Trevor Sherman

With the 1950’s coming to a close, it was business as usual for U.S. Representative, and Williamsburg’s own, Eugene Siler, Sr. Always looking for ways to bring more industry to the Eighth District, Siler played an integral role in the Small Business Administration conducting a survey in the area. “In an effort to ease the pinch of unemployment now plaguing several Southeastern Kentucky counties, Congressman Eugene Siler announced today that the U.S. Small Business Administration will conduct surveys in his Congressional District,” read a report in the March 5, 1959 edition of the Whitley Republican. “The objective is to interest new industries and business locating in the area, and to...

We are currently in the middle of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s yearly mandated dead period for athletic activities across the state. It is a time to regroup, reflect and prepare for what lies ahead as another high school sports year is about to get underway. In that same spirit, it seems like as good of a time as any for me to throw some ideas out there to all of our readers, and discuss some potential options for how statewide athletic contests could be organized in the future. These ideas aren’t necessarily new to anyone, as these debates have been ongoing for some time now, but I figure...

Hopefully, you have been following along in recent weeks with the ongoing special series dedicated to looking at issues related to homelessness and housing insecurity in our local area. We have spoken to a couple of faith leaders about ongoing efforts to assist those who are in need of basic necessities. We have also checked in with KCEOC Community Action Partnership to learn about some of the reasons behind why folks might find themselves experiencing housing insecurity. Most recently, we spoke to the director of the Emergency Christian Ministries homeless shelter in Williamsburg about how people can begin to climb their way out of desperation and back toward sustainability. Working...

Before being elected to a third term in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1958, Williamsburg’s own Eugene Siler, Sr. was hard at work in searching for opportunities that might provide some relief to the people living in some of the more impoverished areas of his home district. One of those efforts was documented in an article that appeared in the July 10, 1958 edition of the Whitley Republican. “Congressman Eugene Siler hopes McCreary County, Kentucky will be eligible for help under the depressed areas bill pending in Congress,” the report read. “He has taken action to make McCreary, and perhaps several other hard-hit counties, eligible for consideration. The Williamsburg...

It has been a busy, busy week as far as local sports are concerned. Many of our area youngsters are continuing to compete in various youth sports leagues, and many more are signing up for summer camp opportunities. We have learned who will be the next head coach of the Corbin High School football program. We have seen Corbin tennis players make deep runs in state tournaments, and we have seen new regional champions crowned in high school baseball and softball. While all of this was going on, we also had a long list of coverage area student-athletes who made the trip to Lexington last Thursday and Friday to compete...

There are certain topics of conversation that come up frequently here in the offices of the News Journal. Among those is the seemingly worsening issue of homelessness and housing insecurity in our local communities. All you have to do is look around, and you will notice that there are more people than ever before who are asking for help. Their specific requests may vary depending on each individual situation, but the one common theme seems to be that they have nowhere to call home. It’s really sad, and the effects of this issue go far beyond just those who are dealing with it directly. It truly is affecting us all,...

After a successful four-year stint as a congressman in the United States House of Representatives, Williamsburg’s Eugene Siler, Sr. decided to once again run for re-election in 1958. Not content to simply rest on his laurels, though, he continued to work hard on behalf of his district while campaigning to remain in Washington for a third term. In March of 1958, Siler appealed to President Dwight Eisenhower and Col. Eugene Stann, Army engineer, to urge public works programs to relieve woes related to unemployment in Southeastern Kentucky. In a letter to the president, Siler proposed the building of roads, trails, parking areas and sanitary, water and fire-control facilities in all national...

I was talking to Economic Development Director Bruce Carpenter after the conclusion of last Thursday’s Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event called, “Bridging the Workforce Gap,” and I commented to him that the morning’s proceedings had really served to change my perspective on some things. I am aware that it is not uncommon for jails, including ours here in Whitley County, to offer certain educational and/or job training opportunities to those who are incarcerated, but I have also never thought about the potential of jails to be what I called “employee factories.” “That is the idea,” Bruce told me, and I must say, I am very excited about how a newly...

Anyone who follows Corbin High School athletics knows that the Redhounds are no strangers to the spotlight. Since the very beginning, the school’s history is highlighted with countless athletic achievements by both teams and individuals. For this reason, it takes a lot to say that any particular week was “bigger” or “more important” than another. This past week has certainly been noteworthy, though. Let’s start with former CHS football coach Larry “Cotton” Adams being honored this past Sunday at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s 2024 Hall of Fame banquet. During Adams’ time leading the football Hounds (1981-1994) the team won a state championship title in 1982 and a state...

Entering into the year 1957, Congressman Eugene Siler, of Williamsburg, continued to establish a track record of being a strong advocate for the people of his district from his seat in the United States House of Representatives. On January 10, 1957, a story titled “Congressman Siler seeking to lure papermakers to this area” appeared in the Whitley Republican. “Representative Eugene Siler has launched a one-man campaign to attract pulp-and-paper manufacturers into his Southeastern Kentucky district,” the story said. “Siler has pointed out the advantages of the area in a letter to executives of wood-using firms throughout the country.” Later that month, Siler spearheaded efforts to establish a “self-aid” program in the Eighth...