Rhododendron Roll bringing Easter fun to the state capitol complex
Plus: Nurse Honor Guard, interfaith discussion and more Kanawha Valley news and events
March 23, 2026 | Weather: ⛅ 54° F / 🌒 32° F
Good Monday, neighbor!
It’s March 23. Spring officially made its way into the northern hemisphere last Friday, and locally, warm weekend weather followed suit. While today is forecasted to be a bit cooler (but still seasonally appropriate), temperatures are expected to steadily rise throughout the week. Bring it, I say.
Let’s get this week started.
COMMUNITY TIDBITS
Rhododendron Roll, local Nurse Honor Guard and more
The second annual Rhododendron Roll is set for this weekend at the state Capitol Complex, and a new county-wide chapter of the Nurse Honor Guard is set to launch in April. Here’s the 411 from communities around the region, including Charleston, Cross Lanes and South Charleston.
IN OTHER NEWS
More local news from around the region
Here’s what other regional news organizations are reporting:
A multi-vehicle crash on I-64 East near the Interstate 77 interchange in Charleston left several people injured on Saturday. All but one eastbound lane was closed after the incident, resulting in slowed traffic. The interstate was later reopened. (WCHS)
The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association has paused the intake of dogs for the next two weeks in response to a distemper outbreak at the Greenbrier Street shelter. (WOWK)
The Charleston Dirty Birds held a Fan Fest celebration on Saturday, marking the start of single ticket sales for the 2026 baseball season. (WSAZ)
Kanawha Valley faith leaders will lead an interfaith discussion on how various Abrahamic religions, including Judaism and Islam, relate and differ from Catholicism. The public forum begins at 7 p.m. today at the Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on Virginia Street in Charleston. (WV Metro News)
NEWS GAMES
Quick Cross: Monday, March 23, 2026
It’s Monday, so here’s a fairly easy one to get your week started: What four-letter abbreviation represents West Virginia’s neighbor to the north and is in the name of an East Coast sub shop with a local franchise? Spell it out in today’s Quick Cross, a Local New Game from the Kanawha Valley Update.
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
All about the arts
In Thursday’s newsletter, I asked: What’s showcased at ArtWalk and celebrated during FestivALL? If you answered arts, you’re one creative cookie. Here are all the answers to the Quick Cross puzzle for Thursday, March 19, 2026.
Today
1 p.m. — Power Up Exercise Class, South Charleston Public Library, 312 Fourth Ave., South Charleston.
5 p.m. — Brush & Chill, Dunbar Branch Library, 301 12th St., Dunbar.
5:30 p.m. — Adult Craft: Tin Can Lanterns, Elk Valley Branch Library, 313 Crossings Mall Road, Elkview.
5:30 p.m. — Community Easter Egg Hunt, Montgomery Community Center, 612 Third Ave., Montgomery.
5:30 p.m. — Woman’s Club of Nitro Meeting, Woman’s Club of Nitro, 2205 Second Ave., Nitro.
6 p.m. — Bingo Night, South Charleston Public Library, 312 Fourth Ave., South Charleston.
6 p.m. — Easter Paint Party, Coal River Coffee Co., 64 Olde Main Plaza, St. Albans.
6 p.m. — Monday Night Book Club, Kanawha County Public Library, 123 Capitol St., Charleston.
6-9 p.m. — “Partners in Recovery” KVFH Annual Dinner & Silent Auction, Clay Center, 1 Clay Square, Charleston.
6:30-7:45 p.m. — Hooks & Harmony Knitting Group, St. Albans Public Library, Second Floor, 602 Fourth St., St. Albans.
7 p.m. — Root and Branch Interfaith Group Presents “Sharing Wisdom: Similarities and Differences Between Catholicism and Other Great Religious Traditions,” Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1032 Virginia St. E., Charleston.
8 p.m. — Bryan Bielanski, The Empty Glass, 410 Elizabeth St., Charleston.
9 p.m. — Open Mic, The Empty Glass, 410 Elizabeth St., Charleston.
Today’s Public Meetings
5:30 p.m. — South Charleston Public Library Board Meeting, SCPL, 312 Fourth Ave., South Charleston.
6 p.m. — Chesapeake Town Council Meeting, Town Hall, 12404 MacCorkle Ave. South East, Chesapeake.
6 p.m. — Clendenin Town Council Meeting, Clendenin Community Center, 103 First St., Clendenin.
6 p.m. — Marmet Town Council Special Meeting, Town Hall, 9403 MacCorkle Ave. South East, Marmet.
Upcoming
Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26 — Various times: West Virginia Construction & Design Expo, Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center, 200 Civic Center Drive, Charleston.
Friday, March 27 — 7 p.m.: Hardy - The Country! Country! Tour, Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center, 200 Civic Center Drive, Charleston.
Saturday, March 28 — 7:30 p.m.: West Virginia Symphony Orchestra Presents “Fate, Fortune and Farrenc,” Clay Center, 1 Clay Square, Charleston.
📅 Did you know? We only highlight some of the day’s events in this newsletter. There’s a lot more happening around the Kanawha Valley. Have a look at today’s full calendar by clicking the “More Events” button.
Today, we remember the following neighbors who have recently passed:
Matthew Wayne Callahan, 58, of Peytona, died March 16, 2026.
Linda M. Canterbury, 72, of Cross Lanes, died March 16, 2026.
David Irvin Chapman, 79, of Rand, died March 17, 2026.
Margaret Cossin, 86, of Kanawha Valley, died March 18, 2026.
Charles “Stevie” Kimble, 77, of Elkview, died March 18, 2026.
Cheryl “Sherry” Jean Mathis, 69, of Poca, died Feb. 25, 2026.
Charlie H. Miller, 88, of Dunbar, died March 12, 2026.
Opal Monin, 96, of Winfield, died March 17, 2026.
Otto William Portz, 80, of South Charleston, died March 17, 2026.
Michael Joseph Scarberry, 75, of St. Albans, died March 21, 2026.
Sharron Witherspoon, 72, of Kanawha Valley, died March 19, 2026.
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