Mount Vernon marks 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with citywide memorial and proclamation

Mount Vernon held a public memorial on Sept. 11, 2026, to mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The program opened with the national anthem sung by Valentina Marino and an invocation by auxiliary police chaplain Tiffany Thrower, followed by remarks from elected officials and a proclamation recognizing the Mount Vernon Police Department, Fire Department and Department of Public Works for their response after 9/11.

The city read the names of five residents who died on Sept. 11, and organizers lit candles and observed a moment of silence at the monument. Mayor Meershawn Patterson Howard and council leadership joined department heads for a wreath and public recognition. The superintendent of schools described a district service project — volunteers at 14 campuses planted flowers around flagpoles — funded by a 9/11 Day AmeriCorps grant.