PIKEVILLE, Ky. — The former chief of a Pike County volunteer fire department is under federal indictment, accused of embezzling money intended for safety equipment. Christopher Chapman, 35, of Ransom, was arrested Friday morning after being charged with one count of federal program theft. Chapman served as chief of the Blackberry Volunteer Fire Department, when the indictment alleges he informed the department in April of 2022 that they could obtain safety equipment at cost from a company called Rural Public Safety Equipment LLC. However, Rural Public Safety Equipment was actually company that he had formed that same month. Over the […]

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PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — A Johnson County man charged in a DUI crash that killed two Prestonsburg High School students is seeking to have his bond reduced. Marcus Logan Auxier, 21, of Nippa, was indicted last month for the crash that happened last July. That crash killed 16-year-old Kendra Jade Moreno and 13-year-old MaKenna Reese Barnett and injured several others. He is charged with two counts of murder, three counts of first-degree assault, three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, DUI and failure to render aid. The homicide and assault charges are Class B felonies, punishable by 10-to-20 years in prison. He […]

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PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A Floyd County man is now facing a lengthy prison sentence, after pleading guilty to federal charges of producing and distributing child pornography. Christopher Hall, 26, of Grethel, was originally charged with producing, distributing and possessing child porn when he was indicted last June. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors have agreed to drop the possession charge. When he was first arrested, Hall initially admitted to downloading child porn and distributing it for financial gain. But in his plea agreement, Hall admits to using his phone to record himself sexually abusing a 4-year-old girl. He also […]

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FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentuckians have less than a week to register to vote in next month’s primary election. If folks miss the April 22 deadline, residents can still register to vote in the presidential election this fall. Laura Weinstein, chair of the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, is encouraging people to take action now. Voters will need to bring photo identification to the polls. A list of acceptable forms of identification is on the Secretary of State’s website. Weinstein added the website vote411.org includes personalized information about registration and what’s on the ballot. “We’ll be posting what are called voter guides,” Weinstein explained. “The […]

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HAZARD, Ky. — Authorities say there there have been no plane crashes in Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday, despite receiving numerous reports of the accidents throughout the day. Kentucky State Police says the U.S. Geological Survey is currently conducting ground mapping of the region, using military aircraft. To conduct the mapping, the planes have to fly very low to the ground, leading some to mistakenly believe they have seen a plane go down. Kentucky State Police Post 13 issued a statement Tuesday afternoon confirming that there have been no plane crashes in the region.

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