Business

The Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce would like to thank Northern Contours of Corbin for creating the Pay It Forward Business Support Fund. This initiative, in the spirit of community, was conceived to help small businesses in our community while also encouraging recipients to “pay it forward.” Northern Contours, partnering with the Southern Kentucky Chamber, the Cities of Corbin and Williamsburg, as well as the Corbin Industrial Development Commission, are pleased to announce the recipients of the Pay It Forward Business Support Fund: Alan Galleries, LLC Best Western Corbin Inn Campbell’s Ceramics Corbin One Hour Cleaners and Tuxedo Rental CTTS Community Tracking and Treatment Solutions Dora Mobley DBA Alley...

Corbin’s own Lauren Shackleford was among the many high school students in the area who were left disappointed by the fact that the 2019-2020 school year had to be cut short this past spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. An accomplished bowler, she has unfortunately had to miss out on what would have been some major competitions at the lanes recently, and not being able to enter the classroom since March has generally made things difficult for this soon-to-be senior Redhound. However, despite all the setbacks Shackleford has still managed to gain some national recognition recently, securing a runner-up finish in this year’s National Future Business Leaders of America Leadership...

Brenna McDaniel of Corbin, KY has been awarded a 2020 Kay Campbell Nursing Scholarship from Grace Health. Brenna, the daughter of Craig and Denise McDaniel, will receive a $3,000 scholarship award for her nursing career studies, which she will begin pursing this fall following her graduation from Corbin High School. Grace Health awards the Kay Campbell Nursing Scholarship to a student in each of its six service areas in Southeastern Kentucky. The scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors pursuing a career in nursing or a medical related field. The students are chosen on a competitive basis of high scholarship, community service and leadership, and promise of future contributions preferably to...

Folks driving by the original Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Corbin will notice that renovations are still very much underway. As previously reported, a major remodel is in the works that will transform the birthplace of KFC into a one-of-a-kind destination where visitors can get their fill of delicious fried chicken while celebrating the life and legacy of founder Colonel Harland Sanders. As for when the remodel will be completed, Mr. Steve Dearing is hoping to have everything in place by September or October of this year. Dearing is the Senior Vice President of Design and Construction for JRN, Inc. JRN is one of the largest KFC franchisees in existence,...

When it became evident that COVID-19 would not be going anywhere as we entered the summer season one of the biggest questions that folks began asking was, “Will water parks still be allowed to open?” Luckily, our very own Kentucky Splash Water Park in Williamsburg was able to officially open its doors during the recent July 4th holiday weekend, but General Manager Diane Bruers explains that things will look and feel a little differently, at least for the immediate future. “Normally, the Fourth of July weekend would be our biggest weekend of the year,” Bruers said. “But we probably had about half of what our capacity is, so it was really...

The Mountjoy name is synonymous with Williamsburg. Among the important titles held by members of this family include school superintendent, mayor, sheriff and state representative. The gymnasium inside Williamsburg High School is named J.B. Mountjoy Gym. All you have to do is walk around the town, and chances are you’ll see the name appear in all kinds of places. Included in the long list of Mountjoys who have had a lasting impact on this community is Dr. John Mountjoy, who after 40 years of practicing dentistry in his hometown, has decided to retire. “I was born and raised here,” Mountjoy said of Williamsburg. “I went to Williamsburg High School. My mom...

May unemployment numbers in Kentucky were a mix of bad news and good news regarding the state’s economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic. First the bad news, unemployment rates rose in all 120 Kentucky counties between May 2019 and May 2020, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. The good news is that unemployment rates in all 120 Kentucky counties fell between April 2020 and May 2020 with rates in Whitley County and surrounding counties dropping between 4.3 – 6 percent during that time frame. Whitley County’s unemployment rate decreased from 15.6 percent in April 2020 to 11.3 percent in May...

In the wake of COVID-19 business shutdowns, a Better Business Bureau study shows that employment scams continue to be the number one riskiest scam to job seekers. The most common “scam job” offer? 65% of respondents reported the “job” was related to reshipment of packages, (often involving stolen goods). Titles used include “warehouse redistribution coordinator” or similar positions. In many cases, these scammers impersonated well-known retailers like Amazon and Walmart to appear legitimate, posting jobs on major online employment platforms with few prerequisites or requirements. The BBB Employment Scams Report examines findings from an April 2020 survey of 10,670 U.S. and Canadian consumers reporting employment scams to BBB Scam Tracker. The...

In 2020, Thunder Sam’s Fireworks is celebrating their 21st year in business at their current location in Jellico, Tenn. Owner John Davenport and his crew are very excited about that fact. They are also excited to once again have the opportunity to provide area customers with the very best selection in consumer fireworks with another Independence Day holiday approaching. “We sell all of your traditional fireworks packages, and being in Tennessee, our artillery shells are up to three inches,” Davenport said. “We also have a lot of big finale pieces, or cakes as we call them, all the way down to smaller items like smoke bombs and sparklers.” Davenport is a...

The Center for Rural Development is taking technology to the next level by using Zoom, a cloud-based video communications app, to provide no-cost essential workforce skills training for unemployed and underemployed individuals in 14 Kentucky coal-impacted areas. The online training workshops, part of the “Becoming Your Best in the Workplace” training series, will be held from 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. on July 9 and Aug. 13 and streamed live to participants using the latest Zoom technology. The training is provided at no cost to unemployed and underemployed individuals who live in Bell, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, Letcher, McCreary, Perry, Pulaski and Whitley counties. “In today’s business climate, finding a...