Opinion

This year marks a milestone in Williamsburg as the 20th Annual Williamsburg Police Department Shop with a Cop program is slated to take place next month at the Williamsburg Walmart. If you want to see something to make your heart melt, then you should come out and see it on Dec. 18. I remember when it all started. In 2005, then Williamsburg Police Officer Kenny Shaw helped spearhead the effort to raise $2,000 to take underprivileged children on $100 Christmas shopping sprees at the Williamsburg Walmart. It seemed like kind of a daunting task that first year. Thanks to the efforts of the Williamsburg Police Department, pretty much everyone, who worked over...

B oard meetings. Those two words rarely elicit an overly enthusiastic response.  In fact, many would say that “bored meetings” may often be a more apt description. When you hear about a board meeting, the mental images that are conjured probably include several people sitting around a table with some sort of an agenda placed in front of them. A numbered or bulleted list can be found on said agenda, and for 1-2 hours, each item on the list must be addressed according to proper procedure. There is discussion. There are motions. Motions are seconded. Votes are taken. It all gets recorded in the minutes, there is adjournment, and everyone disperses. Now, this...

We reached a major milestone in the Sherman household over the weekend as my son, Connor, turned 13. I am extremely proud of Connor, who has always been a good kid and a great student. For the past two years, he has been a member of the band at Corbin Middle School, playing in the percussion section. He has also taken up playing the electric guitar at home, and has made incredible progress with it. Admittedly, the pre-teen stage has not always been easy. In fact, many days have been quite difficult. We all navigated our way through it, however, and now we collectively prepare to embark on a new adventure...

A few days ago, News Journal Publisher Trevor Sherman sent me a text which read, “I just heard that KY and Main streets will be paved in 2026.” A few minutes later, News Journal News Editor Mark White sent me an e-mail which read, “I thought you might be interested, I heard KY and Main streets will be paved next year.” Later that evening, while attending the local football game, a fan next to me said, “Have you heard that they are going to pave Kentucky Street next year?” If you have been keeping score, you’ll know why everyone was so eager to inform me about the paving. For the...

The longest federal government shutdown in our country’s history is finally nearing its end with the United States Senate reaching a tentative deal this past Sunday evening. It wasn’t the first federal shutdown, and, unfortunately, it probably won’t be the last federal shutdown either. Every few years the Republicans and Democrats play this same tired, broken record with only a few song lyrics changed. The Washington politicians will bicker and barter with brinksmanship diplomacy waiting until right up until the very last moment to avoid a government shutdown or shutting the government down for days or weeks requiring many federal employees to work without paychecks until the shutdown is over. During the...

In my time here at the News Journal, I have had the opportunity to witness several history-making achievements by our coverage area athletic programs. Many classic contests have taken place over the years with district championship titles on the line, and the same can be said for a long list of regional championship encounters as well. I have also had the chance to watch many of our local student-athletes compete for statewide championships, with some being successful in their quests to bring state titles back home with them. When I think back on all that has transpired, it is difficult to say which individual accomplishments were the most consequential. I can...

I don’t know about you, but I had the best Halloween ever. From dressing up as Enid Sinclair from Wednesday to karaoke, celebrating my friend’s birthday, and joining the University of the Cumberlands (UC) community band as an alum, this past week was terror-ific in the best way possible. The day before Halloween, my sister and I went costume shopping. We explored the entire store but instantly got hooked on the Wednesday costumes. Wednesday has become a favorite show for both of us since its latest season came out recently. I decided to be the character Enid since I recently added peek-a-boo pink to my blonde hair. I didn’t plan to...

Written by Diane Taylor Roberts I am sharing a chapter from my book, “That’s What I Thought” regarding Cumberland Falls. One of my favorite places is Cumberland Falls State Park, and I am proud that my book is now sold in their gift shop. I am flooded with memories every time I visit the park. It is a wonderful place to enjoy the beauty of nature, meet visitors from other areas, and totally relax and unwind. If you haven’t visited the park lately, you could not find a more opportune time to do so with the brilliant fall colors ready to peak. While you are there, take in the beauty...

When it comes to presents, what do you get somebody that has pretty much everything or most everything that they realistically want. That is a question that I often ponder when it comes time to buy presents for certain people like my dad, Mike White. He is retired so he doesn’t need work clothing. While he still plays golf some, he has enough golf balls at this point to do him for a couple of lifetimes. His favorite baseball team is the Detroit Tigers, and his favorite football team is the Detroit Lions, but there is only so much team paraphernalia that a person needs. You can also only wear so many U.K. shirts...

Since 2017, we at the News Journal have been able to partner with the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to publish a quarterly magazine publication called Strictly Business. We hope that readers have found it interesting to get behind-the-scenes looks at many of our local area businesses. I can honestly say that it has been incredibly rewarding for me personally to get to write many of these stories. Recently, I had the opportunity to take a tour of Stidham Cabinet and get the full story of their 50-year operation from the founder himself, Mr. James Stidham. The plant is located in Keavy, and while I have been there before, this...