-
Child neglect charges: Kids left in car while adults played poker machines
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Two Kermit residents face child neglect charges after deputies said they left two young children unattended in a vehicle while they played poker machines inside a Williamson establishment. David W. Compton and Lori A. Messer, both of Kermit, were arrested by Mingo County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. N. Mines and
-
Mingo County Magistrate Court releases multiple arrest reports
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Mingo County Magistrate Court recently released several arrest reports. Ashley Hauser, 39, of Ransom, Kentucky, was charged with child neglect stemming from an incident in September 2025. The West Virginia State Police arrested her. In a separate case, Hauser, now reportedly living at Victoria Courts Apartments in Williamson, was
-
Mingo man charged with sexual abuse of minor
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT DELBARTON, W.Va. — A Delbarton man has been arrested and jailed for what police said was sexual abuse of a minor. Justin Aaron Stepp, 37, was arrested March 2 in the Elk Creek area of Delbarton by the West Virginia State Police Williamson Detachment on a charge of sexual assault by a
-
Man charged with attempted murder; three others arrested after shooting
BY ANNIE HOLLER MOUNTAIN CITIZEN NORTH MATEWAN, W.Va. — Deputies arrested four men late Friday night in connection with an attempted murder investigation on Rutherford Hollow near Matewan. Bruce Blankenship, 42, of Nolan Street, Williamson, faces charges of attempted murder, wanton endangerment, possession of a controlled substance, drug conspiracy, child neglect creating a risk of
-
Williamson salvage yard searched in telecom wire theft probe
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Authorities executed a search warrant Thursday at a Williamson salvage yard following what officials described as a months-long investigation into the theft of telecommunications wire across Mingo County. Deputies with the Mingo County Sheriff’s Department, working alongside the West Virginia State Police, searched Big Frank’s Salvage Yard on Feb.
-
Man behind bars after parole check uncovers sex offender registry violations
BY ANNIE HOLLER MOUNTAIN CITIZEN WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — A Mingo County man already on the state’s sex offender registry was taken into custody Feb. 19 after authorities said he violated both registry requirements and the terms of his supervised release. Jonathan Michael Aliff, 42, of West Fifth Avenue in Williamson, was arrested by West Virginia
-
Delbarton man charged with malicious wounding in Mingo County shooting
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT DELBARTON, W.Va. — A 68-year-old Delbarton man faces felony charges following a shooting Sunday, Feb. 15, in Mingo County. According to the West Virginia State Police Williamson detachment, a trooper responded to Logan Regional Medical Center after receiving a report of a man being treated for a gunshot wound. Investigators allege that
-
Mingo County PSD falters after Lenore water main rupture
BY ANNIE HOLLER MOUNTAIN CITIZEN LENORE, W.Va. — Flooding, a ruptured water main and limited treatment capacity combined to disrupt water service across much of Mingo County this week, placing most customers under a boil water advisory and forcing emergency rerouting efforts to maintain supply. The trouble began around midnight Feb. 20 when rapidly rising
-
Patriot EMS announces station closures and workforce reduction
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT Patriot Emergency Medical Services announced that it will consolidate operations, close multiple stations and reduce its workforce by approximately 50%, citing what the company described as mounting financial pressures tied to inadequate reimbursement rates and delayed insurance payments. The announcement comes amid growing concern across the region about ambulance availability, including in
