Breaking News

UPDATE 4: A South Carolina man has been arrested in connection to an alleged attempted child abduction at a Whitley County school earlier Friday. According to a release from Kentucky State Police Public Affairs Officer Trooper Scottie Pennington, law enforcement officials arrested Willie O. Bethea, 37, of Latta, South Carolina, after being located at Walmart in Corbin. Sometime Friday afternoon, Bethea allegedly tried to lure a child from a playground and into his vehicle at Whitley County Intermediate School. He was confronted by school officials and quickly fled the scene. Bethea has been charged with attempted kidnapping of a minor, first–degree criminal trespassing, operating a motor vehicle on a suspended or revoked operator’s...

The Pilot Travel Center off Exit 11 in Williamsburg has been evacuated by police as they attempt to investigate a threat involving the business. Williamsburg Police Assistant Chief Bobby Freeman told the News Journal that a report was made to police Monday evening that someone had threatened to blow up the Pilot Travel Center. The alleged threat originated with an inmate at the Whitley County Detention Center. The inmate, who allegedly made the threat, has been an inmate for approximately three to four weeks and is from Michigan, though police could not share the person’s identity at this time. That inmate allegedly recently got into a fight with another inmate inside...

Update: Corbin police have released additional details regarding two people found shot to death in a vehicle at Baptist Health Corbin late Friday evening in what police say appears to be a murder suicide. The two deceased are identified as Michael Salisbury, 39, and Shonda Parker, 35, both from the Gray community of Knox County. Both victims died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Both bodies were sent for autopsy, and the investigation is ongoing. Corbin Police Detective Robbie Hodge said that police suspect the incident was a murder suicide. "It appears the male shot the female and then shot himself," Hodge said Monday morning. The pair had children in common, but...

Angelia Foster has been named president of Baptist Health Corbin effective Oct. 14. She will replace interim head Matt Bailey, who took over following the Feb. 6 departure of Anthony Powers. Powers had been hospital president since fall 2018. Bailey will be staying on until Nov. 1 to help provide a seamless transition. For the last four years, Foster has been president of Marshfield Medical Center-Beaver Dam, located in the county seat of Dodge County, Wisconsin. The medical center is a not-for-profit facility including a 48-bed acute care hospital, 100-bed skilled nursing facility, ambulatory care, regional clinics, long-term care, assisted living, home care and hospice, sleep center, wound care, retail pharmacy and independent senior...

UPDATE: Two men have been arrested in connection to an alleged road rage incident Friday afternoon near Exit 29 in Corbin that ended with one of the two men reportedly discharging a firearm. The incident occurred at the intersection of Adams Road and KY770 between Love's Travel Stop and Sonny's BBQ. According to a release from the Laurel County Sheriff's Department, Jacob Harness, 26, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was stopped in traffic on Adams Road when he exited his vehicle and began arguing with another motorist in a tractor-trailer behind him. The altercation quickly became physical, with Harness allegedly grabbing the other motorist by the shirt and throwing them to the...

The City of Corbin officially has a new tourism director, and she is a 15-year veteran of the tourism industry. During a special called meeting Wednesday afternoon, the Corbin Tourist and Convention Commission voted to name Nancy Conley as its new executive director. “With great excitement, Nancy Conley has accepted the position of executive director of the City of Corbin Tourist and Convention Commission. Her skills and experiences combined with her deep passion for tourism and community development will serve Corbin, Kentucky well,” the tourism commission said in a statement. Conley’s background encompasses a 15-year career in tourism with the City of Berea where she works in the business and tourism development...

10 percent of Whitley County voters went to the polls to cast their ballots in Tuesday's May Primary election in the Republican and Democrat presidential primaries. As former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden had long since secured enough delegates for their respective party's nomination, turnout was expectedly light. Trump received 73 out 84 votes cast in Whitley County's Republican presidential primary with "uncommitted" receiving five votes, Nikki Haley getting four votes, and Chris Christie and Ron DeSantis each receiving a single vote. Biden received 13 out of the 17 votes cast in Whitley County's Democratic presidential primary with "uncommitted" and Marianne Williamson each receiving two votes each. Republican voters also...

James Wren, II, the Williamsburg attorney charged with DUI last spring while on his way to court for a jury trial, was taken into custody Friday afternoon in Whitley District Court following a two-day trial in which jurors found him guilty of multiple charges. Prior to meeting to deliberate their verdict, Wren, who acted as his own attorney, used his closing arguments to ask jurors for leniency while they considered their decision. “Please, acquit me of the DUI,” Wren asked. “Even if you feel you have to find me guilty of something, convict me of reckless driving…Please, do not send me to jail.” On May 24, 2023, Williamsburg Police arrested Wren, 68,...

The Corbin City Commission has selected its next city manager to replace Marlon Sams, who is retiring effective April 1, and he is a familiar face with extensive knowledge about the workings of city government. The Corbin City Commission held a special meeting late Friday afternoon and met in executive session for more than 80 minutes before returning to regular session and unanimously voting to hire former mayor Scott Williamson as the next city manager at a salary of $72,000 annually. Williamson was one of four finalists for the job. On Jan. 31, the Corbin City Commission interviewed two of the four finalists, and on Feb. 5, they interviewed the other two...

A Williamsburg man who has been missing since Sunday evening has been found alive. Walter Dewayne Dale, 35, was last seen in the area of the Eagle Falls trailhead at Cumberland Falls State Park Resort traveling on foot. A Golden Alert D was issued Monday by the Kentucky State Park Ranger Division and Kentucky State Police, who were actively searching for Dale. Since Dale was last seen, the region has seen several inches of snowfall, which impeded search attempts. However, Dale was located Tuesday afternoon following a report concerning a hiker in need of help, according to Whitley County Emergency Management Director Jerry Rains, who was assisting park rangers and KSP...