Monday, September 24, 2007
Three People Plead Guilty to Drug Smuggling .
Three people that were caught smuggling drugs to inmates at the Pike County Detention Center pleaded guilty.
Twenty-seven year old, Wesley Williams of Raccoon and Dorothy Fleming,29, of Raccoon pleaded guilty to two separate indictments. Williams and Fleming pleaded guilty to smuggling drugs into the Pike County Jail and the robbery of a Raccoon woman that caused injury. Williams will spend 20 years behind bars. Fleming will be sentenced to 10 years.
A third person Larry Heath Phillips, 34, of Steele admitted that he attempted to smuggle drugs into the jail. The Commonwealth is recommending 10 years.
Twenty-seven year old, Wesley Williams of Raccoon and Dorothy Fleming,29, of Raccoon pleaded guilty to two separate indictments. Williams and Fleming pleaded guilty to smuggling drugs into the Pike County Jail and the robbery of a Raccoon woman that caused injury. Williams will spend 20 years behind bars. Fleming will be sentenced to 10 years.
A third person Larry Heath Phillips, 34, of Steele admitted that he attempted to smuggle drugs into the jail. The Commonwealth is recommending 10 years.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 4:30 PM
Matthew casey Pleads Guilty Moments Before Trial Scheduled to Begin.
The trial of a Mingo County man that was scheduled to begin in Pike County Circuit Court didn’t happen. Matthew Casey entered a blind guilty plea. A blind plea means that no deal was agreed to between the defendant and the Commonwealth. Casey pleaded guilty to kidnapping, rape, sodomy and robbery. The 36 year-old Matewan, West Virginia resident faces 20 years to life in prison. He will be sentenced October 26th. Casey also faces federal charges in West Virginia to a separate assault.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 4:24 PM
Harts Man Waives Preliminary Hearing in Torture Case.
Danny Combs, one of the defendents in the Megan Williams torture case, earlier today waived a preliminary hearing. The case of the 20 year-old Harts resident will go to directly to a grand jury.
Combs, is charged with kidnapping, three counts of sexual assault and malicious wounding.
According to a criminal complaint, Combs allegedly stabbed Williams in her left leg, forced her at knifepoint to perform oral sex on him and threatened to kill her if she attempted to leave the Big Creek home of Frankie Brewster. The 49 year-old Brewster, had a preliminary hearing last week. Her case has already been sent to a grand jury.
Another defendant Karen Burton is scheduled to have her preliminary hearing held today.
Williams is also in legal hot water. Last week she was arrested on several counts of writing bad checks in three southern West Virginia Counties. Williams was released on $ 8,000 bond.
Combs, is charged with kidnapping, three counts of sexual assault and malicious wounding.
According to a criminal complaint, Combs allegedly stabbed Williams in her left leg, forced her at knifepoint to perform oral sex on him and threatened to kill her if she attempted to leave the Big Creek home of Frankie Brewster. The 49 year-old Brewster, had a preliminary hearing last week. Her case has already been sent to a grand jury.
Another defendant Karen Burton is scheduled to have her preliminary hearing held today.
Williams is also in legal hot water. Last week she was arrested on several counts of writing bad checks in three southern West Virginia Counties. Williams was released on $ 8,000 bond.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 1:40 PM
Accident Report Released on Fatal Mingo Mining Accident.
The West Virginia Miners’ Health Safety and Training has issued three citations to a Mingo County mine where a section foreman was killed in August. However none of the violations contributed to the death of Steve Browning Jr.
Investigators determined Browning was struck in the head by a shaft that came loose from a continuous mining machine he was helping to fix.
The accident happened at the Rockhouse Creek # 8 Mine near Gilbert .
In an accident report, the state said it cited Rockhouse for not maintaining proper air flow, setting a breaker too high on a transformer and not following its roof control plan.
Investigators determined Browning was struck in the head by a shaft that came loose from a continuous mining machine he was helping to fix.
The accident happened at the Rockhouse Creek # 8 Mine near Gilbert .
In an accident report, the state said it cited Rockhouse for not maintaining proper air flow, setting a breaker too high on a transformer and not following its roof control plan.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 1:27 PM
Two National Civil Right Groups to Demonstrate in Logan County.
The alleged torture of Kanawha County resident Megan Williams by six white Logan County residents continues to draw national attention. The Logan County Sheriff’s Department was notified by the New Black Panther Nation and the Black Panther Liberation Army that they will visit Logan to watch the preliminary hearings of five defendants that will go before a magistrate judge. Williams’ one week ordeal came to an end on September 8th after police were called to a Big Creek residence. The two national Civil Rights Groups plan to encourage Prosecuting Attorney Brian Abraham to file hate crimes charges. But Abraham says that he wants to file state charges because the penalties are stiffer.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 1:16 PM
Floyd County Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Moving On.
Floyd County Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, Wayne Taylor is leaving eastern Kentucky to take a new position in Johnson County, Tennessee. Taylor was recently hired to serve as an assistant U.S. Attorney. Taylor has served as chief assistant to Commonwealth Attorney Brent Turner for the last seven years.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 1:05 PM
15 People Died on Kentucky's Roadways Last Week.
Fifteen people lost their lives in 14 separate crashes on Kentucky’s roadways last week. Eleven of the fatalities were traveling in motor vehicles and five of the victims were not wearing seat belts. Three of the fatalities were the result of motorcycle crashes. One was not wearing a helmet. Three of the fatalities involved the use of alcohol. One of the fatal accidents occurred in nearby Martin County. So far 616 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways, that is 31 fewer than reported for this same time period last year.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 12:54 PM
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Sandy Valley Habitat for Humanity Dedicated Two Homes.
Sandy Valley Habitat for Humanity held a dedication ceremony Saturday afternoon. The Mark and Kim Howell family and the Jason and Jessica Hurd family were presented keys to their new homes. This makes the second and third homes that Sandy Valley has built this year. The homes were built in just one week by hundreds of volunteers. The homes were built on a 19 acre site called Robinson Heights which is located one mile north of Coal Run. Andrew Dinsmore, executive director says that they have room to construct 18 more homes on the sub division.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 8:13 PM
Pike County Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison.
A Pike County man will spend two and a half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to reckless homicide. Ernest Mounts of Majestic was arrested earlier this year near the Kentucky/ West Virginia state line, after he fled the scene of an accident that occurred at Freeburn. Jack Robinette died in the accident.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 8:12 PM
Floyd County man Sentenced on Rape Charge.
A Floyd County man was sentenced to 10 years behind bars by Pike County Circuit Judge Steve Combs. John Hamp, 31, of Ivel pleaded guilty earlier this year. Hamp was arrested in October of last year. Hamp admitted that he held a Pikeville woman at knifepoint and raped her. The crime was recorded on tape by 911 dispatchers after the victim was able to contact officials.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 8:10 PM
