Louisa, Ky – Lawrence County authorities say a Louisa woman is facing her fourth drug-related arrest in six months after a traffic stop early Thursday morning in Louisa. Troopers with KSP Post 14 in Ashland say 35‑year‑old Jasmine Marie Bond showed signs of impairment, and officers reported finding heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Bond is charged with multiple traffic and drug offenses, including importing heroin and operating a motor vehicle under the influence, and was taken to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Paintsville, where she remains jailed.
Prestonsburg, Ky – A Prestonsburg man is facing a child endangerment charge after police say a small child was found walking in the street in freezing temperatures wearing only a diaper and shirt. Prestonsburg Police Officer Bryan Tipton wrote in a citation that on the evening of February 7, officers were called to Maple Avenue, where the child was found in the street with snow on the ground and temperatures in the 20s. Tipton said the caller had taken the child into their home, and after leaving the child in the care of another officer, he went through the neighborhood looking for the parents and spoke with a woman who said her child was supposed to be with his father, 25‑year‑old Juan Ramon Pena, who was taken into custody.
Pikeville, Ky – The University of Pikeville says its Kentucky College of Optometry does not control or influence how optometrists are licensed in Kentucky, responding to recent reports about alleged loopholes in the licensure process for graduates. The university says only the Kentucky Board of Optometric Examiners sets licensure standards and decides on waivers or alternative exams, and that KYCO did not participate in or advocate for those decisions. UPIKE acknowledges some graduates received waiver‑based licenses but says those actions were entirely by the board, which, after a review tied to pandemic‑era travel restrictions and an Attorney General’s opinion, has now voted to end the Canadian exam option starting in 2027.
Prestonsburg, Ky – The next hearing in the Amber Spradlin murder case has been pushed back. Judge Eddy Coleman has postponed the pre‑trial hearing for the three defendants until April 3, with no reason listed for the delay. For now, the trial is still set to begin May 11, with the case expected to be heard in Pike County after a change of venue. A separate wrongful death lawsuit connected to the case is also still pending.