HARTS — A road in Harts will be dedicated to the memory of a late business owner whose work in the community touched countless lives.

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 32 was written by Senator Dr. Ron Stollings (D-Boone), Sen. H. Truman Chafin (D-Mingo), Sen. John Unger (D-Berkeley) and Sen. Bob Beach (D-Monongalia) during the recent Senate session in Charleston to honor the late Jerry Lee Richards by naming a five-mile section of State Route 10 from the Logan County line towards Ferrellsburg and Harts the “Jerry Lee Richards Memorial Highway.”

Richards, a lifelong community and political activist in the Harts area, died last year at the age of 61.

His wife, Judy, said he loved politics, even though he never held a political office.

“He always urged people to get involved,” Judy Richards said. “He told people to vote and be active.”

According to Judy Richards, her husband worked to keep everything local in the Harts community.

“We have local clinics and he worked to keep local people on the boards,” Judy Richards said. “He was very concerned about education and he made a lot of donations to help others.”

Jerry Lee Richards graduated from Harts High School in 1968, Nashville Diesel School in 1969 and attended the Logan branch of Marshall University. He was a self-employed entrepeneur and owner of J&K Construction for 32 years and Harts Pro Hardware.

The Senate resolution says Richards was “a caring and giving person, a respected and active member of his community and his dedication and commitment to his family, community and state served as a great example to us all and should not go unnoticed.”

The resolution also says that signs bearing Richards’ name will be erected to identify the highway.

The dedication will take place at noon Saturday in front of the Harts Fire Department. The public is invited to attend.