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Horse killed in Route 3 collision; sheriff urges action
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN DEBORD — A horse died early Sunday morning after a vehicle hit it on New Route 3 near Debord, prompting renewed concerns from Martin County Sheriff John Kirk about the danger of free-roaming horses along county roadways. The crash occurred around 7:30 a.m. No one in the vehicle received injuries.
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Whitt wins newspaper search contest
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT INEZ — Martin County resident Curtis Whitt is the winner of the Mountain Citizen Christmas Nativity Search Contest and a $100 prize. Over the course of 10 weeks, Whitt successfully found each of the hidden Christmas Nativity figures placed throughout the pages of the Mountain Citizen, recording the correct page numbers on
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Specialty Court celebrates Christmas with families
INEZ — Specialty Court programs serving Johnson, Martin and Lawrence counties hosted a Christmas party for participants and their families Friday at the Collier Center in Inez. Children enjoyed a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus and received Christmas gifts. Event organizers said Specialty Court plays an important role in the justice system by providing
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Kirk & Crum Law Firm Players of the Week: Smith and Keathley
BY BRITTNI MCCOY MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County High School’s HaiLeigh Smith and Braxton Keathley are the Kirk & Crum Law Firm Players of the Week. Smith made Martin County High School history at the Bobby Bates Classic at the University of Virginia-Wise on Saturday. She became the program’s first female wrestler to earn
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Verladene (Setser) Carter Obituary
Verladene (Setser) Carter 1952—2025 Verladene (Setser) Carter, 73, of Tomahawk, went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Dec. 16, 2025, following a brief illness. Born Feb. 10, 1952, she was the daughter of the late Virgil and Saddie (Wells) Setser. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by an infant
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Lilly Mae Adkins Obituary
Lilly Mae Adkins 1961—2025 Lilly Mae Adkins, 64, of Lovely, went home to be with the Lord, Dec. 17, 2025. Born July 17, 1961, she was the daughter of the late Sheridan and Evelyn Maynard, who preceded her in death. Lilly worked as a news reporter and editor. She retired from the Big Sandy News in
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Police find deceased dogs tied up behind house
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — By the time deputies arrived Dec. 16 at a home on Thickety Fork Road, the report was already grim: dogs tied behind the house, no longer alive, left unseen and unreported for days, possibly weeks. Law enforcement arrested Phillip D. Butcher, 73, of Inez, on a charge of
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Devan Maynard shines on national stage in Dallas
Maynard shines on Dallas stage BRITTNI MCCOY MOUNTAIN CITIZEN DALLAS — Martin County senior Devan Maynard turned a postseason honor into a statement performance. The Cardinal recorded 10 tackles and one tackle for a loss in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl on Monday at AT&T Stadium – home of the Dallas Cowboys. Maynard, the Class 2A
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Cardinals bounce back with win over Harlan
Keathley, Marcum, Dials record double-doubles BRITTNI MCCOY MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Braxton Keathley continued his strong start to the season with a pair of double-doubles as Martin County split a pair of games last week. The Cards fell 79-75 to Huntington Prep (WV) on Dec. 10 before rebounding with a 92-72 win over Harlan on
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Lady Cards win two in a row
Maynard with two double-doubles BRITTNI MCCOY MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Lady Cards (3-1) picked up two wins in four days, toppling Betsy Layne (2-3) 57-49 on Dec. 9 at home before edging Harlan (1-5) 53-51 on Dec. 13 at the Lisa Collins Classic at South Laurel High School. Martin County vs Betsy Layne –
