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Martin County civil suits, deeds and marriages
INEZ — Martin Circuit Clerk Denise Gauze reported five civil suits filed in her office from Nov. 27 to Dec. 4. Meanwhile, Martin County Clerk Susie Skyles reported five deeds and three marriages recorded in her office through Dec. 4. Civil Suits Jefferson Capital Systems LLC vs. Vallerie Lemley. Midland Credit Management Inc. vs. Jodi
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Groundbreaking Thursday for Inez Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT INEZ — The Martin County Fiscal Court announced Tuesday it will host a community groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of long-awaited improvements to the Inez Wastewater Treatment Plant. Martin County received $685,000 in Kentucky Cleaner Water Program funds recently, allowing the county to begin upgrades to the wastewater system. Judge/Executive Lon
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Women passed out at McDonald’s drive-thru land in jail
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The McDonald’s drive-thru in Inez briefly doubled as the scene of a police investigation Sunday night when the sheriff found two women passed out inside a vehicle with the engine running. Martin County Sheriff John Kirk said he pulled in around 10:39 p.m. and spotted Patricia Lynn Hill,
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Inez man charged with attempted murder in Dingess shooting
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN MINGO COUNTY, W.Va. — Police have an Inez man in custody on an attempted murder charge for a Nov. 17 shooting in Dingess, West Virginia. The West Virginia State Police (WVSP) arrested 27-year-old Christopher Russell Mills, Nov. 29 in connection with the shooting that injured Shane Nelson. The second suspect,
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Pilgrim man jailed after alleged violent domestic assault
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN PILGRIM — A Martin County man faces multiple felony charges after a woman’s urgent 911 report of a violent domestic assault Nov. 29 on Frog Pond Road in Pilgrim. Dispatchers told Kentucky State Police Post 9 that the female caller could be heard saying, “Stop beating me,” followed by a
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Federal probe widens: Former prison lieutenant admits cover-up in inmate assault
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN PIKEVILLE — A former lieutenant at the United States Penitentiary Big Sandy has pleaded guilty to falsifying records to conceal the violent assault of an inmate seeking protective custody. He becomes the latest official swept up in a widening federal probe into brutality and cover-ups inside the high-security prison in
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Mistrial halts murder case after juror misconduct
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Judge Joshua Butcher declared a mistrial in the murder case of Timothy Kennedy after determining that a juror committed misconduct. Kennedy faces charges in the June 2023 killing of West Virginia State Trooper Cory Maynard. Jury selection began Monday, Dec. 1, but after three and a half days of
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Kentucky Power Foundation grant supports Appalachia Reach Out’s housing recovery work
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT The Kentucky Power Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to Appalachia Reach Out, a Martin County-based organization dedicated to serving families across Eastern Kentucky through housing support, community outreach and essential services. Grants and contributions are not included in customer rates, the foundation said in a press release. Kentucky Power employees also
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Sheriff urges action as feral horses create danger on New Route 3
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County Sheriff John Kirk urged the Fiscal Court to take action on a growing hazard along New Route 3, telling magistrates at their Nov. 20 meeting that he has been fielding calls about feral horses increasingly drawn to salted roadways. “Now that they’re starting to salt the










