-
City of Edmond City Council Meeting -
Edmond Police Department Awards Sgt. Wells the Purple Heart and Police Medal of Valor
Edmond Police Chief J.D. Younger presented the Purple Heart and the Police Medal of Valor to Sergeant Joe Wells during Monday’s City Council meeting.
Younger told the Council that on the afternoon of Sept. 23, 2022, the Edmond Police Department received multiple calls reporting that the driver of a pickup truck had crashed into several vehicles and fled the scene.
The suspect continued driving erratically through Edmond, putting other motorists in harm’s way. Edmond Police located the suspect and initiated a pursuit.
Wells, a 16-year veteran of the Edmond Police Department and a member of the motorcycle unit, stayed a distance back to clear the road, and ensure no other motorists would be in the suspect’s path.
Younger said after a tactical vehicle intervention performed by the lead officer, the suspect regained control of his pickup truck, and drove it directly at Wells, who was off his bike, clearing debris out of the road.
Younger said Wells was hit by the truck, and thrown over 100 feet into a nearby creek, sustaining catastrophic, life-threatening injuries to most of his body that he is still recovering from to this day.
“Traditionally when these medals are awarded, but which aren't frequently, it's done within the police department, within the coworkers,” Younger said. “But the circumstances around Joe earning these medals impacted not only members of your police department, but members of your city staff, city council, and the community. These are extremely important. But at this one-year anniversary, we include the community in recognition of Sergeant Joe Wells.”
Wells thanked Younger and friends and family for coming out to see him.
“I appreciate everybody coming out,” he said. “It's definitely been a long journey of improvement. I'm getting there. Thanks to everybody for being here.”
In other matters, the Council approved an Agreement for Project Maintenance, Financing, and Right-of-Way with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to receive $3 million in federal funding via the Transportation Alternates (TA) Set-Aside Program for the Arcadia Lake Masterplan Trail.
The three trails receiving $ 1 million in grant funding include:
- Arcadia Lake Masterplan Trail from Edmond Park at Midwest Boulevard to the Spring Creek Trail near Air Depot Boulevard
- Arcadia Lake Masterplan Trail from Spring Creek Park near 15th Street to Carl Reherman Park near 33rd Street
- Edmond Masterplan Trail along State Highway 66 from Post Road to Westminster Road
“We are in front of counsel asking for a resolution supporting applying for transportation alternative grants available through ODOT,” said City Manager Scot Rigby. “In spring, we were notified that we were fortunate enough to get three of those grants, each for $1 million. The item tonight is approving contracts with ODOT to accept the money and move on to construction.”
The City Council approved a temporary relocation agreement which allows Edmond Mobile Meals to occupy the kitchen at the Edmond Senior Center, located at 2733 Marilyn Williams Drive during the remodel of the kitchen at 25 W 3rd Street.
Construction is expected to start mid-October and expected to be completed mid-2024.
Christi Twenter, Executive Director of Edmond Mobile Meals told the Council that Edmond Mobile Meals operates at a City of Edmond facility located at 25 W 3rd Street.
She said Edmond Mobile Meals is operating above capacity now but has been “making it work” with operational modifications.
“We're very proud of our program and the service it provides to Edmond seniors,” Twenter said. “We are currently delivering between 270 and 275 meals a day, some days upwards of almost 300 meals a day. And then an additional, at least, 120 meals each Friday, on top of this, to provide weekend meals for Edmond Seniors who don't have anything to eat over the weekend.”
Twenter said in addition to that, they have formed a partnership with the Hope Center.
“We provide grocery assistance to about 35 of our clients who don't have anything to eat outside of the meal we provide them each day,” she said. “We provide them a month's worth of groceries, one time a month to those clients who are most in need.”
Twenter said they are determined that no senior in Edmond ever goes hungry.
“Most of our clients are over the age of 65 and almost all of them live completely alone,” she said. “We survey our clients every year and ask them how our service assists them. A hundred percent of our clients say that the meal they receive from us allows them to remain living at home independently. So that's a big reason why we do what we do.”
Twenter said the biggest challenge Edmond Mobile Meals faces is to continue to serve Edmond seniors without any type of waiting list.
“We are proud of the fact that when a senior calls us and asks us to start service, we can start them within 24 hours,” she said. “Many programs, including the program in Oklahoma City, currently have a waiting list. We are determined to never put a senior in Edmond on a waiting list.”
Twenter said the kitchen expansion will triple their capacity to be able to serve Edmond Seniors, along with serving up to 100 meals each day to the Edmond Senior Center for their congregate meals.
“We are serving over 6,000 meals a month, and we project that there will be over 7,000 meals a month within just any time now.,” she said. “We have already, as of August 31st, served nearly 50,000 meals to almost 500 seniors, which was our cap just two or three years ago. We are determined to continue making sure that no senior in Edmond has to worry about where their next meal is going to come from.”