The past year has been one filled with good news and bad; fun times and hard times. As we look back on 2021, The Middlesboro News would like to share with our readers the top stories of 2021 based on visits to our website, www.middlesboronews.com.
As of Dec. 29, 2021, we have welcomed nearly 400,000 visitors to our site. While there, they have read stories and viewed photographs about local government news, area crime, sports, and more.
Below is a listing of the top 10 stores of 2021, along with the number of visitors who looked at each story on our website, and a brief portion of that story.

10. Missing woman found dead
Web Page Visits – 2,568
Publication date: Sept. 14, 2021
On September 14, 2021, KSP was notified at approximately 11 a.m. by a member of the Bell County Rescue Squad that they located a female in the woods. KSP responded along with the Bell County Coroner’s Office and began an investigation. KSP can confirm the identity of the female as Candace Lynn England. No foul play is suspected. An autopsy will be conducted at the State Medical Examiners Office. KSP is continuing the investigation.
England was last seen in the woods near Canon Creek Lake at 6 p.m. on Sept. 12, 2021. According to a cell ping, her last known location was near 25E close to the former Vendor’s Mall, at approximately 10 p.m. Sunday night.
The case remains under investigation by Aaron Frederick.

Kyle Dunn has been named the new Pineville Police Chief, it was announced on Tuesday. Curtis Pingleton was promoted to assistant chief. Pictured, from left, are: Toni Hatfield Dunn, Kyle Dunn, Pineville Mayor Scott Madon, Lisa Carnes Pingleton and Curtis Pingleton.

9. Kyle Dunn named Pineville Police Chief; Curtis Pingleton promoted to assistant chief
Web Page Visits – 3,070
Publication date: July 2, 2021
Pineville Mayor Scott Madon has filled two positions within the Pineville Police Department left vacant by the retirement of former chief Bill Matthews and the subsequent promotion of Kyle Dunn.
Officer Dunn has been named Pineville City Police Chief. Dunn graduated from Bell County High School in 2004 and went on to earn an Associate’s Degree of Science from Southeast Community & Technical College. He graduated from the Department of Criminal Justice Training in 2007 and immediately began work as an officer at the Pineville City Police Department.
Officer Curtis Pingleton has been named assistant police chief. Pingleton graduated from the Kentucky State Police Academy in 1987 and went on to spend 25 years working within the Kentucky State Police. He is currently in his fourth year at the Pineville Police Department.

8. Bell County sheriff warns of scam
Web Page Visits – 3,170
Publication date: July 16, 2021
The Bell County Sheriff’s Department is warning Bell County residents to be aware of a scam that has come to the attention of law enforcement.
According to a press release, Bell County Sheriff’s Deputies received a report of a scam on Wednesday, involving an individual pulling onto a would-be victim’s property in a vehicle in a plain car and claiming to be from WellCare. The individual then attempts to obtain personal information such as social security numbers.
Bell County Sheriff Mitch Williams advises any legitimate business or organization will have clearly marked vehicles and/or identification.

7. Woman faces trafficking, bailjumping charges
Web Page Visits – 3,225
Publication date: Nov. 12, 2021
A Middlesboro woman is facing charges including trafficking methamphetamine and bail jumping after allegedly being found in possession of the drug and jumping bail.
Jennifer Rose, 29, was arrested by Middlesboro City Police Officer Ryan Collins on Tuesday.
According to the citation, Rose was arrested at approximately 10 p.m. on Tuesday. She was found in possession of a large bag which contained more than two grams of a substance suspected to be methamphetamine. Police also located a scale, multiple distribution bags and $46.
The citation additionally states Rose intentionally missed two court dates for felony cases after having been released from custody.

6. Tennessee man charged with drug trafficking
Web Page Visits – 3,395
Publication date: Aug. 24, 2021
A Tazewell, Tennessee, man is facing charges including drug trafficking after police allegedly found him in possession of hydrocodone tablets.
Kyler Raines, 21, was arrested on Thursday by Middlesboro City Police Officer Jeremiah Johnson.
According to a press release, police responded to 20th Street and Cumberland Avenue to check out a disturbance.

5. McConnell says Biden wants IRS to track citizens’ bank accounts
Web Page Visits – 3,468
Publication date: Oct. 5, 2021
President Biden likes to claim his $3.5 trillion tax and spending spree will only hurt the wealthiest Americans, leaving everyone else unscathed. As his plan comes into sharper focus, though, it’s become increasingly clear that Democrats intend to radically transform the lives of every worker, small business owner, and family in America.
Their latest gambit is a plot to give the IRS sweeping new authority to snoop on Americans’ personal finances, providing federal agents with data on every transaction over $600. This unprecedented expansion of government surveillance should leave everyone alarmed and outraged.
Currently, the government has special authority to demand information on bank transfers in excess of $10,000. Theoretically, this allows them to sniff out things like money laundering, terrorism, or tax fraud. But President Biden’s new plan creates a massive new dragnet that would sweep up all kinds of ordinary transactions that normal, law-abiding Americans make routinely.

4. Safety checkpoint results in arrest
Web Page Visits – 3,742
Publication date: Oct. 6, 2021
A Middlesboro woman is facing drug charges after allegedly being found in possession of methamphetamine at a safety checkpoint.
Whitney Brock, 28, was arrested on Sept. 29 by Bell County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Foster.
According to the citation, Brock was a passenger in a car driven by a male when they came to a safety checkpoint on KY 66. The driver told police he did not have insurance and was directed to pull to the side of the road. Consent to search was granted, and a clear bag containing a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine was located in a purse. A syringe, a glass pipe and a yellow pack containing a Suboxone strip were also located.

3. Four face drug charges
Web Page Visits – 4,254
Publication date: July 23, 2021
A man and three women are facing trafficking charges after allegedly being found in possession of methamphetamine.
Robert Coffey, 37, Angel Bullins, 19, and Megan King, 28, all of Middlesboro, were arrested on Thursday by Middlesboro City Police Officer Chris Barnes. A fourth woman, Evelyn King, of Middlesboro, was cited to court.
According to Barnes, he contacted Middlesboro City Police Officers Jeremiah Johnson and Ryan Collins and advised them he had received complaints about an apartment on Chester Avenue. The three officers went to the apartment to perform a knock and talk. The officers noticed a chemical odor as they approached the door, which they recognized as the smell of methamphetamine. The officers knocked, and Evelyn King opened the door. The apartment was full of smoke. Officers observed several small bags laying on an air mattress as well as a digital scale with a crystal-like residue on top of it. Barnes heard noises from the back of the apartment and made entry. The sound of a toilet flushing was heard, and Megan King was located in a bathroom with a bag containing a white residue at her feet.  Johnson located Bullins and Coffey standing inside a bedroom with drug paraphernalia scattered all around. Approximately $1,100 in cash was also found.

2. IRS payment tracker online shows status of stimulus check
Web Page Visits – 4,986
Publication date: Jan. 5, 2021
The Internal Revenue Service launched an online tool Monday to track the status of their $600 coronavirus relief checks.
The “Get My Payment” tool allows users to check the statuses on both their first round and second round of stimulus checks and find out if they’ll be distributed by direct deposit or mail.
The IRS said last week stimulus checks started arriving through direct deposit on Dec. 29 and paper checks were mailed out beginning Dec. 30, according to a news release. Most people will get their payments through direct deposit. Those eligible to get stimulus checks but didn’t receive one will be able to claim them when they file their taxes in 2021.

1. Tennessee man faces drug charge
Web page visits – 6,507
Publication date: Sept. 28, 2021
A Tazewell, Tennessee, man is facing charges including trafficking methamphetamine after police allegedly found him in possession of methamphetamine.
Joshua Love, 40, was arrested by Middlesboro City Police on Thursday.
According to the citation, police performed a traffic stop on a black 2008 Nissan operated by Love at approximately 11:20 p.m. on Sept. 13. Police located a substance believed to be methamphetamine, multiple syringes, and distribution baggies.