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Corbin City Manager Marlon Sams announced his pending retirement at the end of Monday's monthly Corbin City Commission meeting. His official retirement date will be April 1, 2024. The Corbin City Commission agreed to accept Sams pending retirement, and voted to advertise for the hiring on a new city manager. The deadline to apply is Jan. 16 at 4 p.m. For more information, see Wednesday's edition of the News Journal.

Update: As of 2:15 p.m., KY92E has been reopened and normal traffic flow has resumed. Original story: Motorists traveling in eastern Whitley County are encouraged to seek an alternate route as KY92E is expected to remain closed for several hours due to a two-vehicle fatality involving a commercial vehicle, according to a Whitley County Sheriff's Department release. Shortly after 10 a.m., the sheriff's department issued an alert on its Facebook page about the accident, which occurred just east of Whitley East Elementary School. "At this time it is unknown how long the roadway will be closed," the sheriff's department release noted. Motorists are urged to seek an alternate route, such as taking KY11...

There was allegedly a pattern of abuse in the home where 4-year-old Chloe Darnell most recently resided before her untimely death, according to investigators, and though the cause of that death still remains unknown, preliminary autopsy results indicate Darnell had suffered multiple fractures to the head and ribs that were likely sustained before her body was buried in a makeshift grave. Brittany Slaughter, 24, who had joint custody of Darnell at the time of her death, and Adam Hayes, 34, both of Williamsburg, have each been charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. The pair appeared in Whitley District Court for a preliminary hearing Monday morning,...

UPDATE: A body believed to be that of four-year-old Chloe Darnell, who had not been seen since September, has been found, according to a release from the Whitley County Sheriff's Department. The release, posted early Friday morning, stated that the body has been sent the state medical examiner's office in Frankfort for an autopsy and positive identification. The child's custodian, Brittany Slaughter, 24, who had also been missing for several weeks, was located unharmed Thursday night. Slaughter is Darnell's aunt and had custody of Darnell when the child disappeared. Slaughter has since been charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. A man, identified as Adam Hayes, 34, has...

Outdoor burning is now prohibited for the near future in Whitley County due to extremely dry conditions. "Due to current and predicted weather conditions, and the extreme danger of forest fires in Whitley County, I, Pat White, Jr., County Judge Executive of Whitley County, do hereby issue the following Executive Order effective at 9 a.m., November 8, 2023," White wrote in the order. "All outdoor burning in Whitley County is prohibited under authority of KRS 149.401. This prohibition is in effect until this executive order has been rescinded by public notice. I urge all Whitley County citizens to comply with this executive order so that we can preserve Whitley County's timber...

Whitley County, a former jailer, several deputy jailers, the jail’s healthcare provider and some of the healthcare providers employees are being sued in federal court for the alleged wrongful death of an inmate at the Whitley County Detention Center nearly two years ago. Late Tuesday afternoon, Williamsburg attorneys Paul Croley and B.J. Foley filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in London on behalf of Tammy Webb, as Administratrix of the Estate of Terri Beth Mays, who is deceased. The lawsuit names Whitley County, former Jailer Brian Lawson, and deputy jailers Sula Bowman, Kaytee George, Austin Caldwell, Zach Hughes, Joseph Cureton and Nick Huddleston as defendants. The lawsuit also names as defendants...

As the old saying goes, most accidents happen close to home, or, in the case of a Whitley County school bus Monday morning, close to school. No one was injured during an accident involving school bus #083, which was in route to the main campus with 27 high school and middle school students on board, when the accident occurred about 7:35 a.m. Superintendent John Siler said that the accident happened on US25W about a quarter mile north of the traffic light in front of the Boulevard of Champions, which leads to the main campus. Siler said that a car pulled out in front of another car, and during the collision one of...

UPDATE: Kentucky State Police have released more information regarding Thursday night’s fatal crash in Williamsburg, including the identity of the deceased individual. According to a release from KSP, a 2011 Ford Fusion being operated by an unnamed minor was traveling in the eastbound lane of KY92W when the vehicle crossed the center line, colliding head-on with a 2012 KIA Sorento, operated by Tyler Hardison, 31, of Louisville. Hardison’s front passenger, identified as Marlainna Terry, 41, of Stearns, was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Whitley County Coroner’s Office. The driver of the Ford Fusion and another minor passenger were transported by Whitley County EMS to Baptist Health Corbin with non-life-threatening injuries....

UPDATE: Late Thursday evening, the Whitley County Sheriff's office shared the following information regarding a shooting in Corbin that resulted in the death of a two-year-old child: "On Thursday, September 7, 2023, at 9:51 AM the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to 75 Martin Road in Corbin in reference to a child that had been accidentally shot by another child. The Corbin Police Department and the Corbin Fire Department both responded to the scene and arrived prior to sheriff department personnel. The child, later identified as 2-year-old Milo Brooks, was transported by the Corbin Fire Department to Baptist Health - Corbin where he was pronounced deceased. Preliminary investigation revealed...

The Corbin Police Department has revealed the identities of the two men who were involved in a single-vehicle fatal collision on 5th Street Road in Corbin early Sunday morning. A CPD press release Sunday afternoon said, "On September 3rd 2023 at 0640 hours, The Corbin Police Department responded to a call of a single vehicle collision on 5th Street in Whitley County. Upon Corbin Police Officer's arrival the driver of the vehicle, James Barnes age 25 of Lily, had a strong smell of alcoholic beverage on his person and apparent injuries." "The passenger Zachary Mathis, age 21 of London was pronounced dead at the scene by Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley....