Two residents commended for locating missing children; residents urge consistent park lighting

Chief Gunch recognized Daniel Sutherland and Daniel Osborne for their actions on Jan. 29, 2026, when officers responded to a report of a 3‑year‑old found unattended outside a hotel and, during follow-up, learned an 8‑year‑old autistic child was missing and may have been gone for hours. Mr. Sutherland located the first child and assisted officers in finding the parents; Mr. Osborne joined officers and, with Patrolman Mackie, located the second child near Atlas Cinema. The chief said both children, exposed to approximately 8°F (felt -6°F) and snow, showed signs of extreme cold exposure but later received medical evaluation with no cold-related injuries reported. Council publicly commended both men.

During public comment, Alex Fish (resident) urged the city to ensure floodlights at the Civic Park pickleball and adjacent basketball courts are available during busy periods and not turned off before the posted 10:00 p.m. closing time. Fish reported several lights were not on during a recent busy weekend and asked the city to address timers or construction-related issues so courts remain safely lit through scheduled hours.

Council also handled appointments to the Tree Commission, appointing Lee Homiak to an unexpired term through Dec. 31, 2027 and David P. Gresley to an unexpired term through Dec. 31, 2026.

The commendation is a formal recognition by the police and fire departments; the parks-lighting request was recorded for staff follow-up during the public comment period, with no immediate directive recorded on the record.