council, we work towards resolving your concerns. We want to make you happy and do what's best for you."
Ward 1 Councilwoman Pam Reynolds expressed her appreciation of the police force, specifically Whitehead and Lt. Bill Moss, as she detailed their success in resolving a concerning issue that took place outside of her home last week.
"There were a couple of kids outside and they were screaming," said Reynolds. "It sounded like someone was getting killed; it was really bad.
"Kerel and Bill showed up and handled the situation with such finesse, staying for at least 45 minutes talking to the parents. They resolved it beautifully and I would like to commend them for that."
Adding to the evening of appreciation for the police department, Greenlee announced the success achieved in closing a long-time drug case, worked on by the Dunbar police force and other agencies.
"They did an excellent job on this case," said Greenlee. "I can't get into the particulars, but it was a very, very big bust.
"I'll just say they put someone at the 300 block of 17th Street out of business."
In other business, council:
n Approved the minutes, as written, from the Sept. 21 meeting
n Approved the payment of invoices, totaling $78,802.42
n Approved the payment of $3,008 to Stephen's Auto Center for balance on the new police cruiser, paid for by the $25,000 Public Safety Grant
n Announced Roxalana Road is slated to be paved Oct. 28
n Announced 16th Street and Dunbar Avenue have been placed on the list of roads to be paved by the Division of Highways.