New police chief takes oath of office
BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
KERMIT, W.Va. — The Town of Kermit, often cited as the epicenter of the opioid crisis, received its first installment of settlement funds from West Virginia’s nearly $1 billion in agreements with opioid manufacturers, distributors and prescribers. Mayor Charles Sparks announced the $20,000 payment during a town council meeting Monday.
“We got half of what we’re supposed to get over the next 15 years,” Mayor Sparks informed the council.
This initial payment is part of a 15-year settlement plan totaling $40,000 for Kermit, equating to an annual sum of $1,200 for the next 14 years.
News of the allocation amount met with disappointment from council members,
“We’re hit the hardest of anybody and get the least of anyone,” Councilman Tammy Preece Hodge commented. “They can blame it on the census if they want to.”
Councilman Wilburn Tomahawk Preece echoed this sentiment, underscoring Kermit’s minimal share in the settlement.
Councilman J.W. Endicott mentioned Kermit’s role in the opioid lawsuit.
“If it weren’t for Kermit, a lot of this other stuff wouldn’t have happened,” Endicott stated. “This is the tip of the spear here.”
The allocation, based on population and other factors, has left the town with a smaller slice of the settlement.
Attorney Tish Chafin, representing 33 counties and municipalities in the lawsuit, explained in a September 2022 Kermit Council meeting that the distribution would be based on a “2012 census form that listed Kermit’s law enforcement, health care, sanitation and other costs.”
Chafin stated, “Because Kermit is small, obviously, your numbers are going to be smaller than, say, Williamson.”
She added that Mingo County “gets a really big chunk” allocated.
“A part of that reasoning is a lot of what happened in the Kermit area and all those pills that they distributed into Kermit,” said Chafin. “I think there’s a good realization with the county that a lot of what is being attributed to the county is because of what happened in Kermit. So, I think there’s an appreciation of that, and I feel confident we’ll be able to do something with that to make the numbers a little bit more equitable.”
According to reports, the initial 50% payment to Mingo County and its five municipalities totaled over $2.4 million. The Mingo County Commission received the largest share of $2,004,085; the City of Williamson received $266,461; Gilbert $49,566; Matewan $48,862; Delbarton $35,153; and Kermit $20,037.
“The population of Kermit in 2020 was 314; the population in 2024 is 286,” said Sparks. “Williamson has a population of 2,757, Delbarton has 392, Matewan has 376, Gilbert has 309, Kermit has 286. So, we’re the lowest on the pole as far as getting any money… Everybody got a lot more than we did. The lawyers said they tried to get the judge not to do that, but he said it had to be based on population.”
Endicott called the formula “unfair.”
An analysis of the funding distribution per capita among the five cities reveals:
• Gilbert received the highest funding per capita of approximately $160.41.
• Matewan’s $48,862 translates to a funding per capita of about $129.95, placing it second in per capita distribution.
• Williamson’s funding per capita comes to approximately $96.65.
• Delbarton’s funding per capita comes to around $89.68.
• Kermit received the lowest funding per capita of approximately $70.06.
The distribution of funds follows the settlement of lawsuits against Kroger, Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid, Johnson & Johnson, Teva, Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen.
West Virginia First Foundation, a new board comprising 11 members from six different regions of the state, oversees the distribution. The plan is for 72.5% of the money to be distributed by the board, 24.5% to go directly to local governments, and 3% to be held in trust by the state.
Kermit’s struggle with the opioid epidemic has been well-documented. When the town filed its lawsuit in 2017, it became the opioid epidemic poster child. According to data used in a Charleston Gazette-Mail report, at the height of the crisis, drug companies sent almost 9 million pain pills to one pharmacy in Kermit (population 392) within two years. Over a six-year period, those companies shipped more than 12 million hydrocodone pills to Kermit.
“They were filling a prescription every minute if that tells you anything,” remarked Mayor Sparks. “They were going out the door fast.”
The Washington Post reports that from 2006 to 2019, Mingo County received over 48 million prescription pain pills, enough for 132 pills per person per year. In 2008, the county saw its highest volume of pills, enough for 365 pills per person. The Kermit pharmacy received the highest number of pills, the report states.
Kermit has often been referred to as the opioid epidemic’s “ground zero” and has been the topic of many medical, law and other journals. Eric Eyre of the Charleston Gazette-Mail won a Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for investigative reporting for his series on the topic.
Election year
In other business, Mayor Sparks announced the candidate filing period started Monday and will run through Jan. 27 for West Virginia’s 2024 elections.
Kermit mayor and council seats are up for election, and anyone interested in registering as a candidate can do so at Kermit Town Hall.
Police chief takes oath
Mayor Sparks swore in a new police chief. Roger Johnson, who retired from the West Virginia State Police in December, took the oath.
“Roger has made a circle,” Mayor Sparks said. “He started here 31 years ago.”
Sewer and water works
Kermit continues to work on solving issues with a clog in the sewer system. Thrasher and Dirty Works have been in town. The mayor said Dirty Works cleaned out sewer lines, and Thrasher would return with a camera to put inside the lines.
“We found a lot out, but there are still things we don’t know,” said Sparks. “Hopefully this camera will be able to tell us.”
The mayor reported a representative from the state health department had visited.
“Our top priority right now is to get this water tank fixed,” he said. “It’s compromised bad. We’ve got nine holes in the water tank.”
The town received a bid of $221,000 to repair the tank.
“It’s over half a million dollars to replace that tank,” added Sparks. “But we’ve got nine holes and are doing the best we can to keep them plugged.”
Endicott asked if the 110,000-gallon tank was a risk.
“Yes, it could rupture and take Judy Sartin’s house off the hill,” said Sparks.
The town is exploring critical needs and other funding for the water storage tank and the sewer lines.
Natural gas infrastructure
Endicott mentioned concerns with exposed natural gas infrastructure owned by Diversified Gas Company.
“If it blows, we’ve had the lick,” he said.
Preece agreed, saying, “Kermit and Warfield would be gone.”
Endicott mentioned there is no security.
“I would think under Homeland Security there would be money available because that’s pretty important infrastructure,” he added.
Preece told the council the gas line blew out on the riverbank a couple of years ago.
“Two hours and a half later, they still could not shut that plant down, and they were trying everything,” Preece remarked. “The monitor didn’t show a problem. Brad Crigger was pulling his hair out. Every switch he flipped to shut stuff down did not work.”
Mayor Sparks said the town had sent a letter to the gas company.