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The City of LaGrange is hosting a prayer vigil on Lafayette Square on Saturday in support of Mayor Willie Edmondson.

City officials confirmed on Friday morning that the mayor had been hospitalized but would not further elaborate due to his wishes for privacy.

“Our mayor is having health issues, and he is asking for our prayers. Willie always speaks about unifying our City and I know, together, our community can pray for his full recovery,” said Mayor Pro Tem Jim Arrington. “Our Mayor wants unity and I encourage everyone in our community to lift him up in your prayers.”

Due to the mayor not feeling well, he is expected to be unable to deliver the annual State of the City Address scheduled during the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce Early Bird Breakfast on Feb. 13.

Arrington will speak and a video covering many of the topics Edmondson was planning on speaking about has already been filmed and will be shown at the event. The city is not planning to live-stream the event due to the circumstances, but the video and the annual Mayor’s Update magazine will be available afterwards.

LaGrange City Church on Cherry Street held a prayer service led by Dr. Israel Barsh on Friday to pray for the mayor’s recovery.

The small church filled slowly Friday morning with citizens praying for the hospitalized mayor’s full recovery.

“We come to pray for our mayor because we love him,” Barsh said in prayer.

The city’s community-wide prayer vigil will be held on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. at Lafayette Square in downtown LaGrange.