News

Community members can prevent a blood shortage by giving blood at an upcoming back to school event. The Kentucky Blood Center (KBC) is hosting a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 29 at the Whitley County Back to School Ready Fest event. Donors will receive a limited-edition “Only You Can Prevent Blood Shortages” t-shirt and a $15 Walmart gift card while supplies last. Summer months tend to bring a decline in donations as families travel for vacations. The organization provides blood to more than 70 local hospitals. Donated blood cannot be manufactured, so volunteer donors are essential to maintaining blood supply for patients in need. Blood donors must be at...

Thanks to help from the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the Central Kentucky Fugitive Task Force (CKFTF) London office, a wanted Laurel County man was captured on July 15 in Alabama and is now behind bars in the Laurel County Correctional Center on charges of rape and incest. David Mikel Summerall, 46, of London, pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree rape (victim under 12 years of age) and incest (with person less than 12 years of age) during his arraignment July 24 in Laurel District Court. Judge Skip Hammons Jr. set his bond at $100,000 cash. Laurel Sheriff’s detectives began their investigation on June 24, after deputies were called to...

As part of its duties, the Whitley County Health Department conducts routine public health inspections of various entities, including restaurants, stores, schools, mobile home parks, swimming pools, etc. Some of the most recent inspections include: Food inspections Gordon Hill Market, 1470 Gordon Hill Pike, Corbin – 100. June 18 regular inspection. Little Blessings Child Care and Learning Center, 1260 US S. HWY 25W, Williamsburg – 99. June 22 regular inspection. Violations: utensil, equipment and linens not properly stored, dried or handled. Little Wildcats Daycare LLC, 2101 S. Main St., Corbin – 98. June 23 regular inspection. Violations: toilet facilities not properly constructed, supplied or cleaned; utensil, equipment and lines not properly stored, dried or...

U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell has sentenced a Lily man to 28 years in prison for production of child pornography while he was incarcerated last year. On July 24, 2025, an indictment was returned in open court in U.S. District Court charging Daniel Hoskins, who was 55 at the time, with one count of possession of child pornography and six counts of production of child pornography. On April 20, 2026, Hoskins was set for trial but instead reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. He was rearraigned in U.S. District Court and pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. According to Hoskins’ plea agreement, on June 2 and June 3,...

A second person has pleaded not guilty in connection with the July 12 stabbing of a man at a motel in southern Laurel County. Jonathan Wood, 34, address undetermined, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of first-degree burglary and first-degree assault during his arraignment in Laurel District Court. During Monday’s hearing, Judge John Paul Chappell appointed the public advocate’s office to represent Wood, scheduled an Aug. 4 preliminary hearing in his case and increased his bond from $50,000 cash to $100,000 cash. On Friday, Laurel Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Lewis served Wood with an arrest warrant charging him in the case and booked him into the Laurel County Correctional Center at 3:29 p.m....

It has been a busy summer for Corbin middle school and high school golfers. Corbin Lady Redhound golfer Makena Myatt competed in the LPGA USGA Girls Golf National Championship by PKBGT. The three-day tournament was played at Pine Needles in North Carolina. Myatt was one of 56 girls from across 16 countries, who competed. She finished in 10th place with a 10-over-par for the tournament. Myatt also competed in the 47th Kentucky Girls Junior Amateur at Frankfort Country Club where she finished in the top 10. In addition, Myatt competed in the Kentucky Girls Junior PGA Championship at Bardstown Country Club. Over two days, she shot 8-over-par finishing tied for fourth place. In the Bluegrass Golf Tour...

The annexation of Walmart in southern Laurel County has generated additional work for the Corbin Police Department. “We receive two, three, four calls a day on first shift. I don’t know how many on second shift,” Corbin Police Chief Rusty Hedrick told the Corbin City Commission during its regular monthly meeting Monday. “I did speak with the manager this morning. He is very complimentary of the officers, the response times and how we have responded over at Walmart.” Corbin City Manager Scott Williamson asked if Walmart officials indicated police coverage has been markedly better since it was annexed into the Corbin city limits. “For them it has been,” Hedrick responded. Williamson said despite what...

The Carnegie Center of Corbin has done what it can to renovate and preserve the old Carnegie Library building off Roy Kidd Avenue, and now it needs help from the government to finish its work. This was the message Carnegie Center of Corbin board member Anne Hacker delivered to the Corbin City Commission during its monthly meeting Monday. Hacker began her presentation reading a poem called Echoes of Silence, which is about dyeing buildings. “When its walls collapse one by one to the ground, and an echo of silence is its only sound. Where it stood, we remember with sighs of remorse. Why didn’t we fight for its life with full force....

The Carnegie Center of Corbin has done what it can to renovate and preserve the old Carnegie Library building off Roy Kidd Avenue, and now it needs help from the government to finish its work. This was the message Carnegie Center of Corbin board member Anne Hacker delivered to the Corbin City Commission during its monthly meeting Monday. Hacker began her presentation reading a poem called Echoes of Silence, which is about dyeing buildings. “When its walls collapse one by one to the ground, and an echo of silence is its only sound. Where it stood, we remember with sighs of remorse. Why didn’t we fight for its life with full force....

Sometimes, but not often, government entities do something fun. Take the July 16 special called Corbin City Commission meeting for instance. The commission recognized a local resident for something he did over 50 years ago. During the 1974 Nibroc Parade, local resident Oscar “Big O” Davenport rode a wheelie on his motorcycle from where Corbin City Hall now sits all the way down Main Street to Gordon Street in Corbin without his front tire touching the ground. Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus said she was 10 years old at the time and remembers watching it. During the July 16 meeting, Corbin City Commission presented Davenport with a Corbin Colonel in recognition of the...