Mike Sutton and Jack Rose of Wilmington American Legion Post 49 presents Kirby Keltner with Sugar Grove Cemetery a check for $19,000 at the Oct. 17, 2024, Wilmington City Council meeting. The donation is to be used to purchase wreaths to place on veterans’ graves for the annual Wreaths Across America service.
Stephanie Smith | News Journal photos
Mayor Pat Haley presents Jane Newkirk from Clinton County Community Action with a proclamation honoring the organization’s work at the Wilmington City Council meeting, Oct. 17, 2024.
City of Wilmington Safety Director Nick Eveland swears in Patrol Officer Andrew Calhoun as a new sergeant with the Wilmington Police Department on Oct. 17, 2024, as Calhoun’s 4-month-old son Cooper looks on.
City of Wilmington Safety Director Nick Eveland swears in Patrol Officer Cole Hollan as a new sergeant with the Wilmington Police Department on Oct. 17, 2024.
WILMINGTON, Ohio — Mike Sutton and Jack Rose, members of Wilmington American Legion Post 49, presented Kirby Keltner from Sugar Grove Cemetery with a check for $19,000 at Thursday’s Wilmington City Council public workshop. The donation is to help the cemetery meet its goal of placing 1,800 wreaths on veterans’ graves during the Wreaths Across America service Dec. 14, part of the national effort to remember those during the holiday season who served.
Post 49 donated 1,500 wreaths for the December 2023 service, but during event preparations, it was discovered that hundreds of veterans buried in the cemetery had not been documented.
Sutton has been a member of the Wilmington American Legion Post 49 for 30 years, a member of the Honor Guard for five years, and was elected financial officer of Post 49 in June.
“His dedication to veterans and their families cannot be understated,” said Keltner.
As a member of the honor guard, he regularly attends funerals with the color guard, the firing squad, and provides taps for local veterans. Sutton participates in many parades and services throughout the year, including the Wreaths Across America service at Sugar Grove Cemetery in Wilmington.
Rose, a member of Post 49 for 47 years, coordinates veterans from every military branch to present the wreaths during the service. He also participates in the event.
“He actively serves in our community and is regularly carrying out the legion’s mission. I’ve worked with him many times over the last several years as he works to ensure that all the veterans in Sugar Grove are documented and accounted for,” said Keltner.
Rose locates veterans in all the cemeteries in Clinton County and regularly contributes to Find a Grave, a website that helps people locate graves of deceased individuals worldwide. Users can search for burial information, view cemetery records, and share photos of headstones or memorials.
“He and his wife, Valerie, have also delivered flags to the cemetery for the annual flag replacement before Memorial Day for over 12 years, and they are a large reason why every veteran in our cemetery gets a new flag every spring,” said Keltner.
Wilmington American Legion Post 49 was officially chartered in 1923. It has been active in the area by supporting veterans, active military members and their families while promoting patriotism, responsible citizenship, and advocating for veterans’ needs.
City Council honors Clinton County Community Action
During the Thursday Wilmington City Council meeting, Mayor Pat Haley presented Jane Newkirk, chief executive officer at Clinton County Community Action, with a proclamation honoring the organization’s work and declaring October 2024 as National Weatherization Month.
“Community Action’s (home) weatherization assistance program provides essential support for low-income individuals and families by reducing energy costs and creating safer, healthier homes,” said Haley.
The program was established in 1976 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and has helped over 7 million homes. According to the DOE, the Weatherization Assistance Program is “the nation’s largest single ‘whole-house’ energy efficiency program.” It provides grant funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Native American Tribes and the five U.S. territories – American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marina Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The states, tribes and territories then work with community agencies, nonprofits and local governments to perform weatherization services for low-income families.
“For every dollar invested in the weatherization assistance program, households and taxpayers receive an average of $4 in energy, health, and safety benefits,” said Haley in his proclamation.
Clinton County homeowners and renters who meet the income eligibility criteria can apply online for weatherization assistance at clintoncap.org/weatherization.
Promotions in the Wilmington Police Department
Patrol officers Andrew Calhoun and Cole Hollan were sworn in by City of Wilmington Safety Director Nick Eveland as Wilmington Police sergeants Thursday at the city municipal building.
Eveland credited police sergeants as being the backbone of the police department.
“They’re like shift commanders. They’ve had the experience of being on a road, dealing with the public, and then they can convey that experience to the people that work under them. A lot is expected of them, but they perform extremely well, and so that’s why we value sergeants so much here in the city,” said Eveland.
