WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2026  ·  EASTERN KENTUCKY'S COMMUNITY NEWS HUB
All the news from the hollows & hills of Eastern Kentucky

Today's Stories 70 stories · Updated 08:39 AM

WSAZ5h ago

The weather will take a turn to the hazy, hot and humid for two days. Tony says the price to be paid for the heat will be thunder on Thursday.

WTVQ ABC 367h ago

ROWAN COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) - The old Rowan County school building on West Sun Street in Morehead will open its doors one final time on Saturday, June 20, giving community members a last chance to walk the halls. For alumni like Patty Brown and Lucy Moore, the building represents a lifetime of memories. Both women graduated from...

WTVQ ABC 367h ago

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) - Kentucky's second largest school district has a new leader just one month after cutting 120 positions amid a multi-million dollar budget crisis. Last week, the Fayette County School Board voted to appoint Dr. Bill Bradford as acting superintendent, placing Superintendent Dr. Demetrus Liggins on paid administrative leave. The board's decision came after it...

WTVQ ABC 367h ago

LIBERTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) - Casey County officials have declared an emergency water situation, saying a drought is affecting the water supply in Liberty. The area is currently under extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Andrew Lawhorn, who spoke with LEX News in the Casey County community last week, reflected on what the moment means...

WTVQ ABC 3610h ago

It was another delightful mid-June day across Central and Eastern Kentucky with more sunshine and pleasant temperatures Tuesday. With high pressure drifting to the east a bit, this allowed a return flow out of the southwest to push a bit more moisture along with warmer air into the commonwealth. Most locations topped out in the upper 70s to around 80...

Mountain Top Media11h ago

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — Allegations of fraudulent billing practices continue to pile up against Mountain Comprehensive Care Center, as a fourth longtime employee has now filed suit against the company. Kendra Allen, of Prestonsburg, filed her complaint against Mountain Comp and subsidiary Mountain Plus Services on Monday.According to the complaint, Allen was an 18-year employee of the company, most re

Harlan Enterprise12h ago

The Lord has given most of us a good life filled with blessings, but with me, no matter how much "stuff" we accumulate, it does not bring spiritual contentment or [...]

Harlan Enterprise12h ago

Kentucky is right to put reliable power first Recently, I joined more than 20 Kentucky leaders, utilities, businesses, local officials, and community organizations in signing a letter from Dependable Power [...]

Harlan Enterprise13h ago

There's something about summertime that slows the world down just enough for our memories to catch up with us. Maybe it's the longer evenings, the quiet after school lets out, [...]

Harlan Enterprise13h ago

Allow me to take you back to a kinder and gentler time...a time when businesses were locally owned and needed your business, so they ensured the customer was happy, the [...]

Harlan Enterprise14h ago

When I was a kid, it always seemed that the adults around me knew everything. My parents seemed to know everything, as did my teachers at school. If I had [...]

Mountain Top Media14h ago

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A trial date has been set for a man facing attempted murder and other charges, for allegedly locking three people inside a burning trailer. Marty Eugene Hurley, 50, of Stopover, is charged with three counts of attempted murder, three counts of kidnapping and one count of first-degree arson. He is accused of holding two women and a man at gunpoint with an AR-15-style rifle on May 3

Mountain Top Media15h ago

PRESS RELEASE: MARSHALL ATHLETICS HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Football had 11 players honored by Phil Steele Publications as 2026 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selections, including five players being named as Preseason All-SBC First Team honorees. Those being named as 2026 Preseason All-SBC First Team honorees include quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, wide receiver Adrian Norton, tight end

WTVQ ABC 3616h ago

(AP)- Michigan State has lost its president and athletic director weeks apart and now faces a leadership crisis. President Kevin M. Guskiewicz announced he'd be leaving for Clemson at the end of May, and athletic director J Batt was hired away by Kentucky on Monday. Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, who has worked under many athletic directors and school presidents...

Mountain Top MediaJun 15

By RODERICK MULLINS BRISTOL, Tenn. — Four-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown secured his first-ever career victory at historic Bristol Dragway on Sunday, defeating points leader Shawn Langdon in a side-by-side final round at the 25th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The weekend event marked the ninth of 20 races in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Matt

Kentucky LanternJun 15

Judy and I just reviewed our youngest grandchildren’s report cards (Their older siblings mysteriously can’t find theirs!) and those Brooks kids seemingly are doing well. The documents were filled with “Os” and “Ss,” which I guess are now the new “A” and “B.” In-depth narratives – generated by either AI or hard-working teachers – densely [...]

Kentucky LanternJun 15

A Democratic state lawmaker is working on a bill to file next year in Frankfort that would try to regulate the impacts of hyperscale data centers and the transparency concerns swirling around those pending developments in the state. Rep. Adam Moore, D-Lexington, proposed a bill during this year’s legislative session that sought to ensure electricity [...]

Mountain Top MediaJun 15

WHITESBURG, Ky. -- Attorneys for former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines are speaking out about their belief that their client was not acting as himself when he shot and killed Letcher District Judge Kevin Mullins in September of 2024. Stines is now facing a murder charge for that shooting. But during a court hearing two weeks ago, his aunt testified about his mental state the day before

Mountain Top MediaJun 15

SALYERSVILLE, Ky. — A Magoffin County man is facing a number of charges after police say he nearly ran head-on into a police car, then allegedly swallowed drug evidence before being taken to jail. Billy Jack Montgomery, 72, of Salyersville, was pulled over Thursday evening after he rounded a corner and nearly struck a Salyersville Police car. He was pulled over and arrested for DUI, wanton endange

Kentucky LanternJun 15

An email Friday from former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s personal account to various media outlets, blasts lawyers for his estranged son, Jonah Bevin, for making “FALSE STATEMENTS” to the media and accuses Jonah of trying “TO SHAKE HIS PARENTS DOWN FOR MONEY.” The two-page email, mostly in capital letters, repeats attacks on Jefferson Family Court [...]

Mountain Top MediaJun 15

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Mountain Top Sports has announced the hiring of Braxton Stanley as its new Sports Director. A native of Pike County, Stanley brings a strong background in athletics and local sports to the position. He played varsity basketball for five seasons at East Ridge High School and graduated in 2023. He later continued his basketball career at the University of Pikeville, where he played

100 Days in AppalachiaJun 15

Throughout the Ohio River island’s history, flora and fauna have reacted and adjusted to human development like oil and gas wells. As humans abandoned the infrastructure, they've reclaimed their space. The post Muskingum: The End of an Island Refuge's Fossil Fuel Legacy appeared first on 100 Days in Appalachia .

Mountain Top MediaJun 12

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A Pike County man has reached an agreement to plead guilty in a federal child porn case. Charles Michael Hopkins, 35, of Virgie, is currently charged with one count of possession of child porn. He was arrested in October, after Kentucky State Police received 13 reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that child porn had been uploaded and downloaded by a

Salyersville IndependentJun 12

Magoffin County Special Olympics competed in the 2026 state summer games Saturday June 6, held in Richmond, KY, with the athletes placing as follows: Hunter Spradlin 1st place 100-meter dash, 3rd place softball ball throw Colton Bays 2nd place 50-meter dash, 3rd place softball ball throw, 1st place art contest photography Benjamin Miller 3rd place [...]

Salyersville IndependentJun 12

SALYERSVILLE – A Magoffin County man took a plea deal with the Attorney General’s office for rape, sodomy and sexual abuse charges. In court on Friday, June 5, Justin McCoy Caldwell, 35, of Salyersville, changed his plea to guilty on the charges of third-degree rape, third-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse, in exchange for the [...]

Salyersville IndependentJun 12

SALYERSVILLE – The now former longtime doctor for the nursing home and former administrator filed a civil suit against the Salyersville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center last month. On May 19, Cody P. McIlvoy, with Golden Law Office, out of Lexington, filed the lawsuit in Magoffin County Circuit Court on behalf of Dr. Charles Hardin and [...]

Salyersville IndependentJun 12

SALYERSVILLE – A former Herald Whitaker Middle School teacher was sentenced in Magoffin County Circuit Court last week, receiving five years in prison on charges related to inappropriate communications with a juvenile. Jordan Cobb, 33, of Coon Creek Rd., in Salyersville, appeared in court on Friday, June 5, with Circuit Judge Kimberley Childers accepting his [...]

Salyersville IndependentJun 12

PAINTSVILLE – A Staffordsville man died after a wreck in Paintsville on Monday. On Monday, June 8, the Kentucky State Police Post 9 was notified of a two-vehicle collision in Paintsville at 11:41 a.m. Kentucky State Police Post 9 Public Affairs Officer Trooper Michael Coleman tells the SI the initial investigation indicates that Ricky “Jarrod” [...]

Salyersville IndependentJun 12

SALYERSVILLE – Summer is officially here, with the Ramey Memorial Pool now open! The pool opened to the public on Monday, June 8, after a brief delay to work on a leak that was discovered when it was filled at the end of May. Also at the park is the new, state-of-the-art and inclusive playground, [...]

Appalachian News-ExpressJun 12

If a company wanted to hand out $100 bills on Tuesdays and Fridays, people would complain because it’s not Mondays and Wednesdays.

Appalachian News-ExpressJun 12

Last month, under my leadership as Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, we successfully advanced critical funding for border security and other law enforcement agents of the Department of Homeland Security out of my committee.

Appalachian News-ExpressJun 12

A recent article in the News-Express implied the Pikeville Independent School District will establish an area technical center; however, what the district is implementing is a satellite health sciences class on its campus in partnership with Millard ATC.

Appalachian News-ExpressJun 11

The Pike County Fiscal Court met in regular session on June 2 for a short meeting lasting less than half an hour, with only housekeeping items on the agenda.

Mountain EagleJun 10

Bridge workers install Stay-In-Place (SIP) metal deck forms on a new bridge under construction at Red Star while a pickup truck navigates a rough section of the existing span on Kentucky Highway 7. The bridges, located between the Letcher County communities of Blackey and Ulvah, cross the North Fork of the Kentucky River. The corrugated steel forms are placed between [...] The post New bridge take

Mountain EagleJun 10

The special judge presiding over the murder case against former Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines indicated he is unlikely to grant the defendant’s request for bond and said that if bond is allowed, it would be far higher than the $50,000 cash or property bond sought by the defense. The bond issue was one of several matters addressed during a [...] The post Judge leaning against bond in Stines

Mountain EagleJun 10

Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines called his aunt from District Judge Kevin R. Mullins’ chambers shortly before the Sept. 19, 2024, shooting and asked to speak to her dead mother, the aunt testified during a bond hearing last week. Sherri Stines testified that while she is Mickey Stines’ aunt by blood, her parents helped raise him. “Well, like [...] The post ‘He asked for my moth

Mountain EagleJun 10

Six months can be a lifetime. For Renata Dawn McKinney Bailey, two six-month periods would define the final chapter of her life. She had been married to Matt Bailey just five months when he was killed in a car wreck. She had been dating Vincent Fleming for six months when, authorities say, he beat her to death at his Cram [...] The post Six months, then a lifetime of loss first appeared on The Mou

Mountain EagleJun 10

Benjamin Martin “BJ” Johnson, a Letcher County native who went on to become an Emmy Award-winning television producer, died suddenly over the weekend at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. According to a Facebook message posted by family members announcing his death, Johnson, 63, was born Sept. 30, 1962, to Benjamin and Audrey Cook Johnson and was known affectionately by his [...] The post Letcher nativ

Mountain EagleJun 10

Four Letcher County residents have been indicted in Letcher Circuit Court. They are: • Richard Arlen Proffit, 63, 85 #6 Hollow, Jenkins, who is charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, first-degree wanton endangerment, endangering the welfare of a minor, and first-degree assault. Jenkins Police Chief Josh Richardson testified in the case. • Dusty Shell, 36, [...] The

Mountain EagleJun 10

Letcher Countians looking for a fun way to stay active and connect with others will soon have a new opportunity as the City of Whitesburg launches weekly pickleball play beginning Tuesday, June 16. Pickleball, a fast-growing sport that blends aspects of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, has gained popularity among players of all ages and skill levels. According to city officials, [...] The post Whi

Mountain EagleJun 10

An Iowa woman riding a three-wheeled Harley Davidson motorcycle was seriously injured Saturday when a deer struck by a vehicle in front of her was thrown into her path. According to Kentucky State Police, the accident occurred about 11:44 a.m. Saturday on Ky. 15 near Van. Trooper Matt Gayheart said a BMW X3 was traveling north toward Isom when a [...] The post Unusual crash injures rider first app