Columbiana swears in Corey Duwell as full-time police officer

Columbiana City Council voted to hire Corey Duwell as a full-time officer and administered the law-enforcement oath during its May 20 meeting.

The hiring clears a vacant position in the Columbiana Police Department and places Duwell on duty as a full-time officer. City Manager Lance Willard and Chief of Police Mark Edwards brought the appointment to the council for concurrence; councilmembers approved the hire by roll call.

Officer Corey Duwell took the oath of office at council chambers and recited the statutory oath that includes support for the constitutions of the United States and the State of Ohio and the Charter and ordinances of the City of Columbiana. During the oath Duwell stated: "I, Corey Duwell, solemnly swear ... that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America, the Constitution of the State of Ohio, and the Charter of Ordinances of the City of Columbiana, Ohio, and that I will faithfully discharge my duties as full time officer." That oath was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Discussion vs. decision: the council took formal action to concur with the city manager and police chief on the appointment; the motion to hire was approved by roll call.

Clarifying details: the hiring was presented as concurrence with the city manager’s recommendation; the sworn oath references the City Charter and state and federal constitutions. No additional employment terms (salary, start date beyond "full time") were read into the public record during the meeting.

Ending: The city will complete any personnel paperwork required for onboarding and notify the public about the department staffing update.