Rowan County man charged with murder after mother and daughter found dead

ROWAN COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Kentucky State Police say they located 44-year-old Joshua Cottrell at a Paducah-area hospital Friday afternoon, where he was treated and released before being taken into custody. Cottrell has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of tampering with physical evidence. He is currently being held at the McCracken County Jail….

Corbin man arrested for stealing four-wheeler from tornado victims

CORBIN, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A Corbin man has been arrested and charged with receiving stolen property after investigators say he tried to sell a four-wheeler stolen from tornado victims in London. According to the Whitley County Sheriff’s Office, 41-year-old Clifford Smith was arrested in connection with the theft of a 2008 Yamaha Raptor 50, valued at $1,300. Deputies…

Laurel County man arrested after welfare check leads to multiple charges

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A Laurel County man was arrested on multiple charges and outstanding warrants after deputies responded to a welfare check call last week. According to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrested 40-year-old Michael Harp around 9 p.m. Tuesday, September 16th on Becky Lane. Authorities had been dispatched after reports of a man lying…

Laurel County man arrested after attempted break-in with bolt cutters

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A Corbin man was arrested last week in Laurel County after deputies say he attempted to break into a business with bolt cutters. According to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrested 23-year-old Joshua Davenport around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 16th in a business parking lot off Kentucky 312. A deputy reported seeing…

Pike County man arrested after large drug bust in Hardy community

PIKE COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Kentucky State Police arrested a man in the Hardy community of Pike County after finding a large amount of illegal drugs during a search of a residence. Troopers took 35-year-old James Hardesty into custody, and he was booked into the Pike County Detention Center. During the search, officers seized substances suspected to be…

Montgomery County sheriff struck by SUV while diverting traffic on I-64

MOUNT STERLING, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Montgomery County Sheriff David Charles was struck by an SUV while diverting traffic on Interstate 64 Saturday morning. According to the Montgomery County Fiscal Court, the accident happened at Exit 113 in Mount Sterling. Sheriff Charles was rerouting vehicles due to an earlier crash in Bath County when he was hit. He was…

A rainy week ahead for Central and Eastern Kentucky

Rainy pattern takes hold with daily storm chances and cooler temperatures ahead

Active weather pattern begins with showers and storms Sunday Sunday kicked off what looks to be a much more active stretch of weather across Central and Eastern Kentucky. Scattered showers and storms moved through during the day, keeping highs in the low to mid-80s. Not everyone saw rain, though—those who missed out had partly cloudy skies and even some sunshine…

Lexington health department to spray for mosquitoes after third West Nile case

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department will spray for mosquitoes early next week after confirming another case of West Nile Virus. According to the health department, three people in Lexington have now tested positive for the virus. The patients range in age from 30 to 77 and have required hospitalization. In response, mosquito spraying is…

Man accused of using automatic handgun in Winburn Drive shooting enters not guilty plea

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – New details are emerging about a shooting on Winburn Drive that left a man with life-threatening injuries. According to the Lexington Police Department, Jon’Tay Mattingly, 20, was arrested in connection with the September 18 shooting near Winburn Drive and McCullough Drive. Officers say they found a man at the scene suffering from a gunshot…

One year later: The courthouse shooting that stunned Letcher County and the nation

LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – It’s been one year since a deadly courthouse shooting shook the Letcher County community and has become a national sensation. On September 19, 2024, District Court Judge Kevin Mullins was shot and killed inside his chambers at the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg. According to investigators, then-Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines walked into Mullins’…

One year later: I-75 shooting suspect found dead in Laurel County

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Today marks one year since authorities discovered the body of Joseph Couch, the suspect in a September 2024 shooting along I-75 that left five people injured. Couch’s body was found near Exit 49 in Laurel County following a nearly two-week manhunt. Authorities later confirmed his identity through DNA testing, and an autopsy determined…

Kentucky lawmaker pushes to limit ultra-processed foods in schools

FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Kentucky schools could see a major change in the cafeteria menu under a new proposal from State Representative Steve Doan. Doan presented the plan this week to the legislature’s Make America Healthy Again Task Force. The measure would restrict ultra-processed foods containing certain dyes, preservatives, and chemical additives from school cafeterias, vending machines, and…

Crackdown on vape and smoke shops leads to citations in Central Kentucky

WINCHESTER, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A major crackdown on vape and smoke shops took place this week in Central Kentucky, according to Winchester Police. As part of a nationwide “surge effort,” Winchester officers joined multiple agencies to inspect businesses selling vape and smoke products. While several locations were found to be in compliance, three stores were cited for violations:…

Rep. Thomas Massie urges transparency on Epstein victim list, says names should be released

WASHINGTON (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie is calling for more transparency from federal investigators after saying the FBI has received at least 20 names from Jeffrey Epstein victims that have not been made public. Massie told reporters that the list of names given to investigators has not been released and suggested two possibilities for why: either the…

Lexington teen charged with murder appears in court

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – An 18-year-old accused of murder was back in court Friday in Lexington. According to investigators, Micah Carter is charged in the October 2024 shooting on Tates Creek Road that left 20-year-old Jayden Sleet dead and another victim injured. Police say the second victim survived. Carter was arrested Sunday in Georgetown and later booked into…

Festival Latino de Lexington kicks off this weekend

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – The annual Festival Latino de Lexington is set to bring music, dance, and culture to downtown this weekend as part of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. According to organizers, the festival begins at 5 p.m. Friday at the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza, featuring live music and dance performances. The celebration continues Saturday from…

Sunshine and warmth hold on as weekend nears

Warm sunshine continues into the weekend before rain chances make a return late Sunday.

A Comfortable Start to Friday Friday morning started off mild and pleasant, with overnight lows in the mid to upper 50s and some spots dipping into the low 60s. Skies stayed mostly clear, and that sunshine will carry us through the day once again. This afternoon, temperatures will climb into the upper 80s, with a few locations likely reaching into…

More dry weather on tap heading into the home stretch of summer

Afternoon highs should stay in the upper 80s into the weekend

It’s been a tranquil week of weather across central and Eastern Kentucky with dry and very warm conditions across the area daily and Thursday was no exception. With high pressure continuing to dominate, we saw plenty of sunshine along with afternoon highs in the upper 80s across the Bluegrass with the southeastern mountains seeing mainly low to mid-80s. This lengthy…