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As part of its duties, the Whitley County Health Department conducts routine public health inspections of various entities, including restaurants, stores, schools, mobile home parks, swimming pools, etc. Some of the most recent inspections include: Food inspections Dollar Tree #5610, 125 Walmart Way, Williamsburg – 97. May 11 regular inspection. Violations: physical facilities not properly installed, maintained and clean; response procedures for vomiting and diarrheal events not in place. Rainbow Connection, 2413 S. Main St., Corbin – 100. May 11 regular inspection. Sante Fe Mexican Restaurant, 1885 Cumberland Falls HWY, Corbin – 84. May 11 regular inspection. Violations: physical facilities not properly installed, maintained and clean; in-use utensils not properly stored; permit, inspection or...

The greater Corbin area used to have not one but two golf courses. Both are now closed. I miss one of these courses. The second one not so much…LOL. I suspect many of you, who played both courses, probably agree with me. I am talking about the old Tri-County Country Club and Sweet Hollow Golf Course. Both were nine-hole courses, but not every nine-hole course is created equally. Tri-County was in western Knox County between Old Barbourville Highway and the Cumberland Gap Parkway. When I say located between the two roads, I mean literally. The entrance for Tri-County Country Club was off Old Barbourville Highway. Cumberland Gap Parkway was visible from the...

One member of the Williamsburg’s Future Farmer of America (FFA) Chapter recently attended the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) in Washington, D.C., where she developed leadership skills and learned more about the nation’s history. Chloe Sawyers joined hundreds of FFA members throughout the nation to participate in the WLC in Washington, D.C., offered by the National FFA organization. Participants engaged in workshops focused on servant leadership, community service, goal setting and civic engagement. Participants also visited several national landmarks, including national monuments, memorials and museums during the conference. The Kentucky FFA Foundation made the opportunity possible through funding from The Bill Gatton Foundation, which allowed 100 FFA Kentucky members to participate in the...

A local choir director hosted a community performance last Saturday, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary through American music’s identity and Appalachian culture. Nick Hibbard, choir director at Corbin High School, is a member of the American Choral Directors Association. He said around one year ago, a group within the association was putting together a program called “Sing Democracy,” but he did not think the required songs matched what he thought this concert should be. “They were not pieces I felt fit in well with our community, audience and the people who would be singing. I wanted to do something, so instead I created my own,” Hibbard said. The choir was made up of...

Young superheroes and their families gathered at the University of the Cumberlands Patriot Park on a rainy Saturday for the Whitley County Health Department’s fourth annual Superhero Day. The free event featured 20 vendors, games, giveaways, pizza and drinks, while attendees dressed as their favorite superheroes and enjoyed a day of fun. "The goal is to improve community connectiveness which improves community resilience," said Director Marcy Rein. "A resilient community is healthier."

This 4th of July weekend, you can celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with your community. From food eating contests to firework shows, there are plenty of events happening throughout the tri-counties to spend this holiday weekend with your friends and family. Lighting up the night in Corbin The city of Corbin and The Corbin Arena are sponsoring an “Independence Day Firework Spectacular” from 7-10 p.m. on Friday outside of The Corbin Arena. The festivities will begin with a live music performance by Whiskey Ridge, a variety of food trucks and inflatables for children to enjoy. The firework show starts at 9:45 p.m. Corbin City Manager Scott Williamson said Corbin’s Independence Day firework show is...

Some local first responders did their part to help flash flooding victims over the weekend as Woodbine Fire and Rescue, the Corbin Fire Department and the London-Laurel Rescue Squad all deployed to hard hit areas. Corbin Fire Capt. Trevor Allen said the three agencies deployed a total of about 16 swift water technicians and four swift water boats. “There was a lot of rain that had come down for that quick amount of time. I did not see any homes that were just swept off their foundation, but homes had water damage coming in. There were little out buildings and stuff like that, which had been washed away. There were some...

By John Curtis White The NBA finals just concluded, and it was one of the most exciting finals in recent history. The New York Knicks ended up winning in 5 games to end a drought that had lasted since 1973. One reason that this year’s finals was so exciting was the fact that the Spurs led by 10 or more points in every single game. Here is my recap of the 2026 NBA finals. First, Game 1 where the Knicks won 105-95 in San Antonio. At one point in Game 1, the Spurs were up 65-51 with 6:31 left to go in the 3rd quarter and ended up choking the game...

Two local students were recognized for their artwork in the annual Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl original drawing contest. The contest is a way for students to demonstrate their understanding of wildfire prevention and environmental conservation principals. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and the National Garden Clubs. For more than 50 years, the contest has encouraged students in first through fifth grade to create original artwork to help convey Smokey Bear’s message of, “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires!” and Woodsy Owl’s message of, “Lend a Hand, Care for the Land.” This year’s local winners include third grade student Matthias Jackson and fifth grade student Madelyn...

That’s What I Thought by Diane Taylor Roberts Thirty Years Ago I made several really good friends while attending Cumberland College in the late 70’s and I am still friends with all of them today.  I had lost touch with one dear friend, Carolyn Bargo Bowman.  We were such good friends in college, we graduated, then I moved to Tennessee and we lost contact with one another.  By chance we met in Williamsburg again in 2024.  True friendships are timeless.  Decades can pass, yet when you reunite, the conversation flows and you pick up right where you left off. It is the beautiful realization that some bonds are never broken...