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Scenes from this year’s Christmas shopping events with Corbin and Williamsburg PD. Pictures from the Corbin Shop with a Cop were taken by Leeann Fragosa. Pictures from the Williamsburg Shop with a Cop were taken by Trevor Sherman.    

No foul play is suspected at this time in the Saturday death of a Keavy woman, who was found deceased inside a burned residence, according to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. Laurel County Coroner Doug Bowling pronounced Debra Kay Moore, 58, of Cassidy Road, deceased. Her body was found about 2:30 p.m. inside the Cassidy Road residence, which is about nine miles southwest of London, according to a Laurel County Sheriff’s Office release. Laurel Sheriff’s Arson and Fire Detective Brian Lewis and Detective Sgt. Taylor McDaniel are conducting the death investigation. “Upon arrival at the scene, detectives began their investigation and discovered a female deceased inside the badly fire damaged residence,” the...

A total of 45 participants in 26 kayaks and five jon boats turned out Saturday morning for the Ninth Annual Kayaking for Kids race along the Cumberland River. “We greatly appreciate the turnout, and it looks like we are going to have a great raft. We have really been blessed with weather this year,” Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. told participants Saturday morning before the start of the race. “You all have helped us build this into a very successful event over the years. Over the past nine years we have raised tens of thousands of dollars from this event. From the bottom of our hearts, we really thank...

What is the point of having zoning if you live in a neighborhood zoned R-1 for “single-family residential dwellings as principal use” and someone can open up a sober living home on your street that will potentially have about half a dozen strangers living there with each other? This was the fundamental question posed to the Williamsburg City Council during its regular monthly meeting Monday by a group of about half a dozen or so Moore Road residents. City officials didn’t really have any good answers to this question or what Moore Road residents could potentially do to stop a sober living home from opening on their street. However, city leaders...

A London woman is facing a vehicular homicide charge in connection with a three-vehicle fatal accident early Friday morning on American Greeting Card Road that took the life of a Corbin resident. An Aug. 5 preliminary hearing has been scheduled in Laurel District Court for Kimberly Hedrick, 55, of Dogwood Hills, who is charged with vehicular homicide when under the influence of alcohol. The crash claimed the life of Benita Vickers, 55, of Corbin. The accident happened about 12 a.m. on Aug. 1 about 11 miles south of London, according to a Laurel County Sheriff’s Office release. The investigating detective, accident reconstructionist Brad Mink, reports that apparently Hedrick’s Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling south...

A Woodbine house was totally destroyed during a rekindle early Monday morning. Woodbine Fire Chief Rickie Fore said that 13 firefighters were paged out Sunday evening for a kitchen fire at a 68 Back Street residence, which is off Archer Street. The initial call was for a grease fire in the kitchen after a pot of oil was left on the stove and the residents went downstairs. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the kitchen and were on the scene for about one hour and 15 minutes the first time. About 4 a.m., firefighters were paged back out to the home for a rekindle, and when they arrived the house...

Leadership Kentucky has announced members of the BRIGHT Kentucky Class of 2025, which includes a Whitley County resident, two Knox County residents and two Laurel County residents among others. BRIGHT Kentucky, which began in 2019, empowers today’s emerging leaders (ages 21–40) in the Appalachian region to drive innovation, collaboration, and community and economic development — while honoring the vision and values of the foundational leaders who came before them. The program builds on a strong legacy by equipping a new generation with non-partisan, ethical leadership training, and expanded networks designed especially for residents of the 54 Kentucky counties of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The program is made possible by an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)...

Photos by TIMOTHY WYATT Celebration: Local and state leaders were present for an anniversary event Tuesday morning at Dayspring Regional Health Center. A panel discussion was held between Danielle Ware (top left) with Hope Credit Union, Dayspring Chief Medical Officer Dr. Geogy Thomas (top middle left), Dayspring Chief Executive Officer Larry Rector (top middle right) and Dwain Neeley (top right) with Fahe. Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers (below) was also present for Tuesday’s event. Look in the upcoming Summer 2025 issue of Strictly Business Magazine for more coverage.

Photos by TIMOTHY WYATT  This year’s lone Cumberland River Cruise-In saw several dozen classic and fancy vehicles take over downtown Williamsburg on Saturday. The vehicles were lined around the perimeter of the old Whitley County Courthouse while vendors were set up in the yard. Williamsburg Main Street Program opted to move to only one cruise-in this year instead of doing it monthly throughout the summer in an attempt to drive up engagement.           

Last week, the Corbin Area Technology Center (Corbin ATC) welcomed in a group of incoming 6th-9th graders for a three-day camp that allowed them to get hands-on experience in exploring potential future career pathways. “The overall goal of this camp is to try and draw students into the career and technical education side of things, and to make them more aware of what’s out there,” said ATC Principal Josh Watkins. Watkins explained that, for many years, he feels like there was a troubling lack of focus on vocational training with school-aged kids. “I think we saw the pendulum swing really far with that,” he said. “And now we are needing to...