NITRO, W.Va. -- Nitro City Council members adopted an ordinance to increase municipal court costs, fines and fees at the regular meeting Tuesday night. According to the ordinance, each case tried through the city court will cost $25, up from $10 per case, which was in place since 1988.

According to Municipal Court Clerk Robin Smith, the fee increase will not enable Nitro to raise money, but merely offset the rising costs of maintaining the city court.

Also Tuesday, Delegate Patrick Lane, R-Kanawha, presented a check for $10,000 to the Nitro/Cross Lanes Little League Baseball Association to be used for improvements to local Little League fields. According to Lane, the money came from a state community participation grant.

Mayor Dave Casebolt announced that the city would receive more than $35,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as reimbursement for storm damage cleanup from earlier this year.

In other business, council awarded an $11,747 bid to a local business, Taylor Sports Company, for playground equipment at Ridenour Lake.

Casebolt announced that the Halloween Hoedown scheduled for Oct. 30 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. will be a free event held at City Park following the city's scheduled trick-or-treat, which starts at 6 p.m.

Finally, Councilman Craig Matthews announced the House of Hound Halloween Dog Party and Parade would be held on Oct. 27 starting at 6 p.m. Gum Street will be closed that day from 4 to 7 p.m. and will serve as a staging area for the participants walking in the parade.

Casebolt also announced the upcoming retirement of Fire Chief Ernie Hedrick. Hedrick, brother-in-law of former Nitro Police Chief Jack Jordan, is set to retire in November.