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Tomahawk man gets two-year prison sentence in stolen ATV case
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — A Tomahawk man was sentenced March 19 in Martin Circuit Court to two years in prison for his role in a stolen ATV case dating back to 2023. Rush Fraley, 49, pleaded guilty Feb. 5 to receiving stolen property valued at $1,000 to $10,000/complicity, a Class D felony.…
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Lovely man draws six-year prison sentence in fentanyl case
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — A Martin County man drew a six-year prison sentence March 19 in Martin Circuit Court after pleading guilty to a fentanyl trafficking charge. Henry Butcher, 27, of Lovely, received the sentence after pleading guilty Feb. 5, 2026, to first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (over 2 grams of…
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Martin County arrest report
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT INEZ — Martin County Sheriff John Kirk’s Office reported the following arrests: Erin A. Kugel, 23, was arrested March 21 on Long Branch Road in Lovely on a bench warrant from Magoffin District Court. Deputy JC Kirk served the warrant at 6:50 p.m. Ashley R. Salmons, 34, of Tomahawk, was arrested March…
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Coal truck spills load in Inez
Traffic control underway Monday at the KY-645 ramp near Coldwater in Inez after a coal truck lost some of its load on the roadway. (Citizen photo by Roger Smith)
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Family still seeks answers in unsolved homicide of Melissa Wolford
BY ANNIE HOLLER MOUNTAIN CITIZEN PHELPS — More than two years after a hunter found 42-year-old Melissa Wolford slain near her burned pickup truck in a Pike County hollow, her family is still searching for answers. In the quiet, close-knit community of Phelps, where homes in the hills can sit a mile apart and generations…
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State awards replacement of Mollett Branch bridge
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN TOMAHAWK — A narrow one-lane bridge over Rockhouse Fork in Tomahawk that officials say is unsafe for emergency vehicles is slated for replacement at no cost to Martin County. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet notified Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty in a letter that the Mollett Branch bridge “has been awarded…
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Library trustees advance two finalists for open seat
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County Public Library trustees Monday forwarded the names of Heather Perry and Jason James to the state as finalists for one of two open seats on the library board. The board reviewed four applications for the vacancy created by the expiration of John R. Triplett’s term. Richard…
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Mingo County arrests for week of March 15
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — The Mingo County Magistrate Court clerk’s office released these arrests and criminal complaints from various law enforcement agencies. Bryandon Standridge, 41, of Matewan, was charged with three counts of animal cruelty. He was arrested by Mingo County Sheriff’s Department (MCSD) Deputies J. May and M. Tiller. Riley George Burton,…
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Martin County court dockets
INEZ — Judge John Kevin Holbrook heard cases March 19 in Martin Circuit Court, while Judge Brett Butcher heard cases March 17 in Martin District Court. Circuit Court Jerry Thomas Spence (change of plea) — 1. Fleeing/evading police, first; 2. Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drug, first offense; 3. All-terrain vehicle violations;…
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Martin County civil suits, deeds and marriages
INEZ — Martin Circuit Clerk Denise Gauze reported 12 civil suits filed in her office from March 13 to March 19. Meanwhile, Martin County Clerk Susie Skyles reported nine deeds and one marriage recorded in her office. Civil Suits Jefferson Capital Systems LLC vs. Carey S. Dindal. Capital One NA Successor by Merger vs. Adrian…
