Columns

Suicide is something most people would like to be a lot less familiar with. I suspect most of us have known someone who has killed themselves. I know I have. Several years ago, a friend of mine killed himself. It happened less than 24 hours after I had last seen him. I had gone over to the courthouse to speak with an official and bumped into my old friend. He was there to see the same official. We waited around for approximately 30 minutes chit-chatting about this and that. My friend talked about his wife and daughter for a good bit. I had no clue anything was wrong with him. He seemed...

The MLB season is in the final push with one week left in the season. The AL divisions are still not clinched. However, the National League (NL) division have been clinched as of today (Sunday). Here are some interesting facts, and how the teams clinched their divisions. First, the NL Central where the Brewers clinched the division back on Tuesday the 15th with a 5-1 win over the Pirates. The Brewers are the best team in baseball with a 97-58 record and are led by Cy Young favorite Jacob Misorowski who has a 1.89 ERA. Their bats have also been elite with them having a .259 batting average which is second...

Wow. Corbin High School’s Makena Myatt has been something this year on the golf course. She recently captured the Kentucky 2A Championship shooting an even-par 72 at Owensboro Country Club. She is ranked 10th out of 148 female high school golfers statewide. On Sept. 23, she was slated to tee off at Wasioto Winds Golf Course in Pineville in the region tournament. (The results were not known at the time of the writing of this column.) You could say it is a course she knows well. On Aug. 18, she fired a five under 67 to set the lady’s course record. She even sank a birdie putt on the final hole. Hopefully, she...

As anyone, who has golfed much in their lives will attest, golf is not a cheap sport to play. In addition to purchasing your golf clubs and golf bag, which is an expense ranging from a few hundred dollars to several hundred dollars or more, you also must purchase golf shoes, golf tees, golf gloves and golf balls. These latter four items are much cheaper than the golf clubs but still add up. This is especially true for golf balls, which one periodically tends to lose on the golf course. How often you lose balls depends on a range of factors, such as the golfer’s skill level, the difficulty level of...

Last week was one of THOSE weeks for a lot of people in Whitley County…LOL. Last Tuesday, Patterson Creek Volunteer Fire Department had a structure fire. Then one of their firefighters, who was directing traffic, was struck by a vehicle, and had to be flown out by emergency medical helicopter. Then a vehicle transporting someone with a gunshot wound pulled up to the fire scene. The person with the gunshot wound also had to be flown out. Later in the afternoon a garbage truck collided with a train in the Rockholds’ area, and the garbage truck driver had to be flown out. Late last Tuesday evening, we learned a Williamsburg police sergeant...

The news Thursday that 13 skilled journalists in Lexington were laid off was heart-breaking but also frightening. The suggestion that AI can replace reporters who are trained to observe, interpret, and ask the tough questions is unrealistic. AI is a tool and a resource, but it cannot replace a human reporter. The real danger here is the declining number of journalists in the field. It is not just newspapers. We have witnessed veteran broadcast journalists who have been sidelined as TV goes through its own shakeout. So, what are we losing? What is the real value of journalism? Journalism gives citizens the facts they need to make informed decisions. This information is...

When it comes to golf and specifically the British Open, Corbin native Scott Williamson has an interesting distinction. Aside from the Masters Tournament, which is played each year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, most major championships in golf are played at different courses each year. The British Open, which is the oldest tournament in golf, has been played at 14 different locations throughout the United Kingdom (UK), which is composed of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The tournament is typically played now at one of 10 courses, including Royal Liverpool (Hoylake), Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Royal Troon, Royal St. George’s, Royal Birkdale, Carnoustie, Turnberry, Muirfield, Royal...

The end of the MLB season is less than a month away, and some awards are going to be a blowout while others are going to be close. Some awards have been closer as of lately. These are my predictions for the MLB awards. First, the Cy Young in the National League (NL), where I believe that it will come down to Chris Sale and Jacob Misorowski. This year Sale has had a 2.10 ERA with 184 strikeouts (K) to go with only 29 walks. He also has a 14-9 record, and a 1.01 Whip in 150 innings pitched (IP) and 11 K/9. Now, Miskorowski’s resume, he has a 1.97...

The 43rd Annual Old Fashioned Trading Days festival is almost upon us. It takes place Thursday through Saturday in downtown Williamsburg. Back when we had an office in Williamsburg, for me, one of the best parts of Old Fashioned Trading Day was being able to step out of my office, walk a few feet and have lots of choices in terms of places to eat for lunch. Back then the options in Williamsburg were much more limited. The Whitley County Cattlemen’s Association is always one of my “go to” places to eat at these local festivals. They have an efficient set up where the food basically goes from the freezer to...

A couple of months ago, my wonderful wife, Cecelia, and I did something I had never done before. We purchased a new vehicle. I am not talking about a “new to me” vehicle. I am talking about a “brand new” vehicle. I am not going to lie. I enjoyed driving it home. When I pulled into the garage, the odometer displayed 85 miles part of which I put on it during two test drives. (I am sure this happiness will be much less, so when we make the first payment, which I think is due any time. Cecelia takes care of the bill paying…LOL.) For all intents and purposes our Mazda SUV...