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Two indicted in death of 11-year-old boy in Martin County
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Two Martin County residents are facing felony charges in connection with the death of an 11-year-old boy Aug. 13, 2025. A Martin County grand jury indicted Patrick Speer, 34, of Warfield, and Christina Chapman, 40, of Beauty, charging each with first-degree criminal abuse involving a victim under 12
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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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Inez considers extending Creekside Trail
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — City officials are exploring plans to extend the Inez Creekside Trail east. This project could add up to a quarter mile to the trail. Commissioner Nita Collier presented a map of the extension in a special meeting Jan. 21 at City Hall. She said the Big Sandy Area
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Regional jail authority names new leadership, reports overtime strain, stronger revenue
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN PAINTSVILLE — The Big Sandy Regional Jail Authority elected new leadership Friday, while administrators reported persistent staffing shortages, heavy overtime and one of the facility’s strongest months for housing revenue. Board member Billy Patrick of Martin County was named chairman, with fellow Martin County representative Bradford Preece selected as co-chairman.
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Kenton man faces assault, strangulation charges in Martin County
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN WARFIELD — A Kenton County man was arrested Tuesday morning at a Warfield apartment complex on charges of assault and strangulation, Kentucky State Police said. Troopers from Post 9 in Pikeville took Elijah Bailey, 21, of Covington, into custody about 7:55 a.m. at Riverside Apartments. He was charged with fourth-degree
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Christmas in the Mountains counts its blessings after a successful year
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — By the time Martin County Tourism officials gathered in the government center Jan. 20, the lights of Christmas in the Mountains had been packed away, the displays dismantled, the last checks still moving slowly through the mail. What remained was a ledger that balanced, a downtown that had
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Aging in the mountains: Regional plan takes shape
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN In the hills of the Big Sandy region, many homes are old, family networks are thin and wages are low. Aging often unfolds far from hospitals, grocery stores and public transit lines. A loose step on a front porch can become a medical emergency. A missed ride can mean a
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Federal judge orders Addiction Recovery Care to answer contempt charges
Filings cite alleged $27.7 million DOJ fraud settlement BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN A federal judge has ordered Addiction Recovery Care LLC (ARC), a Kentucky-based addiction treatment company owned by Louisa residents Tim and Lelia Robinson, to appear in federal court this week to answer civil contempt charges for allegedly violating an earlier court order
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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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Grand jury indicts 11 in Martin County
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — A Martin County grand jury handed up 13 true bills indicting 11 individuals Thursday in Inez. Charges range from first-degree drug trafficking and gun possession by a convicted felon to fleeing police and repeated failures to appear in court. Judy Faye Pauley, 63, of Inez, was indicted on
