People

At the end of the third week in the race for May Day Queen and Tiny Queen, the Ossoli Club has released the following results: First place in the May Day Queen race at this time is Gracelyn Fox. Mary Alice McVey is in second place and Camille Greer is in third place. In the race for Tiny Queen at this time, Whitley Roaden is in first place, Ella Smith second, and Harper Ellison third. The May Day Queen and Tiny Queen races will end at noon Friday, April 29. The May Day Festival is sponsored annually by the GFWC Kentucky Ossoli Club of Corbin. This year’s festival will be held at the...

The Whitley County winner of the 2021-2022 Grandparent of the Year essay contest has been announced by the Whitley Area Retired Teachers Association (WARTA). This year’s winner is Jerica Wilson, a fifth grade student in Georgette Vanover’s classroom at Whitley East Elementary School. She is among thousands of Kentucky fifth graders who participated in the 21st Annual Essay Competition. Students submitted essays answering the question “Why My Grandparent should be the AARP Kentucky Grandparent of the Year” to their fifth grade teachers who selected the school’s winner. Winning school entries were then submitted to the local Retired Teachers Association where a committee selected the county winner. In her winning essay, Jerica chose...

What are you supposed to say when you are expected to say goodbye to something you very much wish to hold onto? This is the very conundrum I am facing as I must say goodbye to this community as I embark on my next adventure.  For almost a year and a half, I have been blessed and honored to tell the stories of this community.  I have had opportunities to write joyful stories about businesses opening or about someone’s hobby turned life pursuit, but this career has also forced me to write the hard stories like those of murder or fire.  Like my university graduation cap, I never got to wear because of...

On March 26, local author Jennifer Marsee released her fifth children's book titled Never Mind, Nehemiah. Never Mind, Nehemiah is a mother's advice on how to handle life.   She tells her son life is a learning journey. We will learn what we must know and mistakes help us to grow.  Our souls show us what others try to hide.   Sadly, some people will play pretend and some relationships will end. She reminds him pain comes within a range but he must face his emotions and be unafraid of life's changes.   You must be kind to yourself and others while knowing the power of your soul.  She encourages Nehemiah to be...

“To say this year has been a journey would be an understatement,” wrote Corbin High School Cheerleading Coach Shonya O’Neill on her Facebook page. “This little team has had many ups and downs and heartbreak after heartbreak.” O’Neill’s team was crowned the Sweet 16 In-game State Champions at Rupp Arena last week.  “Over the last three weeks I have watched them become better with each day and each game,” O’Neill wrote. “When you are on a team you have to trust your coach and coaches trust the relationship they have with their children. They have given their total trust in me and fol-lowed the process all the way out.” The team’s win...

It took seventeen cents for me to begin to understand the often sad and frustrating reality of the approximately 150,000 Kentuckians living with dementia. When I arrived at Christian Community Care in Corbin on Feb. 24, I had a vague understanding of what I would be doing. I had been told I would experience a simulated version of what a dementia patient experiences daily by participating in a Virtual Dementia Tour®. The objectives of the tour were simple. Wearing gloves, goggles, shoe inserts and headphones, I needed to complete five simple tasks once I was inside the simulator room.  Once I had donned my ‘garb’, a facilitator guided me into the room...

(Photos by Scott Powell) Meghan Steely, senior, was crowned the 2022 Basketball Homecoming Queen at the Whitley County Colonels vs. Leslie County basketball game Monday evening. Steely was escorted by Nathaniel Griffin, a member of the JROTC. The Colonels won the match up 66-40.

(Photos by Carrie Mattingly) Kaylee Graham, senior, was crowned Homecoming Queen at the Williamsburg vs. Lynn Camp basketball game on Feb. 3. Graham was escorted by her father John Graham. Williamsburg lost the match up 69-52.

Seven local middle school students will be competing at the academic team Governor’s Cup state competition.  From Whitley County Middle School, Kambree Bunch, for composition and social studies; Reese Croley, for math assessment; Samuel Lemons, for social studies assessment; and Miles Leskiw, for math assessment, will all compete at the state competition.  Overall the Whitley County team placed third at the regional tournament bringing home the third-place award for quick recall and the fourth-place award for future problem solvers.  Whitley County Middle School’s academic team coach is Sarah Veach-Draper. Williamsburg Middle School will send three students to the state competition including Tatum Croley, for composition; Harlan Marietta, for language arts; and Kianna Ballew,...

Jonathon Jackson and Kaila Stidham were crowned 2022 Mr. and Miss Basketball during halftime of the Corbin vs. Jackson County boy’s basketball game Monday evening.  Jackson is the son of Shawn and Lindsay Jackson. He escorted Sydney Blakenship during the homecoming events.  Stidham is the daughter of Jimmy and Crystal Stidham. She was escorted by Trey Worley.  Other members of the homecoming court include: Chole Adams, escorted by Zander Curry; Emma Addison, escorted by Brody Wells; Erica Angel, escorted by Cade Elam; Alyssa Black, escorted by Connor Middleton; Eden Brock, escorted by Eli Pietrowski; Kayla Lee Curry, escorted by Hayden Llewellyn; Halle Grubb, escorted by Carter Stewart; Emma Krutsinger, escorted by Hunter...