Your Towns: Flood updates, Dunbar's new dugout, a little South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä fire

Here’s a roundup of what happened in February — plus a little of what’s to come in March — in municipal government in Kanawha County’s outlying towns and cities.

Belle

• Mayor Dave Fletcher said the town's mural, designed by local muralist Blake Wheeler, is complete. They are just waiting for about five days of clear weather to install the mural, which will replace an older mural located on a concrete wall north of the railroad tracks on the western end of town in the 100 block of West DuPont Avenue.

• The town is pursuing state-level grants and funding sources to address Belle's aging terra cotta sewer and storm drain system. Fletcher said replacing these lines with new plastic pipes is a priority to reduce stormwater inflow and improve the overall sewer infrastructure. Fletcher is working with the Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council and the West Virginia Water Development Board to secure $2-3 million to support these infrastructure upgrades.

Cedar Grove

• No information was available from Mayor Melissa Young.

Chesapeake

• According to Mayor Melissa Hill, the town will be listing properties as part of a required public notice process for the Dilapidated Properties Program, and ensuring all the legal documentation is in order to begin the first round of demolitions in April.Ìý

Clendenin

• Like most other Kanawha Valley officials, Mayor Kay Summers said her town received a lot of snow, ice and rain in February. She was nervous watching the water rise. "It's not just about my own family; I worry about our whole community. We had 8 feet of water in our house [in 2016]. I know how fast it can come and the damage it can do. We're still recovering," said Summers, who said she contacts local emergency services officials when the weather could affect the town.
• There will be a free movie at the Clendenin Community Center, 4 First St., on March 22, with pizza provided by Pizza on Main, popcorn and drinks.
  
• The town planned to host an ATV clinic on Feb. 28 at the Town Hall, 103 First St., where participants can have their ATV inspected and receive a sticker. Another will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. March 22.
  

Dunbar

• The bridge at Low Gap and Roxalana Road is closed after developing a hole, which Mayor Scott Elliott noted has worsened with the recent bout of bad weather. The city will get engineers out to assess the bridge and determine the best way to fix it.

• Improvements are coming to the baseball field behind 2605 Charles Ave., as the city is replacing a damaged structure there. "The dugout had been down there for about 40 years, and they let the trees grow too close to it," Elliott said. "When they reached a certain point in size, I guess they broke [the dugout], and it was almost ready to fall." Elliott estimates this project may be finished by mid-March.
• The Senior Citizens Indoor Yard Sale will be held 10 a.m.-3 p.m. March 4, at the Dunbar Recreation Center, 2601 Fairlawn Ave.
• The annual Dunbar Critter Dinner will be held March 8 at the Dunbar Recreation Center from noon until the food runs out.

Marmet

• A new business, Marmet Tobacco and Vape, is open at 8903 MacCorkle Ave. SE.

• The city has acquired a $200,000 grant for the renovation of the former Marmet Elementary School. Mayor David Fontalbert is working to secure two $37,000 energy efficiency grants to be used for heating and cooling renovations and new windows. "That school is 80 years old with original windows. New ones would reduce [energy costs] tremendously, and be more aesthetically pleasing," Fontalbert said. The police department is still slated to move into the building and begin operations will begin by March 31. Renovation is still ongoing, including security updates for the building.

• Fontalbert said the Maryland Avenue sanitary and storm project will begin soon. The million-dollar-plus project is partially funded by $860,000 in congressionally directed spending funds.Ìý
  
• Community sports like wrestling, volleyball and softball are taking sign-ups. For more information, call the town hall at 304-949-2241.Ìý

Nitro

• Kim Reed, city planner, said February's heavy rainfall brought flood damage to the Nitro Police Department, City Council Chambers and Municipal Court. She said the flooding resulted in 6-8 inches of standing water inside the first floor of the facility, causing widespread damage to flooring, walls, furniture, office equipment and supplies. As of now, the City Council Chambers and Municipal Court remain unavailable for use until further notice.
• The Walker Street stormwater project is nearing contract finalization. Construction will begin in the spring. According to Reed, the $5.2 million project will address longstanding issues with an undersized and deteriorating stormwater system that has led to flooding. Funding sources include $325,000 from the Nitro City Council, $2.9 million in Congressionally Directed Spending, plus a $722,000 Congressionally Directed Spending match, $800,000 from the Water Development Authority Economic Enhancement Grant and a $500,000 green infrastructure grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
  
• Construction of the state’s first dedicated indoor pickle ball court is underway, with a grand opening anticipated in late April at the Nitro Athletic Complex, 1650 Park Ave.
• The Citywide Demolition Program is entering its final phase, with the removal of the last eight structures by the end of June. It was funded by a $234,000 award from the DEP.
• The Nitro Convention and Visitors Bureau, Nitro History and Wars Museum and Regal Nitro Cinema are combining efforts to provide veterans and current service members with a free screening of the 2023 Iraq War documentary “Brothers After War.â€� Guests must show their military or veteran ID at the theater for the 6 p.m. showing on March 6.

Pratt

• Despite repeated attempts, Mayor Gary Fields could not be reached for comment.

South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä

• Mayor Frank Mullens said the city did not sustain flood damage in February and credited it to ongoing "preventative maintenance," including cleaning drains and inlets before storms come and widening sewer pipes.Ìý"There's no cure for flash flooding, but what we've done with preventative maintenance has lessened that burden a lot," he said. "We've had zero problems I'm aware of." 
  

• The South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Community Center shut down from Feb. 15-19 for anticipated flooding in the area. But Mullens reported that no water entered the building. However, a Feb. 4 fire in the sauna has left the women's wet area unusable, where the jacuzzi and sauna are located.
• Mullens said the city is ready for better weather to begin new construction projects. Mission BBQ wants to be open by November and the Park Place Kroger hopes to be open by next February. "We're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel [on Park Place]," Mullens said. "Those [developers] came into my office in January 2016."
  

St. Albans

• There were no major flooding incidents in St. Albans this past month. "It went down as quick as it went up," Mayor Scott James said.
• The city has a $30,000 commitment of Local Economic Development Assistance funds from the West Virginia Department of Economic Development for two tennis courts. James said the city will turn the court at Ordinance Park into one tennis court and two pickle ball courts. However, the city is also considering an additional option to build two or three more pickle ball courts elsewhere.