MOUNT VERNON — What a difference a year makes. On a cold, rainy, and snowy day, last April shovels first hit the dirt on the groundbreaking for the new Mt. Vernon Police Station.

Then on sunny and warm Friday, the new, state-of-the-art facility on 27th Street was dedicated with a ribbon cutting attended by a large crowd of dignitaries and people from around the community.

First to speak at the event was Mt. Vernon Mayor John Lewis, who himself had been in law enforcement, occasionally choked up as he told of the challenges faced by today’s modern police force that simply were not being met at the old facility.

City Manager Mary Ellen Bechtel thanked a long list of people who worked hard to make the new police station a reality, including Congressman Mike Bost and Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, the Illinois Rural Development Director with the USDA.

Through their efforts, the city was able to secure an additional million dollars in federal funding that made possible a modern emergency operations room in the new facility that will allow all agencies involved in an emergency operation to coordinate from the same location.

Bechtel also thanked Police Chief Trent Page and Assistant Chief Robert Brands for their work in researching and listing what would be necessary for a modern police department.

But everyone who spoke thanked Assistant City Manager Nathan McKenna for being the point person on the massive project.

The public is invited to tour the new Mt. Vernon Police Station during an Open House from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday.