People

Do you enjoy playing games? Are you a fan of cheesy, over-the-top action movies? If your answer is “yes” to both of those questions, then you are in luck, as Corbin’s own Michael Ross has created a role-playing game that perfectly merges those two passions into one raucous, fun-filled experience. “I have played RPGs since about the age of ten,” Ross explained when asked about his background in gaming. “My best friends and I played all through grade school, high school, and college. It has just been a hobby that I have always loved.” For those not familiar with the concept of role-playing games, or RPGs for short, Ross described the...

Sometimes things just fit together perfectly. Such is the case for local musician Dan Turner and The Train Station (formerly Felts Music Place), a live music venue located off of Fifth Street Road in Corbin. Turner, Hazard native, began playing the guitar at age nine. He was the son of a coal miner and preacher, but he had dreams of making it in the music business like many of his idols, including Johnny Cash. At age 17, Turner left Appalachia and moved west to California. He sang with a gospel group called One Voice for a decade, producing five albums and touring around the country before he decided to return to...

The Lord works in mysterious ways. We’ve all probably heard that said at least a handful of times in our lives, but sometimes a situation plays out that makes even the most unwavering of skeptics stop and think, “Could this be true?” Case in point, Dr. Bob Tibbs. Tibbs is currently serving as the full-time pastor at First Christian Church of Corbin. That in itself is not so amazing, but his path to this particular pulpit most certainly is. “I am a direct result of the old Jesus movement, the campus crusade for Christ, back in the sixties,” Tibbs explained. “That changed my life. A lot of folks, like myself, ended...

Sybil Wooten has always enjoyed working with and being around people. It is one of the main qualities that helped her enjoy success as a manager of customer service at the former First National Bank of Corbin. As it turns out, it also made her a perfect fit to help people realize their dreams of traveling to exciting destinations for nearly 20 years. Wooten was well aware of First National’s group travel program while working in customer service, but she was somewhat surprised when her boss at the time ended up giving her the opportunity to lead it. “I said I didn’t know, and that I would have to talk about...

For nearly 40 years, the Southeast Kentucky Empty Stocking Fund has been helping Christmas wishes come true by providing less fortunate children with free gifts, shoes, clothes and other items for the holidays. Beginning with about 80 kids in the late-eighties, Empty Stocking now regularly provides for 400-500 children, or more, each year. Joe Caldwell, who has served as president of the non-profit organization since the mid-2000’s, says that it is a labor of love. “I have always loved children,” Caldwell said recently. “I don’t care whose they are. Thanks to the generosity of the community, we have received close to $600,000 in donations that has gone to buy gifts, shoes,...

The Shelley family - Jeff, Janna, Toraleah and Aaron - took over the farm at the former Living Waters Christian Grounds seven years ago. Two years ago they re-branded to Shelley Ridge Farms, but one mainstay throughout all of the change has been the yearly holiday light display. “The people prior to us had owned it for two years,” Janna Shelley said of the property, located at 1511 Frankfort School Road in Corbin. “It was a lot smaller, but every year that we’ve owned it we have added to it.” “The original vision was to keep Christ in Christmas,” said Toraleah Shelley. “When we took it over we wanted to make...

The Corbin Public Library, located at 215 Roy Kidd Ave., serves as a hub of activity for the local community, offering visitors a wide range of print and digital resources, as well as regular special events and educational opportunities. Of course, all of this could not happen without the necessary funding and manpower. Enter the Friends of the Corbin Public Library. This non-profit organization is made up of volunteers who wish to preserve, support and strengthen Corbin’s public library. The group meets monthly, and they are actively seeking new members. According to their informational pamphlet, which can be picked up at the library, some of their main goal include: Providing...

Many times, folks will discover that retirement doesn’t quite suit them. At the end of a long professional career, simply calling it quits and heading home may end up not being the best option after all. For anyone currently in that position, the local Goodwill Opportunity Center, located at 37 South Park Center Drive in Corbin, could help you to get back into the workforce through their Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). If you are 55 years of age or older, have low income, and are thinking of going back to work, Goodwill’s SCSEP can potentially facilitate that. First, an initial assessment will be done to determine if you...

Pastor Gordon McClure has been on the scene at Grace on the Hill Community Church in Corbin for the past three weeks, and in that amount of time he has been impressed with what he’s seen. “We’re really glad to be here in Corbin,” McClure said. “My wife (Amy) and I had been looking forward to our move here for quite a while.” The McClures come to Kentucky from Abilene, Kan., where they led a church for over six years. The decision to move was not an easy one, but ultimately, the belief is that it was God’s plan. “While we were there, we saw a lot of growth, even though covid,”...

As a member of Corbin High School’s Class of 2018, Aaron Philpot was always career-minded. Now he has the unique opportunity to return to his alma mater as a professional in the construction business. “I was on the bass fishing team through my junior year,” Philpot said. “Then I just focused on my career as a senior.” “I always stayed busy and had a job,” Philpot said of his life growing up. “I did auto detailing, mowed grass… anything to make a dollar.” After graduating from high school, Philpot went on to Eastern Kentucky University. Four years later, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in construction management. “I did some internships...