The Letcher County Grand Jury has voted not to indict a 37-year-old Mayking man who had been charged in connection with the death of his wife back in March.
The grand jury determined that police and prosecutors did not have enough evidence to justify continuing the felony case against Roger Elswick, who was charged with wanton endangerment shortly after the body of his wife, Connie Robetta Webb Ison Elswick, was found lying on KY 3410 near the couple’s home at Cram Creek on March 14.
The grand jury voted to return the “no true bill” in the case after hearing testimony from Kentucky State Police Detective Robert Pollard.
For more details see this week's Mountain Eagle.
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The family of a missing Big Stone Gap, Virginia man is now offering a reward for information leading to his return.
Terry Bishop was last seen May 8, 2013 and his family believes his mental issues could have been a factor in his disappearance.
We learned Bishop has Diabetes and Schizophrenia and recently changed medication.
Big Stone Gap police officers say they have investigated several tips, but so far there's been no progress with the investigation.
If you have any information on Terry Bishop's whereabouts you're asked to call the Big Stone Gap Police department at (276) 523-0117.
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A shooting that killed 2 at a pharmacy in East Tennessee hits close to home.
It's an area familiar to many people from Eastern KY and Southwest VA, Cherokee Lake in Tennessee.
Yesterday authorities in Grainger County Tennessee identified the four people shot and the man arrested after a shooting at the Down Home Pharmacy on Main St. in Bean Station.
Officers say 37-year old Jason Holt robbed a large amount of pills from the pharmacy and shot four people.
The shooting killed pharmacy owner Stephen Lovell and customer Richard Alexander Somerville.
Janet Clift and Alexia Wilson were also shot and rushed to UT Medical Center.
Police arrested Holt near the scene within minutes of the shooting.
They also recovered a gun and Oxycodone.
Holt is a former Bean Station Police Officer and also worked for the Grainger County Sheriff's Department.
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A man accused of beating his wife and leaving her injured in the yard outside her home has now admitted to the crime.
The Kentucky Attorney General's Office says 32-year-old John Roberts pleaded guilty to second degree assault in Morgan County.
In April of 2011, investigators say Roberts beat his wife at their home in the Ezel community.
When neighbors found her, she was also suffering from extreme hypothermia.
Roberts will be sentenced next month.
He could receive up to ten years in prison.
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The Kentucky State Police announced several awards Thursday at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort.
Manchester-resident Tpr. Charles J. Senters was named 2012 Trooper of the Year.
An eight-year veteran of the Kentucky State Police, he is assigned to KSP Post 11 in London.
Pikeville-resident Det. Jimmy D. Anderson was named 2012 Detective of the Year.
An eight-year veteran of the Kentucky State Police, he is assigned to KSP Post 9 in Pikeville.
Troopers of the Year at the post, branch or division level in Eastern KY include:
Adam L. Hensley, Post 9, Pikeville
Danny E. Caudill, Post 10, Harlan
Charles J. King, Post 13, Hazard
Detectives of the Year at the post, branch or division level in Eastern KY include:
Jimmy D. Anderson, Post 9, Pikeville
Keith A. Saylor, Post 10, Harlan
Christopher G. Collins, Post 13, Hazard
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Police now say they do not suspect foul play in the death of a man found in the Pikeville City Park.
They found the body just after 1:00 a.m. Wednesday.
They say he is an Hispanic man but are not releasing his name.
The body was taken to Frankfort for an autopsy.
Police are still investigating but say it does not look suspicious.
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A Letcher County man was arrested Wednesday night, and charged with theft by unlawful taking.
Whitesburg police say 22 year old Lenville Hendrix stole laptops, speakers and 20 iPads valued at $300 each from the Walmart in Whitesburg.
Officer Alisha Congleton says Hendrix was an employee at the Walmart.
She says Hendrix told police he was stealing to support his addiction to suboxone.
Hendrix was arrested in Neon and is currently in the Letcher County Jail.
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Four inmates have escaped from jail within the past three days, and only one of them has been found so far.
Getson Roberts escaped from the Clay County Detention Center and was caught hours later in Laurel County.
Yet, police are still searching for 3 others including Brandon Damron, who escaped from the Pike County Detention Center while on work release.
Ricky Hendrix walked out of the Leslie County Detention Center through an unlocked door, and in Perry County, William Feltner, jumped from a moving transport van on his way to the Kentucky River Regional Jail.
If you know any information on their whereabout please contact authorities.
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More help is on the way for dozens of people left homeless by an apartment complex fire Monday in Knott County.
Officials with Hazard/Perry County Community Ministries are assisting some of the fire victims in paying rent on their new homes.
About 30 people were affected by the fire.
Several churches in the area are also collecting donations and offering various forms of assistance for fire victims.
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A state report shows the number of coal jobs in Kentucky has dwindled to its lowest point since 1950.
The data comes from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet in reporting that 13,109 people worked in the coal industry during the first quarter of 2013.
That is the least amount of workers since state officials began keeping records in 1950.
Kentucky Coal Association President Bill Bissett says the numbers aren't surprising but called them "very concerning."
Employment at Kentucky coal mines has decreased by almost 5,700 workers in eastern Kentucky over the last 18 months and production has fallen by 42 percent.
In contrast, coal production in Western Kentucky was up in the first quarter of 2013.
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Officials with LKLP are warning folks in Knott County to be aware of a possible scam.
WYMT says people posing as LKLP employees are offering to do home repairs for money.
Officials want people to know they do not charge for services and say if someone comes to your home representing LKLP and wanting money, call the police.
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Officials tell WYMT that they have discovered a body overnight in Pikeville City Park.
The call came about 1 a.m. this morning and right now police are calling it a death investigation.
They hope to release more details later today.
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The Powell County Sheriff's Department is investigating a near drowning after a three year old drove his 4-wheeler into an inground pool.
EMS crews were called to Frames Branch Road in Clay City where the woman looking after him found him underwater.
Neighbors and family members identify the child as 3-year-old Landon Persnall.
They say his great aunt and legal guardian, Frankie Hall, had been playing with the child outside.
Officers say Hall went inside the house for a short time and when she came out, she couldn't find him.
He was found about 10 minutes later under the water.
EMS workers gave him CPR as they were loading him into the ambulance. He was not breathing when they took him to the hospital.
He is currently at UK Hospital in critical condition.
Police do not expect to file any charges.
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Storms Tuesday evening toppled trees and power lines in some places, and the high winds even ripped the roof off a Perry County home.
Fortunately no one was injured in Tuesday's storms.
The storms yesterday were mainly a wind event with gusts up to 60 miles per hour.
There are still several areas without power and crews will continue to work until all power is restored.
Strong to Severe Storms are possible again across the area this afternoon and tonight so be weather aware.
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A Wise County, Virginia attorney has pleaded guilty to four felony counts of obtaining controlled substances by fraud in federal court.
According to the United States Attorney's office, if the Court accepts the plea agreement of 43 year old Stuart Collins, he will be sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Collins is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10, 2013, at the Federal Courthouse in Abingdon.
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A man was arrested Tuesday for driving under the influence while in line at a car wash.
Police in Pikeville say Jason P. Carroll was waiting in line, but when the line started moving he did not.
An off duty Pikeville police officer was behind Carroll and said when he looked in Carroll's car he was passed out.
Police say he admitted to taking several narcotics.
Police say he had slurred speech and glassy eyes, and he failed a field sobriety test.
Carroll is in the Pike County Detention Center charged with DUI.
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Fire officials are calling it a total loss.
A fire consumed an apartment building Monday afternoon off Highway 160 in Knott County and has displaced 13 families.
Despite the extensive damage, thankfully, no one was seriously hurt.
Nine area fire departments responded to the huge blaze on Monday near Hindman after the fire began around noon in one apartment and then spread.
Authorities fought the fire for 7 hours and now it's under control just smoldering.
Investigators have not ruled out arson, although they doubt that was the cause saying it's more likely electrical.
The Red Cross will be at the apartments on Highway 160 this morning at nine, handing out debit cards for groceries and clothing, to those affected by the fire.
Victims of the fire can also get help at the Hindman United Methodist Church.
The church can be reached at (606) 785-5210 or call the county judge's office at (606) 785-5592.
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Police in three different counties are looking for jail escapees.
The latest happened in Perry County.
Hazard Police say William Feltner escaped from a moving Kentucky River Regional Jail van near the Daniel Boone Motel late Monday afternoon.
He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, underwear, and socks just down from Applebee's.
Feltner was just arrested last week after leading police on a chase.
If you know where he is, you should call Hazard Police.
Meanwhile, officials in Leslie County also need your help finding an escapee.
Leslie County Detention Center officials say Ricky Hendrix walked away from the center Monday morning.
They believe he had help escaping.
He was being held on several charges including burglary.
Also, police say the Pikeville 911 Center received a call Sunday morning after Brandon K. Damron walked away from work detail at the Pike County Detention Center.
Officers say the 21-year-old was doing his required work detail on site at the detention center when he got away.
Officials say Damron is from the Kimper area in Pike County and was being held on theft and contempt of court charges.
Officials are asking anyone with information about Damron's whereabouts to contact the Pikeville Police Department at 606-437-5111.
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Kentucky law enforcement officers are beginning a week of traffic patrols for the Memorial Day holiday focusing on making sure motorists are wearing seat belts.
The 2013 "Click It or Ticket" campaign began Monday and runs through June 2.
The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety says Kentucky has an 83 percent seat belt usage rate. The national rate is 86 percent.
The office says fatalities on Kentucky roadways last year totaled 746, up from 721 in 2011.
It says more than half of those killed were not wearing a seat belt.
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Kentucky State Police in Pikeville say a single vehicle accident on Big Creek Road in Pike County has left a man dead.
44 year old Henry May of Sidney was traveling South on Big Creek Road when his vehicle dropped off the right shoulder of the roadway and overturned.
May was pronounced deceased at the scene by Pike County Coroner Russell Roberts.
Two passengers in the vehicle were transported to Pikeville Medical Center with minor injuries.
The accident remains under investigation by the KSP.
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Kentuckians don't have to worry about an onslaught of noisy cicadas this year, though experts say they're about to emerge in the Northeast.
The cicadas, which take 17 years to come out of the ground, are expected to number in the billions along the East Coast from North Carolina to Connecticut.
But a chart from the website magicicada.org indicates the next cicadas to emerge in Kentucky shouldn't be until 2021, with others to follow in 2025 and 2028.
According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, different broods of cicadas appear every year in the eastern United States.
The museum says there are 20 broods and in the South, some of them take only 13 years to mature.
The cicadas don't bite or sting and provide food for many animals. |
An Owsley County man was killed in a shootout on Saturday night near Booneville.
A second man was also injured in the shooting.
The Kentucky State Police say they are investigating the shooting that was reported at around 8:15pm Saturday on on Seales Road.
25 year old Andy Smith tells authorities that he was riding an ATV when he was shot in the chest by his neighbor, 71 year old Abner Gabbard.
Smith tells authorities he then returned fire.
Gabbard was killed in the shootout according to the Owsley County Coroner.
Smith then called 911, and was transported to the University of Kentucky Hospital for treatment.
He is suffering from non-life-threatening injuries.
State Police say the shooting remains under investigation.
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Three out of state hikers are safe following a rescue Sunday night from the Red River Gorge.
Emergency management officials say the hikers got lost around 6:30pm off Osborne Bend Trail in Wolfe County.
They were found around 11pm Sunday night.
Crews say the group of two women and one man, all between ages 20 and 30, went for a day hike when they left the trail and got turned around.
No one was injured.
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A murder investigation is underway in Breathitt County seven months after two people were found dead in a burned car.
The Breathitt County coroner says that the bodies found back in October at Southfork were so badly burnt that they had to be sent to Texas for identification.
The Breathitt County coroner says Crystal Hufstetler died from gunshot wounds in her back, and her husband, Michael Hufstetler, was killed by gunshot wounds to his chest and blunt force trauma to his head.
The Hufstetler's are from Michigan but have family in Breathitt County.
Both bodies were burned so bad authorities couldn't even use their teeth to determine their identity.
Police have not yet made any arrests in the case.
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A Floyd County doctor charged with child pornography is suspended from practicing medicine.
Police say they found nearly 200 pictures of children portraying sexual acts on Bret Dunning's home computer.
Last week the Board of Medical Licensure suspended Dunning's medical licenses.
He owns the Dunning Medical Clinic in Prestonsburg.
It has been closed since Dunning's arrest and the case was sent to the grand jury.
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Prosecutors presented a motion to revoke a plea agreement in a Johnson County double murder case Friday.
Amanda Fannin struck an agreement with prosecutors in February leading investigators to the bodies of Larry and Sandra Blanton.
The agreement said Fannin could not be charged in the Blantons' case unless officials found proof she was involved.
Now they say four people came forward claiming Fannin told them she was involved.
Another hearing for the motion will be June 26.
The couple's son and Fannin's boyfriend, Willie Blanton has been charged with their murder.
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Two Powerball tickets sold in Kentucky barely missed out on an estimated $590.5 million grand prize, but they're worth $1 million each.
Tickets sold in Vine Grove and Buckner matched the five white ball winning numbers but NOTthe Powerball to win the game's $1 million prize.
In addition, tickets in Isom(here in Letcher County) and LaGrange matched four of the five white ball winning numbers but not the Powerball, winning $10,000.
The single winner of the $590.5 million Powerball jackpot was sold at a supermarket in Zephyrhills, Florida.
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