CHARLESTON W.Va. — An $8 million grant will help Save the Children expand West Virginia’s rural child care and early education workforce. The majority of West Virginia households face barriers to child care access, and there are not enough providers to meet demand. Brooke Smith, West Virginia assistant state director for Save the Children, said the organization is working to build up the local workforce with funding from the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies. “Providers don’t have enough available slots, creating long wait lists for some parents,” Smith observed. “Some of our rural counties in West Virginia have as few as […]

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ASHLAND, Ky. — A Paintsville man who admitted to secretly recording an underage guest while she showered and changed was ordered to serve 25 years in prison during his sentencing hearing on Friday. Henry Jonathan Ritscher, 44, pleaded guilty in January to a federal charge of producing child pornography. In doing so, he admitted to recording the girl, who was a distant relative of his wife’s who would occasionally come to visit. The crime was discovered when the girl accompanied Ritscher to pick up pizza on Sept. 6. While Ritcher went inside to get the food, the girl stayed in […]

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WHITESBURG, Ky. — A Letcher County man is in custody following an hours-long standoff with Kentucky State Police that began with a domestic violence investigation early Friday morning. Troopers were called to Buck Road in Whitesburg just after 4 a.m. after receiving a report of a domestic assault. According to KSP, the individuals involved had fled to a nearby home before officers arrived. When troopers attempted to make contact at the residence, authorities say a man barricaded himself inside with several other people and refused to come out. After a brief standoff, two women and another man exited the home […]

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PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A group of local investors based in Pikeville have officially launched Blue Gem Capital, a new angel investment fund dedicated to supporting companies originating in the Central Appalachian region and businesses conducting substantial operations within the region. Blue Gem Capital will make equity and equity-like investments in early-stage to mid-sized Main Street and high-growth small businesses. The Fund is designed to cultivate a diverse portfolio of investment opportunities across various industries and stages of growth, with a strong emphasis on regional economic development. The Fund is currently capitalized at $1.1 million, raised from 14 private investors along […]

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ABINGDON, Va. — Two people pleaded guilty in federal court this week to conspiring to distribute meth in Wise County. Randall Neil Peaks, 53, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday and Elizabeth Ann Sexton, 36, pleaded guilty on Friday. Both had been charged with conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of meth. Peaks pleaded guilty to that charge, while Sexton pleaded guilty to a lesser charge involving more than 50 grams. Peaks now faces a potential life sentence, while Sexton faces up to 40 years. Both are being held in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail at Abingdon. Sentencing dates […]

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