Mayor Kawahna Persinger, in an attempt to give residents a straight answer on dead-ending 8th street, made three requests to council to make a motion. However, all three requests went unanswered, leaving the issue dead due to a lack of motion from council.

After Months of Consideration, 8th Street Will Not Be Dead-Ended in Iron Gate By Jennifer Bailey Staff Writer   Iron Gate, VA (July 30, 2026)— During the Iron Gate Town Council meeting held on July 30, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at town hall, it was ultimately determined that 8th Street in Iron Gate will not be dead-ended. This decision comes after extensive discussions and public input from the residents of Iron Gate dating back to May of this year. The proposal to dead-end 8th Street was sent in by a resident a few months ago and has been the topic of several heated discussions at both the May and June meetings. Residents gathered to express their concerns and opinions on the potential closure, with one resident strongly opposing it due to the closure being strictly for one person's benefit. The issue had been previously tabled during a June's meeting, indicating ongoing deliberation over the matter. During tonight's town council meeting, Mayor Kawahna Persinger thrice asked for a motion to proceed with dead-ending the street after reading three letters from residents. One resident opposed, one was favorable, and the third was neutral. Notably, the letter supporting the closure came from Pastor David Hanks who, initially, opposed the idea, citing safety concerns for his congregants. However, his recent letter indicated those concerns had been satisfied. Despite three separate requests from Mayor Persinger, no council member moved to initiate the closure process, prompting Iron Gate resident, Chuck Unroe —who formerly served the town as mayor— to point out that the lack of response from the council after three requests effectively meant the proposal was no longer viable. His observation was acknowledged by Mayor Persinger, ultimately leading to the conclusion that the motion was dead due to council's inaction. (L to R) Councilwoman Jennifer Tyree, Councilman Chris Mayo, Mayor Kawahna Persinger, Councilwoman Norvella Burrell, and Councilwoman Patricia Shiflett. Several residents came out this evening, we presume, to learn of the fate of 8th Street. Local youth leader, Jordan Bailey, has been leading Invocation for Iron Gate Town Council meetings for several months now after being requested by a member of council.

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