Martin County, Ky – Work is scheduled to begin Monday on Big Lick Road in Martin County to repair a section that partially collapsed last winter. Officials say the project should take about two weeks to complete. During that time, drivers can expect delays of up to 20 minutes and are urged to plan ahead and use caution while traveling through the construction zone. The work follows a mid-February 2025 collapse of the one-lane road that left only a narrow strip of pavement along a steep embankment.

 

Johnson County, Ky – A Johnson County woman is facing drug trafficking and child endangerment charges after police say her kids were riding without car seats. Paintsville Police were called to Euclid Avenue Saturday, where the woman reportedly told officers she was “just running to the dollar store.” She first gave them a false name and birth date but later identified herself as 30-year-old Megan Neidlinger of Boons Camp, who also had an outstanding warrant in a 2024 shoplifting case. Officers say a search of her car turned up several bags of meth, cash and drug paraphernalia. Neidlinger is charged with meth trafficking, endangering the welfare of a minor, providing false information and other offenses, and is being held in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center.

 

Wolfe County, Ky – Prosecutors have dismissed a fetal homicide charge against a Wolfe County woman accused of ending her own pregnancy. Melinda Spencer was arrested last week after state troopers said she told a clinic she used abortion medication she ordered online, then buried the fetus on her property. A Wolfe County grand jury had indicted her on four counts, including fetal homicide, but prosecutors now say state law makes clear the fetal homicide statute does not apply to acts by a pregnant woman that cause the death of her own unborn child, so they have no grounds to pursue that charge. Spencer still faces charges of concealing the birth of an infant, abuse of a corpse and evidence tampering.

 

Paintsville, Ky – A Thelma man is facing drug trafficking and a list of other charges after an incident in Paintsville earlier this month. Police say Officer Justin Jackson spotted 50-year-old Gary M. Ratliff of Boyd Branch on January 4, appearing to be under the influence and riding in and out of traffic, nearly getting hit. When the officer approached, Ratliff allegedly ran and tried to shove a small black bag into his mouth before being detained near Broadway Street. Officers say the bag contained a substantial amount of suspected meth, marijuana and Suboxone. Ratliff was taken to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center.