Columns

I recently experienced one of the greatest joys of my life. I saw my favorite band, BTS, in Las Vegas with my sister. It was a smooth, fun and safe trip. As I explained in my last opinion column, I got on a plane for the first time. I told you all I would update you on that experience and whether I would develop a fear so I will do that first. Airplanes are weird and clouds look funny up close. I think airplanes are weird because the whole process felt unreal: boarding, being in the air, the pilot knowing how to land and where to land. I also think clouds...

The political winds of change were blowing across the Tri-County area on Election Day as there were some big political shakeups in Laurel and Knox counties. In Laurel County, longtime Judge Executive David Westerfield lost a close primary election to Walter T. Hulett. Incumbent coroner Doug Bowling also lost his bid for re-election to challenger Mike Masters. In Knox County, incumbent Judge-Executive Mike Smith lost his bid for re-election to challenger Jeff Ketcham by a nearly two-to-one margin. By contrast, there wasn’t much political change in Whitley County on Election Day. Incumbent Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. was not even challenged in his bid for re-election. Neither was Second-District Magistrate Mondo Cima. Third-District...

By: Gray Hawkins If I had to describe how I feel right now in one word, “surreal” would be a safe bet. Even with three years of college experience in a journalism major under my belt, the first day working as an intern for The News Journal feels like the first day period. I stepped inside this building one time before this internship in 2022 soon after I and the other students in Corbin High School’s journalism class began producing our own newspaper, The Paws Print. I cannot say with certainty how much has changed since our little field trip, but some things are easier to identify than others. The room I...

2018 doesn’t really seem like that long ago until you look at a calendar… or the changes throughout the field of journalism. Eight years ago, I started my first job in a professional newsroom as a Kentucky Press Association intern. Which newsroom was that you might ask? It was just a few doors down the hall from the office I am sitting in to write this column. My journey in professional journalism started here at the News Journal. I credit much of my career success to this newspaper. I have told the staff on multiple occasions that I am who I am as a journalist today because of the lessons I...

Recently, I had to say goodbye to a furry friend. I am not going to lie. I bawled my eyes out more than I have at the funeral of some human friends. It is amazing how close we can become with our pets. Gizmo lived a good life up until the very end. We got him and his sister, Gadget, approximately 18 years ago when they were kittens. They were so small back then they would have fun jumping through the holes in lattice under our back deck. During their early years they were inseparable and loved spending time outside. If we would have moved his food outside and gone out there to play...

Whitley County recently lost two pillars of the community with the recent death of former Williamsburg business owner Paul Steely and Corbin Dr. William Briscoe. Steely died at the age of 95 years old on April 28. He was well known in the Williamsburg community as one of the owners of Paul Steely Ford. He purchased the first Ford Explorer ever sold off the lot of Paul Steely Ford. He also purchased the last Ford Explorer ever sold off the lot on Sept. 11, 2009, right before it closed after more than 28 years in business. Steely, who was a lifelong Williamsburg resident, was much more than just a successful businessman. He...

In approximately two weeks or less, I will be seeing my favorite band of 10 years in concert in Las Vegas with my sister. I am still in denial because it does not feel real. We will also be getting on a plane for the first time ever. Panic mode: activated. I have always wondered if I have a fear of planes. I always thought I did, but I have never actually been on one, so I’m not sure how I’ll respond. Knowing my fear of heights, it is safe to say I will likely be full of fear. I will give you an update soon on how I will...

The 2026 session of the Kentucky General Assembly was a very good one for Whitley County, which received nearly $11 million in funding for various projects in addition to millions more for various road projects. The Williamsburg-Whitley County Airport is getting $7 million for a new runway expansion. $1.5 million has been earmarked for a replacement water tank for the City of Williamsburg. An additional $1.5 million – on top of previous state funding – is going to help pay for the jail renovation and expansion project, and $950,000 is allocated to help renovate the old Williamsburg post office into an innovation hub. It will be good to see something positive...

What do you hear about this year’s election? This is a common question I typically get this time of year. This year I would sum up my answer with one word. Quiet. It’s a word Whitley County Clerk Carolyn Willis also recently used to describe the upcoming May Primary Election when I interviewed her, as well as various others. There just is not much buzz about it. This may have something to do with the fact many races are uncontested this year in Whitley County, such as judge-executive, coroner, district judge, county attorney, state representative and PVA. This is probably a sign most people are generally content with the job these incumbents are doing. This isn’t...

Court usually isn’t like what you see in the movies or on television. Truth be told, there is a lot of sitting around for sometimes hours waiting for a judge to call a case much of the time. The lawyers speak for a couple of minutes about motion or waiting on test results, and then the judge sets another hearing date. Big trials are another story. These can be interesting to watch sometimes. This is particularly true if you have a couple of really good lawyers going at it. Tom Handy, who died last week, was one of the best. Handy spenxt 28 years working as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Knox...