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Floyd County man charged with murder
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN FLOYD COUNTY — Kentucky State Police have arrested a Floyd County man in connection with the death of a Beaver woman discovered last week, authorities said Monday. Troopers took Joshua Gayheart, 35, of Beaver, into custody following ongoing investigative work, according to KSP Post 9. He is charged with murder
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Man’s flight in Warfield prompts school shutdown, ends in two arrests
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN WARFIELD — A man’s flight from an apartment complex Monday afternoon on Hode Road prompted Warfield Elementary School to shut down while Martin County Sheriff’s deputies searched the area. Deputy J.C. Kirk said he was patrolling the complex after law enforcement received a tip that a subject linked to a
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Nighttime sweeping to slow traffic on four-lanes
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT Nighttime sweeping will begin this week on major four-lane highways across Eastern Kentucky and continue for the next two months, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s District 12 office announced. Crews will work from roughly 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night, creating moving lane closures and intermittent delays for motorists. The operation will
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Police investigate fatal shooting
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT BEAVER — Kentucky State Police have opened a death investigation after troopers found a woman fatally shot Friday in the Beaver community of Floyd County. KSP said it was called by Prestonsburg 911 regarding an unresponsive female. Troopers and investigators arrived at the 14000 block of Kentucky Route 979, where they located
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Mingo County arrests week of Nov. 16
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Law enforcement in Mingo County charged several individuals the week of Nov. 16. Chuck Berry, 48, of Williamson, was charged with driving on a revoked license (third offense), no insurance and not wearing a seat belt. He was arrested by the West Virginia State Police (WVSP). Janet Renae Berry, 50,
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Task force dismantles drug trafficking rings in multi-county operation: 35 charged, four wanted
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT WAYNE COUNTY, W.Va. — Sheriff Eddie Bradshaw announced Friday that a months-long investigation by the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West and the Wayne County Sheriff Drug Enforcement Unit has dismantled multiple drug trafficking organizations operating in Huntington, Fort Gay and Crum. Bradshaw said the operations included multiple traffic stops and
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Martin County Schools post gains on state assessments
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County Schools posted steady academic gains on the 2025 Kentucky Summative Assessment. Every school in the district either maintained or improved its performance rating under the state’s accountability system. The Kentucky Summative Assessment, administered annually to students in grades 3–8, 10 and 11, measures achievement in reading,
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Mountain Citizen wins Tom and Pat Gish Award for courage, integrity and tenacity
BY AL CROSS A scrappy little newspaper that has fought for more than 30 years for clean water and open government in its Appalachian county is the winner of the 2025 Tom and Pat Gish Award for courage, integrity and tenacity in rural journalism. The Mountain Citizen is a weekly paper serving the 11,000 people
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EDA response raises new questions about asbestos in 78-year-old building
BY LISA STAYTON MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Economic Development Authority’s response to an open records request raises new questions about whether adequate asbestos testing was performed before demolition of a structure in downtown Inez. The building at 21 East Main Street was built in 1947, an era when asbestos-containing materials were heavily
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Martin County man goes to jail for false reports to 911, father also charged
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — A Martin County man went to jail after he called 911 repeatedly making false reports for the purpose of luring law enforcement to his home to harass them, police said. Moments after his arrest, police took his father into custody for interfering with government operations. Deputy Billy Wells
