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Corbin Police are asking for the public’s help to find a man who was seen peeking into cars at a local church and may be involved in a series of thefts. Corbin Police Detective Rusty Hedrick said the individual is described as a white male, 5’7” to 5”8, with a thin build and balding hair. Reports from residents indicate the man is driving a silver pickup truck, possibly a Chevrolet full-sized model. “We had at least four reports about this individual within a couple of hours yesterday (last Wednesday),” Hedrick said. According to Hedrick, the man pulled into the driveway of a residence on Poplar Street, asking the resident if a motorcycle was...

A federal magistrate judge has ruled that 39 images of child pornography and eight videos recovered from a zip drive found at a Gray man’s residence was lawfully seized and may be used in his child pornography case. Forty-eight-year-old Jerry Luke is facing one count of using and electronic storage media to possess one or more matters containing visual depictions of individuals under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct that were produced using materials that have been mailed, shipped and transported using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce. The charge stems from January 16, 2013 when Knox County Sheriff’s deputies took Luke to his home...

Donors are beginning to step up in an effort to make the Corbin Railroad Museum a reality. Corbin Tourism Director Maggy Kriebel told the Corbin Tourism and Convention Commission during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday that a potential major donation from a local private company is in the works. Though Kriebel could not go into exact details as to who is donating, the amount is at least four figures. “Pretty close to five,” Kriebel said. Details will be released once the contract is signed and official. In regards to the Railroad Museum, there were some questions raised by Kriebel on the potential depot lease agreement between the city of Corbin and the tourism...

Following a series of questions concerning the City of Corbin’s 2016-17 fiscal year budget and a severance package provided to former Arena Manager Connie Hunt following her recent resignation, the city’s attorney has stepped in. In response to an open records request for a copy of the city’s line item budget filed by The News Journal, City Clerk Roberta Webb responded that “we don’t have a line-item budget,” and provided a copy of the one-page budget resolution that was read when the commission passed in mid-June. The city has provided the News Journal a line-item budget, upon request, at least five times in the last six fiscal years. The document, which...

There have been more bear sightings reported than usual according to Whitley County E911. Over the past several weeks there has been reports of bear sightings all across the county. The Whitley Count Sheriff’s Department reported that the most recent were two sightings in the Woodbine and Bee Creek areas. Adam Sulfridge, who works in public affairs for the sheriff’s department, says there is a host of reasons why they can show up. He also stated that this is an opportunity to teach kids about importance of practicing safety when encountering such wildlife. “Definitely don’t feed them on purpose,” said Sulfridge. According to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife (KFW), most conflicts occur due...

Two Tampa, Florida men agreed to pay over $2,400 in restitution Monday morning stemming from their alleged roles in a recent Williamsburg credit card fraud case. Isael C. Velazquez, 32, and Osmani Ramirez Chavez, 40, were originally arrested by Williamsburg Deputy Police Chief Jason Caddell on May 26 and charged with felony fraudulent use of a credit card. The pair have been incarcerated in the Whitley County Detention Center since then in lieu of $50,000 cash bonds. As part of their plea deal Monday, the pair agreed to plead guilty to fraudulent use of a credit card under $500, which is a misdemeanor offense, in exchange for a 12-month jail sentence. The plea...

A former Williamsburg High School assistant football coach, who has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a student athletic trainer in 2014, and the victim's mother, won't be added as third-party defendants in a lawsuit against the school district, its superintendent and its then principal. U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove issued an order last month denying the request on various technical legal grounds. The parents of the victim, who are identified in the lawsuit only as John and Jane Doe, filed suit on April 29, 2015, against the school district, Superintendent Denny Byrd and then Principal Gary Peters, who has since retired. The lawsuit alleged that the defendants violated the girl's civil...

Many were in attendance at The Corbin Center  last Thursday evening for the Sixth Annual Daniel Boone “Visionary Award” banquet to honor this year’s recipient,  Kentucky Governor Matthew Bevin. “I truly am not worthy to be considered among them and it is a tremendous honor. Thank you so much for this recognition,” said Bevin upon receiving his award from his fellow recipients. The Daniel Boone “Visionary Award” is given each year to honor an outstanding citizen in the community. Governor Bevin was selected to receive the award by a special committee of The Mountain Laurel District of the Bluegrass Council of Boy Scouts. It is considered the district’s “highest honor.” Past recipients...

A scholarship fund has been created for a Corbin High School and Eastern Kentucky University graduate who went on to serve in the U.S. Marines and became a successful businessman in the medical supply industry before his untimely death in 1989. The creation of the Karl Bays scholarship fund was announced last week at a meeting of the Corbin Kiwanis Club. Bays is a 1951 graduate of Corbin High School where he excelled in football and was a statistician for the Redhound basketball team. He went to EKU on scholarship and graduated in 1955, bypassing dreams to play in the NFL in order to join the U.S. Marine Corps. He later completed his...

A London man has been ordered to pay the Whitley County Fiscal Court $600 restitution for damaging a holding cell door at the Whitley County Judicial Center on April 4. Zachary Turner, 19, pleaded guilty during his arraignment Thursday afternoon to a charge of third-degree criminal mischief. Whitley District Judge Cathy Prewitt sentenced him to a 90-day jail sentence but agreed to probate that sentence for two years on the condition Turner pay $600 restitution to the Whitley County Fiscal Court. She also ordered Turner to pay court costs. About 1:10 p.m. on April 4, Court Security Officer Tom Hurst reported that Turner was in a holding cell using his handcuffs to carve...