The former mayor of Chesapeake, Jack Lavender, died this week after stepping down because of health issues. Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said Lavedar was a champion of the Upper Kanawha Valley and helped reshape Kanawha County for the better. Lavender served on the Kanawha County Planning Commission for more than 40 years and worked with the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commission as an investigator before retiring. State flags will be flown at half-staff on county property on the day of his services.