5 students involved in meth incident at middle school

WHITESBURG, Ky. (AP) — Authorities say five students were involved in an incident involving methamphetamine at a Kentucky middle school.

Letcher County Schools Superintendent Denise Yonts told news outlets that one student was taken to the hospital on Tuesday and the others were medically cleared. She did not have an updated condition on the student.

Yonts said no other students were in danger and the school and buses have been cleaned.

Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines told news outlets that it was a shock to see the drug infiltrate local schools and that the incident leaves no doubt that the county is dealing with “a major meth epidemic.”

Authorities are continuing to investigate.

Guilty plea in videotaped jail beating of handcuffed inmate

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Prosecutors have obtained a guilty plea in a case against three former corrections officers involved in an assault on a handcuffed inmate in Louisville.

The Courier Journal reports 22-year-old Devan Edwards pleaded guilty on Thursday to deprivation of rights under the color of law. Edwards testified that he didn’t stop Officer David Schwartz from assaulting then-19-year-old inmate Terry Whitehead. Body camera video recorded the beating. Schwartz, a 48-year-old former Marine, has pleaded not guilty to the same charge.

Prosecutors say Edwards also filed a false report of the 2018 beating at the request of his superior, Donna Gentry. She appears in court next week on related false report charges.

Edwards is set to be sentenced Aug. 12. Whitehead is suing all three in federal court, where they have denied wrongdoing.

Sheriff: School bus driver offered girl cash to show breasts

GLASGOW, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky school bus driver is accused of offering money to a female student to bare her breasts.

News outlets report the Barren County Sheriff’s Department says 34-year-old Randall J. Hastedt was arrested Tuesday and is charged with attempted use of a minor in a sexual performance.

An arrest warrant said the juvenile reported the incident to a school resource officer at Barren County High School, who alerted a detective. The warrant says the driver offered the girl $20 to expose herself Monday afternoon while the bus was traveling to the juvenile’s home.

Online jail records don’t say whether Hastedt has an attorney.