DANVILLE — The village of Danville welcomed a new addition to its police department Monday.
Jason Skeens was appointed by Mayor Bob Dile to the position of road officer, filling the position left vacant by the resignation of Tom Looney in May. Police Chief Monte Vance recommended Skeens for the position after an extensive interview process.
“One thing that impressed me was I sensed a desire that he wanted to be in small town,” Vance said of Skeens. “He’s willing to give of himself and commit himself to serve the community. He’ll do everything he can to make the people of Danville safe.”
Skeens, a graduate of East Knox High School and Central Ohio Technical College, is tentatively scheduled to start in the village on July 30. He is presently with Metro Safety and Security out of Columbus, but has served five years with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and two years with the Utica Police Department. Skeens currently lives in Bladensburg.
Chuck Coughlin of Bird & Bull Engineering was at Monday’s council meeting to update members on the Richards Street replacement project. Coughlin said because of issues with overhead power lines near the bridge, the project has been delayed. Village Administrator Robert Shipley met with officials from American Electric Power last week and discussed the relocation of the lines. The lines supply power to the sewer plant and are expected to be moved to the west side of the street, out of the way of construction of the bridge. AEP will bear the brunt of the cost of moving the lines, while the contractor who works on the bridge will add insulators to the lines to keep them from sparking during construction.
