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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...

A pair of bizarre attacks involving a squirrel last week briefly had students, faculty and administrators on edge at Corbin Middle School, and made off-limits certain outdoor areas near where the attacks happened. School Principal Cindy Davis said the first attack happened last week near a covered outdoor picnic area after a student threw a stick at the squirrel. “It came after him. It was going after his arm,” Davis said. She said the student was taken to Baptist Health Corbin’s emergency room as a precautionary measure. She didn’t think the squirrel’s attempts to bite the student had broken the skin. The following day, the squirrel went after a female student who was...

A Corbin man was arrested Friday night after Corbin Police say he beat and stabbed his girlfriend and held her prisoner for approximately four days. Thirty-nine-year-old Earl H. Jackson was charged with first-degree unlawful imprisonment and first-degree assault after police say they found the woman beaten and bloodied at a residence on Tennessee Street where he was reportedly staying. Jackson Corbin Police Capt. Coy Wilson said police were contacted Friday night by a friend of the victim, identified as Kristi Lee, who reported that she had received a Facebook message from Lee. “She was beat up,” Wilson said of Lee, adding the message stated that she had been assaulted by Jackson and was...

A Wofford man was transported to the hospital by ambulance for treatment of smoke inhalation following a structure fire early Friday afternoon. The fire was reported shortly before 1:30 p.m. at a residence across the street from Wofford Baptist Church. “It appears right now that an old fireplace got too hot and it got smoky in the house,” said Goldbug Volunteer Fire Chief Brandon Woods. “It looks like he was trying to draw the smoke out. He had a fan at the back door and a fan at the front door. What he was able to tell me was he was trying to get the fire out. He got overwhelmed with smoke...

The only fatality during a single-vehicle accident Thursday afternoon on Ky. 92E was that of a utility pole, which was snapped in two after being struck by an SUV. The accident happened about 3:45 p.m. on Ky. 92E about 12 miles east of Williamsburg. Coleman Lacy, 20, of Ft. Mitchell, was driving east on the wet road when he lost control of the vehicle, went off the side of the roadway and struck the utility pole near the driver's side door. "He came around the curve after it just started raining. I guess he was going too fast for the curve with the rain, lost control, went off the roadway and cut...

Three area fire departments were called to Whayne Supply in Corbin Wednesday to battle a fire in the building’s paint room and exhaust system. According to Corbin Fire Capt. Doug Brock, firefighters were initially dispatch just after 11 a.m. after multiple calls to 911 reporting flames coming from the roof of the building on South Kentucky Ave. Brock stated in the department’s run report that company officials told firefighters that the fire was in the paint room. Firefighters entered the building with one hose line while the sprinkler system was activated to knock down the flames. Corbin firefighters requested tankers from Woodbine and Oak Grove Fire departments because of the distance to the...