Mount Vernon City announced several community-service items including enrollment for the Citizens Academy, upcoming facility closures and a one-day shift in solid waste pickup for the holiday week.

Speaker 1 said the city is now accepting applications for the Citizens Academy, a 12-week program that offers residents a behind-the-scenes look at police work; the next class starts Jan. 29. "This 12 week program gives residents a behind the scenes look at police work," Speaker 1 said.

City offices, the library commons and the yard waste facility will be closed for Christmas and New Years. The city said solid waste pickup normally scheduled for Thursday during the holiday week will instead be collected on Friday. Those facilities will also be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19.

The city encouraged residents to consult the municipal website for full holiday closure schedules and service updates and invited the public to subscribe to the city's YouTube channel for ongoing announcements.