CITY TO OPEN REC CENTER FOR OVERNIGHT WARMING CENTER

With another bitter cold night forecast in Charleston, Charleston Mayor Danny Jones has directed the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center to be open overnight tonight to accommodate people in need of shelter from the cold. All of Charleston’s recreation centers have been opened and accessible to people seeking warmth between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. weekdays, but the King Center (314 Donnally Street) will remain open from 9 p.m. tonight through 9 a.m. tomorrow with cots and blankets available.

The Mayor has asked Emergency Services Director Grant Gunnoe to work with the United Way of Central West Virginia and the Charleston Police Department to provide staffing for the overnight warming center. Drugs and alcohol are prohibited in the city’s recreation centers.

Throughout the recent spell of bitter cold weather, Charleston Area Medical Center has also provided warming shelter for people without heated homes.