Center hires new director

A county resident has been tapped to head up the Sweetwater Combined Communications Center.

Last week, the joint powers board overseeing the center announced it hired Rick Hawkins as its next executive director. Hawkins was most recently employed with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office, where he was the captain of the administrative section under former Sheriff Mike Lowell. Hawkins started his new position Jan. 8.

Hawkins has 28 years of experience in law enforcement and volunteer firefighting. He was formerly the supervisor of the Sweetwater County Dispatch Center prior to the formation o...