Timothy Wyatt

I have worked within the journalism field for the better part of a decade on a professional level, though I did spend several years as a member of the student newspaper—one year of which I acted as the paper’s editor-in-chief—while attending the University of the Cumberlands. Aside from a handful of food service jobs I held to make money during college and a brief stint as a federal contract worker around the start of the pandemic, newspapers are all I’ve known. For those reasons, and many others, this is a bittersweet column for me to write, as this could be the last one I write as part of the News...

Some months, I struggle with what I would like to dedicate my time toward writing about. I think any columnist could attest to sometimes grappling with an idea to run with. This wasn’t one of those times for me as I already had at least a general idea of what I’d like to discuss. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Most people know it as ALS or maybe Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after the former Hall of Fame New York Yankees baseball player that was diagnosed with the disease in 1939. ALS is a degenerative nervous system disease that, according to the Mayo Clinic, that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal...

It’s that time of year again—Little League season is finally upon us. Opening Day for Williamsburg Little League is this Saturday, with a ceremony being held at 10 a.m. to recognize each player and team participating in the upcoming season. Having participated in last year’s ceremony, I can say that it is a special day, especially for the kids. This year, however, Williamsburg Little League will also have even more to celebrate, as this year marks its 50th year as a continuous charter member of the international organization. I will once again be participating in the ceremony, as I am returning as the head coach of my daughter’s coach pitch team....

I went to the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention over the weekend, and it was a blast. I’ve always been a fan of comic books. I recall laying on the floor of my grandmother‘s living room and flipping through Spider-Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics when I was a child. I got away from comics a little bit when I was a teenager, but I returned to them in adulthood. I love the art and the stories that they tell. I love how reading a comic feels almost like an intimate act, like you come to really know and care about the characters you follow. But also, I just love...

In the past, I’ve used this column as a means to discuss the increased implementation of roundabouts in our community, which is often a touchy subject. Most people either love them or hate them, and those who remain neutral on the issue are often found very infrequently. And while I do not want to beat a dead horse, the topic was brought back to mind early last week while I was at Williamsburg City Hall covering January’s regular meeting of the Williamsburg City Council. During that meeting, Williamsburg Police Chief Jason Caddell and Assistant Chief Brandon White gave a presentation of the police department’s annual activity report for 2024. As part...

A new year is upon us. For that reason, I imagine many of you may be preparing resolutions for the coming year. While I do respect the decision of those who elect to do so, and I find the practice to be mostly a noble one, it isn’t something I do myself. I don’t really prescribe to any of the common tropes and beliefs that others often share regarding the New Year. I don’t really view it as a blank slate or fresh start, nor do I bother myself with resolutions that I likely won’t ever keep. To me, New Year’s is largely just a change of the calendar—no more...

Today is my birthday. It’s not an occasion that I typically make too much of a fuss about or fret over greatly. Over the years, I’ve had a number of over-the-top celebrations to commemorate the day of my birth, but I’ve grown to prefer a more low-key approach. Usually, I will spend the day trying my best to relax and enjoying the company of my wife and children. The most extravagant part of the day is generally going out to dinner in lieu of eating at home. I also try not to worry too much (largely a feat of its own for me about most things) about the specific age attached to...

I have spent the entirety of my professional career working within the media industry, though the majority of it—the better part of a decade, that is—has been specifically in newspapers. I worked as a staff writer and later served as editor-in-chief at University of the Cumberlands’ student newspaper throughout my entire college tenure before landing a full-time gig with The Times-Tribune, where I spent approximately five years covering news across the Tri-County. After a brief sabbatical, I returned to the industry in May 2022 when I accepted my current position here at the News Journal. One of my primary beats while at the Times was crime and court reporting. When I say...

We have the entire world at our fingertips.  Anything we could ever care to want to know is quickly and easily accessible. Anything we could ever want or need to buy can seemingly be found—likely with no more than two-day shipping. Anything we could ever want to document and preserve forever is as instant and effortless as the tap of the finger. All of this is possible simply by reaching into our pocket (or purse, backpack, etc.) and grabbing a device most of us never keep more than an arm’s length away. Of course, I’m referring to cellphones.  Modern cellphones truly are a marvel of human engineering. Despite fitting easily within the...

Humans are creatures of habit. While many of us may welcome an occasional adjustment to the day-to-day monotony of life, humans—in general—tend to prefer routine. We naturally resist too much change. I use these acknowledgements as a preface to this week’s column because I plan to discuss something that seems to get quite a reaction out of people in this community. With that being said, let’s talk roundabouts. Anytime the News Journal publishes a story regarding roundabouts, it is almost guaranteed to get a reaction from the public. I did a quick review of the last few posts on our Facebook page that mention the word “roundabout,” and nearly all of them...