Columns

In my time here at the News Journal, I have had the opportunity to witness several history-making achievements by our coverage area athletic programs. Many classic contests have taken place over the years with district championship titles on the line, and the same can be said for a long list of regional championship encounters as well. I have also had the chance to watch many of our local student-athletes compete for statewide championships, with some being successful in their quests to bring state titles back home with them. When I think back on all that has transpired, it is difficult to say which individual accomplishments were the most consequential. I can...

I don’t know about you, but I had the best Halloween ever. From dressing up as Enid Sinclair from Wednesday to karaoke, celebrating my friend’s birthday, and joining the University of the Cumberlands (UC) community band as an alum, this past week was terror-ific in the best way possible. The day before Halloween, my sister and I went costume shopping. We explored the entire store but instantly got hooked on the Wednesday costumes. Wednesday has become a favorite show for both of us since its latest season came out recently. I decided to be the character Enid since I recently added peek-a-boo pink to my blonde hair. I didn’t plan to...

Written by Diane Taylor Roberts I am sharing a chapter from my book, “That’s What I Thought” regarding Cumberland Falls. One of my favorite places is Cumberland Falls State Park, and I am proud that my book is now sold in their gift shop. I am flooded with memories every time I visit the park. It is a wonderful place to enjoy the beauty of nature, meet visitors from other areas, and totally relax and unwind. If you haven’t visited the park lately, you could not find a more opportune time to do so with the brilliant fall colors ready to peak. While you are there, take in the beauty...

When it comes to presents, what do you get somebody that has pretty much everything or most everything that they realistically want. That is a question that I often ponder when it comes time to buy presents for certain people like my dad, Mike White. He is retired so he doesn’t need work clothing. While he still plays golf some, he has enough golf balls at this point to do him for a couple of lifetimes. His favorite baseball team is the Detroit Tigers, and his favorite football team is the Detroit Lions, but there is only so much team paraphernalia that a person needs. You can also only wear so many U.K. shirts...

Since 2017, we at the News Journal have been able to partner with the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to publish a quarterly magazine publication called Strictly Business. We hope that readers have found it interesting to get behind-the-scenes looks at many of our local area businesses. I can honestly say that it has been incredibly rewarding for me personally to get to write many of these stories. Recently, I had the opportunity to take a tour of Stidham Cabinet and get the full story of their 50-year operation from the founder himself, Mr. James Stidham. The plant is located in Keavy, and while I have been there before, this...

With football games every week and now basketball ready to start, baseball can be overlooked at this time of the year. But starting this week the World Series will begin. When I was young the World Series was what made the headlines. Big games that every sports fan talked about. I loved every minute of it. The games between the Brooklyn Dodgers with Pee Wee Reese (from Louisville) against the Yankees made for real excitement. Then there was Bobby Thompson winning the Series for the Giants with his famous home run with a Corbin relative, Russ Hodges, announcing the game and some of the greatest players, of which we all knew,...

This past week was busy in the best possible way, and I wanted to share three events I attended. I attended the Whitley Area Retired Teachers’ Association (WARTA) meeting, the Ghost Tour at the Corbin Public Library (CPL), and watched the Corbin High School (CHS) Marching band compete at the Quarterfinals at South Laurel High School. The WARTA meeting was something I didn’t know existed until recently. For those who don’t know, I taught for one year, which is why this meeting interested me. I walked in feeling a bit nervous since I didn’t know anyone. President Meg Judd greeted us, encouraging everyone to introduce themselves along with an interesting fact....

Weatherwise, Saturday proved to be a near perfect fall day with slightly cool temperatures in the morning making way for pleasant temperatures throughout the day for a few local events. Turnout was great in downtown Corbin for the annual Octoberfest celebration, which was held in conjunction with the final Cumberland Valley Cruise-In of the season. I think I attended all or pretty much all the Cumberland Valley Cruise-Ins this season. Turnout was great for each of them with several antique cars and trucks on display. I don’t know about anyone else, but I have always liked looking at antique cars. Vehicles from back in the 1950s and 1960s really had a lot...

It’s been a busy time at the Whitley County Fairgrounds, and the festivities this month are just getting started. Last Wednesday, I took my daughter and her friend down to see the Great Pages Circus underneath the new open air structure, and I was blown away. I have seen this particular circus perform in our local area before, and they always do a great job regardless of the venue. The fairgrounds provided the perfect setting, however, and you couldn’t have asked for better weather on the night of the show. See some of the photos that I took while at the circus elsewhere inside this week’s edition. On Saturday, I was back at...

For the past three years, the arrival of the fall season has meant live horse racing right here in Corbin, KY. If you have never seen the races for yourself at The Mint – Cumberland Run, then go ahead and mark your calendars right now, because you won’t want to miss out on the fun and excitement. Racing will kick off at The Mint – Cumberland Run, located at 777 Winners Lane just off the Corbin Bypass, on Saturday, Oct. 11. On that day, The Mint will be partnering with WD Bryant ACE Hardware and Recteq Grills to present a special “Grill Off” event where visitors to the track will...