Mayor Bill Stendeback announced Wednesday morning that he has accepted a letter of resignation submitted by Ward II alderman Mike Knight. Knight joined the council initially by appointment in June of 2013 after then alderman Jeff Pollard was elected as mayor the previous month. Knight noted his declining health was the reason for stepping down. Before his 13 years on the city council, Knight was most well known as the Community Service officer from 2000 – 2017. In that time, he worked with vulnerable individuals on a variety of projects throughout the community, one of the most notable was building/completing the second courtroom in the county courthouse. Knight’s longtime partner Paula Dozier says the couple still hear from folks who worked under the program and let him know the positive impact he had in their lives. Knight was named Carmi Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2007 largely due to those efforts. Additionally, Knight served his country as a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1971 – 1991. More recently, he’s enjoyed serving as a greeter for youngsters who attend Lincoln and Jefferson Attendance Centers. Mayor Stendeback says, “I thank Mike for his many years of faithful service.” It will be up to the mayor to appoint someone to fill that position until the next election. We’ll discuss it Thursday morning on our Open Line segment with the mayor.