The Shadow
COVINGTON, VA (VR) — The Covington City Council approved $5,000 in Walmart grant funding for community policing efforts, heard resident concerns about pothole-riddled roads, and honored a longtime city mechanic’s retirement during its regular meeting Tuesday, July 14.
Council members voted unanimously to adopt a resolution appropriating $5,000 in Walmart Community Grant funds for the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office’s National Night Out event, scheduled for early August. The funding requires no matching contribution from the city.
A council member thanked Walmart and Police Chief Chris Smith for securing the grant, calling the community event a valuable one for the city.
During the citizens’ comment period, Sheriff Kyle Moore of the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office thanked council members and city staff for working through a difficult budget process over the past two months, saying the office is making do with the funding it has.
A Covington resident who described himself as a longtime motorcyclist then raised safety concerns about South Carpenter Drive, where excavation for new natural gas lines has left the roadway pitted with potholes and sunken trench lines. Sheriff Moore said he recently rode over one of the trenches with his granddaughter on the back of his motorcycle and nearly crashed. He added that he will not let her ride with him again until the road is repaired.
City Manager Allen Dressler responded that the city has an agreement with Columbia Gas, which is installing the new gas lines, requiring the company to compensate the city for road repairs once the work is complete. The city has also been awarded $1.3 million from the Virginia Department of Transportation for repairs along Route 18 from Town Hill to the Dry Bridge, Dressler said, adding that the city is also managing an ongoing $7 million sewer project. He said the sheriff’s specific safety concerns would be shared with the public works director.
In other business, council members reappointed Allen Dressler to the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission; Kathy Scruggs Duncan and Lee Roe to the Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Corporation; and Kim Jefferson to the Alleghany County Department of Social Services Board, filling terms that had expired or were set to expire between late June and late July.
Council also approved a consent agenda that included minutes from a June 2 public hearing on the fiscal year 2026-27 budget, a June 2 work session, a June 9 Planning Commission public hearing on a proposed lot consolidation involving the former Riverside School property, and a June 9 regular meeting. Officials also announced that the council’s Aug. 4 meeting has been canceled.
In the city manager’s report, Dressler and the City Council recognized Lonnie R. Givens, a mechanic with the Covington Public Works Department, and presented him with a plaque in recognition of his 47 years of service to the city from 1979 to 2026. Officials credited Givens with keeping the city’s police cars, fire trucks, school buses, and refuse trucks running throughout his career and praised his dedication, even while working in the city’s aging garage facility.
City officials also recognized July as National Parks and Recreation Month, noting that the Covington Sports Complex hosted visitors from Maine, Georgia, Ohio, New York, and either Delaware or New Jersey during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Officials said one group of visitors reported seeing a black bear along a roadway during their stay. A Friday evening concert at the complex also drew a large crowd of families.
Dressler also previewed two upcoming “Christmas in July” events: a holiday-themed gathering on July 24 at Hotel Covington and a second event on July 25 at the sports complex featuring a local band. Officials said the city continues to see economic benefits from contractor crews working in the area, who have been staying in local hotels and patronizing local restaurants.
The council took no additional old or new business and adjourned after what proved to be a relatively brief meeting.
