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33-year-old Anthony Merriman makes no secret of the fact he was a "career criminal," who has been sent to the penitentiary five times in his life. The Lexington native was a troubled child who was in and out of jail. He used drugs "a lot" and thought he had it under control to a certain extent. That is, until he got a 12-year sentence for burglary in late 2014. "I felt that nothing was going for me. My life was basically nothing. I basically wanted to give up," Merriman told the Whitley County UNITE Coalition during its monthly meeting June 20. Merriman had been serving his most recent sentence for a few...

Arena Manager Connie Hunt will receive three months of salary and compensation for any unused vacation days in her severance package. Hunt has not returned multiple calls seeking comment on her resignation or what led to the decision. City Manager Marlon Sams confirmed via e-mail Monday that Hunt would receive the severance package, though he provided no details on what led to the decision. When questioned further Tuesday, Sams said the package did not include any extension of Hunt’s health insurance. Sams said the details concerning how much the package will cost is still being finalized. In response to an open records request, city officials disclosed earlier this year that Hunt’s current salary...

Independence Day is approaching, which means it is time for food, fun, and most importantly, fireworks. Celebrations across the Tri-County area are scheduled to take place as follows: Saturday, July 2, is the annual Red, White and Boom event presented by the City of London Tourism at College Park. It is Southeastern Kentucky’s largest fireworks display. Gates will open at 3 p.m. with activities beginning at 4 p.m. The fireworks are scheduled to ignite at dusk. Attractions include sky-divers, zip-lines, stilt walkers, a mechanical bull, inflatables, a children’s magic show and much more are planned. Director of the event Sharon Benge says that everything is free, other than the food booths,...

Two more scams have hit the Tri-County area, according to the Knox and Laurel Sheriff’s Office. This time they involve the Publisher’s Clearing House and the recurring IRS scam. In Knox County, Sheriff Mike Smith is reporting that an intended victim received a letter from Canada appearing to be from the Publisher’s Clearing House. The letter had stated the recipient had won $2.5 million and came with a check for $7,000 from Radiology Imaging Solutions in Michigan “to cover insurance and attorney fees.” The intended victim took this information to Sheriff Smith who subsequently began an investigation. Sheriff Smith made contact with the radiology business in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was...

“Flakka,” mixed with crystal methamphetamine “ICE”, is making its second wave through Whitley County since its first appearance last year, reports the Williamsburg Police Department. Flakka, also known as “Gravel,” is often described as a form of bath salts. According to DrugFree.org, Flakka is a synthetic cathinone that contains Alpha-PVP, which is chemically similar to bath salts. Flakka is said to cause excited delirium, including hyper-stimulation, paranoia, and hallucinations. As other fad drugs of the past, flakka has seen to create a sense of “super human strength” in those who use it, along with extreme violence and aggravation. In an interview with CNN, Kevin Stanfill of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of...

Arena Manager Connie Hunt is resigning her position effective Friday. Though Hunt was not in attendance at the special called city commission meeting last Friday, a letter announcing her resignation effective July 1 was presented to the commissioners and read into the record. “I sincerely appreciate the opportunity given to me by the City of Corbin to serve as General Manager of the Arena,” Hunt wrote in the two-paragraph letter dated June 22. “I wish nothing but the best and much success for the City of Corbin and the Corbin Arena,” Hunt added in the letter. Commissioner Suzie Razmus made the motion to accept Hunt’s resignation and Joe Shelton seconded it. The commission...

For the first time in six years, the City of Corbin’s annual budget includes an across-the-board raise for city employees. Full-time salaried and hourly employees will receive a $1,000 increase, while seasonal employees will receive an adjusted rate increase based on the limited number of hours they work. “It comes out to about 48 cents on the hour,” said Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney. With 98 employees, the raise will cost the city almost $100,000 per year. The second reading of the city’s $11.420 million budget was passed at a special called meeting Friday and like the first reading it was by a vote of 4-1. Commissioner Suzie Razmus, who voiced her concerns during the...

A Williamsburg woman, who is already serving a 10-year prison sentence for manslaughter for her role in the killing of her two-year-old daughter in 2013, was ordered to pay $3,295 in restitution Monday morning for her role in an unconnected case. Trina Michelle White, 38, had been scheduled to stand trial on May 17 in connection with a 2013 indictment that charged her with two counts of receiving stolen property under $10,000. Instead, she pleaded guilty to both charges in exchange for prosecutors recommending a three-year prison sentence that is to be served consecutively, or in addition to her sentence in the manslaughter case. Whitley Circuit Judge Paul Winchester followed the terms...

A Whitley County Grand Jury has indicted a London man for allegedly taking $66,047.54 from Whayne Supply Company over a three-year period. The grand jury issued its monthly report Monday morning indicting Brandon Chase Goins, 32, of London, charging him with 19 counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of property over $500 but less than $10,000. Between Jan. 11, 2012, and July 14, 2014, Goins allegedly converted checks that were the property of Whayne Supply Company to his own use. The checks ranged in amounts from a $780.90 on Nov. 30, 2013, to a $7,632, on Nov. 7, 2013, according to the indictment. On July 14, 2014, which is...

The city of Corbin voted earlier this month to “stack” an additional one percent tax on the gross wages of workers in the Knox County portion of the city, but the move has drawn opposition from two of the area’s largest business advocacy groups. The Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted unanimously last Thursday to oppose the measure during its regular monthly meeting. Subsequently, the Knox County Chamber of Commerce board of directors held a similar vote to oppose the move. In a letter to Corbin City Manager Marlon Sams, and members of the city’s five-member Board of Commissioners, the Southern Kentucky Chamber board noted that the city...