News

A Siler man, who police had been searching for in connection to an Aug. 21 shooting, is now behind bars in the Whitley County Detention Center. Kentucky State Police arrested Zachary Austin Partin, 27, at 1:16 p.m. Monday charging him with attempted murder. His bond is set at $1 million. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Whitley District Court. The incident allegedly took place at approximately 2:35 p.m. on Aug. 21, at a Harpes Creek Road residence when Partin reportedly shot 64-year-old Delbert Bolton, according to his arrest warrant. For more details, see Wednesday’s edition of the News Journal.

The Knox County Grand Jury indicted a Corbin man Friday on child pornography related charges approximately three months after he waived extradition to Illinois where he was wanted on 10 counts of child pornography. The Knox County Grand Jury indicted Kameron Allen Adams, 18, charging him with two counts of possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. Between April 1 and May 26, 2026, Adams allegedly had in his possession matter which “visually depicts a sexual performance by a minor person under the age of 12 years,” according to both counts of his indictment. Knox Circuit Judge Gregory Lay scheduled a Sept. 25 status hearing in the case. Lay set...

If you care going to be traveling on southbound I-75 near Corbin on either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday night, then you should expect delays. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is warning motorists to prepare for rolling roadblocks and possible delays as crews set beams for the new bridge over US25W near Exit 25 in Corbin. The rolling roadblocks will take place between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. each night. Rolling roadblocks will take place from mile marker 32 in Laurel County southbound to Exit 25 in Whitley County. Law enforcement will be assisting. The I-75 southbound entrance ramp at Exit 29 will be closed intermittently during the rolling roadblocks. On Tuesday, traffic on US25W at...

Harry Alder, a long-time leader of the Whitley County Cattlemen’s Association, has been inducted into the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association (KCA) Hall of Fame. “I cannot remember a time in the last 30 years that Harry Alder was not a driving force in our association. I have grown up watching Harry serve, guide, and build our county association. Through his dedication and selflessness, he has inspired me and many others to step up and get involved in this and many other organizations in our county and state,” said Whitley County Cattlemen’s Association Vice-President Garrett Croley. The Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association Hall of Fame is designed to honor select members who have given extraordinary...

The Laurel County Grand Jury has issued a vehicular homicide indictment against a London woman in connection with a 2025 fatal crash. The grand jury issued a superseding or replacement indictment Friday against Kimberly Dianna Hedrick, also known as Kimberlee Dianna Howard, 56, charging her with vehicular homicide, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants and four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. On Aug. 1, 2025, Hedrick allegedly caused the death of Benita Vickers while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance or other substance, which impairs driving ability, according to her indictment. The new indictment added the four wanton endangerment charges to the...

The Laurel County Grand Jury handed down numerous indictments Friday for various offenses ranging from unlawful imprisonment to robbery and assault. According to court records, the following people were indicted Friday, including: Dakota Allen Fields, 34, of London – first-degree unlawful imprisonment, fourth-degree assault, third-degree terroristic threatening and first-degree persistent felony offender. Fields has a prior felony conviction in Grayson County in connection with a 2020 case and in Barren County in connection with a 2019 case. Boyce Dean Bennett, 55, of London – first-degree unlawful imprisonment and third-degree terroristic threatening. Evan Ray Raphae Colbert, 30, of Louisville – first-degree robbery (threatening the use of physical force while armed with...

Education is a major target of computer hackers. During its monthly meeting last Thursday evening, Information Technology Director Kevin Anderson told the Whitley County Board of Education about a major data breach involving education, and the breach of a different platform not used in Kentucky nor the Whitley County School District. It involved 62 million pieces of data. “It was one of the world’s greatest data breaches. In 2026, it came out. This is an equivalent to a platform that we would use to store all of our student data. This was a major deal. It was millions of credentials and social security numbers and private information about students and staff...

A Georgia man is accused of allegedly taking $40,000 from a couple and of trying to take nearly $10,000 more from them, according to his indictment. On Friday, the Laurel County Grand Jury indicted Larry Bernard Dowdell Jr., 38, of Atlanta, charging him with theft by unlawful taking value at least $10,000 but less than $1,000,000, attempted theft by deception value at least $1,000 but less than $10,000 and two counts of second-degree forgery. On Dec. 24, 2025, Dowdell allegedly took $40,000 from a couple and unlawfully signed the female victim’s name as the maker of a check drawn on their account. Also, on Dec. 24, 2025, Dowdell allegedly unlawfully attempted...

A trio of teenage swimmers got more than just a dip in the lake Wednesday evening as a release of water by the Laurel Lake Dam left them frantically swimming for safety. Then they had to spend the night in the woods after rescuers found them. “They are extremely lucky,” said Whitley-Laurel County Emergency Management Director Jerry Rains. Rains said the teens, who ranged in age from 16 to 17, had gone for a hike Wednesday afternoon and went swimming in a popular pool of water behind the dam. The teens were in the water when the dam released water Wednesday to generate electricity from 7 – 9:15 p.m. “When water was released,...

The Laurel County Grand Jury indicted one person for drug trafficking and eight other people for drug possession while issuing its monthly indictments Friday, including: Brandon Ray Smith, 26, of Corbin – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. On March 12, he allegedly sold less than two grams of methamphetamine to a cooperating witness with the Corbin Police Department. Michael Shane Reynolds, 46, of Corbin – first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), tampering with physical evidence, illegal possession of a legend drug, resisting arrest, third-degree possession of a controlled substance (Clonazepam), and first-degree persistent felony offender. He had a prior felony conviction in Whitley County in connection with...