UC administrator earns global recognition for social media research work
Plus: Mutual Aid Fair, Montgomery summer reading kickoff and more Kanawha Valley news and events
June 17, 2026 | Weather: 🌤️ 84° F / 🌒 72° F
Good Wednesday, neighbor!
It’s June 17. The monthly Charleston Mutual Aid Fair will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. today at Kanawha United Presbyterian Church. The fair provides free food, harm reduction supplies, clothing repair, pet food and care supplies, free legal advice, hair cuts, free clothing and more. There’s more info linked in the community calendar below and on kvupdate.com. Please spread the word.
Today’s Road Closures:
All Day: Kanawha Boulevard, from Clendenin Street to Hale Street, will be closed all day.
9 a.m.-Noon: Intermittent rolling/partial closures may occur along portions of the cycling race route as crews prepare the course. Affected areas will include Court Street, Lee Street, Quarrier Street, Hale Street and Summers Street.
5 p.m.-Midnight: Several downtown streets will be closed, including:
Kanawha Boulevard extended to include Pennsylvania Avenue to Leon Sullivan Way
Virginia Street, from Goshorn Street to Dickinson Street
Quarrier Street, from Goshorn Street to Capital Street
Lee St, from Court Street to Capitol Street
Lee Way
Court Street, from Kanawha Boulevard to Virginia Street (both lanes)
Court Street, from Virginia Street to Lee Street (northbound lanes only)
Laidley Street, from Kanawha Boulevard to Lee Street (except those with prior arrangements)
Summers Street, from Kanawha Boulevard to Lee Street
Capitol Street, from Kanawha Boulevard to Quarrier Street
Hale Street, from Kanawha Boulevard to Lee Street
5 p.m.-Midnight: Two-way traffic will be permitted on Capitol Street between Lee Street and the Spyros Parking Lot entrance to maintain access to the Summers Street Parking Garage.
See more event-related traffic info, including temporary parking changes, for today and future days, at this link.
Onward.
EDUCATION
UC president earns global award for social media research
University of Charleston President Marty Roth has received an international award for research that helped shape how marketers understand social media and brand relationships. Roth and three co-authors were honored for a paper first published in 2016 that has continued to influence its field a decade after publication.
Today
8:30 a.m. — West Virginia Demands Clean Water Rally, WV DEP Headquarters, 601 57th St. S.E., Charleston.
11 a.m.-Noon — Katherine Johnson, The Girl Who Loved to Count, Riverside Public Library, 1 Warrior Way, Suite 104, Belle.
1-2 p.m. — Clendenin Library Book Group, Clendenin Branch Library, 107 Koontz Ave., Suite 100, Clendenin.
1-3 p.m. — Drop ‘N Roll Dino Keychains, Dunbar Branch Library, 301 12th St., Dunbar.
2 p.m. — Summer Reading Kickoff Event: Unearth A Story, Montgomery Public Library, 507 Ferry St., Montgomery.
3-4 p.m. — Katherine Johnson, The Girl Who Loved to Count, Cross Lanes Branch Library, 5449 Big Tyler Road, Cross Lanes.
4-9 p.m. — Hump Day Hangout, Tickers & Timbers, 210 Capitol St., Charleston.
5:30 p.m. — Radiant Resilience Collective Meeting with Guest Julie Palas, YMCA of Kanawha Valley, 100 YMCA Drive, Charleston.
6 p.m. — Happy Hour Book Club, Montgomery Public Library, 507 Ferry St., Montgomery.
6 p.m. — Vinyl Village, Short Story Brewing, 186 Summers St., Charleston.
6-7:30 p.m. — Charleston Mutual Aid Fair, Kanawha United Presbyterian Church, 1009 Virginia St. E., Charleston.
6-9 p.m. — WV Country Painters Choice, The Bucket, 4030 Washington St. W., Charleston.
7 p.m. — Trivia Night, Recovery Sports Grill, 600 Virginia St. E., Charleston.
7-10 p.m. — Open Mic Night, The ROQ, 1022 Quarrier St., Charleston.
7:30-9 p.m. — Appalachian Bible College Program of Sacred Music, Grace Bible Church, 600 Kanawha Blvd. W., Charleston.
9 p.m. — Goodtime Sam & Archibald Johnson, The Empty Glass, 410 Elizabeth St., Charleston.
Today’s USA Cycling Pro Road Championship Events
4-10 p.m. — Arts Amplified Bike City Stage, City Center at Slack Plaza, 182 Summers St., Charleston.
6:30 p.m. — V100 Block Party, corner of Hale and Quarrier Streets, Charleston.
6:30 p.m. — Women Junior Criterium, Haddad Riverfront Park, 601 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston.
7:30 p.m. — Men Junior Criterium, Haddad Riverfront Park, 601 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston.
8:45 p.m. — Women U23 Criterium, Haddad Riverfront Park, 601 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston.
9:50 p.m. — Men U23 Criterium, Haddad Riverfront Park, 601 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston.
Today’s Public Meetings
Noon — Charleston Green Team, City Hall, AV Room #308, 501 Virginia St. E., Charleston.
Noon — South Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau Board Meeting, Little Creek Golf Course, 99 Fairway Drive, South Charleston.
2 p.m. — Kanawha County Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting, Coonskin Park, 375 Henry C. Hoppy Shores Drive, Charleston.
6 p.m. — Montgomery Beautification Commission Meeting, Montgomery City Hall, 321 Fourth Ave., Montgomery.
Upcoming
Friday, June 19, and Saturday, June 20 — Various times: Yakfest 2026, Olde Main Plaza, St. Albans.
Friday, June 19 — 2:30-4 p.m.: Miles for Minds, Haddad Riverfront Park, 601 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston.
Saturday, June 20 — 9 a.m.: Tour de Coal, Meadowood Park, 292 Pettigrew Lane, Tornado.
📅 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:
James “Jimmy” Burdette, 83, of Dunbar, died June 12, 2026.
Suzie le Cater, 95, of Sissonville, died June 12, 2026.
William Lonnie “Billy” Davis, 56, of Dunbar, died June 14, 2026.
James “Joey” Joel O’Neal, 68, of Winifrede, died May 16, 2026.
Andrew Robert Pauley, 59, of Charleston, died June 9, 2026.
Evelyn Marie Stover, 79, of Pinch, died June 14, 2026.
Ronald E. Taylor, 88, of St. Albans, died June 15, 2026.
Flora Parmalee “Pon” Young, 81, of Cedar Grove, died June 15, 2026.
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