Your Towns: Fall festivals and new stores coming to the Kanawha Valley

Belle

• About a dozen residents attended the second open house at Belle's town hall Aug. 25, where residents asked questions about Arclin Chemical Co.'s accidental ammonia release on Aug. 16. The leak prompted a shelter-in-place order from the county's emergency response agency and gave Kanawha Emergency Management insight into some pitfalls in their current notification protocols. At the same time as the ammonia leak, which officials said totaled about as much as three propane tanks used for a backyard grill, Belle held its annual festival, featuring car shows, bands, vendors and community fundraising efforts, including a successful campaign by the Belle Nazarene Church to send kids to church camp next summer.

• Mayor David Fletcher said the town has profited more than $365,000 above its annual budget since he's been in office and that those funds are being put to work for a new roof at town hall.
  
• The town also recently installed a generator at town hall, paid for with ARPA funds, to provide power for shelters or cooling/heating centers during outages.
• The town has erected another mural, also commissioned by Blake Wheeler, on a retaining wall near the Chemours Plant in Belle, located at the intersection of West DuPont Avenue and Simmons Creek Road.

Cedar Grove

• Jessica Hudnall started as the new town clerk on Aug 25. She replaces Emily Clark.
• Bingo is ongoing every Friday at the community center, located at 324 William St. Doors open at 3:30 p.m., and games start at 6 p.m. Since there will be cash payouts, only those 18 and over may play.
  

Chesapeake

• Mayor Melissa Hill said town hall has asked Kroger to install wheel-locking mechanisms and provide additional security at the Marmet location to help curb the number of shopping carts ending up in Chesapeake. Hill noted that unhoused individuals have been taking carts from the store and leaving them around town. "As it is getting cold, we have less than 10 unhoused beings that are seeking shelter on private property," she said. "Some carts leave the store with goods paid for and some not. We then have to gather and take back or call management to pick them up."

Clendenin

• On Aug. 27, a new Save A Lot opened in town in the former Smith's Foodfair building, 106 Beech St. George Smith, whose family business still owns the building, said Smith's Foodfair opened its doors on Sept, 28, 2005, and stayed open until the 2016 flood. "It sat there for five years. I didn’t know if the town would get enough momentum to attract this kind of investment," he said. But he said his father and uncle, who opened the store, would have been very proud for this moment to see the store be used again for the people of Clendenin. "We as a town council are very pleased," Mayor Kay Summers said. "Yes, it will improve the economics of our town, but, more than that, it will help our residents, visitors and the surrounding counties and towns."
• Chili'n on the Elk is coming up on Sept. 6, featuring vendors like Crochet Creations, Susan Testman Pottery, Big Al's T's and Grace Rose Ceramics & Pottery. There will be a chili cook off (with samples), beer/wine sampling, free live entertainment and a free kids' zone.
• The Esquires are performing on the Harper Stage on Main Street on Sept. 19.
  
• The Lions Club Fall Festival will be Sept. 27.
  
• According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, 30 volunteers, some from Trash Your Kayak Cleanup Crew WV, along with TC Energy, collected more than 1,600 pounds of trash and 338 tires over a 3-mile stretch of the Kanawha River during an Aug. 16 cleanup.

Dunbar

• The city clerk, Connie Thompson, has been collecting outstanding municipal and business and operations fees from businesses and residents. The city's total outstanding balance of uncollected municipal fees is more than $1.2 million. At the Aug. 4 city council meeting, Thompson reported more than 600 residents are more than $180 delinquent. If residents do not respond after being contacted, Thompson will send their accounts to collections, meaning their debt will be sold to a third-party agency.Ìý"Ninety percent of the time when I'm talking to people," Thompson said,Ìý"they're like, 'Oh, I don't get one of those,' or, 'My [spouse] pays the bills.' I don't care who pays the bills. It comes to your home. It's not junk mail. Pay your bill."
• At the Aug. 18 meeting, Thompson further reported that, in the 10 days that passed between meetings, more than Ìý$13,000 was collected.
  
• Dunbar City Council approved a $7,500 sign-on bonus for police officers during its Aug. 8 meeting. To qualify, officers must sign a three-year contract to stay with the City of Dunbar. If an officer leaves within three years, the bonus must be repaid on a prorated basis. The funding for the sign-on bonus will come from opioid settlement money and can provide this deal for up to five officers.

• Dunbar hosted the Middle School Socceramma on Aug. 23, an annual event held at the Shawnee Sports Complex. The event provides a scrimmageÌýevent for soccer teams ahead of their regular season. It was a massive youth soccer tournament featuring 60 different teams and 900 players.
  
• Dunbar's Fall Festival is Sept. 19-20. Mayor Scott Elliot will kick off the festivities at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19 at the 12th Street Plaza. There will be live music and activities for kids.
  

Marmet

• The Marmet Police Department recently received a pay raise, from $20 to $25 per hour, with fully paid insurance, in an effort to attract more officers. Marmet currently has a total of four police officers, plus a code enforcement officer.
  
• RibFest will take place from Sept. 11–14, bringing in visitors and featuring a shuttle service for parking.
  
• There will be a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the American Legion on Sept. 19 at the Marmet Municipal Annex, 408 94th St.

Nitro

• The City is set to break ground on the Walker Street Stormwater Improvement Project, a long-anticipated infrastructure initiative designed to reduce chronic surface flooding on Nitro’s east end. Once underway, this project will bring relief to residential neighborhoods and commercial areas along W.Va. 25, where repeated flooding has created long-standing challenges. Although the official start date is still pending, city officials say construction is expected to begin soon.
• To stay ahead of mounting infrastructure challenges and new regulatory requirements, the City of Nitro has officially adopted a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or MS4, boundary, enabling the City to implement a dedicated MS4 fee in accordance with state and federal stormwater regulations. City Planner Kim Reed said this is part of a broader strategy to improve water quality, manage runoff more effectively, and reduce the long-term strain on aging storm infrastructure. "Funds generated through this program will support critical efforts such as storm system maintenance, street and inlet cleaning, and the eventual separation of outdated combined sewer systems," she said in an email. "These upgrades are essential to reducing localized flooding and preventing water contamination during periods of heavy rainfall."
• In conjunction with this initiative, the city is establishing a new Stormwater Department tasked with planning, compliance, maintenance and public outreach. According to Reed, these changes reflect a national shift among municipalities working to address increasingly frequent storm events and deteriorating infrastructure. "By laying the groundwork now, Nitro is ensuring it can meet environmental standards and better protect public and private property in the years to come," she said.
• Boomtown Days, Nitro’s annual celebration of its World War I-era roots, is taking place Saturday. The day will include a lively parade, classic car show, food and craft vendors, live music, including an Eagles cover band called Out of Eden, and family-friendly fun throughout downtown.
• Recreational updates include the seasonal close of the Nitro Pool, which has now shut down for the year, while the splash pad will remain open through Labor Day. For those looking to stay active year-round, indoor pickleball continues at the Nitro Athletic Complex, with 24-hour access available to passholders through the city’s key fob system.

Pratt

• The 40th annual Fall Festival will be held near town hall, 200 Center St., from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. on Sept. 27. The mayor will announce citizen of the year, and there will be vendors, live bands and inflatables for the kids.

St. Albans

• Mayor Scott James reflected on the summer, saying, "It was an exciting, successful summer." He specifically highlighted the city's outdoor events, including movies, concerts and other activities. "If it's happening outdoors, it's happening in St. Albans," he said.
  
• James estimated the Mountaineer Main Street event, held on Aug. 23, brought 2,000 to 3,000 people to town. Guests were treated to free performances by The Pride of West Virginia – WVU Marching Band as well as WVU Cheerleaders, Dance Team and the Mountaineer Mascot. James reported it was also the first private outdoor designated area — or PODA — event in St. Albans, meaning people could travel along the street with alcohol in designated cups. "It was hugely successful," James said. "No issues were reported." The city is one of the first in West Virginia to approve a PODA, joining cities like ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä and Huntington.
• People can come out on Sept. 19 at Olde Main to enjoy the PODA while listening to live music from 6–8 p.m.
  
• Train Day will take place fromÌý10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sept. 20. There will be free train rides on the Hoppy Shores Train and free train whistles for kids by the C&O Train Depot, located at 400 Fourth Ave.

South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä

• Nothing Bundt Cakes will be coming to the Park Place development in the late spring or early summer of 2026, according to South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Mayor Frank Mullens. While Nothing Bundt Cakes operates more than 600 locations across 40 states, this will be the Mountain State's first. The mayor said the company will begin building by early October, joining a newÌýKroger Marketplace,ÌýChipotle, Skechers,ÌýMenardsÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýMission BBQ, as well as aÌýStarbucksÌýand aÌýChick-fil-AÌýthat are already open in the plaza.
• A new restaurant, Sushi One, is also confirmed to be opening at 236 Seventh Ave., though no opening date is available as of now.

• It's nearly time to gather around the Mound for the 46th annual Arts & Crafts Mound Festival from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sept. 13. There will be more than 100 vendors, according to Mullens.