Cause of Death Released in Blanton's Homicide
The Johnson County couple whose bodies were found buried on their farm last month died of blunt force trauma. Investigators found the bodies of William Blanton, 60, and Sandra (Sandy) Blanton, 53, on February 22, buried near a barn their family farm in Oil Springs. According to Johnson County Coroner J.R. Frisby, the Blanton’s suffered trauma to the head and body, but we do not know what was used to kill them Frisby says He says the medical examiner had to use dental records and a pacemaker to make the positive identification. Frisby also stated that it appears the husband and wife were killed near where the bodies were found. According to the medical examiner's results, it appears that September 7 is the date they died. After months of searching for the bodies and asking for help from in state and out of state search teams, officials got the break they needed after the girlfriend of the Blanton’s son, Willie, 29, made a plea deal with the Commonwealth Attorney. In this plea deal, Amanda Fannin, 32, of Oil Springs agreed to divulge everything she knew about how the couple died, and where the couple’s remains could be found, including information and testimony that would allow the Commonwealth Attorney to prosecute Willie Blanton for the deaths of his parents and concealing their remains. Johnson County Sheriff Dwayne Price says this is now a homicide case. Back in October, Willie and Fannin, were both indicted in Johnson County on charges not directly related to the disappearance of Blanton's parents and both have been in jail since that time. A Johnson County grand jury is expected to consider murder charges against Willie Blanton when it meets March 20.
Paintsville P.D. Investigating Church Burglary
The following is a news release from the Paintsville Police Dept. The department is currently investigating a Burglary that occurred on February 28, 2013. Unknown person(s) made entry into the First Church of God located on 8th Street. Pastor Dan Heaberlin reported that $70 dollars was taken from a locked desk drawer. Anyone with information concerning this incident can contact the agency at 606-789-2603 or via e-mail:
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. This incident remains under investigation by Officer Danny Smith.
Johnson Co. Judge Executive Delclares March as Sexual Assault Awarness Month
In a ceremony at the Johnson Co. Courthouse in downtown Paintsville Tuesaday, R.T Daniel, Proclaimed March 2013 as “SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH” in Johnson County and he urges all citizens and communities to join him in this observance in order to create awareness, generate activism, and strive to achieve a state where sexual assault victims have a clear path to justice, and where citizens take personal responsibility to eliminate all forms of sexual violence. Sexual violence, INCLUDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING, is an intolerable, violent crime with public health implications for every person in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and impacts children at alarming rates and with severe and long lasting emotional scars. One (1) in five (5) women has been raped in her lifetime, with half experiencing the violence before age eighteen (18). One (1) in five (5) people in prostitution is a child. Up to 300,000 children are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation in the United States. We can successfully prevent sexual violence and human trafficking in Kentucky through leadership, dedication and a recognition that increased education, awareness and community involvement are critical components;
Panel Passes Hemp Bill, Uncertain on it's Future
A proposal that could open the door to industrial hemp farming in Kentucky has cleared a House committee - but it still faces an uncertain future in the full chamber. The House Agriculture and Small Business Committee approved the bill Wednesday morning. The vote was 24-1. The legislation is intended to put Kentucky in position to quickly license hemp growers if the federal government lifts restrictions on growing it. The measure already passed the Senate. But House Speaker Greg Stumbo, who opposes the bill, has said he doesn't know if it will be called for a floor vote. State police and other law enforcement agencies have raised concerns about hemp fields being used to camouflage marijuana, which has identical leaves. The legislation is Senate Bill 50.
GOP Lawmakers to Run Against Each Other Under Plan
A House redistricting plan would pit Republican against Republican in the next election cycle. The House State Government Committee on Tuesday approved the plan that would force 13 lawmakers - 12 of them Republican- to run against each other. Always a divisive issue, redistricting occurs every 10 years to account for population changes found by the U.S. Census Bureau. The state Supreme Court struck down the redistricting plan the House passed last year, finding the new districts were unbalanced by population and didn't comply with the "one person, one vote" mandate in federal and state law. Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo of Prestonsburg said this year's plan wasn't political- but an attempt to follow the court's directions.
Push to Restore Voting Rights in Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. - Convicted felons in Kentucky are not guaranteed to get their voting rights back once they've come off parole or probation. A bill (HB70) proposing a constitutional amendment to restore that right to most ex-felons is now before the state Senate. It's an idea the House has approved six straight years, but the bill has always died in the Senate. According to former felon Damon Horton, that's keeping more than a quarter-million Kentuckians from having the chance to vote. "It's unacceptable. People pay their debt to society, and to take their voice away from them for the rest of their lives is absurd," Horton asserted. "It doesn't make any sense." Horton spent two and a half years behind bars on a felony drug conviction. He got out of prison in 2006 and is now an ordained minister in Lexington. Last August, Horton petitioned the state governor to have his voting rights restored. The request was granted in January. Horton said he was "ecstatic." "It's like I was given my voice back again, you know," he said. "I've been given a second chance now." Horton is active with the Voting Rights Coalition, which will spend Wednesday (March 6) at the Capitol lobbying senators. The voting rights bill passed the House 75-25 last month. It is now before the Senate's State and Local Government Committee. Horton hopes lawmakers will give former felons back their "voice" in government. "My church family has forgiven me and accepted me who I am and feel in my heart that God has forgiven me, but society still looks at paper," he said. If the bill is approved, the question of whether to restore voting rights for most ex-felons would go on the November ballot for voters to decide. The proposed voting rights restoration would not apply in cases of conviction for treason, intentional killing, a sex crime, or bribery. A link to HB70 is at lrc.ky.gov.
Johnson Co. Schools to Dismiss Early Thursday/No School Friday
The following is a message from Johnson Co. Superintendent Steve Trimble: In order to accommodate players, parents, students and staff, attending the Johnson Central boys basketball game in the KHSAA Sweet 16 on Thursday evening at 6:30 pm in Lexington, School will be dismissed on Thursday, March 7 @ 12:00 PM for Elementary and 12:30 PM for Middle and High School. There will be NO SCHOOL on Friday, March 8, 2013! |
Paintsville P.D. Investigating Church Burglary
The following is a news release from the Paintsville Police Dept. The department is currently investigating a Burglary that occurred on February 28, 2013. Unknown person(s) made entry into the First Church of God located on 8th Street. Pastor Dan Heaberlin reported that $70 dollars was taken from a locked desk drawer. Anyone with information concerning this incident can contact the agency at 606-789-2603 or via e-mail:
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. This incident remains under investigation by Officer Danny Smith.
Grand jury to get case of former mayor's killing
Kentucky State Police say a robbery was the likely motive in the killing of a former mayor of Evarts in eastern Kentucky. Ronnie King's body was found after his home was set on fire Feb. 18. During a preliminary hearing for Shelby Shell on Monday, Kentucky State Police Detective Michael Cornett said King had been bound wrists and ankles and his nose and mouth had been duct taped. There was also a bullet hole in a pillow next to King's body. He was 59. Shell is charged with killing King and setting the victim's house on fire to cover up the crime. Shell's appointed attorney said his client thinks someone is framing him. The case was sent to a grand jury.
Officials Looking for More Information for a Missing Magoffin County Man
The search continues in Magoffin County for a Magoffin County man that has been missing going on seven days now. The man they are searching for is Freddie Howard, aka Freddie Brown, who is 29 years of age and has been missing since Wednesday, Feb 27. Search Crews from all over the area are or have been involved with this search: East Kentucky Trackers, Morgan County Search and Rescue, Magoffin County Sheriff’s Office and the Magoffin County Search and Rescue team. Officials with the sheriff's office do not suspect any foul play, and is asking anyone that may have information to contact them at 606-349-2914.
Beshear Signs Changes To Prescription Drug Law
Gov. Steve Beshear has signed legislation that modifies Kentucky's new prescription drug law. The second-term Democrat took the action on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after it received final passage in the Legislature. He boasted of a bipartisan effort to tweak the law that had unintended consequences for patients in institutional settings. Beshear was flanked by Republican Senate President Robert Stivers and Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo when he signed the bill that exempts patients in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice centers from rules intended to make it more difficult for addicts to get painkillers. Kentucky passed a sweeping prescription drug law last year in an effort to crack down on widespread painkiller abuse. The legislation is House Bill 217.
Major Floyd County Road Project Moving Forward
Construction is underway on a huge road project that many say will make traveling through part of Floyd County quicker and easier. The Harold to Minnie connector will be a four lane road, giving drivers a direct route between U.S. 23 in Harold and KY 80 in Minnie The project consists of three sections. Crews are currently working on the section in Harold that runs from U.S. 23 to Branhams Creek. That section is expected to be finished by late summer or early fall. Work will then start work on the middle section which runs which from Simpsons Branch to Minnie. This section will feature 2,500 foot bridge. "It is an extremely important project, it will help with traffic congestion in this area because it will reroute traffic from 80 and 23. There will be a more direct route, for example for people who are coming from West Virginia going to Hazard, they will be able to cut off at Harold and go directly over to KY 80," said Sara George with Kentucky Highway District 12. Another benefit of the project, officials say, is that more property will open up for development in the area. Officials say the project is moving forward at a fast pace, and should take six years to finish. The project is already fully funded.
Work-From-Home Job Screening Set for March 20 in Pikeville
Kentucky Teleworks will host a “Telework Job Screening” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 20, at the Kentucky Career Center, located at 138 College Street, in Pikeville. Kentucky Teleworks is screening applicants for companies such as DIRECTV, Amazon.com, T-Mobile and JPMorgan Chase. The agency currently has agreements with six companies looking to fill 3,000 jobs. Kentucky Teleworks Manager Joshua Ball says work-at-home jobs are increasingly becoming an option for families that have felt the pain of layoffs over the past year. The event will screen applicants for customer service, information technology support and sales jobs that pay $9 an hour, as well as at-home interviewing jobs that begin at $8 an hour. Kentucky Teleworks has also entered into an agreement with a national cable, broadband and phone sales provider to fill 100 telesales positions. These jobs pay upwards of $9.55 per hour with full benefits, including commission and bonuses. Applicants interested in being screened on-site for jobs should bring a current resume, valid identification card, and Social Security card. They must also have a distraction-free space for a home office with high-speed Internet access. For more information about Kentucky Teleworks, visit www.kentuckyteleworks.com, contact Ball at (606) 435-8498 or email
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. You may also call (606) 433-7721 for more information on the March 20 job screening event in Pikeville. Find Kentucky Teleworks on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kentuckyteleworks and EKCEP at www.facebook.com/ekcep.
Johnson Co. Schools to Dismiss Early Thursday/No School Friday
The following is a message from Johnson Co. Superintendent Steve Trimble: In order to accommodate players, parents, students and staff, attending the Johnson Central boys basketball game in the KHSAA Sweet 16 on Thursday evening at 6:30 pm in Lexington, School will be dismissed on Thursday, March 7 @ 12:00 PM for Elementary and 12:30 PM for Middle and High School. There will be NO SCHOOL on Friday, March 8, 2013!
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Search Crews Looking for More Information for a Missing Magoffin County Man
Search and rescue crews from across the region where in Magoffin County Sunday, searching for a Magoffin County man that has been missing going on five days now. The man they are searching for is Freddie Howard, aka Freddie Brown, who is 29 years of age and has been missing since Wednesday, Feb 27. According to WYMT-TV, family members say they fear the worse because they have been told by an unknown man that he had had a fight with Brown and if if he wasn't already dead, he would shoot him. That call from this unknown individual came on Thursday, according to Brown's father, Sambo. Officials have not commented on that allegation, but are investigating this incident. They have said that Brown was last seen wearing blue jeans, a green hooded jacket and work boots. They also say he was last seen by his mother off of Johnson Fork Road, but she tells officials that she's not sure which direction he was going. Officials had to suspend the search late Sunday because they have a lack of information to go on, but say they are continuing to look for clues and will resume searching once they have more details on his location. Search Crews from all over the area are or have been involved with this search: East Kentucky Trackers, Morgan County Search and Rescue, Magoffin County Sheriff’s Office and the Magoffin County Search and Rescue team. Officials with the sheriff's office do not suspect any foul play, and is asking anyone that may have information to contact them at 606-349-2914.
Meth Lab leads to Multiple Arrests
According to a news release from the Johnson Co. Sheriff's Dept. on the evening of Tuesday, February 26th, Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputy David Pridemore received a call for assistance from the Kentucky Department of Probation and Parole. Deputy Pridemore responded to a residence located at 1133 KY Rte. 1750 in East Point; the home of David Billiter. An initial search of the residence yielded a “shake and bake” meth lab in Billiter’s living room. Billiter, age 54, was arrested and charged with Manufacturing Methamphetamine 2nd, Possession of Meth, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Assisting at the scene with the removal of the meth lab was the Kentucky State Police DESI Unit. When Deputy Pridemore was arresting Billiter, a male and female subject came out of their residence, located next door to Billiter’s, to see what was happening. Pridemore recognized the individuals, and knew they had active warrants. William F. Hudnall, Jr. age 30 was taken into custody for an outstanding warrant for Driving on a DUI Suspended License. Rachel McCoy age 29 was taken into custody for outstanding warrants for DUI 1st and Theft by Unlawful Taking. All three subjects were lodged in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center.
Paintsville Police Release Monthly Activity Report for February 2013
The following is a monthly activity report from the Paintsville Police Dept. for the month of February 2013.
Theft complaints(includes shoplifting) – 6
Alcohol intoxication – 0
Controlled substance violations –8
D.U.I. – 1
Accident without injury – 16
Accident with injury – 2
Warrants served – 33
Traffic violations – 29
Dispatched calls (CAD) – 462
Mentally ill complaints – 0
Domestic disputes – 2
Assault complaints – 1
Disorderly conduct – 0
Burglary – 1
Robbery - 0
Alarms – 36
KSP Make a Drug Arrest in Pike Co.
According to a news release from the KSP in Pikeville, on Monday March 4, 2013 Post 9 Pikeville received information of a possible drug transaction on South Mayo Trail in Pikeville. As units from the Kentucky State Police Post 9 Criminal Interdiction Team arrived on scene they witnessed an apparent drug transaction. Post 9 Criminal Interdiction units made contact with the occupant of the vehicle and conducted a search of the vehicle. An undisclosed amount of illegal prescription narcotics and what is believed to cocaine and marijuana were located in the vehicle. Johnathan Estrada of Detroit Michigan was arrested and lodged in the Pike County Detention Center. Estrada was charged with Trafficking in a controlled substance 1st Degree, Trafficking in a controlled substance 2nd Degree, Trafficking in a controlled substance 3rd Degree and Trafficking in Marijuana. This incident remains under investigation by Tpr. Zach Bryson. Trooper Bryson was assisted on scene by TFC Jay Perkins and TFC Bo Cure.
Neighbor Cathches Burglary Suspects at Gunpoint; 3 Arrested in Boyd Co.
According to reports from the Boyd Co. Sheriff's Dept. three people have been arrested after Boyd County Sheriff’s Deputies say they tried to break into a house in Ashland early Saturday morning. Deputies also say two of the suspects were actually held at gunpoint by a neighbor of the victim until officers arrived at the scene. The incident happened at a house in the 6300-block of Route 5 in Ashland about 1:30 a.m Saturday. Deputies arrested Zachery Stevens, 20, of Flatwoods, Sharon Kitchen, 18, of Ashland, and William Bailey, 19, of Ashland. Each was charged with third-degree burglary. Kitchen was also charged with possession of burglary tools and possession of marijuana. According to Sheriff reports, a neighbor alerted the elderly homeowner about people prowling around her house. The homeowner then called 911. Deputies say another neighbor also heard noises outside and observed the three suspects on the victims’ porch. That neighbor then got a handgun and confronted the suspects, holding Kitchen and Stevens at gunpoint until deputies arrived. The Sheriff’s Office says Bailey took off, but turned himself in a short time later. Deputies say a bolt cutter was used to cut the lock of an outbuilding at the victim's house.
Jailed Knott Judge Executive Files Response to Lawsuit to Have Him Removed from Office
Knott County Judge Executive Randy Thompson has filed a response to a lawsuit seeking to remove him from office. In the response, Thompson's attorney says the court has no alternative other than dismiss the lawsuit due to the commonwealth's lack of constitutional and statutory authority. They request an immediate dismissal of the lawsuit and to have a jury trial on the allegations in it. Thompson is in prison after being convicted in a vote buying case.
Eleven Die On Kentucky Roadways Last Week
(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – Preliminary statistics* indicate that 11 people died in six separate crashes on Kentucky’s roadways from Monday, Feb. 25 through Sunday, Mar. 3, 2013. One six-fatality, motor vehicle crash occurred in Hardin County. One single-fatality, motor vehicle crash occurred in each of the following counties: Calloway, Jefferson, Madison, Powell and Pulaski. The victim in Madison County was not wearing a seat belt. The crash in Powell County involved the suspected use of alcohol and resulted in one pedestrian being killed. Through Mar. 3, preliminary statistics* indicate that 87 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways during 2013. This is 27 less than reported for this time period in 2012. Citizens can contribute to highway safety by reporting erratic drivers to the Kentucky State Police toll-free at 1-800-222-5555. Callers will remain anonymous and should give a description of the vehicle, location, direction of travel and license number if possible.
House Discuss Redistricting Proposal
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- House lawmakers continue to work on the always politically divisive issue of legislative redistricting. State Rep. Brent Yonts, chairman of the House State Government Committee, said last week a redistricting bill is nearly complete and will be unveiled soon. He had included the issue as an agenda item before pulling it. Lawmakers will need to rush to get the matter resolved. Only a few working days remain in the current legislative session. Redistricting is supposed to occur every 10 years to account for population changes found by the U.S. Census Bureau. Legislation that passed last year was struck down by the state Supreme Court. Justices found the new districts weren't balanced by population and didn't comply with the "one person, one vote" mandate in federal and state law.
Johnson Co. Schools to Dismiss Early Thursday/No School Friday
The following is a message from Johnson Co. Superintendent Steve Trimble:
In order to accommodate players, parents, students and staff, attending the Johnson Central boys basketball game in the KHSAA Sweet 16 on Thursday evening at 6:30 pm in Lexington, School will be dismissed on Thursday, March 7 @ 12:00 PM for Elementary and 12:30 PM for Middle and High School. There will be NO SCHOOL on Friday, March 8, 2013!
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Officials Continue Search for Man Missing in Magoffin County
The Magoffin County Sheriff's Department is searching for an eastern Kentucky man. According to Sheriff Carson Montgomery, he says 29-year-old Freddy Brown, also known as Freddy Howard, was last seen in the Johnson Fork area of Magoffin county Wednesday around six in the evening. The rescue squad spent most of Sunday searching the area for the man's whereabouts. If you have any information, please contact the Magoffin Co. Sheriff's Dept or dial 911. WSIP news will continue to follow this story and will have more information as it becomes available.
Feds Say Man Posed As Mine Electrician
An eastern Kentucky man has been indicted in federal court for posing as a mine electrician while working at a Letcher County underground mine. An indictment in U.S. District Court in Pikeville says James A. Cress was working for the Cumberland River Coal Company at the Blue Ridge No. 1 Mine as an electrician from May 2009 to July 2010. It says Cress presented himself to the company as a certified electrician though he was not. Cress, of Totz in Harlan County, is facing 19 counts for violations of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Act. The indictment says he initialed record books indicating he had examined or tested equipment at the mine. Cress is facing up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines if convicted on the charges.
The Trial of One of the Two Men Charged with Killing a Former Paintsville Resident Underway in Louisville
The murder trial for one of two men charged with killing a man who had ties to Eastern Kentucky continued Thursday with gruesome photos and testimony about James Carroll’s death. Carroll’s body found in a plastic storage container, buried about three feet below a dirt basement floor, in a Louisville house in June 2010. Police said at the time that Carroll had been dead for about six months and was killed in December 2009. Joseph Banis and Jeffrey Mundt were arrested and charged with the murder after police responded to a domestic dispute at their home. It was in that home where Carroll's body was found. Police said following the arrests, the three men had a sexual relationship. Banis’s trial is taking place in Jefferson County Circuit Court. During testimony Dr. Donna Stewart, with the medical examiners office, testified that Carroll suffered three different types of injuries: stab wounds, a gunshot wound and blunt force injuries. She also said that toxicology tests showed that Carroll had drugs in his system. Several months before Carroll's body was found, Banis and Mundt were arrested at a hotel in Chicago. The report says Banis admitted to Chicago police that he had $54,000 in counterfeit money, three guns, and ammunition. Reports by a KSP firearms expert confirmed that one of those guns was the gun used to kill Carroll. Carroll had family members in Floyd County and once owned a hair salon in Paintsville. This trial for Mundt is scheduled for May in Louisville.
Knott County Man Pleads Not Guilty to Assault Charges
A Knott County man has pleaded not guilty to an assault charge. Hillard Smith was arraigned in Knott County Circuit Court last week. Police say he allegedly shot 24 year old Travis Scott in the Mousie community in October of last year. Smith was indicted earlier this year, Scott survived the shooting. No further information has been provided.
Deadly Crash Leads to Murder Charge
An elderly woman is dead after being struck while waiting for help after her vehicle went into a ditch. Around 10pm Thursday evening, 79-year-old Martha Vivian of Clay City was driving on KY 11 in Powell County when she lost control of her vehicle and went into a ditch. Kentucky State Police say while Vivian was standing next to her vehicle she was struck by a pickup driven by 34-year-old Johnny Moore of Mt. Sterling. She died at the scene. Moore was charged with Operating Under the Influence and Murder. Police say they smelled alcohol on his breath after the accident. They are waiting for the results of a blood test. Moore is being held at the Powell County Detention Center on a $250,000 cash bond. The accident remains under investigation by Kentucky State Police.
Lewis County High Student Charged with Terroristic Threatening
A student at Lewis County High School has been arrested and charged with making terroristic threats. According to the Lewis County, Ky. Sheriff, the arrest was the result of an alleged threat at the school Thursday morning. The Sherriff’s Office said they received information that a male student was reportedly going to bring a gun to school. During the investigation, deputies learned the student was actually going to bring a M-80 firecracker to school and detonate it. Following the arrest, the juvenile was taken to the Boyd County Detention Center. Because the student is a juvenile, his name is not being released.
Kentucky's Jobless Rate Much Improved In 2012
Kentucky is reporting significant improvement in the state's jobless rate for 2012. The Office of Employment and Training reported Friday that unemployment improved from 9.5 percent in 2011 to 8.2 percent in 2012. That's a 1.3 percent drop in the jobless rate, which reflects the addition of 28,800 jobs for the year. Kentucky had the 19th highest annual unemployment rate among all states in 2012. Annual unemployment rates declined in 46 states, rose in two states and were unchanged in two. Among neighboring states, Indiana and Illinois had unemployment rates higher than Kentucky. Virginia, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia and Tennessee had rates lower than Kentucky.
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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.
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