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A former Whitley County E-911 dispatcher, who resigned following allegations that he allegedly shoplifted items from the Williamsburg IGA in late June, has reached a plea deal that will allow him to have his charges dismissed in six months. During a court hearing Monday morning, Brandon Bryd, 25, of Williamsburg, who was charged with theft by unlawful taking under $500, entered a diversion agreement. Whitley District Judge Fred White accepted the six-month diversion agreement that calls for Byrd to complete 20 hours of community service. If he completes his community service hours during the next six months and stays out of trouble while the diversion is in place, then the charges may...

The University of the Cumberlands is vehemently opposing a request by its former president, Dr. James Taylor, for an injunction to force the university to continue to pay Taylor and his wife, Dinah Taylor, nearly $400,000 in annual salary and benefits while the couple's lawsuit against the university is pending. In addition, the university is contending in recent court documents that with the exception of one person, the board of trustees hadn't even seen the alleged contract between the Taylor's and the school - which promises to pay the couple a salary for life - until it "curiously" showed up on the desk of current President Larry Cockrum around July...

The murder and assault case against a Williamsburg woman who was allegedly driving under the influence when she hit two pedestrians on Ky. 895 in Canadatown on July 25 will be presented to a Whitley County grand jury in September. Whitley District Court Cathy Prewitt found probable cause to send the case against 46-year-old Sonia Renee Askins to the grand jury following a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Kentucky State Police Trooper Delzie Kelly, who investigated the case and later charged Askins with murder, first-degree assault, tampering with physical evidence, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/drugs was the only witness...

Production at CTA Acoustics in Corbin was halted late Tuesday morning when a fire broke out in the machinery in the south end of the facility. Corbin firefighters were called to the scene at 11:50 a.m. Corbin Fire Captain Doug Brock said the fire was inside the blend roller in the blend room. “That stuff cakes up and backs up and gets heated by the rollers turning,” Brock explained. CTA employees initially used fire extinguishers in an attempt to douse the blaze. When that proved impossible, the alarm was sounded and the building evacuated. “They had kind of knocked it down,” Brock said. Brock said firefighters removed the plates from the machinery and spent the...

Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Lily man and a Corbin woman Tuesday afternoon in connection with a strong-arm robbery that occurred last Tuesday in southern Laurel County. According to Sheriff John Root, deputies arrested 37-year-old Jason Wells and 33-year-old Lorie Eversole about 3 p.m. charging each with one count of second-degree robbery. Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, the department’s public affairs officer, said previously that clerks at the Corner Market, located at the intersection of Ky. 233 and Ky. 1223 near the Laurel/Knox County line, were acquainted with Wells and identified him as a suspect. Deputies located Wells at a relative’s house on Nuway Trail north of London and took him into custody...

Corbin firefighters and a mechanic from Bolton’s Towing teamed up Tuesday morning to rescue a kitten trapped in the engine compartment of a car. The cat was pulled from Bonnie Dozier’s sedan that was parked in the Kmart parking lot. Dozier, who lives off of East Ky. 92 in Bell County, said she had driven to Corbin to go shopping. “When I went in the store, I kept hearing a cat, but I thought it was in another vehicle,” Dozier said. “When I came back out, I could still hear it and it was coming from the left side of the car.” Dozier contacted Corbin dispatch and the fire department was sent to...

A Williamsburg woman died Monday morning when she lost control of her SUV and struck a guardrail on Interstate 75 in Corbin. Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley identified the woman as 35-year-old Mary Rose-Wilson. Croley said Wilson was on her way to work at Cracker Barrel. Corbin Police Major Rob Jones, the department’s public affairs officer, said witnesses told police that Wilson was travelling north on the interstate near the 26-mile marker about 7:10 a.m. when a wheel came off of her Nissan Xterra SUV. The vehicle swerved out of control and struck the guardrail, ejecting Wilson from the vehicle. “She was not wearing a seat belt,” Jones said of Wilson. Croley pronounced the Wilson...

The cause of death of a missing Laurel County teenager, who was found dead near her boyfriend's home in the Bee Creek community of Whitley County Friday evening, is still uncertain. Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley said that the Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office autopsied the body of Kayly Lynn Lockaby, 16, and determined Saturday afternoon that there was no anatomical nor lethal trauma to her body. This rules out shooting, stabbing, blunt force trauma and other types of possible causes of death. Officials are waiting the on results of toxicology tests before determining an official cause of death. Toxicology results are expected to take about two weeks to complete, Croley said. Lockaby...

A Corbin teenager, who escaped from guards following a court hearing on July 26 in Whitley District Court in Corbin, is back behind bars. Trevor Earl Blevins, 19, turned himself in to the Whitley County Detention Center about 2:30 a.m. on July 27. Jailer Brian Lawson said the only statement Blevins gave in regards to his reasoning behind escaping was that he has a lot of stuff going on in his life and he recently lost his mother. "He said he made a mistake," said Lawson. Lawson also reported that a friend of Blevins' has also been arrested for allegedly conspiring with Blevins to help him escape. Denny L. Dixon, 20,...

Emergency officials think a medical emergency may be the reason for a fatal coal truck accident late Thursday morning on Ky. 92E near Mossy Gap. Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley pronounced James Gambrel, 59, of Woolum, dead at the scene about noon. Croley said that Gambrel was driving an 18-wheel Peterbilt semi, which was loaded with coal, east on Ky. 92 near the 21-mile marker when the wreck happened. “It appears that he possibly had a medical emergency and left the roadway,” Croley said. Kentucky State Police Division of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer Steve Douglas said Gambrel was driving a 2009 Peterbilt loaded with 43,000 pounds of coal. Gambrel, who was driving for G&P...