ELKINS — The Randolph County Commission approved three funding requests at its most recent meeting.

Commission President David Kesling and fellow Commissioner Chris See voted to approve requests that were sent in from the Randolph County Development Authority, Coalton Days and Elkins Chamber of Commerce. 

The County Commission agreed to the RCDA’s request in the amount of $20,000. The funds are part of the annual money that the RCC budgets for and distributes to the Development Authority each year.

“This is the second portion for our support of the Development Authority,” Kesling said. “We are trying to clean up some lines, so we are going to take $1,878 out of the Development Authority line and the remainder out of the courthouse contractual line item of the county budget.”  

The Commission then agreed to help fund the 30th annual Coalton Days celebration. This year’s event is scheduled for June 21 and will run throughout the day in downtown Coalton. The event’s parade is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

“Coalton Days is a big event and is something we help with every year,” Kesling said. “We are going to give them $5,000 and that money will also come out of the courthouse contractual line item of the county budget.”

The final funding request was from the Elkins Chamber of Commerce and was for the amount of $13,500. Like the Development Authority’s request, the funding is part of annual money that the County Commission distributes to the organization.

“This is the money we used to give to Elkins Main Street,” Kesling said. “They had struggled for several years so we decided to start giving that money to the chamber, who not only helps businesses in the city of Elkins, but the rest of the county as well.”

Like the other two, funding for the Elkins Chamber of Commerce’s request will be taken from the courthouse contractual line item of the county budget.

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The County Commission announced it was hosting a special ceremony for the Almost Heaven Swing that was recently installed at 4-H Camp Pioneer. 

“I’ve had a chance to see the pictures of the swing with the background of the pond and the hills,” Kesling said. “It looks really nice and we are having the ceremony to officially welcome it to the county.”

The handmade, oversized wooden swings are placed throughout West Virginia and are coupled with a scenic backdrop. They are designed to give residents and visitors the opportunity to take picturesque photos of family and friends.

There are currently 36 such swings in the state, with the closest to Randolph County being at Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley Resort State Park, Snowshoe Mountain, Stonewall Resort, Tygart Lake State Park and the Philippi Covered Bridge.

The event will take place on June 12 at 2 p.m. The next Randolph County Commission meeting will be at June 18 at 1:30 p.m.