Mark White

You just can’t fit all the news from a year into a top 10 list, like the one running on our front page in this week’s edition of the News Journal. Sure, we get the big news events in there, but that doesn’t mean there still weren’t quite a few other interesting and memorable news stories in 2024, such as the completion of a mural dedicated to Nibroc, a Corbin JROTC cadet recognized for saving a man’s life, a proposed Williamsburg housing development for senior citizens, and the inaugural Honey Festival in Williamsburg. Here are a few of some of the other interesting headlines from 2024 that didn’t quite make the...

A little while back, a post on the Corbin Police Department’s Facebook page caught my attention. It was about Sgt. Jeff Hill, who had encountered a young boy, whose bicycle had broken down after its chain came off. Hill along with Cpl. Will Stewart quickly stepped in to fix the issue. Then Patrolman Justin Walker, Patrolman Jarrett Carr and Patrolman First Class Chris Brown made sure he was safely back on the road. Hill noticed that the boy’s bike was worn out and in rough shape. After a discussion with Chief Rusty Hedrick, the Corbin Police Department went the extra mile and surprised the young boy with a brand-new bicycle and...

One thing about doing journalism in a small town compared to some place bigger is that in a small community – like it or not – you are going to directly get feedback from time to time about what you write. For instance, take Thanksgiving Day. I had driven down to Williamsburg to cover the annual Turkey Trot 5k, and stopped off at a local convenience store on my way home to get something to drink. I am looking in one of the aisles when I hear one of the female clerks tell the other female clerk, “You can’t do anything without it being all over the News Journal!” or words...

A couple of years ago, my wonderful wife, Cecelia, decided that she wanted us to get each other “experiences” for Christmas. Since she is always complaining about being cold, I bought her a heater. It is one of those small, oscillating tower things. I told her the “experience” was warmth. She rolled her eyes, but each winter she keeps it plugged in blowing hot air at her while she is sitting on the loveseat in our living room watching television. (FYI-she got some other experiences too that year, like tickets to the musical “Cats.”) Last year, she wanted more “experiences.” You guessed it. I bought her a second little heater that she keeps...

The number of television broadcasters that I’ve met and worked with personally over 30 plus years in journalism, who I consider to be first-rate journalists, can be counted on two hands with maybe a finger or two leftover. WYMT General Manager Neil Middleton is near the top of that very short list. I first got to know Neil when I broke into journalism locally after college. At the time Neil had already been the Cumberland Valley bureau chief for WYMT for a few years. Neil was probably about 30 years old or so then and “the veteran” of the fairly young contingent of journalists that covered the local area and a guy...

In a world often full of election denial, conspiracy theories and concerns over foreign groups possibly tampering with our election results, have you ever wondered whether the totals that the voting machines in your local voting center come up are accurate and how we could even know whether those results are accurate? Both are good questions. Thanks to a new recount procedure, which was used for the first time in Kentucky last Thursday morning, we now know whether the machines and the human election officials get the same vote totals. Every so often the Kentucky General Assembly gets something right like it did with passage of House Bill 53 back in April. House...

Assuming that I make it until then, late next month will mark my 30th anniversary working here at the News Journal. During that time, I don’t think I have seen any more passionate conversations and debates about a proposed state constitutional amendment than I have regarding Amendment 2, which will be on the Nov. 5 ballot. Simply put, if approved, this amendment would allow the Kentucky General Assembly to fund private schools. This amendment is on the ballot because several prior efforts by the Kentucky General Assembly to allow funding for private schools have been ruled unconstitutional by the Kentucky Supreme Court. Several Republican legislators have touted this amendment as a way...

Congratulations to Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Leach, who recently achieved a lifelong dream by graduating from the police academy. He wasn’t your typical 20-something cadet either. He did it at the age of 38, which I found particularly impressive. Leach told me that he has dreamed of becoming a deputy sheriff since he was 10 years old. “I like helping people in general and serving great people. Most of all I want to inspire people. Don’t give up on your dreams,” Leach said. Want to become a chef or a published author or a firefighter? Just remember that if you are willing to put in the work, it usually isn’t too late to...

Even before I read Trevor Sherman’s story last week about Central Baptist Church’s planned renovations and the return of former pastor Don Mathis to preach the Oct. 13 service, I had actually been thinking about Brother Don recently. While most around here know him as Central Baptist Church’s Pastor between 1979 and 1992, I knew him as coach. Back then after you aged out of T-ball there were two options. Little League as it was referred to was a kid pitch league for the older, better kids. Then there was Minor League, which used a pitching machine and was primarily for the younger kids and the older kids, who weren’t very...

In the Batman comics, the Joker is this insane criminal, who paints his face in clown make-up, has a maniacal laugh and strives to create chaos and mayhem. Something tells me that southeastern Kentucky would have been his kind of place the last few weeks. On Sept. 7, Joseph Couch of Woodbine sent a text message to a woman that police identified as his girlfriend saying that he planned to kill a lot of people or at least try. He also texted that he was going to kill himself afterwards. About 30 minutes later he allegedly opened fire at vehicles on I-75 from a rural, rugged area off Exit 49 in...