Johnson County, Ky – A Johnson County man faces multiple charges after a Paintsville resident reported a storage building break‑in early Sunday.​Police say they were called to Pine Street after a caller saw a man running off with a weed eater, which was later found dropped near Broadway.​Officers say they found 19‑year‑old Devin Wells at a nearby gas station, and he ran when they approached, but was caught after a short chase. On the way to jail, police say Wells slipped out of his handcuffs, tried to kick out a cruiser window and then kicked an officer in the face before being subdued with pepper spray. He is being held in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center on charges including burglary, assaulting an officer, attempted escape and fleeing police.

Knott County, Ky – A Knott County man faces multiple charges after getting stuck inside the walls of a Pippa Passes apartment. Police say a woman at Caney Creek Apartments reported that 30‑year‑old Johnathan Crawford was outside her door, threatening her with a table leg and frightening children. Troopers were told Crawford climbed into the attic and refused to come out, and they later found he had slipped down between two interior walls. A maintenance worker removed the bathroom sheetrock so officers could free him. Crawford was arrested for burglary, trespassing and criminal mischief charges and had previously been banned from the complex.

Pike County, Ky – A Pike County man indicted in an alleged plot to kill three people by locking them in a burning trailer is now featured in Kentucky State Police’s “Wanted Wednesday” campaign.​ Investigators say 50‑year‑old Marty Eugene Hurley of Stopover was indicted in January on three counts of attempted murder, three counts of kidnapping and one count of first‑degree arson, which carries a possible sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Troopers say Hurley forced two women and a man into a mobile home at gunpoint on May 30, set fires inside and barricaded the door before leaving, and the victims escaped with smoke inhalation and minor burns.​​ He was released from jail in October after more than 60 days passed without an indictment, and a warrant issued January 21 is still active; anyone with information is asked to call KSP Post 9 in Pikeville at 606‑433‑7711.

Prestonsburg, Ky – Kentucky’s Spring Wildfire Hazard Season runs from February 15 through April 30, and limits outdoor burning near woods and brushes. During this period, burning is prohibited between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. in or within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland. Officials say Kentucky sees more than 1,000 wildfires each year, and that 517 were reported during last spring’s hazard season. They say 99 percent of wildfires are caused by people, mostly arson and debris burning, and urge residents to follow burning restrictions, avoid burning on dry or windy days and report suspicious activity or escaped fires to authorities.