Kentucky
Kentucky State Police looking for missing teen in Clay County
CLAY COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – Kentucky State Police is asking for help to find a missing teenage girl.
16-year-old Gracie Smith was last seen Tuesday night at Jacks Branch Bible Church in Manchester. Troopers believe she was picked up by an unknown person in a blue passenger car near the church.
Gracie was last seen wearing a white shirt, light pink jacket and pink pajama pants.
Anyone with information is asked to call Kentucky State Police Post 11.
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Kentucky
Former lieutenant at eastern Kentucky penitentiary sentenced to prison in assault case
FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WCHS) — A Floyd County man who served as a lieutenant at an eastern Kentucky penitentiary was sentenced to prison Wednesday for falsifying records related to the assaults of inmates.
Michael Childers, 47, of Harold, Ky., was sentenced to 17 months in prison following a case that dates back to 2021 at U.S. Penitentiary Big Sandy in Inez, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Childers pleaded guilty to being present when an inmate was assaulted by fellow staff members and then writing an incident report that falsely claimed the inmate had struck him with his head and a closed fist.
Prosecutors said Childers admitted to writing the statements knowing they were false in an attempt to “ impede the administration of justice regarding the investigation of the unlawful assault on the inmate,” the news release said.
Under federal law, Childers must serve 85% of his prison sentence, according to the news release. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year.
Childers is the final defendant to be sentenced for the assault.
Former Lt. Terry Melvin pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights and violating an individual’s rights under the color of law. He was sentenced to 48 months in prison.
Another former lieutenant, Kevin Pearce was convicted of writing false reports that covered up the assaults of inmates and was sentenced to 66 months.
A third former lieutenant, Ryan Elliott, pleaded guilty to assaulting an inmate and writing a false report about the assault of a second inmate in an unrelated incident. He was sentenced in 2024 to 12 months and one day in prison.
Case management coordinator Samuel Patrick and captain’s secretary Clinton Pauley pleaded guilty to their roles in the assaults of inmates and were sentenced in 2023 to 36 and 40 months respectively.
Kentucky
Miles Byrd to make transfer decision on Thursday, and Kentucky Basketball is a finalist
According to Jeff Goodman, San Diego State guard Miles Byrd will make his college choice on Thursday. His finalists include the Wildcats, Baylor Bears, Louisville Cardinals, Providence Friars, Texas Longhorns, Vanderbilt Commodores, and Cincinnati Bearcats.
The 6-6, 190-pound Byrd is one of the top players in the portal and has one season of eligibility remaining. This past season, he averaged 10.4 points on 40.5% shooting (30.8% from deep on 4.3 attempts per game), 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, earning him Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors.
If Kentucky is the choice, then Mark Pope and Co. will be hoping Byrd makes a Lamont Butler-type jump in offensive production like the latter did when he played his final season in Lexington. Butler and Byrd were actually teammates in the 2022-23 season when the latter redshirted.
As of this writing, it’s unclear who the perceived favorite is. When he first entered the portal, Baylor was viewed as the early school to watch, so the Bears could be the team to beat.
Byrd is currently ranked 13th overall and fifth among shooting guards in the 2026 transfer portal cycle by On3.
Kentucky
Publix announces 3 new supermarket and liquor store locations coming to Kentucky
(LEX 18) — Publix Super Markets is expanding its footprint in Kentucky with three new store locations in Richmond, Versailles, and Bowling Green.
According to a press realese, each location will feature a 54,964-square-foot supermarket and an adjacent Publix Liquors. The new stores are expected to create job opportunities for about 150 associates at each location.
Jared Glover, media relations manager for Publix Super Markets, shared the company’s excitement regarding the expansion.
“This announcement reflects our commitment to delivering the Publix difference to new customers. We look forward to being active members of these vibrant communities and serving our new customers soon,” Glover said.
The new stores will be located at:
- Publix at The Farms at Barnes Mill: Northwest corner of Goggins Lane and Barnes Mill Road in Richmond.
- Publix at The Shops at Woodford Farm: Northeast corner of Lexington Road and Governors Way in Versailles.
- Publix at Campbell Commons: Southeast corner of Campbell Lane and Smallhouse Road in Bowling Green.
The release states that an opening time frame for the stores has not yet been determined.
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