Lowmansville, Ky – A home along U.S. 23 in Lowmansville, near the Lawrence–Johnson County line, was destroyed by fire while a man and his brother were trying to restore heat Sunday night. The man says the heat went out, and around 9:30 they went behind the house to change the propane tank, using pliers to break away ice and loosen the regulator when flames suddenly shot out and spread to the back wall. He says they tried to put the fire out, but it quickly got out of control before firefighters arrived. His girlfriend and brother were able to get his 3‑year‑old and 1‑year‑old grandchildren out safely, and no one was hurt. The Red Cross is now helping the family with clothing and other needs as they stay with relatives, and he urges people to be extremely careful when working with propane.
Prestonsburg, Ky – A Friday night drug raid in Floyd County led to multiple arrests and the seizure of drugs, guns and cash. Deputies say they executed a search warrant at a home on Big Branch of Bull Creek, finding illegal drugs, digital scales, several firearms and cash believed to be from trafficking. Two people inside, 25‑year‑old Tyler McKinney and 25‑year‑old Heather Slone, were arrested and charged with first‑degree enhanced drug trafficking, while a third person was taken into custody on outstanding warrants. Anonymous tips helped lead to the raid, and anyone with information on drug activity can contact the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office at 607‑949‑2021 or text 606‑477‑8477.
Louisa, Ky – A Mingo County, West Virginia man is behind bars after police say he was caught burglarizing an apartment in Louisa, Kentucky. Thirty‑year‑old Chad Lucas Baisden of Kermit was arrested late Monday night at an apartment complex on Gene Wilson Boulevard in Lawrence County. Officers say the incident was reported around 11:13 p.m. at Apartment 1000, and Baisden was taken into custody about 20 minutes later at the same location. He is charged with second‑degree burglary and was taken to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Paintsville, where he remains jailed as of Wednesday evening.
Prestonsburg, Ky – A Floyd County man has been indicted in connection with a deadly November 2025 shooting. A grand jury charged 35‑year‑old Joshua Gayheart of Ky. 979 in Beaver with murder in the Nov. 24 shooting death of Sarah Slone, along with tampering with physical evidence for allegedly altering or destroying evidence in the case. A Kentucky State Police detective testified that Gayheart first claimed Slone accidentally shot herself, then later gave differing versions involving a struggle as she tried to leave and an altercation in the road with a knife and gun. The detective said Slone was shot in the left hand and torso and that the bullet’s path did not match any of Gayheart’s accounts.