LONDON, Ky. — A Pike County woman who was recently ordered to spend 45 years in prison for producing child pornography has given notice that she plans to appeal that sentence. Pamela Denise Sargent,45, of Kimper, pleaded guilty back in March to two counts of producing child porn. In doing so, she admitted to producing a sexually explicit video of herself with a toddler-aged boy and another of two toddler-aged boys with each other.  Prior to her sentencing earlier this month, her attorney conceded that she could be sentenced to up to 60 years in prison, but said a 15-year […]

The post Sargent announces plans to appeal sentence in child porn conviction appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

CLINTWOOD, Va. — The Dickenson County Public Schools School Board met on Wednesday, advancing key initiatives for the upcoming academic year, including proposed salary scales, digital device policies, and operational updates. Director of Business and Finance Lacie Edwards presented the proposed salary scales for the 2026–27 school year. The scales reflect an average 4 percent raise for full-time and part-time staff members, aligning with state-level funding adjustments. To refocus student attention on core academics, the administration introduced a division-wide goal for the 2026–27 school year to establish clear, research-based expectations regarding the use of Chromebooks and digital devices. Officials noted […]

The post Dickenson School Board takes up matters ahead of new school year appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — The Eastern Kentucky Neuroscience Center at Pikeville Medical Center has received two American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines achievement awards for demonstrating a commitment to providing stroke patients with the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot […]

The post American Heart Association recognizes PMC for stroke care appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — Attorneys for Wesley Glenn Martin are asking a Floyd Circuit Court judge to reject prosecutors’ attempt to introduce evidence of alleged prior acts at his upcoming murder trial, arguing the request comes too late and would unfairly prejudice the defense. The objection was filed Wednesday in response to the Commonwealth’s notice that it intends to present evidence under Kentucky Rule of Evidence 404(b), which allows evidence of prior acts to be admitted for limited purposes under certain circumstances. On Monday, prosecutors filed a notice that they intend to call two witnesses who will testify about witnessing an incident in […]

The post Defense asks judge to block evidence of ‘timeout’ in upcoming Martin murder trial appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

FRANKFORT — In 2025, the state’s Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel reviewed 72 child fatality cases in the commonwealth and 176 near fatal cases. On Monday, the Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children heard a presentation on the panel’s findings and policy recommendations. Panel member and physician Dr. Melissa Currie said the report for 2025 includes 21 recommendations to address some troubling findings, including an 104% increase of overdose ingestion cases over the last five years. “We reported the highest number of ingestion cases since the panel’s inception this past year, and of course, children under 4 […]

The post Interim committee reviews 2025 child fatality and near fatality report appeared first on Mountain Top Media.