Local News 3-1-2013
Man Indicted in Johnson Co. Gun Theft Case

Last week WSIP news reported on a story involving a couple who had purchased nearly 20 stolen guns from a pawn shop, but it turns out all of those guns where stolen. According to the Johnson Co. Sheriff Office, 18-year-old Joshua Amburgey has been accussed of stealing nearly two dozen guns from the woman he was staying with. Over the past couple of months, Powers said things starting getting worse and one day as she was searching in a safe she had in her residence, she found nearly two dozen guns, personal papers, and jewelry including her deceased husband's wedding ring missing. Deputies where able to recover most of the guns and two watches, but the rest of it is still missing.  Sheriff Deputies credit the recovery to recorded serial numbers of the guns. The alleged suspect, Joshua Amburgey 18, has been indicted on one count of complicity to receive stolen property $10,000 or more. He has been released from jail and currently awaiting trial. 

KSP in Pikeville Make Positive I.D. of Man Found in a Pike Co. River

According to a news release from the KSP in Pikeville, on Wednesday February 27, 2013 the State Medical Examiners Office made a positive identification on the body that was located in the Tug Fork River in South Williamson, Ky. The deceased was identified as 41 year old Chad Everett Roberts of Rawl, WV. This case remains under investigation by Kentucky State Police Detective Gary Sykes.

Floyd Co. Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder

According to the Salyersville Indendent, a Floyd Co. man has plead guilty to attempted murder, two years after the incident occurred. The shooting took place at the J & J General Store in Magoffin Co, in which three people were injured. According to the reports, Colonel Bolen, 46, of Garrett, on February 2, 2011, reportedly severely injured three people and shot in the direction of three others. Bolen allegedly shot one female near a residence on Route 7 at Gunlock,  then followed the victim as she fled with a child in the vehicle to J & J General Store and continued the assault, shooting two men who were at the store. Bolen reportedly fired numerous rounds at the victims outside the Gunlock business. Bolen pleaded guilty to six counts of attempted murder, a Class B felony. The Court accepted his guilty pleas and took notice of the recommendation of the Commonwealth that Bolen receive 20 years in prison for each count, which all counts to run concurrently with each other. Judgment and order imposing sentencing will be withheld and postponed, pending a pre-sentence investigation. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 21, 2013 at 10 a.m. for imposition of sentence, according to court documents.

Magoffin Co. Man Found Competent to Stand Trial

The suspect in a 2012 fatal shooting of a Magoffin County deputy jailer has been found competent to stand trial. Jonathan Watkins, 31, of Salyersville, has been accused of murdering his step-father, Deputy Jailer Albert Bloomfield, 45, of Salyersville, at Bloomfield's home on East Maple Street on August 5, 2012. Judge Kimberley Childers ordered that Watkins is competent to stand trial, based on the report and testimony filed in his psychological assessment. Watkins' competency hearing  on Thursday, February 21. According to autopsy reports, Bloomfield was shot five times in the back, twice through the heart, once through the lung, and twice through the liver. Law enforcement testified that the investigation indicates that Bloomfield went into the family room and said he was shot,then fell over the couch . Watkins is charged with one count of murder of a police officer, which, if found guilty, can be met with the death penalty. 

Federal Surprise Inspections Close Kentucky Mine

Federal officials say a round of surprise mine inspections in January led to the closure of an eastern Kentucky underground mine because of dozens of safety violations. The Mine Safety and Health Administration sent inspectors to Rain Coal Company's No. 1 Mine on Jan. 15 after an anonymous complaint. Officials issued 54 citations and five orders that shut the Floyd County mine down for more than a week. MSHA inspectors said Rain Coal failed to comply with a ventilation plan to control dust that could potentially cause an ignition. Rain Coal says the mine was no longer producing coal as of Feb. 11. MSHA says it issued 245 citations and 13 orders in January at mines in Kentucky, West Virginia and seven other states.

Heavy Hitters Push Prescription Drug Law Changes

Gov. Steve Beshear has joined with Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo to press for changes to Kentucky's new prescription drug law. After hearing from the powerful trio on Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation that would exempt patients in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice centers from rules intended to make it more difficult for addicts to get painkillers. The House had approved the changes Wednesday to the year-old law that was intended to crack down on widespread prescription drug abuse in a state where more people are dying from overdoses than car crashes. Lawmakers said the law had unintended consequences that made the seriously ill and the elderly subject to the same scrutiny as would-be prescription drug traffickers.

Eastern Kentuckians Still Picking Up the Pieces from Last Year's Devastating Tornadoes and Storms

March 2, 2012 will always be a day that will remain forever intrenched in the minds and hearts of Kentuckians, especially right her in our own backyards. On that day, one year ago, Eastern Kentucky was hit by a powerful Tornado that brought with it destruction, unimaginable to everyone, who always had that thought in their minds that it can never happen here, not to us. We were all wrong! Their were actually 2 seperate tornados that bullied their way through our area. One tornado struck the area of Rt 172 in Morgan Co and continued into Johnson Co. communites of Reb Bush, Keaton, Flat Gap, Martha, and Blaine and on into Lawrence Co. Leaving with it uprootedtrees, downed power lines and leveling houses, barns and businesses. In Morgan Co. West Liberty was left with piles and piles of brick, because the town was completely destroyed. The courthouse, city hall, much of downtown reduced to rubble.Only first responders were allowed in to keep possible looters out, and to give search and rescue teams and k-9 crews the room to look for the missing, building by building.

The 2nd tornado left a path of destruction from Magoffin Co.to Johnson Co and into Martin Co. Most of the damage in Johnson County was in the area along Middle Fork Road, Green Rock, Denver over into West Van Lear traveling along Rt 3 into Martin Co. In Magoffin Co. this 2nd tornado did extensive damage, devastating building after building, business after business, home after home along the Mountain Parkway. Officials in Johnson Co.say the storms are blamed for two deaths on Middle Fork Road, 20 year old Gregory Perry and 16 year old Sean Shepherd and other deaths and numerous injuries reported in Morgan Co. as State police say some of the fatalities happened out in the county, in torn apart homes.

Still to this day cleanup is continuing, slowly our communites are rising back up, fighting to show all that Eastern Kentucky people will rebuild and strive once again. So with this one year anniversary, Governor Steve Beshear has proclaimed March 2013 as Severe Weather Awarness Month in Kentucky. Gov. Beshear urges all public and private institutions, as well as residents, to note its observance and take necessary actions to prepare and protect our people and property that could be threatened as a result of severe storms. All Kentuckians are encouraged to participate in the 2013 Statewide Tornado Safety Drill to be held on Tuesday, March 5, at approximately 10:07 a.m.

Be prepared and be alert when storms are predicted and occur in our area. Let the memories of last year keep us all aware of what can happen and let's be ready when mother nature decides to strike once again. We've all heard it, "a tornado can never hit here", now we all know anything is possible and we need to be ready.