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Silence fell among the crowded district courtroom as 15 or more radios went off at once. Firemen from every volunteer fire department in the county listened carefully to see if they must call their meeting short and respond to a call. Thankfully, there was not an emergency, but that is not always the case. Talk of a countywide fire department subscription fee brought firemen, county residents and county leaders together on April 8. Bill Oxendine, Knox County PVA and Chief of Little Poplar Creek Fire Department, led the public forum discussing details of the subscription fee. Over two weeks ago, Oxendine asked the Knox County Fiscal Court to entertain the idea...

A Gray man is facing multiple charges after he allegedly attempted to outrun the police when they clocked him riding his motorcycle at speeds in excess of 125 mph on US 25E Sunday afternoon. Kentucky State Police arrested 38-year-old Jason McGuire following the 26-mile pursuit that began in Barbourville and ended in Laurel County. According to Trooper Chad Gregory, he was initially travelling south on U.S. 25E in Barbourville about 4:35 p.m. when the black Suzuki street bike passed him travelling north. Gregory said his radar indicated McGuire was travelling at 126 mph. “I was contacted by Trooper (Russell) Maynard who observed same motorcycle travelling 121 mph approximately two miles up the highway...

A Lily man accused of raping, sodomizing and sexually abusing two child relatives, has already served the majority of his prison term set out in a plea agreement that came down in lieu of a trial Wednesday in Laurel Circuit Court, but he will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Under the terms of the plea agreement, 57-year-old Condy O. Irvin pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree sexual abuse. One count of first-degree rape was amended to first-degree sexual abuse. Additional charges of first-degree sodomy and incest were dismissed. In return for Irvin’s guilty plea, prosecutors recommended a prison sentence...

Update: Laurel County Sheriff's Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, the department's public affairs officer, said Thursday that Anthony Johnson was struck multiple times in the top of the head with a hammer. "The autopsy found numerous wounds in the top of his head," Acciardo said, adding that it remains undetermined whether the wounds were caused by the flat end or the claw end of the hammer. It was Antonio Johnson who made the 911 call concerning his brother's death. "He told the dispatchers he found his brother and in the back bedroom and thinks he is dead," Acciardo said of the 911 call. "He said he thinks Anthony used a hammer to kill himself." "There was...

While local leaders in Corbin and Laurel County have monitored with interest attempts in the Kentucky General Assembly to pass legislative amendments that would change the laws on annexation, it’s a measure that has not been filed yet that could have the biggest impact of all. An amendment Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers (R-Manchester) successfully pushed through in both 2012 and 2014 that has prevented the city of Corbin from collecting any occupational tax revenue from it’s Knox County side is set to expire on July 15. Stivers said Tuesday that he’s doubtful he can do anything to intervene this time around. “This can’t be a permanent fix to that,” Stivers said...

After two attempts by Senate President Robert Stivers (R-Manchester) to change the law on annexation — and essentially allow the city of Corbin to annex into Laurel County — the measure is likely dead in 2016, killed by what he a “toxic” political atmosphere in Frankfort. “There has been a lot of objections from people in the legislative process wanting to know how this type of annexation affects other areas of Kentucky,” Stivers said Tuesday. “I think there is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation that has gone out. I really believe if this were to go through it would be a win for everyone concerned.” The amendment was first attached to...

Firefighters and EMS workers are being called heroes after pulling a woman with Downs Syndrome out of a burning, smoke-filled home Monday morning. "Everyone of them did an excellent job," said homeowner Steve Prince. "They got here quick. They did everything that they could do. They did a heck of a job. You couldn't ask for a better job than what they did." Millie Kindrix, 51, who is the aunt of Prince's wife, Holly, was the woman rescued from the burning home Monday morning. Goldbug Volunteer Fire Chief Brandon Woods, who is also Whitley County EMS Assistant Director, and Whitley County EMS Director Kelly Harrison were the first two emergency responders on...

Arson is suspected as the cause of a Monday afternoon forest fire/brush fire that scorched 36 acres in the Beck's Creek area just west of Williamsburg. Jennifer Turner, a public information officer with the Kentucky Division of Forestry, said that there is no way of knowing how the fire was set at this point and there are no suspects but the investigation is ongoing. She estimates that over 80 percent of the blazes that forestry fights are arson in nature. The fire was reported noon about half a mile west of Main Street behind a structure. "Fire crews arrived on scene and quickly determined the fire was fairly large and was spreading...

Goldbug and Emlyn volunteer firefighters and the Kentucky Division of Forestry spent several hours Monday afternoon battling a brush fire/forest fire in the Beck’s Creek area of Whitley County. Goldbug Volunteer Fire Chief Brandon Woods said the fire was reported around noon about half a mile up Beck’s Creek Road behind a structure. Woods said that the fire is not endangering any structures and that Goldbug and Emlyn firefighers have been busy staging at the top and bottom of the hill to protect any structures if the need arises while forestry is working to cut containment line around the blaze. Woods said the blaze was “pretty good size” but he didn’t know...

The Whitley County school bus driver, who was fired for leaving an 11-year-old autistic boy on a school bus for over five hours on March 15, has been identified. The News Journal filed an open records request with the Whitley County school district on Friday afternoon to obtain any documents related to the firing of the bus driver. Tim Crawford, an attorney for the school district, replied to the open record request Tuesday afternoon by providing a copy of the notice of termination letter that Superintendent Scott Paul sent to bus driver Derrick Shelton on March 17 and a copy of the investigative report, which was conducted by Transportation Director Bobby...