People

Gray Hawkins played an integral role in the relaunch of Corbin High School’s student-led newspaper publication two years ago. Now, the former Paws Print staffer is helping the Murray State News win multiple Kentucky Press Association “Excellence in Newspaper” awards. Hawkins, a 2023 graduate of CHS, was present at a KPA awards banquet for the very first time last week at the Hyatt Regency in Lexington. It was a very good night for the Murray State News, which ended up dominating in the Student Publication, Class 1 division by bringing home over 40 awards. Among those awards were winning staff entries in the Best Ongoing/Extended Coverage, Best Website, Best Picture...

The following was submitted by 82nd District Representative Nick Wilson, and appeared in the Nov. 6, 2024 edition of the News Journal... On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the fighting of World War I came to an end in the name of an armistice. In commemoration of the historic day, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11 as Armistice Day in 1919. In 1938, an Act of Congress made Armistice Day a legal holiday, which was later amended in 1954 to change the word “Armistice” to “Veterans”. Since its inception, Veterans Day has served as a time to honor all who served. This Veterans...

Think like a mountain. As a 24-year-old, conservationist Aldo Leopold was forever changed by a dying wolf he and his crew had shot. After seeing the wolf’s eyes, he became an outspoken advocate for preserving natural spaces. He encouraged people to “think like a mountain,” and recognize how we need predators, like wolves, to keep the population of other species, like deer, in check in order to have a balanced ecosystem. This philosophy is one shared by Refuge Ridge in Whitley County, home to wolf dogs rescued from all over the country. Each of the 22 wolf dogs (and one coyote dog, or coydog) are in spacious enclosures with shade...

Recently, the Busy Bees Homemakers Club of Whitley County made a special delivery to cancer patients who are currently being treated at Baptist Health Corbin. As part of an ongoing effort, the Busy Bees have provided contoured comfort pillows to patients at the hospital, which is just the latest community service project that the group has undertaken. In the past, the Busy Bees have partnered with BHC to provide newborn babies with items such as handmade blankets and burp cloths. They also recently helped the Whitley County 4-H youth sewing club with making travel pillows for surgery patients. The Busy Bees Homemakers Club meets regularly at the Whitley County Cooperative Extension...

Grace Health is honored to announce that Emma Moore, a recent graduate of Williamsburg Independent School, is the 2024 recipient of the Kay Campbell Nursing Scholarship for Whitley County. With an impressive 4.625 weighted GPA, Emma excelled academically, earning not only her high school diploma but also an Associate of Science (A.S.) psychology degree from the University of the Cumberlands through dual credit courses. Emma, the daughter of Michael and Heather Jarboe of Williamsburg, will continue her education at the University of the Cumberlands this fall, where she plans to specialize as a psychiatric nurse. Inspired by the increasing mental health challenges in the community, particularly among children, she aspires...

Each year Baptist Health Corbin’s medical staff awards scholarships to recognize and reward academic accomplishments of healthcare students, and recently handed out 19 academic scholarships to local students. “These scholarships are awarded to students from the Tri-County area in order to keep our greatest resources close to home,” said David Worthy, MD, Chief Medical Officer. Recipients must be from the Tri-County area and currently be enrolled and working on a healthcare related degree. Of the 19 scholarships, seven are in medicine, five in nursing, one in optometry, two in pharmacy, one in physical therapy, one in physician assistant, and two in speech/language pathology. There were four special scholarships awarded, which were funded by...

How often do we find ourselves saying, “Things sure have changed,” whenever talking about how we learn, travel, communicate or entertain ourselves? It is true, things have changed a lot just in the last decade, not to mention compared to 30, 40 or even 50 years ago. But what about 100 years ago? For one local resident, Ruth Prewitt, the times of learning in a small one-room schoolhouse and traveling into town in a horse-drawn wagon are not simply stories in a history book. These were her actual experiences, and as she turns 100-years-old this year, she can still recall many details of what life was like in Whitley County...

Retired educator and local historian Diane Mitchell’s relationship with the town that she calls home goes back generations. Someone in her family lineage has resided in the Corbin area since its very inception, meaning she is uniquely suited to offer glimpses of what life has been like here through the years. For this reason, she is working hard to ensure that future generations will not forget important chapters in the storied history of this community. “I was born in Corbin,” Mitchell said. “My aunt was a school teacher at the East Ward School, and I decided early on that was what I wanted to be too. I graduated from Corbin...

Last weekend’s Whitley County Small Farms Conference gave farmers, gardeners and conservationists plenty of opportunities to network and learn about a wide range of topics related to agriculture. The two-day event featured numerous guest speakers, live demonstrations, and gave vendors a chance to share information about different products and services. Event organizer Laura Rogers, Kentucky State University, estimated that about 400 people showed up to the Whitley County Cooperative Extension office in Goldbug between last Friday and Saturday, adding that she heard nothing but good feedback from visitors that she spoke to. Rogers is a beekeeping specialist, so a big part of this year’s conference focused on that particular topic. Sessions...

Now is the time of year that green thumbs in our local area begin laying the groundwork for what they hope will be a successful growing season. Whether you are a longtime gardener, or you’re trying your hand at it for the first time; whether you are harvesting large amounts of produce, or you just have a couple of plants for personal use, there are certain steps that you can take to ensure that you get the most out of your time in the dirt. Ben Prewitt is a horticulture agent with the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Office, located in Goldbug. His job is to promote, educate, and assist with...