SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2026  ·  EASTERN KENTUCKY'S COMMUNITY NEWS HUB
All the news from the hollows & hills of Eastern Kentucky

Today's Stories 65 stories · Updated 03:27 PM

WKYT13h ago

Race fans said watching the Derby at Keeneland is far cheaper than traveling to Louisville. Many also said Keeneland is more of a family friendly atmosphere, intimate, and feels like home.

WTVQ ABC 3618h ago

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 News Now) — A 29-year-old Lexington woman was arrested in connection to an alleged shooting on Leestown Road on Saturday, police report. According to the Lexington Police Department, units were dispatched around 2 p.m. on Saturday to the 4100 block of Leestown Road on reports of a disorder with a weapon. Upon arrival, officers found a...

Harlan Enterprise18h ago

Harlan County homeschool families recently ventured to explore Appalachian Caverns, a little-known cave system tucked beneath a quiet home in Blountville, Tenn. The unique underground destination, hidden in plain sight, [...]

Harlan EnterpriseMay 2

By Paul Lunsford Harlan Enterprise Officers from the Cumberland Police Department and the Harlan County Sheriff's Department made several arrests for methamphetamine and other charges early Wednesday morning. Leisha L. [...]

Kentucky LanternMay 2

The night before the Kentucky Derby, Republican President Donald Trump placed his bets on two Republicans facing crowded primaries — U.S. Rep. Andy Barr for U.S. Senate and Ralph Alvarado for a U.S. House seat in central Kentucky. Trump said he was backing “Proven Political Winner” U.S. Rep. Andy Barr in a race for Kentucky’s [...]

Mountain Top MediaMay 1

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- A former Paintsville doctor has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison, after he pleaded guilty to a federal drug conspiracy charge. Don Bryson pleaded guilty in June 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute Schedule II controlled substances. Bryson was previously a doctor, but surrendered his medical license following an investigation into his prescribing of contr

Mountain Top MediaMay 1

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. -- Hours after erroneous media reports triggered a false alarm that murder defendant M.K. McKinney would be temporarily released from home incarceration so he could meet with his attorneys in Louisville to plot defense strategy, the judge has now agreed to the request, although under stricter guidelines. McKinney is charged with the June 18, 2023, murder of Amber Spradlin, who wa

Mountain Top MediaMay 1

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. -- Special Judge Eddy Coleman on Friday issued an order delaying the start of the Amber Spradlin murder trial by one day, to give the prosecution time to make its case for a lengthier continuance. Spradlin's body was found June 18, 2023, at the Arkansas Creek home of Prestonsburg dentist Michael McKinney. McKinney's son, M.K. McKinney, has been charged with her murder, while both

Mountain Top MediaMay 1

For Ryan Osborne, the road to NASCAR didn’t start in a race shop, it started in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and later on, East Tennessee. Born in Pikeville and raised with deep roots in Floyd County coal country, Osborne’s journey to the top level of motorsports is anything but typical. His grandfather worked in the mines, his uncle drove a dump truck, and his father worked on the railroad.

Kentucky LanternMay 1

A Jefferson County judge has struck down part of Kentucky law that defined human life as beginning at conception, clarifying women who sued the state over the issue can pursue in vitro fertilization without fear of prosecution. Five months after he heard arguments in a more than three-year old court case seeking to strike down [...]

Mountain Top MediaMay 1

EDITOR'S NOTE: There has been an update to this story, after the judge agreed to allow McKinney to meet with his attorneys on a more limited basis than the attorneys had been asking. You can read that story at https://mountain-topmedia.com/after-confusion-judge-allows-murder-suspect-limited-release-to-meet-with-attorneys/. PRESTONSBURG, Ky. -- Media reports that M.K. McKinney has been granted "tem

Kentucky LanternMay 1

Kentucky’s largest utility says it’s partnering with a Maryland-based company building a new generation of small nuclear reactors to “explore” bringing the modular power plants to the state. A release Thursday from Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities (LG&E and KU) states its collaborating with X-energy to bring the publicly-traded company’s Xe-100 small, modular [...]

Kentucky LanternMay 1

On Friday morning, Kentucky Oaks Day, I was greatly entertained by a column in the Courier-Journal by Eric Reynolds bemoaning the corporatization of the Kentucky Derby. The opening line, “The Kentucky Derby has been kidnapped and dressed in a seersucker suit,” gives you some idea where he’s headed. He then follows with this banger: The [...]

Kentucky LanternMay 1

Republican President Donald Trump said Thursday he will remove tariffs to allow Kentucky bourbon distillers to more easily ship barrels to Scotland after King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the U.S. this week. In a Truth Social post, Trump said he will remove “the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s [...]

Mountain Top MediaApr 30

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — A blood-spattered door and a bloody handprint found next to the body. Those are just two of the dozens of pieces of evidence still waiting to be tested in the Amber Spradlin murder case, even as it heads to trial in 11 days. One week after Special Judge Eddy Coleman denied a prosecution request to delay the trial, Commonwealth’s Attorney Brent Turner filed an 11th-hour request

Salyersville IndependentApr 30

ASHLAND – Two Magoffin men were federally indicted last week on drug distribution charges. On April 23, a federal grand jury charged Eddie A. McFarland, 34, and Anthony D. Saylor, 38, as follows: - McFarland with conspiracy to distribute Schedule II controlled substances fentanyl (Count 1), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug [...]

Salyersville IndependentApr 30

UPDATE 4/30/36: The Salyersville United States Post Office reopened midday today. -- SALYERSVILLE – At press time, the Salyersville United States Post Office remains closed after a vehicle ran into the side of the building. On Monday, April 27 a one-vehicle car accident yielded a large hole in the side of the post office, with [...]

Salyersville IndependentApr 30

SALYERSVILLE – While Salyersville Mayor Stanley Howard told the city council in last week’s meeting they had been awarded Local Assistance Road Program Funding (LARP) for blacktopping for five city roads, including his own road, the SI continues to fact check the mayor’s claims In the most recent Salyersville City Council meeting Mayor Howard said [...]

Salyersville IndependentApr 30

Thursday, April 30 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Friday, May 1 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Saturday, May 2 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. (606) 349-5500 Howard TV Cable Channel 62 - Foothills Channel 2 Radio station 106.5 Facebook & YouTube on Your News Today by Ritt Mortimer Shared on the Salyersville Independent Social Media All proceeds go [...]

Salyersville IndependentApr 30

This being the last SI edition of the month, I’m coming in just under the wire with a quick Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month note. I’d love to have an uplifting message for you about how autism is just a different ability, not less, or one of the other platitudes people love to spew from [...]

Mountain EagleApr 30

Two Whitesburg Middle School students were detained this morning after allegedly telling a classmate to kill herself and later threatening a school shooting. According to a statement released by the school, the threat “developed last night,” and was reported to the Letcher County Sheriff’s Department and the Letcher County School District Police Department early this morning. Officers from the [..

Salyersville IndependentApr 30

PAINTSVILLE- A Salyersville man was reportedly shot by Paintsville Police Department after running from law enforcement. On Sunday, April 26, Kentucky State Police (KSP) Critical Incident Response Team was requested by KSP Post 9 to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred around 2 a.m. that same day in Johnson County. According to KSP’s initial investigation, [...]

Salyersville IndependentApr 30

WHITT BRANCH SPUR – Police arrested two women from New York after finding them camping out on someone else’s property and believed to be trafficking in methamphetamine. According to the arrest citations, the Magoffin County Sheriff Department received a call on April 26 regarding people reportedly trespassing on a property on Whitt Branch Spur. When [...]

Mountain Top MediaApr 30

PRESS RELEASE: UK ATHLETICS LEXINGTON, Ky. – Justin McBride, a 6-foot-7 forward, has signed with the Kentucky men’s basketball program it was announced on Thursday. McBride averaged 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game at James Madison a season ago. The Plano, Texas, native was a third team pick for the All-Sun Belt team after appearing in all 31 games and making 30 starts for the Dukes in 2025-2

Mountain Top MediaApr 30

BELFRY, Ky. -- A complaint about squatters resulted in two people being arrested on burglary charges.And one of them was later charged with drug trafficking after being found with meth and fentanyl at the jail. Police were called to Cow Branch Road at Belfry Wednesday evening over a report of people staying in a vacant home without permission. There, they encountered Vangie Thacker, 52, on the fro

Mountain EagleApr 29

Amy Asher Wilson reminisces while looking at photographs taken 50 years ago at Letcher High School and shared by a fellow classmate. She was one of nearly 25 classmates who attended the school’s 50th class reunion, held Saturday at Pine Mountain Grill. A photo of those attending appears inside this edition. The post Letcher High classmates revisit memories at 50-year reunion first appeared on The

Mountain EagleApr 29

The Letcher County Board of Education’s finance corporation will issue more than $1.4 million in bonds to replace roofs on two schools. The finance corporation and the board approved the resolution after a presentation by Lincoln Theinert, a partner with RSA Advisors of Lexington. The bonds will fund reroofing projects at Cowan Elementary School and Fleming-Neon Middle School and are [...] The pos

Mountain EagleApr 29

More than 6,600 Kentuckians — including 17 voters in Letcher County — have already cast ballots in the May 19 primary election, even though Election Day is still nearly three weeks away. As of Monday, 68 Letcher County residents had applied for mail-in absentee ballots. All 68 — 41 Democrats and 27 Republicans — qualified to receive the ballots. Seventeen [...] The post Absentee vote opens as prim

Mountain EagleApr 29

A new childcare option is opening in Jenkins, offering affordable services for families across Letcher County and elsewhere in the region, including those who qualify for financial assistance. Shining Stars Daycare is now enrolling and will provide care in what organizers describe as a safe, loving and educational environment for children. The center is located at 9599 Highway 805 in [...] The pos

Mountain EagleApr 29

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your column every week. In a recent column, you wrote: “Since age is the major risk factor in getting cancer, it’s likely that some people who were cured of their original cancer will later succumb to a different one.” This statement terrified me as I fall into this category. I had a lobectomy in 2009 [...] The post Cancer survivor has worries first appeared on The Mountain

Mountain EagleApr 29

It’s a busy time of year as we near the end of school and proms and dances and trips. I have always looked forward to this time of year and into the summer vacation. The barefoot days of the time after May 1 have always been so welcome after winter’s cold has melted into spring. Mommy always made us wait [...] The post Mobile brick oven will open catering spaces first appeared on The Mountain Eagl

Mountain EagleApr 29

Hello again everyone. Once more I will ask the question, how is everything in your little corner of the world? There’s been so much sadness. It breaks my heart of passing of Nina Craft. I never met Nina in person, however I know she was one of the nicest people I’ve ever come in contact with. I sure would have [...] The post Nina Craft will be greatly missed first appeared on The Mountain Eagle .

Appalachian News-ExpressApr 28

A Tennessee man was arrested in Somerset on April 16 on multiple charges of rape, sodomy and incest related to a Pike County case and was lodged in the Pike County Detention Center on April 26.

Appalachian News-ExpressApr 28

Spring in Kentucky often brings the threat of storms and severe weather, and now is the time to take that risk seriously. As the commonwealth prepares for possible impacts, it is important for communities to be weather aware and ready to act. While we cannot prevent severe weathe

100 Days in AppalachiaApr 17

Maddie McGarvey has spent her career photographing rural Appalachia. She says she wants to bear witness to the struggle and resilience in forgotten pockets of the nation. The post Q&A: The Photographer Documenting Appalachian Poverty, And Resilience appeared first on 100 Days in Appalachia .