City Rallies Around Seriously Injured Council Member

Tuesday night’s Claremont City Council meeting started on a somber note with Mayor Opanyi Nasiali’s announcement that Mayor Pro-Tem Joe Lyons was hospitalized following a serious injury to his hand.

According to a report from the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and resident volunteer group Keeping the Good in OUR Neighborhood, or KGNH, Lyons cut his fingers with a table saw.

Nasiali announced the councilman’s injury at the start of the April 23 meeting just after asking for a moment of silence for the victims of the April 15 Boston bombing. He asked for the councilman to be included in everyone's prayers.

“He is in the hospital at the moment,” said Mayor Opanyi Nasiali told the crowd in the council chamber. “But I think he’ll be OK.”

Members of KGNH are rallying around Lyons, calling for prayers. The group issued the following statement:

This evening at the City Council meeting we all learned our Mayor Pro Tem, Joe Lyons, was seriously injured at his home yesterday.

It was announced his injury occurred when he was using his table saw. Joe was airlifted to the trauma center and underwent 9 hours of surgery to repair his hand.

In a small town like ours, it is hard to not be affected when one of our civic leaders is hurting. Joe always said, "Claremont is a special place and I want to help keep it that way!"

This evening we send our KGNH LOVE to Joe and his family as we keep him in our thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery and return to the dais.

At this hour, there are no further reports posted on any of the local papers or the city website. We just know this is very serious, and we all pray he for his healing.