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The Appalachian Regional Commission approved a grant to fund the installation of a new access road and utilities to support the North America Sticks facility planned for Corbin. Congressman Hal Rogers, R-KY, announced the grant, totaling $429,312 Tuesday. "Without question, job creation is at the top of the priority list in southern and eastern Kentucky, and the first step to business recruitment is ensuring the infrastructure is in place to support business needs,” Rogers said. The facility will be located in the spec building on the Corbin bypass. Bruce Carpenter, executive director of the Southeast Kentucky Industrial Development Authority, said planning is in the works to modify and outfit the building to meet...

A suspended Whitley County Sheriff's deputy, who had a Domestic Violence Order (DVO) entered against him early Friday evening, is no longer employed by the sheriff's department. Whitley County Sheriff Colan Harrell said that he called Sgt. Kirk Mays into his office Monday and informed him that "his services were no longer required." Mays had been employed by the sheriff's department for three years but was suspended on July 14 after his ex-girlfriend, Courtney Morgan, obtained an Emergency Protective Order against him. Among other things, the DVO order means that Mays won't be allowed to own or carry a firearm during the period of time that the DVO is in effect. "This one...

The Corbin and Williamsburg independent boards of education will each be getting a new face next year, and the battle lines are now set for the November General Election with the passage of the Aug. 9 filing deadline. Incumbent Williamsburg board member Kim Broome White opted not to run for re-election and three people are vying for two seats on the board. Incumbent Allan Steely has filed to run for re-election in addition to Ed McGrath and Jason Caddell. On the Corbin school board, Angela Morris opted not to run for re-election. There are three seats up for election on the board. Incumbents Todd Childers and Stephen Mulberry have filed in addition...

The Tri-County Elk Lodge #2826 in Corbin is turning its annual Duck Race fundraiser for the Kids with Cancer charity into a three-day event this year, and it begins this Friday with live entertainment, food and drink. The Fourth Annual Duck Race for Kids with Cancer kicks off Friday at 5:00 p.m. in the parking lot behind Sander’s Park along Depot Street. The band Cull Hollow will be playing from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Jon Booth will entertain from 8:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. There will be a beer and Pepsi Garden and food will be provided by Smokey Bears Catering. Saturday will feature a poker run. Registration begins behind the...

A Williamsburg man, who is accused of stealing a local attorney’s pickup truck that was parked outside of district court in Corbin last Tuesday, is awaiting an extradition hearing in Campbell County, Tennessee. Thirty-year-old Johnny Mullis was arrested Friday after he reportedly told a bystander in Caryville, Tennessee that he was wanted out of Kentucky and was going to hit the bars. “They contacted local authorities and they were able to go and locate him,” said Corbin Police Detective Rusty Hedrick noting Campbell County Sheriff’s deputies apprehended Mullis without incident. Mullis was lodged in the Campbell County Detention Center. Hedrick said Mullis has yet to appear before the court for an extradition...

A Knox County businessman, who pleaded guilty to defrauding two local banks of $1.4 million through a scheme to float checks that were later returned because of insufficient funds, will serve three years in federal prison and must repay the money. Fifty-three-year-old Gregory Joseph Wilcheck returned to U.S. District Court in London Monday for a formal sentencing in the case. Based on the pre-sentencing report, the sentencing range in the case was 46 to 57 months of incarceration. “I assure you I am truly sorry,” Wilcheck said prior to the sentence being handed down. U.S. District Court Judge Gregory VanTatenhove cited the amount of money involved, $1,408,870.68 from National City and Whitaker Banks,...

Bowlers, who have been gearing up for the new fall season at Forest Lanes, are looking for other options following the announcement that the facility will be closing its doors at the end of the month. Janet Osborne, who has bowled in the Monday night women’s league since 1983, said she and her team want to continue bowling and are looking at Richmond, Somerset or even LaFollette, Tennessee, as options. “All of those are right at an hour drive,” Osborne said adding that Richmond would be the best of those three because it is a straight shot up and down I-75. Osborne, who heard about Forest Lanes closing while she was at...

A Laurel County man was airlifted from the scene after his plane crashed near the London-Corbin Airport Friday morning. The pilot is identified as 78-year-old Everett Hawthorn of London. Bryan Melborn, a friend of Hawthorn, was at the airport terminal. Melborn said Hawthorn had recently completed training in flying ultra-light aircraft at a school in Cincinnati, Ohio. “They had cleared him for solo flights,” Melborn said. Hawthorn was at the London-Corbin Airport practicing touch-and-go landings about 9:45 a.m. The maneuver is used to practice many landings in a short time. It is also an emergency maneuver in the event a pilot lands without sufficient runway remaining to bring the aircraft to a stop. Melborn said when Hawthorn...

When it comes to medical issues, such as heart attacks and strokes, seconds can sometimes save lives. This is part of the reason that Whitley County EMS is so excited about the addition of four new state-of-the-art heart monitors/automated external defibrillators, which went into service Thursday afternoon. In addition to charging quicker, the new machines can electronically transfer patient heart-related medical data through the Cloud straight to the emergency room at local hospitals. Whitley County EMS Assistant Director Brandon Woods said that depending on the results of an accreditation meeting with Baptist Health Corbin on Aug. 23, the new equipment may soon enable heart attack victims to bypass the emergency room and...

The case against a Laurel County man accused of attempting to murder two sheriff’s deputies will be going to the grand jury. In lieu of a preliminary hearing Tuesday, the attorney for 45-year-old Terry Collier stipulated to probable cause to present the case to the grand jury. Judge John Chappell agreed to amend Collier’s bond from $500,000 cash to $200,000 cash. The grand jury is scheduled to hear the case on Sept. 12 and will return indictments on Sept. 16. Collier allegedly fired two shots at deputies Rick Cloyd and Brandon Broughton last Thursday night. The deputies had been called to a residence on Slate Ridge Road in Lily about 10:30 p.m. in response...