Pike County, Ky – Rumors of a heavy police presence at Pikeville High School Thursday were followed by the resignation of athletic director and library media specialist Lukas Burchett from the Pikeville Independent School District. Superintendent David Trimble said Burchett is no longer employed, noting the district is investigating reports it received but did not release further personnel details, citing protocol. The Pikeville Police Department confirmed officers were at the school but reported no arrests and no pending criminal charges, as district officials emphasized student safety and communication with affected families as their top priorities.
Prestonsburg, Ky – A Prestonsburg woman is facing charges including child endangerment after police say she appeared intoxicated during a child visitation at the local Department for Community Based Services office. Officers were called to the DCBS office on Feb. 18, where 40‑year‑old Bridgette K. Crum had brought a child for an unsupervised visit and was reportedly twitching, slumping over in her chair, and appearing to take something. An officer wrote that Crum was very drowsy with delayed speech and repeatedly nodded off during a sobriety test; despite claiming she had only been taking pain pills and had not used any that day. Video from the visit allegedly showed her dropping a bottle behind her chair.
Letcher County, Ky – One person is dead after an early‑morning house fire in Letcher County. Kentucky State Police say first responders were called around 7:41 Saturday morning to a home on Kentucky Highway 343 in the McRoberts community. Fire crews arrived to find the house fully engulfed. After the fire was put out, responders searched the home and found the remains of one person, believed to be 70‑year‑old Robert Mullins. Troopers say no foul play is suspected, and the remains have been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Frankfort. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Williamson Wv, – “A Williamson man has been arrested on a federal charge of attempting to produce child pornography. Investigators say 22-year-old Tyler Castor sent sexual messages to a 13-year-old Pike County girl over Facebook Messenger, including explicit photos of himself and requests for photos from her. Police say they also found similar messages to other girls on Discord. Castor was arrested Friday and booked into the Pike County Detention Center. No court hearings have been set yet in the case.