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Applause to the news this week that the West Virginia University Mountaineer Marching Band will be performing during the 86th Mountain State Forest Festival in Elkins this fall. "After marching through the Grand Feature Parade, they will perform at the Jack Basil Band Field Show at the Elkins High School Football Field," Heidi Bray, executive director of the Mountain State Forest Festival, told the Randolph County Commission Thursday. This will be the Pride of West Virginia's first appearance at the Forest Festival in more than five years, and their presence is likely to bring out more attendees for both the Grand Feature Parade and the Band Field Show.
Applause to the opportunity for local parents and teachers to save some money this weekend during West Virginia's Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday. On Monday, Gov. Jim Justice announced the dates for the special weekend sale that began on Friday and will continue through Monday. The average customer will save at least 6% on every qualified purchase and 7% if they purchase the item in a municipality that has imposed a local sales tax. "The Sales Tax Holiday will help both students and teachers save some money," said Randolph County Board of Education Vice President Janie Newlon. "The way prices are for everything these days, it really helps when parents have an opportunity to save some money when buying school clothes and supplies. Teachers also have a lot of out-of-pocket expenses when it comes to school supplies, so the holiday will help them as well."
Applause to two longtime Randolph County firemen who will be honored at a special ceremony this month. Brothers Joe and Bob Elbon have been issued Certificates of Service from Gov. Jim Justice, which will be presented Aug. 11 at the Steer Steakhouse. Lynn Phillips, Gov. Jim Justice's Regional Representative, will be on hand for the 3 p.m. ceremony to celebrate the careers of the brothers, who each have more than 50 years of service with the Tygart Valley Fire Company. Joe Elbon, the elder of the two siblings at 86 years old, is celebrating his 60th year with the department. He began serving as a volunteer fireman with the department in 1964. After leaving the Army, he felt the need to serve the community in some capacity, so he joined the TVFC. He played a major role in turning a 1965 Ashland Oil Company truck into an 1,800-gallon water truck. The bright yellow truck became known as "The Polecat Special" and helped put out many fires during its years of service. Bob Elbon, meanwhile, joined the department in 1972 and is now in his 52nd year of service. He served as chief three different times during his career, starting from 2006 to 2008. The second was from 2010 to 2012, and the last was from 2014 to 2023. In between, he served as assistant chief.