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Kermit appoints Kominar as new council member, purchases new police truck
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN KERMIT — The Kermit Town Council has appointed Steven Kominar to fill the seat left vacant by the passing of longtime councilman and fire chief Wilburn “Hawkey” Preece, whose decades of public service shaped the small town’s civic life. Preece, a 20-year council member reelected in June 2024 to another…
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EDA awards demo project to contractor not licensed for asbestos abatement
BY LISA STAYTON MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Economic Development Authority voted Oct. 8 to award a commercial building demolition project to a contractor who lacks asbestos certification, prompting concerns about compliance with state and federal law. The project involves tearing down the building at 21 East Main Street in Inez. The EDA…
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Martin County surpluses Turkey Park, accepts Sheriff’s $6.42M tax settlement
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County Fiscal Court is selling the land at Turkey Park. Magistrates voted Thursday to advertise for bids while exploring plans for a new park with river access on Turkey Creek. This decision follows the county’s previous decision to permanently close the park due to frequent flooding that had left…
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Federal Bureau of Prisons ends union contract; CPL-33 vows legal fight
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT The Federal Bureau of Prisons has terminated its collective bargaining agreement with the Council of Prison Locals, a move the Trump administration says will improve working conditions but which union leaders denounce as an attack on employee rights. Bureau Director William K. Marshall III announced Thursday that the contract with CPL-33, which…
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Funding cuts end drive-up meals for Martin County seniors
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ— The Martin County Senior Citizens Center ended its popular drive-up meal service this week as federal funding reductions forced a rollback of pandemic-era expansions, the program’s director announced. Jennifer Jude Crum, the center’s program director, said the change is due to the expiration of supplemental federal support of Older…
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Kentucky’s fight against substance abuse
Few challenges have weighed more heavily on Kentucky families and communities than substance abuse. Addiction has touched every county, every community, every school district, and countless homes across the Commonwealth. It tears apart families, burdens our health care and justice systems, and cruelly steals both lives and livelihoods. However, there is hope. Each September we…
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Louisa man pleads guilty in cover-up of coal mine fire
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT A Louisa man has pleaded guilty to conspiring to cover up an underground coal mine fire in Illinois and defrauding federal mine safety regulators. Timothy Brandon Parsons, 38, entered his plea Aug. 29 in federal court to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The charge stems from…
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Public meeting on proposed plants in Mingo County set for Sept. 18
BY KYLE LOVERN MOUNTAIN CITIZEN GILBERT, W.Va. — The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will hold an in-person public meeting Sept. 18 at the Larry Joe Harless Community Center in Gilbert on two proposed off-grid electric generating facilities in Mingo County. The meeting, scheduled from 4:30 to 8 p.m. with doors opening at 4…
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County honors former code enforcement officer Paul McCoy for service
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Fiscal Court honored former code enforcement officer Paul McCoy on Thursday. Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty and magistrates presented him with a certificate of appreciation for his service to the county. Lafferty praised McCoy for his wide-ranging contributions. He noted McCoy’s efforts in code enforcement, festival support,…
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Inez keeps real property tax rate flat
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Inez City Commission kept its property tax rate flat for the coming fiscal year, advanced work with FEMA and endorsed stronger federal black lung benefits during its Thursday meeting. Commissioners conducted the first reading of the property tax ordinance for fiscal year 2025-26. Unchanged from last year,…
