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In case you missed it: 10 of our most-read Herald-Leader stories from last week

Stories by Lexington Herald-Leader journalists, with AI summarization

The following articles from the Herald-Leader were some of our most-read from Aug. 18-24, 2025.

A tragedy unfolded in Breathitt County with the indictment of a mother and stepfather for the murder of a 10-year-old boy reveals a shocking family crime.

Wild horses from Eastern Kentucky faced a grim fate as they risked being sent to a slaughterhouse, highlighting issues around animal welfare and legal loopholes.

Smithsonian Magazine recognized Berea among the top 15 towns to visit.

Catch up with the stories below.

Logos of organizations under the Addiction Recovery Care umbrella are on display at ARC’s career services office in Louisa, Ky., on Thursday, July 11, 2024. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 1: ANOTHER ROUND OF LAYOFFS HITS ADDICTION RECOVERY CARE IN KY, AS FBI PROBE LOOMS

When Theo Shackleford got an email on a recent Friday afternoon from his employer, Addiction Recovery Care, he knew what was coming. | Published August 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Taylor Six, Alex Acquisto

Authorities in Breathitt County are searching for 10-year-old Jayden Spicer after he was last seen at his home on Panbowl Branch Road in Jackson, Ky. on Aug. 5, 2025.

NO. 2: MOTHER, STEPFATHER INDICTED FOR MURDER OF 10-YEAR-OLD KY BOY JAYDEN SPICER

The stepfather of 10-year-old Jayden Spicer and the boy’s mother, Felicia Gross, were indicted on murder charges Monday, the commonwealth’s attorney announced. | Published August 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Taylor Six

Jason Sexton of Sexton’s Horse and Mule Company posted a video on Aug. 17 claiming to have about 40 wild horses from Breathitt County. They could be sold to dealers to take them to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada.

NO. 3: EKY HORSES LIKELY AT A KILL PEN IN TENNESSEE. TIME IS RUNNING OUT | OPINION

A large group of wild horses from Breathitt County are likely at a horse dealer’s farm in Tennessee waiting to be sold either to new homes, or if not, to a slaughterhouse in Mexico or Canada. | Published August 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Taylor Six, Linda Blackford

The $5.8 billion battery park, BlueOval SK, is a joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and South Korean partner SK On, and is expected to employ 5,000 people once fully up and running. By Courtesy of BlueOval SK

NO. 4: ONE OF KENTUCKY’S LARGEST ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY PLANTS BEGINS PRODUCTION

Commercial production of electric vehicle batteries is underway at a plant in Kentucky that is part of the state’s largest economic development project yet. | Published August 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Piper Hansen

A lookout near East Pinnacle in the Berea College Forest is photographed at dawn. By Ryan C. Hermens

NO. 5: SMITHSONIAN SAYS KENTUCKY HAS ONE OF THE 15 BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN 2025

If you’re searching for the perfect weekend day trip in Kentucky this fall, Berea may be tough to beat. | Published August 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aaron Mudd

A recent Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs report showed that overall crime is down by 9 percent, while crimes against society, like drug and firearm-related crimes, have surged by 31 percent. By gorodenkoff

NO. 6: DEA AGENTS DISCOVER TORTURE CHAMBER, HUMAN BONE, DRUGS IN KENTUCKY HOME

Federal law enforcement recently discovered a torture chamber, a human bone and a large amount of drugs while searching a home in Laurel County, according to federal court documents. | Published August 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Christopher Leach

Wawa By Miami Herald file

NO. 7: CENTRAL KY’S FIRST WAWA SETS OPENING DATE. HERE’S WHEN, WHERE, WHAT TO EXPECT

Central Kentucky’s first Wawa has an opening date. | Published August 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Piper Hansen

FILE -- An aerial view of the Pentagon, the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Va., May 28, 2024. SpaceX has contracts with the Pentagon and other government agencies and plays a role in national security. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times) By KENNY HOLSTON

NO. 8: KENTUCKIAN CONSIDERING DEMOCRATIC SENATE RUN GETS SECURITY CLEARANCE REVOKED

A former CIA officer and government contractor from Kentucky is claiming his national security clearance was revoked by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard for political reasons. | Published August 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Austin Horn

Nearest Green founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest Fawn Weaver posted an online rebuttal to the allegations in a lawsuit filed by a Kentucky lender seeking to have a receiver appointed for the distillery.

NO. 9: BOURBON DISTILLER’S MEDIATION BID REJECTED. JUDGE: FOUNDER’S COMMENTS ‘TROUBLING’

A bid by Uncle Nearest founder Fawn Weaver to send the distressed whiskey brand to a mediator and potential sale has been rejected. | Published August 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Janet Patton

An exterior shot of the Kentucky Department of Education at 300 Sower Boulevard in Frankfort, Kentucky, on February 7, 2025. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 10: KY FAMILIES WERE ACCIDENTALLY SENT EBT CARDS LOADED WITH CASH. HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED.

An error by the Kentucky Department of Education led to 1,462 families in four school districts, including Scott County, getting food assistance cards, even though they did not qualify for the program under federal law, officials told the Herald-Leader. | Published August 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Karla Ward

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.