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Inside the brutality of USP Big Sandy: Former prison lieutenant’s plea reveals culture of abuse
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN DEBORD — In a case that exposes the violent underbelly of the federal prison in Martin County, a former lieutenant at the United States Penitentiary Big Sandy has pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate inmates’ civil rights. The plea reveals chilling details of systemic abuse and a shadow policy targeting…
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Martin County School Board establishes police force
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County School District is establishing its own district-based police force that will employ school resource officers. The BOE voted unanimously for the measure during a Jan. 9 meeting. Superintendent Larry James announced during the meeting that a certified police officer had expressed interest in joining the…
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Student injured in bathroom assault
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — A student at Martin County High School was hospitalized Monday after being assaulted in a school bathroom, his father said. The student, who suffered a concussion and facial injuries, was treated and released later that day. He is pursuing criminal charges against the alleged attacker. The incident occurred…
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Kermit in line for $5K from Lipitor settlement
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN KERMIT, W.Va. — The Town of Kermit will be receiving $5,000 as part of an antitrust lawsuit filed by West Virginia against two pharmaceutical companies. Mayor Charles Sparks announced the news at a Jan. 13 council meeting. The mayor detailed the backstory: a $17 million settlement stemming from claims that Pfizer…
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Plea deal reduces severity of charges in child sexual abuse case
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — A 75-year-old Ohio man convicted of sexually abusing children was sentenced Thursday in Martin Circuit Court to three concurrent five-year prison terms, a result of a plea deal that reduced the severity of some charges. John D. Perry from Eastlake, Ohio, was sentenced for crimes that he admitted…
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Magistrates want asphalt
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County leaders advanced efforts to enhance roads and outdoor recreation during Thursday’s Fiscal Court meeting. Magistrates unanimously voted to spend federal funds for additional asphalt to use across the county. They also approved an agreement with First Frontier Appalachian Trails (FFAT) whereby the county will use its…
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Sheriff Kirk honors fallen officers
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Photos of law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in 2024 adorn a wall inside Martin County Sheriff John Kirk’s office. Sheriff Kirk began the memorial gallery about five years ago. Throughout each year, as he receives notifications of fallen officers, he places their photos on the…
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Feud over alleged stolen pills turns physical
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN WARFIELD — Groundhog Hollow in Warfield was the scene of a family feud turned physical Friday—and it all allegedly started over “stolen” medication. Elwood Robertson, 44, landed in jail after an altercation that Martin County Sheriff John Kirk says escalated into violence. Robertson now faces charges of public intoxication of…
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Martin County honors Moore by renaming bridge
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Fiscal Court voted Thursday to rename the bridge at Mullett Branch in honor of Denny Ray Moore, a longtime resident and former road foreman. The bridge off Coldwater Road will now bear the name “Denny Ray Moore Bridge.” Moore served as the county’s road foreman…
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Martin County rallies in storms: Heroes emerge
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — As severe winter weather gripped Martin County in recent weeks, local officials, departments, and volunteers mobilized to ensure that residents were safe and that vital services continued to function. Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty praised the effort Thursday at the conclusion of the Martin County Fiscal Court meeting. The judge…
Tag: Roger Smith
