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Several running for Mingo County BOE seats
BY KYLE LOVERN MOUNTAIN CITIZEN The filing period for the 2026 Primary Election concluded Jan. 31, with several persons vying for seats on the Mingo County Board of Education. There will be four available non-partisan seats up for grabs. No more than two members shall be elected from the same magisterial district. Current member Deanna
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Martin County Judge/Executive presses state officials on $40 million water bid
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN FRANKFORT — Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty and other local officials met Tuesday in Frankfort with state leaders to discuss the county’s grant applications for nearly $40 million from the Kentucky Water and Wastewater Assistance for Troubled or Economically Restrained Systems (WWATERS) program. The General Assembly created the program in
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Martin County wins $4.8 million for sewer upgrade, awaits news of WWATERS grants
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — As Martin County waits on news of state funding to address its drinking water system, federal lawmakers have approved $4.8 million to modernize a long-troubled wastewater treatment plant in Inez. The funding, announced Thursday by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, is part of a broad federal appropriations package. Martin
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Who is running in Martin County: Candidate filing closes
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The candidate filing deadline closed at 4 p.m. Jan. 9, setting the field for county and city races in Martin County ahead of the May 2026 primary election. Under Kentucky law, when only one candidate files for a party’s nomination in a race, that candidate automatically advances to
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Candidates line up for Martin County races ahead of Friday deadline
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — With the filing clock ticking toward a 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9 deadline, the 2026 May Primary ballot in Martin County is beginning to take shape as candidates line up to seek county and city offices. As of Tuesday, the following candidates had filed for races. The list
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Big Sandy Regional Detention Center looks to Floyd County for female officers, cites no ‘hirable’ applicants in four counties
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN PAINTSVILLE — Big Sandy Regional Detention Center will temporarily expand its search for female correctional officers to Floyd County after administrators said the jail has not received “hirable” applicants from Johnson, Lawrence, Magoffin or Martin counties. The jail authority voted 4–3 at its Dec. 18 meeting to approve emergency hiring
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Martin County Water District asks PSC to end oversight
Opponents warn system remains fragile BY LISA STAYTON MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County Water District is asking the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) to close a long-running oversight case and lift monitoring requirements imposed more than six years ago, arguing that the utility has made significant financial and operational progress under outside management. The
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Martin County rises in WWATERS ranking; lawmakers will decide funds
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN FRANKFORT — After receiving no funding last year due to scoring errors, Martin County returned to a competitive statewide process this fall with 12 water and sewer projects that ranked near the top for assistance under the Kentucky Water and Wastewater Assistance for Troubled or Economically Restrained Systems program. The
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$24M rejection: Martin County Water District threatens legal action
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Water District is weighing legal action against the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority and Big Sandy Area Development District, claiming the flawed scoring of the county’s water and sewer project applications cost one of Kentucky’s most distressed districts $24 million in critical funding. The issue centers on
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‘Other’ voter registrations surpass two major parties in Kentucky
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT FRANKFORT — New voter registrations in Kentucky are shifting away from Republican and Democratic. Secretary of State Michael Adams announced Friday in a press release that voters registered under “other” political affiliations bested Republican and Democratic registrations combined for three straight months. “As the Democrats move further left and the Republicans move
