Web Only

A Lexington woman remains incarcerated in the Whitley County Detention Center after allegedly shoplifting from the Williamsburg Walmart and leading police on a vehicle pursuit that reached a speed of 100 mph before ending just inside Tennessee. Brooke E. Thornton, 34, pleaded not guilty during her arraignment Thursday afternoon in both of her cases, which stem from the same incident. Whitley District Judge Fred White appointed the public advocate’s office to represent Thornton, set a $10,000 cash bond in one of her cases, and scheduled a June 3 preliminary hearing in both of her cases. Between the two cases she is charged first-degree wanton endangerment (police officer), first-degree fleeing or evading...

A North Carolina man allegedly broke into a Corbin car dealership Sunday morning, vandalized some offices, took a vehicle for a joy ride, and appeared to be dancing inside a car bay when police arrived at the dealership, according to a Knox County Sheriff’s Department release. Knox County Sheriff’s Lt. Sam Mullins arrested Courtney F. Lowery, 44, of Pembroke, charging him with third-degree burglary, first-degree criminal mischief, theft by unlawful taking or disposition (auto), second-degree fleeing or evading police (on foot), third-degree terroristic threatening and public intoxication controlled substance excludes alcohol. About 11:40 a.m. Mullins received a call reporting that a man was inside the Legacy Chevrolet-GMC dealership building in Corbin....

If you own property in Corbin, then you need to keep that property up, which includes getting the grass cut on a regular basis. The city has made a concerted effort to go after blighted properties in the past and will do so again if necessary. However, the city would much rather people just keep their grass cut and maintain their property on their own. This was the message that Corbin City Manager Scott Williamson would like the public to know as summer approaches and lawn maintenance is hitting full stride. “If you have property, please take care of your properties. Do what you know needs to be done. Do what your...

When the new executive director of the Corbin Tourist and Convention Commission is officially announced Wednesday, they will have a little more help planning downtown events than their predecessor, Maggy Monhollen, did. When she resigned last month as tourism director, Monhollen was also serving unofficially as the Corbin Downtown Manager, which is a position that she didn’t get any additional compensation to do. During its regular monthly meeting Monday, the Corbin City Commission approved the appointment of Corbin Parks and Recreation Director Jacob Roan as the new downtown coordinator. He will receive an additional $10,000 annually to assume those additional duties. “We are not in a position to hire a downtown manager,...

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...

The Corbin Independent School District is expected to purchase more property near Corbin High School to be used for a currently-undisclosed purpose. The Corbin Board of Education met last Tuesday for a special-called meeting, in which board members authorized Superintendent David Cox to pursue the purchase of two pieces of property off of Early Street near the back-end of the high school campus. According to Cox, as of Friday, the purchases had not been finalized. Cox said he could not share further information regarding plans for that space until the sale is approved, though he did note there are two old house that currently sit on the lots that the district is...

The City of Corbin recently hired its newest parks and recreation director, Jacob Roan, who took a few moments this week to speak to the News Journal about his new job, his hopes for the future, and more. NJ: Introduce yourself, and give readers some information on your background. JR: I was born and raised in Pineville before moving to Lexington to attend the University of Kentucky. I came back to Pineville in 2013 to take the Main Street director position there. As time went on, I assumed many other roles at City Hall in Pineville. NJ: Has your sole focus ever been in parks and recreation? JR: It’s never been my sole...

A Williamsburg Police officer was injured during a foot pursuit with an Elizabethtown man early Sunday morning. According to an arrest citation, at approximately 1:39 a.m. Sunday, Officer Bryson Lawson was patrolling an area near the intersection of N. Fourth Street and Sycamore Street when he heard a loud crash. The citation claimed noise sounded like someone attempting to break into something behind the daycare off N. Fourth Street. When Lawson went to investigate the sound, he observed a man, identified as Austin Silva, 19, allegedly stumbling out behind the fence line. The citation stated that Silva exhibited a strong odor of alcohol, displayed slurred speech and was unsteady on his...

Numerous people attended the Cumberland Valley Cruise-In, which was held Saturday in downtown Corbin.

The next Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon will take place on Tuesday, July 11, and will feature guest speaker Dr. Carey Castle, President and CEO of Somerset Community College. "SCC exists for the people and communities in South Central and Eastern Kentucky," Dr. Castle states on the president's page of the SCC website (www.somerset.kctcs.edu). "We work closely with businesses and industries to develop and prepare the people they need from air conditioning to welding, and from a GED to an associate degree in arts or science." The July membership luncheon will be sponsored by Forcht Bank, and catering will be provided courtesy of Bo Jangle's. Guests are asked to...