Mayor Dana Rauch recounted attending a mural unveiling at Kent Meridian High School that honors students and staff who have died young and made lasting impressions on the school community.

The mural, titled "Forever a Royal," was unveiled this week and, Rauch said, "it took my breath away." She said the art honors alumni and faculty "that have left us too soon" and thanked the school's ASB president and student leaders as well as Principal Radford and staff for supporting the project.

Rauch described the mural as a way to preserve the memory and legacy of those honored and said the project — developed over roughly a year — resonated with her personally as an alumnus. She thanked students and staff for the thoughtful tribute and urged the community to recognize the role of public art in honoring local history.