Paintsville, Ky – A Johnson County man is facing felony charges after police say he was caught with meth and other drugs during a traffic stop in Paintsville. Officer Isaac Owens stopped 40-year-old Phillip Ryan Webb on a motorcycle on Ky. 321 in the early morning hours of Jan. 5, knowing Webb did not have a valid motorcycle license. Police say a search turned up suspected meth, cash, baggies, a digital scale, pills and a white powder. Webb was booked into the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center on trafficking, drug possession and traffic charges.
Paintsville, Ky – A Paintsville woman is facing a felony strangulation charge after an incident involving a juvenile. Police say a 911 call came in around 12:45 p.m. on Jan. 3 about a juvenile running down Madison Avenue screaming for help. An arrest citation says 25-year-old Courtney Dunn of F.M. Stafford Avenue allegedly wrapped her arm around the child’s neck multiple times, squeezed and impeded the airway because the child and a sibling were playing too loudly, then held the juvenile down with her knee when the child tried to get up. Authorities say Child Protective Services was contacted, the juvenile was taken to Paintsville ARH for evaluation, and Dunn was lodged in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center.
Floyd County, Ky – Two people have been found dead after a house fire in the Melvin community of Floyd County. Kentucky State Police say they were called to assist the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department just after noon Monday, January 5th. Troopers and investigators responded to the scene at Henpen Branch, where the bodies were discovered inside the home. The victims have been taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy and positive identification. Authorities say both the cause of the fire and the cause of death remain under investigation.
Perry County, Ky – More than three years after the devastating 2022 flood in Perry County, some flood survivors are finally seeing relief. Emergency officials say buyout checks for the 2022 flood started going out last month, and more than one hundred properties have now been purchased through federal mitigation programs. One business owner who lived through both the 2022 and 2025 floods says the decision to take a buyout was difficult, but it offers a way forward without the constant fear of rebuilding. Cases tied to the February 2025 flood are still waiting for federal approval, and county leaders say some 2022 properties are still being demolished and converted to green space as final buyouts are completed.