Pikeville, Ky – The Pikeville Fire Department rescued a driver Tuesday night after his vehicle went into the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River near the Food City Gas and Go on Cassady Boulevard. Crews say the vehicle left the parking lot, traveled behind the store, crossed a field and entered the icy water. Firefighters split up along both banks and found the man clinging to a tree about 10 feet from shore, unresponsive to verbal commands. Lt. Marcus Riddle and Firefighter EMT Evan Kimberlain went into the water and pulled him to safety before he was taken to the hospital. The vehicle was later located downriver and recovered with no other occupants inside. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Martin County, Ky – A Martin County man has admitted to stealing water service at his Debord home after, authorities say, he bypassed a shut‑off and restored service himself. John Allen, 39, pleaded guilty March 5 in Martin Circuit Court to theft of services between $1,000 and $10,000, a Class D felony. Under a plea agreement, he was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $1,505.94 in restitution, at $25 per month through the Martin Circuit Clerk’s Office to Martin County Water District. The charge stems from a February 21, 2023, inspection, when workers found a device in Allen’s meter box that allowed him to get water after his service had been shut off for nonpayment.
Knott County, Ky – A Knott County man is facing an arson charge after police say he tried to burn his cousin’s home on Push Back Branch. Troopers called Sunday on a burglary complaint found burn damage to the living room floor, a rug and a camping chair, and motor oil poured through the house and onto a UK hoodie the resident said belonged to her cousin, 29‑year‑old Jacob Seals of Georgetown. She also showed police text messages she said Seals sent, threatening to set her home on fire. Seals was found a short time later at a home in Mallie and admitted being at the house earlier to drop off clothes. He was arrested and charged with second‑degree arson and is being held on a 10‑thousand‑dollar cash bond.
Boyd County, Ky – A Boyd County grand jury has indicted an Ashland man on two counts of soliciting a minor using an electronic device. Michael Strother, 40, was indicted March 3 on two counts of using electronic means to procure or promote the use of a minor in sexual activity, allegedly involving two different victims between 2021 and 2025. His bond is set at $200,000, and he is currently being held at the Boyd County Detention Center.