Plans moving forward for Fourth of July and Chocolate Festival
Suzette Lowe
Reporter
The Events Committee for the City of Ripley is doing just what the name implies. The group is already making plans for the Fourth of July and the annual Chocolate Festival.
Mayor Carolyn Rader shared with City Council the basic plan that the committee, which consists of Rader, Bobbi Ferrell, Matt Anderson, and Mike Ruben, has been discussing.
“This year the Fourth of July falls on a Sunday,” she said. “Our suggestion is to hold the parade and fireworks on Saturday. This gives us a little leeway for the fireworks in case there’s rain.”
DeStefano
FOLLANSBEE Colleagues, friends and family are mourning the loss of a long-time city leader following the death of John DeStefano.
DeStefano, who was in his 16th year as Follansbee’s city manager, died Monday after battling COVID-19 for several weeks.
A graduate of Brooke High School and West Liberty University, where he earned a degree in business administration and political science, DeStefano had worked as a Prudential insurance agent for 15 years and as a salesman for Banner Fibreboard in Wellsburg for eight years.
He had been the city’s 5th Ward councilman for 16 years when he resigned to take the city manager position.