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A Corbin man accused beating his girlfriend so severely that she had to be taken to the hospital emergency room Saturday night, pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree assault – domestic violence. Fifty-five-year-old Tony Johnson, who is also facing one count of public intoxication – controlled substance, was arraigned Tuesday in Whitley District Court via video from the Whitley County Detention Center. Judge Fred White set the case for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday. Johnson’s bond remains at $15,000 cash. Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Johnson about 10:15 p.m. at a residence on McKeehan Crossing Road off of U.S. 25W. According to Sheriff Colan Harrell, deputies were called to the scene...

After nearly two weeks of waiting, the Corbin Tourism Commission is moving forward with a request from Wasatch Railroad Group to pay the company an additional $10,000 for moving L&N 232, along with its coal tender and a caboose from Bainbridge, Ga. to Corbin. The initial vote at the regular meeting on Feb. 9 ended in a 3-3 deadlock. At a special called meeting Monday night, the seventh commissioner, Sudhir Patel, was in attendance and cast the deciding vote in favor. Patel said he voted in favor to help keep a good and healthy relationship with Wasatch Railroad Group. The company made the only bid to move the pieces that were gifted...

A pilot program in Whitley and McCreary counties that was designed to expedite the court process in many felony cases is being terminated after nearly six months of operation. In addition, criminal defendants in circuit court cases will no longer receive plea deals that call for them to receive probated or conditionally discharged sentences, or recommendations of alternative sentences, such as drug court, under a new policy being implemented by Commonwealth Attorney Allen Trimble’s Office. Instead, it will strictly be up to the discretion of Whitley Circuit Judges Dan Ballou and Paul Winchester, who will decided at the time of sentencing whether to grant probation or allow a defendant to participate...

Williamsburg police say a minor explosion reported on Feb. 16 on King Mountain Road, which leads to the 911 tower, is apparently just an act of vandalism and not anything more serious. The explosion apparently happened about 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 and damaged a private gate that was across the road. "We are assuming someone did that because they are upset that a gate was across the road," said Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird. Bird said the property is owned by someone in the Patrick family but he isn't sure exactly who the current property owner is. Bird said the owner apparently was upset about people going up on the mountain to...

Williamsburg will soon have an official historic district, which Mayor Roddy Harrison hopes will lead to downtown revitalization. “The benefits of this are preservation and it also offers potential resources that are available, such state and federal tax credits, incentives and grants,” Harrison said. “In no way are we targeting or going after any particular person. This is just to get our downtown revitalized.” During Monday’s monthly meeting, the city council approved a resolution creating an architectural review board/historic preservation commission and the appointment of seven members to the commission. In addition, the council also held the first reading of an ordinance that defines the duties and responsibilities of the new architectural...

A decision on whether the Corbin Tourism Commission will pay Wasatch Railroad Group an additional $10,000 for moving L&N 2132, along with its coal tender and a caboose from Bainbridge, Ga. to Corbin remains up in the air as the vote on the matter ended in a 3-3 deadlock Tuesday night. Tourism Director Maggy Kriebel brought the matter before the board, explaining that the Wasatch crew and equipment was delayed an additional day in Bainbridge because the weight of the steam engine was underestimated by almost 30,000 pounds. As a result, Wasatch officials had to secure additional permits to legally truck the historic piece to Corbin. Kriebel pointed out that Wasatch...

The big question on everyone’s mind now that Barbourville residents have approved the sale of alcohol is will it be sold on Sunday. The answer is yes. The second reading of Barbourville's Resolution 2016-1 was held last Friday; however, the vote by the city council to approve the ordinance was not unanimous. Council member Wilma Barnes was missing, and Councilmember Sherman Lawson was the sole no vote. The 20-page ordinance took Mayor David Thompson nearly an hour to read Thursday, but after all was said and done, the hours were officially set for city alcohol sales. According to the ordinance, alcohol can be sold Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to midnight. Sunday...

A Barbourville woman admitted in court Monday morning that she shot her husband on July 4, 2015, and conceded that prosecutors likely had enough evidence to convict her of shooting him again on Aug. 22, 2015, although she maintains she's innocent in the second shooting case. Penny Lynn Croley, 46, pled guilty Monday to one count of second-degree assault in connection with the July case and entered an Alford plea to a second count of second-degree assault in connection to the August case in exchange for prosecutors recommending a 10-year prison sentence. An Alford plea means that Croley still maintains her innocence but acknowledges that prosecutors likely had enough evidence to...

A CTA employee had to be airlifted after a piece of equipment fell on his leg Tuesday afternoon. Knox County EMS and Corbin firefighters were called to the facility on CTA Blvd. in the Southeast Regional Business Park about 2:45 p.m. Firefighters said the employee, whose name was not available, had been working on one of the machines when a piece of equipment fell off of a forklift and struck his left leg. As a result, the employee suffered a broken ankle and broken foot. The employee was taken by ambulance to Baptist Health Corbin. Firefighters said it was unknown whether the employee was taken to the University of Kentucky or University of Tennessee...

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers wants to make one thing clear to everyone in the tri-county area — Keeneland will be building a $30 million quarter horse racing facility in Corbin. Stivers (R-Manchester) gave that assurance as the featured speaker during the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce monthly membership luncheon Monday. The event was held at The Corbin Center. Despite delays in the start of construction of the facility, Stivers set out to allay fears that the project was in peril or that it may be moving to another community. “There is no deviation in what they want to do and where they want to do it,” Stivers told the crowd. “It’s...