BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

KERMIT, W.Va. — Kermit Mayor Charles Sparks swore in Steve Kominar as councilman Monday to finish the term of Councilman Hawkey Preece, who passed away in late August.

“Taking this seat to replace Hawkey, I can’t do,” Kominar said. “Hawkey was not only my brother-in-law but my brother in Christ, my dear friend. He was everything to everybody, and I can’t do that. I can do the best I can while I’m sitting here.

“Secondly, I want to thank you all for what you’ve done for this town,” he added. “You’re sustaining this town for years to come with water, sewer and all that. As a private citizen, I just want to say how impressed I am.”

Preece, a 20-year council member, was reelected in June 2024 to another four-year term.

Kominar served nine terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates, spent more than 30 years as business manager for Lee Sartin Trucking in Kermit and previously held seats on the Mingo County Board of Education and several regional education and community boards. He served three years as executive director of the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority.

Kominar holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from the Ohio State University.

In other business, Mayor Sparks commented on the water plant improvement project, saying the contractor is making good progress.

The Council approved the hiring of James Chapman as a water plant operator.

They also approved an update of the town’s source water protection plan. Mayor Sparks explained that the update occurs every three years.