WKDP – WCTT Local News

A U.S. Army soldier who was a 2010 graduate of South Laurel High School has been killed in the line of duty.

The Department of Defense has confirmed that 20-year-old Private First Class Dustin Paul Napier from London, KY, was killed Sunday when a man in an Afghan Army uniform opened fire at a base in the southern part of Afghanistan.

Napier was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment of the Stryker Brigade at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

He deployed to Afghanistan with the 4,000-member brigade in April 2011 for a one-year tour.

A Powell County man says the county should pay for getting his car out of impound after two escapees stole it last month.

After breaking out of jail, Phillip Wells and Josh Abner stole Erick Fountain’s car and headed south, where they were captured in Dickson, TN.

When Fountain drove the more than 300 miles to pick up the car, the impound lot turned him away when he couldn’t pay the more than $300 in towing and storage fees.

The car remains in lockup and the bill now stands at more than $400, increasing by $25 each day.

Fountain says the county should foot the bill, though officials of Powell County say they are not liable. According to officials, the inmates will only have to pay the bill if a court convicts them of the crime.

The City of Corbin has taken the first steps toward banning the sale of synthetic marijuana.

The motion for the first reading of an ordinance banning the substance was unanimously approved Monday during the Corbin City Commissioner’s regular meeting.

The second reading of the ordinance is expected to take place at the commissioner’s next regular meeting on Feb. 13.

Laurel Sheriff’s detectives arrested two men Friday on drug charges following a complaint of an active meth lab on Grimes Road.

During their investigation, deputies not only found items commonly used in the manufacture of meth, but also found five marijuana plants hidden inside a closet of the residence.

They arrested 26-year-old Ford Wagers and 20-year-old Jeremy Wagers. 

Both were lodged in the Laurel County jail.

A Knox County couple arrested for attempted robbery over the weekend could be tied to numerous other robberies in the area.

37-year-old Michelle Murrphy and 34-year-old Michael North were captured Saturday while attempting to rob the Middlesboro Family Dollar Store when a store manager called 911.

Deputies say the couple is responsible for burglaries at a Lily gas station and a Knox County tobacco store, and are believed to have robbed Family Dollar stores in Corbin and LaFollette, TN, as well as a pizza delivery driver last Friday.

The two remain in the Bell County Detention Center.

A possible home invasion in Whitley County lead to one man getting stabbed over the weekend.

Tammy Ridner told officials that Justin Douglas broke into her home Sunday afternoon by kicking in the front door.

Officials say Ridner’s son, Thomas Ridner, began to fight with the intruder and eventually stabbed Douglas in the chest.

No arrests have been made at this time.

Wazoo Sports, a London-based company that broadcasts and Webcasts high school sports, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and anticipates being sold.

The move came about the same time the company lost its major television outlets:  NBC affiliate WLEX in Lexington and ABC affiliate WHAS in Louisville.

Wazoo Sports filed for bankruptcy protection in London on Dec. 29, listing debts of more than $3.12 million to its top 20 creditors.

In its filing, the company noted it has been approached by “several” potential buyers, and the bankruptcy filing is being done to sell the company as a whole or reorganize it with one of the interested buyers.  It’s anticipated that could “be quickly accomplished during the first quarter of 2012,” according to the filings.

Lane closures will be in effect on I-75 in southern Laurel County today, January 10, to allow for bridge inspections.

I-75 southbound will be reduced to one lane at milepoint 30 from 9 a.m. through 11 a.m.  I-75 northbound will be reduced to one lane at milepoint 30 from 12 p.m. through 2 p.m.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet asks motorists to be aware of the work zone and to utilize safe driving habits when traveling through the area.

Gov. Steve Beshear today issued his annual reminder about the earned income tax credit that’s available to low and middle income families.

Beshear said he wants to make sure all eligible families know about this valuable resource because it can provide money that can be spent back into the state’s economy. 

Last year, nearly 400,000 Kentuckians received an average of $2,200 in earned income tax credit.

The IRS says up to 20 percent of eligible workers do not claim the earned income tax credit, primarily because they don’t know about it. 

People who made up to $49,078 in 2011 could be eligible.  To find out if you qualify, visit http://assistance.ky.gov/ or call Community Action Kentucky at 800-456-3452.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced nearly $1.6 billion to states and territories across the nation to help cover the costs of repairing roads and bridges damaged by a variety of natural disasters.

The funding was provided by the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012. 

Kentucky will receive $4,577,316 to repair damage caused by April 2011 storms and flooding.

The money will reimburse the state for fixing or replacing highways, bridges and other roadway structures as well as costs associated with detours, debris removal and other immediate measures necessary to restore traffic flow in impacted areas.

For a complete list of states and funding amounts visit the Department of Transportation’s website at www.dot.gov.