Martha, Ky – A Lawrence County man is dead after a confrontation with Kentucky State Police. Troopers from Post 14 went to a home in Martha just before midnight Saturday, looking for a woman wanted on an assault charge.
Investigators say 69-year-old Timothy Keeton came out of a neighboring home and told officers to turn off their lights or he would shoot them out.
Police say Keeton went back inside, returned with a gun, and refused commands to drop it, pointing it toward the troopers. Officers then fired, and Keeton died at the scene despite life-saving efforts. No other injuries were reported, and the KSP Critical Incident Response Team is investigating.
Martin County, Ky – A Martin County man has pleaded guilty to a federal fentanyl charge in Huntington, West Virginia. Twenty-six-year-old Kody Harless of Tomahawk admitted to possessing 4.75 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Officials say he was stopped after a trip to Huntington, where he got the drug, and told officers he planned to sell some of it. Harless also admitted he was part of a conspiracy to traffic meth and fentanyl between July and November of 2023, taking drugs from the Huntington area back into Kentucky. He’ll be sentenced in March and faces up to 20 years in prison.
Paintsville, Ky – A West Virginia woman is facing new charges after authorities say she brought fentanyl and heroin into the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center. Police say 32-year-old Leona Johnson of Delbarton was being booked on Pike County indictment warrants when jail staff found two baggies on her, one believed to be fentanyl, the other heroin. Johnson was charged with first-degree possession of fentanyl, possession of heroin, and promoting contraband. She was previously indicted in Pike County on fentanyl trafficking charges earlier this year.
Prestonsburg, Ky – The Prestonsburg Tourism Commission will move into the city’s former welcome center at North Lake Drive, under a new 50-year lease with the Floyd County Fiscal Court. The commission won’t pay rent but will cover utilities and set aside up to $25,000 in an escrow account for repairs and maintenance. Most of the move from the Mountain Arts Center is complete, with plans to open the new visitor center by the end of the year. The location will feature tourism info and gathering space for both visitors and locals.