Showers are likely today as a cold front moves through the region and that means we’ll see a break from the stifling hot temperatures that we’ve had the last few days, but the heat isn’t quite through with us yet. Weather details are coming up.
Police have arrested a man from Martin County who they say was one of three people responsible for setting fire to a religious display last month. This happened June 7 on the God’s Promise Trail in Inez. Police say the trio set fire to a prayer altar on the trail and on Monday, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office arrested 24-year-old Devin Morris. Morris is also accused of climbing a radio tower to take a camera and throw it over the hill. He is now charged with a felony count of willfully setting a fire to land he doesn’t own, along with misdemeanor charges of desecration of venerated objects, criminal mischief and trespassing. The other two suspects in the case remain unidentified. Something tells me not for long.
(Devin Morris)
A man from Pikeville that called police to report a stolen bicycle ended up leading officers on a chase, after they learned he was wanted on a pair of warrants. 33 year old Nicholas Ritchie, called to report the theft around 10:30 p.m. on Monday. But when the responding officer ran his information, he found Ritchie was wanted for not paying a fine in Harrison County and a probation violation in Pike County. When the officer told him that he was being placed under arrest, Ritchie allegedly first said, “Okay, that’s fine, man,” then took off running, pulling a gun and pointing it at the cop as he ran. When the officer reached for his own weapon, Ritchie reportedly dropped his gun and jumped into the Pikeville Pond. That provoked a call to Pikeville Fire Department, and they brought out a boat to get Ritchie. He was taken into custody without further incident. The dropped gun turned out to be an airsoft gun. Ritchie was charged with misdemeanor counts of fleeing police and wanton endangerment, in addition to the outstanding warrants. No word on if the bicycle has been recovered.
(Nicolas Richie)
The murder trial of a former assistant Pike County attorney has ended without a decision. Donald Kyle Deskins, 55, of Kimper, had been accused of killing his wife, Judith, in April 2021, then concealing evidence of the crime. He was indicted last August on a single count of murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence. But after deliberating, jurors informed special Judge Alison Wells, of Perry County, that they were hopelessly deadlocked. Attorneys will return to court next month to discuss where the case goes from here.
(Donald Kyle Deskins)
A woman from North Carolina was arrested Friday night, after police found her stopped in the roadway, apparently drunk or stoned, or both. with two small kids in the car. Pikeville Police received a call around 9 p.m. Friday, reporting the woman for possibly being under the influence and blocking traffic. They found Jamie Wood, 46, of Granite Falls, N.C., sitting in her car, which was parked in front on the Redd, Brown and Williams office on North Mayo Trail, blocking both lanes of traffic. Police say Wood appeared to be unable to sit still or control her arm movements, and she failed a field sobriety test. The woman told police she thought she was still in North Carolina. Officers found a couple of unidentified pills inside of an empty cigarette pack in the center console. In the back seat were two children, ages 7 and 9. The children, who were also from Granite Falls, told police they were supposed to be going to a birthday party with their grandmother, but they had stopped at someone else’s house on the way. They also thought they were still in North Carolina and told police they were hungry because they hadn’t eaten all day. Wood was arrested and charged with DUI, endangering the welfare of a minor and possession of an unidentified controlled substance.
(Jamie Wood)
Kentucky State Police is looking to win it all in this year’s Best Looking Cruiser Contest, which is put on by the American Association of State Troopers. Each year, AAST holds the competition, asking the public to vote online. The top 13 states are then featured in the following year’s calendar, with the winner featured both on the cover and in the month of January. The Thin Gray Line took top awards in 2021 and 2022, but Florida won the contest in 2023. Kentucky fell to fifth, preserving a six-year streak of top-five finishes.
