Knott County, Ky – Kentucky State Police are investigating a fatal crash in Knott County. On April 7, just after midnight, troopers stopped to help a driver on KY 80 near Sylvester Branch in the Emmalena community. The driver told them he believed he had hit something in the road and was trying to find out what it was. Troopers searched the area and found a small minibike and its rider nearby. They say 48‑year‑old Denzil Napier Jr. of Emmalena was riding the minibike on KY 80 without lights or reflective markings when a 2018 Ford F‑150, traveling in the same lane, hit it from behind. The Knott County coroner pronounced Napier dead at the scene; police say he was not wearing a helmet. His body was taken to Frankfort for an autopsy and toxicology testing.

Paintsville, Ky – Two men are facing meth trafficking charges after a traffic stop in Paintsville on April 8. Police say 57‑year‑old Bobby Daniels of Pikeville and 56‑year‑old David Ward of Nippa were charged with first‑degree trafficking in meth and possession of drug paraphernalia, and Daniels also got a traffic citation. Sgt. Justin Jackson says he stopped their SUV on Kentucky 321 after it crossed the center line several times, and a search turned up several baggies of a crystal‑like substance, a glass pipe and 156 dollars in cash. Both were taken to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center.

Pike County, Ky – A Letcher County woman is facing meth trafficking charges after a traffic stop in Pike County. Troopers say 38‑year‑old Britia Johnson of McRoberts was pulled over on U.S. 119 at Meta for driving a pickup with no taillights and going about 35 in a 55. She appeared nervous, and police say they learned she had a felony record and an active warrant from Virginia, then found a meth pipe in her truck and several ounces of suspected meth near where she’d been sitting by a patrol car. Johnson was taken to the Pike County Detention Center, charged with first‑degree trafficking in meth, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with physical evidence and a traffic offense.

Pikeville, Ky – The Pikeville Main Street Program has unveiled a new mural in downtown Pikeville, created by students at Pikeville Elementary School. The city partnered with art teacher Chazzlynn Slone’s class, asking students to paint the parts of Pikeville they love most, filling in the letters that spell “Pikeville.” Slone says the project has been more than a year in the making and gives every student a chance to have a voice in the arts. Division Streetay the mural, on Division Street, is a reminder of the community’s strength after the 2025 flood and will be a bright welcome for visitors coming to Hillbilly Days.